16 Foot Starcraft Aluminum Boats For Sale

Starcraft has built boats in rural northern Indiana for more than 110 years, with the fourth generation of the family still running the company. Its 16-foot aluminum lineup spans dedicated fishing rigs and family runabouts, anchored by the 168 Renegade fishing boat and the SV16 outboard. These are light, easy-to-trailer hulls, which is part of why a used 16 ft Starcraft aluminum boat for sale stays in demand and why the older models remain popular project boats.

Performance holds up well for the size. The SV16 settles into comfortable cruising speeds at 18 and 24 miles per hour and reaches a top speed of 38 mph at 5,800 rpm, solid for a 16-foot package. The 168 Renegade runs on 70 horsepower, cruises in the mid-20-mph range, and tops out at 30.7 mph at 5,800 rpm; it accelerates to 20 mph in 7.5 seconds and 30 mph in 14 seconds. Handling is sharp and responsive, and the high windscreen keeps the ride dry early or late in the season.

The 168 Renegade is the largest 16-foot fishing boat in its class, measuring 16 feet 11 inches with an 89-inch beam and 22-inch sides. It is built as a fishing platform: a 30-gallon livewell with a built-in bait bucket at the stern, a 15-gallon livewell in the bow, and an in-floor storage area sized for dock lines, a wakeboard, or rods. Portside lockable rod storage holds rods up to 7 feet, and a lockable bow center compartment carries up to six rods. Large fore and aft casting platforms, a redesigned console with a gauge package and a mount area for a fish finder or GPS combo, and a bow-mount trolling motor round out the 16 ft Starcraft fishing boat package.

The SV16 leans toward family days on the water. The helm has a raised footrest, a three-spoke steering wheel with full tilt, a full gauge package, a Wet Sounds sound system, and a storage locker for a phone, plus nine cup holders across the boat. Non-skid flooring runs through the bow, grab rails sit within easy reach for kids, and the center seating zone fits three full-size adults over a full-width storage compartment with no blocks or barriers. The rear swim platform adds multiple storage lockers, a four-step telescoping reboarding ladder, and a center-mounted matte black marine tower for towing tubes.

Vintage 16 ft Starcraft boats from the 1970s and 1980s are widely restored, particularly the Super Sport and Mariner models, identified by the side molding strip and bow rail found on the earlier hulls rather than the later 1984 boats. Stripped project hulls have changed hands for around $400 with a trailer, and most owners run them with a 40-horsepower outboard that pushes about 30 mph, though the hulls handle 50 to 55 horsepower. A key advantage over a 16 ft Starcraft fiberglass boat is repairability: when the transom wood goes bad, the plywood pulls out and gets replaced, avoiding the rot problems that plague glass transoms. Common rebuilds add a flat aluminum or marine-carpet floor, a console, two seats, and a casting deck.