5.1 Clarke Abalone for outside?

[fish2death]

Just after some feedback, I live on the Tweed and want to fish outside the bar, I have been interested in the 5.1 Clarke Abalone, they look like a good sea boat. I have been told they are fairly wet and there are better tinnies on the market for the cost, any advice welcome.
Haff.

[Noelm]

not too sure about how much better any other Tinny might be, some might have better fittings, some might have a better layout, or a whole host of odds and ends, but as a general rule, a 5 metre tinny is a 5 metre tinny, there is very few bad ones in production, so as long as it is a known brand, it is not made of tin foil, and it suits your needs, then buy it, everyone will tell you they like their Quintrex because... or their Stacer because.... but all in all, they are pretty much the same when you compare Apples to Apples.

[Outsider1]

Hi Haff,

I could not find a 5.1m in the current Clark range, so I assume you are talking abut a 2nd hand boat?

http://www.clarkboats.com.au/boatrange.htm

Like most things you get what you pay for, if you can go for a water test that will tell you most of what you want to know. One thing with the old model Clark Abalones I never liked was the low/cut out transom, not something I would be wanting in a boat I was taking offshore.

And if it is a 2nd hand boat make sure you get it checked out by a professional before you buy.

Cheers

Davd

[finding_time]

Spent a fair bit of time in this boat (5.1 abalone)a few years back the main thing that struck me was the fullness of the bow which gave the boat a very wet and hard ride in all but ideal conditions. The model as far as i know has not been made for a while so the boat your looking at will have been around a while. i think there are better tinnies around these days but if the price is right it will get you there and back provided the welds are i sound condition.

Ian

[the gecko]

My last boat was a 4.1 Abalone, and it it was fine outside on a good day. It punched thru the swell nicely and didnt get me too wet at all going to the 24s and further. a 5.1m would be fine, is it the centre console or runabout? Abalones seem to have a good reputation as a workhorse without all the trimmings. You can get em at a good price too.

Id pay more attention to the outboard than the hull.

Andrew

[fish2death]

Thanks for the info! I have heard a lot about the Abalone over the years and had a look at one at a new one at the Tinnie and Tackle (Bris) on the weekend it was 5.1 centre console, had a 60hp ETec with no frills I liked the closed in motor well. I will be looking around for a while will purshase a boat next year, one of the other dealers made the comment about the wet ride "as they do".
Haff.

[Noelm]

I guess you can forget any comments from another Dealer that does not sell them, I am sure anyone can think of a few things about any brand of Boat if you wanted to bag them to make your brand look good or to sell one to a porspective buyer.

[moparrob]

I went out 4 days straight last year at the Fraser fishing classic in a 4.9 metre clark abalone commander with a two stroke 50 johnno on the back. We will be doing the same again this year we went where all the big boats went the only thing that stopped us was the fuel we were carrying. They are an extremely wet boat with the wind against you but for it's size they are extremely sea worthy the low transom does not seem to worry them either. we followed our mates around in their 5.5 metre riptide and they went as fast a we did (all be it a little drier)

[Clyde]

We had a 4.2 abalone with twin 30 jono's on the back for 18 years, until we upgraded to the 6m Fisher. It was wet and cold, especially in a south westerly off DI but we never once had to take it back to fix any welds etc and caught just as many fish as those around us. The sides and transom were low compared to today's standards but we never once had an issue. Great boat at the time, would be hard to go back now though....

Cheers,
Clyde

[CT]

We had a 4.2 abalone with twin 30 jono's on the back for 18 years, until we upgraded to the 6m Fisher. It was wet and cold, especially in a south westerly off DI but we never once had to take it back to fix any welds etc and caught just as many fish as those around us. The sides and transom were low compared to today's standards but we never once had an issue. Great boat at the time, would be hard to go back now though....

Cheers,
Clyde

I remember fuelling up at Rainbow behind a rig like this many years ago. It stood out due to the twins on a small tinny.

Small world hey!

Cheers
Craig

[Clyde]

Craig,
Sure is a small world. Twins were mandatory in South Africa, something the old man stuck to, after seeing where they launch from I know why. Only at the end did he change his mind about having the auxillary mount on his new boat.

Had trouble selling it actually, only got about 4k for it.

Cheers,
Clyde