Anybody have any ride experience with these 18' boats...

[Camo]

I am spending more time than I originally thought in area 9/10 running out of Everett. I chose my current boat based on the fishing platform/features instead of hull deadrise as I was moving from a sled and spending more time in E. WA. Would like to hear from anybody that has spent any time in any of the following 18' (no bracket) boats as they are the maximum I can squeeze into my garage with the right trailer mods.
Alumaweld Talon
Spartan Areus
Weldcraft Angler/NW Compass/Duckworth Advantage Sport (all same boat)

[MADMAX]

I’ve had an 18 Duckworth advantage for about 12 years
My buddy says it doesn’t have enough v
It works fine for me
115 Yamaha and T8

[Stein]

18' without brackets are not going to have a ton of v in the back, but that isn't a dealbreaker at all.

I have a RH SeaHawk and it works great, when it's too rough to run down there it isn't practical to fish anyway. 

If you are willing to drive to Oregon near where many of them are made you can save a few bucks on the purchase (little to no transport fee) and save more on tax as well.

[Camo]

I’ve had an 18 Duckworth advantage for about 12 years
My buddy says it doesn’t have enough v
It works fine for me

@Madmax, that's reassuring, thanks for chiming in.

I have a RH SeaHawk and it works great, when it's too rough to run down there it isn't practical to fish anyway. 

If you are willing to drive to Oregon near where many of them are made you can save a few bucks on the purchase (little to no transport fee) and save more on tax as well.

@Stein, I forgot about RH. Looks like they have 14 degree with .125 sides which is good for this class but they seem to be hard to find right now? Defiance has a couple but can't find anyone else that has them. Seems like they may have run into some trouble back in '17 but they are building current model year stuff. My current boat I picked up in OR for the same reason.

[Stein]

Not sure about RH, I heard they were sold, etc, etc, I haven't followed them since I bought mine in early 2017.  My boat has been great, we have absolutely pounded it and it could not be more solid, seaworthy or more fishable in the size range.

I would get a list of what is important to you and then shop price.  Tons of good manufacturers these days building quality products.  Some of them are hard to get and some are $5k more than similar other boats.  For $5k, I can take my family on a cruise in the Carribean or an excellent vacation in the San Juans, so I don't buy names.

Wooldridge builds a great boat, many features I really liked but I couldn't get the company or sales guy to call back so they were off the list.  RH was somewhat unknown so their pricing was lower for the same quality.  They build a solid boat with few bells and whistles which is what I wanted.  I found a dealer with one in stock 10 miles from the factory priced far better than anyone local so we pulled the trigger.

If it were me, I would be more concerned with hull shape, particularly reverse chine.  Glass boats have been doing it for 20 years, aluminum guys just caught on.  It makes a ton of difference and I won't own a boat without it.  Steep up front and nearly flat in the back makes for a boat with good fuel efficiency and the ability to trim down and plow home when it's rough.  Don't discount fuel economy, every trip from Everett to MA 10 is a fair distance and I didn't want to be in the position where the cost of fuel kept me home.  We run that probably 10-15 times a year which adds up, your finances may be different.

I also want a boat with the helm as forward as possible, front of the glass is wasted space if you are trolling and that is 95% of the game where I fish.  I also need a self-bailing bow with as little volume up there as possible.  When you bow scoop, that's a bunch of water which is a bunch of weight, the smaller the space up there the less weight you will pick up and the quicker it will drain.  Look for two very big and well designed drains.  When it's rough you don't want a very heavy bow for long periods of time.

Another factor I didn't consider is the trailer.  You can't put the boat in the water without being able to get it there and back.  Many trailers suck and it's an easy place to scrimp because almost nobody looks at it.  Check the axle rating, tire ratings and dry weight of the boat.  Since you are garaging it like me, get a swing away tongue for sure.  You are looking for at least 3k on the axle and tires, galvanized or aluminum.

Next is motors, Evinrude is off the table (never was on in my book).  Merc and Yamaha rule the roost around here, probably more the latter than the former.  I have a Merc and it's been 100% perfect in every way.  My old fishing buddy only runs Yamaha and they work too.  Like trailers, dealers can scrimp on motors to achieve a price point.  On the other side of the coin, don't think you need a drag boat, most of the time (80% at least) I'm doing 18-25 mph due to conditions so my 90 hp has been a great choice.  I would probably go 115, but hanging a 200 is crazy for our area, extra weigh equals extra fuel and you won't be running 60 mph except the one perfect day a year or on the lake.  I can run 40 by myself or mid 30's with a big load and can only get there maybe 10% of the time due to sea conditions.  I have the CT version so it has a big V6 prop and plenty of torque.

Next on the list is canvas, make sure it comes with a full canvas - top, sides and drop curtains in the rear.  Some scrimp by only including a top or only top and sides - ask me, I know.  A rear curtain alone is almost $500.

Finally, check the fuel tank.  I have 34 gallons which is huge for an 18' and it's nice to have.  I have a range of 150+ miles which is overkill until you go up in the islands for a week and drive around looking at sketchy marinas with $5+ a gallon price and then you will be glad you can run all week on one tank.

Good luck, plenty of good choices out there.  New boats are great fun.

[Camo]

Hoping I can do the upgrade for around $6k unless I decide I need to upgrade to a 150hp which only the RH and Spartan are capable of. To your point, I will never need it in the sound on an 18' boat. The 90 I have is more than this boat is capable of running out of Everett. I hear you on the fuel burn, really like the 2.6 - 3.2 gph I am getting now while everyone else is flying by me, but I don't typically run over about 4300rpm when it's flat. If your getting 40mph your getting more out of yours. I looked at all the boats I listed 14 months ago when I bought this one and none of them had everything this boat has for fishing layout that I felt I wanted. Stupid stuff like size of front fish box, angle of wheel on dash, full width access to transom, 21" bench seats instead of the 26"-31" with the drop curtain right at the back of the seat to maximize deck space. A zipper on the canvas that lets you open the windshield without popping the canvas snaps off. Another was an access port to the bow for mounting an electric trolling motor, but I should be able to cut one in? So I feel like I will have to make some sacrifices for hull shape. That being said, I haven't looked at an RH since Cabelas had them. All good thoughts. The reverse chine might be more significant than I gave it credit.