WC-14 Lund Boat layout and 10-year review

[@SteelheadTed]

I’ve got a 16.5 ft Smokercraft Pro Lodge that I bought in 2020. There are a lot other good boats in the same class. It was cheap enough to get me fishing but capable enough I can take it lots of places. It isn’t great to ride in when the chop is over 1.5 feet and kind scary at waves over 3 feet or so, a lesson I learned and won’t repeat. Its a good compromise and I can fish about 80% of the time I want to. I hope to upgrade someday but this will need to get me through the next few years. A guide friend said to me before I bought a boat is that until you have something, you don’t know what you want. This is very true. I now know what I want and how important some things are that I didn’t know were important before (open hull for instance, duh, it sucks when its cold!).

[@WAFishQuest]

Thanks Steelhead Ted! Great wisdom there!

[@ronjones1414]

A dry boat for 6 years at 2 grand sounds like a bargain, especially how hard you fish it. With that motor and trailer I'd be tempted to go again. If your trailer could handle 16ft, you could get into bigger area 4 water on flat days, and have better storage. After retiring from the Navy, boats are kinda my thing.

[@WAFishQuest]

Thanks Ron! Sound advice, I appreciate it!

[@jeffwhiton9151]

That boat has probably brought allot of great memories. I’ve resealed a few of those bottoms. It’s fairly easy and can look nice. Probably take a couple hours.

[@WAFishQuest]

Well you got me beat Jeff! Super appreciate the comment. It was indeed 10 years of great memories!

[@ilonakiforishin1273]

Nice seeing you my buddy Blake 😃

[@WAFishQuest]

Thanks Ilona!! Go Hawks!

[@ilonakiforishin1273]

@@WAFishQuest Go Hawks💙💚😃🦅

[@davidworthen4250]

If you are looking for a well-built aluminum boat, consider a Smoker craft Alaskan. I had one and I loved it.

[@WAFishQuest]

Shingo has one of those-- totally agree, great boats!

[@Bo_in_Seattle]

I too have a lund ssv14. I bought mine maybe 14 years ago and I've been lucky with no leaks🤞🤞 Tempted to post a lund walk-around on my channel so you can check mine out. I totally agree that big water is not recommended on these little lunds but for area 10 my little 14 footer with a 25hp merc is just fine. Thanks for the video Blake!🤙

[@WAFishQuest]

Thanks Bo! Yeah, I suspect if I kept it out of Neah and Sekiu may still be fine today. (Did have a couple rough Hood Canal trips too).

[@SLOROB55]

Let’s see your boat.

[@JD-ft2lr]

I look forward to seeing what boat you end up with. I bought a 16ft smokercraft lodge used and did loads of upgrades. The lodge is much wider than a typical riveted aluminium boat thus way more stable. Previous boat was 14' klamath that was tippy as a canoe

[@WAFishQuest]

I appreciate the Intel on both accounts JD!!

[@youraveragefishkeeper]

I myself acquired a 1972 14ft StarCraft earlier this year that came with a late 50s 10hp. Currently have a 4.5 with shallow water drive. This thing is sure fun. I took it out all the way up to Kent from the duwamish 😂

[@WAFishQuest]

That's awesome YAFK! Sounds like a blast!

[@FishingWithDanVictoriaBC]

Great information Blake! Thank you 👍

[@WAFishQuest]

You got it Dan!! Thank you!

[@kevinstorm2167]

I have a used 14 foot Lund, still going strong!

[@WAFishQuest]

That's awesome Kevin!!

[@Jarom.M]

My guess is that the transom stress fractures are from an outboard jumping on the back while trailering, instead of busting into waves. Aluminum stress fatigues really quickly and an outboard bouncing, even a little, can cause stress fractures to form well before the same boat that lived in the water.

[@WAFishQuest]

That's a great theory Jarom! I try to always tow with the motor locked in the down position (which I know is risky). Ive had some issues with straps failing tho. Once I probably rode to sekiu with a loose strap so maybe that was it.

[@HobbiesHobo]

I fish out of a 16.5 Ft. Lund that has all available accessories, fully loaded, with everything you could think of, I'm happy to crab near shore or in protected water but if I did it all over again I'd go with an 18 Ft. with no accessories except puller & rod holders with a 25 Hp.

[@WAFishQuest]

That's great, Mike! Both the experience and the advice.

[@sylvainlaurence1554]

Hi got ssv 18 with 60 merc. Honestly 60 is a little too big, almost never ride over 25 mph but can reach easily 33 mph at this speed, almost feels dangerous some time. Trolling idle is little to fast, around 3 , 3.6 mph depending on weather. Back troll his around 2 . Overall way better than WC14 hi got before after 11 hours fishing days..

[@evergreenunited2264]

Skookum! I thought ol' leaky had gone on down the river!

[@WAFishQuest]

She'll leak on in our hearts!

[@davidg2113]

Ever thought about a glass boat? I have an Arima Sea Hunter and love it.

[@WAFishQuest]

I have David! I have a project glass boat I'm working on right now!

[@davidg2113]

@@WAFishQuest Awesome! I am restoring my little Sea Hunter as Arima doesn’t make them anymore, sadly. It’s been fun to do some fiberglass work and paint it myself. In the process of a full rewire this winter. Should be rewarding to pull the first fish into it this spring. I bet your motor would do nicely on an older Boston Whaler. Don’t need much HP with those things. Heck, the old Arima brochures advertised my boat with 25 hp motors. Cheers, and I very much enjoy the content!

[@SledorFish]

I would highly recommend the 0.125" hull and all welded if it is in the budget. Rivets are going to leak eventually no matter how well built the boat is.

[@WAFishQuest]

Thanks SledorFish! That's the dream... Nice welded mini-tank!

[@SLOROB55]

Nice review. Thanks.

[@j-swizzyswoll8000]

“The anchor usually sits there” Me: probably tied to your last victims feet rn “See that leak, those are stress fractures” Me: probably from the impact of all the dead bodies “This is the guest seat” Me: perfect reach for a driver witha billy club Oh im sorry this isnt washington halloween Quest!?

[@WAFishQuest]

Ha ha! Thanks J-Swizzy! I'll never tell what my secret "hobo-style" crab bait is!

[@jarombarela8720]

I was wondering if a 14ft would be big enough for Columbia river and Puget Sound. Sounds like it’s not. Maybe 16ft?

[@WAFishQuest]

Hey Jarom! I think it can be... Just needs to be a reasonably thick hull. I've got a project 15 ft boat I'm working on and I think it'll be plenty. I mean if you can go 16, probably great.

[@adamboley5928]

There are places on the Columbia where you could take a 14 footer but I wouldn't be caught dead in one down by Astoria.

[@johnpappe3289]

I owned a 16-foot Lund and used it fishing Blake Island, point no point, possession bar, Jefferson's head. It was a great boat for the sound. Also, it handled rough water well. I had a mid-ship steering and throttle. Wish we had a windshield though. e powered ours with a 35hp Evinrude long shaft.

[@patriciaward3207]

Hi Blake, yikes that some water coming in! I’m still thinking that’s the boat for me! At my age it will probably last longer than I will

[@SteelheadTed]

I have a 16 foot boat and I’m reluctant to take it on the Columbia (where it is tidally influenced). If you get a good tide movement and 15 mph wind, it could make for some pucker inducing rides.

[@leolldankology]

Bring back "fish facts!"

[@WAFishQuest]

Holy smokes! I totally forgot to do one in my last actually fish quest!! Thanks!

[@kashfiqbal]

Have you taken it into the rivers? How shallow water is it happy in

[@WAFishQuest]

I ran it up the Nisqually once. It can run however deep your prop is in the water. Dangerous of course, but you could run in 1-2 feet of water.

[@SLOROB55]

When do we see your new boat.

[@jessetharp6319]

Do you have links to those red and green lights and your little bilge pump? I have a similar boat with similar issues.

[@WAFishQuest]

Hi Jesse! I do not. Those little lights run on watch batteries. Totally self contained.

[@coreyjohansen9823]

How shallow can these guys run? I live in fl and was wondering if I could use this fishing around the flats. I really like the layout of the boat but didn't know if I have to go flat bottom.

[@vitoparrinello4003]

If you really like your 14 ft Lund boat what are suggested for you to do this is what I did on my 14-ft Lowe that I had for 13 years in saltwater grab yourself a can of flex seal and paint the outside bottom it'll keep the water out..

[@SLOROB55]

Lund lifetime hull warranty?

[@xXpurplenurple007Xx]

What you do for work if you dont mind me asking man?

[@patriciaward3207]

Hey Blake, Did the 15 horse have enough get up and go on your old Lund??

[@WAFishQuest]

Hey Patricia! It did. With just me it'd get up on a plane. With two people it wouldn't. But would probably move at 16-18 mph (with two, with just me it'd touch 20).

[@AuSableAngler]

as a structural aerospace engineer, i can tell you that the reason that boat was inexpensive was because of that 0.063 thick aluminum hull.

[@WAFishQuest]

Heck yeah. Validation! Thanks AuSableAngler! I suspect they weren't always so thin. Lots of Lunds from the 80s still around.