My 7 year-old daughter, Renee, and I will be moving to the Southeast next year. I need advice on which small boat would be best for all around use in the ocean the inland waterways(Zimovia Strait, Frederick Sound, Wrangell Narrows, Stikine River, etc.) in the Petersburg/Wrangell area and the Stikine river.

We enjoy fishing but hunting will be our main focus. I have been around boats all my life but almost all of my experience has been in lakes(I know this has absolutely NO relation to boating in the SE). My only real Alaskan river experience has been in the Nushagak River. The two of us borrowed Scott King's 18ft lund with 40hp Honda 4 stroke(VERY kind of him!) and spent 3 weeks on the river. We went as far as the village of Ewok(+-80 miles upriver).

I know that any one boat will be a compromise. I was hoping to buy a Lund(with 40-60 hp tiller)here in Wyoming and bring it up next year but lunds are proving to be hard to find.

I am thinking that an 18ft Gregor Sea Hawk might be the way to go. I am looking at one now that has a 70hp 2 stroke and a 6hp kicker and center console. I am thinking that this might be the perfect set-up but I am wanting to hear what you guys think.

BTW, I would foresee most of our time on the water would include my daughter, myself and our dog(total weight +-300 lbs). We will be wanting to do some fishing for salmon and halibut and lots of hunting.

What other set-ups would you guys recommend?

For the ocean,,I wouldn't even think of anything smaller than a 20' Hewecraft with a 90hp 4 stroke. You need high sides and a windshield!! We suffered with Lunds forever,, a few years ago we got a 22' deep V and put a 130hp Honda on it,,a life changeing event for us!

quote:

Originally posted by waterrat:
a few years ago we got a 22' deep V and put a 130hp Honda on it,,a life changeing event for us!

We called them "wimpmakers". I got a used 20' woolridge with windshield and canopy after 6 years in an 18 lund. When I got the Woolridge I was told by a local that I would never use the Lund again. I kept it for trips up places like Andrews Creek where I wouldn't have to guts to take the Woolridge. That windshield and canopy was a "wimp maker". We only used that Lund twice in the next three years. I couldn't believe how miserable it felt going across the lakes in the rain when it never seemed to bother us before.

Jason,

Your looking at living in one of the most inhospitable places I know about. It rains all the time and the ocean can be down right ugly. The open boats you spoke of might work for a day trip on a nice day but I'd never do an overnight camping trip with one let alone a week's hunt. You might not get home.
I'd recommend talking to the locals once you get to SE and see what the long time residents use. I think dragging a boat up there is a mistake. I thought exactly the same thing when I moved to Alaska and I'm so glad I waited until I got on the ground there before making a boat purchase.

Where are you moving to?

Good luck!

Mark

quote:

Originally posted by waterrat:
we got a 22' deep V and put a 130hp Honda

I am hoping that someday I will be saying something similar. For now I will have to make due with something more economical. On an elementary school teacher's salary you learn to keep a tight budget!

I appreciate the recommendations. I hope others will lend their advise.

Funny, I've been in the Petersburg/Wrangell area many times in boats similar to what you described. While maybe not the optimum choice if you lived there year round it would certainly work fine for your purposes.

I'm always amazed at some of the descriptions of how hazardous everything is in Alaska today. Years back folks just made do with what they had, did fine and had fun.

JBrown; I think your choice of boats would work fine.

Wrangell and the lower Stikine are the only places I have been in Alaska. Seems like an 18-20-foot windshield boat would do pretty well if you choose your weather prudently. Hope some more Alaskans will chime in on this thread.

Although I don't live in Alaska years ago I worked in the Aleutians and I've fished out of Petersburg several times, stay at Green Rocks lodge, they turn us loose with 18' Lunds that have a steering wheel/ pilots console, other than that an open aluminum boat. Occasionally I think a covered top would be nice but the little boats we use are completely adequate for boating Halibut in open water, checking crab and shrimp pots and getting into fairly shallow water if need be to chase Coho's in the small bays and creek mouths.
Yes at times we've hit some rough swells and wind but never felt as if the boat weren't capable, with patience and a bit of judgement you'll get it home.

quote:

Originally posted by MARK H. YOUNG:
Jason,

Your looking at living in one of the most inhospitable places I know about. It rains all the time and the ocean can be down right ugly. The open boats you spoke of might work for a day trip on a nice day but I'd never do an overnight camping trip with one let alone a week's hunt. You might not get home.
I'd recommend talking to the locals once you get to SE and see what the long time residents use. I think dragging a boat up there is a mistake. I thought exactly the same thing when I moved to Alaska and I'm so glad I waited until I got on the ground there before making a boat purchase.

Where are you moving to?

Good luck!

Mark

What Mark Said

Out of all the boats I have owned in my 30 plus years in AK South Central this is my favorite.

Thinking as bad as our economy is now you should be able to buy what you want cheap!

20 ft Koffler Baybee twin Hondas

Ok. Now were talking.
In southeast we don't call inland waterways ( The Ocean ) . Its salt water . But places like The Gulf of Alaska are ( the Ocean . ! )
Wrangell Narrows , Sumner Strait, Clerance Strait ect , ect , ect. There just , , out on the water . I've spent years cruising around there in nice little and big Lund's . I'm not too crazy about Gregor's. They always needed to get trailered to the welders several times a year. An 18' Lund is an Awesome skiff that will go all over with a little 40 horse outboard. A Lund has one of the best hull designs for general Southeast waters. Even tho it is a soft chine "I generally don't like soft chine hulls " But, the Lund aluminium skiff is one that I really like. You can do a canvas top and a walk thru windshield and still power it with a 40-45 horse . Put a Dole Phin or Whales Tail on your outboard and you will gain a lot of control. . I don't know if the Kalamath skiffs are still made the way they were 20 years ago. But they are Horrible in a quartering away sea. Dangerous in my experience and opinion. .
Last think I knew Timber and Marine in Ketchikan still sold Lund's . Best outfit I know of to get you set up.907- 225-6644.
They've been selling outboards, skiffs and Stihl powersaws in Ketchikan for at least the last 40 years , maybe longer.

quote:

Originally posted by Snellstrom:
Although I don't live in Alaska years ago I worked in the Aleutians and I've fished out of Petersburg several times, stay at Green Rocks lodge, they turn us loose with 18' Lunds that have a steering wheel/ pilots console, other than that an open aluminum boat. Occasionally I think a covered top would be nice but the little boats we use are completely adequate for boating Halibut in open water, checking crab and shrimp pots and getting into fairly shallow water if need be to chase Coho's in the small bays and creek mouths.
Yes at times we've hit some rough swells and wind but never felt as if the boat weren't capable, with patience and a bit of judgement you'll get it home.

What he said . Rocky's Marine in Petersburg is another place I would also look. He is also a Stihl dealer too ;-) ! I can call a friend in Coffman Cove in the morning and ask him if there is a good shop in Wrangell.
I ABSOLUTELY , POSITIVELY !!!!! reccomend you get a few good old fashion , up to date nautical charts of that whole area. Plotters and GPS can and do break down . if you laminate a chart it don't need batteries to work . !

quote:

Originally posted by Cougarz:
Funny, I've been in the Petersburg/Wrangell area many times in boats similar to what you described. While maybe not the optimum choice if you lived there year round it would certainly work fine for your purposes.

I'm always amazed at some of the descriptions of how hazardous everything is in Alaska today. Years back folks just made do with what they had, did fine and had fun.

JBrown; I think your choice of boats would work fine.

× 2 !!!!!
When I was Pre Commercial Tree Thinning on Moss +Level Islands and in Kahshak's Bay and around that whole Sumner Straits country we used a 16' Lund with a 30 horse and did super !

Course, if I went back to southeast for a while now. I would build a 19 foot Caulkins BarTender. But Thats another story.

quote:

Originally posted by Cold Trigger Finger:
In southeast we don't call inland waterways ( The Ocean ) . Its salt water . But places like The Gulf of Alaska are ( the Ocean . ! )
Wrangell Narrows , Sumner Strait, Clerance Strait ect , ect , ect. There just , , out on the water .

Thanks for the clarification! Yes, I am looking for a skiff to use in the Zimovia Strait, Frederick Sound, Wrangell Narrows, Stikine River, etc.

I feel like I am always using the wrong(non Alaskan) terms for things. Like calling an 18ft lund a "boat" instead of a "skiff".

I appreciate all the advice in this thread. If anyone has any other advise on specific boats skiffs, marine shops, etc. please share.

Thanks again!

There are a couple Ketchikan boys who are members here . it would be great if they would chime in. But they may be out on spring bear. In these smaller southeast towns its nice to have good dealerships to take care of problems if they arise. So its a good thing if you can to buy local. There is one golden rule with outboards . Brand new is good . Used can get ya killed. I like Yamaha . My favourite was the Enduro series. They were built tough to take serious abuse and just keep running. I always ran 2 stroke , But 4stroke is super quiet. In southeast its easy to get by just fine with an old beater pickup as long as it starts and runs and stops . As long as the wipers and defroster work good. But an outboard . it NEEDS to work PERFECTLY. Getting in a small boat or skiff is statistically the most dangerous thing you can do in Alaska. IMO its also one of the funnest things one can do.
There are some other things you ought to have for being out in the skiff. A biggy is Mustang float suits. ! They will help keep you and yours warm and relatively dry. Ive had Gumby suits but never had a reason to wear one in all the open boats Ive been in . Xtra Tuffs are kinda de rigueur in southeast. I wear either felt insoles or sneaker insoles in mine . Cotton clothes are your enemy in a rain forest. So take that into consideration. Polyester and wool are your good buddies ! The Hikey, climey high dollar gear is fine for in town but out in the skiff or in the brush Filson, Grundens, Helley Hanson, and maybe Guy Cotton . Work !
You want a fathometer in your skiff. Just a good dependable unit . and a good compass. An electric bildge pump is nice and can be a real life saver.
Learning the weather will be one of the biggest and most important skills you can develop . And being in an open skiff will really drive that home ;-)
For a boat trailer , spend the money and get a Good !! Fully galvanized dipped trailer. EVERYTHING !!! In southeast rusts !! Everything ! And electrolysis will get what won't rust. Actually as an aside Wrangell is a really great place. With your skiff you can go all over the place. Around the island and down around Etolin and up Bradfield Canal. Go to Ann Ann and look at more black bears than you can shake 2 sticks at. Huge elk on Etolin and Zarembo. And you Gots to make a run over to PoW and go thru Barnes Lake and up thru Gold and Gallagan Lagoon. Up to Sweetwater Lake. The run across Clerance Strait can get a little long for a 7 year old so a little break on the southwest end of Zarimbo helps break the trip up. I can go on and on but will shut up now . If you can't tell, I REALLY love Southeast.

quote:

Originally posted by JBrown:

quote:

Originally posted by Cold Trigger Finger:
In southeast we don't call inland waterways ( The Ocean ) . Its salt water . But places like The Gulf of Alaska are ( the Ocean . ! )
Wrangell Narrows , Sumner Strait, Clerance Strait ect , ect , ect. There just , , out on the water .

Thanks for the clarification! Yes, I am looking for a skiff to use in the Zimovia Strait, Frederick Sound, Wrangell Narrows, Stikine River, etc.

I feel like I am always using the wrong(non Alaskan) terms for things. Like calling an 18ft lund a "boat" instead of a "skiff".

I appreciate all the advice in this thread. If anyone has any other advise on specific boats skiffs, marine shops, etc. please share.

Thanks again!

If the outboard has a prop it's a "kicker". No prop it's a jet.

We ran a 40 kicker and a 40 jet on our 18 Lund. Perfect rig (if you are weather tolerant) for both lake and shallow river. We would use the kicker in the Bay and Lakes and the jet in the rivers when we lived in Dillingham.

quote:

Originally posted by Frostbit:
If the outboard has a prop it's a "kicker". No prop it's a jet.

We ran a 40 kicker and a 40 jet on our 18 Lund.

I thought that the term "kicker" referred to a smaller spare/auxiliary/emergency outboard mounted next to the larger main motor.

Do they have different terminology for that in Alaska? If you have a 150hp "main" outboard(prop) and a 9.9hp outboard(prop) mounted next to it(for trolling and emergencies) what do you call the smaller motor?

Your lund looks like a sweet(and economical) set-up. I bet a lot of memories were made on that skiff!

BTW, I am not looking to venture into offshore, I am looking for a skiff that will work in the inland salt waterways and rivers.

Yup; J; we call them out boards most places up here. We do have plenty of individual area colloquialism s up here . Most places the smaller outboard is called the kicker. Often used as a trolling motor. And the back up. Something like a 6-10 horse . that runs on the same fuel the main engine does. That is a nice dual purpose setup Frostbit has there. But, a 40 horse pump on hanging off the transoms of an 18' Lund along with a 40 horse ob could be a bit stern heavy. Since you will be in lots of narrows a 10/9.9 horse kicker is nice to maintain headway when trolling against a strong flooding or ebbing tide. Or going up the Stik on an ebbing tide.

quote:

Originally posted by Cold Trigger Finger:
That is a nice dual purpose setup Frostbit has there. But, a 40 horse pump on hanging off the transoms of an 18' Lund along with a 40 horse ob could be a bit stern heavy.

Worked just fine in the Dillingham area. That 40 Jet about equalled a 28 horse prop but still more than sufficient to get you on step and run the rivers that had too thin a water to run a prop. On faster running river like the Agulowak and Agulopak it was slow going upstream but more than thrilling enough coming downstream fast enough to keep steerage while dodging the rocks.

Cheers
Jim

Looks like a good set up on your skiff. Maybe I'm thinking that with Me in the tiller seat it would be a bit heavy in the stern .

quote:

Originally posted by Cold Trigger Finger:
Looks like a good set up on your skiff. Maybe I'm thinking that with Me in the tiller seat it would be a bit heavy in the stern .

I was told when I moved to Dillingham there was "no such thing as the right boat". That's true enough as everything is a compromise but that rig in the picture was by far the most versatile set up in my humble opinion.

The modified V in the old Lunds was enough to handle bad water probably more than I had guts for. Yet its hull was flat enough towards the back half that loaded light and on full step I could run in four inches of water using the Jet. Just don't stop.

I'm hoping they haven't changed the hull design. Why mess with something that they got just absolutely right. I always liked how the 18 handled a 2' chop a lot smoother than the 16 did. The 18 would do anything a 17' Whaler would on salt water with half the horse power . the Whaler was easier at packin a 4 wheeler but other wise I prefer the 18 Lund like yours . For heavy duty stuff I go with a heavy welded aluminium work boat like a Munson. Or the 2 different sleds that I had that were built in Sitka. And for an awesome and classic boat, the plywood Caulkins BarTender. Like the 19 footer I had.
But for general all around the inland waterways. , pretty hard to beat an 18' Lund.
For me, a good skiff is right up there with a GREAT rifle ! Funny that I now live in river country . haven't been in a boat in about 4 years. Fresh water makes me nervous ;-)

A heavier boat with a cabin ride a little smoother, handle a little more weather, and all the other perks that go with it. Odds are unless you find a good deal used, your buy in is also going up, along with fuel, maintenance, operating costs..
An 18 foot skiff will cover a LOT of territory, contingent on weather and seas. Calm days, you can get across some water, odds are you,'ll be sticking fairly close to land most of the time. And being able to go up the rivers and do a little snooping around open up a lot of doors.
And say yes to Grundens... Or Helly Hansen...

check out what locals are using dont get any kind of oddball and dont under power it that goes for kicker anything under 8 horse is to small
more horsepower on main engine gets you way better gas mileage you are taking about places with big tide fast currents
more v in hull means less ass beating and fixing less cracks in aluminum

timber an marine in ketchikan is best outfit for settin up boat or skiff you will ever find or just for advise
ive been ever place you mentioned
some of the nicest flat calm days i ever went out on turned into the worst ass kickins
ther will be plenty of boats for sale just dont get an old used engine as part of the deal

For beach hunting , river running and all around that area. An 18 Lund would be ideal. If he was going to be running up and down Clerance, Sumner, Chatham Strait constantly. Then ya, a deep v glass boat would be great . but for beaching and running small passes. Aluminium !!

ok this is what you want
22ft Hewes with around 200hp o.b.
has nice big cabin
wallace heater
forget freezin in a skiff for all places you mentioned
and you will find you also will want a skiff nobody in s.e. Alaska has just one boat

quote:

. . . nobody in s.e. Alaska has just one boat

True be dat! A skiff and a boat myself. Neighbor has 4 boats!

A 20' aluminum semi v skiff with at least a 50 horse would be a prudent minimum for Alaskan inshore waters. An extra 2' doesn't sound like much over an 18, but it makes for a much smoother ride in a chop and quite a bit more storage area. Though storage area is a double edge sword, more area, more gear, more gear, more weight, more weight you need a bigger engine.

Having a windshield and canvas cover may seem like a nicety, but you'll literally double your season you can comfortably use your boat. Kids get cold quickly and getting out the wind and spray often times makes the difference between getting 30 minutes from port, your daughter is freezing and you have to turn back, vs. being comfortable on the way out and back and whenever you get chilled while fishing ducking out of the weather to warm up.

It's much easier to pick your weather days when you can fish in the evenings vs. having to trailer your boat 100-200 miles and being limited to weekends.

In Wrangell he shouldn't have to trailer his boat very far . And there is probably slips available in the boat harbour. So he maybe wont have to trailer his boat very often .
Maybe 2 miles . The canvas and wind shield will be nice . Bigger boats are nice for some things but they are a lot easier to get stuck on the beach on a falling tide. 30 minutes out of port in Wrangell will put a guy in some great fishing and hunting. . Southeast isn't like Cook Inlet , Seward or Prince William Sound. . Moose, elk , goat, deer, black bear and brown bear all within a not too tough skiff ride. All kinds of salmon fishing and some real good halibut fishing not too far away at all. Plus pot fishing for shrimp and crab. And I think Wrangell is a subsistence area iirc. Wrangell is a pretty awesome place.