What type of boat?

[sea raider]

Who has what type of boat and what are your likes and dislikes, advantages or disadvantages etc

[Luc]

Mate,

You for got "tiller steer" !!!!

Luc

[TonyG]

Hi Sea raider,

Tough question to answer, as it depends on what your requirements are. We all have different reasons for buying a certain type of hull.

For me it was family pleasure craft, and then try to fish from this boat also.

Thanks

Tony

[mjbpjk]

sea raider,

I spent a long time trying to decide what to buy and ended up getting a side console. Im a 85% fishing man i just cant fish for Crap

I feel for me the Pros are-

- Same abilities as the centre console but with heaps more room.

- The most amount of useable deck space that can be obtained by any boat with a steering wheel

Cons

- only 1 - Exposure to the elements. T-tops, biminis and larger screens can help with this but it will never give you the same protection as a cuddy.
I was aware of this before i bought it and im currently happy to make that compromise

cheers Pete

[NAGG]

If I was to buy another larger boat (6M ish) for offshore work , it would be a Centre Cab 4 sure:P .... It gives you the best of everything ... A great (360 Deg) workable cockpit , easy to anchor if on your own , protection from the elements , can sleep 2 ... They are reasonably good to drift with .... & they look 8-) 8-) 8-) .... Nagg

[Pirate_Pete_Tas]

I have a Cuddy Cab but would have liked a centre console but in Tassie it wasnt practical with the family.

[joeT]

I went for cuddy cab on the basis that I could go out fishing in it anytime - day, night, rain, wind, and/or cold. It might not be great to fish from, but as a compromise, I'd rather be out there fishing more often in an impractical boat than fishing less often in a practical boat.

Centre cab is maybe a better compromise, however, they tend by their nature to be larger boats and therefore are less practical because of size.

[Rodman]

I have a side consol bluefin and it is ideal for fishing as the side consol gives you the remainder of the boat for a fishing pl,atform


Rodman

[nigelr]

I have an open tiller steer teehee, but I'd much rather a Stabi cuddy cab!
Ah just a few more years to go..................::)
Cheers!

[Flattie Assassin]

Yer center cab for sure... Plz Santa!!

[Ryan.S]

Am i the only one with a runabout. I havent even got the new boat yet! Is there some kind of hidden message here?

[bluefin59]

I'v got a side console fin as well gives me plenty of room for fishing ,but i now want to upgrade to a cabin style because my grand daughter and that want to come with us as well and a few offshore trips wouldn't go astray ....::) ::) ::) matt

[KAGEY1]

searaider. i am getting a new formosa 550 c/console, as you know. for me ,here in the north, the cold isn,t a factor. fishing room, with full walkaround is everything!! only a few weeks to go, fingers crossed!
cheers, geoff

[FNQCairns]

I voted other, don't have a prefered but do have a couple of for certain least prefered styles.

I fitted mine out as a rear CC (bit like a crabber), smooth and wet is a good description, never been in one before the first trip in mine, cannot go back to CC as a way to travel in a pressed tinny. Still find myself assuming the position for the touch down but so far this has only helped to make me look silly, will get used to it in time:)

As far as the setup suits when fishing, for trolling it's better IMO but do not think it is better for fishing at anchor than a CC/cuddy/etc unless fishing alone on the boat.

cheers fnq

[Wahoo]

i just voted center console ;D
no kids, women dont come out much, the weather up this way is mild so its a pure fishing boat,
for my type of fishing a cuddy or a cabin boat would be just a waste of space

Daz

[death_ship]

cabin please, i like to stay dry and get a bit of shade.

[MyEscape]

I think I'd need to vote for "I need 2 boats" One a creek boat and the one that I have now. I like my cuddy cab but there's aways a time when you think a little 3.7m tinny would be nice.

Then, a day off would be nice too!!!

Steve

[catfishkid]

I also have an open tiller steer tinnie,full floor with front and rear casting decks so there is plenty of fishing spaqce,the big downside is exposure to the elements but that is the price you pay for so much open space

Cheers Craig:)

[catcrab]

hi guys. after 30 years of boating i believe the centre cab is the ideal allrounder. i just took delivery of my new makocraft(stessl) 4.5 centre cab, it is probably the smallest c/cab around, but alf and tim have done a great job in configuring the cab in the smaller boat, the hull is a truck 4.40. with many xtra options included. i,m going to throw a toey 90hp on the back, that should give me the grunt to work the close reefs off the gold coast. if you see a bright orange c/cab makocraft with ausfish stickers, stop and have a chat.

[plaztix]

I also have an open tiller steer tinnie,full floor with front and rear casting decks so there is plenty of fishing spaqce,the big downside is exposure to the elements but that is the price you pay for so much open space

Cheers Craig:)


Yep, me too. Love the fact that i've got so much room to move. Got enough room to set up and play 2 games of twister if i wanted::)

[Lovey80]

I have CC Webster and love it for exactly what it is. I bought it as an inshore (Close offshore on a good day) boat. Inside it's the best boat i have been in. Good for bait and lure fishing and when I do take it into open water with a little swell I only get wet if im up it and I can live with that.

Cheers Chris

[russ81]

Hows it going guys

I have a cuddy and love it to bits as lovey80 will atest to after being out in less than perfect seas however next time i wont get tinted windows as ther is nothing worse than getting stuck in crap conditions at night and haveing to stick your head out through the clears.

cheers
Russ

[Cav(J.C.)]

Does anyone build an Alloy "Panga'--- Banana--- Long boat in Aus. Went fishing in New guinea and the Solomins in this style boat, both as centre console and tiller steer, and found them economical, no slam, stable and a great fishing platform. Broad beamy boats do not compare. John Cav

[FNQCairns]

hi guys. after 30 years of boating i believe the centre cab is the ideal allrounder. i just took delivery of my new makocraft(stessl) 4.5 centre cab, it is probably the smallest c/cab around, but alf and tim have done a great job in configuring the cab in the smaller boat, the hull is a truck 4.40. with many xtra options included. i,m going to throw a toey 90hp on the back, that should give me the grunt to work the close reefs off the gold coast. if you see a bright orange c/cab makocraft with ausfish stickers, stop and have a chat.

Yeah they are great, when I learn to weld :-[and the current boat config gets stale I will be converting mine to a C/Cab.

Yours is the first I have heard of in a 4.4, is it a standard option?

cheers fnq

[catcrab]

hi, fnq. re mako centre cab. at this stage it was only a one off,i have always liked the concept of centre cabs but they all have been to big and costly, apart from the ally craft 4.95 from a few years back but discontinued now, i have known Alf Stessl for quite a while and he is pretty clever in design and config, i asked him to do me a centre cab in one of his truck hulls, and bingo a great functional little big boat, when i finalize my electrical fittout i think he is going to do some sea test and reviews and if the dollars add up he might market them. so far i have done 10 hours and very happy, it provides great protection, especially for night fishing and comimg home from an offshore stint. i first tried it with a 50hp 4 banger suzy, boat went fine for inshore work but was found wanting in offshore and bar crossings,thus the upgrade to 90 toey. i,ll get some photos over the next couple of weeks and post for you to see the neat config.
thanks. Drew.

[haggis]

I have a 410 runabout , great little boat with some protection .
would like a half cabin but the misses has put her foot down .
cheers fae haggis ...........................................

[Coontakinta]

That centre cab in a 4.5m boat is an interesting concept. Probably aids in a better ride to I expect.

I would probably consider a Centre cab if I were to buy another / bigger platey, but in reality the next one will probably be a glass boat. I have a REAL liking for the Northbank range of boats and can see myself in a 6m @ some point.

Presently its a runabout with bimini and side curtains. These is really the ideal set up for us southerners as in the summer I have the shade from the bimini and when things get cold I put up the side curtains have a claytons cabin. The best of both worlds!

[STUIE63]

Centre console for me
pros all the fishing room all the way around the boat
cons can be wet with a cross wind but it doesn't get cold up here
Stuie

[Clyde]

Centre cabs are great if you have a family who want to get out on the water and great for when you want to do some serious fishing with the boys.

Ryan.s. - have to agree, all is fair in love and war. De donde eres tu?

[Clyde]

Centre cabs are great if you have a family who want to get out on the water as well for when you want to do some serious fishing with the boys.

Ryan.s. - have to agree, all is fair in love and war. ?De donde eres tu?

[bushbeachboy]

I've got an open tiller steer Polycraft punt, so voted "other". I love it. Smoother riding than any of the tinnies I've owned, and very stable at rest. Very quiet on the water too. It is ideal for my style of fishing. One downside with the poly is its hull weight which requires a bit more HP to push comfortably. It's 265kg hull only which is a fair bit for a 4 metre punt. I guess that also contrubutes to its good ride. I run a 40 Yammie 2s PTT motor on it and couldn't be happier with it either. A good match for the boat and good econonmy to boot.
Cheers
BBB

[FNQCairns]

hi, fnq. re mako centre cab. at this stage it was only a one off,i have always liked the concept of centre cabs but they all have been to big and costly, apart from the ally craft 4.95 from a few years back but discontinued now, i have known Alf Stessl for quite a while and he is pretty clever in design and config, i asked him to do me a centre cab in one of his truck hulls, and bingo a great functional little big boat, when i finalize my electrical fittout i think he is going to do some sea test and reviews and if the dollars add up he might market them. so far i have done 10 hours and very happy, it provides great protection, especially for night fishing and comimg home from an offshore stint. i first tried it with a 50hp 4 banger suzy, boat went fine for inshore work but was found wanting in offshore and bar crossings,thus the upgrade to 90 toey. i,ll get some photos over the next couple of weeks and post for you to see the neat config.
thanks. Drew.

Drew look forward to any pics, you must get a lot of Qs at the ramp:)

just noticed the pic in your sig, it's a big cab! looks good!

cheers fnq

[wheelerdog]

cuddy for me, don't need the length of a half cabin, good enough fof the kids to sleep on though and still plenty of fishing room. plus the cabin and clears keep it comfortable in the wet season

[sctj88]

I have two open boats. A poly craft 4.1 and a tuff tender. Both are great fishing boats. The tuff tender is excellant for getting up narrow creeks and rivers etc. My 4.1 is great for dams and estuaries and bay work. My old man has a 15.6 half cab which is great for taking out a bit further. If i have the money i would have the 4.55 polycraft open boat and the 6m polycraft half cab. But when i have both my boats for $4250 i'm not complaining.

[sctj88]

BushBeachBoy is the the 4.1 Polycraft you are talking about.

[bushbeachboy]

Yeah sctj88, the 4.1 Polycraft. If you're interested in getting a bit more info on the poly boats, have a look at www.polyboatowners.com (http://www.polyboatowners.com) You'll find it's a friendly forum, and quite a few of the members there are here on Ausfish too.
Cheers
BBB

[AnthonyL]

We how a bowrider and like the extra seating space and sitting in the bow means you arent on top of each other fishing.

Sometimes it would be nice to have a cabin but when we weighed it up we decided that the bow would get used most of the time and a cabin rarely.

Would like to have combo of both.

[Stumpy-USA]

I've got a Procraft 200 SuperPro bass boat. Its 19 feet 6 inches with a 200 EFI Merc. I fish inland lakes and rivers, and on a rare chance I get to go to the Mississippi River delta. Mostly I go for bass and stripe, and this boat works great for that.

Pros: Very stable, dry ride, fast, and will float in about 1 foot of water. It has lots of storage and more than enough room for 2 or 3 people. Not affected by wind the way some higher profile boats are.

Cons: It's not made for running big water, maybe 3 to 4 foot swells at most. Due to the hull shape you have to be very careful when crossing a big cruiser wake. The Merc. loves fuel, 4 - 5 miles per gallon when running over 4,500 rpm.

[johnny roger]

my requirements at the time of buying, and still at this time are 95% dam fishing and water sports, and 5% estuarary fishing as i live about 1.5 hours from the coast. i would only go out on the reef from cairns in 5-10 knots with minimal seas.
so i opted for a runabout, 4.9 meters. has plenty of deck space for either 4 people fishing, or pulling the tube in after the kids are tired, or stacking all the red claw pots.
basically, 50-50 family and fishing.
John

[scrubba01]

I have a 6.8 c/cab and find this best layout for offshore work and overnighters. We can fish up to 5 people out one side with out to much trouble which is great fun and helps with the way fuel costs are going. It sleeps 2 in the cab and there is room to roll out a double air matress in the back area. The cab being in the centre tends to help the ride a bit as well. Great family boat with deep sides and the kids can move about up the front with no problem.

I had a bow rider before this boat, they are very good for inshore work and family fun like pulling a tube but they are a hard riding wet boat if taken outside on a less than perfect day. As everybody agree's its horses for courses with boats and it is always a comprimise.

[Mad_fisherman]

I noticed one other post about Bowriders, I have a bowrider and personally i would not buy one ever again, i have two children 3 and 1 and it is just uncool, you are always on your toes with them because they want to climb up on the seats etc, really there is not much room for fishing with two people it is ok but, over all it uses up a lot of space from the rear. also if you go camping you tend to load the weight up the front which if it is choppy at all it pushes in and you get wet.

Would love a Center cab or Cuddy cab!

Cheers,

MAD!

p.s. don't get me wrong i am happy to have a boat. :P

[KGW3]

Centre Console for me...;D

[Mad_fisherman]

Mad... Looks like you don't know it all... after all then ehh ?

KGW3,

Mate i know your only on these threads to cause trouble and be a general pain in the ass. However, i would like you to point out to me where i have ever stated that i know everything, second thing, i thought i was wrong once, sadly i was only mistaken........

Cheers for your heart felt comments though it is refreshing as always.

MAD!

[iricangi]

Got a 6.1 metre longboat

Only thing i regret is the height of sides and width of beam.

Other then that it's probably the best boat ive owned out of 3.

:)

[ifishcq1]

Got a 6.1 metre longboat

Only thing i regret is the height of sides and width of beam.

Other then that it's probably the best boat ive owned out of 3.

:) as they get bigger they get deeper and yes they are without doubt the best allround boat and the cheapest to run and still have stability and comfort

Cheers

SL

[2manylures]

Webster 4.4 Manta Ray, 30hp Yammy, Tiller Steer. Front & Rear Platforms

A more stable boat in this class or better would be hard to find.

Soft smooth ride like no other tinny.

All round fishing platform with an enormous gobsmacking amount of room.

Economical, planes from idling with gentle 1/4 throttle.

Couldn't ask for anything more in a fishing platform.

Everything I'd heard read about & MORE, magic boat!

[levinge]

Formosa 5.8M Centre Cab, 135hp Honda 4 Stroke, Custom fitout for offshore fishing here in NQ

[poss]

J.B.S c/console 5.5 m 130 honda pushing her.

[Bradzee]

My first boat is a cuddy cab. Have two boys, aged 10 and 6, thought this best from advice given for, protection of the children from all elements. And we love it!!:D :D

[coucho]

I got a 5.2 center console

Advantages

lots of room
good to fish out of
ideal for casting slugs from the front deck while following schooling fish
easy to handle 1 up ( but anything if if its set up ok )

disadvantages

wet boat (Two up one person only fits behind the console)
limited shelter
not over abundant storage (good under floor up front)
did I mention its wet

[mattyd]

I have a 5.3m Freedom Escape glass cuddy cab (2006).

Likes:

- weight of the fibreglass hull (nearly 1T) makes handling chop really smooth (plus reverse chines).
- Good 'allrounder' for getting the missus out in comfort, good for kids too.

Dislikes:

- Hard to get to anchor well as cabin is so low to snake yourself through up to the front and out the top!
- Wish it had a higher bow so it could handle a 1m+ swell a bit better (gets a bit hairy in certain conditions)

[Bosunsmate]

Am i the only one with a runabout. I havent even got the new boat yet! Is there some kind of hidden message here?

Nah mate I got a 4.4 Sea Jay Explorer oopen boat which is soo to be fitted with a center console and T-Top, but till the $$ rol in it will stay an open runabout.

Ideal boat for me would also be a center cab, something to get to the reef in and fish but have the protection incase of foul weather........

[Spin]

Creelcraft 5 meter half cab

only ever seen one other than mine. on the net for sale
crazy hey.
been looking everywhere for info,

[Willow1]

I have the 6.7 m Banana Boat from PNG registered as a Southwind.

LIKES.....Center consol is set back further than regular southwinds which improves ride for operator even more.
Excellent hull for cutting through the chop and luves a following sea.
Lots of room for fishing.
Can get into very shallow water up the creeks while being equally capable of hitting the reefs.

Dislikes.............Height of sides opposite consol could be higher.

[BaitThrower]

Open tiller steer... with no bimini or anything... small center console but that is just for electronics and battery, still is tiller steer...

Advantages: NO obstructions fishing anywhere from the boat. Can easily cast over the front, sides or any direction really! No bimini to act as a sail in winds to make you drift at lighnting speed.

Disadvantages: You get wet in the chop (no screens for protection from spray). You could get sunburnt easily if you forget the sunscreen :)