Looking for a descent boat?

[zaki10]

Hi i was wondering if anyone could suggest a descent fishing boat for around $3500.00 mostly looking at half cabins thank you.

[Fab1]

Mate i wish you luck,for $3,500 you are more than likely to buy yourself a clunker that will need extensive repair and will be more trouble and (money) than it,s worth, try to save up a bit more and get yourself something decent instead of someone elses headaches.Perhaps look into a aluminium boat with a decent motor on it and have it checked out by a marine mechanic or someone thats been around boats for a while BEFORE YOU JUMP IN AND BUY.This is only my opinion and im sure other raiders will add to this advice.Remember once bitten twice shy.

I hope this helps somewhat.

Fabian.

[The Incredible Hull]

Mate i wish you luck,for $3,500 you are more than likely to buy yourself a clunker that will need extensive repair and will be more trouble and (money) than it,s worth, try to save up a bit more and get yourself something decent instead of someone elses headaches.Perhaps look into a aluminium boat with a decent motor on it and have it checked out by a marine mechanic or someone thats been around boats for a while BEFORE YOU JUMP IN AND BUY.This is only my opinion and im sure other raiders will add to this advice.Remember once bitten twice shy.

I hope this helps somewhat.

Fabian.

+1

For 3.5k, realistically you might as well give me the money and don't expect it back!

We understand your intention, but boating requires a lot of maintenance, time, effort and a bit of cash when things go wrong!

As Fab said, if your budget is low, look for an aluminium tinny.

If you have any mates that owns a boat, best to get some advice on purchasing and maintenance. Being told in person means much more than a forum. It's only enjoyable if you're 150% dedicated and not half @ss it.

[zaki10]

Hey guys really appreciate the heads up I have come to agree with you both and

You are absolutely right I'll just save a bit more get myself something descent otherwise just get a descent tinny instead. Just another thing if a buy a tinny with a 15hp outboard would that get me through the harbour waters or is it a struggle based on your experiences? Thanks for the help guys appreciate it alot.

[Shanemills]

Mate we had a 4m tinny with an 18 hp and it got us everywhere even the heads and we used to put it in at kissing point wharf. Went quick enough. It was a mercury 18 hp.

[The Incredible Hull]

Mate we had a 4m tinny with an 18 hp and it got us everywhere even the heads and we used to put it in at kissing point wharf. Went quick enough. It was a mercury 18 hp.

You're completely missing the point that Zaki has hardly any boating experience.

Zaki: your Charade will not be able to tow anything.

[Fab1]

Mate,

i don,t know if you have much boating experience or not, but if you DON,T i would be boating in calmer waters to gain the experience and CONFIDENCE in handling a boat in different conditions first before venturing further afield as the HARBOUR can be a very danerous place for a inexperienced skipper.And the incredible hull is correct,your charade is NOT a suitable vechicle to tow anything SAFELY.

HOPE THIS HELPS.

Fabian.

[zaki10]

Haha about the charade I have had a bit of boating experience on my friends boat other than that nothing on my own. I have changed my mind about the charade but appreciate all your comments guys I'll just throw a tow bar on my dads hiace and that should pull my boar s ee

[zaki10]

My boat everywhere***

[GaryO]

Buy a cheap tinny and work your way up. I bought my first boat for a grand and used it as well as painting and modernising it. When i was ready to upsize i sold it for 3500 . So be paiteint and shop wisely and it can pay off.

Edited April 13, 2012 by GaryO

[bisso]

It is funny how most non boaters have a false illusion that a cheap boat is a good buy!! sure its a cheap outlay but a few thousand dollars later on motor/hull repairs etc adds up to a bad experience.. like others have said buy the best you can within your budget. if that means starting with a tinny so be it. work your way up from there. it is a good way to get a handle on the boating way of life...

My first boat was a crappy little 13ft glass runabout that just floated!! did the job for a year and then sold it and upgraded to a Haines Hunter V146C (lovely boat and still have it stored for my twilight years). next was a 18ft Caribbean which we recently sold and am now the owner of a 25ft sports cruiser.. Noting that, it has taken 12 odd years of boats to get to what we have now..

the moral to the story, make boating a good experience and you and your mates/family will love it.. it only takes one bad thing to make it a bad one and suddenly no one is interested...

Good luck with the search, be patient and you will find the right boat for you..

Cheers

[hooklineandsinker]

most are right on the subject while my boat cost me all up to date 2800 its half cabin with a 70hp motor but the fellow sold me a dud as the gearbox on the outboard is unreliable sure the prop turns but its missing teeth in the gear case it was hard to tell in his backyard but easy in the water

the gear box parts are obsolete gotta get a second hand box or a new or rebuilt motor either way its gonna cost me

i got it so i could take my wife and 11month out in comfort

some other fellow tried to sell me a boat and the motor had poor compression i had a compression on me to test it i left in a hurry and thanked him for wasting my time

ive looked at heaps of boats under the 5k range and the best and well maintained ones go as fast as they pop up

my mate got a boat for 4k 70 hp evinrude 4.7m and its goes beautifully not a thing wrong bar trailer issues but that is common they are out there but you gotta be picky as

get history on it paper work adds up to a mechanic actaully servicing not a some shmo changing the plugs and saying its gets serviced i just lost the last bit of paperwork

cherrs mick

Edited April 13, 2012 by hooklineandsinker

[Brooker435]

I have to agree with everyone here.

I bought a cheap Fibreglass boat for 2k, thankfully it has a good motor, but no tilt and trim, the trailer was also falling apart.

long story short 3 thousand later I have it all set-up the way I like it and it has not let me down since.

the only problem is now I am contemplating selling it but because the outboard is very old and the boat is equally as old Ill be lucky to get 3 grand I reckon.

If your starting out the tinny is definitely the way to go about it because you can buy them very cheap, you do not need to go out and but a massive car to tow it,

The other advantage is because of the weight of it the Launching and retrieving will be a hell of allot easier and you wont need such a big outboard to get it moving.

My boat is just under 14ft and the 50hp is sufficient where-as a tinny in the same size will only need around 30hp.

Good Luck on your Quest,

Regards,

Beginner

[dhype]

Hi

I think if you look hard enough you can still come up good on a aluminum boat for about the $3.5K mark....

My first boat was in that price range and it was a 3.8 Seajay with a 2006 electric start Tohastsu 25HP (uprated to 30HP).... the boat , trailer and motor were in super condition + trouble free.

I picked it up off a old chap.... It was cheap to buy , run and maintain.

This boat took me everywhere and some of my best fish was caught off this boat... you don't need $30K to enjoy fishing/boating.

As it was my first boat I did not want to spend too much on it in case it did not like fishing from a about (what a joke that turned out to be!!)

After 3 great years I did end up selling the boat (still in perfect order)and moved onto a new project which again did not cost me too much

My polycraft project >> http://www.fishraider.com.au/Invision/index.php?showtopic=57843&st=0

I say , find someone who knows their way around a boat/outboards before you commit and go for it ... fishing from a boat has changed my life ... and its been the best $$$ i have spent.

Cheers

Trung

Edited April 13, 2012 by dhype

[tasksta]

Great read guys. I'll be looking for my first boat after our wedding in September (looking now but don't tell her) and would like some similar advice:

Is it better to buy a good tinny or cheap runabout?

Will a decent tinny get out in the harbour safely?

By good tinny I mean over 4 meters, wide deep hull with decent 30hp four stroke. Aiming for around 6k ish. There are some great bargains around already from fisherman who are upgrading. So most of them are ready to roll with sounder, rod holders, tanks, bait board etc.

[GaryO]

Great read guys. I'll be looking for my first boat after our wedding in September (looking now but don't tell her) and would like some similar advice:

Is it better to buy a good tinny or cheap runabout?

Will a decent tinny get out in the harbour safely?

By good tinny I mean over 4 meters, wide deep hull with decent 30hp four stroke. Aiming for around 6k ish. There are some great bargains around already from fisherman who are upgrading. So most of them are ready to roll with sounder, rod holders, tanks, bait board etc.

Hmmmm mixed questions.. Tinny or runabout.? I think an aluminium runabout( see dhypes above) is the way to go for several reasons, mainly because they are more inclosed and can be set up better for more relaxed fishing -day and night . You can add radio, stereo, sounder etc and store things more or less under cover aposed to an open tinny. Also they are more appealing to the wife and family for a general day out boating . And lastly i think steering from the front is also 100% better safety wise, so much can be missed trying to steer from the back such as shallow water and other boats etc.

The harbour question ? Over 4 mtrs should be more than enough for the harbour BUT!!! a lot depends on where in the harbour and your experience. Around the harbour bridge area at busy times is a nightmare and more dangerous than the heads IMO regardless of your boat . Navigate carefully and venture out on good days and learn your boat and you should find a 4mtr will get u to anywhere within the harbour.

The $6 ish... thats a bad sort of price range ive found , you either get a top notch real old model for the $5K mark or you have to jump up to the $10K mark for the bottom end of newer type models. So depends if u want a not so awesome looking oldy and a goody(-5k) or a nicer modern one that u may have to spend some bucks and time on(+5k)

Edited April 13, 2012 by GaryO

[tasksta]

I would be very happy with a good oldy runabout for 5ish if its possible. Don't mind an ugly old girl if it's reliable and in good nick.

My mates first runabout was a glass junker that literally looked ready for the dump, it lasted three years, was out every week and we caught every species in every area of Sydney, great memories!

Any specific makes to look out for?

Half cabin or cuddy would be great for overnighters in summer but is that achievable in this price range?

Appreciate the advice.

[dhype]

Buy a cheap tinny and work your way up. I bought my first boat for a grand and used it as well as painting and modernising it. When i was ready to upsize i sold it for 3500 . So be paiteint and shop wisely and it can pay off.

Bought mine for $3200 and sold it for $5000 3 years later...

Better returns than the stock market!!!!

[tasksta]

Well if anyone knows of anything available in this price range shoot me a PM and I'll owe you a beer.

[GaryO]

Bought mine for $3200 and sold it for $5000 3 years later...

Better returns than the stock market!!!!

lol.. good stuff, you an i should go into business . But yeah if you buy wisely and spend some time on an old boat you can make a profit when you are ready to upgrade. Main thing is having a reliable donk and the rest can be tidied up.

[Juggs]

I would be very happy with a good oldy runabout for 5ish if its possible. Don't mind an ugly old girl if it's reliable and in good nick.

My mates first runabout was a glass junker that literally looked ready for the dump, it lasted three years, was out every week and we caught every species in every area of Sydney, great memories!

Any specific makes to look out for?

Half cabin or cuddy would be great for overnighters in summer but is that achievable in this price range?

Appreciate the advice.

break it down into 4 parts

hull

trailer

outboard

electronics and fitout

the outboard is the most expensive part of all of it

a 4.5m halfcabin will need 50-70hp a good outboard say 6-10 years old

outboard 2-3.5k

trailer 800-1.5k

that leaves you 1k for the hull value

buy a 12-13ft tinny with a 15-25hp engine for 3.5k and have 1.5 to fix it up and fit it with some luxuries

an example i bought a 5m cuddy cab so no cabin in alluminium with a 70hp at xmas for 9k its a 1996 model so 16 years old

for 5k you aint going to get anything id take my family out in

[zaki10]

Buy a cheap tinny and work your way up. I bought my first boat for a grand and used it as well as painting and modernising it. When i was ready to upsize i sold it for 3500 . So be paiteint and shop wisely and it can pay off.

thanks for that Gary o I respect your opinion and I will take it into consideration

[zaki10]

It is funny how most non boaters have a false illusion that a cheap boat is a good buy!! sure its a cheap outlay but a few thousand dollars later on motor/hull repairs etc adds up to a bad experience.. like others have said buy the best you can within your budget. if that means starting with a tinny so be it. work your way up from there. it is a good way to get a handle on the boating way of life...

My first boat was a crappy little 13ft glass runabout that just floated!! did the job for a year and then sold it and upgraded to a Haines Hunter V146C (lovely boat and still have it stored for my twilight years). next was a 18ft Caribbean which we recently sold and am now the owner of a 25ft sports cruiser.. Noting that, it has taken 12 odd years of boats to get to what we have now..

the moral to the story, make boating a good experience and you and your mates/family will love it.. it only takes one bad thing to make it a bad one and suddenly no one is interested...

Good luck with the search, be patient and you will find the right boat for you..

Cheers

Thanks heaps bisso appreciate your comments and it does take a bad experience even out fishing and no one will be interested to go again especially your self it will just put you off the whole boating experience anyways I will just take my time and when something good comes along even if it is a tinny ill be sure to purchase something worth it and take my time upgrading respect your comments and thanks once again.

[zaki10]

Hi

I think if you look hard enough you can still come up good on a aluminum boat for about the $3.5K mark....

My first boat was in that price range and it was a 3.8 Seajay with a 2006 electric start Tohastsu 25HP (uprated to 30HP).... the boat , trailer and motor were in super condition + trouble free.

I picked it up off a old chap.... It was cheap to buy , run and maintain.

This boat took me everywhere and some of my best fish was caught off this boat... you don't need $30K to enjoy fishing/boating.

As it was my first boat I did not want to spend too much on it in case it did not like fishing from a about (what a joke that turned out to be!!)

After 3 great years I did end up selling the boat (still in perfect order)and moved onto a new project which again did not cost me too much

My polycraft project >> http://www.fishraider.com.au/Invision/index.php?showtopic=57843&st=0

I say , find someone who knows their way around a boat/outboards before you commit and go for it ... fishing from a boat has changed my life ... and its been the best $$$ i have spent.

Cheers

Trung

Thanks for the comment there I really like your project you got going there seems like you have set your self up nicely to enjoy your fishing trip and made a comfortable yet convenient boat to enjoy your fishing trips good on you and keep up the good work there thank you for your opinion much appreciated.

[bisso]

Thanks heaps bisso appreciate your comments and it does take a bad experience even out fishing and no one will be interested to go again especially your self it will just put you off the whole boating experience anyways I will just take my time and when something good comes along even if it is a tinny ill be sure to purchase something worth it and take my time upgrading respect your comments and thanks once again.

Hi Zaki,

Jusr remember,

There are more boats than buyers!!! you can always negotiate on a price no matter what. if the owner needs to sell it and a potential buyer is interested, they might just take a silly offer as no one else may be looking at it.. remember, you have what they want, "CASH" and you have the bargaining power to get what you want.

Like all boats, the missus usually nags hubby that it hasnt been used and its time to get rid of it.. of course, the bloke doesnt want to part with his pride and joy but!!!

good luck and take you time, the one you miss wasnt meant for you so dont be disheartened, a better one will come along and will probably be cheaper, newer and a bargain!

Cheers