bob101

I've patched some pretty big holes in my duck boat - like 1/2" holes where the old side mounted steering was mounted. I just put the largest size machine bolt I could thru the hole with a flat washer on each side and good silicone or 3m 5200.

Tracker list all their boats with a speed for every engine they offer on their website. http://www.trackerboats.com/boat/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.motors&boat=2111 It says 20-22 so I'm guessing that's close. Just a matter of do you want to live with it at 20-22. Up to you. I assume that's on plane because I can't see you going 20-22 in a planing hull with it not on plane.

From talking to people who have bought one. If your looking at something like the 21' sport or 21' bassboat your looking at a price around what a fully decked out top of the line bassboat goes for...but that's just a boat - no motor.

Regarding the Allison, as the saying goes, "if you have to ask............" Really, over double on your high end. Most prices you see of Allisons' for 50k are for the boat...just the boat - no motor. Throw in between 10-20k for a motor on top of that. I'd look into a fish and ski boat maybe if that fits your style. Only boats I know of with actual seating for 4 people - not 2 in seats and 2 on the floot.

I have never done it myself I always get a mechanic to do it. I'm guessing like a car you have to disable the ability of the motor to actually crank while checking the compression (like pull the plug wires, pull the deadman etc...) I don't know what number your looking for but I've always heard the key is to get them as close to each other.

Both. It's the great catch-22. Factory says dealer is responsible for all warranty work, dealer says take it or leave it.

Ask the guy to drop it off for a compression check and pay for it before you go look at it, or before you pay for it after you drive it. I can't stress enough how important this is, it should only cost like $50 or less. Without it there's no way of knowing if the boat is being dumped on you. It could last 15 minutes after you buy and then your out a motor and honestly on a boat that age it's the most expensive part. For a new powerhead install if it went out you'd be looking at 50% what you paid for the boat alone. $50 is cheap insurance.

I've owned a Triton aluminum boat now for 2 months. Personally I'd look to buy a boat from a company that ONLY makes aluminum boats and not someone who wants to make glass boats and has aluminum as a side deal. I learned my lesson about how the factory stands behind the aluminum line....owned the boat 2 months - been in the shop for weld repairs for 1-1/2 of those. Small leaks are acceptable after repairs, as are thumb size gorilla welds for a repair. Triton said as long as it didn't take on excessive water that's all they cover as far as warranty... Not impressed, I know for a fact they wouldn't let a glass Triton be repaired like that and call it "good". Just a heads up, I'm sure lots of people have them and love them. If you get one with a factory defect god help you. I could write 5 pages of my dealings, phone calls, letters, etc...and my boat still sets at the dealer.

Have a mechanic check the compression and just general health of an engine. Ask him if it looks like it's been taken care of or not - they can tell. EFI Mercury's are pretty bulletproof engines with a good track record (Mercury still makes them on limited basis like this year when they bank enough pollution credits so parts are readily available as well as know how on them). Other than that take the transom saver off and pull up on the engine nice and hard to see how the transom does and look at it from the inside - push on it and knock on it. If those 2 things check out everything else can be dealt with as it pops up without too much trouble. Give the trailer a pretty good look see too like tires before you haul it home. Good luck.

Friend has one and used PVC pipe to go up and over the transom. Made for a neater installation than a soft hose - used the elbows etc...doesn't have to worry about it getting kinked or caught in anything. Just made it go straight up and over and back down about an 1" - just enough to "hang" on the transom.

The boat is floating in it....

Most tournaments that actually pay out here have a minimum outboard size unless it's a team tournament. I placed second once in a charity type tournament in my duck boat with a 11hp go-devil motor. I got a waiver from the other participants to trailer my boat rather than have to launch at the tournament marina.

I dunno I have a 1968 15' 42" flat bottom aluminum duck boat that has dents in the bottom as big as softballs from running over stumps and crap at 4 am in thick fog that is riveted and has never leaked... I have a 2007 Triton fully welded boat that is at the dealer for the 2nd time for cracked welds and leaks.... Nothing is 100% absolute.

Oh I knew ( well suspected)...the bass cats are fine boats...but, the are expensive as well. I wonder why JD Power tested so few manufacturers. JD power only test companies/products that the manafacture pay to have included in the test.

Well I have a less than 2 month old Triton aluminum boat that is sitting at the dealer for the 2nd time to have cracked welds rewelded.......boat goes up for sale the day it comes home. Talk about taking a big hit money wise....boat has around 5 hours on it and 2 different places have cracked and leaked. It's yet to even hit a stump with the T/M, the bottom looks like the day I picked it up. Welds just weren't prepped right. You look at them after they crack and you can tell they tried to fill in with the weld instead of having no gap which isn't how you weld.