sportsmancraft 189? any opinions???

[geoffrod]

Hi All, just after anyones oppinion or experience with sportsman craft boats. I am currently looking at buying a second hand one (one day it will be a new boat i buy) and just thought i would ask the question to get some idea of what people think of them. i want to use this boat for outside fishing so any experience with how they handle in the open water and at rest (stability), this one i am looking at has had a complete new floor and transom and a new pod fitted to it. It has a 115hp mariner offshore motor fitted to it with hydraulic steering.
Thanks in advance to anyone who post's.
cheers
geoff

[Noelm]

not too familiar with Sportsman craft BUT, I think I might be a little suspect if it has had a new floor and transom etc, might have been a bit of crap before it was "patched up" of course it might not have also, BUT!

[BrandonH]

My dad used the 18' sportsman craft boat (can't remember the model number) for many years down in sydney. He needed to put a new floor in it after it sat for ages without use (20+ years on). aparentlly the ribs were ok but i don't know if there is a way to check this without ripping out the floor??? Anyways he was very very very happy with its performance in the ocean even when pushing back into sydney harbour in 30 knots :o (glad i wasn't with him!!!) He only had an 85 jono on the back and he said he wished he got a 115 as some times when he got a real good catch (was a pro for a few years) he wouldn't be able to get it up on a plain. at the time he bought it he had the option of it or a haines hunter of the same size (wasn't as popular as they are now) anyways he got the sportsman because he belived it was better built and had a thicker hull.

Anyways I didn't get a chance to go offshore with him in it but I found out an old school friend of mine just bought a 15' half cab (dads was a front runner sorta config) I when fishing with him in his 15' sportman craft with a 70 jono on the back over to mud from Cabage tree creek one morning. we had to push back through a 20-25knot wind and she handled it very well with only a little role every few waves or so and averaging 14knots. yes he was working the wheel quite hard but it was a lot smoother a trip than i was expecting!! Hope this helps and if your interested in more info i can ask my dad if he wants to chat via email or something about them.

[jimbo59]

I HADE A 189 THEY TEND TO PORPOISE A BIT JUST A AVERAGE HULL..

[SunnyCoastMark]

Hey Geoff,
I had a 17ft. Sportsmancraft half cabin up in Cairns during the late 80's. Used to go out to the reef a lot with my family.

I found it to be aa pretty stable seaworthy boat. Trim tabs deal with the porpoising.
I loved mine - UNTIL I had to replace the stringers because they had gone rotten to the point where the hull was starting to crack.
\
If this one you are interested has had them replaced and the job has been done properly - it shouldn't be a problem. But, like I said mkae sure it was done properly - especially the transom.

Cheers,
Mark