Kudos to Kettle Marine

Went boat looking on Thursday. First dealer didn't have many boats in their show room and no salesperson. Second dealer felt like I was an inconvenience being there. To his defence, he had little inventory and nothing in my specifications. Driving past dealer one noticed new boats wrapped out back. Stopped and tracked down a sales person. One boat close to my liking but they would need to unwrap it. Said I'd think about it. Stopped at dealer Three, Kettle Marine. They too had little Deep V inventory but sales person walked me through their new boats. Then said if you'd do used we just took a trade. Perfect boat as to what I was looking for at a great offered price. Hopefully should have it in a week. 

Great no pressure sale. Very informative salesman.

Fishin Jimmy,

I have a Princecraft Pro 169 with a 90hp Johnson (carbed) that will do 44 mph with a Solas Amita 3 13x21 aluminum prop on it, so nothing special. I could actually probably turn a 12.5 or 13x23, but can't find one commercially available and don't need the speed, just have to watch the tach at WOT so my RPM's don't get too high as I can trim it out to about 6000 RPMs (max recommended WOT is 5500 for that motor).

I used to have a 70hp Evinrude VRO (1989) on that boat that would do 37-38 with a 13x19 stainless prop. I think 40 mph is very realistic with a sub-90hp outboard on many aluminum or small bass boats if propped correctly. My boat could probably do it with a 75hp 2 stroke with the right prop. Now, could you get there with a 40hp Etec with a stock prop, even on a 14.5' boat? Probably not, but it looks like he may not have been looking at the right number on his locator. 

OK, I stand corrected.

Got the boat put on for the season today. Fairly flat water, only me in the boat. Max speed I hit on 2 GPS units was 34.5.

Not sure what I was looking at last time out but the electronics are all new to me.

The boat does have a fantastic hole shot though.

i AGrEE.  THaT iS CRaZY.  I MeAN.  WOW.

34 mph is a LONG way from 42....  I KNOW boats/motors/props believe me and the elusive 40 mph w/SMALL HP motors (under 90 hp) just aint gonna happen. you want 40 + mph ....    MORE HP..

and basically 10hp more will ONLY give you1 mph more. I have been that route toooo many times.

finding the "magic" PROP IS VERY COSTLY..  I have been down THAT road many times.. and have a garage full of "wrong" props.

Put that 40 on a row boat.. and a 17P prop you could get 40 maybe a little more even

HAVE FUN and Good Luck.

Jimmy

"42      w/40 hp  ????    HAHAHAHAHAHA

NO WAY "

Believe what you want. My 16.5 foot Backtroller would do 34 with just me in it. I figure with just me the Alumacraft might hit 45 with flat water and a trimmed sweet spot. All has to do with load, rpm and prop pitch.

Wide, relatively light and at max rated horse power

They seemed real good there at Kettle Moraine. They sell Evinrude more than anything else . I would love an Evinrude but will shy away now days. Cedar Lakes Sales treat me very good. They are very decent AND they care about my boat, even though it is a 1990 Alumacraft with a 1997 25 horse Merc. They get it there and know very well that 25 horse is nothing, but when I am out fishing on Bago, that motor working can be is priceless. They know that there.  Last yr. they were booked out 2 weeks for a water pump on my 25 horse. Another place said it would take a day. I went with the dealer that took a day. As I was out on Bago, it would not go in reverse. Takikng it back and still not fixed. I explained to Cedar Lakes I had a competitor do it . They fixed the reverse. It turned out it was a 90 cent washer that did not go back in. Total coast was $153 at Cedar Lakes.  I just go to Cedar Lakes for now on. Reverse works now though. !!

42      w/40 hp  ????    HAHAHAHAHAHA     

musta been an April Fool.. NO WAY.

Not super light, 550# without motor. 800# with.

Rated 40hp max. Running a 40 Evinrude Etec. Boat is 76" wide, 14'6" long.

Ain't a row boat

Well you know we got those heavy glass rangers My Vegas , not the very light weight Aluminum he has , it could be possible,  but I will say this my 180VS at 40 plus is quite the drive  and you have to pay attention, could only imagine what 40 mph  in a 14 foot tin  would be quite hairy . 

GPS speed on the lowrance.

Old boat 16' 40hp would do 33mph with just me and flat water. I WAS flying yesterday ! Key is to hit the sweet spot on the power trim.

42 mph?  That hauling some serious tail with a 40 horse!  Was that speed on the speedometer or on the GPS?

I'm not doubting the mph, just curious.  Back in the day I had a 20 horse on a 14 foot aluminum boat and it would do 25 mph.  But that was before GPS came out with the "real" speeds.  I've wondered how fast that thing really was.

Picked up boat today. Uneventful process, stopped at lake on way home for test drive. Everything worked as should. Alumacraft Escape 145 with Evenrude 40 topped out at 42mph with 2 people and a slight chop on the lake.

Great buying experience.

Would Agree Kettle Marine is a great place , was working on a New Alumacraft last season but couldn't get it done because of where I was at .  I still stand behind Cedar Lake Sales as well. Both are top notch in my book based on personal experiences at both dealers . 

The best way to shop for a boat is to do it all on line.... know what you want and just keep checking dealer inventory, Boatrader, Craig's list and Facebook market place. 

I shopped for 6-7 months over a 5 state area for just a tiller fishing boat. Goodness what a circus.  

I would have to agree with you that Kettle Marine had the best inventory and best advertising of anyone... and the prices seemed to be fair...  They always returned e-mails and seemed eager to sell me a boat. 

The only other place that was really good was in Shawano. The boating world sure could use some professional sales and marketing people. 

That being said... I bought a boat from a small Alumacraft dealer in Wisconsin Rapids that just smoked the big dealers on the price... Goodness did I do good... and the people were a pleasure to deal with.