garfield28 Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 Hi all, Have decided I'm going to buy a new boat, but seeing I don't have much of an idea what would be the best boat to get? If I could get some preferences from the experienced boaties from this forum on what I should go for please it would help me choose the right one. I'd like a boat that I can get outside in on a good day with the young bloke fishing just off shore around the heads and just past etc, but also have the power and stability to have the whole family (the Mrs and 4 kids) with me and have room to take them in a deep bay somewhere where its not gonna upset everyone or look like sinking if the weather kicks up a bit. After owning a glass boat I'm leaning towards getting an aluminium boat now, but I'm not sure of a good type of hull or even boat in particular I should go after. I've looked at a few today that I like and are in my price range of $15,000 - $17,000 but I'd like to know if they can handle what I would want to do with them. I like the looks of the, 2002 QUINTREX 475 BAYHUNTER CAPRICE, the 1999 BROOKER 525 DISCOVERY CUDDY CABIN, the Quintrex freedoms port but its a bow rider and not sure I like them due to deck space. Any advice is very much appreciated. Thanks Geoff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Welster Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 Hi Geoff, As a teenager my family owned Haines Hunter and Pride half cabins around 5m. After not having a boat for a long time a mate and u bought an elcheapo half cabin followed by a new 2003 5.3 Freedom Sport. We have recently upgraded to a 5.7 Stacer Easyrider from Huett's. We have families with young kids so we do the family boating, watersports and fishing mostly inside but some outside the heads. Originally we were undecided on the bow rider version but after owning one they are really hard to beat as a family all rounder. I'd suggest with 4 kids going over 5m and near the maximum HP for the hull. I'd be open open to either brand and base my decision on the best condition one in the price range I could find. I think if you can stretch to just over 20k you will do better. Obviously with cabin style boats they are better outside and fiberglass rides better than aluminium. The problem with cabin boats is on a nice day nobody wants to sit in the cabin making the boat unbalanced. In contrast the kids love being in the front of the bow rider which helps. It's easy to manage the anchor too. The bow riders are good to fish 3 up with one in the front and ok for 4. The freedom sport is a very stable boat at rest. They are also pretty wide, our 5.3 was 2.4m wide. The 2003 freedom sport has the transom step where the motor sits straight across the back. Later models seem to have a step in the transom step where the outboard is and a larger strip across the back of the boat that wastes more deck space. The last thing is depending on the age of your kids our 5.3 had a max of 6 adults. So that may be worth checking. Happy hunting which ever way you go. Jason Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arob Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 G'day Geoff, Just bought a Quinnie 475 Bayhunter. Awesome boat for the estuary. Haven't taken it outside yet, but planning on taking it around the heads at Cronulla once I get a bit of confidence up. Should handle it fine on a good day. Great boat for fishing with 2, max 3 ppl.. I know a few ppl with the Quintrex Freedom Cruiser or Cruisabouts (bow riders). They seem to be perfect family boats with heaps of space. Not sure how much they are though? Good Luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garfield28 Posted February 9, 2015 Author Share Posted February 9, 2015 Hi Geoff, As a teenager my family owned Haines Hunter and Pride half cabins around 5m. After not having a boat for a long time a mate and u bought an elcheapo half cabin followed by a new 2003 5.3 Freedom Sport. We have recently upgraded to a 5.7 Stacer Easyrider from Huett's. We have families with young kids so we do the family boating, watersports and fishing mostly inside but some outside the heads. Originally we were undecided on the bow rider version but after owning one they are really hard to beat as a family all rounder. I'd suggest with 4 kids going over 5m and near the maximum HP for the hull. I'd be open open to either brand and base my decision on the best condition one in the price range I could find. I think if you can stretch to just over 20k you will do better. Obviously with cabin style boats they are better outside and fiberglass rides better than aluminium. The problem with cabin boats is on a nice day nobody wants to sit in the cabin making the boat unbalanced. In contrast the kids love being in the front of the bow rider which helps. It's easy to manage the anchor too. The bow riders are good to fish 3 up with one in the front and ok for 4. The freedom sport is a very stable boat at rest. They are also pretty wide, our 5.3 was 2.4m wide. The 2003 freedom sport has the transom step where the motor sits straight across the back. Later models seem to have a step in the transom step where the outboard is and a larger strip across the back of the boat that wastes more deck space. The last thing is depending on the age of your kids our 5.3 had a max of 6 adults. So that may be worth checking. Happy hunting which ever way you go. Jason Thanks for that Jason. I wish I could stretch it to 20K mate but don't think can. But a big thumbs up from you for that type of boat... you reckon the 4.75 wouldn't be any good to me mate? G'day Geoff, Just bought a Quinnie 475 Bayhunter. Awesome boat for the estuary. Haven't taken it outside yet, but planning on taking it around the heads at Cronulla once I get a bit of confidence up. Should handle it fine on a good day. Great boat for fishing with 2, max 3 ppl.. I know a few ppl with the Quintrex Freedom Cruiser or Cruisabouts (bow riders). They seem to be perfect family boats with heaps of space. Not sure how much they are though? Good Luck! Cheers Arob, Are they a wide beam boat at all? I see and like with some of the aluminium boats that they seem wider than the glass boats... one thing I love about my glass boat at the moment is the deep sides on it, makes you feel better with the young ones on board and its more comfortable for standing fishing when you get sick of sitting down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cameldownunder Posted February 10, 2015 Share Posted February 10, 2015 Hi Geoff Mine is a Quintrex 475 bowrider. 2003 model. 60HP 4 stroke. Best buy ever. They are now in your price range. Having replaced the floor and put a new sounder in, I've confirmed that it has foam in the sides and in some parts of the floor. I hope I'll never use it, but gives a bit of confidence, and reduces the noise. I did go out past the heads, and about 4 km south ( almost to the atificial reef), I did buy an epirb, and installed a VHF radio. I have been boating for 4 years, and I can estimate, with help of the weatherforecast, if i can go out or not. The bow is great for kids. At the back I have a large seat with back rest so going with a lot of people ( max 5 adults ) I have 2 adults ( driver and passenger seat ) in the middle, 2 kids at the from, 1 adult and 1 kif at the back. Like others said, this size is good for 3 people fishing. More and it gets very crammed. I can use it for tubing, but not enough grunt for waterskiing. Fully loaded it takes quite a while to get on plane. Average consumption for a day out ( Drop at Roseville Bridge, go to middle head, clifton gardens, inside the heads, and back is about 20L. And last but not least, it's quite easy to put it in the water just by myself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Welster Posted February 10, 2015 Share Posted February 10, 2015 I think Cameldownunder has answered your questions. I think the life jacket rules change at 4.8m. I also think the beam of the boat is 200 mm or so smaller. You will do better in the price range at that length though and easier to handle. The longer boat will be more comfortable, ride better and more stable. At the end of the day it's a compromise one way or another. The 5.3 m freedom sport had a 115 Yamaha two stroke that was reliable and pretty good hole shot and could pull an adult out on one ski ok. Our new 5.7 Easyrider with 150 etec is a much sportier hull runs magic and uses far less fuel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garfield28 Posted February 10, 2015 Author Share Posted February 10, 2015 I think the one in the link bellow looks good, but bit unsure about the outboard. I don't think I've read too many kind views on Johnson outboards. <<<Link removed by Tef1on>>> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cameldownunder Posted February 10, 2015 Share Posted February 10, 2015 I think the life jacket rules change at 4.8m. The quintrex sport 475 ( 2003 ) shows length of 4.85. In theory I am exempted. But I still wear it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cameldownunder Posted February 10, 2015 Share Posted February 10, 2015 I think the one in the link bellow looks good, but bit unsure about the outboard. I don't think I've read too many kind views on Johnson outboards. http://www.tradingpost.com.au/Boats-and-Marine/Power-Boats-/STACER-495-ALUMINIUM/Gosford-West/NSW/AdNumber=D774702624474 Year 1997 ? 27Mhz Radio? How many hours? I think you can find better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cameldownunder Posted February 10, 2015 Share Posted February 10, 2015 Forgot to say. If you're not in a hurry: Buy it in Winter. It's cheaper Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garfield28 Posted February 10, 2015 Author Share Posted February 10, 2015 Forgot to say. If you're not in a hurry: Buy it in Winter. It's cheaper Thanks mate.... and you guessed it, I'm in a hurry If I were to go outside a bit, I would pretty much only go out with just my young bloke and say one other normally I would say. I don't mind being a bit cramped if I'm with the family as I usually don't fish when I have the kids as I help them and the Mrs don't fish then either, so if a 4.75 would do me for that I'd have to strongly consider one Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brad_tate Posted February 11, 2015 Share Posted February 11, 2015 I have a 2009 Quintrex Coastrunner 470 which is very similar to the Bayhunter 475 and I can't recommend it highly enough. My local spot is Botany Bay and we will happily head outside the heads in any reasonable conditions. I am not equipped for offshore use (but do have a VHF radio) so stay within the 2 Nm range. The 60 Hp Yammy 2 stroke is a great engine, but I am considering switching to the 4 - jury is still out. In shallow water it is also fantastic. I can walk it in 200 mm, drive it in 400 mm and plane in anything over 800 mm safely. The boat model is not completely linked to the length as you mentioned. My boat despite being a 470 is actually 5.08m overall so avoids the inshore lifejacket requirement. We love our Qunnie, have tricked it up nicely and would not swap it for quids! Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garfield28 Posted February 12, 2015 Author Share Posted February 12, 2015 Thanks tastee. Any feed back for a Ally Craft Sea Flyer? I can pick one up here a 5.1m up for under 12k with a 97 70HP Johnson outboard on the back. Are these boats any good? Thanks Geoff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juggs Posted February 14, 2015 Share Posted February 14, 2015 any service history on the engine, if not would you drive a 17 year old car into the wolderness with no service history ?buy a boat to do in th einshore stuff well and jump on a mates bigger boat and through in for fuel and have a better more reliable bay river boat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garfield28 Posted February 15, 2015 Author Share Posted February 15, 2015 Cheers Juggs, but have no mates with a bigger boat I'd love to have my own anyway so I can go when I want, leave when I want etc etc.... Starting to lean back towards a glass boat now.... I atleast need over a 5 meter job though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richard_pdc Posted February 16, 2015 Share Posted February 16, 2015 Best boat is a trail craft sport rider or a trail craft runabout 5.5 m easy to handle on your own very deep so you can easly take it outside wide beam for stability and very cheap to run I have one best boat for value Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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