Input on Starcraft Starfish 176

[Bowhunter74201]

hey all. first time poster, long time lingerer.

after getting soaked in 5-6' swells yesterday on lake winnipesaukee, i'm seriously considering a boat upgrade. my current rig is a 2010 tracker pro guide v16 side console. it's a good boat, but it doesn't offer any protection and i could use a little more space.

i could use your input on this boat, a 2011 starfish 176 dual console with a 90hp e-tec. i crawled around in one last week at a local dealer and really liked it. first thing i noticed is it's cockpit depth. nice and deep with high sides. it also has really wide gunnels to mount my downriggers and rod holders to. the boat is already setup with a full top, zip in sides, and cover for the bow.

i also looked at a 2010 alumacraft navigator 175 w/ a 90 hp merc. very wide which is nice, wider than the starfish, but not near as deep. no gunnels on the sides either which could complicate mounting riggers and rod holders. no top or anything. nice boat, beautiful in fact, and i love the width, but i wasn't crazy about the depth and lack of gunnels.

any input on either of these, or other makes that might be in the same price range? the key features i'm looking for are protection from the wind, waves and sun, wide, deep, and good sized gunnels. thanks!

[vteye]

I have a 175 Dominator but would be heading to shore in 5 footers. Dom is similar to Navigator I get wet driving in 3 footers but love stability, have 115 yama and no regrets. Dom has nice wide gunnels, bimini top, wide platform. Alumacraft Trophy might be better fit for you though on Winni. I am careful on Champlain.

[Bowhunter74201]

thank you for the input. the nav definitely has some nice features that i really like. the 2010 nav is the only one they have, and i'm sure it'd be cheaper than a 2011 model. i don't think i could afford the dominator or the trophy series.. i think they'd be out of my price range. winni can be a nasty lake when it gets snotty.. that's for sure. i'm sure champlain can be too, even worse.

[staylor]

...essentially the same hull as the older Superfisherman 176. I have a 2002 model SF 176 and I've been very pleased with it in the nearly 10 years I've owned it. The 17 degree vee coupled with the fairly narrow hull( at lesst when compared to some of the 100 inch wide 17 footers you see today) makes for a decent ride in the rough, especially when combined with the depth of the cockpit. The narrow hull makes the boat easy to trail down narrow streets and it easily fits in one lane of my driveway.

I run in Erie and the Niagara River and have yet to take any water over the bow. I run a 150 Opti, so the boat does sit a bit low in the back due to the engine weight of the V-6, more so since I don't use the forward live well. I run my motor up 3 holes off the transom, and I made a wood strip to raise the transom height up an inch or so to cut down water entering the splash well when a passing cruiser throws a 3 footer at me from 50 foot away while drifting. I've had no problems at all with the boat itself; everything has held up very well. The carpet is showing some wear after the years have gone by, but not any worse than any other rig I've owned.

All in all, its probably the best boat I've ever owned in the 52 years I've been boating.
Doug

[Bowhunter74201]

thank you for the feedback guys. the only hang up i have with the starfish is the narrow hull/ 90" beam. though i think it would do just fine, i wouldn't mind having a wider beam.. my 16.5' tracker has a 92" beam. it's ok room wise, but i would like more. i'm trying to find the bottom width on the starfish but they don't list it on their site. something i can compare to my current boat. the fishmasters are really nice, but i don't think i could afford one.

[Danger Dan]

http://www.leadersmarine.com/new_veh...95&pov=2054561


Pretty nice boat especially with the 115hp Honda four stroker...........

[Bowhunter74201]

yup, i saw that one. here's the one i looked at locally. same thing but with a different motor.

http://www.thurstonsmarina.com/New%2...ish%20176.html

[staylor]

My Starcraft SF176 is 73 bottom width- with max beam- not transom width- of 93 inches.
Doug

[Bowhunter74201]

thanks doug. what year is yours?

[vteye]

BW - nice package for that kind of money.