Brooker 500 are the any good.

[gr hilly]

MORNING ALL still on the hunt is any one here able to tell me any thing about the Brooker 500 as a fishing boat its a side consul with a 60 hp 4 stroke.
cheers G.R.Hilly.

[scottar]

Mate of mine has a tiller steered one. Seem to be a reasonably constructed basic tinny. He has had his since 2009. Only issue I have seen is the floor can warp if left out in the rain - suspect the ply wasn't really well sealed prior to carpeting. He's happy with it - has just repowered from a 50hp 2 stroke Yamaha to a F70 Yamaha and wasn't interested in the slightest in trading the whole boat to get a new one. says it flies with the F70 so 60 should be ok.

[gr hilly]

Thanks for your reply give me an idea about this one I'm looking at,it has been under cover all its life and spoilt i recon .thank's again Glynn.

[bugsytwoshoes]

Hi gr, I've got the 500 Safari tiller steer with a Yammy 60hp 4st. I bought the boat because it had a lot of extras that came standard on the boat but were extra's on others. I chose a tiller steer as it gives a lot of floor space as I have three grandkids and I need the room. The hull itself is very good without being brilliant but it would be as good as any run of the mill pressed alum. boats around. I do not take it outside and only use it in the rivers and dams. The Yamaha is a fantastic motor and really performs well even with five in the boat and is very economical although mine has had very little use. The only problem I've had is a little bit of paint peeling off around the splashwell. I am going to sell it in December and will be getting a cartopper as I'm buying a caravan.As I said before they are a good alround hull no better, no worse than most others but when matched with a 60/70hp motor ( although 70 may be over the specified limit) they perform really well..

[gr hilly]

Hi gr, I've got the 500 Safari tiller steer with a Yammy 60hp 4st. I bought the boat because it had a lot of extras that came standard on the boat but were extra's on others. I chose a tiller steer as it gives a lot of floor space as I have three grandkids and I need the room. The hull itself is very good without being brilliant but it would be as good as any run of the mill pressed alum. boats around. I do not take it outside and only use it in the rivers and dams. The Yamaha is a fantastic motor and really performs well even with five in the boat and is very economical although mine has had very little use. The only problem I've had is a little bit of paint peeling off around the splashwell. I am going to sell it in December and will be getting a cartopper as I'm buying a caravan.As I said before they are a good alround hull no better, no worse than most others but when matched with a 60/70hp motor ( although 70 may be over the specified limit) they perform really well.. Thank you for your news it helps heaps as the one I'm looking at has a yammy 4 stroke to cheers Glynn.

[scottar]

Hi gr, I've got the 500 Safari tiller steer with a Yammy 60hp 4st. I bought the boat because it had a lot of extras that came standard on the boat but were extra's on others. I chose a tiller steer as it gives a lot of floor space as I have three grandkids and I need the room. The hull itself is very good without being brilliant but it would be as good as any run of the mill pressed alum. boats around. I do not take it outside and only use it in the rivers and dams. The Yamaha is a fantastic motor and really performs well even with five in the boat and is very economical although mine has had very little use. The only problem I've had is a little bit of paint peeling off around the splashwell. I am going to sell it in December and will be getting a cartopper as I'm buying a caravan.As I said before they are a good alround hull no better, no worse than most others but when matched with a 60/70hp motor ( although 70 may be over the specified limit) they perform really well..

Brooker have actually re spec'ed the hull Bugsy. You are correct in your statement in that the initial rating was a max of 60Hp. When my mate was looking around he found that the current generation Brooker is actually rated to 90Hp. He contacted Brooker to ask what had been changed and was informed nothing. At a minimal cost they supplied him with a new builders plate with the new specs allowing him to fit the F70 as he wanted.

[astro66]

i have the 4.5m safari...they are a great boat...turned mine into side console and closed in the transom to stop the water splashing in outside ...

[goat boy]

I owned a brooker 460 runabout for about 6 years (sold it last year). Good little pressed boat that I took all over the place and thrashed it while doing so. Aside from some minor workmanship issues I rated it highly. I didn't have any issues with the much maligned Brooker trailer either ( I did replace the stock wheels with alloy ones once I started driving it long distances) other than having to adjust the cradle rockers every now and then. They are very good for their price point imo.

[sowden1942]

Hi Astro66. I have a brooker safari 4.5mtr. I was looking at closing in the transom. How did you do it and did that effect the attactment of the motor. Mine has a 40hp 4stroke yammy on the back. Also I had kapten boat collar put on the boat and it made a big difference to handling and sability. I am on the gold Coast on Ph 0412332675. Thanks John

[gr hilly]

Thanks all i bought one with a 60 4 stroke yummy 5 mtr pretty good got all i want so I'm happy thanks again G.R Hilly.

[astro66]

111264

easy job.....pulled out the rear casting deck ...folded up some left over 4mm sheet and cut it in...bait tank cut in on one side ...batteries the other side ...

[bugman]

Hilly I have one as well.
I have a 500 in tiller steer with a 60hp Yammie 4stroke. New in 2008.
Excellent open tinny that is a good alrounder. I've fished everywhere from the Highland Lakes of Tassie to the Continental Shelf off Tweed in it.
The Xwide gunnels make it a strong stable boat IMHO.
My floor also died but I've since replaced it. My boat has never been garaged however.
Brett

[Barry Ehsman]

Have a good look at the trailer the arse end broke off mine up near Barkley Homestead NT. The boat was a 4.55 Adventurer, loved it.

[gr hilly]

Well i am real happy with the Brooker now i want to take it for a service just to make me happy and al.so want a fuel tank built under the floor as i do not like fuel next to batteries.i have a elec min cotta to be installed to if any one has any leads let me know please
cheers G.R.Hilly

[bugman]

Hilly,
I looked at an underfloor tank but if you pull the floor you will see it has lots of stringers and bugger all room for a tank.
I took it to Col back up when he had Fisher boats and it was deemed too hard and too expensive to do.
You can run a LONG way with two plastic tanks and a 60 on a 500 Brooker.
Brett

[gr hilly]

Cheers Brett I might move the batteries and get them away from the fuel thats my main concern,and the fella who fits my electric motor can do that to i might ring a couple of mobile fellas and see who can service and fit the extra battery and elec motor you saved me worrying about the tank now i have to sell my other boat.
Cheers Glynn.

[scottar]

They do have a quite a few frames in them as Bugman posted. My mate with the 70 ran from the ramp at Labrador, out the Seaway up to Sullies and back which if done in perfect straight lines (which he didn't) is a round trip of 55K's or so as well as running back up on his drifts etc for a fuel burn of about 20 litres.