4.5m Tinnie- What's hot and what's not.

[Gimme5]

I'm after a 4.5m +/- tinnie but the number of brands/models out there's making my head spin. I've limited experience in the tinnie market so would like advise on what brands to avoid and what stands out in terms of build quality and resale, ie the two extreme end of the scale. On paper, they all look fairly similar to me. Do they mostly come out of the same Telwater factory? PM me if you're not comfortable commenting here in public, I don't want to start a war. Thanks.

[alleycat]

Have a look at the Stessco catcher series, I have the 4.29 but ive seen the 4.5 metre model, I did lots of homework before I bought, the stessco seemed to have much more space for fishing and after 3 years I think its the best around still...

[gunna]

Tiller steer, runabout, side console or centre console?

[Gimme5]

Side Console. I'm just trying to narrow down to a few makes with best reputation, customer service, build quality and resale.

Tiller steer, runabout, side console or centre console?

[gunna]

Very happy with my Clark Dominator

[myusernam]

for side console pressed tinny i dont think you can beat the quintrex topender. the milennium hull diverts the spray which i think is important in a side console and gives a good ride for a pressed tinny. great floor, transom, excellent resale.

[ozscott]

Having spent a LOT of time on the same issue over the years I'm very impressed by Blue Fin 4.5 Colt for build quality, ride and room.. Cheers

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[ozscott]

To give you an idea on beam my 4.5 Blue Fin is on the left, Blue Fin 4.2 Mangrove Jack on right and Quintrex 3.75 in the middle.

I have added a LOT of weight to the rig and it just fishes so well with 3 blokes.

Cheershttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180213/91fa39c729cdf34745b2d4c53abb3572.jpg

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[Gimme5]

Wow the 3.75 looks like a bathtub compared to the other 2. Problem with tiller steer is that there's way too much weight at the back and you've got to add tons of rock/sand at the bow to keep it down especially with 1 POB. At high speeds it can be downright scary. Is that a 12V MK? How does it perform on your rig with 3 POB?
To give you an idea on beam my 4.5 Blue Fin is on the left, Blue Fin 4.2 Mangrove Jack on right and Quintrex 3.75 in the middle.

I have added a LOT of weight to the rig and it just fishes so well with 3 blokes.

Cheershttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180213/91fa39c729cdf34745b2d4c53abb3572.jpg

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[NAGG]

Seajay will have a boat that fits your needs

Excellent build & design .... offer a great level of customisation that you wont get out of a Telwater boat
Certainly solidly built

Chris

[ozscott]

Gimme the 4.5 and the 4.2 both have 3mm bottom and 2mm sides with a lot of ribs. Mine is an 04 and you would never know it.

Mine has 25l of fuel under the front cast deck, a 130amp hour AGM forward of that (also under casting deck...heaps of room) and a 55lb IPilot.

Goes hard. One up very well balanced. The 55lb ipilot (new model) holds the boat with full fuel, 2 batteries (100ah in rear and 25 litres in rear) 3 guys and all fishing gear easily in spotlock in solid 10knots and fast current. I'm a big fan.

M8 have a look here. My 4.5 with 2 heavy blokes at rear and lighter POB up front being pursued by the 4.3 Mangrove Jack.

https://youtu.be/FfxDc6YlAB4

Cheers

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[catshark]

hi mate , certainly looks beamy, what are we talking nearly 2 metre wide ?, both the blue fins have those foils on the leg outboard, just to cope with the extra gear i suppose..looks the goods.

[bluefin59]

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180213/d2aa044c2207f3b304e5e648499f75a6.jpg

This is my 4.5 mt bluefin predator I have had it since 2004 ,it’s done 1000 hrs and travelled 14000 Klms according to the gps . It’s been a great boat and has caught heaps of fish and never let me down , Matt

[ozscott]

Hi m8. Cheers. I took the fins off mine recently for 3 days at Monduran and it made no change to boat trim and it planed very quickly. Maybe planing speed is 5kph higher without it on...not much in it. Cheers
Ps Beam 2150. Cheers
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[Barry Ehsman]

Allycraft that i bought off Funchy, very beamy a heavy boat & a dry one, love it.

[Gimme5]

Had a look at Bluefin website, they don't do the Colt anymore. However the Wildcat Pro looks nice. Bluefin might just make the cut. They build them in their own factory right? I'm always a bit suspicious of "boat builders" who don't actually build their own boats. Not saying there's anything wrong with Telwater but just seems a bit mass produced. BTW I was told not to buy a painted boat if I'm going to use it for crabbing and cast netting. Does the paint scratch or come off easily?
Gimme the 4.5 and the 4.2 both have 3mm bottom and 2mm sides with a lot of ribs. Mine is an 04 and you would never know it.

Mine has 25l of fuel under the front cast deck, a 130amp hour AGM forward of that (also under casting deck...heaps of room) and a 55lb IPilot.

Goes hard. One up very well balanced. The 55lb ipilot (new model) holds the boat with full fuel, 2 batteries (100ah in rear and 25 litres in rear) 3 guys and all fishing gear easily in spotlock in solid 10knots and fast current. I'm a big fan.

M8 have a look here. My 4.5 with 2 heavy blokes at rear and lighter POB up front being pursued by the 4.3 Mangrove Jack.

https://youtu.be/FfxDc6YlAB4

Cheers

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[ozscott]

Mate they built them on the Gold Coast for many years and I understand they recently moved to Melbourne. They have a good video that shows them tacking the build and using small runs of MIG then a TIG guy comes along and TIG welds most of it. I can tell you on mine the welds are of very good quality.

I know a guy at a Merc dealer who sold them for many years (then stopped because of reasons not relevant) still raves over them and reckons when drilling the Blue Fins of any size the drill was working harder that other brands they drilled including the one they now stock. He believed that the Fin used a very good grade of alloy.

Cheers

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[boatie_72]

Mate they built them on the Gold Coast for many years and I understand they recently moved to Melbourne. They have a good video that shows them tacking the build and using small runs of MIG then a TIG guy comes along and TIG welds most of it. I can tell you on mine the welds are of very good quality.

I know a guy at a Merc dealer who sold them for many years (then stopped because of reasons not relevant) still raves over them and reckons when drilling the Blue Fins of any size the drill was working harder that other brands they drilled including the one they now stock. He believed that the Fin used a very good grade of alloy.

Cheers

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Bluefin have just reborn after a lot of s@#t going on behind that scenes! The new boats are not made here in Australia nor do they have a factory/office here any more, they are made over in China

[Noelm]

Like lots of brands, they die, get reborn, die, start again with new owners, move offshore, who knows what's made where these days, Quintrex, Stacer and Savage might not be top of the tree, but they are made here (so far) and have dealers everywhere, mass produced to a price.

[GBC]

We have this in the family - 4.8 polycraft frontrunner. It gets bashed up creeks and up the inside of Fraser regularly. They do a 4.5 as well which I also had. Just another option.

The old boy dragged it up to Bundy to get a bit of work done to it last year. They had it at the polycraft factory all day and handed it back with all the latest revisions - NO CHARGE. I'll give them a free plug every day for that sort of care and attention.


116744

[ozscott]

CBC I nearly went poly. I like them but just a few factors that drew me away. It's a close run thing good alloy v good placcy.

If it can be confirmed that Blue Fin went OS it's a shame. I dare say it was quality materials and production costs yet again in Oz not meeting the market desire for cheap cheap cheap (...oh and quality too please! But cheap!).

I would buy (as I did) a second hand blue fin in a heart beat. Lifted the floor, likely for the first-time in 14 years it's perfect. No corrosion.

Cheers

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[bluefin59]

If bluefin are made in China now then I wouldn’t be interested either. Matt

[Gimme5]

Hey GBC. Had a quick look on the internet and the more I think about it, the more I think poly's not a bad way to go for a small boat. Do they scuff up easily, how do you look after them? Besides Polycraft and Smartwave, are there any others out there worth having a look?

[GBC]

No not easily. They are pretty polarising, you either love them or hate them. Great seaworthiness, can be wet, pretty heavy, will never wear out or break, plastic floats so you aren’t going to sink one ever - the one in the pic floats with the bungs out with about 200mm in the stern - pretty impressive. Finish is about poly water tank standard, attaching rego labels is a pain - nothing sticks to the plastic. I had my 4.5 out a long way offshore and always felt good in it - 100 metre line behind Moreton. Go have a look and see if you like or hate, then test drive one in a strong wind warning and give it a workout.


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[ozscott]

GBC I would definitely put it in the top 5 if going new. I have read about but not seen breakage where the spray didn't go thick enough but there aren't many reports and there are a lot more reports of welds coming astray and stress cracks especially with cheaper tinnies and also dearer ones where funky shape stretching is adopted on certain models...

I reckon consider a new Poly and put it up in the top few to buy new.

Cheers

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[Seahorse]

GBC I would definitely put it in the top 5 if going new. I have read about but not seen breakage where the spray didn't go thick enough but there aren't many reports and there are a lot more reports of welds coming astray and stress cracks especially with cheaper tinnies and also dearer ones where funky shape stretching is adopted on certain models...

I reckon consider a new Poly and put it up in the top few to buy new.

Cheers

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Only one boat to buy. 460 quinnie renegade. Best boat i h ave ever had. Do urself a favour and put it up the top of ur list

[ozscott]

Ok for so many Blue Fin fans they have recommenced manufacturing

https://m.facebook.com/bluefinboats/?__tn__=C-R

I thought they have moved down south and they are showing 7 Hills NSW on their page.

Cheers

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[Gimme5]

Had a quick look at FB and website and they remain vague as to where the hulls are built unless I missed something.

[ozscott]

They may not be fully back yet. Can't see phone number to call and ask where made. Cheers

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[swof63]

In one of the photos on their Facebook page there are about half dozen people’s in the background in the factory they all look Chinese. Not conclusive but just sayin.......


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[bluefin59]

http://www.marinebusiness.com.au/news/brooker-and-bluefin-to-merge-manufacturing
Another piece of the puzzle it seems . Matt

[ozscott]

And later article about Brooker.

http://www.marinebusiness.com.au/news/brooker-marine-goes-under-the-hammer

Cheers

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