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When we met Alumacraft's representatives at the dock prior to putting the Dominator through its paces, there was as much talk about live-bait rigs and rod actions as there was about gull-wing hull design and propellers. Reason? The people who design and build Alumacrafts are die-hard fishermen, just like their customers, and it shows in their products.
Idling away from the landing, the Evinrude 130 purred along, pushing the Dominator at a scant 2.7 mph. If you fish, that's an important stat, because it's an ideal crawl speed — and whisper quiet — for many trolling applications.
With a push of the throttle, the boat popped to plane with hardly a hint of bow rise. Capping out at 44.5 mph, it didn't take long to reach a well-known "hot spot" to test the boat's fishing features, which are many. Along the way, the tall walk-through windshield kept us comfortable during a downright cold morning ride.
Alumacraft took some of the most-popular fishing nuances from its Tournament Series line and applied them to the Dominator, to give anglers professional treatment on an amateur's salary. The center-mount rod locker with tubes, handling sticks up to 7 feet long, is a prime example. Plus there's a 7.5-foot portside rod locker. Dual livewells and ample subsurface storage come standard too.
Alumacraft also outfitted the Dominator with two fold-down jump seats at the rear casting deck. Although compact, they're well cushioned and help keep the whole family happy and comfortable on the water.
(click image to enlarge)
Key Note: An economical boat to own, drive and tow. We tested it with a 130 hp motor, but a 100 would shave the price and still perform well.
Standout Features
• A center rod locker is something found on $60,000 bass boats. By extending into the cockpit, this one doubles as a nice footrest.
• The twin-plated hull, with two sheets of .080 aluminum, gave us a strong ride in harsh conditions.
• Wide gunwales really help when boarding, since they're wide enough to give good footing and carpeted to help resist slipping.
- Vital Stats
- Length Overall: 17'9"
- Beam: 7'10"
- Dry Weight (w/ motor): 1,887 lb.
- Seating/Weight Capacity: 5/1,245 lb.
- Fuel Capacity: 38 gal.
- Maximum HP: 150
- MSRP (as tested w/ Minn-Kota 70AP, Lowrance X-102): $26,295
- NMMA Certified: Yes
- Test Drive
- Test Engine: Evinrude 130 E-Tec
- Test Prop: Evinrude Viper 19 pitch, stainless
- Test Load: People (330 lb.); Fuel (28 gal.)
- Top Speed: 44.7 mph @ 5,700 rpm
- Time to Plane: 3.6 sec.
- Time to 30 MPH: 8.5 sec.
- Minimum Planing Speed: 16 mph @ 2,750 rpm
I own a Dominator 175 sport and my boating experience significally differs from your article. I fish our go this boat 4-5 days a week. My boat is rigged with a 150 HP Mercury Verado 4 stroke. I was assured before I sold my Lund boat and bought the Dominator that I would not be disappointed with the ride - the Dominator is make for fishing on the Great Lakes.
When the wind reaches 15mph it is time to go home - expect a very rough ride unless you idle all the way back.
I get 4mpg with this boat and motor arrangement. I have checked this a couple of time using my GPS for distance traveled - no guess work here. I do not operate the motor over 4,000 rpm.
My top speed is about 43mph using my gps for speed. How a 130 hp can get 44.5 mph is beyond my understanding.
I have spoken with factory reps. on more than 1 occasions and have requested that they take my boat out and tell me what is wrong. They will not respond.
My experience is "buyer beware"