Which aluminum boat?? thinking 15', usually alone but maybe one passenger, will launch from beach using beach wheels, using my ATV fishing offshore in
Los Barriles.. who makes the great boat?? where to get it??? maybe a used one???backninedan - 2-21-2007 at 02:08 PM
I have a Lund, and its a great boat. Im not sure if they make one as small as 15' or not.vgabndo - 2-21-2007 at 02:18 PM
Which ever brand you choose, be sure that it is welded and not riveted. Even a welded aluminum boat will have a limited lifespan, but one friend in
San Nicolas with a new riveted SmokerCraft wore it out in a year. My 12' Gregor was and is still "tight" right up until I upgraded. If you think a
12' might do you, u2u me. It comes with a 9.9 Honda in need of a little TLC.
GREGOR-------
Barry A. - 2-21-2007 at 02:49 PM
Gregor makes a great, rugged welded aluminum boat, specially for Baja, called the "Baja Special", I believe. It is 15 feet, higher gunwales, and
heavier skin. Powered with a 25 hp (about the biggest you can man-handle over the beach) it is a great performer. Finding one used is a real
problem.
Gregor is located in Fresno, CA., but there are dealers all over CA.
They make an identical boat for the North Woods trade----either one would do the trick.Capt. George - 2-21-2007 at 03:00 PM
duroboat!
don't have one, but know someone who does...
even the 12 footer is incredible!
gregor 15
pacificobob - 2-22-2007 at 09:50 AM
i have 2 15' gregors here in alaska. both with 25hp o/b. i think they are great boats...high , wide and tough.. as for life span....any boat will come
apart if one pounds the crap out of them in chop. i think the idea is to slow down a bit in chop ....the boat will last and the fishermen like it
better too!Cypress - 2-22-2007 at 10:10 AM
Other options? How 'bout Wooldridge, Duckworth, and Customweld boats, well made and tuff.
welded boats
pacificobob - 2-22-2007 at 10:16 AM
i also have a boat of welded 1/4 alum....28 foot x 9foot...tough as nails.....but if you are thinking of beach launching...weight will be an issue.
in a book titled "baja catch" by neil kelly and gene kira....they seem to think an 15' alum boat is the overall best boat for inshore baja....im
still deciding on bringing one of mine down south.rts551 - 2-22-2007 at 11:56 AM
Do not get a rivited boat as others have said. Mine leaks everywhere... locals say to fiberglass the bottom... but I may just buy a Gregor
instead. Heard lots of good things about them.
Gregor Factory-----
Barry A. - 2-22-2007 at 12:11 PM
If you ever get a chance to visit the GREGOR factory near Fresno, do it. A fasinating place, and not nearly as big an operation as I immagined.
As I remember, you can save some money if you order and buy directly from the factory, but not much. They protect their dealers, and do not like to
undercut them at the factory by much. Still, you can customize your order, and that is fun.
I went there thinking I would spend a 1/2 hour and ended up staying and looking for most of the day-----they were exceptionally friendly, and showed
me and Meredith all about the place. It was really fun!!!oldjack - 2-22-2007 at 01:45 PM
what is the source for the beach wheels?? any chance of getting them in BCS?...Cypress - 2-22-2007 at 03:00 PM
rts551, You can flatten-out those rivets a tad and it'll stop the leaks.
OldJack------
Barry A. - 2-22-2007 at 03:05 PM
----my boats "beach wheels", [actually two sets of 2 fat tire wheels (total of 4 wheels)] came from EIDE, in either Washington state or Oregon, not
sure which.
You could probably Google "Recreational equipment company" and bring them (Eide) up, I am guessing.
They are not as good as the one's Neil Kelly used (the ORANGE BALLS), but they work pretty good on the beaches of Baja.
[Edited on 2-22-2007 by Barry A.]Hook - 2-22-2007 at 03:15 PM
I havent read the Baja Catch book in years but I thought Neil contended that 15 foot was just too big to manage for shore launches. I thought he
preferred 12-13.bajaandy - 2-22-2007 at 03:21 PM
I just bought a used Gregor 19' with a 50hp four stroke. Havent launched it in Baja yet, but I plan to this summer. So far, I really like this boat.
Got mine used. From what I hear and from the little experience I have, I love this tin boat.
Hook-----
Barry A. - 2-22-2007 at 03:24 PM
I just looked in Neil's book-------
------he prefers alum. boats up to 14 feet for beach launching. He thinks that any boat over 14 feet is just too unwieldy for beach launching, but it
can be done if you have more than one person.
I use a 14 foot Gregor and have never had any problem getting it in, or out of, the water even by myself. But I do normally use a winch to get it
back up across the beach to my vehicle.msteve1014 - 2-22-2007 at 04:53 PM
i have a 12 foot duroboat, much more rounded on the bottom than the others. you wont believe the slop it will push through and keep you dry. seems to
be holding up very well also. MikePescador - 2-23-2007 at 08:23 AM
This becomes an impossible question to answer since you have not really stated what you want the boat to do. I have been coming to Mexico since the
late 50's and have seen a lot of different boats and lots of different set ups. You need to figure out what you want it to do. We have guys at San
Lucas Cove that primarily fish yellowtail and go out in the big water in a lot of rougher conditions. For them the 15 ft. Gregor with beach wheels
(center mounted) is probably the best all around situation. But then we have guys with 14 ft Klamaths that focus on short runs to catch bay bass and
more inshore type fishing with an occasional run to the yellowtail holes. We even have some guys with the 15 ft. gregors catching a serious number of
billfish in the fall.
So figure out what you want the boat to do. If it is to troll for some sierra and a few dorado in closer to shore, then your needs are entirely
different than the guy who is going to try everyday for tuna.
Secondly,figure out what your budget is allowing you to do. Are you going to have a live bait tank, Gps, Depth Finder, Marine Radio, tilt motor,
and so on.
Not all boats do all things and when you figure out what you want it to do, then it is easier to plug the boat into your needs.
Finally, each boat handles differenty. Gregors do a good job going into the waves and sideways, but will catch the wave in front when quartering
downwind if it is not loaded right. Klamaths will do a little less of that but are a little lighter in the aluminum thickness. The old Valco was
real tricky to handle on quartering downwind rides. I don't have any personal experience with Duroboats so will not comment on their ride. I bought
a Quintrex (made in Australia) two years ago and it is very good in all departments.hookemup - 2-23-2007 at 09:34 AM
oldjack
I have a 15' Gregor Baja/ Alaska model with a 25 hp four stroke and beach wheels. If you ever make it down a little south ( Cabo Pulmo ) I can take
you out for a spin to check it out. If not try to get on the water with what ever you intend to buy,not easy but well worth the effort. The beach
wheels are mostly a custom deal now,built mine with some good imput from Pescador.
Good Luck
Gregor 15'
tripledigitken - 2-23-2007 at 10:36 AM
Would someone post a picture of their 15' Gregor? Seems like a favorite of the fisherman here.
Not in the market quite yet, just doing research now.
Thanks wsdunc - 2-23-2007 at 12:07 PM
I'll throw in my two cents. I have fished with a Gregor Baja Special for the last 20+ years. Used to carry it on top of my '71 duelly camper "the
Beast". We would launch it by rolling it on 3 or 4 approximately 10" diameter boat fenders. As one pops out the back it is carried to the front and
on you go. You would want to buy lifetime gauranteed fenders, this is hard on them. Loaded with motor, gas, wooden floorboards, anchor, spare gas,
water, tackle etc it was not a one man job. But then I seldom go fishing alone. 2 men could muscle it around, 3 people made the job easier.
Launched and returned bow first, after launching would use oars to get past the surf line, then fire up the Suzuki 15 hourse tiller steered outboard.
(Surf means Mar de Cortez surf of <1.5 feet, never really got comfortable launching into anything bigger) Fished Punta Chivato to East Cape,
inshore and as far out as ~ 10 miles. Caught and released one estimated weight 160 lb marlin, 3 est weight 100 lb sailfish, and quite a few tuna and
dorado, most all released except for the unlucky ones which made it to the BBQ. Also mucho toros, sierras, as well as a few nice cabrilla and
yellowtail. I cracked a weld on the transom, and had it rewelded, I currently have a hole in the bow caused in some wierd way I think by
electrolosys, a gaff point pressing against the hull in a pool of rainwater which I need to get welded up. If I had it to do over again I might buy
the Alaska Special instead, as it has a higher transom (and needs a long shaft motor) as I have had waves slop over the lower transom. Also probably
go to the rated max HP of 25, as I assume fuel efficiency has improved in the last 25 years. The 15 Hp motor could jsut about fish all of a long day
on 6 gallons, carried 2 gallons in a gas can for emergencies. The only other concern I have today is moving it around, more often nowadays it will
be just my wife and I, and I haven't figured it out exactly but it seems like I'm not getting stronger as I get older.hookemup - 2-23-2007 at 12:57 PM
The Gregor web site has photos. I think it's gregorboats.com if not google it.Cypress - 2-23-2007 at 01:04 PM
wsdunc, You're speaking from the voice of experience.Thanks.oldjack - 2-23-2007 at 01:22 PM
hookemup.... thanks for the offer... I have seen at least 6 15' gregors here in Los Barriles.... they run up to and out from El Pescador and as far
east as El Faro(lighthouse).. there seems to be an equal mix of Klamath and Gregor... interesting note that none of them are the original owners of
the boats... seems like everyone buys one here and does't trailer one down from states.. they already had wheels...hookemup - 2-23-2007 at 03:52 PM
The wheels could be fabbed down here, if you bring down a couple of spindles but it would be much easier in the States unless you realy know your way
around. There are some differences in design, so check out a few to see which suits you,I went a little overboard with aluminum and machining which
ran the cost up,but hey it's my fisnin' boat.Skipjack Joe - 2-23-2007 at 07:18 PM
Quote:
Originally posted by Hook
I havent read the Baja Catch book in years but I thought Neil contended that 15 foot was just too big to manage for shore launches. I thought he
preferred 12-13.
I tend to agree with that. The launch wheels make it doable to use the 15 footer but you still need to pull it off the trailer and you now have to
mount your 25 hp motor instead of the 15hp. You can drive around with the boat on the trailer and the motor on the transom but only on smooth roads,
not washboard or dirt roads. Or you'll crack the support brackets on the transom. But what good is a small tin boat and motor if you can't take it
offroad to remote locations.
So I'm staying with my 13'8" gregor. It's a choice of a bigger boat with greater range or a smaller boat more suitable for the 'outback'.Santiago - 2-23-2007 at 08:12 PM
I still have my father's 1970s 15' Gregor - he roofed top that thing all over Western USA and Mexico. He fished the Oregon coast, fer christ sakes,
in it. That's no small feat. After sitting for 5 years in my brothers shop yard I picked it up, sandblasted it for cleaning and then spent about $500
getting a gillion pin holes welded up and zotanoned the inside. Looks real good and I still use it in small lakes in the sierras. Same 15hp Yamaha
still runs good. Amazing.
Whatever you get, make sure it has a full height transom and BOLT THE ENGINE ON. Just ask ..... oh, we can'tPescador - 2-24-2007 at 08:33 AM
If you look under the posting on Boating by Osprey just below this post you will see a picture of a Gregor outfitted with center balance wheels which
was designed and built by Ken Reeder of Hamilton, Montana.oldjack - 2-24-2007 at 12:28 PM
Anyone have a lead to the 15' gregor for sale... somewhere between Boise and Los Barriles??? I am driving down a Toyota p/u to leave at my place and
could tow down the outfit.. someone must be heading home for the summer and have a nice outfit for sale...
You're speaking from the voice of experience.