Boat configuration - centre console, cuddy, runabout

[Vromme]

Boats are all about compromise and trade offs. A lot of personal preference and also what types of use it gets.
Get what you like the look and feel of, then if able jump in a few other types for comparison. You can sell and change (half the enjoyment imo). It may take a few boats before you settle on what you like.

Over last 30 yrs I went from tiller, CC, cuddy tinnes to glass runabouts then went deep V high HP semi cabs where I will stay. They dont bust you up as much, give you a wind break but need more fuel/hp but at least the trip is fun.

[pegasus]

Smakka,

Hi, lots of schools of thoughts there. I think most people's all rounder will vary to their individual needs/use- leanings. I have owned open Centre / side consoles, cabin boats of various sizes- alloy ploy and glass. All have the strength and weaknesses. I loved a the centre side/ console - tossing lures to schooling fish , bommies/structures etc but in some climates I was worse for wear at the end of the day. Maybe suited more for the keen fishos who use active fishing styles. Sometimes wears thin with mum - family members unless they too fit the keen fisho bill. Cabin boats, of course, offer that shelter elements, storage, bit of privacy etc- I loved that style for fishing offshore - and few over nighters in the bay etc... but thats was just the lad and myself. I have decide my next power boat will be that compromise of a centre cabin, alloy- good fishing access of a centre but a bit more shelter- maybe throw of bit extra sun protection etc. Love the ride of glass but appreciate the knock around of the alloy - also polys are very good on that aspect. All the best in the your adventures.

[catshark]

and the winner is .....disorderly with his new boat on best all round configuration for purpose.. yeah naa cant beat those walk around cabins.

[disorderly]

and the winner is .....disorderly with his new boat on best all round configuration for purpose.. yeah naa cant beat those walk around cabins.

Yeah definitely a good choice for us guys that are old and soft....

When I was younger I was quite happy to just grab a lifejacket for a pillow and stretch out for the night on my side of the deck of a runaboat or CC in fish blood and squashed pilchards ….also made it pretty easy to just reach up and grab the rod if a school of reds moved in during the night ..

Nowadays a bit more shelter from the elements is very nice..

[Ah Me Ting]

Good topic, thread and 'discussion'!

Having past 'mid-life' and now looking toward APIA (cheaper insurance years), the MW&F and I are looking at our boating for the future. The current 'open' tiller steer has us both thinking in time, we'll need (aka want) more 'comfort'. We've both found the elements (heat, wind, cold, etc.) turn us off going fishing (which we both enjoy and generally have a good time with healthy competition between us). I more recent developments and old lower back and neck surf injury has started to play up after a big day out with the Tiller (I'm not as young in body as my mind remembers).

Current considerations are:

- weather protection
- driving comfort
- handling comfort
- planned use and fishing options
- me solo at times
- me and mates offshore
- me and MW&F

A few things from use over the years has us leaning toward a 'walk through' cabin style with a transom door. Boats like the Quintrex Ocean Spirit, or the Haines Signature 525F are on the list ATM. With a good bimini and clears set up, most weather elements aspects would be sorted for our use / needs.

Walk through giving the 'cabin' protection, storage and also ease of access to anchor / boarding handling etc. Added benefit of being able to fish from out the front too.

As others have noted, all boats are a compromise so each user needs to weigh up the factors for their needs, use, budget etc.

[ranmar850]

I've been through the whole gamut of them. As others have said, every boat is a compromise. I did the young family thing in a variety of CC's, they get cooked on a long day, as do you. I had 4 cc's, glass and ali, up to 6 metres.( as well as commercial boats up to 50 foot, Glass and ali, but that's a different story) Finally got tired of getting wet and cold, sometimes at the same time, and my wife was over it before me. Went to a 5.65m cuddy, enjoyed the protection, didn't enjoy the added difficulty of anchoring. If you need any wisdom on how to manage anchoring on a cuddy, I have plenty. Eventually went to a winch. Then decided I wanted to broaden my horizons beyond day tripping, and bought a 6.4 m cuddy, and my wife and myself enjoy camping onboard, kids are long gone. But still fish with us when they get the chance.

But you still have the kids. As this is your first boat, you need to get the wife and kids to enjoy it. Put them off early, you are done for. DON'T BUY A BOWRIDER. ( this always says--" my wife had too much say in this, and she knows stuff-all about boats" ) Discount runabouts altogether, uunless you plan to restrict yourself to flat calm water. The ali runabouts just beat the hell out of you, the smaller ones need to be driven sitting down, and they still give very little spray protection. You are sitting right over the impact area, and the place which goes up and down the most, at least with the same hull in a CC you are a bit further back. But nowhere for a toilet unless you go really big, over 7metres. Built-in toilets are fine for day tripping, big hit with the ladies. We deliberately didn't take up that option when I specc'd the new boat, because, if you are staying overnight, you don't want the toilet buried under the bed. We put a porta-potti in the space closest to the cabin door, and get it out and leave it on deck when needed on overnighters. They don't take up any more room than a bucket, and you seal all the smells in . And cuddies are usefull for keeping stuff clean and dry if you need to. Get one you can drive standing up, without getting wet, because if you need to stand up, the spray is likely to be flying anyway.

Ali or glass? Ali is more forgiving in some respects, pressed ali make good beginner boats, people generally work their way up from them. Particularly when they get tired of being jarred and jolted when the wind comes up, and are getting passed by people in glass hulls, sitting down.

Size? are you towing-limited? or do you have something which can tow 2.5 tonnes and up? Exercise gets expensive when you have to change your vehicle as well. Most stuff around 5.5 m will come in around 1500kg. Weights go up rapidly as you go up in size, add a metre to that and you likely add a tonne, fully fuelled with all gear on board. If you are buying new, salesman will try to sell you a package which likely has a trailer which is marginal, at best, to keep the package price down. Industry is rife with it, unfortunately. If he tries to say " dry hull weight is such and such, motor weighs xx, add a hundred kg for gear, you only need this trailer' he will be WAY out. Weighbridges don't lie, and neither do the Mermaids' scales. Over-ride brakes are not allowed on trailer of over 2000kg GTM. GTM is the weight of the trailer/boat, weighed when hooked upo to the vehicle. ATM is that weight plus downforce on towball--in other words, weighed on the jockey wheel, not hooked up. So many peoiple are in contravention of this, it is just not funny. The silly part is, once you have actually used the EOH systems required on the larger trailers, you'd never go back to over-ride. People will try to tell you that ali boats are a lot lighter than glass--they will be lighter than glass up to a certain point, then the gap narrows right down, as the thickness of material needed in the larger ali boats grows exponentially with length, get over 6.5 metres, or thereabouts, not much in it.
There's a lot to take in with the intial purchase, get it right. HTH, and may you have many years of happy boating

[Ah Me Ting]

....

Size? are you towing-limited? or do you have something which can tow 2.5 tonnes and up? Exercise gets expensive when you have to change your vehicle as well. Most stuff around 5.5 m will come in around 1500kg. Weights go up rapidly as you go up in size, add a metre to that and you likely add a tonne, fully fuelled with all gear on board. If you are buying new, salesman will try to sell you a package which likely has a trailer which is marginal, at best, to keep the package price down. Industry is rife with it, unfortunately. If he tries to say " dry hull weight is such and such, motor weighs xx, add a hundred kg for gear, you only need this trailer' he will be WAY out. Weighbridges don't lie, and neither do the Mermaids' scales. Over-ride brakes are not allowed on trailer of over 2000kg GTM. GTM is the weight of the trailer/boat, weighed when hooked upo to the vehicle. ATM is that weight plus downforce on towball--in other words, weighed on the jockey wheel, not hooked up. So many peoiple are in contravention of this, it is just not funny. The silly part is, once you have actually used the EOH systems required on the larger trailers, you'd never go back to over-ride. People will try to tell you that ali boats are a lot lighter than glass--they will be lighter than glass up to a certain point, then the gap narrows right down, as the thickness of material needed in the larger ali boats grows exponentially with length, get over 6.5 metres, or thereabouts, not much in it.
There's a lot to take in with the intial purchase, get it right. HTH, and may you have many years of happy boating

Good point!

Towing AND storage sort of go hand in hand in our consideration(s).

Towing though, as you mention, can add up to a lot of $$$ if you need a tow vehicle change too.

And, 100% agree, the whole 'weight' issue ... MINDFIELD of BS

As for Storage, keeping in mind both length and height if thinking of standard garage type storage.

[disorderly]

Some really good points there Ranmar...with the trailer issue for those boats around 6m and larger being a very valid one...people and dealers trying to save a couple of grand and ending up driving around with an unsafe and overweight illegal setup which may likely void their insurance in the event of an accident..

After time in Half cab, cuddy cub, CC ,runaboats and tiller steer our choice of the centre cab configuration this time around for our style of boating in the FNQ Great Barrier reef waters has exceeded all expectations...

It basically doubles our fishing area and since adding rod holders along the bow rail its great for putting out floating or live baits without getting in the way of bottom fishing in the back half.....got a mackeral double hookup on those rods last trip which was lots of fun and quite easy to handle given the 360 degree access..missus lost hers to a shark though...

I also discovered I can stand up in the front walk around area while moving slowly along a creek bank with the motorguide remote around my neck and toss lures and plastics for barra and jacks, which I wasnt sure I'd be able to really do in a 6.7m LOA Cabin boat..

The missus talked me out of a toilet in the cab and I'm glad she did...we just use a bucket with a seat and some paper in the bottom and if privacy is needed just take it up onto the front walk around area ..loo with a view...

In anything below 10-12 knots there is often someone sitting up the front fishing or while underway ..perfect for island and reef hopping..

IMG_2088 (2).jpg

[ranmar850]

Yes, I should have mentioned the centre cab style, can be very good fishing rigs. They even help with stuff like spot lockers--the easy access to the front means you don't need to go auto deploy, and can save money as well as avoiding the biggest ( apparently) cause of problems. and being able to chase down big fish with the angler up the front, like a centre console, is brilliant.

[disorderly]

Yes, I should have mentioned the centre cab style, can be very good fishing rigs. They even help with stuff like spot lockers--the easy access to the front means you don't need to go auto deploy, and can save money as well as avoiding the biggest ( apparently) cause of problems. and being able to chase down big fish with the angler up the front, like a centre console, is brilliant.

Yes mate after hearing quite a few horror stories about the auto deploy we decided against one..there is already enough issues with regular ones but to add another motor into the equation just doubles the risk of problems...the walkaround makes it very easy to deploy the leccy..

On the point of access, one mod that I'd like to add is a bow ladder and hatch cover for the anchor well..which would make life a lot safer and easier for us when beaching or pulling up to a bank...particularly in our croc and stinger infested waterways...but apparently the crocs dont like eating my Sydney guests in Missionary bay at Hinchinbrook island anyway...

IMG_1320.jpg

[disorderly]

New build boat prices seem to be on the increase like everything else this past year...

But from what I hear most of the QLD builders are quite busy with long waiting lists for new builds..

This is one of the QLD builders... Rebel boats..

This one is a 6.5m centre cab...its a nice boat from a well regarded builder.

The painted and wrapped hull and trailer before fitout, electronics,wiring, outboard and electric motor is sitting at about 80K..

With the outboard and pretty basic standard fitout and electric motor it will be around 150K on the water...

No matter what configuration of boat one is after there might be some decent near new 2nd hand boats for sale once the world gets back to normal after COVID and some blokes realize that 100-150K is a lot of money sitting in the driveway for a handful of trips each year...the novelty may well wear off..

There will likely be quite a few caravans and camper trailers for sale also once this COVID crap is over...

rebel 4.jpgrebel 2.jpgrebel.jpg

[Ah Me Ting]

...

But from what I hear most of the QLD builders are quite busy with long waiting lists for new builds..

...

No matter what configuration of boat one is after there might be some decent near new 2nd hand boats for sale once the world gets back to normal after COVID and some blokes realize that 100-150K is a lot of money sitting in the driveway for a handful of trips each year...the novelty may well wear off..

There will likely be quite a few caravans and camper trailers for sale also once this COVID crap is over...

100% ...

Haines Signature are now out to October for orders. Dealers have stock orders in but keep shuffling them for customer orders or are selling the stock order before it's even arrived. Same for Quintrex with their Renegades; long wait times for new orders.

And yep, have heard same for Caravans, Motorbikes, Camper Trailers etc.

Lot's of people got 'bored' during JobKeeper funded holiday, plus others accessing super, and others using 'holiday' or other monies. Lots of people knowing no OS travel, decided to buy caravan and travel Oz (or just escape the city). Lots of people saved $$$ not having to go into city to 'work', parking tolls and fuel savings. I know of several people who on ave are saving over $120pw ... that's $$$ to fund lifestyle purchases like boats, caravans etc. Heck, throw in no eating out, no kids sport and generally no other 'lifestyle' costs and lots of people have saved $$$ during the 'lockdowns'

Novelty will wear off with new things in time. May not need covid changes to drive it. People just get bored and or find it more hassle than expected. Items them sit for a while unused, rego comes due and people rethink their use / cost / need.

I'm not sure it's all big $$$ 100k+ boats either. Lots of the smaller ones been grabbed up, with now some silly prices being put on second hand.

I think the other impact will be lots of new boat users at ramps, on the water, etc ... chaos bound to ensue!

[gazza2006au]

For me its just me my cousinsand mates that go out most of my boats have been runabouts but i have owned 2 half cabins which are a blessing when the boys wanna stay out i go to sleep in the cabin listening to the radio

A couple of things missing that will go on my big boat is a road chef oven and a toilet

Nearly most of our trips come to an end as we are all starving no food on the boat nothing cooked warm on winter nights just all cold food chips are usually the go but dont last long

Atoilet break always gets us with no toilet on the boat we usually have to head back to the ramp itsown dissapointing so my boat will likely have a collapsible frame bagged toilet and i will use biodegradabletoilet bags so the waste can be thrown over for burley LOL if u dare..

A fm radio on a boat is handy as is a small portable gas heater but u gotta use caution