1997 Lund Alaskan

[WalleyeOne]

Looking for any input from Alaskan owners. Thinking about purchasing this boat. The boat has a 60hp Merc Tiller. 18ft. Pro's Cons? Primarily fish medium sized lakes and the Missouri River. Will this boat do the job? Never really been around the Alaskan series. Anything anybody could tell we would be apprieciated. Thanks.

WalleyeOne

[Northern Manitoban]

I have a 98 Alaskan tiller 18 footer.I fish alot and i just love this boat,so much room,lots of storage,no live well but no big deal i very seldom keep fish anyways.I fish big lakes also and was in some nice 4 footers in the spring i was a little nervous but she rode them with ease.You will enjoy the ride and all that fishing room.FISH ON.

[Peanut]

I own a '97 18' Alaskan, although mine is with a wheel and a full walkthrough windshield. This is a very good boat, if you don't need alot of the bells and whistles, although I wish they had livewells.

That being said, they are very rugged, reliable and durable. While I have been very happy with mine, I should point out the following:

1. If you backtroll alot, you will need wavewackers or something - backing into a 1-2' chop will create splashing over the transom. I almost never backtroll, so this is of limited concern to me.

2. The gas tank is not huge (13 or 14 gals, I can't remember exactly). If you're making long runs, or staying somewhere remote for several days, it means you're filling up more often.

3. I found the front area to be kinda deep to fish from, so I built an elevated bow platform to raise the "floor" by 15" or so, and created some storage room underneath.

As far as positives go, there are many - three I'll mention here are:

1. Price - it's a Lund that I could afford - that was nice.

2. Vinyl floor - if you can get this, do it - it is far easier to clean than carpet.

3. It sits pretty low in the water, making it easy to net/handle fish.

Some Alaskans can come pretty basic, even regarding wiring for running lights, etc. The price should take into account the cost of this wiring if it's not already there.

A 60 should be fine (that may even be maxed out for a tiller) - I run a 90 on mine, and speed is not a problem.

Good luck with your purchase.

derrek.

"I'll teach these eyes to see,
beyond these walls in front of me"
- Bruce Springsteen, "Trapped"

[Matt]

My dad's got a '98 model with a 60 Johnson tiller. I think of it as the Nissan XTerra of fishing boats: "everything you need, nothing you don't". It'll handle sizable water well and even with four big guys (all 200lb +) it gets up and goes. I think Lund Alaskans are the most overlooked fishing rigs out there. I wouldn't hesitate to purchase one. In fact I'm going to get a new 18 footer this spring.
Good Fishin'

[bernie]

i just looked at lunds website and the 2003 has a livewell up front and a 27 gallon gas tank thats the 20 footer

[Troutbeck]

I just bought an 18' Lund Alaskan this past Fall. I really like it. It's got plenty of room to walk around and pretty good storage. It does not have a lot of bells and whistles but it has everything I need. Mine has a 50hp tiller motor which pushes it to about 35 mph with me and one other guy.

I plan to add rod holders next year because there's not a good place to set rods when not in use. But that's a minor thing. The boat handles some pretty good waves--unlike my previous boat, a 14' deep v. It is made of very heavy aluminum and really well constructed. Overall, it's a great boat.

Trout

[Jake]

Just a note: There's a big difference between the '97 Alaskan 18 and those made after that. Starting with '98 they had the "true deep V" hull. If you have a chance to look at the '97 and '98 Lund catalogs, you'll a fairly significant change.

[Troutbeck]

Jake, what's the difference between the true v and the ones made before. I assume the newer ones were an improvement. Mine is an '02 model and rides very well. Were the older ones just a flat bottom?

Thanks, Trout

[T-Mac]

In the 1998 model year, the hull went to a "hard" chine (squared) as opposed to the old style "rounded chine". Plus, the true "V" is carried all the way back to the transom.
Now, for 2003 the boat has been changed again. This time the hull is far wider, has built-in 19gal and livewell as standard features. It is a whole new and larger boat, with the same legendary toughness. The general hull shape remains very similar to the 1998.

[T-Mac]

19gal= fuel
sorry

[Peanut]

T-Mac, do you know how easy it would be for a person to retrofit an older Alaskan with a livewell now that they're standard for the 2003's?

derrek.

"I'll teach these eyes to see,
beyond these walls in front of me"
- Bruce Springsteen, "Trapped"

[T-Mac]

The whole boat is different. Dimensions, everything.

[bill vogelzang]

i've got a 97 alaskan 18 with a 50 hp honda tiller in camo for sale on the classified board. if you're interested email me at bvogelzang2002@yahoo.com and i'll give you the info and price. or. look it up on the other board and call me. it's a sweet rig.

[Guest]

What state is the boat for sale in?!

[bill vogelzang]

the boat is in grand papids, michigan. the price is negotiable depending on how much of the custom "stuff" the buyer wants. it's been used mostly for great lakes trolling for salmon. and duck hunting on bigger water in the fall. it has been well taken care of and has no problems. i'm only thinking of selling it to move to a 20' alaskan. call me at 616 682 2057 or email me if interested.

[Juls_OH]

I used to have one, so I can say, "Yes" the boat will do the job that you want it to, and more. The Lund Alaskans are great boats. Stable, strong, and dependable. They may not have the bells and whistles that others do, but in my opinion, they are the "drafthorse" of aluminum boats, if you know what I mean.

You won't be disappointed if you buy one.

Juls

[bernie k]

what are all the bells and whistles everybody is talking about that these boats dont have.
put the hook in the water, you cant catch them by lookin.
thanks bernie

[bernie]

ttt