Smoker Craft Alaskan Split Seat 15'
The first time I ran Smoker Craft's 15' Alaskan Split Seat model, it was at Detroit Lake at the base of Oregon's Cascade Range. The boat was fully-loaded with me, my uncle and son, along with a full complement of gear, fuel, and extra's. Powered by only a Mercury manual start 15 hp outboard I was pleasantly surprised when I gave the engine some throttle and it planed quickly and motored down the lake at a brisk pace somewhere in the "upper teens", if not faster.
Detroit Lake's elevation is a moderate 2,000 feet, hardly enough to tax any engine, but enough that you'll notice the difference between sea level and this slight gain. Outboards are notoriously altitude sensitive so I was pleased to find the boat respond as well as it had.
Equally as pleasing was the manner in which the boat fished. Smoker Craft's 15' Alaskan is wide for its size (68") which provides adequate interior space for three anglers. The Mercury 15 hp outboard trolled perfectly as we caught our share of rainbows throughout the day.
This is an easy boat to own. Just about any size rig can tow it effortlessly. It doesn't require much horsepower to work well. It's easy to maintain, just hose it out after a day out fishing. Its all aluminum hull and superstructure are durable and won't rust or rot, making it even more user friendly. It's light and easy to move around so hooking it up to your rig isn't a chore, nor is moving it around at home. And last, it's full-featured, meaning, there's very little to add.
Not bad for a package you can own for less than $6,000.
It's for these reasons that Smoker Craft's 15' Split Seat Alaskan continues to be a favorite among N.W. anglers. It's perfect for trolling or crabbing in the bays, it's a design that works nicely on lakes and it doesn't occupy much space around the house. This combination of versatility and ease-of-ownership has made the 15' Split Seat Alaskan by Smoker Craft uniquely well-suited to our tastes here in the N.W.
Too often, "small" boats feel small. A 15' boat by most standards is too small, that is, until you get next to a Split Seat Alaskan. The trademark tall sides lend an air of security that's uncommon in boats this size, along with stout storage box seating that keeps your belongings out of harm's way, welcome bow storage for odds and ends, and full length floors that real finish this boat off in a grand way and add a certain strength and big boat feel to this package.
This boat has stood the test of time and reflects the effective use of space with such standards as a driver's seat that also plays double duty as fuel storage. Even the mandatory float boxes (boxes that house floatation) have been optimized with storage trays on top of these unobtrusive boxes for odds and ends like pliers, a spool of leader, or a cup of coffee while you're trolling.
Bottomline, Smoker Craft's 15' Alaskan Split Seat package is an exciting, year around package designed with the serious outdoor enthusiast and angler in mind. There's nothing "entry-level" about this boat other than the price. Whether you're looking to scale down, get started, or add to your collection of boats, you'll be happy with all that this easy-to-own package has to offer - we were, and that's after decades of boating experience!