What boat should I get? JBS, Fisher, Barcrusher

[chuss]

Hey guys/gals.

I'm currently in the market for a new boat. Have taken good looks at 99% of the plate builders in Australia and have narrowed my choices down to a plate alloy boat to be built by either JBS, barcrusher or Fisher.

My choices are:
JBS 5m walkaround cuddy
JBS 5.5m walkaround cuddy
Fisher 5m Maxi transon walkaround cuddy
Barcrusher 530
Barcrusher 560.

They are all priced in the $35-45K price range.
Now I'm just trying to decide what to go for and hope to get some help.

Does anyone know if the 5m JBS is big enough to get out offshore (around 20Km) and be safe in? or should I go the extra 500mm?? But then the price is a $6K jump.

Or do I go fisher in the same size?

Then again, the barcrushers keep coming to mind, but I really wanted the walkaround cuddy (to get 4-5 people to fish comfortably). The barcrushers ride is what gets me interested as the seabreezes generally blow up in the afternoon over here (in SA).

HELP!!!!!

If anyone does own either of the boats mentioned, please give me some feedback and photos if possible, I've only seen what's on their homepages and on this forum.

[dfox]

Mate , my personal choice for offshore would be the fisher in the largest size you can afford, good honest hull ,local product...

[chuss]

I've been talking to Fisher in the past few days. They seem very informative and helpful but I can't justify the price.
A 5.5 maxi transom walkaround cuddy setup with bimini, live bait tank, walk thru transom, paint, full fitout is gonna cost me $34K just for the hull and trailer!!! When you start adding the options, the price jump is huge
So i'm looking at around the $50K with 4 stroke and electronics.
A bit rich for me.

Looks like its out of JBS and the barcrusher.

[billfisher]

What about the 5.5m Stessel Bluewater. Its a lot cheaper than the others you mentioned (some B/M/T packages under 30K). It is a pressed hull rather than plate, but I have heard it is very strongly built with a 4mm bottom and plenty of ribs. It is supposed to be quite soft riding for a tinnie.

[chuss]

The stessl beam is 2.4m. I need a beam of 2.3m (garage door restriction). Stessl won't modify it.
Also, Stessl refuse to weld in a chequer plate floor although it is an available option, so they can get stuffed.

You'll also notice their floor is just particle board with a bit of carpet on top...
Their cuddys have fibreglass cabins tacked on. Lots of little quality issues that I didn't like.

[Kiktz]

The VERY BEST PLATE boat I have been on

FISHER....FISHER....FISHER....FISHER....

If I could afford I would have one tomorrow......... DUX NUTZ

Go the 6.4 mtr get out of the 5mtr range if you wanna be going off shore. That would be me any way

[billfisher]

Chuss,

Insn't the floor plywood rather than particle board ? Particle board has very little strength and wouldn't last long once wet. I would be surprised if they would use it. I don't mind the idea of a plywood floor as it is removable so you can check the hull and floatation material.
Also why won't the put in a checker plate floor if the say its an option ?

[chuss]

If I had the money i'd be going a 6.5 sailfish cat. But at the end of the day it comes down to money and I only have about $40K to spend.

Stessl won't do the floor as they "can't be bothered". That was a quote from the builders themselves. They prefer to pump out as many boats as possible as now the are mass producers.

JBS just quoted me $23500 for their 5.5m, $3300 for trailer and $2k for fitout. With a couple more options i'm looking at $30K for complete hull and trailer. Add an outboard and electronics and i'm up to about $42K. So it's on par.
Barcrusher just quoted me about the same mark for their package so i'm now deciding between the 2. Decisions, decisions.. :-/ :-/ :-/

[Blueby]

I would def go the jbs having been in one in some testing conditions plus the local after sales support no doubt better than bar crusher no matter what the marketing.

I have recently gone with the bluewater partly due to budget but also cos i liked the layout ie walk thu vs walk around cabin of jbs etc

[chuss]

Yeh, I'm talking with Fisher a bit more, as I said earlier they are very helpful.

Its so damn confusing buying a boat!!!

Fishability is everything to me. I get out on the water to catch fish with minimul fuss so I require everything setup correctly from the start. I may be a bit pedantic, but at the end of the day i'm the one forking out the cash.

If there are any other options I should be considering, please let me know.

[opimax]

keep talking to col if you go with the fisher you won`t be disappointed. any more info needed call me 0417648217.

[Craigo]

Go the Barcrusher 560, I've had mine out 40k+ in some pretty awfull conditions, never felt safer. The stability at rest won me, the ballasting hull really works well. They can be a bit wet running into a bit of a side wind but that whats happens with a sharp deep vee bow. You can always pull the hardtop down if it gets too bad with rain as has happened to me. Extremly well made and solid. Being able to keep the weight down to fit on a single axle trailer is a big plus for manourvability and maintenence.

I am sure all the boats you have shortlisted are excellent, it's just a case of what suits you and your wallet the best.

Cheers

[perko]

Chuss Have a good look at the Mclay 5.85 in the 4 sale section. They have a top ride and there build quality is the best around.

[Outsider]

I went through exactly the same thing as you about 10 months ago and came up with exactly the same 3 boats as you. I also looked at TABS, AMM, Noble, Rebel, Ocean Cylinder, Quintrex ::), Lightening, Riptide, Vision, Stessel, Stabicraft,Trailcraft and Seaquest. I wanted an offshore capable boat I didn't have to worry about all the time like my old Bruisecraft ;D, one that rode well and had heaps of room, could sleep 2 if needed, had a hardtop, a 4 stroke etc etc. Months of tests, reveiws, research, talking to owners and deales etc whittled the list down to the 3 finalists.

Took the 560 Barcrusher for a test - liked the ride - hated the beam, hated the sreen and dash layout. I sure now I would've regreted buying one and I'm sooooo glad I didn't. Two people fishing in the back corners in a 560 felt almost shoulder to shoulder - JBS or Fisher it's like being in seperate postcodes. Fishing 1 up might not be an issue in a 560 but 3 or 4 up would be horrific I reckon. I took the 560 out for a flog then when straight to see a Fisher 10 mins later to compare. Fisher felt twice as big and twice as solid!

It's all a question of $$$. If you took out the $10k-$15k the dealer slaps on per boat the Barcrusher would come out at about $30K - which sounds about right for what it is. In reality your comparing a genuine $30k boat (560) with a genuine $45k boat (Fisher,JBS etc) if you could buy them direct from the builder. If I could've bought a Barcrusher direct from the builder at $30K maybe I would've looked a little harder at it. But at $45K it was way out of it's league.

The JBS and Fisher were so close when it all came down to it I took the Fisher 550 extended transom (6.1m) over the JBS 5.5 walkaround (5.5m) based on the extra size and the recommendation of a JBS owner. The only real point of difference with the JBS was the flared bow. This JBS owner felt that whilst this feature was good for slicing through the bay chop, it didn't have any positive effect on the offshore ride as the flare spends most if not all the time up out of the water whilst on the plane and at slow troll speeds the hull didn't have enough momentum behind it to slice through the swell.

Paint, options, trailers, engines, fitout, quality etc seemed the same for both brands. In reality they're probably both exceptional boats an either one would give years of faithfull service. Try them all as close together as possible and see how they feel.

I love my Fisher, my friends love my Fisher - my wife hates MY Fisher - but I can always trade up on her... ;D

[Kiktz]

Chuss,

My mates with the Fisher didn't go all out to start off with.
Basically got a unpainted plate boat got a second hand engine on her and the essentials only. 2yrs on now she is painted and new engine and now looking at the electronics in the next 6 to 12mths.

Seriously, you dont have to have it all at once you can go lil by lil to have one hell of a awesome set up. They certainly didn't have the cash to do what you are but there is an option for you.

[mako_5.2]

It all comes down to dollars. Buy the best that you can justify. Also make sure you can handle it on your own if going alone or with kids. I have a stessl mako cuddy which I thought was good for the price but would swap for a JBS or Fisher at the drop of a hat. They are an entirely different class of boat in build and ride. You also have to really think about what you are really going to use it for and how often. I use mine in Moreton bay and it handles it quite well but the walk around cab would be a handy feature. Easier to pull the anchor than crawling out a liitle hatch. The 5.2m Stessl are 2.3m beam and the 5.5 are wider.If you are restricted by width also check boat height on trailer as you might run into problems, mine is almost 2.9m to the top of canopy on a trailer with 13" wheels. The Mako cuddy is aluminium but the Bluewater run about is a fibreglass tack on. The floor is solid enough (ply) A self draining would be a nice safety feature and a bit easier to clean the fish guts off than carpet.Definately test anything you whish to buy so you can form your own opinion as you are the one to live with your decision. Also the longer the better.

Good luck
Darren

[chuss]

Some good advice people, thanks.

Its still out of the barcrusher 560, jbs 5.5 and fisher 5.5.
All have chequer plate floor.
Beam will have to be <=2.3m on all of them, so cockpit space should be the same. Just that the barcrusher has huge gunwales and you lose about 100mm on each side. But the JBS/Fisher come up trumps with the walkaround and being able to be fished up front. Again food for thought.
There must be room for 4 to fish at the same time..

I will be taking the boats out offshore, but no more than 20km. In SA, the swell can get pretty nasty when a southerly breeze blows, generally an afternoon seabreeze is 20/25 knots and 1-2m seas, these come out of no where.. I'm sure all boats will be able to handle it.

Height shouldn't be a problem for all, just the width. Fold down/removable windscreen, folding bimini overcomes this... Damn garages!!! [smiley=wut.gif] [smiley=wut.gif] [smiley=wut.gif]

I guess it's now the price at the end of the day.
I have thought about doing things slowly, I obviously want the fitout from day 1. But things like aux motor, GPS and sounder can wait as I have them already in 2nd hand form.

[Reefmaster]

Chuss
I have been in all 3 boats and yes your on the right track for a qaulity boat and the decision is certainly a tough one.

I will be honest and say i wasn't that impressed with the Bar Crusher as an all round Boat. For the money its not a very big boat compared to JBS or Fisher and didnt perform as good as i thought. I suppose there are two big differences between JBS and Fisher which you can take into consideration.

JBS Shallow V for better stability and less power required to push through the water (apprently) which has the custom flared bow to compensate for the shallow V for a better ride.

Fisher - deep V (23 degrees) with ballast tanks to make boat stable at rest. Can also get 23 degree bow with 18 at the transom (correct me if im wrong Col) which does not have ballast tanks making it perfect for Beach launching or shallow water areas. Both the 23 and 18 degree hulls ride extremly well in small chop or heavy sea.

While the custom flare in the JBS does work well in a small chop it certainly loses its soft ride in a big sea as the front half of the boat rarely will be in the water and i can tell you that the shallow v then pounds like hell.

The fisher rides like alot of glass boats and if not better in some cases and its an all round great package.

Like you say your living in an area thats common to big seas so my call would be fisher for the soft ride and also being a larged sized boat to tackle the conditions.

I can back Outsider up with his comments and also Opimax who have both just come from Cruise crafts to fishers and they are stoked with the change.

for your interest i dont own a Fisher. ;)
Cheers Greg

[reef05]

Chuss
I'm yet another proud owner of a Fisher , a 5m with extended transom (5.5m all up) centre cuddy cab walk around a 90Hp suzuki doing the work at the back. I have now had the boat for about 18 months and have been out in some unfaborable conditions (not by choice) and every time I have arrived home safely a well built boat that preforms well in all conditions.

[ken4159]

Chuss,
I have a JBS 5.5m, taken it out in some nasty weather (no other trailers at ramp) she dose pound a bit at speed but unlike some is a dry boat & a safe boat. I
've been in a few Fisher boats as well, nice rigs.

Your choice

Cheers, Ken

[chuss]

reef05 - I spoke to Col about this boat yesterday, do you have any pics, if so let me know and send some if you don't mind? Can you fish 4 out the back of the boat comfortably?

Goanna - thanks for confirming.

Well it seems that my best bet is a fisher or jbs. But the only thing restricting me is the beam. They are all 2.4m beam boats and can't be pulled in that much unless I drop a size. So then its out of the 5m extended transom fisher or the 5m JBS.
The fisher seems to be bigger (5.7m LOA). But haven't seen any pics yet.

[devocean]

Chuss I looked at the fisher myself as I am going to buy in the next 6 months. Way to expensive but the quality is also way better. I have edged toward the stessl as the cheaper alternative nothing wrong with them

[Tony_N]

Chuss - maybe think laterally - buy a house with a bigger garage. Downgrade on your current house and you can then afford the Fisher with all the bells and whistles ::)

[Thunderbird]

You get what you pay for so the saying goes...
you don't want to be one of those people that has to spend there money twice or be fixing problems with a hull that won't stand up to what you dish out!!!
5 year waranty with a fisher hull there days i think.
Got a 5.8 maxi that is three yrs old and is still in perfect nick.
as for the ride and fishing room well i can't winge either ;D ;D

[mako_5.2]

Chuss
Make sure you do a bit more than look at pictures before you buy if at all possible. If you are serious whoever you are buying from should be able to arrange a test ride before handing over folding stuff. I agree with Tony. My boat did not fit in the shed without pulling the canopy and clears off each time I got it out and put it away so I put up a bigger shed. Problem solved.

[chuss]

My shed isn't a problem, it's damn huge at 7m x 6m x 3m. It's the opening to my rear yard, The fence and brick walls are only 2.4m apart! I can't move those.

Still, I reckon it's out of the JBS and barcrusher... decisions decisions.... :-/ :-/ :-/ :-/ :-/

[JohnZ]

G'day Chuss, this is the first time visiting these forums and thought I would add my own experience to this thread, as I own a BarCrusher 560C with a 140 Suzuki 4 stroke. I haven't been on either a JBS or a Fisher boat, but I have been on plenty of 5.5m fibreglass boats before. The Crusher rides very well, in fact I would go as far as saying that it rides better than most 5.5 fibreglass boats, giving a smoother ride, but noiser due to the plate. The BC's are very tough. Some of the stupid things I've done to it are as follows. (1) Side swiping those metal poles that protect the bowsers at service stations. Thought I ripped a whole into the side of the boat only to find I had actually bent the pole, but not even the slightest dint in the boat. Although, I had to cut and polish the affected area. (2) My 12 foot tinny rolled down the hill(in my driveway) and slammed into the side of the boat only to bounce off and cause 2 scratches. Bit of touch up paint fixed that. (3) I had some swell come through at a local jetty a few weeks back which caused the boat to slam uncontrollably against the pier(no rubber or tyres to protect it). No dints or scratches thank god. In all 3 cases, I was 100% certain I had done serious damage to the boat, but thankfully, I was wrong.

The other thing to consider is innovation. Do these other boats have a folding hard top roof(which has built in rocket launchers) and windscreen that you can put up or down in less than 30 seconds? Do they have a fibreglass ride? Do they have large gunwales that you can sit on? Can fish 4 people comfortably? A ballast system that works? A large opening in cuddy to reach anchor? Bait boards with rodholders? 6 rod holders strategically placed and angled around boat? Large kill and fuel tanks? Fuel tank filler on the floor so you can actually see with your own eyes how much fuel is left? Quality trailers? A nice paint job?

I've had mine for about 7 months now and it's been in some attrocious conditions, but I always felt safe and in control. Boat still going strong and would buy another know doubt.

The only thing I don't like about it is the height at which the windscreen sits. The thick metal frame that surrounds it gets in my way, but I have made a little foot stool which I stand on now which has resolved the problem. Only took me a few months to work that out! ;-)

The Suzy 140 stroke is a gem. Very quiet, smooth and economical. If it's a tough, no nonsense, practical and innovative boat you're after, take a closer look before spending your dollars. I too did about 12 months of research and chose this boat. You will find that those that actually test boats for a living and write for fishing and boating magazines own these boats too. Ask yourself why?

I'm not taking anything away from any other boat. Take all boats out for a spin and be your own judge. Just make sure it's blowing 35 knots plus to get a good indication of how each boat handles.

I must admit, I didn't take the JBS and Fisher boats out for a spin, there was no need. After checking out the BC, taking it for a spin and the "built-in" innovation, I was sold.

Whatever you choose, good luck. They are all top boats and are the best in the market.

[quigs]

Hey Chuss,

recently went through what you are going through and ordered a 560 Bar Crusher 6 weeks ago. The main thing is to get whats suits you, sometimes you need to make some small compromises but with the boats you are looking at you really cant go wrong.

The Fisher, I honestly reckon these things are the bees knees and would feel pretty safe off shore in 0ne of these, really cant fault them however for me The width was a problem when it came to storage. If it werent for the size of my garage the extra width woud have been a major plus fishing 4 up.
I also launch over the beach with a tractor and felt that maybe the 23 degrees deadrise in the hull would restrict this somewhat, I know they have a 17 degree model but this didnt have the water ballast and the BC does.
Cost was an issue, The fisher was a fair bit more than the BC. If you didnt have the restrictions that I have you could easily justify spending the extra though.

So although I love the look of the fishers I went the BC as it fitted my needs. I'll be able to walk pat it in the Garage and know that I still have a great boat out at sea.

as I said I dont think that you would be disappointed with any of these boats, I cant wait to get mine, the 5 month wait is killing me.

Good luck with your decision, get something that suits your needs as if it dont you will end up creating a problem for yourself and not using it.
Quigs

[chuss]

Decision was made on the weekend everyone. I went out in a Barcrusher and loved it. 25-35 knot winds and seas 1-1.5m. I normally wouldn't even venture out there, but we did and the ride is unbelieavable, the marketing isn't a gimmick.

So it'll be the 560C. Just motor choice now...

[JohnZ]

1 to 1.5 meter waves, huh! #Wait until you see what it can do in 3 meter waves.... ;)

Did you take out the Fisher or JBS at all?

RE: Which engine? Go the 140HP Suzy 4 stroke. I've got a detailed article on it if you haven't seen it. PM me and I will send it to you.

Regards,
John.

[damons33]

gee, sales pitching and froing!
:o
did you look at #lazercraft -nz boat-dotcom.nz
i would rather a stessel then a "bc"
then i would rather a jbs or a fisher-both made in brissie(i have a jbs 5.2m- fine out offshore!)
# # i own a platey and in the last five years the most outstanding hull i've seen at a resonable cost is the lazercraft.
# the super vee is the ultimate but cost more then a fibre-glass hull.
# fisher and jbs are work horses and can take a knock, the fisher is a bit heavier plate so is probably more durable again then the jbs-mine weights 650 kg hull only.
# brisso doesn't get the same size swells as melbourne , i think the 23degress is over kill and you lose economy and boat speed. if you want soft ride you want a fibreglass boat!
if you want a good "trailer boat" for go everywhere you want the light tow weights of the plate allys'.

#!!the dudes comments on the bc are nothing short of a hard sell!!
:P

#remember the plateys where meant to be cheaper then fibreglass, if i where to buy a boat tomorrow it would be the 680 cyclone with a 150 4stroke yammy! made in gordonvale ,qld- for the kind of money you spoke of!
#but you need to be a bit carefull ramping or tying up to a wharf because shes made to "fly".
::)
damon

[JohnZ]

Sorry if I came across that way Damons33, but once you jump in one and run it for a few months, it's hard not to give them a good wrap.

I think Chuss did his own "Sales pitching and froing" by physically jumping in the boat and actually testing it on the water. Quote "25-35 knot winds and seas 1-1.5m. I normally wouldn't even venture out there, but we did and the ride is unbelieavable, the marketing isn't a gimmick", rather than armchair commentating like some of us.

Either way, couldn't go wrong with any of the boats mentioned. These boatbuilders are at the forefront of plate boat building in Aus and should be congratulated.

[chuss]

I didn't end up taking rides in the JBS or Fishers. The cost was too much at the end.
Plus i'm from Adelaide, so getting over to QLD and buying from there would've been a hassle and the freighting, etc...

The 560 is big enough to fish 4 comfortably, and 1 can fish from the front hatch (I tried it and it worked). So that met my needs on the fishing basis.

The ride is truly amazing, I was actually bracing myself coming off some 1m waves and doing 30 knots (I was actually crapping my pants), but the landing was weird and unexpected. Of course there was a bit of a pound, but nothing like my current 5m Savage runabout.

There is a lazercraft on Ebay at the moment for $44K, and i've messaged the guy. No response yet.. But normal RRP costs are around the $50K mark for a package with 115HP on the back.

I'm looking at spending under $40K with the 560. It's all about price at the end of the day. I just need to score a good deal on the motor.

[quigs]

Good luck getting a 560 for under 40k, with a 140 Suzi you are looking at 45K even.

Quigs

[quigs]

Good luck getting a 560 for under 40k, with a 140 Suzi and a tandem trailer (which you will need if you are doing any long trips), hard top, etc you are looking at 45K even.

Quigs

[chuss]

$26K for hull, single axle trailer (weight is 1300kgs) and full fitout inc hardtop, baitboard, clears, seats, everything.

that leaves $14K for motor. I have all safety gear and GPS/Chartplotter already.

[poss]

I have a 5.5 c/console J.B.S. with all the mod cons 140 tohatsu great boat very stable but loses a bit off shore because of the 12deg deadrise at transom a bit bangy, but driven to conditions very safe runs out of mackay, a good days fishing up to 150klms for the day.

[quigs]

1350 kg for the weight of BMT means that add 150 kg for fuel and you are at the single axle trailers max weight with the tyres inflated to max pressure. Doesnt leave any room for all the extras, eskis fish, holiday gear etc. Sure you'll be fine for short trips but if you do anything longish you will have a problem blowing tyres. Been there done that and not doing it this time. pay the extra $800 for the tandem and you wont have any worries.
Hope you do it for less than $40 k but I couldnt.

Quigs