Need Help - Which Boat???????

[rippedoffb4]

Been following this for a while folks but this is my first post. I have many questions but will start small. I hope you can help point me in the right direction.

I live in Melbourne but am moving to Darwin (lucky me) with work. I currently don't have a boat but am going to get one. I want some advice from you wise fisher folk. I have two school age children who will occasionally be with me in the boat. I am hoping not to have to spend more than $15K ish.

What is safest?
Best value for money?
Able to fish the harbour and rivers?
Easy to launch/retrieve on my own etc?
How big is too big to manage (I'm talking about a boat here) on your own?

I have done plenty of homework thus far but have basically concluded nothing apart from it's got to be aluminium/plate etc rather than glass.

Plenty more questions to come.

Cheers

[barney11]

If you're in melb go have a look at the Apex predator by evolution boats, nice rig.

[STUIE63]

take more note of the trailer as well you will be moving to croc country so a well designed and set up trailer will make it a lot safer and easier to launch and retrieve. now the boat I reckon get about a 4.5m side console with a 60hp fourstroke there are some long runs in rivers in the territory .something like a bluefin or a tabs but try and get it before you head up everything in the territory is normally dearer
welcome to ausfish anyway , it is great way to make your first post asking about buying a boat have fun searching
Stuie

[rippedoffb4]

Thanks barney and Stuie. There is so much out there in the 4 - 5 metre range. I'm certainly grateful for your suggestions. I'm going to keep asking stupid questions. The Melbourne boat show is coming up so I'll do some more homework there.

Barney I hadn't heard of the boat you mention believe it or not. Thanks. I'll have a look.

Stuie you mention the trailer set up. Obviously I want to spend as little time as possible in/around the water at the ramps etc so what sort of things would you suggest?

Cheers

[PADDLES]

i reckon a big tiller steer is a good first boat if it's mainly just going to be a day boat for fishing in estuaries. it'll be simple and reasonably easy/light to handle on your own and also do some trips a bit further out when you are ready. go for something in the upper 4m range with a 50 or so hp motor with electric start and power trim/tilt. go no frills with portable tanks and basic electrics and fit it up from there. this sort of boat will always be easy to sell if you decide you want something different too.

[rippedoffb4]

Thanks Paddles. Ta for your help.

I am in 2 minds about whether to go with a tiller steer or a side console. I would love the console but also like the idea of the room that you have with the tiller steer. I have started researching what I want but am always open to suggestions. What boats in particular do you think are worth a better look and can I get something like you suggest for the money I want to spend? Also as I'm going to be on my own occasionally what sorts of things can I do to make my trailer as user friendly as possible so that the retrieve is a simple process (yes I intend to practice as well).

[Ryan the slayer]

4 seasons boats are excilent value for money just purchaced one yesterday nothing else even come close to it

[rippedoffb4]

Which model mate???

[STUIE63]

Thanks barney and Stuie. There is so much out there in the 4 - 5 metre range. I'm certainly grateful for your suggestions. I'm going to keep asking stupid questions. The Melbourne boat show is coming up so I'll do some more homework there.

Barney I hadn't heard of the boat you mention believe it or not. Thanks. I'll have a look.

Stuie you mention the trailer set up. Obviously I want to spend as little time as possible in/around the water at the ramps etc so what sort of things would you suggest?

Cheers

I reckon to go to your local ramp for 2 or 3 hours in the afternoon on the next time you have good weather . take a chair and just watch when you see someone that makes it look so easy then go up to him and ask to have a look at his trailer . you will soon see a pattern emerge . as they said in the old castrol ad oils ain't oils I have a dunbier multi roller trailer that I drive the boat on . but there are other brands that will be just as good . most boat shops that put together a package deal on boat motor trailer put the smallest trailer and motor together to get the cheapest price . I reckon upgrade the trailer and get a 4 stroke or DI 2 stroke motor at max hp for the hull and you will have a lot better package

[rippedoffb4]

I reckon to go to your local ramp for 2 or 3 hours in the afternoon on the next time you have good weather . take a chair and just watch when you see someone that makes it look so easy then go up to him and ask to have a look at his trailer . you will soon see a pattern emerge . as they said in the old castrol ad oils ain't oils I have a dunbier multi roller trailer that I drive the boat on . but there are other brands that will be just as good . most boat shops that put together a package deal on boat motor trailer put the smallest trailer and motor together to get the cheapest price . I reckon upgrade the trailer and get a 4 stroke or DI 2 stroke motor at max hp for the hull and you will have a lot better package



Great idea. Hadn't even considered doing that!! (the ramp) Thanks again.

[PADDLES]

any of the basic tiller steer open hulls will be fine, some are better/stronger than others but this may not be an issue for you. like ryan has said, 4 seasons/stessco are about the cheapest and all pressed alloy tinnys have their problems if they are used outside their "comfort zone". a "premium" low volume production pressed brand is seajay or brooker and the high volume ones are the stacer/quintrex brands, i reckon they're all pretty good if they're used as intended.

i've recently bought a 385 stessco, it was ridiculously cheap and seems to be ok so far.

you'll get away with a 2 stroke motor up to the 40hp mark but for 50-60hp it'd be best to go 4 stroke to get good range from your tanks, this will add a significant amount to the price. steer clear of paint and any overly fancy internal fitout (remember that it gets frikkin hot up there and so you'll want carpet on the floor/seats and maybe shade to sit under) and you'll have a good cheap practical boat that'll be easy to maintain and handle.

have a look second hand too, there's been a couple of fantastic looking second hand plate tiller steer rigs for sale recently for a good price, it's a buyer's market out there.

[rippedoffb4]

Paddles. You make sense mate. Only wish I didn't have a budget mate. Might check out boat sales etc. I actually quite like the look of the Seajay and its practical simplicity in terms of layout. I also like the look of the BlueFin Barracuda which I have seen 2nd hand for under 20K but it may be just a bit out of my range.

Thanks again. Good fishing!!

[Greg001]

All top advice as usual but are you going to tow the boat up or frieght it up? If your going to have it freighted up I'd go up and do a couple of trips with a guide and talk to him.
2 reasons
1; You can see the set up they have and decide what you want,

2; you'll learn some of the area and get some expert advice at the same time.

Good luck
Greg

[Jarrah Jack]

Having a tiller steer up Darwin way can be a real pain and if you can find a side or center console then I think it would be much better. You get better vision from the console and they are much easier to operate. Because of the long distances up there long runs can be very tiring with a tiller steer.

Weird having two threads the same I thought I was going crazy for a while there.

It will be difficult finding the right boat in Melb as you are after a tropics boat but if you find one then it may be a lot cheaper as not many are after them. There have been some good boat bargains in Darwin lately.

[Ryan the slayer]

Which model mate???
i got the lake runner 425 its a flatter v hull it came with wide gunwales, rear step, full floor and castsing deck, bow rails and all 3mm alloy cost me $3700 brand new. i recommend buying boat, trailer and motor seperate it will save you thousands

[rippedoffb4]

Jarrahjack sorry about the two threads mate. Think I mucked up . You know 1sttime user!

Thanks Greg, I like you thinking.

Guys do any of you know much about the Stacer Nomad and it's basic suitability. As I want to be able to easily manage it on my own I quite like the 449 with a four stroke? Good and bad welcome

[Jarrah Jack]

The nomad side console like this one http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/stacer-455-nomad-60-hp-yamaha-4-stroke-/150604913936?pt=AU_Boats&hash=item2310c09d10

Much like my mates from Darwin and would go very well up there. The 60 hp on that size boat would be fine he had a 60 on the next size up and it struggled. Its the extra long distances on the rivers there that make the HP necessary. We were doing 160 klms a day on the Daly to get to the fish two weeks ago.

[rippedoffb4]

Yeah that's the style I think I like. Easy enough to manage on my own do you reckon with a bit of ramp practice. ??? Ignoring service history for a second how many hours is too many with the 4 strokes etc?

[STUIE63]

The nomad side console like this one http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/stacer-455-nomad-60-hp-yamaha-4-stroke-/150604913936?pt=AU_Boats&hash=item2310c09d10

Much like my mates from Darwin and would go very well up there. The 60 hp on that size boat would be fine he had a 60 on the next size up and it struggled. Its the extra long distances on the rivers there that make the HP necessary. We were doing 160 klms a day on the Daly to get to the fish two weeks ago.

this is the style of boat and motor you should be looking for . 4.5m is a good size boat to do rivers and the arms of the harbour up there . the 60 will be good on fuel and not underpowered . as JJ said there are some long runs in the territory down rivers to go fishing

[rippedoffb4]

You blokes are great. Thanks. The search has almost begun I guess!

[STUIE63]

have fun with the search it is the second best thing with buying a boat . using it is the best

[moater]

You could always buy my boat?

4.55 Sea Jay Magnum with 40hp Tohatsu 2 stroke oil injected sitting on a Dunbier Loader trailer.I bought the boat and fitted the outboard as well as getting a good centre console made up out of marine-grade alloy.It's got a colour Lowrance sounder/GPS combo & 27meg radio,also got a wooden rod rack across the back (easily removed) with slots and a couple of Scotty holders + one tube holder,with another available to fit.The whole lot was bought new and just sat in my shed for a couple of years.I've only used the whole thing 3 times and am still running in the motor (done 3 hours).I was going to fit it out a bit more etc but health reasons are making me seriously consider selling it :(.A very nice outfit that you could customize a bit to suit you.It's all as new.Be fantastic up north! Looking at $14,000 and will lose money but so be it.Also I'm in Victoria.

Darren

[rippedoffb4]

You could always buy my boat?

4.55 Sea Jay Magnum with 40hp Tohatsu 2 stroke oil injected sitting on a Dunbier Loader trailer.I bought the boat and fitted the outboard as well as getting a good centre console made up out of marine-grade alloy.It's got a colour Lowrance sounder/GPS combo & 27meg radio,also got a wooden rod rack across the back (easily removed) with slots and a couple of Scotty holders + one tube holder,with another available to fit.The whole lot was bought new and just sat in my shed for a couple of years.I've only used the whole thing 3 times and am still running in the motor (done 3 hours).I was going to fit it out a bit more etc but health reasons are making me seriously consider selling it :(.A very nice outfit that you could customize a bit to suit you.It's all as new.Be fantastic up north! Looking at $14,000 and will lose money but so be it.Also I'm in Victoria.

Darren



Hi Darren

Thanks for the offer. I was hoping to go with a 4 stroke though mate as my first preference. That said, I'm happy to look at some pictures! It may be what I want but didn't realise.

Cheers
Kirk

[barney11]

nah, you def want a 4. Not worth scabbing out.

[wayno60]

Gezzz you game asking boating question on AF......its a wonder barney didnt tell you to look it up on google.

[Salad Fingers]

whatever you do, go for the maximum HP you can get on the hull. Makes the long hauls down the river in the runoff alot less painful - even if you think you wont be doing that sort of stuff just yet, trust me in time it will begin to happen. :)

I recently upgraded from a 4.7m to a 5.4m due to wanting to go wider afield, best decision I ever made. Soooooo much more room, I couldn't go back to anything smaller I don't reckon. I can still handle my 5.4m at ramps on my own to, just have to think about what you're doing a bit. Only problem now is I can't get to some of the more remote billabongs :(

[barney11]

Gezzz you game asking boating question on AF......its a wonder barney didnt tell you to look it up on google.

+1:-* :-* :-* :-* :-*

[wayno60]

Barney, its all good..

[rippedoffb4]

Ta Salad Fingers. Hopefully it's blokes like your good self who I will be able to watch at the ramp and learn from. Reckon I can get something half decent for my budget of 15k ish or am I dreaming? Remember mate I've got missus to convince that it's money well spent. Given that you are a Darwin lad what makes models etc do you say are worth more than a casual look mate.

[rippedoffb4]

Waynon
New to this so hopefully Barney will take pity on me!!

[davo]

My father bought the new TABS 4.2 metre tracker. It will be about $13K with 30HP 4 stroke Yammy and heaps of fitout. It would be a perfect barra boat. The boat is very solid and the Yammy is outstanding.

[rippedoffb4]

Is he happy with it Davo? How'd you recon it would go in the harbour up there though? No doubt it'd be great in the rivers

[GBC]

I'd be grabbing the 455 poly centre console that's in the classified's section.
$10.5k is a bargain. It used to be my boat - sold it about 5 years ago to him. Furuno sounder (he's listed it as a lowrance), live bait tank, bilge pump, icom radio and a 50 honda. It's got 70l of fuel underfloor so good range too.

[Sevric]

I recently purchased a 4.4 sea jay Territory with 40HP motor for similar money that you first mentioned. There is always many hidden costs to encounter during the fit out to make it the boat that is best suited to you. Sounders, radios, trailer alterations to make the boat retrieve easier and so the list goes on. Perhaps in Darwin a trailer with a walkway and spare wheel and hub rescue kit would would be a good idea.

[PADDLES]

like has been said by a couple of guys here already, go for plenty of power. minimum you would want for a 4.2 would be 40hp and for a 4.5-4.8 start looking at 50-60hp. don't get a 4.2 with a 30hp, you'll be dissappointed in the long run.

i have a personal issue with second hand small 4 strokes, i would never buy one because the financial risk of it requiring an extremely expensive repair is far outweighed by the cost of just buying a new one. maybe a 1 or 2 year old one would minimise this risk. a second hand 2 stroke however is a very different simple/cheap beast to repair if you end up buying a lemon. i'd still go with a brand new 4 stroke motor for where you are going if you can afford it.

one thing to get into your head right away is that nearly all boaties take a few boats to "get it right" so i think you should accept the fact that what you buy for your first boat will probably be unsuitable and you'll need to get rid of it and buy something else within the next few years. based on this i would buy the simplest and cheapest rig that you can get your hands on and go from there. for me a tiller steer 4.2m tinny with a 40hp 2 stroke motor is still the starting point with a 4.8-5m plate centre/side console with a 75-100hp 4 stroke where you may end up. the price difference between these 2 boats is vast so i reckon crawl before you can walk.

[Noelm]

I kind of reckon the Alison Amazon would be worth a look, my local dealer has one in stock as a demo with a 60HP Merc 4 stroke tiller steer on it, but it is available n centre or side console as well, would leave boats like the Stacer for dead in terms of looks and strength (my son has a Stacer), very high sided and roomy boat.

[Salad Fingers]

Ta Salad Fingers. Hopefully it's blokes like your good self who I will be able to watch at the ramp and learn from. Reckon I can get something half decent for my budget of 15k ish or am I dreaming? Remember mate I've got missus to convince that it's money well spent. Given that you are a Darwin lad what makes models etc do you say are worth more than a casual look mate.

Yeh I don't muck around down at the ramp, in or out within a couple of mins, max.
Took a while to get my trailer setup right but now that it is it's a dream to drive the boat on.
$15k would definitely get you a very suitable boat for up here.
Seeing as I think 1 in every 3 households up here owns a boat, the secondhand market is much bigger than you would normally expect for a city of 120,000ish people. The prices are usually a bit higher - but you have to weigh up shipping costs aswell, which on a $15k can be a substantial part of the price.

I might be a bit biased re: brands, I own a Sea Jay and think it's a great boat for the money - they are well built.
I owned a stacer previous to this and within 2years of owning it from brand new the hull cracked twice, the paint was bubbling everywhere and the floor rotted out. I wouldn't piss on one now.
The two are built with very different methodologies though, so not really comparing apples to apples, the stacer was built with a traditional pressed tinny style (ie, ribs not welded to hull sheets just pressed against them) where as the sea jay i have is built in more of a plate style, with the ribs welded to the hull sheets and craploads more of them aswell.
A much more solid feeling boat.

having said that, there are many other brands of boat that would be just as good or maybe better. A good mate of mine has a bluefin and has had it for the better part of 10years now, still going strong, no cracks, good boat.

[moater]

nah, you def want a 4. Not worth scabbing out.

Good luck trying to get anything 4 stroke in as good nick (read NEW condition) at the same price.:P

[moater]

Hi Darren

Thanks for the offer. I was hoping to go with a 4 stroke though mate as my first preference. That said, I'm happy to look at some pictures! It may be what I want but didn't realise.

Cheers
Kirk

G'day Kirk,

I haven't actually got any photos but can take some...if you were interested.Sounds like you may have been talked out of a 2 stroke.My whole outfit cost about $18k as I did a lot of the work.Can always upgrade motors down the track and the thou$ands initially saved can buy a lot of fuel, which is something to consider.My boat is rated at 50hp maximum and the Jap 3 cylinder 40 has heaps of power.Tohatsu 2 strokes keep going and going which is part of the reason I bought one..could've gotten an etec blah blah.

[rippedoffb4]

I recently purchased a 4.4 sea jay Territory with 40HP motor for similar money that you first mentioned. There is always many hidden costs to encounter during the fit out to make it the boat that is best suited to you. Sounders, radios, trailer alterations to make the boat retrieve easier and so the list goes on. Perhaps in Darwin a trailer with a walkway and spare wheel and hub rescue kit would would be a good idea.


Hi Sevric.

Are you happy with it and regardless what are its good and bad points??

[rippedoffb4]

G'day Kirk,

I haven't actually got any photos but can take some...if you were interested.Sounds like you may have been talked out of a 2 stroke.My whole outfit cost about $18k as I did a lot of the work.Can always upgrade motors down the track and the thou$ands initially saved can buy a lot of fuel, which is something to consider.My boat is rated at 50hp maximum and the Jap 3 cylinder 40 has heaps of power.Tohatsu 2 strokes keep going and going which is part of the reason I bought one..could've gotten an etec blah blah.


Hey moater. I wasn't talked out of the 2 stroke. I probably recognise mate that for my money and what I want for a first boat it isn't likely to happen (the 4 stroke). I certainly hope you weren't offended as none was meant. I'm still just really forming a picture in my head of what it is that I want I guess.