First boat

[Pete Makra]

Hey guys, this is the sort of thing I started lookin at for me and the missus. Motor, set up and "mrs" friendly features was the initial attraction. It will be our first boat we have actuallty owned. Mainly bay/inlet use with the occasional outside trip for me and a mate, What do u think, views on ride, stability, motor, stayin dry & hull cracks from boaties who have had or been in one would be appreciated, cheers.

http://www.tradingpost.com.au/Marine/Power/Power-Boats/AdNumber=TP003265775?BackToResult=true&AdOnTop=

[Chimo]

Hi Pete

Should be OK. Just make sure your bilge pump is big and working well.

Had a mate some years ago with a similar vessel from this maker and he learned that you need to keep a wary eye on the bottom esp along the keel. His missus asked him one trip why there was water above the floor and wetting her feet. They were in the bay at Robe in SA and got back in OK. He was able to get it welded up so it didnt leak; before he sold it. Maybe newer ones have less of these problems.

Has this been a lake and river boat, looks very clean?

Cheers
Chimo

[Daisy Burnett]

Pete
Sold one of these recently For about that price. Good boat if all the gear is working. The only thing we had against it was the deck space. Fishing two was good but any more got a bit crowded. The boat itself was great handled some difficult situations with ease.

Cheers
Daisy

[Captain Seaweed]

Yep, looks good, nice rig, etec and a mackay trailer. I think this is a great first boat also comes with VHF. No more to spend.

Marty

[hinchy]

Hi Pete

Had a savage 5.3mtr lancer some years ago,a good seakeeping hull,however did not like hard work,had to keep getting the cracks welded up to keep her seaworthy

Kind regards

hinchy

[Chimo]

So Hinchy it wasn't just my friends boat!

Did yours let go on either side of the keel too?

Cheers
Chimo

[Pete Makra]

Yep, looks good, nice rig, etec and a mackay trailer. I think this is a great first boat also comes with VHF. No more to spend.

Marty

Thanks Marty, I thought/think it is OK as well but a few negative comments about keel/hull strength and cracking is starting to put me off a bit. Will keep looking I guess, cheers, Pete.

[Pete Makra]

Pete
Sold one of these recently For about that price. Good boat if all the gear is working. The only thing we had against it was the deck space. Fishing two was good but any more got a bit crowded. The boat itself was great handled some difficult situations with ease.

Cheers
Daisy

Thanks Daisy, did you have any hull problems or cracking on yours, cheers Pete

[Pete Makra]

Hi Pete

Should be OK. Just make sure your bilge pump is big and working well.

Had a mate some years ago with a similar vessel from this maker and he learned that you need to keep a wary eye on the bottom esp along the keel. His missus asked him one trip why there was water above the floor and wetting her feet. They were in the bay at Robe in SA and got back in OK. He was able to get it welded up so it didnt leak; before he sold it. Maybe newer ones have less of these problems.

Has this been a lake and river boat, looks very clean?

Cheers
Chimo

Chimo, it does look in good nick aye, add the extra's plus the E-Tech and you can see why I liked it. BUT, I worry about other people's "bad press" about hull/keel cracking etc. Yours & Hinchy's comments are good to know and I must admit, I'm startin to lose a bit of interest in this particular model, cheers Pete

[Pete Makra]

Hi Pete

Had a savage 5.3mtr lancer some years ago,a good seakeeping hull,however did not like hard work,had to keep getting the cracks welded up to keep her seaworthy

Kind regards

hinchy

Thaks Hinchy, mate I'm gettin a bit worried about this model now. I don't wanna buy someone elses problems. If I spend $20K+, i don't wanna get my feet wet !!!, Cheers Pete

[hinchy]

So Hinchy it wasn't just my friends boat!

Did yours let go on either side of the keel too?

Cheers
Chimo

Hi Chimo

On one side of keel and ribs coming off hull at various places

Hinchy

[hinchy]

Thaks Hinchy, mate I'm gettin a bit worried about this model now. I don't wanna buy someone elses problems. If I spend $20K+, i don't wanna get my feet wet !!!, Cheers Pete
Hi Pete

I must say that it was a fairly good seaboat in its time [early 90's],full bow,good in a following sea,however it started to feel the pinch after a few hard years.I had it matched to a 90hp V4 Evinrude[could not kill the motor].
Generally a little to light for continuous bar work and chop.

Hinchy

[Corsie]

Hi Pete,

I went through a similar process a couple of years ago deciding on my new boat. I found research was the key. This site is great for advice from people with boating experience. Sites like http://www.marinews.com/ are good for boat tests, as are many magazines. $25,000 is a lot of money to spend to be disappointed with your decision. For that sort of money, I would seriously be considering buying new as opposed to used. You might be surprised what you can get for your money, as well as getting warranties on the motor, boat and accessories. You also don’t have to worry about how the boat was treated before you bought it. As an aside, from what I can see, the recommended power rating for motors on a Savage Ranger 455SF are from 40hp to 70hp. Therefore the 75hp ETEC is not within this range, which could cause issues with the hull. Also, consider what you will mainly be using the boat for. Runabouts like the Savage you looked at are good for weather protection, but the ride up the front of the boat is much less comfortable than, say, a side or centre console, which is usually further towards the rear. Also, if fishing is up near the top of your uses for the boat, a runabout style eats into usable fishing space. However, the usage of your boat is only something you can answer, but these answers will help greatly in your choice of style of boat. Look at brands like Formosa, Brooker, Horizon, etc to see what you get for your money. Then do a search on this site to see what owners of those brands say about their boats. This should narrow down your choices to ensure you get the appropriate boat.

[Chimo]

Pete

For your $20 to $25K there are some very sound boats on good trailers with good motors.

You are limiting yourself severely by not considering fibreglass hulls like this http://boatpoint.ninemsn.com.au/boats-for-sale/boatdetails.aspx?R=8133017

A hull like this will give a much softer ride and you dont have to worry about getting your wife's feet wet!

Cheers
Chimo

[Spaniard_King]

Like Chimo has said.. look around and haggle like hell :)

http://boatpoint.ninemsn.com.au/boats-for-sale/boatdetails.aspx?R=7982854

[Pete Makra]

Like Chimo has said.. look around and haggle like hell :)

http://boatpoint.ninemsn.com.au/boats-for-sale/boatdetails.aspx?R=7982854

Thanks Gary, yeah, I'm startin to look at all options now, including glass, cheers Pete

[Pete Makra]

Pete

For your $20 to $25K there are some very sound boats on good trailers with good motors.

You are limiting yourself severely by not considering fibreglass hulls like this http://boatpoint.ninemsn.com.au/boats-for-sale/boatdetails.aspx?R=8133017

A hull like this will give a much softer ride and you dont have to worry about getting your wife's feet wet!

Cheers
Chimo

Thanks Chimo, am starting to include glass boats in my searches. I found this recently and do like it. What do you think, cheers Pete

http://boatpoint.ninemsn.com.au/boats-for-sale/boatdetails.aspx?R=8390959

[Pete Makra]

Like Chimo has said.. look around and haggle like hell :)

http://boatpoint.ninemsn.com.au/boats-for-sale/boatdetails.aspx?R=7982854

Hey Gary, found this recently and thought it looked OK and quite like it, cheers Pete

http://boatpoint.ninemsn.com.au/boats-for-sale/boatdetails.aspx?R=8390959

[Chimo]

Pete

Looks quite reasonable
PM sent.

Cheers
Chimo

[Jarrah Jack]

Just found this thread...........I'm glad you moved away from that savage boat. A marine board inspector once told me that he would never take his family to sea in one.

[Daisy Burnett]

Thanks Daisy, did you have any hull problems or cracking on yours, cheers Pete


Pete
No I didnt have any hull cracking problems at all. I dont doubt the other guys who said they did but you get good and bad in everything I suppose. Maybe I got a good one or they got a bad one, dont know which. So all you can do is take care. My one tip would be get the boat checked by a registered marine surveyer. Will cost a couple of hundred but it is money well spent. Good luck.

Daisy8-)

[JayT]

Hey Guys,
I have a savage scorpion 485 and have cracked down the keel 3 times.
At first I thought it was the fuel tank assembly which was'nt fixed down tightly, which was true!...as for the second and third times, plus the ribs coming away in places these boats in my opinion are'nt that tough at all!
I take it offshore all the time but these days take extra care in less than favourable conditions so as too get home in one piece!
Cheers Jay

[JayT]

One thing I will say is the layout of this reasonably small boat is awesome with a few mods, and if it had a stronger hull/ topsides I would keep this boat forever!
Have often considered getting the bottom cut off and maybe tacking on a plate bottom...not sure if this is possible but would be nice:)
Anyways have had her for 10yrs and untill I get a new one, hopefully she will do,
Cheers again and happy hunting and choose wisely;)

[Pete Makra]

Just found this thread...........I'm glad you moved away from that savage boat. A marine board inspector once told me that he would never take his family to sea in one.

Yeah thanks mate, I have gone off them now but did sort of like their setup. Looking at all options now, especially something with 4ml bottoms and 3ml sides (formosas/stesscos etc), cheers Pete

[Pete Makra]

Pete
No I didnt have any hull cracking problems at all. I dont doubt the other guys who said they did but you get good and bad in everything I suppose. Maybe I got a good one or they got a bad one, dont know which. So all you can do is take care. My one tip would be get the boat checked by a registered marine surveyer. Will cost a couple of hundred but it is money well spent. Good luck.

Daisy8-)

Ta Daisy, if I do find something used that suits our needs I will probably get it checked out for sure, cheers Pete

[Pete Makra]

Hey Guys,
I have a savage scorpion 485 and have cracked down the keel 3 times.
At first I thought it was the fuel tank assembly which was'nt fixed down tightly, which was true!...as for the second and third times, plus the ribs coming away in places these boats in my opinion are'nt that tough at all!
I take it offshore all the time but these days take extra care in less than favourable conditions so as too get home in one piece!
Cheers Jay

G'day Jay, thanks for the info. Like you say, the setup for me & the missus is what I liked but mate, no way am I gonna spend $20K on a used boat that I don't trust. Knowing my luck, we may have to swim back after our first trip outside. Now, I can swim but she can't, ......mmmmm..... then again......just kidding, cheers Pete