Blue Fin Barracuda ?

[pistonbroke]

Hi all

Finally have my decision down to 2 boats Polycraft 4,55 frontrunner or a Blue Fin Barracuda, totally different materials but both boats will suit me down to the letter.

Does anyone know anything about the Blue Fin, the Polycraft I have tested and its a great boat
The Blue Fin I like for the full transom and pod, for the occasional venture offshore in calm conditions.

Thanks all for comments

[JENNYGROUP]

Mate, don't touch the barracuda with a barge pole.

I've very recently purchased a 4.75 Phantom, and it's the wettest boat I have ever been in. I've owned 7 boats myself over the years and my 3.7m old v-nose punt was dryer than this thing.

When I mean wet, I mean it's like someone is throwing half a bucket of water on me every 20 or 30 seconds. I've tried everything to fix it from taking all the weight out of it, moving weight around, to moving the motor up and down to trying different props and so far have spent about $300 on top of what I paid for it and it's still no good.

I've had it back the local dealer and he's got no idea what's wrong with it. I've contacted Blue Fin directly and they basically told me they've got no idea why it'd be wet.

The Barracuda is basically the same hull as the Phantom so I can't see that it's going to be any better.

I'm at the stage that I'm going to sell the boat and wear a loss of thousands of dollars just to get out of it and I've only had it 3 months.

If your still thinking about it, go and take a few for a water test, but if I had my time again, I wouldn't have bought it.

Jenny Group

[jackextracter]

Mate, don't touch the barracuda with a barge pole.

I've very recently purchased a 4.75 Phantom, and it's the wettest boat I have ever been in. I've owned 7 boats myself over the years and my 3.7m old v-nose punt was dryer than this thing.

When I mean wet, I mean it's like someone is throwing half a bucket of water on me every 20 or 30 seconds. I've tried everything to fix it from taking all the weight out of it, moving weight around, to moving the motor up and down to trying different props and so far have spent about $300 on top of what I paid for it and it's still no good.

I've had it back the local dealer and he's got no idea what's wrong with it. I've contacted Blue Fin directly and they basically told me they've got no idea why it'd be wet.

The Barracuda is basically the same hull as the Phantom so I can't see that it's going to be any better.

I'm at the stage that I'm going to sell the boat and wear a loss of thousands of dollars just to get out of it and I've only had it 3 months.

If your still thinking about it, go and take a few for a water test, but if I had my time again, I wouldn't have bought it.

Jenny Group
hi mate im buying a phantom in a month do you only get wet in the ruff water or is it like that all the time when your driving and how do they handle in ruff water ??

[Blackened]

G'day
Jenny group. Fair comment on the phantom as it's your personal experiance. I have an idea. Why incur the loss of a couple of thousand when a good spray jacket would cost you under $100? Problem solved!!!!
Dave

[JENNYGROUP]

Dave,

I have thought of that and have been using a spray jacket and spray pants, and that does solve the problem of my clothes getting wet, but not the problem of everything else getting covered in salt like the carpet, $3000 worth of electronic equipment, fishing reels, tackle boxes, plyers etc etc.

I know what you're saying, but you and everything in your boat shouldn't have to get absolutely soaked everytime you go out. I also know that you in a boat in the ocean and you're going to get a bit of spray on you, and boats and sounders etc are designed to get wet, but the amount of water I'm getting into the boat is ridicoulus and will take it's toll on gear much quicker if it's getting litres and litres of salt water on it every time I go out. On top of that, have you ever sat in a spray jacket and pants in the sun in Northern Queensland in the middle of summer for a hour?

I'm getting water in the boat in the river when I go over other boats bow waves, if it's in the open and a bit rough, I'm getting absolutely soaked. The strange thing is that the boat rides alright.

Jenny Group

[Roo]

the polycraft 4.55 frontrunner isn't a very dry boat either :-/

good boat but a bit wet (frontrunner). Centre console would be better. won't stop it coming in, just helps you avoid it ;D ;D.

cheers, roo

[perko]

I've had a few polys and love there ride but they are wet as also. Had 2 side consoles and get absolutley drenched if you get a side on chop ( only needs to be a foot) and a bit of wind. Feels like standing in front of a fire hose. i thought the plateys might be the go but maybe not. I have also had a 4.7 fiberglass cruisecraft lure ( regret selling it) and it was very dry in compared to the poly. Don't discount glass, they have better hull shapes for ride and dryness. Galeforce and wahoo make a couple of nice hulls. How wet are the fishers? I am looking at that size boat again soon and don't want another wet boat.

[warrior]

i think your a bit over the top jennygroup,i have a warrior and the mate has a phantom,we head out to moreton a bit and yes you do get wet OCCASIONALY riding side on to swell or going a bit hard in good swells,but to say you get wet every time what are you doing ,i reckon flat chat eveywhere and not taking notice of the conditions (only my opinion)had the boats for three years both of us and are very hapy with the performance ,if you dont like getting wet buy one with a cabin.

[Gbanger]

i have the bluefin bowrider, it can be wet depending on conditions... i have full clears but only use them when its raining...


does anyone else actually enjoy a bit of salt water on the face and through the hair or is it just me, my mates think im a bit mad?

[MattyDucati]

I am intrested in the bluefin range as i will be moving to gove soon :D, i was thinking ether the Barracuda 4.5 or the Cobia 5.0. You guys with ether of the boats how have you found the power that is needed on your boats and what do you think i would need? I will be doing outside work but some creek fishing and the boat will be towed on some gravel roads.

Side console boat will aways be wetter then normal boats :D

[warrior]

matty if your heading to gove go the maximum horspower you can have,you have up to nine mtr tides up there so having the extra hp helps in those full on situations in rivers and bays whe the tide is really humming.lived in darwin for three years and it helped a lot to have that security blanket when you needed it. the 5.0 cobia would be perfect for up there wish it was me going,gods country.

[MattyDucati]

Lokkin at maps of the place i gathered that i would be doin some island hopping so i was leaning towards the higher end hp, but after boat shop drooling today the boat choice is geting harder and harder.. quintrex, trailcraft, bluefin its all to hard :-[

[pistonbroke]

Hi All
Spoke with a dealer today, he said " In certain conditions you will get wet, but then you operate it to meet those conditions"

He is currently putting a preditor... (similar to the barracuda except it has the full transom and pod)... together for a customer, and will have it finished on sat morning, asked the new owner if I could come for a test run when they test the boat.

He is ok about it as he wants to see how it performs with 3 adults aboard, so should get an idea of what there like.

[jackextracter]

Does any one know if the phantom has the same hull as the warrior or the cobia

[StevenM]

All the same bottom / entry...and yes they are wet...but they are a open boat.

[JENNYGROUP]

All,

I spoke to the manager from Blue Fin today and he assures me that the boats aren't wet and believes that the set up on mine is still not right and has given me some ideas to try such as reducing the weight of the floors or putting more weight up the back.


I will let you know how it goes. It sounds like the bloke who set mine up has made a balls up of it.

Jenny Group