How much should i pay for this tinnie.

[Tony_N]

I've been looking around for a while now and have been very surprised at the price many people want for their 2nd hand tinnies. I wish that everything I bought only depreciated as much as people seem to think their boats have. I have also been looking at dealers and have found some where the prices are similar to private sale prices, but offer warranties.

I have today looked at a 3.85 Alleycraft V-nosed punt with a 2003 2st 30 HP electric start mercury. The motor has just had its 1st required service, so hasn't been used much. The boat/trailer may be a bit older - not sure- but if they are 2003 then they have been sitting in the sun a lot. The carpet on the basic floor is looking a bit rumpled/curled at the edges. There is no rust.

Apart from the brand of motor this is my ideal crabbing boat. It is being sold by the dealer on behalf of a guy who has upgraded through them.

I'm thinking up to $4500 - but the guy is asking $6000

I've seen a few comments on here where I reckon people are a bit harsh on those that want to sell their boats at slightly inflated prices. I'm looking for the middle ground on a boat like the one described.

thanks

[sf17fisherman]

depending on what is on it and the age of everything
however if everything is honest then yeh the $6000 wouldn't be far from the mark
but then again it depends on the extras and condition of everything

[ba229]

I was always surprised at the prices ask being high in my opinion but the sellers getting close to what they wanted. It is one of those sorts of markets.

One thing to keep in mind is the true value of a 2nd hand tinnie is the motor. Hulls can come and go for a small price but motors cost a lot to replace.

My tinnie cost me $3000 and 2 years later I reckon I could get $3000 all because the motor is in excellent condition.

Go and price how much a brand new 2st 30 HP electric start mercury costs and that should give you some idea of the total packages value.

I looked for 12 months before finding my boat and I found not one single boat yard sold at a price I was happy with. Subsequently some boats sat in boat yards for that whole 12 months.

A brand new trailer for a tinnie is worth about $1000-1200 (correct me if this is a long way of the mark guys)

Don't forget that a sounder will cost anywhere upwards of $300 for a basic model, life jacket $70 each etc etc etc.

So add up all the extras but I still beleive the true high cost item is the motor, motor, motor and motor :-)

Hope this all helps.

[David_P]

Hi Tony,

Personally I reckon $6k for that boat sounds a bit steep. Have a look in the December issue of QFM as Mr T's Tinnies has a 4m Blue Fin with 30hp merc for $6600, or a Bermuda 385, painted casting deck, 15hp mariner for $5900. Also Endless Summer Marine have a 395 Horizon v-nose with 30hp yamaha at $5999. I'm sure if you shopped around a bit you'll do better than a second hand one at $6k.

Regards,
Dave.

[Tony_N]

Thanks for the replies. I was never going to pay the $6000 for this boat, but alchemy your post has encouraged me to look a bit further afield from home for a new boat. I'm not in a hurry.

Thanks everyone

Tony

[Bowser]

The electric start on the motor will make that price near the money. The variation in price between pull start and electric is fairly large. When comparing boats motors etc make sur you are comparing aples with apples. The Blue fin would I suggest have a pull start 2 pot motor where the other is an electric start probably 3 pot motor. You will get what you pay for. The cheaper the price, generally the cheaper the motor and it can be a long swim home of the motor goes west. The old saying is it is better to have an old sound hull and a new motor then the other way around. Personally though, for what it was worth, if I was buying a boat in this style, I would probably look at a blue fin, brooker or stessco but upgrade to a 3 pot pull start or if you are looking to do it cheaper buy a second hand tinny and trailer no motor, which are generally very cheap and a new motor, that way you know how the previous owner used the motor.

[James_Rand]

Hi, James here, 1st post and all.
In response to the tinnie price TONY_N, 2 months ago I paid $5000 privately for the following rig:
1998 Stessco heavy duty 4.0m tinny on 2000 model Redco Sportsman trailer with a 2000 Mercury 2 stroke 30hp with electric tilt/trim electric start oil injected tiller steer (US version).

I don't know if that's a good price, saw many rigs but bought this one as motor had only 50 hrs on it and it went harder that any other boat/motor of this HP on this size boat I tested. Had to replace oil reservoir due to a faulty float sensor ($250 fitted) but otherwise been happy with it so far. Anyway...

Thanks.

[joey_1987]

Hi, to give you an idea, my Stacer 395 seasprite was $5800 with 30hp mariner a month ago (same as mercury 30hp, same as tohatsu 30hp, very reliable motor, excellent power to weight, only a bit rough at idle) this was brand new from a dealer with 3 year warranty, and i also got nav lights + batt wired up, and a free service. 6K for a second hand boat is a bit steep, given the price of a new one! Joey.

[Streetkid]

The best piece of advice I ever got about buying a boat was to make sure you buy a boat not a price that way even if you pay a little more then you would like to at least you get the boat you wanted.

[bidkev]

3.95 stacer, trailer, 25 merc (american) tiller steer/shift, tank, oars, anchor, lifejacket. $6600 with warranty.

6000 seems a bit steep but there is a few bob difference between a 25 and 30 donk.

kev

[joey_1987]

Hey, the 30hp mercury is very likely the 2 cylinder model, identical to my 30hp mariner which is built by tohatsu and has mercury/mariner paint and cowling. in the 25-30hp range you will find that the 25-30hp tohatsu's/30hp mercury's are a bit rough at idle, but are very reliable, and will go forever given basic maintenance. the 25hp mercury american model would be smoother at idle, the 25hp yamaha twin carb is smooth at idle also, the 25hp and 30hp yamaha cv models are about as rough as the tohatsu, also will last forever, and there is the 30hp yamaha 3cylinder 3 carb, heavier than the other 30hp's and with 3 cylinders and 3 carb's it idles the smoothest, is the quietest, has the most torque, and of course costs the most. I would have liked the 30hp yamaha 3cyl for my stacer 395 but the mariner 30hp was part of the BMT package and thus the price was less, it would have cost me $800 more or so for the yamaha, not really worth it, and though it is a brilliant engine, the 3 carb's require careful balancing to run optimally. the stacer 395 is a great boat, very high sides and beamy too, feels safe in PPB 1m chop from a 15knt WSW but these conditions are unpleasant. Hope this helps, Joey.

[bidkev]

I agree with your sentiments re the stacer 3.95 Joey. I've driven a few small craft in my time but the stacer has proved to be the better ride (size for size) than anything I have driven before.

kev

[pillyjuice]

sounds expensive to me bloke. :o seen better round for that money. I picked up a 3.7m seajay 15 evinrude practically just run in. redco tilt trailer. Old fella, trading post. $2800. Don't rush, shop around.

[joey_1987]

Probably because seajay don't have the best resell price? and this was in comparison to a longer boat with double the hp, a 30hp can cost from $3000-$3500, the bare 3.95m stacer hull is $1500 on it's own, and then $1500 for a good trailer, it adds up. There are ways to cut corners of course. For the price, my stacer was a good deal when you consider that the same thing from another place would have been $800 more (go figure?). Stacer's BMT saved me money, because they have a contract with mercury marine if you buy a BMT you get a better price, 30hp mariner, a bulletproof engine, i would have preferred a yammie, but for the price i have no regrets. I know somebody who wants to sell a boat, 3.7 or 3.8m im thinking, very good condition, the motor is a johnson 15 maybe 5 years old? He is selling due to lack of use, and i mean lack of use, i have not seen the boat taken out for 1.5-2 years. Motor would be practically new, no more than 40 hours on it for sure. What do you think it's worth? He wants to sell so if you want to buy maybe i can help. Joey.

[Tony_N]

Thanks for your replies everyone. Lots has happened since I made the post. It looks like i will now be buying a new poly 4.1 with a 40 HP Suzuki 4 stroke elec start (converted to a tiller steer). A new boat was never my intention, but I am totally won over to the polys (price and function) and I have had an offer from a silent partner who is putting up half the money :D

cheers

Tony

[Billo]

I am always worried about buying second hand boats ...i know a few that have had so many problems they wish they could wind back the clock .
Not every one gets a dodgy sale , but damn i reckon i would want to know them personally or have a good mate that does .

A cousin got a second hand boat a few months back ....got the engine checked out and was superb so bought it .
a month later leaks were springing everywhere ...looks like the tinny jumped the trailer at some point and has now got SERIOUS troubles with big time cracks appearing

for around the 6G mark , you should get something quite reasonable brand new ....and WITH a warranty ...so yeh , as a few mentioned , get around and check out the dealers ....i particularly liek Sea Jays ...

[thumps]

locally there is a 5 metre centre console with a 90 on it

for $5999

:o

[fishin_till_late]

Kingtin and Joey_1987, Do you have a short shaft or long shaft engine? A friend told me he was wonderin if the seasprite could take a short shaft so he could take it up the shallows but the website only says long shaft. Do you think the seasprite is able to take a short shaft?

[joey_1987]

Hey, i got a long shaft, because i fish mainly PPB in melbourne, but they make it in a short shaft too. The 395 has very high sides. Why would you want a short shaft because the motor will still draw the same amount of water when the ventilation plate is in line with the hull. If he already has it, he would have to measure the length of his transom. But i don't see how a short shaft would enable you to get into more shallow places than a long shaft. Joey.

[joey_1987]

hey, i meant cavitation plate instead of ventilation plate, it was late. Joey.

[joey_1987]

hey fishin till late, what model seasprite has he got? has he already got the motor? if it's a 395, it goes like a wounded bull with a 30hp and 2-3 people + gear, 2 people and gear it's almost dangerous. Joey.

[fishin_till_late]

hey joey,
nah he doesnt have the boat i think he saw it in the yard the other day and was really just wonderin lol, i think when he saw it in the yard he realised that it could take a 30, and that was what got him intersted. We both know somebody with the same size boat with a 25, that sure goes too i think 30 got him and me thinking. So curisoity got the best of me i suppose but anyway thanks for ya replys joey.

jono

[joey_1987]

Hey, i have that boat with a 30hp mariner (same as merc, motor built by tohatsu, cannot get a more bulletproof motor) and let me tell you it does go. And yes they do make it in a short shaft, though not many people buy them. When i went to buy mine, i ordered long shaft, but the dealer only had two short shaft models coz stacer gave them the wrong models they ordered long, so somebody had to drive about 300km to another dealer to swap for long shaft model. Great boat, with 30hp no shortage of power, 2 people and you would hardly ever use all that grunt, though it is handy to have, if you're wondering about price, i got mine for $5800 brand spankin' new with 3 yrs warranty on everything. Joey.