Truck, Tank, Clark Abalone, all 5m Which one??

[FNQCairns]

Narrowing it down somewhat- I think :-?

and forgeting about price difference which one would you buy? - hull only say $7500 for any of the above.
To be used for regular 25km runs to the reef and sometimes nearshore also, the reef is protected most of the year by fairly big seas a lot of the time, so will be punching through fairly often, mostly coming home.

Any advice welcome.

Cheers fnq

[blaze]

have you give up on that lovely rebuild nq
cheers
blaze

[FNQCairns]

Not really M8, just got sick of being offshore fishing trip boatless (as the skipper) been a few years now and thats longer than ever in my adult life, will keep plugging away at the Project just with an indefinate time frame keeping one eye on fuel prices >:(

cheers fnq

[cruisinginahiace]

I have just been through this exercise.

You will get the Clark Abalone much cheaper than the stessl, from what i could tell the clark is essentially the same hull.

FYI Cairns post today had a clark abalone secondhand for sale - according to my father whom lives over there.

I have a very old Clark Abalone I bought this month, just put a floor in it today. after welding holes ect.

[cruisinginahiace]

FNQ, to answer your question I would buy the Clark :)

easier on the $

[wayneoro]

clark abalone is a v' good boat had 1 8yrs for off shore you need to build it up in front they are very wet good luck

[FNQCairns]

Thanks for the good reply's I will check out the Clark, I need to refresh my memory what they look like, one quote for the 5.3 was $8600, at that stage I didn't get a 5.0 quote.
I used to dribble at them Clarks 10years ago through chain wire fences on sunday drives, same with the Tank (a 4.5m model)I have only seen one through the boatyard fence yesterday, the truck I have seen a couple of years ago as one flew past me in a creek.

The reply's are just great, I am at a distinct disadvantage up here, need to be lucky to see the model in the flesh at boatyards and must order sight unseen of the brocure. Not the way I like to do it.

Confusing - the abalone is also a lighter boat built by allycraft, I think.

cheers fnq

[Deelirious]

just get a fisher and be happy.
Ed

[isaac]

Buy some quality wet weather gear if you're going for the clarke.

[FNQCairns]

Cannot for the life of me understand why these mass produced tinnys still persist with poor hull forms, wonder if col makes an extra extra basic 5m, would love his hull shape under a Tank style tinny. To me the relative lack of at rest stability in a 300kg tinny like this would be worth it once heading home.

cheers fnq

[Matt_F]

FNQ,

I have a 4.5m tank which I take out the reef (off Lucinda) for day and overnight trips. It doesn't have the ride of a fisher but is very stable at rest and is huge for 4.5m. The plate boats are better if you can afford one. Unfortunaly for me I don't have the money for one. The tank is a step up from the standard pressed hull as far as construction goes.

Matt

[FNQCairns]

Thanks Mat, I think the tank might be the one I end up with in 5m, price is good etc but still not totally certain, this time around price is my main consideration, it will be a while before I can afford to power it properly. What size is on yours?

Cruisinginahiace, there were two in the paper one is gone already and the other is still there although it has a trailer which I dont need, your new boat looks good, if he was selling without trailer and $800 or so less it would be a good buy by the sound of it.

cheers fnq

[Jitlands]

Just been through the same process including looking at qintrex plate boat.

Ended up deciding on the plate truck, although built under the mako name its the original Alf Stessl design---- proven hull
The final descision was prompeted by the small factory , hand built, family company influences.

If the bloke that designed the hull, also welds the hull and bangs his own name on the side it will do me over mass produced pop outs

Only time will tell but i feel comfortable with the descision

[davo]

I had a 5m clark and never again! Wet, rough and split after 6 years. If you really want pressed ask Aquamaster in Brisbane. Paul used to work for Clark and his boats are a great advancement from them at a factory direct price. His boats are very strong for a pressed boat and you know who is welding them. Also you can custom build easier and he doesn't rip you off with extras. I have a 12V nose punt and have been back a few times for customising and I can only praise him.

Having said that my 4.8m Fisher is magnificent. These days I fish with another mate and we swap boats but if it's a rough day I flatly refuse to go in his Quinny. The Fisher's are that good, it kills my prior boat which was a 5.2M Savage. I'll have this boat till I retire and that a long way off.

[Matt_F]

FNQ,

I have a 40hp 2stk Yammaha tiller on the back of a 4.5m tank. It is at the smaller end of the desired size but still does the job. With 2 people and a heap of gear (fuel, water, esky, camping gear etc) I get 23knots top speed. A 60 hp would be nice which is the max recomended. I can do a trip out to the reef with a heap of running around out there (about 30nm each way so around 70-80nm all up) for about 50ltrs wich isn't too bad for an overnight reef trip. I got mine from boat scene in Cairns, they were more than happy to take me for a run before I bought it.

Matt.