Hi All,
Well, it's finally that time. After years of dreaming, it's time for my first boat.
I'm hoping a few of the more experienced guys on this site could give me some advice, especially in the following areas:
1. 2 Stroke v 4 stroke. I'm told that the older 2 strokes are noisy, polluting gas guzzlers, but the newer ones are OK but still not as good as a 4 stroke (except in maintenance). Is this correct?
2. Space is a bit of an issue at my house and I'll have to put it in the garage, so I'm restricted to boats that are <2.10m in height when on a trailer. I'd also like to have a cuddy/half cabin for my son to chill out in and sleep on overnighters. I'll be using the boat mainly in rivers/bays/harbours, but like to be able to venture off-shore a little on calmer days.
I'm thinking a few of the Haines Hunter range (445/488) will fit the bill, but I'm not sure. I've also seen a couple of old "Swiftcraft Seagulls" for sale that might tick the boxes, but I've never even seen one of these other than pictures, so would be keen to hear from anyone that owns (or has owned) one of these.
I'd also love to hear about any other models that might suit my circumstances.
I'm looking around the $10k mark as a budget (so I know something may have to give), but I'm flexible a few grand either way.
I would really appreciate any advice you could give.
Thanks