Do Barchrushers REALLY ride as soft as fiberglass boats?

[Pond123]

Barchrusher advertise that their boats are very soft riding. As soft as a fiberglass boat. However, I have never been in one, so I find it hard to verify the claim. All of the ally boats I have been in ride like a jack hammer but I may have just been unfortunate in my experience to date.....

Has anyone out there owned a Barchrusher after owning a fiberglass boat, and if so, how was the ride?

[FNQCairns]

yes i think they can certainly as soft as Glass VD hulls, Glass monohull boats are not created equal by a long shot on their softness of ride.

Understand too - get under a BC and measure the surface area of it's wetted length...there is a very good reason why they seem soft most especially for a plate hull...you get nothing extra with boats unless something is also taken away.

[maimai]

what alloy boats have you been in?

[andkat]

My Surtees blows many a Fibreglass boaty away, they are quite impressed with it's ride, not saying she dosn't bang occasionally but when you shut the water in the ballast keel and punch home in a nasty chop, many a Trailcraft or Quinny is left behind.:P

Take a ride and make your own decision, I did.;)

Cheers
Crawfy

[firecat150hp]

what alloy boats have you been in?

That question I must concur.

Not to dampen your enthusiasm for a soft ride but unless the three that I've been out in are the exception they ride well in a bone jolting knee spraining back aching sort of "soft :hammer: ride" One particular operator really had no idea (big time boaty too.) so that may only make 2.

Regards Steve

[Dan5]

I went for a day trip in a 560c with a 115hp on it last year......it was'nt smooth and and it was acctually fairly painfull being in it.......The guy that owned it raved about it and was trying to convince me and a mate how good it was.........He held it flat out for around a hour through about 1.5=2m trs of decent wind chop and half the time we were either air born or near on having our knee's belted through our nostrils.........Maybe a slower pace would of helped but it was a hiding we did'nt need thats for sure.

So no IMO they don't ride as nice as glass.

Dan

[maimai]

That question I must concur.

Not to dampen your enthusiasm for a soft ride but unless the three that I've been out in are the exception they ride well in a bone jolting knee spraining back aching sort of "soft :hammer: ride" One particular operator really had no idea (big time boaty too.) so that may only make 2.

Regards Steve

you cant compare a quinny with a plate boat, i have been in many glass boats that when back on dry land im sure that im 3 inchs shorter getting pounded like that puts me off boating for a while, plate boats have come a long way in the last 10years, nice fine entry of 50 deg and 24-25 deg at the bum make them a hell of a good riding boat, also they weigh the same if not more then a glass boat so the answer to the op is yes some plate boats ride better than most "new" glass boats

[scuttlebutt]

I've spent a bit of time in a 560 Barcrusher. Has a pretty good ride for a tinnie but not as soft as my Cyclone. Having said that, the Barcrusher is more stable at rest partly due to the balast system. Not a bad mix, I'd have one.

[Moonlighter]

I have a Surtees Workmate 5.5. Surtees are the original designers and manufacturers of the Barcrushers - bet you didn't know that! :o :o

They are a Kiwi design that was built for their rough southern sea conditions. Cant see that BC have made much change to the hulls since they've been making them here.

See Surtees website:

http://www.surtees.co.nz/home.aspx

They do ride well on a length-for-length basis. In my opinion a couple of reasons why:

1. 18 degree deadrise hull with a nice sharp entry at the forefoot;

2. No external planing strakes welded on the hull definitely improves their ride;

3. Flooding ballast tank up the middle of the keel, and in the Surtees this is standard with a hatch at the stern that allows you to either close it to keep the water ballast in the keel or out of it. In rough conditions you close the flap to keep the water in the keel, on my boat this adds 320litres of water to the keel and the extra weight makes a significant difference to ride in really rough conditions. Normally you leave the hatch open and all the water drains out instantly when you throw it onto the plane.

4. Not quite as beamy a hull as some platies, so cuts thru chop better.

I'm very pleased with the ride on my boat, and I do drive it sensibly and have it well set up and propped correctly. Quite a few mates who own GRP boats such as Cruisecrafts and Pursuit have been offshore and in bay chop in my boat and expressed genuine surprise at how well it handled conditions.

You'd be amazed how big a difference setting up a boat properly and driving it sensibly makes to the ride!;D

Forget the Barcrusher, get the original and best, a Surtees. ;D ;D

They now have dealers in all capital cities bar Sydney. Unlike Barcrusher, they will build you everything from the most el basico unpainted version up to a fully fitted out one with everthing you can dream of built in at the factory, and anywhere inbetween.

Dont believe the rumour that they come only as a basic version, it's :-X .

PM me if you want to see some pics of my Surtees.

Cheers

ML

[andkat]

I went for a day trip in a 560c with a 115hp on it last year......it was'nt smooth and and it was acctually fairly painfull being in it.......The guy that owned it raved about it and was trying to convince me and a mate how good it was.........He held it flat out for around a hour through about 1.5=2m trs of decent wind chop and half the time we were either air born or near on having our knee's belted through our nostrils.........Maybe a slower pace would of helped but it was a hiding we did'nt need thats for sure.

So no IMO they don't ride as nice as glass.

Dan

Nuff said, Operator had no idea, as a Surtees owner, I must admit I drive to conditions, in saying that we still leave many a Platey and Quinny behind.8-)

Crawf

[finding_time]

Barchrusher advertise that their boats are very soft riding. As soft as a fiberglass boat. ?

That's what's called marketing!! Some believe it, some also believe that if you eat nutra-grain as a kid you'll grow up to be an Iron Man, or if you eat Weet- bix you'll play cricket for Australia!::) ::) ::)

[Muddy Toes]

.

You'd be amazed how big a difference setting up a boat properly and driving it sensibly makes to the ride!;D


ML

Totally agree, i've been out in plateys and glass boats with skippers of varying degrees of experience and it seems pretty easy to make a good boat ride like crap and vice versa.But as for the marketing side of things if a barcrusher rides better then my glass boat i'll change my name to .........................Elizabeth;D

[Chris_2184]

I went for a day trip in a 560c with a 115hp on it last year......it was'nt smooth and and it was acctually fairly painfull being in it.......The guy that owned it raved about it and was trying to convince me and a mate how good it was.........He held it flat out for around a hour through about 1.5=2m trs of decent wind chop and half the time we were either air born or near on having our knee's belted through our nostrils.........Maybe a slower pace would of helped but it was a hiding we did'nt need thats for sure.

So no IMO they don't ride as nice as glass.

Dan

how can you say this when the only time you've been in one was while driving flat out in a 1.5-2m chop??? drive the same sized glass boat flat out and airborn in those conditions and the ride won't be smooth either. :-?

[FNQCairns]

So this thread quickly became just another how long is a piece of string type thread??

[FNQCairns]

I went for a day trip in a 560c with a 115hp on it last year......it was'nt smooth and and it was acctually fairly painfull being in it.......The guy that owned it raved about it and was trying to convince me and a mate how good it was.........He held it flat out for around a hour through about 1.5=2m trs of decent wind chop and half the time we were either air born or near on having our knee's belted through our nostrils.........Maybe a slower pace would of helped but it was a hiding we did'nt need thats for sure.

So no IMO they don't ride as nice as glass.

Dan

Hey Dan did you think it was as bumpy as my tinny? conditions sound about the same as a couple of our trips.

[Chris_2184]

comparing rides between a platey and a glass boat is pretty pointless, each have their own advantages, dissadvantages and particular applications......topics like this could go on forever and never really get anywhere.

just my opinion...

[Dan5]

Hey Dan did you think it was as bumpy as my tinny? conditions sound about the same as a couple of our trips.


Ha Ha Scott the difference here is that you didn't spend the best part of 60k on yours,

Yeah we got smashed it the BC and yes it was operator ignorance.........but even when he was'nt flogging us with speed the ride was pretty disapointing.....i was expecting better thats for sure,the boats look good and the build quality is great i was just expecting a much better ride i suppose after it had been talked up so much,i was even getting keen on buying one for a while there.A mates Stabi 609 i reckon eats it up compared to the BC but it's still no rolls royce if ya know what i mean.

Funny how some people would rather quote me than answer the asked question.

Dan

[siegfried]

They ride better than some glass boats and worse than some other tin boats mate. end of story

[Pond123]

what alloy boats have you been in?

A couple of tinnies and one plate boat that the guy built himself. It is heavy platey as it is a commercial dive boat (7.5M, carries 8 people, plus weight of tanks etc on board). But it really does ride hard. Even in light chop it kind of bashes its way across the bay.

[deckie]

They still have that annoying sound of water slapping on tinnie hull at rest.
Plop Plop Plop friggin Plop all day long. Plop friggin Plop PLOP PLOP !!
Shits me no end ;D

[MyWay]

for 5.6 aluminum boat they ride excellent if you know how to drive it

[Skusto]

yes for its weight and size is does very well only 1.5 t on trailer and you dont need a 4 wheel drive maintainence costs are low . i have owned one now for over two years and been in heavy seas with a good ride i alway sit down when travelling .tabs are a must and drive the boat at speeds for the conditions.

[Skusto]

Ha Ha Scott the difference here is that you didn't spend the best part of 60k on yours,

Yeah we got smashed it the BC and yes it was operator ignorance.........but even when he was'nt flogging us with speed the ride was pretty disapointing.....i was expecting better thats for sure,the boats look good and the build quality is great i was just expecting a much better ride i suppose after it had been talked up so much,i was even getting keen on buying one for a while there.A mates Stabi 609 i reckon eats it up compared to the BC but it's still no rolls royce if ya know what i mean.

Funny how some people would rather quote me than answer the asked question.

Dan


not sure about a 609 stabi riding better we had one follow us out from 1770 and he could not keep up at the speed we were doing but to be fair i dont think it had tabs and it was bashing around.

[Far side]

I have owned both a bar crusher and a fibreglass boat
I bought the fibreglass boat because my body could not handle the hammering from the bar crusher any longer.
Even had tabs on the crusher to try to take out the bang but to no avail
I still liked a lot of things about the boat my knees were very happy when I got the glass boat .

[finga]

Time for Mythbuster's I reckon


http://images1.fanpop.com/images/photos/2100000/The-Original-Mythbusters-mythbusters-2167048-464-394.jpg

[PADDLES]

ahhhh finga ............. you've taken the "best post in the thread" title ............ mythbusters it is ................

It's always funny listening to BC owners try to justify their reasons for being sucked into buying an over-rated pie tin for an offshore boat and then living with the reality. It's even more funny listening to Surtees owners telling you that their boats are the "real deal" and that BC is the imposter. Horses for courses I reckon.

[Noelm]

I reckon the Barcrusher is an Ok boat, well built and fitted out, but I still maintain their popularity is from the raves they get from a certain TV show! they seem to be quite unstable, especially from what you see on TV, and have a very low and pointy bow!

[PADDLES]

i'll give them that noel, my mate over the road's got one and it's build quality is as good as i've ever seen.

[finding_time]

Time for Mythbuster's I reckon


http://images1.fanpop.com/images/photos/2100000/The-Original-Mythbusters-mythbusters-2167048-464-394.jpg








So what's the question i think it should be more specific like....

Is a 560 barcrusher as soft as a 542f haines signature??

Answer..BUSTED!!!


Is a 560 barcrusher as soft as a 575 cruise craft??

Answer?? Plausible....;)



























Just joking answer ....BUSTED!!
But i'm sure there are some glass boats out there that actually ride worse than the equilivant Barcrusher i'm just unsure what they are!! I mean if a Cruise Craft isn't what could be???;D

[madmackrel]

ahhhh finga ............. you've taken the "best post in the thread" title ............ mythbusters it is ................

It's always funny listening to BC owners try to justify their reasons for being sucked into buying an over-rated pie tin for an offshore boat and then living with the reality. It's even more funny listening to Surtees owners telling you that their boats are the "real deal" and that BC is the imposter. Horses for courses I reckon.
Your a tool paddles, what type of dug out canoe do you own

[Noelm]

what fibreglass boat rides worse than a Barcrusher you say? my mate used to own an old flat bottomed Pride made sometime in the 60's I think, had an 80HP Evinrude "starfire" or something like that, the size was about as big as a new 300HP, and it was a rough ride I tell you, rode OK when you got towed home though, nice and soft at 4 knots!

[drireech]

Had a Signature 1950r

Now have a BC 670HT

Spent many hundreds of hours in each.

I think that they ride almost the same. The 1950r was quieter in the chop but landed harder in the big stuff. The BC feels bullet proof so I treat it a lot worse.

Main benefit for me is that I can clean the BC out with a fire hose and a scouring pad. The 1950r required soft brooms and careful hosing.

Each to their own, but I know that I wont have to replace the rotted floor in my BC anytime soon.

[Skusto]

wow this thread is as much fun as a etec one:D :D

more fun fishing here then in the boat

[stue2]

Do BC ride as well as fiberglass?...........
Which one??.....
Asked a mate how his 6.7 surtees compared to miy vag.

He never answered!!!

I guess I can take that any way I like :)

The Vag wins

[Noelm]

imagine a Barcrusher with an e-tec on it, that would bring the whole internet down I reckon!

[Noelm]

Had a Signature 1950r

Now have a BC 670HT

Spent many hundreds of hours in each.

I think that they ride almost the same. The 1950r was quieter in the chop but landed harder in the big stuff. The BC feels bullet proof so I treat it a lot worse.

Main benefit for me is that I can clean the BC out with a fire hose and a scouring pad. The 1950r required soft brooms and careful hosing.

Each to their own, but I know that I wont have to replace the rotted floor in my BC anytime soon.
why exactly would you need to be careful with a hose on a glass boat (of any brand) and why would you need a soft broom/brush? no floor to rot out, but by jesus, those corroded fittings and flaked paint will give you hell!

[drireech]

why exactly would you need to be careful with a hose on a glass boat (of any brand) and why would you need a soft broom/brush? no floor to rot out, but by jesus, those corroded fittings and flaked paint will give you hell!


Carpets, Cushions and all the other shite that the missus liked to stack onboard the pretty white boat. And I mean firehose not garden hose, If I was to use the firehose on the 1950r I would have blown the old girl to pieces. There is no mixed message to the purpose of the BC and therefore no soft (hose unfriendly) furnishings.

The main point is that on a fibreglass boat every scratch needs a proper repair job done. I spent 5 years working at Abbotsford Point Boat shed replacing transons and floors on boats that weren't maintained. As much as the the pretty white boats look good, I can't bring myself to work on that itchy horrible stuff every again.

No corrosion issues and if you don't paint it, it won't flake.

[Noelm]

OH, I see, you are comparing a rolls royce to a farm tractor!

[drireech]

OH, I see, you are comparing a rolls royce to a farm tractor!


You could put it that way. When your off road and in the shite the roller isn't going be much use.

[Noelm]

true, but the cushions will be nice and soft on your ar$e hey! a lot softer than bare scourer pad polished aluminium I can tell you.

[Noelm]

OK, to be 100% fair, I can see what you mean, but I fail to see how many cushions or picnic baskets or vanity mirrors a boat has, relates to the material it is made out of, or how you clean it, but maybe that's just me, I am pretty slow on the uptake sometimes.

[drireech]

I think BarCrushers are like rugby teams, you either love em or hate them. The difference in reaction and comments I get at the ramp are amusing. On one hand I get compliments and people wanting to have a look and on the other you get the "why would you buy that overpriced piece of tin can, only w$%&nkers would waste money on that crap"

Frankly, there is bugger all between the ride quality of either boat I've had and most of the time the bloke at the wheel makes more difference than anything else.

I do like my old signature being called a rolls though, the missus will get a laugh outa that.

[PADDLES]

now i know why you're the "mad" mackeral ............ you'd have to be mad to own one of those things.

seriously though, like i said, it's horses for courses when it comes to the alloy vs glass debate, they both have their pros and cons and also their limitations.

i think where people like myself really enjoy taking the pizz out of BC owners is when they make out that a BC is special and not just like every other alloy boat out there (i'm talking decent ones here, not the pressed ones). next the BC owner will tell me that their 1.5t BC rides better than a 2.5t premium glass hull and i simply won't be able to resist pulling the pizz. sheesh madmackeral, next you'll be telling me you have a thing for land rover defenders ................

[julian1]

i reckon for what they are they ride well, however they are wet as all hell, have a stupid windscreen set up and you get a wet arse as the seats are outside the cuddy area. Also stability is questionable. but build quality is very good as i have not seen one break yet.

[finga]

next you'll be telling me you have a thing for land rover defenders ................
Leave Landrovers out of this or it's gunna get ugly >:(
::)

[PADDLES]

good one finga, i was tossing a lure out for my neighbour tony, aka "tsunami crusher", i knew he'd be lurking in the background reading this thread being a barcrusher 560 owner (who knows what they can and can't do well). he sent me a SMS instead. anyway finga, you and him are kindred spririts then with your defender fetish. i figured that anyone who likes slab sides and the hard corners in a boat would just have to love a car like the D

[finga]

Oi Paddles. I prefer glass fella through and through. There's nothing like glass I reckon.

Has anyone ever had a good look at the wiring in a Bar Crusher?? (a lot of glass boats aren't any better though)
Have a look in the rear right corner where the loom goes through some alloy in the Bar Crusher and tell us what you see.
That's my gauge on how well a package is built.
Skimp on the wiring and you have to wonder what else has been skimped on

[finding_time]

what fibreglass boat rides worse than a Barcrusher you say? my mate used to own an old flat bottomed Pride made sometime in the 60's I think, had an 80HP Evinrude "starfire" or something like that, the size was about as big as a new 300HP, and it was a rough ride I tell you, rode OK when you got towed home though, nice and soft at 4 knots!


Now that's funny Noel! I almost said that the only fibreglass boat that would ride worse than a Barcrusher would be an old Pride but i didn't think anyone would know what i was talking about!!:D Anyway i couldn't resist giving the CC a backhanded comment!:-X

Ian

[finding_time]

OH, I see, you are comparing a rolls royce to a farm tractor!

Ah Noel your in rare form today!!;)

I love all these blokes that think Alloy boats are tougher than glass!!! Maybe be if you hit a ramp but on the water????

Statements like the one below make me laugh!! Do you really think the BC will be harder to break???

"I think that they ride almost the same. The 1950r was quieter in the chop but landed harder in the big stuff. The BC feels bullet proof so I treat it a lot worse"

Maybe if you drove the Sig harder it would have gone a bit better, Signatures like to be driven !

There are thousands of 30 year old Fibreglass boats still getting around today but i dont see to many 30 year old alloy ones out there;)

[ozscott]

Ah Noel your in rare form today!!;)

I love all these blokes that think Alloy boats are tougher than glass!!! Maybe be if you hit a ramp but on the water????

Statements like the one below make me laugh!! Do you really think the BC will be harder to break???

"I think that they ride almost the same. The 1950r was quieter in the chop but landed harder in the big stuff. The BC feels bullet proof so I treat it a lot worse"

Maybe if you drove the Sig harder it would have gone a bit better, Signatures like to be driven !

There are thousands of 30 year old Fibreglass boats still getting around today but i dont see to many 30 year old alloy ones out there;)

Mine is one of those 30 year olds with all orig' transom and floor etc and it still rides very well.

The only thing I can contribute is I lived near a guy with one of the really early BC's - about 16 foot long. He was experienced. He stopped taken it out in Moreton Bay because it was just so hard riding in that sort of chop. He still has it - has a honda on it - probably pick it up for a steal!

Cheers

[Prowl n Wolf]

man am i greatfull that i dont have an etec on the back of my crusher! :P ;D

[andkat]

Had a Signature 1950r

Now have a BC 670HT

Spent many hundreds of hours in each.

I think that they ride almost the same. The 1950r was quieter in the chop but landed harder in the big stuff. The BC feels bullet proof so I treat it a lot worse.

Main benefit for me is that I can clean the BC out with a fire hose and a scouring pad. The 1950r required soft brooms and careful hosing.

Each to their own, but I know that I wont have to replace the rotted floor in my BC anytime soon.

Ditto.8-)

I can pressure clean and scrub my tub after a day on the squid and not worry.;)

Crawf

[andkat]

man am i greatfull that i dont have an etec on the back of my crusher! :P ;D
:D :D :D :D :D

Mate thats another topic!!!!!!!;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

[stue2]

Found a couple of 6/0 circles in the bilge. looked like they had been there for months. Anyway I chucked them out and give it a scrub. good as new.

apart from a very slight stain on the flowcoat of coarse

[maimai]

I just wish i had a 5.2m boat that can go out on days with 3m chop blowing 30 knts and sit on 35knts all the way out, now is that to much to ask for?

[finding_time]

I just wish i had a 5.2m boat that can go out on days with 3m chop blowing 30 knts and sit on 35knts all the way out, now is that to much to ask for?


So do i !!!!;) My 5.2m boat only goes 28 knots with the throttles on the dash!8-)

[Giffo65]

You gotta love these threads,sit back with a beer and popcorn and watch the fireworks.Imagine a thread that was comparing, single to multi hull made from Ally Versus glass with a 4 stroke V Etec towed by a Tojo or Nissan and fishing with braid or mono.That would be a heated debate;D.

[finga]

I just wish i had a 5.2m boat that can go out on days with 3m chop blowing 30 knts and sit on 35knts all the way out, now is that to much to ask for?
Is that a north QLD chop or Moreton Bay chop??


You gotta love these threads,sit back with a beer and popcorn and watch the fireworks.Imagine a thread that was comparing, single to multi hull made from Ally Versus glass with a 4 stroke V Etec towed by a Tojo or Nissan and fishing with braid or mono.That would be a heated debatehttp://www.ausfish.com.au/vforum/../yabbfiles/Templates/Forum/default/Original%20Smilies/grin.gif.
It would only be interesting if the e-tec's only used Alveys, and the alloy cat only used soft plastics with a handline.
I wonder who practised catch and release and who practised fillet and release?

[Lachie1]

You gotta love these threads,sit back with a beer and popcorn and watch the fireworks.Imagine a thread that was comparing, single to multi hull made from Ally Versus glass with a 4 stroke V Etec towed by a Tojo or Nissan and fishing with braid or mono.That would be a heated debate;D.

And plastics Vs bait and catch and release or keep for the table...:o

[andkat]

You gotta love these threads,sit back with a beer and popcorn and watch the fireworks.Imagine a thread that was comparing, single to multi hull made from Ally Versus glass with a 4 stroke V Etec towed by a Tojo or Nissan and fishing with braid or mono.That would be a heated debate;D.
;D ;D ;D ;D
I'm sitting with a six pack of SA's finest and a pack of Salt N Vineger chips lovin it!!!!!

Better than the C#$p the missis is watchin on Foxtel!!!!!!;D

Crawf

[stue2]

I'm sitting here with a pack of Victorias finest.


And guess what......


Its wrapped in Glass

[stue2]

Everything is better in glass... even beer

[Noelm]

Well as long as it stays civil and all the "participants" take it as a fun dig from others, then it is good fun (well I reckon) too many dull types on forums these days, you need a good stoush now and then to clear the air!

[stue2]

Well as long as it stays civil and all the "participants" take it as a fun dig from others, then it is good fun (well I reckon) too many dull types on forums these days, you need a good stoush now and then to clear the air!

Thanks Noel. All in good humour. I live too close to the SA border and 90% of my fishing is there.... and I own etecs

[Noelm]

Just to be serious for just one minute, the material the boat is made out of, has only a very small bearing on how it performs, the design governs how fast it can go, how stabil it is, how it runs in chop, all sorts of things come into play, NOT the material it is made out of, everyone OK with that? It is just that this thread is about a certain brand boat that has a loyal following and it is made out of Aluminium or as the Americans say Aloomanam

[Skusto]

yeha..........................i have hit the jackpot because i have a 560bc with a 150 etec on the back and love it;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

[Noelm]

all you need now is some Shimano reels, a Landrover to tow it, a 4 stroke auxilary and the argument is complete. (oh and keep more than your bag limit of undersized fish)

[Skusto]

all you need now is some Shimano reels, a Landrover to tow it, a 4 stroke auxilary and the argument is complete. (oh and keep more than your bag limit of undersized fish)

haha working on it just to make bc and etec bashers happy.

[stue2]

I wonder if Pond123 was able to get the answer to his question somewhere in all this.

And Noel dont forget the skipper. a poor skipper can make a good boat pretty awful

[Pond123]

I wonder if Pond123 was able to get the answer to his question somewhere in all this.



Heh heh. The thread has confirmed my decision not to buy a bar chrusher.

Now, at the risk of imflaming the fire, what about Polycraft. How do they ride versus Fiberglass?

[Scott79]

Pond,
BC factory is in your area, they promote 'sea trials' a fair bit, have you considered taking them up on the offer to make up your mind, one way or the other?

Scott.

[jake0]

I just wish i had a 5.2m boat that can go out on days with 3m chop blowing 30 knts and sit on 35knts all the way out, now is that to much to ask for?


hahahahaha had to bump this up, thats pissssss funny, these guys still believe the earth is square

[finding_time]

Now, at the risk of imflaming the fire, what about Polycraft. How do they ride versus Fiberglass?

Differant! There alittle weird at first as they wobble and flex but that certainly takes the edge of the jarring!;) They are also reasonable heavy and this also helps with the ride, quite a capable boat really but they are a little tricky to fit out!

[maimai]

hahahahaha had to bump this up, thats pissssss funny, these guys still believe the earth is square


hehe, thats on the good days, it does get better;D

[madmackrel]

Heh heh. The thread has confirmed my decision not to buy a bar chrusher.

Now, at the risk of imflaming the fire, what about Polycraft. How do they ride versus Fiberglass?
Mate if your decisions are to be made souly on the comments of what you have read here i feel sorry for you. People giving advise that have had no hands on experience ( i saw it on a tv show and it looked unstable) ( my mates aunty has one and he thinks its abag of sh-t ) Do yourself a favour and get out in what ever boats your thinking of buying as many times as possible and make your own decision , im sure there would be numerous different boat owners on this site willing to take you out no matter what make or model.
Cheers MM:o

[jake0]

Goes to show you can tell a pom anything;D;D;D;)

[Spaniard_King]

Pop corn anyone::)

[Jarrah Jack]

I wonder if Pond123 was able to get the answer to his question somewhere in all this.

And Noel dont forget the skipper. a poor skipper can make a good boat pretty awful

And also don't forget the sea especially that FN Qld chop which can dent even the best reputations.

[thelump]

;D ;D ;D ;D
I'm sitting with a six pack of SA's finest and a pack of Salt N Vineger chips lovin it!!!!!

Better than the C#$p the missis is watchin on Foxtel!!!!!!;D

Crawf

West End????:-?

[Prowl n Wolf]

West End????:-?
would have to be coopers pale ale i reckon. a fine drop too.::)

[Prowl n Wolf]

West End????:-?
oh yeah......, go the mighty crows!;D

[stue2]

Football is it then!
which code??
the one where they push each other into a pile with their heads?? Or the other on where they give each other weggies

[johncar]

Make your own buying decisions and very very wary of anyone with their own agenda or hatred of a brand or manufacturer.
I have seen at least one member on here taking every opportunity to bag a certain brand and I am aware that this member has a personal axe to grind with the companies owner which has nothing to do with the current boat quality and performance.
There are also so many guys that have blinkers on and see only one brand as being any good, eg my brother in law, "unless it's a Ford it's rubbish"
Or one bad experience with just one model years ago so they are all rubbish..

I would be reluctant to ask the question on a place like this, "Should I buy this" because no matter what brand or model you specify there will be postitives and negatives to just confuse you more.

It would be more beneficial to observe unsolicitored positive comments or reviews from owners of similar boat you are keen on, look for unbiased reviews or water tests.

Important to water test the boat yourself in less than good conditions if possible, at 20Knot day on the bay at least, drive the boat fast and slow, it must be stable and happy at low speed in the rough at around 12Kn, check stability in tight turns, make sure it tracks straight in a following sea with no skidding around. Observe how dry the top sides are. Stability at rest in slop. Ease of anchoring and forward access etc , anyway a lot of things. Sometimes you can find someone who may take you offshore even if you pay for their costs it would be money well spent if you were serious.


Study examples of the boat for inovation, design, finish, fitout, service and warranty.

Comments like "Rides as good as or better than GRP mean nothing. You just have to be happy with it, and be prepared to drive you boat according to the conditions and limitations on the day. If it takes you 5 mins longer to get to your fishing spot than a heavier GRP boat it doesn't matter, it'll probably cost you less to get there.
Example my 2Tonne HH 680 gave about the same ride as my 1tonne 5.6 Quinnie, on 15Kn day offshore, BS! I hear, the difference was that the HH would give the same ride at about 7 knots faster, so it would take about 15 minutes longer in the Quinnie and use less than half the fuel and oil. It never bothered me at all and on a good day it would only be 5 min behind the Haines, still at less than half the cost.
If you don't care about running or purchase cost well buy the biggest ocean racing GRP or Ally or whatever Cat you can and the ride will be good.
For everyone else do the best you can with the dollars you have.

I have been in them all, they all bang and have their bad points believe me and is the nature of the sea. Everything you try to achieve one way or the other will be a trade off for something else. Your boat will shine one day and your mates another.

[Lachie1]

Well said johncar8-)

[death_ship]

U forgot the cost of back surgery needed from long term quintrex use

[Skusto]

Make your own buying decisions and very very wary of anyone with their own agenda or hatred of a brand or manufacturer.
I have seen at least one member on here taking every opportunity to bag a certain brand and I am aware that this member has a personal axe to grind with the companies owner which has nothing to do with the current boat quality and performance.
There are also so many guys that have blinkers on and see only one brand as being any good, eg my brother in law, "unless it's a Ford it's rubbish"
Or one bad experience with just one model years ago so they are all rubbish..

I would be reluctant to ask the question on a place like this, "Should I buy this" because no matter what brand or model you specify there will be postitives and negatives to just confuse you more.

It would be more beneficial to observe unsolicitored positive comments or reviews from owners of similar boat you are keen on, look for unbiased reviews or water tests.

Important to water test the boat yourself in less than good conditions if possible, at 20Knot day on the bay at least, drive the boat fast and slow, it must be stable and happy at low speed in the rough at around 12Kn, check stability in tight turns, make sure it tracks straight in a following sea with no skidding around. Observe how dry the top sides are. Stability at rest in slop. Ease of anchoring and forward access etc , anyway a lot of things. Sometimes you can find someone who may take you offshore even if you pay for their costs it would be money well spent if you were serious.


Study examples of the boat for inovation, design, finish, fitout, service and warranty.

Comments like "Rides as good as or better than GRP mean nothing. You just have to be happy with it, and be prepared to drive you boat according to the conditions and limitations on the day. If it takes you 5 mins longer to get to your fishing spot than a heavier GRP boat it doesn't matter, it'll probably cost you less to get there.
Example my 2Tonne HH 680 gave about the same ride as my 1tonne 5.6 Quinnie, on 15Kn day offshore, BS! I hear, the difference was that the HH would give the same ride at about 7 knots faster, so it would take about 15 minutes longer in the Quinnie and use less than half the fuel and oil. It never bothered me at all and on a good day it would only be 5 min behind the Haines, still at less than half the cost.
If you don't care about running or purchase cost well buy the biggest ocean racing GRP or Ally or whatever Cat you can and the ride will be good.
For everyone else do the best you can with the dollars you have.

I have been in them all, they all bang and have their bad points believe me and is the nature of the sea. Everything you try to achieve one way or the other will be a trade off for something else. Your boat will shine one day and your mates another.

yes a lot of experience their well said

[Moonlighter]

And probably the biggest factor that influences your judgement about the ride of any hull will be your own "frame of reference".

If you are going from a small almost flat V hull - typically most tinnies run only 6 - 8 degrees and smaller glass boats maybe 10 or 12 degrees, and you go to something with 18 to 20 degrees of V, well the latter is going to feel like a feather bed by comparison. But if you go the other way then I suspect they will feel pretty hard.

So your frame of reference will be different to mine and everyone else's, too. So nothing anyone says can really give you YOUR answer to the question originally posed in this post.

As others have said, if you like the look of a boat, the general style and the features it has and the price and everything else, go for a ride in it in the type of areas/conditions that you expect to take it into (and a bit worse if pssible), and make up your own mind, there is absolutely no substitute for that.

I read a while ago that Peter Webster, the editor of F&B Magazine and with a long hostory of telling boat tests "like he sees 'em", likes to take boats out and do a great big circle say a km or even 2 in diameter at a decent cruising speed. The idea is that this puts the boat at every possible angle to the sea conditions and you will soon experience how it handles all of those different angles. A good test procedure if you ask me and one I've used on several boats for myself and friends. Soon shows up any bad behaviour, and provided you have an experienced skipper, it also soon shows the boats best speed in the conditions.

Cheers

ML

(PS A Barcrusher WITH an Etec? We could be here forever. ::) ::) Surtees would NEVER do that:o )

[TheRealAndy]

I never knew they were called barcrushers, I always thought it was a backcrusher...

Lucky Phill used to tell me his boat was a good ride. If you see a photo of him wearing a kiwi shirt (fluro orange safty shirt) with a large spaniard about 1.3m long then that was the fish I caught. The ride home from bustard was spent with him yelling at us to move in ceratin spots to stablise the boat because there was a half metre chop.

Point is, you cant make a good plate boat no matter what :P

Next point is that a skipper of a plate boat is just plain gay :P

Last point is dont bag the skipper of a plate boat who took you out fishing for the biggest spaniard you ever caught, cause he may never do it again :P

[andkat]

West End????:-?


Coopers!!!:P ;)

Just opened a pck pf Chicken chips, this is good!!!!:P

[Flex]

Also remember there is more to a boat than just how it rides..

how its set up for what you buy it for.. Fishing?

I've never fished in barcrusher so I cant comment. But when I look at a boat I stand in it and imagine myself fishing and try and pick out all the faults. End of the day you spend more time fishing in a boat than travelling in it

[Fatenhappy]

Went for a rap a couple of years back with a couple of just 20 year olds in a 6.2/6.4ish sized Bar Crusher they were trying to flog from Stones corner marine .... all these d$ck heads were interested in was how fast it would go up and down the Brisbane river and no didn't offer the "potential client" to even have a drive .... besides that i'm afraid its a big thumbs down and that was after owning a Whittley 660, which come up at about 3000kilos or so wet weight! ... :-?

[johncar]

U forgot the cost of back surgery needed from long term quintrex use

No just drive to the conditions and the boats capability. If I went out with a friend in his Quinnie then I needed back surgery as he only had one speed and has no idea about trimming his boat.

Besides what type of boat you buy or test, other things to consider which can be at least or more important is the boats balance and trim. Like 2 degrees of trim or lean can be the difference between a good or bad ride.
No boat will give good results if the bow is dancing all over the place although it will be generally a dry ride.
The opposite is also true, being too bow heavy will improve the ride but will be wetter and more tendency to broach.
A boat that leans with prop torque or excessively into cross wind will bang no matter how deep the Vee is so Tabs are essential but can turn a nasty boat into a decent one depending on its basic balance.

The engines mounting height and type of prop can be a factor. Optimum mounting height in most planing hulls is with the cav plate just skimming the surface at max cruising speed. A little odd momentry prop cavitation is possible out at sea or in tight turns but that usually indicates the optimum engine height for me.

Testing a boat with an empty fuel tank depending on placement and capacity of the tank can be a trap. But when testing a dealers boat you probably have buckleys of getting them to fill it unless you pay for it. So you just need to consider its potential effects. (or pay for the fuel if you are serious)

I personally look for a boat fully loaded to be slightly stern heavy if anything, because I can easily compensate for that with the engines trim in and trim tabs on the stern to give it the required lift.

As an example my current boat was pretty much perfectly balanced on the water test but we had 3 adults on board standing at the helm and buggerall fuel in the tank which is placed moreso toward the stern, so it gave an excellent ride in 20kn + conditions in Moreton Bay. So now that I own it and often just me in the boat and a tankfull of fuel it is a little too stern heavy. I can compensate with the Tabs easy enough but in the long term I will have the Tank moved forward which the boats builder has kindly offered to do for me.

So all I am saying is that a boat that may seem not quite right can be much improved with some effort to achieve optimum balance and trim. Sometimes a Mod may be required, or an addon like tabs.

Hope this is still sort of on topic. But things to think about whether buying a Barcrusher, Quinnie or a Kevlacat or Haines or whatever.
Then drive to the conditions and have a great day on the water:)

[stue2]

Now I've never been in a BC either but a good mate owned one and now they have a Surtees with the hard top cab. According to him it wasn't the ride that was questionable, it was the amount of water that came over the top of the pull down roof.
According to my mate Surtees were very good to deal with in all aspects of the build. Right down to a customised transom mount bracket for the 1kw transducer. And they are dry inside their cabin.

cheers, Stu

[BigMav]

I've got a barcrusher 620C, and a 150 etec pushing it so it is the ultimate pos. ::) Yep I get wet sometimes pushing through chop. I have side and front clears for that but most of the time in north qld a bit of spray is quite welcome. Oh yeah never had a problem with either boat or motor and have had plenty comment on how well it sits at rest. I drive it to the conditions and generally sit around 24 knots in anything up to 20 knot winds up here in townsville. Sitting down all the time as its a 2 hr trip to the reef

[wakakiwi]

21 foot bertram limo of the sea!!!!!!!

[Pond123]

Resurrection of a dead thread. Last boat was glass. Got a Galeforce. Loved it but was forced to sell it by evil ex wife :) Now (post divorce) back in the market for a new 5m CC. Barcrusher are again the local obvious choice. But am STILL worried about rumours of a rubbish ride and a wet boat. Poly raft are my preferred choice, but apparently their hulls do not fare to well in dry stacks…. :/

[disorderly]

It seems the Bakcrushers only go good if they have an Etec on them...::)

I read the this old thread back and its some pretty funny banter back in the day...with Noel being one of the funnier culprits...;D

[Ducksnutz]

All I’ll say is I owned a 560C (615 now I think) and spent 300 odd hours in it before selling it to go glass. Wouldn’t go back but the Crusher certainly served it’s purpose at the time. I think going from a Galeforce you might have to accept the compromise of ride versus other requirements you need in a boat.

I don’t want to suggest by any means that glass rides better than aluminium just sharing my experience.

[Noelm]

They were the days, some old member names commenting in that lot...

[NAGG]

Not from my experiences .
In a CC - they can be a wet boat ..... but it really depends on how you drive them . Also where you are ...... that shitty chop that you get in Qld makes it worst compared to the bigger & longer swell that we get down here. So much so that I recently had some clears made up for my Qld trips .

Back to the ride - It's pretty good & certainly not a jarring ride . ... but it's not there when compared to a good FG hull - that's the reality of a lighter hull .
I still get positive comments from other boat owners who come out for a fish with me ..... just how good the ride actually is.

From my personal standpoint - As someone who tows their boat from Sydney to NQ a couple of times a year , I wouldn't want a fiberglass boat . Ditto when handling a boat on my own or running the boat up on some coral strewn island ....... that's the trade off & what is the greater priority. Add to that the cost of running the BC & the case becomes more compelling. ...... not so much a Barcrusher thing but an alloy boat thing. The BC is certainly well fabricated & robust .

Chris

[gazza2006au]

Hey Chris my glass boat is a piece of cake to launch solo i have launched it twice now once by my self absolutely no problems but it is a bit heavy to tow the old v8 really sucks the fuel it would cost a ton of money just in fuel doing your trip to NQ

[NAGG]

Hey Chris my glass boat is a piece of cake to launch solo i have launched it twice now once by my self absolutely no problems but it is a bit heavy to tow the old v8 really sucks the fuel it would cost a ton of money just in fuel doing your trip to NQ

It depends where you launch , the conditions , the ramp & what facilities are like . Getting a fiberglass boat banged around on a trailer would have me in tears .

I've towed a couple of mates glass boats on big trips up those inland highways ...... stone chips where part & parcel . It's actually one of the good things about an unpainted boat - I don't have the pitted paint to contend with . My previous boats had to be repainted before selling .

Chris

[fishtragic]

There's many people still believe the earth's flat too. We did a 100Nm round trip to Noname off Lucinda spearing, one of the young fellas with me said after smashing out through a 20Kn NE, "thank christ were not in my Bar Crusher."

[Pond123]

Ah well. About to answer my own question. Just put down a deposit on a Barcrusher 535XS. I am still a bit worried that the ride will be worse than my last Galeforce. But Barcrusher make a lot of sense from a financial perspective and most importantly, they have engines in stock…..

[NAGG]

Ah well. About to answer my own question. Just put down a deposit on a Barcrusher 535XS. I am still a bit worried that the ride will be worse than my last Galeforce. But Barcrusher make a lot of sense from a financial perspective and most importantly, they have engines in stock…..

A baby barcrusher wont ride anywhere near that of a Galeforce ....... & depending on where you use it - it will be a wet boat
The 535 is about equivalent to a top ender

Chris

Chris

[Ducksnutz]

Agree with you Chris.

I think where the Barcrushers start to ride ok is when they enter the 5mm Ali sheet. You need that in short sharp chop as a minimum along with Hull design which I think the crushers do well. I loved my crusher and had some memorable trips and it served it’s purpose at that stage of my life.

With ailing health, the ride has become more important to me than anything else and as we all know, all boats have a compromise of some sort but ride for me is number one.

Pond123, enjoy your new tub mate.

[Pond123]

Ah well. It is what it is. And the main reason I went BC is that they seem to hold their value well. I will only be using it inshore (Port Phillip Bay) and most of what I do is either trolling or lurking around with a bow mount so long distance trips in rough water are not that common. I really wanted a Polycraft but apparently they do not fare well in dry stacks as their hulls are not supported properly. I do like fibreglass, but I was over all the dings from scuba tanks and out of control boaters at boat ramps!!!

[NAGG]

Ah well. It is what it is. And the main reason I went BC is that they seem to hold their value well. I will only be using it inshore (Port Phillip Bay) and most of what I do is either trolling or lurking around with a bow mount so long distance trips in rough water are not that common. I really wanted a Polycraft but apparently they do not fare well in dry stacks as their hulls are not supported properly. I do like fibreglass, but I was over all the dings from scuba tanks and out of control boaters at boat ramps!!!

In the right location & condition it will be a good boat

It's like my own experiences owning a Hornet ....... right place & right time it was the bees knees ..... my seajay barramasta - even more so

but .... it's a stretch to think that a baby BC will do much more - it's an estuary / lakes / river / bay boat

Chris

[seastrength]

Ah well. It is what it is. And the main reason I went BC is that they seem to hold their value well. I will only be using it inshore (Port Phillip Bay) and most of what I do is either trolling or lurking around with a bow mount so long distance trips in rough water are not that common. I really wanted a Polycraft but apparently they do not fare well in dry stacks as their hulls are not supported properly. I do like fibreglass, but I was over all the dings from scuba tanks and out of control boaters at boat ramps!!!

Hi pond123

My curiosity has finally got the better of me! I have owned a poly 4.1 challenger for the last 12 years and use it mainly for estuary and freshwater lake fishing. You mention the hulls are not supported properly and presumably warp during dry stacking. Can you elaborate please? I launch and retrieve my boat off a four skid trailer and no problems with hull distortion to date. Cheers SS

[Pond123]

So in a dry stack the hulls are only supported by two bearers, rather than four on the trailer. Also, if the boat is not placed on the bearers correctly (I.e far enough down the bearers) the transom will hang off the end of the bearer unsupported and finally, dry stack bearers are wood and hence not always straight. So, in all of these circumstances, the hull can ‘sag’ and lose shape over time. Not storing on the proper trailer voids the guarantee:/