Open tiller steer boats outside?

[JET01]

I used to have a stacer nomad 469 side console and have since sold it and moved to kayak fishing. The main reason for the sale was due to lack of a garage to house the boat, which meant i had nowhere to maintain it.

Im looking to get back into a boat when i purchase a house with a garage big enough to house/work on it. Apartment living and boats just dont mix.

Most my fishing has been done in the estuary, but Ive recently started targeting kings in the bay but would like to head out a bit wider when the weather permits. Especially when its snapper season.

The options ive been looking at are two anglapro boats. Either the Bandit 454 or chaser 454 possibly as small as the 424 depending on garage size.

Both boats will be optioned up with casting decks and ipilot motor.

Id love a sit down centre console, but the console would take up valuable floor space.

Most of the time i fish alone or with one other.

The only question i have with the chaser (which is the tiller steer version) is whether going outside the heads is out of the question.

From what i can tell, the boats have exactly the same hull shape.

So, if you had two boats that were identical, except for one being a tiller steer and the other being a centre console, could you take them out in the same conditions?

How many of you out there go out the heads in tiller steer boats, and what size hulls are they?

[pjbink]

I can be done (ie a tiller steer), but you have less control than with a steering wheel and seat. If you

have a heavy impact with a wave it could cause you to inadvertantly move the tiller arm and possibly

broach or even be thrown out of the boat.

On the other hand a runabout configuration on a small tinny would be hard riding and possibly vulnerable

to broaching in a following sea (too much weight forward). A centre or side console would be best.

[fishmaniac]

I fished outside a lot in a 3.95m tiller steer tinnie. I was mindful of the conditions and never had a problem.

I now own a side console boat so I can head further out with more confidence. I chose a boat with a full height transom to give more freeboard. That extra freeboard and the ability drive the boat (downrigging) without having to constantly hold then engine were the reasons I went for the console. I have a mate who downriggs a lot also with a tiller steer boat that is 4.3m. He fishes offshore all the time and doesn't have an issue and doesn't have any intention to go to a console.

[DeanFish]

If I was you I would look for an older Markham 4.3m dominator. I have one on a trailer with a swing away draw bar and I manage to get it into my garage with about 10cm to spare. No issue taking it outside on the right days and they are very stable. I have a triple garage and back it in then just maneuver it across. Leaves room for both mine and my wife's car.

[col35]

i have a tiller 4.5 brooker 40hp that i store in my garage with about 10cm to spare its great in the bay and good outside as long as the conditions are perfect, If your on your own a lot i would go for the centre console otherwise the tiller gives the boat so much more room to land the big kingies

[Choicebro]

Hey mate,

I have a Stacer Nomad 440 tiller steer with a 40 Johnson. I fish from Port Hacking and am always fishing out the front.

Even this morning I went out for a fish and ended up down off Marley. Sea was quite sloppy and certainly not the lazy 1m swell they had predicted.

I reckon at times it was more like 1.6+

Anyway, if you are going to venture outside you need to be confident in your abilities to be able to respond and react accordingly should the conditions change.

Having a good reliable setup is also a huge factor in remaining safe.

I also prefer the tiller steer as it gives a lot of clear deck space to work with.

Cheers

Choicebro

[MV Sunray]

Owned a sea jay with a 50hp tiller 4 stroke.

Great all rounder boat. Went a lot of places, regularly outside weather permitting.

Only downside to owning a tiller is prepare to be soaked

[wizza]

Hi jet01 I have the same boat as crazy col with a smaller motor.I find that placing a 4gallon container of ballast water in the front makes it much more sea kindly and flatter running.cheers wizza

[JET01]

I had a steering cable that rusted out on the nomad and it cost around $900 to get it fixed (long weekend prices).

Im not sure how often something like this would happen, or whether the chances of it happening to a garaged boat would be even less.

The tiller steer would be great for extra space and less maintenance, but i like the centre console for the driving position, drier ride, and having somewhere to mount the sounder and grab rails.

Lucky ive got plenty of time to think about it.