North river boats

[TS]

Did North river buy out Almar boats? or have they always been the same company?

 

[chriso]

They had bought almar a few years back, not sure what the relationship is now since the owner apparantly snapped and shot his wife in broad daylight with tons of witnesses around...

 

[AKBoatR]

They actually bought Almar back in 2001. They have completely rebounded from the issues with the previous owner and are almost back to full production. Although they only sell via independent dealers now... no more factory owned dealerships.

 

[HuntKodiak]

So the reported financial problems and related issues are in the rear view mirror now? I remember hearing talk about how far in debt they were a couple years ago.

 

[Halibutgrove]

So the reported financial problems and related issues are in the rear view mirror now? I remember hearing talk about how far in debt they were a couple years ago.

North River bought Almar in 2002, I ordered my Almar Sounder Pilothouse in Jan 2003 and personally dealt with Brian (The Wack Job) , the owner who had just bought Almar. Gave me a great deal since he was looking get some cash flow rolling. Primarily dealt with Mike Sandaman who was the GM for Almar for years and a Super Guy. He's retired now but I still stay in touch. Brian got caught doing illegal financial crap and then went physco as stated and nearly took the company down with it. He killed his girl friend at point plank with a shot gun at a car show. He had rounds left and didn't have the guts to kill himself at the same time. Too bad. As a result of Brian's illegal actions, The company and employees nearly lost everything when the banks and feds stepped in. One of the things that saved them was the government sales and reputation for building an outstanding boat. The bank has taken control of the company and now manages the financials. Government sales have been still going strong and they are slowly building up indepentant dealers around the country again for recreational products. Anchorage Suzuki is a dealer for gasers and anything with FNM diesel can be purchased through FNM/Alaska Frontier Fabrication. Just ordered a new 30' Alamar twin diesel that we hope to sail up the inside passage in May. Keeping my fingers crossed of good seas.

 

[Hoyt]

So the Almar name is only on the Ocean boats, and the North River name is on the river boats?

 

[Halibutgrove]

So the Almar name is only on the Ocean boats, and the North River name is on the river boats?

No not necessarily. I've seen it as Almar, Almar/NorthRiver and just North River. The river boats have always just been North River.

The ocean boats are all Almar design. The Almar Sounder is now called the North River Seahawk OS. Same boat, same quality, different sticker. The boats are all built in Roseberg OR now where the Almar's use to be in Tacoma. I prefer that they would put the Almar name on the Ocean boats, especially the larger vessels 28' and bigger. JMHO. I think the Almar name needs to continue but that's my own personal bias of course.

 

[TS]

No not necessarily. I've seen it as Almar, Almar/NorthRiver and just North River. The river boats have always just been North River.

The ocean boats are all Almar design. The Almar Sounder is now called the North River Seahawk OS. Same boat, same quality, different sticker. The boats are all built in Roseberg OR now where the Almar's use to be in Tacoma. I prefer that they would put the Almar name on the Ocean boats, especially the larger vessels 28' and bigger. JMHO. I think the Almar name needs to continue but that's my own personal bias of course.

Are there Any North River ,river boats with the diesel?

 

[Halibutgrove]

Are there Any North River ,river boats with the diesel?

There's plenty of North River boats with diesels. The first factory production North River with FNM HPEP250 will be put into production soon. I run a pair in my 30' Almar now with Bravo II drives.

 

[chriso]

So the Almar name is only on the Ocean boats, and the North River name is on the river boats?

In the 80's Almar made a great jetboat, it was originally called the Jetline. I think in about 82 they dropped the Jetline name and simply built under the Almar name. There are still a quite a few around up here as they were a great boat. I got one just when I got out of high school and put a bit over 3000 hours on it before I began my quest for lighter and faster. Now that I've been there and back, I think the old almars and jetlines are some of the best values out there on the used market. Strong as can be, probably more seaworthy than most of the production inboard jets built nowadays.

 

[Hoyt]

In the 80's Almar made a great jetboat, it was originally called the Jetline. I think in about 82 they dropped the Jetline name and simply built under the Almar name. There are still a quite a few around up here as they were a great boat. I got one just when I got out of high school and put a bit over 3000 hours on it before I began my quest for lighter and faster. Now that I've been there and back, I think the old almars and jetlines are some of the best values out there on the used market. Strong as can be, probably more seaworthy than most of the production inboard jets built nowadays.

I agree I just sold my 83 Almar Lite this past summer. It was a tank, and a great boat! I put countless hours on the Chena and Salcha with that boat! I knew they were Almar/Jetlines, but I wasn't really sure when they dropped the Jetline. Thanks for the info!

 

[Hoyt]

No not necessarily. I've seen it as Almar, Almar/NorthRiver and just North River. The river boats have always just been North River.

The ocean boats are all Almar design. The Almar Sounder is now called the North River Seahawk OS. Same boat, same quality, different sticker. The boats are all built in Roseberg OR now where the Almar's use to be in Tacoma. I prefer that they would put the Almar name on the Ocean boats, especially the larger vessels 28' and bigger. JMHO. I think the Almar name needs to continue but that's my own personal bias of course.

So the river boats have always been North River since Almar was absorbed by North River? Any info? I guess I could look up the history, but if you know, please share. I've was on an ocean Almar a few years ago. It's was a nice boat. The old Almar river boats were great boats. What happened there?

 

[easthillsfbx]

Mine is an 89, and its titled as a jetline?

I agree I just sold my 83 Almar Lite this past summer. It was a tank, and a great boat! I put countless hours on the Chena and Salcha with that boat! I knew they were Almar/Jetlines, but I wasn't really sure when they dropped the Jetline. Thanks for the info!

 

[Halibutgrove]

So the river boats have always been North River since Almar was absorbed by North River? Any info? I guess I could look up the history, but if you know, please share. I've was on an ocean Almar a few years ago. It's was a nice boat. The old Almar river boats were great boats. What happened there?

I'm not sure what year Almar stopped build river boats. Sometime in the 90's I believe. Almar was just doing recreational and commercial large ocean boats prior to 2002/3 when I purchased my boat. Production at that time was pretty slow. When North River bought Almar Brian kept the Almar division building just ocean boats and started making the entry level North River OS at the Almar plant as well. or now called the Seahawk. River boats were still always made at the Roseberg plant. A few years later they closed the Almar plant in Tacoma WA and moved the entire operation to Roseberg where it still is today. The facility there is amazingly huge with tremendous production capability which is under utilized at this time with the restructuing and economic down turn. I'm confident they will return to being number one in sales once again in the near future.

 

[chriso]

Mine is an 89, and its titled as a jetline?

Thats odd isnt it? When I was a kid in the 70's helping Mom and Dad on the homestead, this guy Dad worked with on the slope used to come out in this way cool jetline that I lusted after until it became the first major expenditure I made once I started working full time. I didnt even have a truck to haul it with, had to bum rides to the launch! The boat I wound up buying was a 1979 Jetline and then I started seeing the Almars shortly after that, maybe my memory smashed a few years together since then or something! I sort of think the almar/jetlines were possibly even a better boat than the n rivers, stronger for sure. I kind of hated to see n river buy them out to tell the truth. They were a better multipurpose boat for alaska I think, considering the closed bow and all, better suited for crossing over into light ocean use.

 

[Halibutgrove]

27' Almar Jetline Jetstream

27' Almar Jetline Jetstream

Thats odd isnt it? When I was a kid in the 70's helping Mom and Dad on the homestead, this guy Dad worked with on the slope used to come out in this way cool jetline that I lusted after until it became the first major expenditure I made once I started working full time. I didnt even have a truck to haul it with, had to bum rides to the launch! The boat I wound up buying was a 1979 Jetline and then I started seeing the Almars shortly after that, maybe my memory smashed a few years together since then or something! I sort of think the almar/jetlines were possibly even a better boat than the n rivers, stronger for sure. I kind of hated to see n river buy them out to tell the truth. They were a better multipurpose boat for alaska I think, considering the closed bow and all, better suited for crossing over into light ocean use.

Speaking of Jetlines I have a 1982 27' jetline with a Hamilton 1031 10" pump. Purchased it to repower with a diesel and just never got around to it. Currently has a 454 for power. It spent it's entire life with a under water survey company. I even have the original owners manual from Almar. She's gone through some numerous cosmetic changes from a push bar to a stupid looking splash guard that needs cut off and replaced with a railing. Been a little abused on the gunnel sides but the bottom is still solid and has a chambered rear deck. Hope to get around to restoring her with a completely new interior. It's currently gutted since it contained computer racks and sounding equipment. It's definitely a very roomy boat. If anyone might be interested in a restoration project pm me. I just haven't found the time to give her the attention.

 

[Hoyt]

Thanks for the info guys!

 

[AKDoug]

How tough are Almars? Tough enough that Mahays is still running the same hulls they had in the 80's. Love 'im or hate 'im, Mahay's guys have put a lot of hours in those boats. Steve used an Almar to run both Devil's Canyon and the Talkeetna Canyon.

 

[easthillsfbx]

Not to completely jack the thread, but where could a guy find some specs on the late 80's almar jetlines? More for curiosity sake than anything.

 

[chriso]

Wish I could help you out with that, but other than knowing what I had, and one or two I had the priveledge to skipper a couple times... Mahay actually might be a good one to call up about that. Mine was a 20 foot 6 inch with a 773 Hamilton and a carborated 351 ford motor making (I think) 230 hp, I had Kerns (hows that do for dating myself there!) put a coarse pitch on 2 of the 3 impellors and it used to take me an hour and 30 minutes to make it from the Deshka landing to my folks place on Alexander Creek, and 10 hours to make it to Galena from the haul road bridge. I think it cruised about 35 mph. I make the run to the folks now in just under an hour and my gps shows an average of 45-50 mph It had a full 1/4" bottom and even the sides were thick... substantially thicker than whats on my present day boats... The floorboards and motor cover were all marine grade plywood with fierglass outer coating. It had a 35 gallon bow tank, and a pair of 25 gallon stern tanks with a pretty decent sized rear deck and a beefy jetguard that I jacked on with a handiman more times than I can count! I think I got about 13 gallons an hour on average, I used to plan for 15 and always have extra... I'd never heard of any such thing as a stomp grate back then, and couldnt seem to limit myself to deep enough water even then, so routinely (it seems anyway) was pulling my inspection cover and trying to poke rocks out of the grate, or under with a diving mask to clear them out. I had one of them phoney weed rakes. but never managed to do anything with it except get my sleeves good and wet before I had to get in the water or motor compartment! (I'm a slow study in all honesty!) I ran a couple other 20.5 footers of buddies and they all performed about like mine did, one had a 350 chev motor and I think I liked it a bit better than my ford, it seemed snappier to some degree. I ran a 24 footer with a 460 big block in it and it planed out more quickly, but was way slower with all the extra drag. I was convinced if I could find a 22 footer with a 383 in it, that I'd really have something! I rode in several of MaHay's boats, with the big blocks and them impressive 1011 pumps! Dont know if my "specs" do your curiosity any good or not, but I cant recall seeing a brochure or anything back then, or since for that matter.