PHP Warning: Use of undefined constant VBA_SCRIPT - assumed 'VBA_SCRIPT' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in ..../includes/functions_navigation.php(802) : eval()'d code on line 1 Upsize from my Seafarer or not?
I've been contemplating selling my Seafarer Viva for a while but recently I've got the fishing kick back and I really want to keep a large boat.
I love my Seafarer but the lack of fuel storage/fishing room and even though the motor (90hp V4 Envinrude) is very well respected and has low hours I still can't feel comfortable with it after coming from a near new Honda 90 4str on my previous boat. I fish/own the boat with a mate and we're both always a little worried going out any further than the 24/30s with the current set up (we'd both like to fish deeper/further away some days).
A good friend has offered me his 6m plate (5mm sides/bottom) with a 150hp Suzuki 4 on it for a very good price as he's downsizing (motor has 315hours on it) for an extremely good price (around 10k less than he could get on the open market).
Am I mad to be thinking about this or will I enjoy my fishing a lot more out of the bigger boat with the newer tech 4.
Well I am a great believer that two boats is almost essential, a 3 - 5 metre for inshore and a 6 - 7 metre for offshore. Not sure whether my minister for finances would agree :/
Iricangi....A mate and I were fishing a few years back at Peel Island in Moreton Bay, one dark, moonless, summer's evening just behind South West Rocks....all was good.....no phones, no "bring a carton of milk on the way home", just man vs wild (so to speak). The rods were bending, got spooled a couple of times.....heaven!
It was hard to leave to go back to Cleveland at the agreed time because we were onto the fish, so we stayed a bit longer and as time went by you could hear the howl of the wind coming from the north west.... by the time it came up it would have been over 30 knots.....Time to go!
We started to head back for Cleveland with the tide going one way and the wind the other and the swell was just something to see (or not to see....pitch black moonless night). My trusted old Haines v16c with a 90 Merc tried very very hard to not broach all the way home.....it tried very hard to remove all the water that had sneeked over the stern, it took us over an hour to make it back for a trip that wouldn't take more than 10 mins in normal conditions.When we finally reached Cleveland I kissed the gravel at the ramp, checked to see if my mate was still in the boat, or was he floating out to sea? (I know, I'm selfless) and declared never again!!. The next week we were out there again.
Do I wish I had a bigger, wider more modern boat that I could have more confidence in, absolutely, but maybe I should have left for Cleveland when the signs were there to do so.
I agree with johncar...know what you want from your boat and set some limits,......... the rest will fall in place.
Only my opinion.
If you've got the yearning to go further then why not? Seems like a good oppertunity to me.
The viva's are a good hull but 5 mtrs is a bit small and cramped for extended trips.
Absolutely. The four strokes are a really good engine and reliable. 6m gives you that much more leeway if things get ugly. You may find the ride much the same as your glass hull despite the increase in size but that extra metre makes all the difference... go the new one if you can afford it mate.
Do a swap with him and cash difference win win. . Everything is 10g cheaper at the minute. Don't get caught with 2 boats with all the miners out of work and on notice contracts winding up there are boys toys ( some very nice ones) starting to come on the market. Big thing with upsizing is the practicality of storage and also ease of solo launch etc so it has to be set up right along with tow vehicle as well.
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