Which boat best for a novice

[pajames2]

I went through the same situation as you in February this year. I wanted a boat big enough to go offshore in good conditions, also something with a cabin for the kids to get out of the sun during the summer months. I ended up with a 5.5m cruisecraft fibreglass with 135hp outboard. IMO 5.5 is about the minimum you need if you want to go offshore. Just make sure you get something that's got a good trailer and a motor with reasonably low hours. I'd recommend a fibreglass boat as they have a softer ride for the Mrs and kids. Good luck.

[desertislander]

UPDATE .....
well guys, I finally bit the bullet and jumped into the used trailer boat market and went for a pretty tidy 2002 5.4 Haines Signature. After three weeks of searching on Gumtree, Ebay, Boatpoint etc and numerous visits to boat yards and a day of drudging around the boat show I stumbled on to what I considered a little gem virtually in my back yard. It had been well looked after and came with everything one needs for the bay and beyond and it had been garaged for most of it's life and comes with an excellent trailer. The only slight irritant is that it has a 2 stroke (115 hp) but with only 180 hours I thought it worth considering. I was really hoping for a 4 stroke based on what I have read here re noise and economy but figured I could always upgrade at a later date if it was a problem for me, which I doubt it will be, I won't be doing big distances or going off shore for a while yet.
So, I am ready to hit the bay, summer is looking promising, thanks for your input on here, it was a great help

[Nslfishing]

Congrats mate. Keep asking questions on here. This forum has saved me thousands and taught me stuff I would have never learnt on my own.
Thanks ausfishers

Nic