After reading @stk44 post yesterday about finally pulling the trigger on buying a boat, I decided to go ahead and do it. For 10 years, I’ve been on the verge of buying one. In fact, I was about to buy a boat from TOM @WRB-2.0 — his Triton 175. Back in 2015, he told me he would sell it to me for $7,500, even though he was listing it for $9,500, because I didn’t have a garage.

I didn’t buy that boat, and I’ve regretted it ever since. If I had bought it 10 years ago, I could have had so much fun and so much time on the water.

Fast forward to now: yesterday I read @stk44 post and thought, “You know what? Let’s do it.” It’s not just pulling the trigger anymore — my hand is on the trigger right now. I’ve found a boat, and I’m asking for help from anyone who has experience with this boat or any information that could be helpful for me as a first-time buyer.

Guys, I went there to look at some Tracker boats, but when we saw this one we were amazed by how roomy it is with a 92” beam and a simple floor plan. Plus, it has a 115 HP Mercury engine and a 55 lb trolling motor with Spot-Lock — pretty much everything we need.

The only add-on we’re planning is a Bimini top, and that’s all I can think of for now. It’s a 2023 model but still brand new, which got us about a 10% discount.I appreciate all of you. Thank you.

How much are they asking?

@Junger 29500 and they said they will not charge me for TAX and, registration, and other fees. so basically 29.5 out of the door with two hours on water with Captain and two hours in shop with tech,

Looks like a very nice boat.

Good looking boat Ata. That picture from behind, hiding the console, makes it look like a tiller., with all that open floor. Pretty good price with a 115 these days. I have a 54# t/m on my 16' deep v, and although it is fine, i would like a 80# 24v. But i understand your circumstance with this boat and i hope you bring it home.

4 minutes ago, detroit1 said:

Good looking boat Ata. That picture from behind, hiding the console, makes it look like a tiller., with all that open floor. Pretty good price with a 115 these days. I have a 54# t/m on my 16' deep v, and although it is fine, i would like a 80# 24v. But i understand your circumstance with this boat and i hope you bring it home.

@ATA glad I was able to inspire. Now I feel like I’m on the hook for this one. 😅

The boat looks beautiful and hopefully the tech can look everything over for you. Good luck!

$29.5 OTD seems pretty solid, assuming it has some warranty left on the engine and hull.

Nice rig, but here is something to think about.

And this is not going to win me any friends, but it's the dirty thruth.

The two biggest mistakes first-time buyers make with 18-foot aluminum Deep-Vs are being underpowered on the main motor and helpless in the wind on the trolling motor.

That rig is rated for a 150 hp, and it will perform significantly better with it. You'll get a much better hole shot, get on plane faster, and truly get the most out of the hull. That 115 hp is underpowered for this boat, which is likely exactly why it's still sitting on the lot.

You'll also want a 24-volt system with at least 80 lbs of thrust on the trolling motor. A 55-lb motor is fine for flat calm conditions, but the 186 SC has high-sided aluminum gunwales that act like a massive sail in the wind. A 55-lb motor will continuously max out its power just trying to fight a light 10 to 15 mph breeze or a mild river current.

Please don't let the low price and special 10 % discount have you making a purchase you'll regret.

It's a 3-year-old dog they can't unload because it's rigged to sell to a first-time boat owner like you and not an experienced boat owner/operator.

My advice as a very experienced boater: pay more for a properly set up boat, motor & trailer the first time rather than doing damage control later.

Because you will.

There are a few hundred threads about this subject here.

Finally, go over and have a meet & greet with the service manager.

Because after the sale, that's who you'll be dealing with.

Not the sales staff.

Good luck, and I hope you get the rig you want

A-Jay

24 minutes ago, Junger said:

$29.5 OTD seems pretty solid, assuming it has some warranty left on the engine and hull.

They sais even if it is an old boat, they would buy the warranty for me and it will be paid by them. Also the dealer have their own 39 day warranty. he going to clear the warranty side and update us.

It's a good looking boat. But, I absolutely agree with @A-Jay about the TM and engine. I run a 80 lb TM on a 1448 so I can stay and fish out in the wind that runs most off the water or into coves. You're gonna spend the bulk of your time running that TM.

Assuming you can live with the 115, the cost to jump to a 80# thrust tm likely will only be another $2k or so if they can swap it out at the dealer. I have an 18’ fiberglass boat and the 80# is great, except sometimes when in swift river water. In those cases I’m running on 8-9. Or sometimes need to get on the big motor to advance to another spot upstream.

Even though it is a “new noncurrent” rig, it has been setting around for 3 years. The moment you sign the title and make payment you will be taking a three year depreciation hit. Since it has been there that long it probably isn’t going anywhere soon. I advise you to look around at what else is available in your area. I would avoid Tracker as they are notorious for under powered units aimed at first time buyers.

Sometimes the truth hurts and @A-Jay is 100% correct. Having owned multiple boats and sizes I can attest to it. With that being said, if you are ok with the downsides and the dealer is offering you a good warranty, then it’s probably a pretty good deal. Just be advised, “if” you go to sell sometime in the future you will take the savings hit in resale assuming you don’t upgrade anything.

I can't disagree with Ajay and Jig Man, but eveyone's situation is different. Add about $6500 to your price for a 150 / 80# upgrade. Probably more. I couldn't care less about resale, i've had my current boat for 31 years, and it suits me and the lakes / way i like to fish just fine. You do you Ata.

Unfortunately, Polar Craft is out of business. I think they closed in 2024.

29 minutes ago, Capt Ed said:

Unfortunately, Polar Craft is out of business. I think they closed in 2024.

If that’s the case I would offer $500 over invoice if I were still interested.

@stk44 @ATA

I still and will probably always believe in the "buy a boat now" mantra.

However after rereading my initial response, I realized it might have come across a bit like 'tough love,' and I certainly didn't mean to rain on your parade @ATA .

I completely stand behind the specs and the math, but I want to clarify the intent behind the perspective.

The collective feedback here—even the stuff that’s tough to hear—

isn't a knock on you or even a knock on the Polar Kraft hull itself.

It’s about how the boat is packaged.

Think of it this way: if this exact same rig were a current-year model,

maxed out with a 150 HP motor, and paired with a 24-volt, 80 lb thrust trolling motor,

the responses in this thread would be overwhelmingly positive.

We’d all be telling you to hook it up to the truck and head to the ramp.

The hesitation from the folks here is simply because we hate to see a first-time buyer

get saddled with a rig that limits where and how they can fish right out of the gate.

Whatever you decide to do, we just want to see you set up for success on the water.

Good Luck

A-Jay

2 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

@stk44 @ATA

Still believe in the "buy a boat now" mantra.

However after rereading my initial response, I realized it might have come across a bit like 'tough love,'

and I certainly didn't mean to rain on your parade @ATA .

I completely stand behind the specs and the math, but I want to clarify the intent behind the perspective.

The collective feedback here—even the stuff that’s tough to hear—isn't a knock on you or even a knock on the Polar Kraft hull itself.

It’s about how the boat is packaged.

Think of it this way: if this exact same rig were a current-year model,

maxed out with a 150 HP motor, and paired with a 24-volt, 80 lb thrust trolling motor,

the responses in this thread would be overwhelmingly positive.

We’d all be telling you to hook it up to the truck and head to the ramp.

The hesitation from the folks here is simply because we hate to see a first-time buyer

get saddled with a rig that limits where and how they can fish right out of the gate.

Whatever you decide to do, we just want to see you set up for success on the water.

Good Luck

A-Jay

Couldn’t agree more with this. I went with the highest hp motor my hull was designed for and I have no regrets. It gets on plane super quick and gets me where I want to go in a hurry. I know that’s easier said than done becase motors are not cheap.

I know guys that get by with much smaller motors than their boat is rated, but I think the decision is more situational based on a number of the limited HP lakes in PA.

@ATA I’m not the first person to talk to about boat ownership. I have owned one and only one powered boat in my life but I did considerable research to get exactly what I needed for my situation.

If I were to guess, that boat is going to be there for a little while longer, so you likely have plenty of time to do a little more research if you want to. And it could still be yours by the end of summer which is still prime time.

One last thought/question that might be important. Where was the boat stored for the past 3 seasons?

Congratulations @ATA on your decision to purchase your first boat. Great advice from fellow members, particularly @detroit1 in regards to the trolling motor which was further emphasized by @A-Jay ’s on how this boat is currently rigged. And definitely meet the service manager where ever you buy your boat and put his number in your phone.

I didn’t notice any electronics mounted on this boat, other than a bracket at the helm. Would the electronics package be the those from 2023 or current 2026 units? Are the batteries and onboard charger lead acid or lithium? @Capt Ed mentioned Polar Craft went out of business in 2024, are parts going to be difficult to source 5-10 years down the road?

Just keep your options open and continue to be diligent in your search for the perfect fishing platform.

Buy the dang boat. Learn on it safely within limits and you can update at a later date if you ‘need’ and can afford it. There’s alway money but never more time!

9 hours ago, stk44 said:

One last thought/question that might be important. Where was the boat stored for the past 3 seasons?

It was indoors in a showroom, never been under elements.

My dear friends @A-Jay @Junger @stk44 @Jig Man @J._Bricker @VolFan @Capt Ed @detroit1 @TOXIC @GreenPig

First, I want to say how much I appreciate all of your help and advice. I always want to hear the truth from my friends, and honestly, I want a good reason to look for another boat. I’m very happy that you’re all being honest and helping me. Let me tell you a little more about me and my family.

We are a happy older couple who fish about three days a week — around 150 days on the water each year. We are not tournament anglers, and we’re not young enough to be jumping around and constantly fixing things or doing any hardcore repairs. We also don’t want to finance our boat; we want to pay cash and be done. So the boat will be new and priced at $30,000 or under.

We also have grandkids we’d like to be able to entertain from time to time, so we need plenty of open space. With all of this in mind, and considering we have about half a year of clear weather in California, we decided to go with this boat. If you think there’s a deep‑V boat around $30,000 that we could pay cash for, I would definitely be interested in looking into it. However, I don’t want anything longer than 18.6 feet so I can keep it in the garage during the off-season. I also need a wide beam for stability.

I was at the boat center spending time with the boat, and these are the cons I’ve noticed so far:

1. The engine is underpowered.

2. The trolling motor is underpowered (I’m planning to upgrade to an 80 lb motor and pay the difference).

3. I don’t think it has an aluminum transom, and I’m not sure how big of a concern it is not to have one.

Are you able to test drive it? I can’t tell if that is what you meant in your second post, but that would be extremely helpful for you to make the decision.

Yes, we're going to have a test drive and two hours on a water drive with their captain before getting it.

Initially I thought that looked like a good deal, on a good boat. @A-Jay brings up excellent points with regard to HP and trolling motor. You are going to have time on the water with this boat...will be able to experience the hole shot, giddy-up, and performance. If the boat suits your needs, and fits your budget, and you can upgrade the TM to 80lb/24v, I say go for it.

If it is truely a 2023 "left over" new boat, keep negotiating on the price. It's three years old, and the manufacturer doesn't exist any more. Warranty? Use that as a negotiating point.

And here is one to throw at the salesman at the last minute...prep your wife to say, "I don't like the color..."

When shopping for the wife's car....she pulled that line out, right at the last minute (on my signal). And watched the salesman scramble. We were closing the deal on a new 2016 Subaru Outback in maroon / dark red. Trading in her Mazda Cx-9 that was essentially the same color. Dealer scrambled, found a 2017 Outback that was still on the car carrier...a blue-gray color that was very nice. It was so new, wasn't even set up yet. They could just start it...still had all the plastic on screens, etc.

I said, "give me the 2017 for the price we negotiated on the 2016, and you have a deal." It was another hour, I think, and we finalized the purchase.

Good luck!!