Buying a new Tinny - hull thickness - advice

[Kracka]

G'day raiders, 

I was hoping to get some advice. I'll be buying a small tinny to suit outings for a small family (myself, wifey and our 1 year old bub) but also for my solo fishing trips.

I'd be using it to fish and explore the estuaries such as the hawkesbury, middle harbour (from roseville down to the spit), lane cove river and the Georges.

So I've been looking at something between the 3.9m to 4.4m range unpainted Vhull BUT what I can't really get my head around is the hull thickness. A lot are 1.6mm sides and base. Some with 1.6mm sides but with 2mm base. Then there are some with 3mm sides and base such as the savage 425 kestrel.

I'm pretty keen on the Savage range at the moment.

So my question is what does the hull thickness mean exactly? Does it just add weight for a smoother ride in choppier conditions? Would a 3mm hull side and base be overkill for the conditions I'd take the boat in? Does it mean that It would last longer in terms of any dents you would get from the usual wear and tear?

Just hoping to get some advice as if I go a thicker/heavier hull I'd assume that means going from a 20-25hp to a 30hp to get the plane going faster?

If you guys could chip in some knowledge if be super appreciative😊😊

Edited December 12, 2020 by Kracka
Added info

[noelm]

I guess you are buying new? If so, Quintrex, Savage and Stacer are all built by the same people, and have very similar models. Thicker material "should" be stronger, that said, a well made boat will be better than a cheap build. If buying second hand it's whole different story, sellers often state features that are simply incorrect, either by ignorance or just trying to make their boat appear better to new comers.

[noelm]

OH, and most tinnies in that range will not be "soft" in choppy conditions.

[Davison]

Heavier build is more about ride than strength. Probably not worth too much thought in the ~4m class, particularly if you're only working estuaries. Quintrex recently dropped the 2mm option on their 1.6mm Outback Explorers, only really adds weight and in the sub 4m models there's usually more benefit in being lighter- low hp 4 strokes, car toppers etc.

Quintrex/Stacer/Savage come from the same factory as mentioned, although the bottom sheet pressings are usually different on the Quintrex models. If you want something that'll do well in bigger chop, starting point would be the 420 Renegade and equivalents. They weigh 2-3x the standard 4m open hulls, you will need twice the hp (50) to push them and twice the money to buy them.

Edited December 13, 2020 by Davison

[Kracka]

Thank you for all the advice. It helped make up my mind better. Ended up going a Savage 425 Raptor 1.6mm sides, 2mm bottom with a 20hp yam. The 420 renegade looked super tempting but I used the money saved on a Kota instead. 

Can't wait to take it for a spin when it's ready.