I love my ol’ tin boat. It’s a 1994 Alweld, a 15 footer with thick walls built to take a beating, wide draft for stability and a true flat bottom that will float in some really skinny water.
There’s a 40-horse Yamaha that’s just as old strapped to the transom. It’s a tiller drive with a rope crank that typically takes no more than a few yanks to bust those ponies loose. Not bad for a 30-year-old engine that has never demanded much other than routine maintenance on the water pump and lower unit grease. It’s risky business to say it, but the boat has never left me stranded.
The motor bolts to a four-inch aluminum jack plate and is equipped with a stainless prop. Fully loaded, the boat will scoot along at 30 m.p.h. It runs best with a little chop on the surface.
