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oldjack
Nomad
Posts: 350
Registered: 1-26-2006
Location: Los Barriles
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Mood: retired
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Gregor, Klamath, Smoker ???
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???
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backninedan
Senior Nomad
Posts: 865
Registered: 3-8-2003
Location: Loreto
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I have a Lund, and its a great boat. Im not sure if they make one as small as 15' or not.
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vgabndo
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3461
Registered: 12-8-2003
Location: Mt. Shasta, CA
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Mood: Checking-off my bucket list.
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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.
Undoubtedly, there are people who cannot afford to give the anchor of sanity even the slightest tug. Sam Harris
"The situation is far too dire for pessimism."
Bill Kauth
Carl Sagan said, "We are a way for the cosmos to know itself."
PEACE, LOVE AND FISH TACOS
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Barry A.
Select Nomad
Posts: 10007
Registered: 11-30-2003
Location: Redding, Northern CA
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Mood: optimistic
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GREGOR-------
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.
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Capt. George
Super Nomad
Posts: 2129
Registered: 8-21-2003
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duroboat!
don't have one, but know someone who does...
even the 12 footer is incredible!
\"The penalty good men pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men\" Plato
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pacificobob
Super Nomad
Posts: 2297
Registered: 4-23-2006
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gregor 15
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!
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Cypress
Elite Nomad
Posts: 7641
Registered: 3-12-2006
Location: on the bayou
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Mood: undecided
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Other options? How 'bout Wooldridge, Duckworth, and Customweld boats, well made and tuff. 
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pacificobob
Super Nomad
Posts: 2297
Registered: 4-23-2006
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welded boats
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.
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rts551
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6699
Registered: 9-5-2003
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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.
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Barry A.
Select Nomad
Posts: 10007
Registered: 11-30-2003
Location: Redding, Northern CA
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Mood: optimistic
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Gregor Factory-----
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!!!
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oldjack
Nomad
Posts: 350
Registered: 1-26-2006
Location: Los Barriles
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Mood: retired
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what is the source for the beach wheels?? any chance of getting them in BCS?...
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Cypress
Elite Nomad
Posts: 7641
Registered: 3-12-2006
Location: on the bayou
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Mood: undecided
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rts551, You can flatten-out those rivets a tad and it'll stop the leaks.
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Barry A.
Select Nomad
Posts: 10007
Registered: 11-30-2003
Location: Redding, Northern CA
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Mood: optimistic
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OldJack------
----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.
http://www.eideboatloader.com/wheels.html
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.]
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Hook
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9009
Registered: 3-13-2004
Location: Sonora
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Mood: Inquisitive
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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.
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bajaandy
Senior Nomad
Posts: 769
Registered: 2-7-2004
Location: North County
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Mood: Adventurous
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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.
subvert the dominant paradigm
"If you travel with a man, you must either fall out with him or make him your good friend."
JBL Noel
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Barry A.
Select Nomad
Posts: 10007
Registered: 11-30-2003
Location: Redding, Northern CA
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Mood: optimistic
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Hook-----
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.
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msteve1014
Senior Nomad
Posts: 947
Registered: 12-2-2006
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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. Mike
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Pescador
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3587
Registered: 10-17-2002
Location: Baja California Sur
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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.
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hookemup
Junior Nomad
Posts: 63
Registered: 9-2-2006
Location: pac nw/ cabo pulmo
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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
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tripledigitken
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4848
Registered: 9-27-2006
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Gregor 15'
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
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