OZrevhead Posted December 30, 2023 Share Posted December 30, 2023 Hey guys, I need some help. I am looking for a used boat that meets the following criteria: 1. Length around 4.4-4.5M but will consider a little smaller or larger if it suits the purpose - forward steer or side console - no tiller steer this time 2. Seating for 3 adults minimum 3. Mostly river and occasional harbour use only - wont be going outside 4. Light weight - we have to push it by hand/foot across grass into its parking spot 5. Under floor tank if possible 6. Used for fishing and exploring the waterways 7. I was looking strictly for a closed transom boat (offshore transom) but I will forgo this for a weight reduction 8. Price - less than $15k if possible. 9. No trailer brakes - I want to renew rego without a pink slip 10. if its a runabout then I would prefer that it has a decent rear bench seat. Some smaller boats seem to weigh a tonne and some larger boats seem to be relatively light, so can someone suggest a good boat to look out for? Would an aluminium trailer help much with overall weight? Would I be better off converting an open boat to side console? We have been boat-less for 3 years so we would love to get back on the water. I recently missed out on an Ally Craft 4.35 with a 60HP EFI Merc on it for $12k, and there is currently a Clark Sea Hunter 475 for sale locally (but I cant see it yet as the owner is away on holidays), is this a heavy boat? It doesnt look heavy and it doesnt have a rear bench either. I have looked at various trailer movers and I dont think they will work for me unless I spend alot on a fancy one (not feasible). Any help would be greatly appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noelm Posted December 30, 2023 Share Posted December 30, 2023 There will be lots of boats fit that description but…….4.5m without trailer brakes is going to be touch and go legally. All you can do is sit back and be ready to pounce on anything that comes up! That kind of boat in that price range sells quick, add a few more dollars and it’s a different story. Try to get something with an EFI 4 stroke if possible. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OZrevhead Posted December 30, 2023 Author Share Posted December 30, 2023 Thanks mate, lots up to 4.75 area have no brakes so I just have to pick and choose. I guess my main question is which outfit is lightest overall, or are they all in the same weight bracket? Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noelm Posted December 30, 2023 Share Posted December 30, 2023 A lot depends on the brand and how it’s built, the “mass produced” Telwater models (Quintrex, Stacer and Savage) are pretty light, as are some of the cheaply made (some in China) smaller makes. The second hand market is a minefield of misrepresented models and age, all you can do is keep searching for something that suits you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankS Posted December 30, 2023 Share Posted December 30, 2023 Hi You mentioned about converting an open boat to a side console, well I may have something that might interest you. It's an older boat but really age does not have a great bearing with Aluminium boats . I have a 4.3 (14 foot ) Quintrex open runabout currently being converted to a side console. It is at the moment sitting on a fully registered unbraked Dunbier trailer the boat also has full rego I have a choice of a 35 hp Yamaha 2 stroke motor OR a 40hp Johnson both in very good condition both are electric start with forward controls Johnson has electric trim and tilt. I also have a brand new Aluminium trailer that would suit the boat that I would put full registration on. I could do a package deal for you for less than 1/2 of the money you are prepared to spend. You need to come to my place and inspect and talk about how you want to go about it. There are threads on here that you could read about the boat and trailer. I also have another 4.85 Savage Scorpion for sale that I could do for under your budget but that would be too heavy for you. Frank 4 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OZrevhead Posted December 31, 2023 Author Share Posted December 31, 2023 PM coming Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustJames Posted January 2 Share Posted January 2 Buy a bigger boat than you think you need. It will be more versatile in every way. If the major consideration is getting the boat to its parking spot without being able to use the two vehicle to get it there, there are battery powered "pushers" and ratchet/lever jockey wheels to help with moving it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fab1 Posted January 2 Share Posted January 2 On 12/31/2023 at 8:35 AM, OZrevhead said: Thanks mate, lots up to 4.75 area have no brakes so I just have to pick and choose. I guess my main question is which outfit is lightest overall, or are they all in the same weight bracket? Cheers There’s plenty of overweight boats with NO BRAKES around mate.I have a Quintrex 420 runabout with a 30 2 stroke that weighs 550kg on the dot.The boats you’re talking about I’d be getting brakes mate as you’ll find if you weighed them ready to fish they’d be over 750kg. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fab1 Posted January 2 Share Posted January 2 On 12/31/2023 at 8:35 AM, OZrevhead said: Thanks mate, lots up to 4.75 area have no brakes so I just have to pick and choose. I guess my main question is which outfit is lightest overall, or are they all in the same weight bracket? Cheers Lots of boats with no brakes that should have them mate and will weigh more than 750kg. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankS Posted January 2 Share Posted January 2 43 minutes ago, Fab1 said: Lots of boats with no brakes that should have them mate and will weigh more than 750kg. That's OK until one day you go to the boat ramp to launch and there is a transportable weigh station waiting at the ramp. They will weigh the boat/trailer as is with all the gear in it and if it goes overweight they will call a flat bed truck to come and pick it up and tow it to a impound center . Then you will need to arrange to have brakes fitted to trailer as well as pay impound and towing fees. Plus you will need to obtain new blue slip for trailer and re-register it at your expense. Can be very expensive to have brakes fitted to an old trailer. Frank 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OZrevhead Posted January 2 Author Share Posted January 2 Thanks for the advice boys and fair enough, I'm not looking to overload anything, I was hoping to find an outfit that is legitimate. It looks like they are all heavier than I thought, so maybe a trailer mover will be needed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankS Posted January 2 Share Posted January 2 Hi electric trailer movers are extremely SLOW . I have 2 of them one with free wheel so you can push the trailer freehand if needed and the other is fixed drive mode. Neither of them are ideal over grass, on a concrete path they will maneuver the boat/trailer with ease albeit slowly . Don't believe the advertising BS they try and tell you . If you do get one get the free wheel version as at least you can put it in free wheel when on flat concrete and push with body weight. Frank Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robbo from Sydney Posted January 2 Share Posted January 2 22 minutes ago, frankS said: Hi electric trailer movers are extremely SLOW . I have 2 of them one with free wheel so you can push the trailer freehand if needed and the other is fixed drive mode. Neither of them are ideal over grass, on a concrete path they will maneuver the boat/trailer with ease albeit slowly . Don't believe the advertising BS they try and tell you . If you do get one get the free wheel version as at least you can put it in free wheel when on flat concrete and push with body weight. Frank I have one to help me back my Quintrex Fishabout 430 into the garage, due to the slope in the drive. I only fit it when ready to put the boat away ( I still have the original jockey wheel fitted, although I had to move it to mount the bracket for the motorised jockey wheel). I agree they are both heavy and also slow to move the boat BUT they make it very easy for me as I cannot manage to push the boat in to the garage by myself because of the driveway slope. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OZrevhead Posted January 3 Author Share Posted January 3 (edited) On 1/3/2024 at 8:13 AM, frankS said: Hi electric trailer movers are extremely SLOW . I have 2 of them one with free wheel so you can push the trailer freehand if needed and the other is fixed drive mode. Neither of them are ideal over grass, on a concrete path they will maneuver the boat/trailer with ease albeit slowly . Don't believe the advertising BS they try and tell you . If you do get one get the free wheel version as at least you can put it in free wheel when on flat concrete and push with body weight. Frank To be honest I was looking at a cheap quad bike with nobby tyres and a towbar attached to the front, then I need space to store that too. Lets look at my questions a different way: What is the lightest 4.5m (non tiller steer) boat I can get? Does any of them have a weight advantage or are they all in a similar weight bracket? 350-400kg without motor, trailer and accessories? A Stacer 429 Outlaw is listed at 371kg bare, the tiller 429 is 351kg. My old Stacer 3.9 tinny was 110kg surely a floor and casting deck doesnt add 200-250kg? I would be happy with a bare tinny with a side console added, I dont need car-like luxury on the water Cheers Edited January 4 by OZrevhead Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noelm Posted January 4 Share Posted January 4 There’s a lot goes into a boat when you add length, it gets higher, wider and thicker material, then add ply floor, carpet, side gunnels and that weight is easy to see. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OZrevhead Posted January 4 Author Share Posted January 4 Yeah maybe the boat I want does not exist, I guess I will have to buy one I like and get used to dealing with the weight. Cheers boys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fab1 Posted January 4 Share Posted January 4 Forgot to add I’m 6,2 size 14 feet 126kg if that makes any difference. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankS Posted January 4 Share Posted January 4 8 hours ago, OZrevhead said: To be honest I was looking at a cheap quad bike with nobby tyres and a towbar attached to the front, then I need space to store that too. Lets look at my questions a different way: What is the lightest 4.5m (non tiller steer) boat I can get? Does any of them have a weight advantage or are they all in a similar weight bracket? 350-400kg without motor, trailer and accessories? A Stacer 429 Outlaw is listed at 371kg bare, the tiller 429 is 351kg. My old Stacer 3.9 tinny was 110kg surely a floor and casting deck doesnt add 200-250kg? I would be happy with a bare tinny with a side console added, I dont need car-like luxury on the water Cheers At one stage I bought a cheap ride on mower and fitted it with tow ball at the rear, in hindsight the towball needed to be fitted to the front of the mower as it was too difficult to kink my head to see where trailer was going. Still have the mower sitting in the back shed. Frank Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fab1 Posted January 4 Share Posted January 4 8 hours ago, OZrevhead said: To be honest I was looking at a cheap quad bike with nobby tyres and a towbar attached to the front, then I need space to store that too. Lets look at my questions a different way: What is the lightest 4.5m (non tiller steer) boat I can get? Does any of them have a weight advantage or are they all in a similar weight bracket? 350-400kg without motor, trailer and accessories? A Stacer 429 Outlaw is listed at 371kg bare, the tiller 429 is 351kg. My old Stacer 3.9 tinny was 110kg surely a floor and casting deck doesnt add 200-250kg? I would be happy with a bare tinny with a side console added, I dont need car-like luxury on the water Cheers The lightest boat in any length you’ll get is basically an open boat with a tiller steer on it. No wide gunnels, rail work, floor, etc.Just a boat and engine basically. like I said before my Quintrex 420 estuary angler weighs 550kg on dot as per weigh bridge ready to fish. If you look at it it’s basically an open tiny with additional items like windscreen, enclosed bow, rail work, seats, carpeted floor which all add weight. Like I said the boats you are looking at will weigh more, need brakes and you’ve got Buckleys pushing it on its jockey wheel over grass by yourself or even with a helper any distance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fab1 Posted January 4 Share Posted January 4 On 1/2/2024 at 4:15 PM, JustJames said: Buy a bigger boat than you think you need. It will be more versatile in every way. If the major consideration is getting the boat to its parking spot without being able to use the two vehicle to get it there, there are battery powered "pushers" and ratchet/lever jockey wheels to help with moving it. Agree 100% about where to house boat.Personally if I couldn’t put my boat in garage or at least in enclosed yard I’d never have one.So many do though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dunc333 Posted January 5 Share Posted January 5 16 hours ago, Fab1 said: The lightest boat in any length you’ll get is basically an open boat with a tiller steer on it. No wide gunnels, rail work, floor, etc.Just a boat and engine basically. like I said before my Quintrex 420 estuary angler weighs 550kg on dot as per weigh bridge ready to fish. If you look at it it’s basically an open tiny with additional items like windscreen, enclosed bow, rail work, seats, carpeted floor which all add weight. Like I said the boats you are looking at will weigh more, need brakes and you’ve got Buckleys pushing it on its jockey wheel over grass by yourself or even with a helper any distance. thats including your trailer weight as well in the 550kg ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fab1 Posted January 5 Share Posted January 5 2 hours ago, dunc333 said: thats including your trailer weight as well in the 550kg ? Yes fully loaded and ready to go fishing as it sits on trailer in garage. I did my homework when I bought it and my criteria was Must fit in garage, weigh less than 600kg, unpainted, no bullshit on motor,etc,etc. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miniken Posted January 10 Share Posted January 10 Hi I myself have problems moving about with limited space I bought a boss 370 mover has crank or you can use a battery drill to propel around $800 Cheers miniken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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