I am stuck. I have two cheap options for my first boat. Can you help me choose??

First, There is a 16 ft. aluminum v-bottom boat. It has a sterring wheel, 30 hp johnson and a trolling motor (both old). This one is $300.

Then ther is a 16 ft. fiberglass v-hull boat. It has a 25 hp johnson, an aerator, a bilge pump, and a livewell, thats it. Plus some of the stuff might not work. This one is $500.

The aluminum boat would be for versitility, but the fiberglass one would be for stability.

VERSITILITY VS. STABILITY

We would use the boat mainly for fishing around cover. would it be easy to poke a hole in the fiberglass boat? How hard would it be for a hole in a fiberglass boat to fix? Any suggestions would be appriciated. Thank you.

Definitely go with the aluminum if it is guaranteed that everything is working.  A 16

foot aluminum is a pretty stable boat so I wouldnt worry too much about the stability of it.  The aluminum is perfect for poking around in cover and it sits higher in the water than the fiberglass=shallower draft.  IF you were to poke a hole in the fiberglass it would not be easy to fix it.

Also the aluminum is cheaper and has a larger engine, the 16 fiberglass would be a dog with the 25 horse on it.  I have  a 15.5 foot bass boat with a 75 on it and wouldnt want anything less.

Overall I would definitely pick the aluminum but that is just my .02....

Thanks Mercury89. Thanks for your opinion.

I agree!