Hi all i have never owned a boat in my life so have very little experience. Was at the dealer today they had a nice little quintrex explorer 385 package for 7k. would this boat be ok for bays, rivers, lakes and close in reefs ? Or should i be looking for something a little bigger or a dingy shape. They had the 420 dory there as well it was about a extra $1500 but i liked the explorer shape better. Any advice on a first boat under 8k would be appreciated.
Thanks Geoff
Geoff i do not know your area but up my way the boat you are talking about would be out of the question for any reef fishing .
Troy
Mate,
Go for a ride in the explorer in the river when there is a bit of wind chop. I'd only venture to close places in the bay when it is perfect conditions and have been perfect for a week and no change is going to happen for the next week.
Forget about reefs or even the bay on most days with the Explorer.
If it's your first boat get to know your boat in creeks and rivers before venturing any wider. Lakes can blow up real quick as well, just like the bays.
Is new the way you want to go or would say a used 4.5 m be a better option for your learning years. It would probably be more forgiving and yet still easy to handle
I bought an old fibreglass 5.2 m with 115 hp at 22 years old for $7,500. Run it up on sand and flogged the motor to near death many times before updating 6 years later to a bigger better new boat. Only lost the cost of the maintenance.
What sort of fish do you want to catch?
Angla
Well said Guys.
Geoff,
as a guide:
Bay use and inshore / close in reefs = 5+ metre cuddy cab
Creeks, rivers, dams = boats you are talking about. These are not designed for rough water. Thats why peple who take these boats out in the bay quite often become statistics. Especially if you are inexperienced.
Everyone seems to buy their first boat, then upgrade to a bigger boat, then again to a bigger boat.......
The bigger the boat, obviously the better sea handling capabilities it will have, the more room it will have, the more stable it will be and in general, the safer it will be... but also the more expensive it will be to buy, and to run (fuel, maintenance, accessories, tow vehicle).
There are some reasonable bigger boats for sale on the second hand market, but if you are considering buying second hand, do yourself a couple of favours. 1) Buy "Second Hand Boat Secrets" by Jeff Webster from the newsagent, or seamedia.com. 2) take someone with you who knows boats, as buying second hand can be full of traps.
Also with boats, if something is cheap, there is generally a reason for it....
Firstly, weigh up exactly the type of fishing and the areas you want to go to. Then be prepared to part with the appropriate money to buy the appropriate boat for the task at hand.
If 8k is the budget, then so be it. Just remember that the smaller boats have limitations and pushing these limits will sooner or later see you in a dangerous situation.
There is lots of fun to be had in the rivers etc, bream, whiting, prawns, mudcrabs and even just spending the day exploring these areas.
Also keep in mind that a lot of people buy the biggest and newest boat they can afford.... then cant afford to run it. So it ends up sitting in the driveway, unused.
So there is a lot to be said for the advantages of smaller boats.
Whatever you decide to buy, make sure you test drive it before you buy it. Actually, test drive a few first, so as you can get the feel for the different boats.
And dont be pushed around by the dealers. Let them know your situation (new b) and the fact that you need a few test rides to decide.
Dont let them talk you into signing a contract on the boat they "assume" is the boat for you before you can test it yourself.
Also, Be fair to the dealer - dont be a tyre kicker, but if they cant be decent and help you out... go elsewhere.
Cheers
Pete
I have a 385 quinnie explorer and it is a great little boat for the rivers and creeks up here in Cairns.
However, if I have it in the inlet and the wind chops the water up enough, it gets very uncomfortable and wet.
I don't know how far the reef is where you are, but I wouldn't be taking the explorer too far out.
For a compromise to do both jobs, maybe something like the 420 Estuary Angler or 435 Coast Runner. To stay around your budget, you will have to g second hand, but that is no disgrace, I think you will find nearly everyone started with a used boat.
Oh, and with a name like that, you should know better.
Cheers,
Geoff
Thanks for the quick replys. looks like i need to start looking more at something a little bigger in the trading post. I live in Melbourne so would want to be able to take the boat in port phillip bay on a nice day. At another dealer they had a couple of old stacer 4.2m boats with fwd steer windscreen and that. But the motors looked old. What should i look for if buying a 2nd hand boat/motor. Thanks again
That book i spoke about will tell you about motors as well.
In melbourne, another good mix would be an older Quintrex 474 (etc) and put a later model 60hp motor on it (just a thought)
Hi guys, new to the site. I have just ordered a new Cruisecraft Explorer 500 with a 115 four stroke Yammi. This is my first cuddy cab and fibreglass boat. Any advise would be appreciated?
Joffa007, The boys bring up good points, i was in your shoes a few years ago and was going to buy new but this is not the way to go. Because it is your first boat, like me, i am sure you will hit rocks, snags, boat ramps etc and can be very upsetting to see your new pride and joy getting the shit scratched out of her! My advice is to go secondhand so you can become familiar with handling a boat, find out what you like and dont like in her and then buy new. You need to crawl before you can walk, dont try and run!!
JN
Hey, i live in Frankston, 40km SE of Melbourne. I just bought a stacer 3.95m seasprite and its main use is for fishing PPB. It is fine on good days, and on days when a SW chop of 1m comes up you can get home safely. I bought this brand new, Boat, 30hp Mariner 2 stroke (rebadged tohatsu-good motor), and dunbier trailer was $5800 incl nav lights which i opted for. This is well below your budget and would allow for you to get an extra carpeted floor, paint the hull, maybe an electric trolling motor even. Hope this helps. Joey.
3.95 is a small boat.... Port Philip Bay is a dangerous place... please be careful what information you offer to someone who knows almost nothing about boating. Keep in mind there could well be kids involved too.....Originally Posted by Grand_Marlin
Sorry I overlooked that fact, mine is safe because i know how to handle it. A brand new boater + PPB + 3.95m tinny? Hmm, i don't like the look of that. That being said, there are advantages of a boat like mine like fuel economy, price, and being brand new, no nasty surprises. Perhaps Geoff should join the coast guard and learn about boating that way? I am about to join at Frankston, they have very experienced boaters and a lot can be learnt from them. That being said, going out in PPB for any person new to boating is a no no for sure! It blows up so quickly! I think Geoff would need to learn the basics before taking any boat out in PPB, and preferably when he does, he should take someone who knows the bay and boats well. 4m tinny and expert driver vs 4.5m glass and inexperienced driver. I know I would pick the experienced driver any day. Joey.
Cheers Joey,
Great post, great advice.
I did this exercise about 6 months ago. Trawled the net looking at hull designs(wave cutting/stability) depth of hull(on PPB you will probably want something with higher sides to keep the seas out), bigger motor or better economy, new or used.....etc.
I ended up buying a second hand 4.75m(15.5ft) Seafarer V-sea (F-glass) with 60hp, all 90 model. it cost me 9grand, but so far has been worth every dollar. It gets used on Morten Bay and outside, and handles sane fishing conditions(15 knots or less) with ease.
IMO you'll want something simmalar to be comfortable on PPB. I would've liked something brand new and shiny, but this boat fitted my scope of use perfectly, and I'm not so anal about the deckie spilling the bait
Ps. Anyone know how I can stretch it out to 5m
cheers
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