Kind Of Boat To Go Deep(ish) | Beginner Guide | Seq

[Ryannnnnnnn]

Hi,

Have been kayak fishing for a few years and am looking to buy a boat that I can take out around SEQ open waters. I plan to gain some experience around the bay and head to some of the islands such as Peel island, Stradbroke, etc. My budget will be around $15-20K. After getting experience in the bay areas I'd ideally like to have a boat (and myself) capable enough to go out into the deeper waters. I'm not talking out on the horizon deep - My novice idea of offshore is probably much closer than yours. I want to catch big fish to put it simply! Safety is paramount.

I'm not rushing, I'll be looking to hopefully buy later in the year, but in the meantime I want to do plenty of research to make sure I'm pretty prepared and my budget is feasible.

From what I can see my budget can get a variety of boats - I'm interested in something between 5-6.5 meters with a fairly new motor. I can see there are older boats with newer engines. 

I was hoping I could get some guidance to point me in the right direction - I don't at this stage need to know every little detail, but I'm hoping to get guidance on the important things to consider when in my position. I thought I'd start with a few questions that come to mind - I'm sure there's points I'm missing.

• How far out is 'offshore'? I just want to go where big fish are. I consider adult spanish mackeral, coral trout, snapper as big fish. 60+ cm.
• I'd ideally have room for 6 people, but at least 4. Is 5-6.5 meters big enough? No kids for a few years.
• What auxiliary equipment is a must. eg sounder, gps, epirb
• Is the mentioned boat size OK to tow and launch or a pain in the rear? Any special considerations with trailers?
• Is a 1985 hull too old for this type of fishing?
• What is the minimum engine size for this type of fishing?
• How old would an engine be to cause concern?
• How much $ do you put into maintenance annually to ensure the boat is safe? (very broad question, trying to gauge whether it's like a few hundred or 2 thousand)
• How much does a day out on the water usually cost you?
• Centre console or cruiser?
• Have limited experience in boating. How would you gain experience when you don't know anyone with a boat to learn from?
• Would be cool to be able tow a inflatable donut - obviously not offshore but in a safe environment. Is a cruiser generally too slow?
• How do you tell the weather is going to get dangerous? What swell / wind should get you concerned?

 

Look forward to hearing some guidance!

 

 

[demarc]

Lots of questions in one post!

First question is tow vehicle. How much can you tow? 

My advice would be to look for a pressed alloy hull round 5.5 mtrs. Since you'll be learning an alloy hull can be more forgiving and its easier to handle then glass. i suggested pressed as you'll be able to find something in your budget.

Don't worry about engine hours too much, an engine within reason that has high hours means its been actively used. Ourboards hate sitting...

Best way to start your learning journeys is to get involved in the forum socials. I am a great example here. When i first joined i had basically 0 fishing and boating skills. 5 years later and I now head up to 120kms offshore and have up to 300mtrs... 

[Ryannnnnnnn]

Thanks for that feedback - hadn't considered the hull material! I can tow 3100kgs in my ute.

[rayke1938]

Experience is the best teacher.

Keep your eye open for decky spots.

There are a few reputable dealers around such as John Crawford Marine.

Whilst they are more expensive than a private sale you do get a warranty and a written report on the hull and motor.

Go and have a yarn to them as they are happy just to have a chat and give advice.

If buying privately pay to have someone to inspect the whole rig.

Launching and retrieving solo is manageable by yourself in most cases but you can run into difficulty if there is a cross current,or wind or a chop on the ramp.

Electric winch ( NOT one of the supercheap $80 specials) with remote control with power in and out makes life a lot easier.

Self aligning rollers on trailer are worth while.

Learn how to drive your boat straight up onto the trailer.

Spend a bit of time visiting some of the busier ramps and just observe  how others manage and look at their rigs.

 

 

Cheers

Ray

 

[samsteele115]

Cant help much with the boat side of things, however I do go 10km+ offshore in my 4.2m tinny when the weather is right but its not what you would call an offshore boat. Great for bay stuff though. You don't always need to go too far offshore to catch big fish. For example you can catch 80cm snapper in the bay 200m off scarborough on the right day. But yes offshore fishing does open you up to more reefs and less fishing pressure so it will be good to have a vessel capable of reaching those spots when you please.

[Tybo]

Lots of questions, and responses already have answered most. As Ray said experience is key. Maritime certification are based on sea hours, so that says a lot. I agree that if you have time, go out on a few vessels, to different places and gauge an opinion on that. My boat, at 4.7m, is smaller than what you're after, however comfortably take it offshore in the right conditions. If you ever wanted a morning out to see, give us a yell.

17 hours ago, Ryannnnnnnn said:

 

• How far out is 'offshore'? I just want to go where big fish are. I consider adult spanish mackeral, coral trout, snapper as big fish. 60+ cm.
• I'd ideally have room for 6 people, but at least 4. Is 5-6.5 meters big enough? No kids for a few years.
• What auxiliary equipment is a must. eg sounder, gps, epirb
• Is the mentioned boat size OK to tow and launch or a pain in the rear? Any special considerations with trailers?
• Is a 1985 hull too old for this type of fishing?
• What is the minimum engine size for this type of fishing?
• How old would an engine be to cause concern?
• How much $ do you put into maintenance annually to ensure the boat is safe? (very broad question, trying to gauge whether it's like a few hundred or 2 thousand)
• How much does a day out on the water usually cost you?
• Centre console or cruiser?
• Have limited experience in boating. How would you gain experience when you don't know anyone with a boat to learn from?
• Would be cool to be able tow a inflatable donut - obviously not offshore but in a safe environment. Is a cruiser generally too slow?
• How do you tell the weather is going to get dangerous? What swell / wind should get you concerned?

 

Look forward to hearing some guidance!

 

 

To answer these questions:

• Offshore to me is anywhere where you have to consider swell, in particular ocean swell.
• 5-6.5 metres should take 6 people, but check the legal parameters of the boat. My boat can take 5 in smooth waters and 4 offshore.
• EPIRB is a legal requirement in open waters. GPS and sounder combos are common these days, and for travelling safely I believe a decent combo is a must.
• Bigger boats means more weight. This usually involves braked trailers which require maintenance, and single of dual axles. Small 4 cylinders, diesel or not, will tow these trailer and boat packages, but not comfortably or economically over distances. Launching biggers is sometimes not possible on your own, and can limit which ramps you use.
• Depending on the make and condition 1985 is not too old, but a thorough check of the hull is a very smart move. Aluminium boats this old will probably should some signs of stress, and may or not have already been welded. If the workmanship is quality, then it's not a concern, but go with your gut. A fibreglass boat this age could be a dream or an absolute money pit. Things to look for in a particular are soft spots in the transom or floor.
• A 5-6.5m boat will usually have a minimum of anything around 100hp, but can go as high as 250hp.
• Old engines if serviced and maintained properly can be bullet proof. Most old engines are two strokes, which are noisy, smelly and not the best on fuel. However these can be easier to fix and generally proven technology. Modern four strokes are quieter and more fuel efficient, however require more experienced servicing.
• A good hull shouldn't require much cost in maintenance other than TLC. Engine servicing is fairly crucial, as is your battery and electrical systems, and not to mention trailer maintenance (which is probably the most important). A safe budget would be around $1000 a year, but up to $2000 depending on the age and condition.
• The cost of a day out on the water is relative to the size of your engine. A clever guestimate of engine fuel consumption is take the hp and either halve it(for two strokes) or divide it by three(for four strokes). This is how many litres of fuel your engine will consume an hour at wide open throttle. You won't be WOT the whole time, and this calculation isn't exact, but a good guide. My 90hp(two stroke) burns 36L/h at WOT. I usually don't cruise at WOT, backing off a bit, but still burn around 25L/h, so am still in the same ballpark. With this guide you'd probably "expect" a four stroke 150hp to burn anywhere between 30-50L/h then. I'd say on a 6.5m boat it wouldn't be uncommon to burn through 200-300L a day!
• Centre console, great fishing boats, exposed to the weather. Cruiser, as in cabin boats? Or bay cruiser? They're comfortable, but are limited to certain fishing styles. Depends what you're going to use it for.
• Experience only comes with spending hours on the water. Go with others and learn, push yourself, but always know your limits. Be prepared to make plenty of mistakes.
• If you want to tow a tube, you generally want to do over 20 knots.
• Weather is very important. Check weather sources regularly. Anything over 1-1.5m swell is large. Offshore winds such as N'ly, E'ly or SE'ly are winds to watch. Anything over 15kts is pretty uncomfortable. Shallow water and wind against tide are also things to consider. 

[benno573]

I fish offshore and in the bay in a 5.3m fiberglass half cabin quite regularly, just need to pick the weather. Perfect for me is 10kn or less and 1m of swell. Unfortunately these days seem to often coincide with work! The bay can be a nasty place if you have 15kn of wind against the tide, 5ft chop develops very quickly.

 

i like the size boat I have as it is easy to handle on my own and I can do everything from trolling for flathead in a foot of water to dropping baits on a reef in 100m. It is easy to transport as well and regularly gets taken up or down the coast as well as further afield to 1770 and alike. Single axle trailer means less maintenance and greater manouverability. It provides protection from the elements and can even do overnight trips if required.

 

number of passengers on a boat. Mine legally can carry 6. I rarely fish with any more than 3 on board and definitely no more than 4. Even then you have to be very good friends. Even a 6 or 6.5m boat you'd struggle to fish effectively with more than 4 on board.

 

I run a 3 year old tohatsu two stroke on the back which at cruising speed in flat water lightly loaded will use 18L/hr but add chop and a bit of load to that when the engine is working harder it will jump to about 24L/hr, worst figures ever were just over 30L/hr. In bris, a run out around cape moreton is 1.5hrs each way give or take, plus running around out there... I usually carry a min of 100L for an offshore trip. Heading out from mooloolaba I fish the in close reefs and generally only put 40-50L through the boat, obviously a bit more through the car to get it there. So cost is very arbitrary depending on the location.

 

as to the age of things that it is "safe" to buy... Well, again, there is many factors in play here. An engine can be stuffed at 3-5 years old if it's not maintained or serviced correctly. A 20 year old engine with excellent maintenance could be a better bet, however, things like hoses and seals generally have a finite life.

 

Hulls - theoretically fiberglass should last for a hell of a long time. This can be shortened quickly through moisture penetration, impacts, poor positioning on the trailer and rotting of timber stringers etc. Alum hulls can be affected by the same stuff above (except stringers) but also throw into that electrolysis which can weaken and even hole an alum hull in short time. So really both have their pros and cons. Personally I prefer glass.

 

required safety gear for offshore includes an epirb, flares, life jackets, v sheet, torch/signaling device and depending on boat size a bilge pump. Other recommended things are fire extinguishers, fire blankets, first aid kit etc. Check out msq.qld.gov.au for the full list, I'm working off memory here.

 

sounder / gps are a must for offshore fishing. Sure you can guess and follow others around but having a decent sounder and being able to read it means you can find your own spots and work out how to fish them. Gps means you can then find this spot again next time and also helps with navigation around shoals, rocks, reefs etc.

 

i guess the other thing about owning a boat is to expect things to occasionally go wrong with motor, trailer, accessories or hull and these will cost you $$$. Despite your best efforts a simple rock from a passing car on the road can chip your hull, trailers being dunked in salt water will rust, canopies left out in the sun will eventually perish and alike.

 

and my final point is my boat is coming up for sale very soon and will be priced towards the lower end of your price scale... Just saying...  

 

 

[Ryannnnnnnn]

Really appreciate the replies. These kinds of replies from experienced people are exactly what I was looking for and are definitely very valuable!

[Ryannnnnnnn]

On 07/02/2017 at 5:37 PM, benno573 said:

and my final point is my boat is coming up for sale very soon and will be priced towards the lower end of your price scale... Just saying...  

 

 

Cheers mate! Send me a PM when you're ready to sell incase I am ready to buy