Boat on trailer dimensions, please.

[MoparKevUk]

Hello Peeps!

I am continuing to research boats and asking advice here and there.

I've narrowed my search down to;

Quintrex Lazeabout '88-'92 4.5m. 560kg on trailer

Seafarer V-Sea 474 4.74m. 700kg on trailer

Or if the money starts flowing out me arse;

Quintrex Freedom Sport 490 4.9m. 900kg on trailer.(500 Freedom sport)

Here's the question;

How long are these rigs on the trailer. Tow eye to furthest point at the back. (I would probably need to drop the outboard down to gain a few less inches) And what about overall height on the trailer with bimini folded down obviously.

Would a Freedom Sport 500 5.07m be any longer than the 490 when on the trailer?

This is all a fair way off yet, but I need to know what will fit in me garage!!

TIA!

I aasume I can drag these around behind me Falcon (one at a time of course )

[shortie]

the seafarer is by far the best boat out of all of those.

[rayke1938]

My 4.6m stacer tinny with 50hp merc 4 stroke is exactly 6m lomg with the motor down, It is centre console without windscreen and height to top of steering wheel is 1.8m high.

The vc is a brilliant sea boat but you would legally require a braked trailer so trailer rego would be over $100 against 65 for the quinny lazabout. Not certain of weight of freedom sport.

The boating rego for the freedom and the vc is around $100 dearer than the 4.5 quinney.

Just make certain that floor and transom in the vc is sound as some of them are getting on a bit.

Cheers

Ray

[MoparKevUk]

I am totally ready for all the abuse and comments. Do you own one, Shortie?

My basic goal is to get a boat that can take me missus and kids out around the bay and obviously be suitable for fishing with me mates; estaury, river and bay. Interesting stuff, already chaps! I have added the approx weights to my original post.

[hisnhers]

When I was doing my research while I was looking for a boat, I looked into the V-Sea. Like shortie said, it's a fantastic boat, really good on the water, dry ride and very stable, also very well built. If you like projects, you can usually find one that needs a motor or some light work and pick them up very cheap. I have a deal with the handbrake that as soon as we get a house with a shed, I can buy a V-Sea to do up!!

[MoparKevUk]

Had a little measure up and I've got a tad over 6m length to play with, but I'm restricted to 2m height, 2.8m into the garage where the door mech is. Can't change that as it is a rental.....Keep it coming chaps! I can also measure some boats at the swapmeet on Sunday

[shortie]

IVe been in plenty of seafarers Kev. They are quality built, great design, dry and stable.

You will not beat it for a quality boat.

Seafarer is now owned by haines.

The only other boat that i reckon you should look for to match the ride and quality is a haines 445. These come in a centre console or runabout. The centre console is the most confortable small boat ive ever had the pleasure of riding in.

[Feral]

Kev, weights over 750kilo will be braked trailers which tend to be a bit bigger, slightly longer draw bars etc.

But it is specifically related to design of the trailer, how far in front of the boat the hitch is.

[shortie]

mine is a 5.2 mtr boat. Is on a braked trailer. Need aprox 6.7 mtrs for trailer to fit in the yard. trailer is rated to 1200kg. I think any boat longer just about needs to be on a tandem axle trailer.

My current trailer has mechanical brakes not electric.

The falcon will tow any of the boats you mentioned. No name tows his haines with a falcon.

Only downfall is on a slippery ramp you may have troubles pulling her up.

[tugger]

Kev the quintrex is a good boat for its size and weight its got its own pros and cons . good things going for it is light and easy to handle on your own compared to the fibreglass boats will be cheaper on fuel and easier to tow being lighter. can be a bit more rough with a aluminium hull than a fibreglass boat when beaching it at ramps and rock foreshores. will not handle seas as well than the fibre glass boats but for a first boat the quintrex would be ample in most bay spots. i had 1 for years and in good weather you can sneak off shore to some close reefs. the seafarer has been a good boat for years as well but as you can tell i like my tinnies

[dhess]

shortie wrote:

mine is a 5.2 mtr boat. Is on a braked trailer. Need aprox 6.7 mtrs for trailer to fit in the yard. trailer is rated to 1200kg. I think any boat longer just about needs to be on a tandem axle trailer.

My current trailer has mechanical brakes not electric.

The falcon will tow any of the boats you mentioned. No name tows his haines with a falcon.

Only downfall is on a slippery ramp you may have troubles pulling her up.

It's calculated by weight not length as my boat is 5.6m and on single axle trailer.

I have seen some of the new trailers have draw bars which fold away to the side to make them shorter. I am sure it wouldn't be too hard to modify a trailer to do this. This way you could have a boat almost as long as your garage.

[MoparKevUk]

Now swaying towards a Stessco 4.2 DXL Skipper. Anyone got one? And if it's on a Stessco trailer could I have on the trailer overall length measurement and height to top of screen without bimini, or bimini folded. And a review, please!

Thanks in advance,

[rayke1938]

From boatpoint.If you want new drop in and see Brian at Wondall Road marine. He is a terrific bloke and very honest . I have known him for 40 years and never heard a bad word.He would be quite happy to let you crawl over it and take measurements.

Cheers

Ray

---

Looking for a new boat, but need to sell your old one first? List yours on BoatPoint now from just $30 until sold!

Stessco's 420 series

Stessco's 420 series

Stessco's 420 seriesStessco's 420 seriesStessco's 420 seriesStessco's 420 seriesStessco's 420 seriesStessco's 420 seriesStessco's 420 seriesStessco's 420 seriesStessco's 420 seriesStessco's 420 seriesStessco's 420 seriesStessco's 420 seriesStessco's 420 seriesStessco's 420 seriesStessco's 420 seriesStessco's 420 series

Total photo(s): 16

Prev Next Play Close

Stessco's 420 series (September 2008)

words - Rick Huckstepp

For the budget conscious or first-time boaters, Rick Huckstepp evaluates the very affordable Catcher SF420 open dinghy and the Skipper 420DLX runabout from Stessco

Budget shopping with Stessco

All of the bells and whistles on many of the boats adorning TrailerBoat inevitably push the purchase price higher. So there comes a time to take stock of what is available for those about to start out fishing and/or boating or perhaps for those looking for cheap water transport - so we checked out the 420 series of Stessco's.

These alloy boats come with the bare minimum of window dressing in the case of the Catcher SF420 open dinghy while the Skipper 420DLX has a few added extras adorning its runabout design. Both will find a place in the lower end of the market for those looking at economy at purchase and low running costs with small horsepower propulsion units.

CATCHER'S OOMPH

In the case of the Catcher it was fitted with a Yamaha 30hp two-stroke engine which offered plenty of power with two adults aboard and gave it a WOT speed of 44kmh on the handheld GPS.

Holeshot was quick and when solo at the tiller, the boat bow lifted high quickly but laid down flat just as quickly. The fitted outboard had a manual tilt and short tiller arm, but this did not impede its performance in turns, with minimal torque having to be overcome by the left arm.

With a single adult on board the chines on this boat sit above the water line so it will behave with more stability when at anchor or dead in the water with additional weight payload. Another body on board remedies this.

Standard on this boat is the rear boarding platform with rail, which is a great asset for the price. The aft gunwales have robust grab handles for those seated in that part of the cockpit, while those in the forward area with the same seats in another set of post-base holes will have to do without.

The bow point features a couple of grab handles for hand guiding the boat onto the trailer, but which also second as a place to connect rope tiedowns for extra security when towing.

CHECKERPLATE PROTECTION

Another practical feature is the bow section gunwale consisting of alloy checkerplate which keeps the area looking neat rather than having the flat sheet knocked around and dented with anchors being dragged on board.

Still up front, anchor and ground tackle may be stowed in an area in front of a low-profile retaining fence. The base of this was welded to the most forward short rib each side of the centre line, while the top sections are a small distance from the side of the hull. This is done to alleviate stress cracks developing at that point due to flex, but, in this case, the ends of the partition were sharp and unfinished which could be an issue to the fraying of anchor ropes and also should a toe or finger get caught here.

The deck is carpeted marine ply and sits under flanges welded to the ribs and is then screwed to the full supports underneath.

The aft end of the deck has a small aperture leading down into the bilge and transom strengthening struts from the engine mount cut-away in the stern, extending down through here to the deck support structure below.

One issue we see looming is rubbish and gear getting swallowed up by this void and being unable to be retrieved without removing a floor section. A way around this might be to make a sieve basket to sit in here that catches any wayward materials before they go missing. Even a flat piece of alloy sheet with holes drilled all over it and Velcro stuck to the carpet would do that job cheaply.

The beauty of unpainted aluminium boats is that you can take to them with drills and welders, and chop and change anything to your liking before settling on what fits your style, like a glove.

SKIPPER'S FANCY

So, need a few more comforts in life but suffering budget constraints? Then the Skipper 420DLX might fit your wallet.

There's nothing like getting out of the cold wind behind a windscreen under some shade.

The Skipper features a curved Perspex windscreen with a centre opening pane allowing one to stand and lean through and over the open anchorwell. This last item is a reasonable size and would accept a small grapple or large Danforth anchor with chain and 50m of rope. It is drained via a hose to the outside hull.

The forequarter low-profile handrails come from the sides of the screen right up to a sturdy heavy-duty plate bowsprit on which is fixed a rope roller.

Two simple pedestal seats sit behind the windscreen which, when closed, offers a person of average height clear vision over the top. Excluding that section which opens to the bow, the screen has a handrail wrapping around for extra screen rigidity.

A flat-top dash behind the screen will accept gimbal-mounted medium-sized cabinet electronics and on the test boat Eagle's Cuda 128 was installed, but not connected to the power supply.

Teleflex NFB (non feedback) manual steering was fitted on the boat and connected to a Mercury 40hp two-stroke engine. The remote throttle, power trim and tilt control are installed on the inside of the gunwale in a comfortable position.

While occupying the front seats, one has improved legroom, due to a dropdown in the deck height under the dash. A bimini top provided plenty of shade while seated and while not fitted, it no doubt could be rigged with clears to the top of the windscreen.

COCKPIT ADJUSTMENTS

In the aft of the cockpit, a beam-width rear lounge is installed and occupants may lean against padded inner gunwales. The lounge is a stowage box with a hinged padded lid and tilts forward to access the battery and tote fuel tank in each aft corner under the transom bulkhead.

It can also be used as a fishing seat for those facing aft and the box is large enough to stow all of the safety gear and more. If required, it would be easy to remove the screwed hinges to take the box out of the boat and give anglers more room, or perhaps to use as a seat on the beach when picnicking.

Some more stowage is available in short sidepockets, port and starboard, that are welded between structural ribs at a position high enough off the deck to allow feet to get under.

The deck is carpeted marine ply which sits under flat flanges coming off the structural ribs and is then screwed to the frame underneath. This deck extends to the stern and a small aperture is open to the bilge.

There is no bilge pump installed and the engine well superimposes over the top of the aperture. Should any objects fall in here one cannot look into the aperture to locate them and must go by feel. If out of reach, the floor would have to be unscrewed which would be inconvenient. As with the Catcher SF420, a grate installed over the aperture would save a lot of hassles in the future.

The Skipper has a boarding platform and grabrail on the port side of the stern and there is a grab handle on each end of the beam for manoeuvring the boat onto trailers and tying off back anchor ropes.

POWER AND ECONOMY

I must say we were pleasantly surprised at the performance of the Skipper 420DLX with such low horsepower. With two large adults on board it got onto the plane easily and ran quiet for a standard-type two-stroke engine which was rated 'one star' under VELS.

Trimmed right in, the Skipper handled tight, high-speed turns without aeration at the propeller and steering was easy on the arms at various angles of trim.

The transducer brackets welded to these boats sit about one centimetre above the bottom line of the hull which might create installation problems for some types of mounts, depending on the brands. We would like to see these lowered so the bottom of the bracket is in line with the bottom of the hull.

CATCHER SF420

HIGHS

* Simple and cheap

* Economical to run with low horsepower

LOWS

* Sharp unfinished edges on ground tackle fence

* Open bilge needs to be screened

* Bilge pump needs to be mandatory as one cannot bail via the small aperture to the bilge

CATCHER SF420

HOW MUCH?

Price as tested: $7,990

Options fitted: Nil

GENERAL

Material: Aluminium, 3mm bottom, 1.6mm sides

Length overall: 4.2m

Beam: 1.98m

Deadrise: 15.5°

Weight: 175kg (hull)

CAPACITIES

Fuel: Tote tanks

People: 4

Rec. max. HP: 40

Rec. min. HP: 25

Max. engine weight: 95kg

ENGINE

Make/model: Yamaha 30 CV

Type: Single carburetted two-cylinder two-stroke outboard

Displacement: 496cc

Rated HP: 30

Weight: 54.5kg

Gearbox ratio: 2.08 (27/13)

Propeller: 12in three-blade

VELS rating: 1-star

SUPPLIED BY:

Marine Tune,

64 Kortum Road,

Burleigh Heads, Qld, 4220

Phone: (07) 5576 7388

Email: sales@marinetune.com

SKIPPER 420DLX

HIGHS

* Small-engine capability

* Good seating and stowage in rear lounge

LOWS

* Bilge pump should be mandatory

* Aperture to bilge should have sieve or grate

* Transducer mount-base too high

SKIPPER 420DLX

HOW MUCH?

Price as tested: $14,990

Options fitted: Nil

GENERAL

Material: Aluminium, 3mm bottom, 1.6mm sides

Length overall: 4.2m

Beam: 1.97m

Deadrise: 15.5°

Weight: 250kg (hull)

CAPACITIES

Fuel: Tote tanks

People: 4

Rec. max. HP: 40

Rec. min. HP: 30

Max. engine weight: 110kg

ENGINE

Make/model: Mercury Lightning XR

Type: Carburetted three-cylinder two-stroke outboard

Weight: 69kg

Rated HP: 40

Displacement: 697cc

Gearbox ratio: 2.00:1

Propeller: 13.5in

VELS rating: 1-star

SUPPLIED BY:

Wondall Road Marine,

419 Wondall Road,

Tingalpa, Qld, 4173

Phone: (07) 3396 5633

Website: www.stessco.com.au

[noname]

shortie wrote:

mine is a 5.2 mtr boat. Is on a braked trailer. Need aprox 6.7 mtrs for trailer to fit in the yard. trailer is rated to 1200kg. I think any boat longer just about needs to be on a tandem axle trailer.

My current trailer has mechanical brakes not electric.

The falcon will tow any of the boats you mentioned. No name tows his haines with a falcon.

Only downfall is on a slippery ramp you may have troubles pulling her up.

your dreamin mate, only turn the tyres if i want to turn the tyres.only 1 or 2 times it has turned them though. but seeing as they are/were good tyres once they start turning, and i love the smell of tyres burnin, it's a controlled skid.

[AZZA]

I have seen at the boat show I think trailers where the front section of the draw bar folded back to shorten up the storage space needed, cant remember what breed though.

[MoparKevUk]

RayKe, thanks for that cut and paste I'd already checked all the reviews via Google, but there is no better review than from an impartial fisher who has actually bought one and has experience of it.......How di you know I was 5 minutes from Wondall Marine? :dry: I usually get a wry neck or nearly mount the central reservation everyday when I pass by!!!! Thanks for the info, boys! (Where are the boat owning girls??)

I've also decided on a name, very close to my heart, but the boat donk isn't anywhere near the size of the donk in the originally named vehicle if you get me drift.....

[Walrus]

On 30/4/2009 at 5:13 PM, shortie said:

the seafarer is by far the best boat out of all of those.

Nonsense, Quintrex are the best.

[kmcrosby78]

Now here is an old thread!!    I'll vote for Fisher  

[Drop Bear]

6 hours ago, kmcrosby78 said:

Now here is an old thread!!    I'll vote for Fisher  

What make is your one KM?

[AUS-BNE-FISHO]

11 hours ago, kmcrosby78 said:

Now here is an old thread!!    I'll vote for Fisher  

Yeah, sure is kmcrosby78.

There's still quite a few from 06 too...  

Cheers Hamish

[kmcrosby78]

17 hours ago, Drop Bear said:

What make is your one KM?

Fisher of course .....