Opinions please

[Troy Basso]

Mike,
      Are you serious about the prop vs jet statement - if you were looking at an Express 1546 for lake and river fishing would you go with a 25 prop with jack plate set up???

Not trying to stir up anything but Troy a bad factory second rod vs a bad factory 1st run series  boat are two different topics -

Ok no problem but who on this board has gotten a BAD FIRST RUN Riverhawk?

[MikeA]

I don't know what run my first one was but it was bad. They replaced it no problem thanks to Chris. I sold the new one before it hit the water. Bought the Supreme and haven't ever been so happy with a boat in my life. I understand the Riverhawk I sold is still in use and doing fine.

[Jon]

I have had a B-52 riverhawk going on five years and the only thing I have had to do with it is flip it over and add some more glass. Chris was great to work with and got the boat here like promised. I have fished it on the Clinch, the Hooch in Atlanta, the cumby, the elk and the Caney. I have a 15 hp yamaha 2 stroke on it and set it up with oar locks. No seats, no trolling motor, no battery. I have kept it light weight. You can fish three guys out of it with one rowing just like a drift boat. Two guys can fish out of it easily. It is easy to load and unload and easy to pull over shallow shoals if you need to. A fishing buddy has a supreme and it is a great boat as well. You can't go wrong with a supreme. I have found that there is no perfect boat. Just make sure your fishing buddy has a different one than you.

[troutseeker]

I have had a B-52 riverhawk going on five years and the only thing I have had to do with it is flip it over and add some more glass. Chris was great to work with and got the boat here like promised. I have fished it on the Clinch, the Hooch in Atlanta, the cumby, the elk and the Caney. I have a 15 hp yamaha 2 stroke on it and set it up with oar locks. No seats, no trolling motor, no battery. I have kept it light weight. You can fish three guys out of it with one rowing just like a drift boat. Two guys can fish out of it easily. It is easy to load and unload and easy to pull over shallow shoals if you need to. A fishing buddy has a supreme and it is a great boat as well. You can't go wrong with a supreme. I have found that there is no perfect boat. Just make sure your fishing buddy has a different one than you.

Jon, do you have any pics of your boat?

[Troy Basso]

If I were you I would stay away from riverhook.  I will not share my experience on this board, but if you care to know why I will PM you the story.  I repeat do not buy RIVERHAWK!!!!!

Icthus

make sure you include these facts in your PMs

1. You purchased your boat used from an individual
2. The boat invoice from river hawk stated it was a second and there was no warrenty.
3. You had issues but they should have been with the seller but choose to go after riverhawk
4. Chris Nichan bent over backwards and got your boat repaired FREE even though he paid 1/2 of the bill himself.
5. That you were able to sell the boat because of  the support of your local riverhawk dealer.

[lawnman]

This thread was just what it's titled, opinions.  I was making decisions on what to do with my existing jet setup.  Got a lot of opinions and good advice, that's all I was asking for.  I really had no intentions of buying a riverhawk or gheenoe, just threw that out there.  I appreciate the info I have received didn't seem like anyone was bashing riverhawk, just giving their opinions.

[icthus]

I will not go into details, if people care to here the entire story please call.  As for the local rep, he did make calls, he did get the people to bring my boat down to GA to get it fixed, and said he put in some money.  Does it change me opinion about the boat, no.  Did I keep the boat when it came back, no.  Did the rep make an effort to make it right, absolutely, two thumbs up.   One thing I can say is Chris did what any rep could have done in the precarious situation he was in. However, I did not get my boat repaired for free, it was multiple benji's to get it fixed.  I believe I would have sold the boat either way, I came out even on the deal so if that is how, "local  river hawk dealer," helped me then yes.  The problem was fixed.  There were fundamental, constructional, and engineering problems when I purchased River hawk as a boat and company.  Now they have a new owner and I heard things are different.   My first post was not directed towards the local dealer just the product.  my apologies if it was perceived that way.  Chris will fix problems and go to bat for you if there is problems.  The river hawk rep is for the end user.

bottom line, the river hawk rep did what he could, two thumbs up for that.   

Icthus

[Steve H]

Thanks for your response Craig.

Everyone, let's return the thread to topic, please. If not, we can close it.

Thank you.

[MikeA]

I bought my first boat when I was about 18 years old and it didn't have a name I don't think. It was always sitting at the pond on Bud Richardson’s place in Kittrell where I was raised. I was best friends with Bud’s sons all the way through my youth and when I got old enough to want a boat I remembered that old aluminum V hull boat at the pond. Bud sold it to me for $50 I think, and I took it home. The sides were ragged aluminum where the wood rail had been pulled off over the years. It would cut or stab you just about every time you touched it. The rivets in the floor were all loose so every now and then you had to bail her out with a bleach bottle cut in half. The rear seat was a bench style that went across the back made from 2x6 and the front seat was a 5 gal bucket. It seemed like that thing weighed 1000 pounds since I didn't have a trailer and had to carry it everywhere.
It wasn't long till I decided I wanted a motor boat with a trailer so I saved up and bought my first Mercury outboard and boat for $500. It was a real winner too. Engine blew a month after I bought that one. Put another engine on it (used) and continued to fight it every trip...

I've had lots of boats since then. Several no name boats. Alumacraft, Ranger, Riverhawk, Sea Ark, Invader, bomber, Lowe, Supreme, Party Kraft, and I wouldn't take anything for the memories I've made in each and every one of them. Maybe at the time I didn't feel that way but looking back it was all part of learning and paying my dues.
So next time your out and you see some guy in a big POS boat show him some respect he's just trying to make some memories too. And if your the guy in that big steaming POS boat don't sweat it! You'll look back and smile someday when you remember that old POS.  

[kingfish]

Mike,

Great story, thanks!

[lawnman]

Well said Mike, my first boat I bought out of a front yard near work for $150.  It was on old v bottom with a rotten transom.  Fixed the transom and my father in law gave me an old 3.5hp lightwin motor.  First trip to the Caney the water pump went out and had to wait on the generation to stop to troll up river.  Think about it every time I see an old beater boat out there and remember the fun times.