Seafarer or Haines Hunter

[sparky54]

I am looking at buying a new or near new boat up to about 6 mtr. cuddy cab with enough room to sleep 2 adults. I really like the Seafarer Victory 6, Haines Hunter 600 Classic offshore and 580 Breeze.
The boat will be mainly used for offshore fishing with a bit of family cruising and skiing, I have a budget of about $65k or a bit more for the right boat.
I want something with the best possible ride and stability for the nasty short sharp chop we get here in Keppel Bay, also can’t go any longer than 6 mtr. due to towing weight and tight parking space at home. Any constructive comments would be much appreciated.
Keith

[tenzing]

On that Budget you should end up with a well decked out victory and about 15 grand in the skyrocket. No brainer- Seafarer.
Brendan

[littlemac]

hi sparky,

i have been in both the seafarer and haines 6mtrs, i personally own the 6oor breeze and think it is a hell of lot better than the seafarer. we actually cracked a the dash on a victory at 1770. dont get me wrong the victory is a bloody great boat. i just think the extra bit of weight does make a difference.. how much weight can you tow. if you werent so far away i would take you for a ride in the 600r breeze. i have 4 kids and it it great for the family as well.

cheers

brett

[siegfried]

You mention ride quality and nasty chop,one word....Haines. Test em both and I ll back the haines in anything.

[battleon]

Cant say I have ever been in a Seafarer Victory but I have been in both the Haines boats you mentioned. The 600 Classic was just so far above the 580 Breeze it was like chalk and cheese. Go the 600 Classic if you can, it rode better, handled better and it seemed a quieter hull as far as slop went.

Obviously cost will factor into it but it would be worth saving the extra cash.

Cheers

[Jabba_]

You mention ride quality and nasty chop,one word....Haines. Test em both and I ll back the haines in anything.

I advise you not to mention Quality in the same sentance as Hains Hunter,, because John Hauber builds them cheap as possible, and has been doing so for years.... Good boat, yes, better then a crappy Yaltacraft or Pursuit.... But as of being a better quality then a Seafarer, there not even close... Unless you like normal Construction ply for your transom instead off marine ply... The cheapest off resins and bi-axle from out off China to lay up your Hull. And how about shitty self tapping screws into the hinges for all your hatches... Yeah Sig that's a quality built boat.... NOT...
The last off the Better built Hains Hunter were the Patriots that were built up at Yatala... There they refused to use some off the crap that John used in Melbourne... You can pick a Yatala built Patriot just by checking out your hatches.. If the Hatch is bolted to the hinge, it was built in Yatala... If it is just screwed into the fibreglass, it was built in Melbourne


Sig, you don't see any off that cheap shitty construction on a Seafarer, well not at least when Lindsay Fry was building them. But we are talking second hand, so Sparky will be looking at a Lindsay Fry built Seafarer... Marine Grade ply was used in Seafarer's, so was quality glass and resins.. As for the mounting off the hatches, Lindsay installed stainless steel plugs into the hatches and Hull for a strong fix when screwing down the hings....

As for the ride in the Seafarer and Hains hunter, the Seafarer Victory is smoother then the 600 and 650.. I have not been out on a 580 Yet...
But when you start talking Patriots then that's a different story... They ride brilliantly and are very dry.... But they lack stability at rest... Very rolly polly compared to the 600 and 650 and the Seafarer Victory and Vagabond is more stable at rest then the 600 HH and 650HH...

But all my opinions would change if I was buying new today... Personally I wouldn't buy from either off those 2 manufactures... Both John Hauber and Hains group have cheapened the building process and as as a result there boats are no longer build as strong as they use to be.....

I'm planing on upgrading my Vermont to a second Vagabond next year some time...
But if I could afford new, and was spending around 100k, I would buy a Cootacraft loaded with all thee goodies, there built like a brick sh!t house, andd eat up the chop...