Buying First Boat, where to start?

[Brisvegas Luke]

Recently started looking around at boats to buy, I live on the north side of Brisbane near the Pine River and the boats ideal purpose is for fishing and family, with the capability to head over to the islands (Morton & Straddy) and also to be used in the Pine River. There are so many different styles, shapes, features, etc... This can make it a bit confsing. I do keep coming back to Centre Consel designs for the ease to move around the boat when fishing, but that's as about as far as I have gotten. Any suggestions from you experience boating people's? or anyone that recently went through this excercise yourself?

Cheers,
Luke

[Roughasguts]

How old the kids, youngens need shelter from wind and sun so a cuddy cab for them.
Bow rider if you got a bigger older family, bit of extra room, for toys and stuff.

Centre console for around 2 blokes serious fishing for when you like the elements, wife will hate it.

Personally I like a glass boat, and I can't think of one that ain't any good these days.

Motor size I go to around 90 HP for a 5 metre.

If your loking for used go to about 5-6 years old.
Happy hunting be patiant, it can take years to find the boat your really looking for
and you will use it a hell of a lot less than you think, something always comes up which takes precedence, over the boat,
Family, weather, work, not enough time, home jobs, or just to stuffed.

Mind you I find it better to have a boat and not use it, compared to not having a boat and wanting one, Just having one is great.
Wife won't see it that way though.

[Kleyny]

I'm with roughas.
I'd prefer Alloy tho. Around say the 5m mark.
But it all depends on the money, what your towing it with and storage.

[dogsbody]

Sounds like someone needs to go to the Tinnie and Tackle show and do a lot of research it would be worth it there all in the one spot save a lot of running around.

Dave.

[charleville]

I found it very useful when I bought my boat to spend a few Saturday mornings fishing off a jetty beside a boat ramp to watch people launch and retrieve boats. I soon discovered features that made a big difference at that critical end of the boating experience spectrum.

Also, whilst you hope that the family will share your passion, what I noticed in my boat ramp research at that time was that a very large percentage of boats only had one person on board. Maybe this means that the families lose interest but what it really means that if you select a boat that is not suitable for you to launch and (especially) retrieve on your own, you may not get as much use out of it as you might hope and you may be forced to always be looking for a deckie every time that you want to go fishing.

In my case, I fish alone almost 100% of the time by choice so solo retrieval no matter whether there are cross winds at the ramp and lumpy conditons was essentlal. I also fish a lot at night when there is no one around at the ramps at say 1.30am to help me if things go pear shaped so easy solo retrieval is a big issue to me.

Your decision will always be a compromise. I wanted an aluminium boat and chose a runabout with a canopy for rain protection but the ease of retrieval and access issue drove me to buy one with a walkthrough screen and a full rear pod. I went with Quintrex because of their good reputation and have had no regrets on my decision five years later albeit I now wish that I had made the canopy a little higher.

[kingtin]

Luke, the Pine's my local (bracken ridge) so if you want some info you can pm me.

First off, you need to think about your towing capabilities. It's no use fancying a big tinny or even a moderately sized glass one if you can't pull it. The deckie fancied a Whittley so that stuck the purchase price of a bigger vehicle on top of the boat price I also have a little stacer that I can get into the Pine on my own.

Go for as big as you can handle solo. I had a 6 metre tinny and learned to handle that solo but you have to pick your ramps. I used it well up in the Pine system so draught isn't a major consideration. The bigger the better in my book (finances in consideration) but as Charlie has said, do you need the size for the family (they may end up not liking boating) or for seaworthiness? Families like to keep dry and there's not many boats at the bottom of the price range that can offer that comfort in the bay chop unless you pick your days with extreme care.

Post with more details, (monies available) etc, and you'll get heaps of suggestions from guys who really know about boats.

good luck

kev

[BilgeBoy]

Here are a few thoughts.

- The bay can blow hard. You can go from dead calm to bugger me in a very short time...especially on the inside of the bay. I like front steer with a screen and removable sides so I can bash my way home and stay somewhat dry. After half hour of spray in ya face your eye's turn to mush!:cry:

- 17 Foot glassies are hard to pull off a sand bank!

You can fall out of Deep floor boast easy, hate to own a high floor!!:rolleyes:

- The sun can fry you big time so a good cover is a must!

- Are we there yet. Man I wish I had gone the bigger engine!

- Storage, storage, storage and more storage. :undecided:

- Tanks, the size of which will determine the level of WHOO HOOO you have.

And last but not least! $$$$$$ buy what you can afford, not what the bloke next door has. You will be happier in the long run

BilgeBoy

[PinHead]

take some of the ideas offered here and start your search..but remember..buy what you want..not what someone else says you want. There will always be someone to commend and someone to criticise every style and brand of boat...it will be your boat and the pleasure you derive from it will be yours...so definitely get what you want. I know my boat is definitely not what most on here would want...but it suits us perfectly.

[NAGG]

Luke .... Go a centre cab in around the 5.5M in Alloy (100-115HP) ..... The centre cab offers some protection from the elements for you & the family but still allows real fish ability! ... with a good quality trailer you will be able to drive the boat on (leave the motor in gear) lean over the front & hitch it on ...... step over the front , tighten the winch / safety chain .... then drive off & it always draws attention of the so many that dick around at the ramp trying to hold & handle a boat much smaller with 2 or 3 blokes (It doesn't take to many trips before you become competent) ..... As for a glass boat ... you really don't want one if you are on your own (or with non boaters) & specially if you are new to boating. NAGG .... PS take your time & see if you can jump on with some others to work out what you really need

[seajay535]

like everyone has said have a good look around ,test drive if you can ,and have a good think about what u want out of your boat.i have a centre console it is good for me as with the family all fishing they can all spread out around the boat instead of trying to get five of us fishing out of the back.plenty of room in front of console to store crab pots til you get them in the water.but you do get wet if there is some chop around and in winter i look at half cabs and think it would be nice to be dry and warm but i couldnt do it my centre console is perfect for what i want to do

[Sea-Dog]

What everyone wants is a magic boat.

At the ramp - it is a 2 Metre tinny
At the fuel bowser it is powered by a 2 Hp 4stroke
When powering along in the slop, it changes to a large glass cat
At rest in the slop, it turns into an oil rig
In the rain and spray it turns into a full cabin boat
When playing fish it becomes a completely open boat
When you're in a hurry the motors increase in size to something ridiculous
When the family is aboard, the boat becomes a comfy play pen.
And when someone's pulling up your crab pots, it becomes a navy gunboat.

etc, etc.

[Steve A]

I went through the same pains, took me about 4 months, wanting to do some serious fishing, but keeping the family happy, end up with a 5.4m bowrider with a 90 optimax, enough room to fish front and back, enough space for the family to lounge around, put the cover over the bow section, no sun, starts to get wet just put the clears on, everyone in the back, a bit cramped but all dry and happy. Just a bit tricky launching by yourself.

[SgBFish]

Luke.
There is some great advice in the replies above.

I will assume your kids are not that old.
Moreton Bay is like your Mother-in-Law. Somedays she can be a beautiful thing that can turn into a white toped screaming banshee real quickly.

Because of this if you are going to take kids to Moreton I believe you need atleast 5M. I have a 5.6M glass half cab and its the right size for us as a family boat a serious fishing machine for the boys.

My kids sleep all the way home from a Moreton trip. So love the bunks.
The cuddy or half cab offers you some sun protection and wind protection in Winter.
There are plenty of boats with the cabs pushed forward so there is still plenty of fishing room aft.

Go to the Tinny and Tackle show this weekend and get some ideas.
Remember your budget must cover not just the boat price but the total cost of ownership, regos, insurance, storage cost, fuel, servicing, etc...
Boat ownership is but easier with a happy family.
Good luck.
Scott

[charleville]

What everyone wants is a magic boat.

At the ramp - it is a 2 Metre tinny
At the fuel bowser it is powered by a 2 Hp 4stroke
When powering along in the slop, it changes to a large glass cat
At rest in the slop, it turns into an oil rig
In the rain and spray it turns into a full cabin boat
When playing fish it becomes a completely open boat
When you're in a hurry the motors increase in size to something ridiculous
When the family is aboard, the boat becomes a comfy play pen.
And when someone's pulling up your crab pots, it becomes a navy gunboat.

etc, etc.

Ain't that the truth?!!


Well written, Sea-dog!