Alumacraft Trophy 185 at Cabelas

[garage_logician]

(I accidentally posted this in the motors forum but could not figure out how to move it. Sorry for the duplicate posting.)

It has been a long time since I have bought a boat (20 years, old one is still going strong). When I got the boat it was just my brother and I primarily and we had plenty of room (Trophy 170 Ltd). Now we both have kids that love to fish and we need more room.

So, I have been out looking at a few places and since I live close to Cableas it was one of the first places I stopped. In particular I like the Trophy 185 with the Yamaha 150.

I have been very happy with my current Alumacraft with the exception of the ride (can be a little rough) and it is not the driest boat. I was assured by the salesman that the new 2XB(?) hull is a lot drier and will ride a lot better in rough water. I guess I would be surprised if it were not better. What I am curious to know is how much better? Or maybe more to the point, is it going to be comparable to a Ranger for example. I have heard for years that glass is the way to go because it is smoother and drier. But, then again it might be an old wife's tale. :-)

Next, the Yamaha motor looks nice and is impressive in stature compared to my current 110 Evinrude. But, I am more interested in how reliable it is and its power. Is this a good motor? From several posts here it seems the Yamaha motors are the favorite of many but like any thing I am sure they have their good and bad models.

Last thing, is Cabelas a good place to buy a boat? They have always treated me right with everything I have bought there but this is not a $250 reel. They seem to have a pretty good service department but I have to base that on anecdotal evidence. I have never had a boat serviced there so.... I am hoping that those who have either bought a boat there (or not if the service is poor) could chime in here and give a thumbs up or down. The price of the boat seems fair but then again, what do I know? :-) LOL

Thanks in advance for any help or guidance you can offer. I am excited about the prospect of a new boat and I want to make sure I do this right. Comparing my old boat to one 20 years newer it is hard no to be impressed and I don't want to just jump on the first boat I see.

-g

[W.W.]

See my post for you in motors...

W.W.

[CI_Guy]

Can't comment on the Alumacraft but I do have experience with Cabelas service dept.
I bought a Stratos from Crystal-Pierz a few years ago. I had problems with the boat not having the swim ladder and railings that were part of the package deal. There were problems with the livewell/baitwell plumbing that C-P claimed wasn't covered under the warranty. There was also a minor problem with the Yamaha F150 that they had ordered the parts for, but they refused to install them when they came in because Stratos had pulled their boats out of C-P. They claimed since they would have to remove parts from the boat to do the engine repair and they were no longer a Stratos shop they couldn't touch it because the boat was under warranty. They also refused to install the railing and swim ladder that had come in for the same reason.
I called Cabelas because they were the closet Stratos dealer. They knew what the livewell problem was before I finished explaining it. They fixed the livewell problem, the motor and took care of the missing swim ladder and railings. They did it in 4 days with everything covered under warranty.