First boat - $5k budget

[Brycei3]

Hi everyone,

Back into fishing recently and I'm after some feedback/opinions on my first boat purchase.

I've got a pretty low budget of $5,000 as it's something we're unsure if we will use enough (if we do we'll upgrade at a later date)

Mostly fishing PPB and after something around the 5m mark. The age of the boat isn't a great concern but of course it would need to be safe.

Am I asking too much with a budget like this or is it achievable?

What size motor would be ideal? Is there any pre purchase mechanics you could recommend?

Thanks in advance, Bryce.

[bowl]

Tiller steer tin can r fine for a starter..try n get one over 4 meters

Plenty of old fiberglass...just gotta make sure there not full of rot.

[skronkman]

$5K is enough to buy a decent 4.2m tinny with a 2 stroke. 30HP - 50HP. I Think if you start looking for more boat in this price range you might be taking a risk on quality/condition of boat or motor. Look for boat and motor to be less than 20 years old. The boats have better hull designs and the alloys used in the motors were much better at resisting salt corrosion than the earlier stuff.

[fishnut]

A couple of things to look out for on the hulls,on the tinnies check for corrosion under and glass boats transom /floor for soft spots, could end up being costly

[Paulanderson]

You have mentioned 5m and fishing PPB as a start point. You are not going to get everything you may want for $5,000 so you need to consider what is important. There are 3 main components - the boat, the motor and the trailer. You should be able to get a solid hull that may not look all that pretty but will be very adequate for fishing. If you don't know a lot about glass boats try and enlist the assistance of someone that does and carefully check out the floor and transom for cracks and soft spots. You may also be able to get an older tinny but again carefully check out the hull for corrosion and cracks/pin holes. As for a trailer that is easier to check out but if it has serious rust that cannot easily be repaired look somewhere else. What I would really concentrate on is the motor, electricals and steering. There are plenty of older boats around with much newer outboards. Basics include does it start easily, does it pump plenty of water, does the power tilt and trim work, does the steering move easily - and so on. Finally does a boat come with safety gear, a decent radio, a sounder that meets your needs - and so on. All these factors impact on the true value of what you are planning to buy. Finally I suggest you look at Ebay and Gumtree and go look at some boats. You should quickly get a feel for what represents value. Best of luck!

Paul

[SteveoTheTiger]

I bought my 4.2m tinny for just over $5000 from a dealer (with warranty). It had a great tiller steer 2002 Mercury 25hp that never missed a beat, the hull was solid and didnt leak a drop and the trailer was pretty much like new. It did not have a floor so i had to build one myself.. another $100 or so of pine and plywood.

It got me and my mates out on the bay catching fish. Of course there was times were i had to cancel the trip if the weather looked bad. I didnt travel as far from port as i do now with my glass boat but at no point did we ever get caught out in a situation where i felt the boat was out of its comfort zone.

In the end i sold it a couple of years later for a slight loss, but it was an awesome boat and there are plenty of other examples around if you look hard enough.

I would however be slightly concerned if you were trying to buy a 5m glass boat on that budget. The chances of getting a complete package all in good working condition are pretty low. You may get a good hull and trailer but the motor will likely be shot or very old. You will also likely be looking at hulls that were build in the 80's and 90's, which is fine but you must make sure it is solid through out.

[skronkman]

All good advice here. If you have a friend that knows boats then take them with you when you inspect it. It's hard to know what to look for when you are new to it. Boats and trailers can mostly be fixed but motors can be totally stuffed and good for nothing but a spare anchor (and expensive). Taking the boat out on the water is the only sure way to know but this may be hard to negotiate before buying. Just seeing it run on the hose isn't a very good indication of its actual condition. If you see something that takes your fancy you can post the ad on here and we will provide some feedback of what to look out for, it's not ideal but if you're pretty green on boats then we can at least steer you away from anything that's obviously dodgy.

[4liters]

You could get a second hand AI for that kind of money, that'd get you to more places in worse weather than a tinny

[Mattblack]

This boat has been for sale for years...make him an offer he cant refuse

https://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/rosebud ... 1168007722

[Sebb]

This boat has been for sale for years...make him an offer he cant refuse
batboat.jpg
https://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/rosebud ... 1168007722

I'll offer $100 and tell 'em I'm joking.