Advice needed for newbie

[Kate Morgan]

Hi , my partner and I are newbies to boating and would love some advice . We are looking at a Formosa sea rod 520 half cab and were wondering if they are an easy boat to handle at boat ramps and an easy boat to handle in general for newbies ?? Also , should we wait for a boat show , how much cheaper are they at boat shows ?? The one we are looking at is 39999 .. how much discount should we ask for ?? Thanks in advance

[airlock]

Hi there, The best way to figure out if a boat is right for you is to go for a water test, ask the seller to give you some time practicing loading and unloading the boat if its and area of concern and spend some time driving it in the conditions you will be using it. 520 is a great starting size as it big enough to go just about anywhere while being a very manageable size for solo launch and retrieve. As far as boat show/vs dealer the offers vary but i wouldn't bother waiting months and missing the best time on the water, if theres one near you in a few weeks by all means go and see.

Haven't owned or spent much time looking at the formosa range but they get a very good rep, check boat sales for prices and compare to see if you're looking at the right deal. What motor, trailer and extras are with the boat?

[Bazzawookooka]

Kate,

It might be useful to know what sort of boating you're planning on doing, and in what general area/s.

To some extent, boats are "horses for courses" if you know what I mean.

Cheers, Steve.

[Kate Morgan]

Thanks both for the responses . We are beginners so we plan on hitting the bay's and estuaries for a while till we get used to the boat , Gold Coast Broadwater , Hervey Bay , then we hope to go outside . The boat has a 90hp Suzuki with a sounder , inshore safety gear and rego and insurance . Not sure about the trailer, will have to check .

[Kate Morgan]

Not insurance sorry

[Dogtoooth]

Do you know how to reverse a trailer, it's not easy the first time. Good luck boating.


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[mitc69]

Gratz N Welcome to Boating

Firstly i suggest u get 2nd boat, boat show are great.. but it pointless if u never been or driven a boat... yet alone know what you need it for... others may see it different
otherwise if the boat is what i think it is.. the runabout ones.. saw afew at spring wood brissy for 35kish awhile back and half cabin at 38kish or so

but goto fishing meet.. go out with some ppl on forums or mates, so it doesnt ruin your first time on a boat/fishing...

[Kate Morgan]

Haha , I have seen a newbie reverse a trailer , not as easy as it looks , lucky for us we will be boating midweek so should avoid crowds at the boat ramps

[Noelm]

As a general rule (in my opinion) boat shows are not cheaper, but they do provide a lot of similar boats to compare, probably your best option would be to ask someone you know that has been boating for a long time to give you some advice, do NOT be blinded by a salesman's talk, his boat is probably not the best one ever made, regardless of what he tells you! Just like buying a car, look around and decide on what will suit, even the motor and trailer choice can save you a lot of headaches later on.

[Camhawk88]

Best piece of advice I can give is DO NOT BUY NEW. You are new to boating so you may find that what you think you want in a boat may change a lot in the first year or 2 of owning one. Buying a second hand boat means you will pay a lot less for a start but you wont wear the massive depreciation in the first year of ownership. Getting a boat with only a couple of years on it and maybe 50-100hours (often less) on the motor means you will save a heap of coin, it is likely any factory issues would be sorted (new boats and motors can have their issues too, its not like if you buy new you are guaranteed trouble free boating) and if you decide you want something bigger, or smaller, or glass or ali, then you can still sell it for close to what you paid for it.

My opinion only but leave your options open and dont fall into the trap of thinking you cant have trouble free boating with 2nd hand or that you will definitly have trouble free boating with new.

[robsue]

Kate, for practice reversing I suggest going to a quiet carpark somewhere, where lines are marked, that way you get the experience reversing, and without any accidents.....I use my side mirrors for reversing, makes it easy when you can see if trailer is swinging wrong way, especially when going to retrieve your boat


all the best in your boat hunting

[Kate Morgan]

Thanks everyone for your suggestions .. I have previously owned a Stacer bow rider for a few years and fished off Yeppoon so not totally green .. I do like the advice of buying secondhand , unfortunately their are no Formosa half cabs for sale secondhand or we would snap it up. Maybe we should just be patient and wait for one to come up .. I just worry about the motor , same as buying a secondhand car I guess ..
We do plan to go to a carpark and practice reversing , thanks for the suggestion

[DaveR]

I definitely recommend buying new if you can afford it. I don't see initial depreciation as a bad thing at all- rather it's the price you pay for absolute peace of mind, knowing the hull, engine and fittings have never been abused, neglected or even submerged. Of course you also get the full length manufacturer's warranty on the boat, trailer, engine, electronics etc. For new boaters, the peace of mind is priceless. Plus there's nothing like a brand new rig

The Formosas are really good rigs. A 520 will be easy to handle, cheap to run and maintain and also handle some rough stuff. In my experience you're not really saving money at boat shows. I bought my latest boat earlier this year and at the recent Sydney boat show the same model was on display from a dealer who offered me less than their "boat show special" months prior.

[dogg15]

There's a 2009 Formosa 520 on boatsales.com for $28k atm.

[Kate Morgan]

Thanks guys , will be going down the tweed on Friday to have a look at a Formosa sea rod .
We looked at that Formosa on boat sales for 28k ... It hasn't been looked after at all and when we took it for a water test it had some engine noises (prop chatter ) that we weren't happy with .
Cheers for all your help