So, I've been fishing from a canoe for a while now, and I still love the canoe for the hundreds of ~20 acre ponds that dot the NH landscape, but I'm getting into tournament fishing and fishing larger bodies of water and paddling just isn't gonna cut it.  So I purchased a 1987 Grumman Challenger with a 35hp Mercury outboard (oil injected :happydance: )

http://picasaweb.google.com/mdntridr/1986GrummanChallenger/photo#5087962845367831618

I paid $2000, which includes the trailer, 55ft/lb trolling motor, power winch, old Humminbird fish finder and other miscellaneous accessories.  I think I got a good deal.  I've never seen another Grumman like this; I've seen tons of Trackers, a handful of Sea Nymphs and other assorted boats of this type, but never a Grumman.  Does anyone know anything about these boats, are they well made in general?  Are the motors reliable or are they big pieces of crap?

Thanks for listening  

Greg

A local guy had one for years before he got a glitter sled.  It really seemed to be a solidly built boat.  As for the motor, Can you beat a Merc?

We have had three in the past month (if you count canoes) (we work on, and buy/sell/trade boats as a hobby, so we see a lot go through.  

One, our 1997 12 foot vee, is a well built, but it is similar to many others of the late 90s.  It is now owned by lowe, and is identical to their sea nymph series.  OMC has owned sea nymph, Grumman, and possibly a couple others for a while, so all were identical, and now, that OMC has (sadly :'() gone under, Lowe owns them, and uses the same plan.  

Also, we have recently had 2 aluminum Grumman canoes go through here.  These are well built boats, although the year is unknown, that still had some aviation grade parts on there, as Northrop-Grumman was a big plane manufacture in WWII, that started making aluminum boats after the war.  Recently, they have branched far enough from the aircraft business, that my 12 footer has no aviation parts, just a good quality vee, similar to all others out there.

You have yourself a pretty nice boat there.  I am not crazy about that merc, but then again, I have run a Johnnyrude.  Once you wrap your hand around the throttle of one, there is no going back. ;D

bassboy, my previous boating experience is with my father-in-law's Force-powered bowrider.  Talk about a piece of crap!  Anyways, I won't be setting any trans-Winnipesaukee speed records but at least it should be more reliable than the Force.  She started right up and ran when I demo'd her after not running all year.  Can't wait to get out and fish on her, have to take the stupid safe boater test

Yeah, it WILL be better than that force.  Wouldn't own one of those, unless it is one of those that we get, that is just passing through.  That merc is new enough, that it shouldn't be much trouble, but I still would prefer a Johnnyrude on the back.