first famliy boat to fit 6

[harmy770]

hi everyone looking to see what types of boats are family freindly to do a bit of every thing that fits six 2 bigins 4 littleins. Fishing tubeing and to go out of the bay a little.

? whats best ? runabout,bowrider, inboard, outboard . dont like half cabins its just me
fiberglass, alloy. Lay it on me ive sent myself insane.;D:P;D
ages of kids 2, 4, 6, 9

[swabio]

I think you need to articulate your budget....... as that will more than likely influence peoples responses ;)

Personally I'd get a cabin style, ie half cab / walk around, as that way there is some shade for the kids to get out of the sun / inclement weather, have a nap etc......

[johncar]

You gotta be careful, sometimes doesn't work out with little ones, they can drive you insane so getting a boat to make everyone happy and you not stressing may be a bit of a dream. There were 4 kids in my family as I grew up, my sister and two brothers, There was really only two of us that were interested and my mum wasn't keen so it was dad, my sister and me most of the time. We had a 17' bondwood boat that we built ourselves and had lot's of great times. So it might be good to hire a boat or organise a charter or something just to see how it all goes before committing to something that might be not as you actually need.
But anyway I don't wish to seem negative and you may be lucky that everyone loves it, and ideally it is a great activity for the whole family and safety a priority with those little ones.
So if you're thinking trailer boat, I would be looking for a boat much like mine, strong reliable and relatively safe, good size cabin, roomy cockpit with good high sides, full hard top through to stern for maximum shade. Not sure about the tubing thing, you only need a jet ski for that and a couple of kids have died over the last few years around here being pulled on tubes so please be careful if you do it...
If you def don't want a cabin, probably a decent size bow rider will possibly be best as you can at least spread out a bit without going too large.

Good luck..

[harmy770]

Thanks for your reply's I've looked at second hand runabouts under 10g ether need a lot of work or are under powered. I'm open on budget to new price but one would think there would be a second hand one out there the kids won't be with all the time it's mainly my 6 year old he's made keen he's at his happiest with rod in hand

[AnthonyL]

We had a bowrider for 4.5 years and liked that style of boat as we used the bow seating area more than we would a cabin. Last year we upgraded to a cabin with a walkaround so we could still have some easy access to the bow.

We dont use the cabin a lot however if you have little ones the cabin will be used and used a lot as they need to have sleeps, constantly need to use the portaloo lol. Our grandkids seem to fall straight to sleep when they are on the boat so the cabin is a lot more comfy for them.

My wife was never a huge fan of cabin boats but after having somewhere to change and have a portaloo she said she wouldnt go back to a bowrider now.

[Noelm]

even though I am not a bowrider fan, from your needs/description, a bowrider with a decent canopy setup would probably fit you the best, they are available in a range of sizes starting from around 5M, probably in aluminium would keep the HP down a bit too, kind of doubt I would look at anything other than an outboard, as mentioned, I also sort of doubt the whole family will end up being a permanent crew member, that's just the way it seems to work out, there is quite a few bowriders made from most of the "name" manufacturers, like Savage, Quintrex and Stacer (all made by the same people) and represent pretty good value for money (well I reckon anyway) an example
http://www.aluminium.savageboats.com.au/beachcomber545.html

[fisho8]

I got a 21ft Whittley Clearwater Centre Cab Walkaround and it is a great all round boat it has a good amount of space in the cabin my kids and my mrs love it. Also check out the Tornament 2000 Bluewater it is a cabin boat which has plenty of room good seating and is a great family boat. As far as a Bow rider goes check out the Bayliner 185/195 or stacers easyrider series. Hope you find what you are looking for and get out there on the water. I would go second hand where I could but you will find there is not that much differance in price compared to new with some brands.:)

[datamile]

I've had plenty of fun in our stacer 525 bowrider around moreton bay. Kids always end up at the front. When the kids where under 12, you could take two families 4 adults + 4 kids and be in the 6 capacity limit, but once they hit 12 they count as an adult in QLD. Very flexible for fishing, tubing, waterski, bumping up on the bay islands etc.

Selling ours soon as the daughter spents all her time sailing, and boy prefers playstation to fishing. Its took big to be a single hander.

[harmy770]

Thanks a lot everyone food for thought there

[tassjo]

hi i was looking 4 a boat to suit my family of 5 for nearly a year i was looking at the formosa 550 cuddy cab as we mainly use it to go fishing & it was in the budget .it is a top boat but not much creature comfit.i purchaced a new bayliner 75429192 dicovery cuddy cab,it has full camp covers(i take it out most times with both binimi tops (shade at all times)the cuddy can sleep 2 in the cabin75428 with no problems the kids go & hide,play their ds.it has a full fibreglass lined floor(no wood)self draining deck great for the fishing.but 1 of the main reasons was it is big@5.9m is a very solid boat, thick in the glass department ,very smooth & it has a inboard engine plenty of power 220hp mpi .take a look u will be surprized if you are keen pm me if in the sydney area come have a look good luck

[TopBhoy]

tassjo,

Sorry mate, your attachments aren't showing up. Comes up with the message 'Invalid Attachment specified. If you followed a valid link, please notify the administrator (http://www.ausfish.com.au/vforum/sendmessage.php)'

Can you try again? I was looking forward to seeing your rig.

[PADDLES]

you need to maybe look at more day cruiser style boats with your big family rather than fishing boats. have you thought about one of the more runabout styled cabin boats like a SR20 southwind? it has a large lounge in the back for the family and a smallish cabin up the front for a dunny and a place to snooze. another option is to just look at big runabouts in the 20 foot bracket with either full wraparound lounges or back to back style seating. good luck with it. what is your budget and where do you intend to use it? a bowrider might work out ok even though i personally don't like them.

[Jim Cole]

I would recommend a bowrider myself. They are a great allrounder for families & fun. With thhe addition of a set of front & side clears you can escape the elements. They give you plenty of fishing room. Not sure where you are from but see if their is a boat hire company that you could hire one for a day to see how you like it. Check out our page www.tincanbayboathire.com.au (http://www.tincanbayboathire.com.au) we have a 5.4m bowrider set up with a 115hp Yamaha four stroke. There are other companies all round the country that offer a similar service.

[Chimo]

Harmy770

Have a look at a second hand Seafarer Vermont. Seaworthy, not a cuddy good deck area and has a good space for younguns and even not so younguns to have a good lay down. Plenty of power for your sports and good for fishing too. Have a look at Jabbas boat on here to see what one can do if you add extra power.

Cheers
Chimo

[Argle]

I would look more towards the bowrider for what you are talking about using the boat for. I had a half cab for 10 years and as my two boys got older the boat just got smaller, everyone seems to think the kids will be sleeping all day and need somewhere to lay down - it might be just my two but the only time they ever slept was when they got into the car for the drive home.

During summer the cabins are hot and not much airflow so they are not the best spot for a lie down if you ask me.

Ours was used for dry storage (which was good) but a pain because everytime you wanted to get to the anchor you had to climb over all the gear you had stashed up the front. We now have a Haines Signature 580 bowrider and its great for the type of boating we do cruising fishing skiing tubing and camping.

The boys are always up the front and when fishing its good because I can have one at either end of the boat and they have plenty of room without getting in each others way. I prefer fibreglass over alloy because the ride is just that much better but you probably need to go for a ride in a few to make up your own mind. Have a look at the Haines Signature range or Haines Hunters or Cruise Crafts, all well built boats with good resale.

Enjoy the search and just get out there and do it the kids will thank you for it!

[IcyDuck]

I'm another bowrider fan when it comes to a youngish family. We've got 4 boys and have had a 5.4m fibreglass for the past 5 years. Our boys are now 12, 14, 17 & 19. The 2 youngest are still regular crew, heading straight up into the bow seats, with the older 2 not so often these days. However, they normally all won't miss an opportunity to go wakeboarding or skiing, especially when they can bring girlfriends and mates.

They have their drawbacks but are very versatile. We use ours for fishing, skiing, tubing, wakeboarding and general cruising. Ours has capacity for 8 so we find all 6 of us fit comfortably without seeming too crowded. Taken her across to Moreton Is countless times, whale-watching north of Moreton and in Hervey Bay, fishing out to Hutchies, skiing at Somerset Dam and dragged it on nearly every holiday we have been on between Bundaberg and Yamba. You have to pick your days and location, like with any boat, as they are a bit wetter than cuddy or cabin boats. We have a bow cover, good bimini with front and side clears. This helps if things get a bit choppy on the way home.

Last year my wife and I decided we might step up to a larger cabin/cruiser model. We actually put a deposit down on a Whittley. We took the boys for a water test in it. They threatened a mutiny if we were to go ahead with it as they liked the bowrider so much. It was therefore a no brainer to stick with the bowrider for a few more years, or at least while they are still keen to be out with "mum and dad".

I guess a lot depends upon how keen the family is on boating and the water (probably hard to know until you try). We were lucky as ours all love the water. If they weren't we probably would be in a cuddy or cruiser type boat.

As mentioned previously, there are a few boat hire businesses around that hire out bowrider and other models. It might be worth a trip or 2 in one to see how the family goes.

Cheers and good luck with the search.

Phil

[Jarrah Jack]

Another thing with a bowrider is that you can keep an eye on the kids when you're going along if the're up front.

[Seahorse]

Harmy
I got a 2006 5 met runabout, Stacer bay master sports. Fully optioned with full clears and storm covers, u name it, it has it. Got 75 hp merc only 220 hrs. I bought it new.
Want 20500 but will talk.

Cheers
Greg