Gday everyone.
I’ve finally obtained approval from the better half to purchase a boat. Ive never owned one before and I’m honestly not sure what to look out for when purchasing used, what’s brands and models to target or stay away from, what price is fair, how to ensure the motor works etc etc. This is where i was hoping to get some help from more experienced folk like you legends. My aim is to go out with my family (of 4) or fishing with one or two mates (main use will be fishing) - only lake fishing, nothing rough. Nothing too fancy, just something that will get me from A to B without fuss.
From my limited googling and informal chats with mates, this is what I think might be a good starting point:
- deep hull, good for the kids
- 40hp motor, gets me out of trouble/swell. 2/4 stroke? Not sure what’s more appropriate
- roughly 4-4.5, enough for 4 people plus storing stuff
- a retractable shade, good for kids
my budget is around 11k-12k - I’m not sure if this is unreasonable for my expectations? I’m only really looking on gumtree/Facebook marketplace around the Sydney area at the moment - not too sure if there are better platforms for this.
Any assistance around this would be much appreciated.