Clark Abalone Centre Console

[saltiger]

Hey guys,
Looking at buying an Alluminium centre console.
Has anyone had the experience of a Clark Abalone, any info on how they handle, how bumpy, wet or dry they ride etc would be helpfull.
Thanks

[foggy]

Bumpy,wet but tough as nails. Mate had a 14 footer with a 50hp. Used to get some serious air through the bay and never even looked like breaking. But be warned, bumpy and wet, wet, wet.

[quigs]

I had the abalone 4.3 CC and loved it handled the chop really well and I thought it was pretty dry compared to other cc I've been in. I found the lack of flare in the bow limited the amount of spray put up. I really loved it and only got rid of it to upgrade to a barcrusher.

In fact it may even have been drier than the bar crusher!

quigs

[CHRIS_aka_GWH]

when clark were built by clark at wacol they were the prefered brand by many pros - extruded closely spaced bracing etc rather than roll formed, decent freeboard etc made for tinnies that took the inshore/outside stuff on.

They are dated now lacking beam & the new hull shapes but christ if you are my age & have paid attention to no nonsense fishing then you know what place a Clark Abalone has.

chris

[dugong]

mate had an older model abalone
as tough as, they had a deeper V this made them tend to heal over when you moved around the boat, at rest or underway it took some getting used to but it was just great when it got rough.
cheers

[gogecko]

Im in an old Clarke Abalone now, and Im pretty happy with it. MIne is the forward controls 4.5m runabout, and with the windscreen setup I dont get wet that often, unless Im crossing the bar in rough surf. I love this boat, it has lots of room for fishing, and positive floatation. The hull design is excellent for the surf. Im often in and out of Southport seaway with no dramas.

I ran into a guy at a boatramp who had one, and he also said they just fly through the swell. PM me if you want to know any more.

[NeilD]

I had an older model 16' Abalone centre console for about 10 years. They are tough as guts but are in no way refined like modern designs. The buff nose on them makes them safe but pretty bumpy. I travelled from Masthead Reef to Turkey Beach in at least 30kns with seas well over 2m with a group of other boats. We were the only boat under 20' not to take serious green water onboard at times. I still have a soft spot for them but the old bones say stay clear.

Neil

[Razgo-]

an old thread but relevant to me :)

Thinking of buying a clark challenger abalone 4.29/14ft 50HP johnson centre console, live bait tank, & half bimini that makes it look a little like a cuddy i guess.

not sure what year they are? only found one reference for 1998 model so it could be that one? does the word "challenger" give away the year?

this article says t eold abolony were wet but not the newre ones 1998 http://boatpoint.ninemsn.com.au/reviews/older-than-1999/centre-console/clark/clark-abalone-challenger-8808

for $4,500 i figure it will do me for what i want it for. its really bloody light too! push it on trailer with one finger!

[Razgo-]

the quote from that site

"For fans of the rough and tumble, the good news is that Mayfairs Wholesale (the manufacturer of Clark boats) has recently released a revamped and even tougher two-boat Abalone range. And judging by the performance of our testboat - the new 4.29m Challenger Abalone centre console - the really great news is there's no longer a salt spray price to pay for toughness."

no longer spray for the challenger?

any confirmations on this? probably not a big worry for me so much as i tend to only go short distance and in calm weather :) but non the less very curious of the statement.

[Razgo-]

no the best photos with my mobile phone but this is the one i am looking at getting maybe. the trailer might need some work as it has some rust and a crack in it.

[gr hilly]

good solid boat mate wet wet wet

[FNQCairns]

If it is one, it's quite a bit older than the ones in your link, I would guess early 80s?....older even??

The abalone are great no frills hulls, they are bumpy and wet as mentioned above but every other comparable tinny of the same length is too....the abalones didn't do much wrong on the water but i have never been in one as old as the one your looking at.

cheers fnq

[Razgo-]

is there a way to find out its age? i think i saw some numbers etched on it starboard rear top corner beside where it says 14ft.

[oldboot]

I looked at one before I boaught my current "pride & joy"........they are a 'rude boat".

they look more like a big dingy than most of the more recent boats.

the owner I spoke to said... " she's a wet boat mate".. and he had fitted spray sheets to the front rails.

To a certain extent, I would have been happy with it......at the right price......but the Mrs would have freaked.........realy uggly boat......no lines, no style, no wife appeal......as for chick appeal... forget it.

Oh.....and thay will usulay have a realy old motor on them.....so it better come cheap.

cheers

[Razgo-]

Thanks oldboot, he i asking $4,500. i looked around and found some other clarks similar and they ranged from $5K to over $10K.

Yes it could be a bit overpriced i dunno. The motor starts and runs fine.

I don't mind ugly boats. It only needs to have crab appeal not chick appeal :)

I was looking for something that i could adopt a custom seat to to get my disabled wife in as well if possible. otherwise i get someone to sit with her whilst i duck out for some crabs.

So i was thinking center console so i could set her at the back with me and pull the pots up the front.

I actually even looking at the seajay viper side console so i could tuck her in securely beside me and still fish out front.

but at 22K plus i didn't want to spend that sort of money.

so i looked at the seajay escpae sports which looks like the same as t eviper but different configuration http://www.seajayboats.com.au/escapesp.html

i the the escape sports still come in at around 18K?

It had to come in fairly light too because my tarago towing capacity is only 600KG.

and i am only interested in local inshore from broadwater to redland bay to coochie/banana banks and maybe to peel if its good weather. but basically close to shore lines.

If i have to spend the money to get the right boat to get my wife in then i would consider that too, otherwise if its just me then tend to make mistakes and buy dungers :(

[FNQCairns]

Razgo without knowing those boats fully age will be just a guess, I used the over all look of the boat which included the relative lack of freeboard and the pressing down the side to assume my guess.

Age doesn't have to really matter though, except for under the floor....you really do need to do a full investigation down there IMO.

There is no reason reason it cannot do everything a 12k hull can do and some of the older tinnys seriously put the newer tinnys to shame in their softness of ride.

cheers fnq

[Braddles]

Brother in law had a Clarke Abalone 5m CC - it was a painted hull jobbie, well cared for, late 90's, fold down targa etc.

Nice rig - but VERRRRRY wet. He had spray dodgers mounted to the front rails, then had spray dodgers that would clip from the targa roof and windscreen out to the side of the boat on a 45 degree angle, to keep the helm dry...


As for the Seajay Sports - We have had the 4.35 (older model to the now 4.4) - AWESOME boat.... ONLY fault was when two big guys fishing out the back in swell, waves can come over the back, as the cut out in the transom is very deep for some reason.. - but nothing the bildge couldnt sort out.

The only other thing were the cheap nasty seats in the seajay... the cheap 2mm plastic would split where the seat was bolted to the seat post, kinda dangerous to loose your seating in a big swell...

The boats themselves are well set up, dry (for their size), have LOADS of storage under that front casting deck, and felt very safe on the 36's outside on a good day.

[FISHAWN]

Im running a 96 clark - Challenger Abalone 4.29 with a yamaha 2stk 40 Enduro (tiller) and I'm very happy with it and often make trips to the 36's+50's off the goldy and had the odd run in with bad weather and its held its own.
Yes you get wet when the wind and tide oppose but its stable and punches through chop well. Its a great offshore and estuary boat for the money and ive found no signs of cracked welds etc.
My only dissapointment in the hull is the cut out in the transom for motor is very deep and it tends to let water over in sloppy seas.

[nickstock]

Hi mate,

They are a good solid old rig and probably no rougher or wetter then most other older makes of tinnys.

In regards to price, I would not pay over $2500 for that boat mate. There are better boats out there for $4500

Cheers,
Nick

[Razgo-]

nickstock, i am feeling the same. If he came down to $2K i would buy it. thats teh type of boat i am looking for but just a bit dryer/higher sides would be good.

the 4.3 or 4.9 with 50HP should keep me under 600KG which is my towing capacity.

[Razgo-]

I had another look at her today and can see a crack in the trailer underneath. probably nothing a good welder can't fix quickly?
Just where that white corroded stuff is in the pic. not a good pic though.

otherwise i am looking at a quintrex 5.2m

[Axl]

Razgo
I have just ordered a Brooker Discovery 5m CC from Cunninghams Marine they have them advertised on Boat Point for $17950 they come in under 600kg not to sure if you want to spend that much but worth a look.

[Razgo-]

Hi axl, that is an interesting price. No i didn't want to go that high but i am surprised thats a NEW price for a new 5m cc.

I wanted to stay well under 15K and even under 10K if possible. but at the same time i have to consider price difference between new and 2nd hand which isn't always that much difference depending on age.

I haven't researched brooker cc yet so i will throw that one in the mix too, thanks for that :)

was at vic point ramp the other day and a guy came in on his blue fin cc and said to me if i wanted a decent cc to get a clark abolone.

[Axl]

Razgo-
Spoke to a mate he has one 4.9 CC late 80's I think as the guys seem to be saying WET!!! boat but my mate says his is though as nails.

[Razgo-]

yeah i think i will get this clark tinny. had another look inside and it really is like new. welds all good and and new condition. Its just looks grubby because i don't think its ever been washed and it was in the last 2 dust storms we had here to.

If i buy it i will post some video :)