Boat Review: Alumaweld 20' Intruder Sterndrive

After running hundreds of boats it’s not very often I jump in one and say “Wow!!”, but that’s exactly what happened when I ran Alumaweld’s 20’ Sterndrive.

With “only” a 4.3L V6 Mercruiser package for power this boat lit it up and achieved its top speed of 44 mph in just seconds. As with all of our testing we use a GPS to gauge our speed and trim the boat to its optimum running position to achieve the very best performance within the engine’s rated maximum rpms.

The first “Wow” comes when you get in the boat. It’s a full 82” across the bottom, which opens this sterndrive up considerably. The benefit of this width is not only realized in interior space but also in planing performance, which is immediate and fast.

The increased bottom surface also makes this boat incredibly stable, a huge plus with the standard 18° full vee bottom that might be a little less stable on a narrower bottom width.

This boat is what salesman fondly refer to as a “no-excuse” boat. That is, there’s nothing to apologize for, the boat’s right from the start and just gets better the more you run it.

Sterndrives in welded aluminum boats have been around awhile, 20 years for sure, but have only recently made significant inroads into the fishing public. The marriage of outboards or inboard jets to welded aluminum may seem more natural but this boat’s a winner and will convince you that there’s a place for sterndrives in welded aluminum boating.

The enormous bottom width allows easy access to the transom. Sterndrives, which generally suffer the knock of having too little interior space can look at this boat and learn something. Alumaweld’s 20’ Sterndrive has room to spare and you never feel pinched in the rear of the boat.

A characteristic skiers and families into wakeboarding and tubing will like is how crisply this hull handles. The 18° bottom vee will absolutely carve a turn with little or no give at high speed…a manuever that pulls a few “G’s” and will have people pinned in their seats.

The biggest benefit of this bottom vee is in its rough water prowess. You’ll slice through chop you’re used to banging through. It’s a genuinely exceptional ride, which was the design intent from the beginning.

Back to the test…

There’s plenty a person can do to add speed during a test. Lighten the load by running with just a driver, leave the dock with 6 gallons of gas, take the top down, take any unnecessary equipment off the boat and run in cold water…the closer to 40° the better (the water’s actually harder and will add some top end performance to the boat). We did none of these.

In fact, we left the top up, and had with us a Barewest wakeboard tower, full load of fuel, two people in the boat, and 70° water. We wanted it to be a fair test and in spite of all the challenges it faced we all agreed this boat was a homerun with the V6 and didn’t need any additional horsepower.

If you’re not already familiar with Alumaweld Boats you’ll find they’re built like a tank. A .190 bottom thickness is where it all starts and to that are continuously welded tongue-and-groove extrusions that allow the bottom and sides (.125) to be attached using the strongest possible design available to boat builders.

The storage areas in this boat are cavernous and depending on how you accessorize your Intruder you’ll have plenty of room for an extended outing.

Of course, with gas prices escalating and an unstable fuel future ahead the Mercruiser package is an ideal choice. You get fuel economy and performance. This engine burns half of what a comparable outboard would take.

For the family you’ll feel like you haven’t given anything up just made it better for all involved. The look is sporty and clean, it’s versatile and just as comfortable trolling for salmon in open water as it is whipping the kids around on a tube or pulling a slalom skier from a watery hole.

The only allusion to a “tank” you’ll find in this boat is how it’s built. The look and feel are anything but tank-like with a look that’s uniquely and positively Alumaweld. It’s taken Alumaweld over 3 decades to perfect its designs but you’ll see their experience in your first glance. Clean, finished and detailed…all Alumaweld trademarks.

There has been renewed interest in aluminum sterndrives. Alumaweld indicated a surge in sterndrive sales over the past couple of years (2002-04). Now having run this boat it’s easy to see why. No bad habits, a joy to run and a boat that’s built for four seasons. Alumaweld’s done it again!

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