2010 Princecraft SS172
Reviewed by Richard Crowder
For over half a century the Princecraft name has been an icon of Canadian boat-building centred out of Princeville, Quebec. For 2010, it is offering a staggering thirty-nine models of aluminum boats in eight series ranging from a basic twelve-foot cartop to a twenty-foot runabout bristling with all of the fishing amenities you would ever want or need. Princecraft also manufactures thirty-six models of deck boats and pontoon boats from seventeen to twenty-nine feet.
The SS (for Sport Series) 172 is very representative of the Princecraft line. It is constructed of 5052-H36 marine-grade aluminum claimed to be 25% stronger than the next closest grade with a high-gloss, oven-cured urethane paint finish. As with all Princecraft models, the hull bottom is double-riveted where it joins the sides and transom. The SS172 is a deep-vee, reverse chine hull design with full twin bottom plating from bow to stern utilizing .100” thick aluminum in the bottom and .072” aluminum in the sides.
Inside, the SS172 offers two removable folding pedestal seats with six potential mounting locations plus a full-width rear convertible flip-up bench seat. The raised bow casting platform contains a thirty-inch long, 64-litre SportFlo™ aerated, electric-fill livewell with overflow and thru-hull drain. Also up front is a similar-sized built-in ice-chest. Storage is built-in under the starboard coaming and rear casting deck and dedicated seven-foot rod storage is under the portside coaming.
The driver’s helm is neat and purposefully finished with three standard outboard gauges. Two deep-cycle batteries are supplied as standard equipment. A bow trolling motor plug and receptacle is pre-wired for both 12 and 24 volts. The in-floor built-in gas tank with in-dash gauge holds 132 litres. Notable available options include an AM/FM/CD stereo with iPod controls and SAT radio compatibility, a Mercury 9.9 BF 4-stroke kicker motor, Lowrance™ X-50 DS fish/depth finder, onboard battery charger, stern boarding ladder, ski pylon, trailer or mooring cover, and a complete stand-up high top canvas enclosure. Boat packages are available with Mercury™ outboard motors.
The Princecraft SS172 is truly an all-round family fishing boat.
| Length: |
17' 5" |
5.30 m |
| Beam: |
7' 8" |
2.3 m |
| Draft: |
2' 6" |
80 cm |
| Deadrise: |
20 Degrees |
|
| Dry weight: |
1225 lbs |
556 kg |
| Fuel Capacity: |
35 US gals |
132 l |
| Engine / Drive: |
Mercury Outboard |