Sportsmancraft boats any good?

[Pwoida]

Does anyone know where I can get info on Sportsmancraft boat models? Does anyone know hat they're like?

[Morlers]

Hey Pwoida

Send Sundowner a PM. He has a 4.6 Sportsmancraft cuddy cab and loves it. I have seen it in action and it performs great.

:) :)

Morlers

[familyman]

Pwoida I have the same boat as sundowner and as morlers says they go great -not a signature but remember they are 20 years old.I have had no problems with mine but have only had it 1 year.The previous owner put a new transom in it because of big motor and waterskiers-suffice to say when I got it did not have one rod holder :(
There has been no deck problems or stress cracks anywhere.
Handling is ok and sundowner only has a 70hp on his,full length bunks for a snooze means the only downside is not much room to fish more than two people easily.Its a good boat for me as is small enough to handle by myself and it fits neatly in the car port,stuff the car ;)Anyway I recommend them ;D
cheers jon

[Pwoida]

Here's my new purchase. Haven't had her out yet so I don't know how she performs. Has anyone seen this model before? Does anyone know the history of Sportsman Craft boats?

[NQCairns]

That last pic looks extremly like a carribean - extremly like one! from the gunnel down, I would bet you will find the same hull in either pride/carribean. Also does the V at the transom look more like a modified U? If it is one of the above hulls you will be very happy with it's behaviour as long as you dont underpower it. cheers nq

Ps any more pics? inside and outside looks like another hull I know - possibly.

[snappa]

:)

sportsman craft boats, the first ones were built in sandgate by rows fibreglass

i had a 157 charger with 90 merc on the back and fished cape moreton

but that was a long time ago [38years]

i did the elect. mtce at the factory.

[Sundowner]

I've had my Sportsman craft for nearly 3 years now and I am still in love with it. Had it up at Keppel bay a year or so back and got caught in a notherly blow with two of us on board. The boat handled it with ease and I cant say anything bad about her handleing in the rough. It was a lont haul back to harbour with a 25knt northerly chasing us all the way but we made it despite 2m swells and a chop you wouldnt believe. The big V and flair at the bows pushes it through the chop and provided you had a decent head way it will stay on course withought to much roll. As Jon has already mentioed I have a solid 70 on the back and it gets up to 50km/hr (by the GPS) with ease. Again the only downside is the fishing floor space. Three at the most otherwise it gets to cramped. The low transom profile is another worry at times as slop into the engine well is a problem but then not a serious one. The drains handle it fine when you are underway. I would like to investigate the posiblity of fitting pods to the transom so that a live bait well a dry bait well could be added as well as add to the floatation but not sure how they would effect the handling. Anyway, thats away in the future still.
I to had to fit rod holders to the hull when I bought it as well as haveing to fit a bait/cutting board. All of which was a breeze to fit and all works well. If it has any vices then one of them is rolling hard when trying to cross the wash of a larger vessel at anything less that 80 degrees! But then the book tells us to attempt it only at 90 degrees so should I complain?
I have the boat stabled up at Hervey Bay now and try to get there as often as work and the weather will allow. The bay is a great spot to go boating and the fishing is half bad either.

[predator]

Has anyone seen this model before?


Looks like the conquest 173....
Had 1 a few years back with a 1984 Johnson 140, it was a good boat and rode reasonably well for its age..

[bazzaman]

A great boat, Ive got the exact model as snappa had. I got it from my grandfather a few yrs ago now with a suzuki 65hp on the back. Handling wise its great ive been up off mooloolaba in 2 metre swell and handled great. I have quite a bit of room in th back as its a runabout not a half cab. Fits my giant esky in it and fishes two so im happy with. Oh did i mention itll have a new 4 stroke 60 yammy on the back come sept!! :P :P One downer is tha low transom but has never hinded any fishn expedition!

All in all a great boat. I think the older hulls handle alot better than the newer ones anway!!

Cheers

Shane

[familyman]

Sundowner goto the "modified gunnels" thread for more info and progress of the floatation pod saga on my half cab.At the moment I am up to flowcoating them ,they have made a huge difference in the at rest trim and handling while under way-no more slop in the well ;D ;D

[Sundowner]

Hey, I realy like the look of that Familyman! I tried to pick up on the thread you mentioned but couldnt find it. Do you mind contacting me direct. ray@eladesom.com.au Yeh Yeh my names Ray and I didnt have it listed in my profile but what the heck. You are such a lovable bunch....... Seriously though, I am very interested in what's happening here. It seems a very positive way to go. Need to know just how it is fixed to the transom and will it be structually sound? Can you step up on it? ( I'm a big guy ;D)

[familyman]

Ray yes I made them with the main purpose of being swim platforms/steps .The plan then evolved into what you see here ;D
I will email you with photos and construction details.
cheers jon

[Pwoida]

NQ, its definitely a Sportsman Craft (it also has the Rowes Fibre Glass Sticker) in fact as Predator said it is the Conquest V173. Sounds like it should be a good boat from the comments. It also has a low transom, must be a Sportsman Craft thing. I was looking at it and thinking you wouldn't want to reverse in any sort of chop.
Predator, do you happen to know its age? You said you had a 140 on it, I currently have an Evinrude 1978 115Hp. Does that sound like the right sort of power?

[NQCairns]

Hi Pwoida, yeah I know it is factory branded as a sportsmancraft although a lot of hulls were borrowed/licenced or a mould was taken directly (stolen) of another brands boat then changed slightly and branded as their own, (not saying sportsmancraft did that). Yours looks like it was at some time a pride/carribean etc check those hulls out you should find them very familiar. For example I have a Kellercraft whose hull is from the bertram/carribean/pride stable and possibly hamilton also although it is a Kellercraft brand. ford lazer, mazda 323. cheers nq

[BAC888]

I know that this is an old chat but would derly love to get some info / specs / pix of the supplementary pods that familyman fitted to his boat. i have a seafarer with low transom and would like to do the same. Is there anything on the market commercially ie fibreglass??

[BAC888]

I know that this is an old chat but would derly love to get some info / specs / pix of the supplementary pods that familyman fitted to his boat. i have a seafarer with low transom and would like to do the same. Is there anything on the market commercially ie fibreglass??

[familyman]

Bac 888 if I were to do it again i would make a full width pod but not as long and move the motor to the back of the pod.For my purposes the two pods work fine but if you're into spending a long time in a following sea then they make it a bit hard to get the nose right up.This could be rectified by moving the motor but at the time I didnt have the dollars for new cables(steering and motor).Mine follow the original hull line .If you wanted to do the same I would tilt the bottom up toward the water line so they are out of the water at speed.I did mine like to support the weight of my motor 115merc 6.Any way pm me for more details if you want.
cheers jon

[outsiderskip]

i had a 189 halfcab sportsmancraft
It was one of the best stable boats i had when stationary
but one of the worst boats in a chop
back breakers

cheers pete

[BAC888]

Jon
Thanks for getting back to me. I only want to provide some extra floatation at the stern as I have a fairly boofy 85hp Mariner sitting on it and you can cop a fair bit of slop into the well, especially when the Pilot boat goes by your stern throwing up a 6' bow wave. I thought about the effects of extending the hull line and can see a fair amount of pressure involved when under way. So your thought to strake them to the stern makes good sense so that they aren't trying to lift the rest of the hull up out of the water at speed.
Anything that you can send me will be appreciated, photos especially. I particularly would like to know how you fixed to the transom.
My email is coulstons@optusnert.com.au.
Cheers

Brett

[BAC888]

Jon

Sorry - typo on the email address. should read coulstons@optusnet.com.au

Cheers

Brett

[mark221263]

I had one of the last 4.6m 1/2 cabs that was built up near Caloundra which is where the manufacturer moved or sold to after initially building at Redcliff for many years.

I owned it for about 5 years and a mate now has it.

There a great little honest performance boat that can handle the bay chop as good as many boats a fair bit bigger.

Mine had a 70 yamaha on the back and was a perfect combination of power and ecconomy.

Hard to beat for the money.

Cheers Mark.

[lunar_c]

Can anyone identify this model?

The time has come to let her go and it might help to convince a prospective new skipper if I knew which version it is..

Ben