purchasing new boat - advice

[fish-wa]

Hi Guys

I am looking at purchasing a new boat for river and inshore reef work here in Perth. I noticed that almost all pressed ali boats come from Qld and that most of the chat here is based from Qld so I guess you guys are probably th people to know.

I am considering an ali boat in the 4.5m range.

Am considering the Quintrex 460 Dory with a johnson 40, an Allycraft 4.45m Sioux with a yamaha 40, Stacer 460 seahorse. Am open to other brands but these are the most common ones I know over here.

Any thoughts or experiences would be appreciated such as ride, quality or other options.

Feel free to give your thoughts on any part of this.

Regards

Rob

[whiteman]

All brands in your post are reliable, volume producers. If you can get a ride on each model, that will help you decide. Tin boats are very forgiving as they'll take a lot of knocks. I'm a Quinnie/Yamaha fan for no other reason than I like them and have had amost zero problems after 3 years of this combination.

[QldKev]

Even have a look on your own doorstep, there are quite a few boat builders in Henderson. #Generally they are better suited to the larger swells WA offers. Alucraft and a few others make the plate range of Ali's.

[dfox]

Rob- i think youl find all those boats are owned by the same company, The difference in performance is marginal in all three options. i tend to like a little more horsepower then 40 on these boats, 50 would be better. Make sure the engine has electric trim and tilt.(without it its much harder to trim the boat in changing conditions) Ive been in both the stacer and quintrex and the choice would come down to service and price...foxy

[Needmorerum]

Yeah, gotta agree with foxy, I tested both, and it only came down to bang for buck. Dollars ended up doing the talking, as the quality of both was the same.
I also agree that you should step up a touch with motor size, your better off having to much, for those days when your loaded up, then not enough. I like to stick to the upper end of the rated sizes, preferably the highest power for rated weight.

Corry

[FLATHEAD1]

Before making a final decision have a look at the polycraft 4.55 Quickcraft. They have their pros and cons. Certainly give you more boat for your buck. Also from Qld.

Cheers
FH1

Yes I do have a 4.55 centre console.

[fish-wa]

Will look into motor selection a little maore and will check out polycraft range. We have a dealer over here.

Does the "evo" and "millenium" hulls on ali boats make a lot of difference. They seem to charge a fair bit extra, especially the quintrex brand. The flared bow does look like it would be good on the quintrex but not sure if it worth the extra.

cheers

Rob

[whiteman]

The millenium hull is very dry - I went out on a similar Stacer as my Quinnie a few months back and caught a bit of spray - the Quinnie would have stayed dry in these conditions.

However, if you're about to spend $20k+, get a test drive!

[dugong]

Rob
Telwater make both quintrex and stacer brand of boats, i have read that they come from the same factory and production line, so manufacturing quality should be the same. Quintrex is there premier brand so usually more bells n whistles and higher cost, i think in these smaller boats the differances are probably marginal and i would go for the best value for my money in this class of boat.
I bought a 460 quinnie just before they released the millium hull, it was a very good boat, wide beam very stable for walking about casting lures or fighting a big reef fish, had a 50hp (quinnie recommended hp) jonno 2 stroke on it it was plenty of power for most trips, 2 ppl and gear, but it was rated to a 60hp and there were a few rough days when the extra hp could have helped
dug