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[patagonia]

I know nothing of boats... I have been in a raft for years but am looking at a 12 ft aluminum with a 9.9 to start getting the kids out on the lake and occasional crab trap drop... Looking at the Lund A12, G3 V12, or Alumacraft 12. Just hoping for some insight from those that know a little about boats and motors. I will be truck topping so need it to be on the lighter side. Ive heard yamaha is the best bet for a motor over a merc.... any suggestions on boat and good dealers would be great!

[patagonia]

Any ideas? I know Lund has been around and is fairly reliable but no idea on the G3 or Alumacraft...

[ICA]

Most Lund, Princecraft and G3 models are decent car toppers and if you can get a model with a wider beam would be best for more stability. As for motors, I would definitely go for a Yamaha or a Honda. I have both for years and they are just excellent. There is a Yamaha dealer along St John's in Port Moody, sorry I can't remember the name but they are on the main drag so you cannot miss. Richmond Galleon also services and deals with Yamahas. Hope this helps. 

[RainbowMan]

You may also want to check out the Lowe 12'. With our dollar at par Lowe boats are great value these days.

[patagonia]

Thanks guys, that pretty much firms up what Ive been told about yamaha...worth a few extra bucks, I really like the look of the G3 V12 but with a beam of 61 I dont think it would slide in the back of the pickup...maybe ill have to take a trip to cabellas and have a look!

[patagonia]

Thanks Rainbowman, just noticed checkpoint in Port Moody has the LOWE 14ft, it weighs less than the 12 ft Lund at around 145 lbs, Im wondering if they r as well built as the Lund or would I be sacrificing some durability... a 14 ft boat in that weight would be great as I would be car topping it from time to time...

[firstlight]

Id be looking at width more than length.
You can still cartop a wider boat such as princecraft Ungava or Lund WC in 12 foot models.
Stable boats for just about anything local including Salt if you pick your days.
You would want a 15 hp on these and like you i prefer the Yamaha and Honda in the 4 stroke.

I have a Yamaha 15 4 stroke on my 14 Lund and it is on a trailer.
If i had to lug the motor  around and mount on the boat etc. everytime i would probably look for a used Merc 15 2 stroke.

[RainbowMan]

... the LOWE 14ft, it weighs less than the 12 ft Lund at around 145 lbs, Im wondering if they r as well built as the Lund or would I be sacrificing some durability...

Both Lund and LOWE jon boats are rivetted aluminum structure so from the duravility perspective they shouldn't be that different. You may want to compare the beam/width between the two and also ask about the warranty. If I remember correctly, LOWE boats come with a lifetime hull warranty. I personally like the Princecraft boats better. They come with a nicer finish and have an excellent warranty/service but the price difference between LOWE and PC is not soemthing that I can justify easily