surtees 650 workmate or bar crusher 670c or bar crusher 615c

[chuss]

I'm in a predicament on which boat to buy.
I have driven both, they are pretty much the same in the water. It comes to these final observations:

Bar Crusher 670:
Better finish on welds, refinements, dash layout, ergonomics, bunks, seats.
Feels much narrower and cramped with the wider gunnels and large seat boxes and longer bunks. Costs more

Surtees 650:
Feels huge! Like the nyalic finish, a tiny bit cheaper to buy ($5K), a bit more simple. Bunks are shorter, feel cheaper, seats are poo, dash is cramped.

Bar crusher 615
Feels nice, easier to handle, tow/park/store. Better in the shallow water. Cheaper to buy.
Feels small and restrictive and could probably only fish 2-3 people.

So what do I buy?
I fish anywhere along the coastal waters from inshore to 40kms out. 80% of the time I fish solo. 70% of the time I target whiting, snapper and then seasonly I crack at the tuna maybe 5 times for the year.
When I have company, it's my son that joins me or a couple mates. Bar crushers seem to have better resale to.

[Noelm]

Why would you pay more for a Barcrusher? Plenty of boats in that size range to choose from, don't be fooled by TV fishing shows....

[mitc69]

yes bar crusher 615 would be the way to go if u wanna resell later if u find it abit... hehe 40k offshore? i just grab any 4.5m boat.. cuz it not wroth the extra fuel burn.. something you find painful later...

[pubic1]

I looked over both the Surtees and Bar crushers at one of the sydney shows this year.

The thing that caught my eye wasn't what I could see on the outside, but more so the welding on the inside of the hull where it really matters.

The surtees boats were fully welded along their internal stringers.
The bar crushers were only stitch welded.

I wouldn't base my decision on the seating.
For a $5k saving, you can add a decent sounder package and upgrade the seating to whatever you like.

Either way, i'm sure any of thse boats will put a huge smile on your face when you launch it.

Good luck with your decision mate.

[chuss]

So what's a better boat for the money?
I'm looking 6.1-6.8m

[Chimo]

Heaps of second hand glass boats IMHO

[Moonlighter]

I'm in a predicament on which boat to buy.
I have driven both, they are pretty much the same in the water. It comes to these final observations:

Bar Crusher 670:
Better finish on welds, refinements, dash layout, ergonomics, bunks, seats.
Feels much narrower and cramped with the wider gunnels and large seat boxes and longer bunks. Costs more

Surtees 650:
Feels huge! Like the nyalic finish, a tiny bit cheaper to buy ($5K), a bit more simple. Bunks are shorter, feel cheaper, seats are poo, dash is cramped.

Bar crusher 615
Feels nice, easier to handle, tow/park/store. Better in the shallow water. Cheaper to buy.
Feels small and restrictive and could probably only fish 2-3 people.

So what do I buy?
I fish anywhere along the coastal waters from inshore to 40kms out. 80% of the time I fish solo. 70% of the time I target whiting, snapper and then seasonly I crack at the tuna maybe 5 times for the year.
When I have company, it's my son that joins me or a couple mates. Bar crushers seem to have better resale to.

Chuss

Surtees will upgrade the seats to pretty well whatever you want - the main difference I found with Surtees when I ordered my boat was that they would allow you to customise it how you wanted, to include options you want and exclude those you don't. And they would, if possible, do things like bigger fuel tanks.

Whereas BC it was the standard package only, virtually no choices.

The Surtees 650 hull is available as the Workmate (folding roof), Hardtop, or Game Fisher (longer cabin and bunks)

Bit surprised by your comment re the Surtees welds - maybe it was just that the BC paint over their welds in some areas whereas Surtees doesn't - I must say that I had a mate who is a qualified boilermaker look at the welds on my boat and he was seriously impressed. We felt that there was more care shown with their workmanship - probably because 1 person builds and is responsible for each Surtees boat, no production-line mentality there - look under the starboard duckboard and you'll see the person who built your boat's initials welded there.

Dont ignore the Surtees 610 in your calculations either. Available in few of versions: Workmate Hardtop, Workmate (folding roof), or the Game Fisher (hardtop plus bigger cabin/loger bunks).

I've had mine for 5 years now and still very impressed with it.

[pubic1]

I would look at the 6.1m hardtop with removable sun shade.

6.1 will be easier to handle with one bloke
Being able to remove the sun shade will make it easier to flick lures because fo the extra deck space - if you're into that sort of thing.

As mentioned by moonlighter, surtees will spec up your boat to anything you like.

Im all for Australian fabrication, but looking at the 2 different builders side by side, my mind wandered to the Surtees.

I think I read somewhere that surtees head office came out to Aus to investigate a cracked hull too?? can anyone confirm that?

If so, that is awesome after sales support.

[Luke G]

Do you want a 'real' 6.1 to 6.8' boat? a 6.1 bar crusher is more like 5.7m in the plate boat world. For value for money, moda marine could probably give you a quote on a real 6.5m boat for not much more cost

[stang69]

Just get a good glass boat. Leave the banging to Ricky Martin.
Is this pile of turd better than this pile of turd? My pile of turd is better than that pile of turd.......
But tinnies do make good river boats, until they corrode into thin air.

[rodneyk]

Just get a good glass boat. Leave the banging to Ricky Martin.
Is this pile of turd better than this pile of turd? My pile of turd is better than that pile of turd.......
But tinnies do make good river boats, until they corrode into thin air.

So what glass boat do you own and fish out of i am looking atm and finding a lot of overpriced crap in glass also around 50k Rod

[The Black Unicorn]

Mate before you commit to one of those brands check Extreme boats out. Waaay bigger boat than the other two.

[hainsofast]

How much coin you got to spend, I just spent some time in a stabicraft 2100 supercap, I love glass, but this thing was unreal, granted it is close to 100K if not more new, but I tell you we went through some rough sea and this thing rode very very well.

[chuss]

Budget is up to $80k.
Must fit in a shed with limits of 8.2m depth x 2.4m height.
No fibreglass as i do a lot of beach parking.

I looked at a surtees 5.8, 575 & 610. They are all similar. Its so damn confusing!!

[koastal]

Its a good problem you have. One of the best days of your life, buying a new boat.

I like old hulls and new motors.