# SeaArk or G3



## TylerR68 (Jul 25, 2008)

Looking to buy a 16' aluminum boat, I have found two, a 16' SeaArk and a 16' G3 they are very similar boats that both have the same engine (yamaha 50hp). The major difference I noticed was that the SeaArk was constructed differently, then the G3 and other aluminum boats I have seen. The SeaArk had foam packed in between the aluminum hull. Salesman said it made for a smoother ride, less rattling etc...what he said did make sense to me. Is this foam a major improvement from the standard welded aluminum boats like the G3? Do any of ya'll have any input on which is the better boat? Please advise? 

Other info: I will be using this for bay fishing, running around west bay and trinity bay, and the occasional trip to rockport. Plan on putting my kayak in the boat, anchoring, and kayaking around the areas i go to.

Thanks for any input you guys can put in.


----------



## robul (Apr 26, 2007)

Iv been fishing out of a 16 foot g3 the past few weeks since my dargel is down for refurb and its a great boat. Runs plenty shallow and has a nice layout. Now the things I don't like about it are its too slow with the 50 hp motor. With 2 guys your lucky to hit 25 kts. With 3 guys 20 kts is the max. Maybe its propped wrong?? There is very little room to walk by the console when moving from the front to the rear. (im spoiled though with the scooter and a super wide beam) . If you ride on the bow or up front its a pretty bumpy ride in a heavy chop. 

His has the pods on the back and that seems to help alot with the hole shot and keeping it afloat in shallow water. His boat has both a poling platform and a casting platform which make sight casting much much easier. The boat poles fairly well much better than my dargel. Its pretty quite and drifts fairly nice. Overall its a great boat and seems pretty much indestructible. I cant tell you much about the sea-ark I haven't fished one. I do know Boatright makes an awesome alum boat as well that would be worth checking out. 

Just make sure whatever you choose try to get a test drive first make sure the 50 is enough power for you. its a gas sipper but if you plan on running far its going to take some time. 

Post some pics whenever you pull the trigger!


----------



## whistlingdixie (Jul 28, 2008)

G3 has a lot better warranty, they also have padding between the floor and aluminum bottom and sides, it is owned by yamaha so you have a huge company backing G3. Sea Ark is a good boat also but if your looking for quality and resale then G3 owns that market. They are both .100 ga aluminum all welded and I believe priced pretty similar. I do like the layout of the Sea Ark and it is a fine boat. I sell G3 so I have to be partial. either one of these boats will fit your needs and more.

One more thing to consider is that the 1652 G3 is only 15"10 where as the Sea Ark 16 ft is actually 16' 6." Try looking at the 1756 G3 for a comparable price.


----------



## Blue Water Breaux (Feb 6, 2008)

We had a 20' SeaArk we used for Floudering/shrimping out of west bay and slp. we had custom work done to front from SAW and had the air motor put on back. Best alum boat we ever had. It was smooth. we had a 90 evinrude on the back and she would scream, even loaded down and was a smooth, dry ride for being aluminum. There is a ton of room on the boat as well, not sure what the beam was, but i'll post some pics when i get home from work. We took the boat offshore a lot of calm days to shrimp and even took it out to the 30 mile rigs when the offshore boat was in shop. we did a couple of upgrades including a larger fuel cell, added a t-top and added a different, slip-resistant flooring to the bottom. This boat held up extremely well. It also handled exceptionally well whilst pulling a 40' shrimp net throughout slp and was stable for the load on the back. I'd recommend the boat anytime. We never had ANY issues w leaking or bending. Hope this helps.


----------



## TylerR68 (Jul 25, 2008)

Whistlingdixie, you said the G3 has padding, whereas the SeaArk has foam like on a boston whaler. What is the padding? Do you know what the padding is made of? Is there somewhere online where I can view a cross section of the hull where the padding is on the G3? The dealer at the SeaArk place had a piece showing a cross section of the boat that clearly showed the foam. I think this foam could be a safety advantage if I were to let my 18 year old brother take it out....

I appreciate all of ya'lls responses and I will post a photo of what I end up getting. Thanks again, and keep the responses coming in.


----------



## TylerR68 (Jul 25, 2008)

Anybody else have an opinon on these SeaArk vs. G3 boats?


----------



## whistlingdixie (Jul 28, 2008)

TylerR68 said:


> Whistlingdixie, you said the G3 has padding, whereas the SeaArk has foam like on a boston whaler. What is the padding? Do you know what the padding is made of? Is there somewhere online where I can view a cross section of the hull where the padding is on the G3? The dealer at the SeaArk place had a piece showing a cross section of the boat that clearly showed the foam. I think this foam could be a safety advantage if I were to let my 18 year old brother take it out....
> 
> I appreciate all of ya'lls responses and I will post a photo of what I end up getting. Thanks again, and keep the responses coming in.


The catalog does not show it and I looked on the website and I do not see it. It is not really padding but foam also just like the Sea Arc. The only reason I know this is because we recently had to pull th floor out of one but if you look in the console you will see foam. Like I said they are both good boats and I actually like the layout of the Sea Arc and I sell G3 boats. G3 has floatation all around the boat making it very bouyant.


----------



## TylerR68 (Jul 25, 2008)

Thanks for your help!


----------



## padre tail (Aug 2, 2008)

We ran a 18' Sea Ark in the LLM for a few years. Believe it was model 1872MV with a floation pods, floor, hinged battery / sump cover, and Al console. Motor was a 90 Merc. Great boat for 2-3 people drifting, ran shallow, dry, and fast enough for us (mid 40s).


----------



## Barefoot (Feb 8, 2009)

I am also looking for a aluminum boat in the 18' range. I am upgrading from a 16' war eagle with a go-devil to something more multi-purpose. The 16' was a great hunting boat but it got really small with more than a couple of people fishing in it.

The G3 and Sea Ark are on the top of my list. Does anyone know about alweld boats; are they any good? Before my wife will let me buy another boat I have to sell mine first, so right now I am just looking at what is out there.


----------



## jmack (Dec 7, 2006)

Sea Ark !


----------



## millertym_1978 (Apr 13, 2006)

*boatright*

Haven't cked lately but there was a Boatright on Craigslist about a week ago. Would be suprised if its still there though.


----------



## GIGEM18 (Jan 29, 2008)

GET A WELD-CRAFT. BEST ALUMINUM BOAT THAT I KNOW OF. CHECK THEM OUT. SOLID AS A ROCK


----------



## hvfd1610 (Mar 26, 2009)

Sea ark wins hand down. They are set differnt than most but they are one of the best most made out of .125 vs other compainies .102. I have a xpress that I love and they look the best . But Sea Ark my second choice but Sea Ark wins in construction.


----------



## Bob Landry (Aug 23, 2014)

One thing to consider about the G3. if it is going to be primarily a salt water boat, it should get a periodic rinse by running it in fresh water. The reason is the keel is not put on with a solid weld the full length of it. It is stitch welded every 8-10 inches or so. This allows water to collect between the keel and the welded seam and if not flushed, saltwater and aluminum eventually makes for corrosion and pin leaks in the hull after several years. Not cheap to fix. The welds have to be ground off to drop the keel and the entire length of the hull seam has to be ground down to clean up the corrosion and tig welded, then the keel welded back on.


----------



## Superman70 (Aug 13, 2014)

I have a 1966 g3 and a 1548 sea ark. Both are good boats. Both ride rough as all aluminum boats do. I also have a x21 bass boat. I feel qualified to make that statement. They aren't fast or pretty but nearly indestructible. Cheap to fix welds that break. Pick the floor plan you like and go for it. You will never wear it out.


----------



## 2072 Bayfisher (Jul 7, 2014)

I have owned a 1756 tunnel, 1860 tunnel, and a 2072 tunnel by G3. All three great boats and paired with the right prop set up run extremely shallow. The 1860 seemed to be the most efficient with a 2 stroke 90 Yamaha. I never had a complaint or problem out of neither one. A good point is the keel not being welded solid. I never thought about it before. All three are still in the family and fished regular. I have a Sea Ark 2072 MVT Bayfisher now. I like it better than the G3 because of the layout. It has storage, rod lockers, and plenty of room. Rod lockers are extremely important to me. If not for the storage I think I would have stayed with G3. I dont think you will go wrong either way both are great boats.


----------



## longboat (Apr 14, 2008)

whistlingdixie said:


> ...Sea Ark is a good boat also but if your looking for quality and resale then G3 owns that market. ...


I think SeaArk has a pretty high resale value in some parts of the country, much higher than G3...


----------



## Bob Landry (Aug 23, 2014)

Another consideration pertaining to the G3 is the type of material the console is made of. Mine is a 2006 and the console is plastic, not my choice of materials. I haven't looked at the new ones so that may have changed, but it's worth looking into. The SeaArk will have either a fiberglass or aluminum console.
The .125" aluminum used in the structure of the SeaArk doesn't apply to all of their models, so that needs to be looked at if you are buying a SeaArk to get the thicker aluminum construction.


----------



## rustyhook1973 (Aug 25, 2014)

I am the owner of 6 xpress boats ,,, I have been getting bigger with each one I buy ,,, in November of 2013 I got a 1860 xp cc,,,and it had a 70 yam,and I got it to run 37,,, 2 mounths ago I traded it in and got the 20 xp cc and I love it ,,, 90 horse yam and I have been doing the prop swap with powertech props and I got her to run 41 mph ,,, not bad at all imo... I would really look at the xpress brand ,,, they really stand behind their boats and they are good at building them ,,, in fact ,,, they are the first to make allwelded boats,,,


----------



## jackieblue (Jun 13, 2006)

"xpress brand ,,, they really stand behind their boats and they are good at building them"

I take it you never had a warranty problem with them. I once had a 18x60 Xpress that went back to the factory three times in two years, the welds kept breaking. This was besides the two times the dealer welded the tunnel back in it. The first time it stayed two months, second time six weeks, and the final time a month. That was with me taking it to Hot Springs and picking it up. Every time I got the boat back I had to fix the wiring and anything else they messed with. Absolutely the worst warranty department I've ever seen. This boat should have been replaced but they kept fixing the thing and the final time the front deck was also busted. Buyer beware.


----------



## Bob Landry (Aug 23, 2014)

Go with a manufacturer tat uses extruded metal for the keel and that is completely welded on both sides of it. You won't be sorry.


----------



## Superman70 (Aug 13, 2014)

When I break welds I either weld them back myself or just drop it by a local sheet metal shop. I don't have a high freq. For my tig. Can usually get same day service if not done while you wait. Welds are going to break. That's just pat of aluminum in really rough water.


----------



## rustyhook1973 (Aug 25, 2014)

I know that xpress stands behind their boats,,,, in fact,,, when I broke 6 welds because of my fault,,, jumping a log in a creek ,,, they asked me what I had done and I told them ,,,, I had to get back that a tree had fallen and I was stranded,,,, they kinda chuckled and told me that would add another rib,, to the boat,,,, the second to the last boat ,,, again my fault ,,, hitting waves to hard that was way to big ,,,, they again ,, fixed them for me as well ,,,, I don't have any problems with them other than it kinda takes a while to get the boat back once they have it ,, but hey ,,, they did fix it and for that I am happy ,,, new boat is only 1 1/2 mounths old and I love it ,,,,


----------

