New to Boating: Advice for First Boat?

[tropicalfisher]

Whatever u just get it insured.
If u wanna fish the rip,get a Caribbean belmont,haines v17 .ect 5meter plus
I went from 4meter tin can to 4.9 caribbean.

Spent 5 years in tinny n will not be taking carinbean to rip to i have logged some serious hours.

With your budget,savage kestrle,brooker fishermen,
Quintrex dory,
Prob need ,5k
Boats will be tiller but fine for ppb bay if you pick what days you fish weather wise.

Thanks for including good brands. Very helpful. When you say "will not be taking caribbean to rip" does that mean it isn't suitable or that the tinny handles the rip fine?

[yepi'mon]

Before you buy I would suggest hiring a boat from one of the hire companies along the peninsula. This will give you the chance to make sure you enjoy fishing from a boat and also give you an idea of how a boat feels out on the water. It might make you reconsider your initial criteria.

Being out on the water is an absolute blast but when things aren't going right it can become very uncomfortable very quickly without any help or aid close by. You want to make sure that no matter what boat you have that you are confident in it's abilities when the **** hits the fan.

[bowl]

Whatever u just get it insured.
If u wanna fish the rip,get a Caribbean belmont,haines v17 .ect 5meter plus
I went from 4meter tin can to 4.9 caribbean.

Spent 5 years in tinny n will not be taking carinbean to rip to i have logged some serious hours.

With your budget,savage kestrle,brooker fishermen,
Quintrex dory,
Prob need ,5k
Boats will be tiller but fine for ppb bay if you pick what days you fish weather wise.

Thanks for including good brands. Very helpful. When you say "will not be taking caribbean to rip" does that mean it isn't suitable or that the tinny handles the rip fine?

My caribbean will be ok in rip, I just need to spend time in the boat .

People take little tinnys in rip,buti would not.

[Mattblack]

I seem to do more damage to my boat whilst it's still on the trailer (Aluminium dents, fibreglass cracks...I prefer dents)

[repspec]

Its not just boat repairs that are the problems, its the engine repairs and things like that, which adds costs.
You need to use any boat a lot before taking it to a place like the rip. I wouldnt take anything under 6mtrs through the rip anyway, but i wouldnt fish somewhere that the conditions can change so drastically either.

Go to the boat show in june/july and have a look at boats and what would suit, then go from there. If you think you can take a boat you got for less than 3k out into the rip/port phillip bay, you need to go look at the bay on a choppy day.

like i explained, you wont get anything under 5-6 grand thats worth taking out into the bay. I have a 3.75mtr tinny and have had it 12+ years, and still am super careful when i use it ie winds and weather.

[barra mick]

Agree with the above

The boat show is great so you can see all the options

I was fishing out the rip on thursday....it started off shithousre and when I left it was bordering on horiffic

You need some experience bf you go there

[tropicalfisher]

Agree with the above

The boat show is great so you can see all the options

I was fishing out the rip on thursday....it started off shithousre and when I left it was bordering on horiffic

You need some experience bf you go there

Sounds like a plan. No fish is worth risking your life, I'm sure. Are currents/conditions as bad at Queenscliff as at the Rip? Queenscliff is supposed to have great squid and whiting.

[smile0784]

For a $3k budget your probably not going to get something too stable or that is less then 10 to 15 years old.

And would highly.recommend not going out on rough day. If your looking at aluminium, your looking at a light boat probably around 150 to 200kg and wont be heavy enough to be stable for rough weather even with 2 guys and gear in it. and probably cant fish more then 1 to 2 people.

My old hull was 600kg then 150kg for the motor and by the time you add 3 guys, gear, fuel, food and drinks so total in water around 1000kg and still got rocked around in 10knot winds and sloppy water in port phillip.

It was a 5.2mt quintrex caddy cab

[tropicalfisher]

For a $3k budget your probably not going to get something too stable or that is less then 10 to 15 years old.

And would highly.recommend not going out on rough day. If your looking at aluminium, your looking at a light boat probably around 150 to 200kg and wont be heavy enough to be stable for rough weather even with 2 guys and gear in it. and probably cant fish more then 1 to 2 people.

My old hull was 600kg then 150kg for the motor and by the time you add 3 guys, gear, fuel, food and drinks so total in water around 1000kg and still got rocked around in 10knot winds and sloppy water in port phillip.

It was a 5.2mt quintrex caddy cab

How much did your Quintrex cost you? Is there much difference between motors for fiberglass vs aluminum, besides the hp?

[smile0784]

Bought 7 years ago from Sydney for $12500 from memory
Just sold for 9000.
It was 23 years old
Traditionally Fiberglass is heavier so needed more hp but with modern technology and better motors hp is on par with old motors vs new technology on newer motors i think.