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Thread: New to boating - where to start...

  1. #16

    Re: New to boating - where to start...

    Quote Originally Posted by thelump View Post
    Kids just wanted to have a kip. Bit hard in a 4.5 tinny. So it was gone and an 18ft cabin boat was purchased. Haven't looked back. Worth some thought as the Bay isn't always the most pleasant for a small aluminium boat! Especially in summer those afternoon sea breezes really chop the bay up. Good luck either way. It is an awesome past time.
    I understand. Went out on the training boat on Sunday from Redland Bay and got drenched. 100m back from the water there was bugger all wind. This is why we started looking at half cabin or bowriders. Missus likes the bowriders but they do seem to be a bit more pricey. Plenty of half cabins around but they do tend to be older in the price bracket we are in. So it becomes a trade off between newer tinny with less problems, cheaper running vs older half cabin with more power/comfort but maybe more problems/expense.

  2. #17

    Re: New to boating - where to start...

    Yeah mate that's the issue. Look hard enough and you will find one that suits mate. Was it Paul or Dennis doing the license?

  3. #18

    Re: New to boating - where to start...

    Quote Originally Posted by thelump View Post
    Was it Paul or Dennis doing the license?
    Paul did the course. Derrick took us on the boat as they had to split the class.

  4. #19

    Re: New to boating - where to start...

    With a wife and kids i would go straight to a cuddly, fit a port potty and hang a small curtain if needed…..and expect a few scratches also, glass or tin or plate you will scratch and dent it. Go as new as you can afford with the motor and go as big as you can afford in hull and motor.

    The bay can get up pretty quickly and that cuddly will serve you well with wind, spray and shelter. Also every boat is a compromise, on that awesome still day a bow rider would be great, if it blows up and your coming home you'll be wishing for a cuddy.
    Tangles KFC


  5. #20
    Ausfish Addict Chimo's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2006
    Location
    Gold Coast

    Re: New to boating - where to start...

    Oz

    Watched the thread for a while and good to see you have fairly quickly moved past the open tinny / bowrider style for family use in conditions that to put it mildly will put the family off very quickly. IMHO you need shade and shelter options and a loo and reasonable HP to cope with the things that will befall you and yours.

    There are lots of boats to choose from. All have their good points and most have a few negatives. You need to compromise and select one that ticks your boxes which you will identify and refine quickly as you go.

    If you are a cowboy and don't look after your things buy a rough tinny with a cuddy cab but if you do look after your gear and want something that will give you a nice soft ride and protection when you need it buy a fibreglass cuddy cabin boat. Fibreglass has a life span of some 50yrs and thats in the nuclear industry so there is no good reason to ignore frp boats with a few years careful use. These can give you the best bang for your buck especially if they have a newish low hr motor on them.

    Check this out as an example http://www.boatsales.com.au/boats-fo...&Ridx=5&eapi=2

    Happy hunting

    Cheers
    Chimo
    What could go wrong.......................

  6. #21

    Re: New to boating - where to start...

    If you look hard enough you will get a great boat for 12 to 15..As for the bow rider config, if your going on the bay and it gets choppy like everyone else says.. if you guys haven't had a boat before i think it might scare the wife and kids and possibly yourself as well.. biggest boat you can afford i say, not necessarily the "prettiest one"
    dont knock on deaths door... ring the doorbell and run... death hates that!!

  7. #22

    Re: New to boating - where to start...

    On a windy sunny sunday arvo go the Northern entrance to Manly boat harbour.

    At the end of the road, on the rock groin you can watch the boats come in.

    Now look at the boats wobbling all over the place in the sharp chop and boat wakes and imagine your wife and kids in a bow rider.

    So now you've decided on a cuddy cabin....

    That boat Chimo linked to looks good and would suit your needs. Once you've been to Peel Island on a nice day you will definitely want to be out on the open waters.

    I've never met a boatie who didn't want to go farther and farther afield. You will too. A cuddy will give you a bit of security on those days that the weather tricks you into being a long way from harbour with a lumpy sea to navigate.

  8. #23

    Re: New to boating - where to start...

    Left field question - where do you envisage doing most of your boating? Bay/Broadwater/Rivers/Dams - everyone (rightly so) talks about the Bay blowing up etc etc but what if you dont plan on going out in the bay proper and only plan on doing the Pin/Broadwater/River/Dam? Different strokes as they say.....

    Cheers
    Scott
    "Mystique" Haines Signature 580BR with 175 of Mr Suzuki's finest ponies

  9. #24
    Ausfish Addict Chimo's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2006
    Location
    Gold Coast

    Re: New to boating - where to start...

    Andrew

    just re read your first post and noted your concern about reaching the anchor. Never fear this is not really an issue.

    All you have to do is tie off the the anchor warp (rope) to the bow bollard so you are anchored ie 3 to 5 times the water depth.

    Next tie a loop (with a bowline knot) around the anchor warp / rope and secure the other end to the rear bollard of the boat.

    When you wish to lift the anchor simply motor slowly forward as normal but instead of going to the bow simply pull the anchor warp to you at the rear side of the boat and hand over hand the rope, chain (at least the length of the boat) into a bin that you had under the rear seat. Easy.

    When you go into deeper water you will add a float and a ring to retrieve the anchor but that's for later!

    Happy boating, your nearly there..

    Cheers
    Chimo
    What could go wrong.......................

  10. #25

    Re: New to boating - where to start...

    Quote Originally Posted by Argle View Post
    Left field question - where do you envisage doing most of your boating? Bay/Broadwater/Rivers/Dams - everyone (rightly so) talks about the Bay blowing up etc etc but what if you dont plan on going out in the bay proper and only plan on doing the Pin/Broadwater/River/Dam? Different strokes as they say.....

    Cheers
    Scott
    This is a very good point. There are lots of spots North and South of Brissie where you can enjoy some time on the water and tow a tube and not have to worry about the breeze picking up - Jumpinpin, Pumicestone Passage, Southport broadwater, etc. Larger boat can be a problem in these places with deeper draft. Do some research about where you think you will do most of your boating before you splash out.

    I would personally advise you to buy second hand. Buyers market at present and you can get a great boat for a fraction of the new price. Second hand boats also usually come with lots of extras you would otherwise have to buy - anchor and rope, depth sounder, nav lights etc. Get one with a late model outboard and get it checked out properly - or a really old one and repower the boat with a new outboard yourself.

    Cost of running it per year - allow $500+ for annual service and probably another $500 for general maintenance and another $1000-$2000 for accessories you will want to buy/upgrade.

    Good luck with your search

  11. #26

    Re: New to boating - where to start...

    Just wanted to thank everyone for all your comments and feedback so far. Has been really helpful and hopefully will steer us to working out exactly what we want. Definitely a great investment joining the forum.

    On the question of where we plan to go? Hmm, well despite living in Brisbane/Gold Coast for most of my life, I really haven't been out on the bay so I don't actually know it particularly well to know where we might be headed. I guess this kind of makes it difficult to work out what kind of boat we need, but without a boat to explore, well you get my drift. I'd like to do some fishing, wife - some fishing/cruising, kids - tubes. Been mainly thinking the bay and down towards the broadwater I guess. Haven't really thought about rivers or dams so much. Still thinking a hire for a day first up to get a feel and be sure the whole family is still keen.

    As a matter of interest, what's a new outboard worth? Say 100 - 125 hp 4 stroke? Seen ads lately offering over a grand off so I'm guessing they aren't cheap. Also what would a new trailer cost for a 5m half cab? Saw an ad for a nice looking boat but it didn't come with a trailer.

  12. #27

    Re: New to boating - where to start...

    Andrew you are looking just north of 15k for a 115 4 stroke. Just out of curiosity what is your location? If you include it on your signaature/profile thingy then it definitely helps with questions later on!

  13. #28

    Re: New to boating - where to start...

    Quote Originally Posted by thelump View Post
    Andrew you are looking just north of 15k for a 115 4 stroke. Just out of curiosity what is your location? If you include it on your signaature/profile thingy then it definitely helps with questions later on!
    Based in Brisbane (southside). Profile updated.

  14. #29

    Re: New to boating - where to start...

    Head to the newsagent and grab a copy of the "Beacon to Beacon" its basically a UBD type directory for the waterways. Gives you a great guide to the area from the Tweed River all the way up to Bundaberg and shows nav marks points of interest as well as names of certain areas which will make it easier to understand where some of the places are that people on here are talking about.
    Also shows you location of boat ramps etc and is a pretty handy tool for the novice to assist planning your trips.

    Get out and about and check out different types of boats places like Northside Marine/Springwood Marine/John Crawford Marine usually have a pretty diverse range, climb in imagine how much room you will have when you add fishing gear watertoys eskies etc all of this will help aid your decision - do you want to be able to stand up while driving? I know I spend most of my time driving the boat standing up as sitting down is either uncomfortable or does not enable me to see all that well (vertically challenged person) so take that into account too.

    Some of the smaller forward steer tinnies will be bloody uncomfortable to stay seated in any sort of chop whereby if you could stand you can use your knees to soak up the lumps and bumps.

    See how much fun boating is already!! You wait till you actually buy a boat!!

    Cheers
    Scott
    "Mystique" Haines Signature 580BR with 175 of Mr Suzuki's finest ponies

  15. #30

    Re: New to boating - where to start...

    Quote Originally Posted by Argle View Post
    grab a copy of the "Beacon to Beacon"
    Thanks Scott. They showed us this at the training - will probably grab a copy this w/e. Are the roll out charts worth having as well? I assume you can buy them at the boat shops? Or are there cheaper sources?

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