Advice Needed Buying A New Boat

[Tightlinez]

Hey guys 

Just after some advice im looking at getting a new boat but i have no experience at all ive been talking to a old timer at work and he suggested a 12ft with a 15hp motor obviously im not planning on going out wide or anything the furtherest id go is the reefs just out of scarborough/redcliffe im looking to catch snapper mainly i wouldnt go to far from land and im hoping to fish the port of the brissy river for jews and threadies any suggestions or advice would be much appreciated

[rayke1938]

Do not know what your boating experience is or your proposed budget but if you go and talk to John Crawford marine at tingalpa they are a long established reputable firm who are happy to give advice without a hard sell,

You could get a bargain from a private seller but unless you know them personally pay to have someone check it all over or else you could end up in tears.

There are a few other long established honest dealers around brisbane but they will attempt to up sell.

Good luck

Ray

 

[Tightlinez]

2 hours ago, rayke1938 said:

Do not know what your boating experience is or your proposed budget but if you go and talk to John Crawford marine at tingalpa they are a long established reputable firm who are happy to give advice without a hard sell,

You could get a bargain from a private seller but unless you know them personally pay to have someone check it all over or else you could end up in tears.

There are a few other long established honest dealers around brisbane but they will attempt to up sell.

Good luck

Ray

 

Thx for the reply i have no experience at all so im just taking my time with it id start with up to 7k max just to get some experience and then eventually get something bigger ill mainly fish places i cant cast out to just until i gain some confidence

[kmcrosby78]

If your budget is up to $7k I'd recommend looking at a 14ft instead of 12ft if you want to fish the Port of Brisbane area. You certainly could fish it with a 12ft, but a 14ft will give you that extra bit of safety if things get choppy, which they certainly can, particularly around the mouth near the wharves.

Have a good hard think about how many people you are likely to want to take out in it as this will impact what size motor you want/need. As Ray said, going to a reputable dealer like JCM would be a good starting point to get some honest advice.

Once you get a good idea of the size/type of boat you want, the more patient you are the better the deal/package you will end up with. Check Boatsales & Gumtree websites religiously (ie. daily) and be quick to inspect something that appeals to you (before someone beats you to it). And if you are looking at buying private sale, DEFINITELY do as Ray said and pay to get someone to look at it. Doesn't cost much and will ensure you're not buying a lemon.

Good luck - I've just completed this process and it's exciting!!

[rayke1938]

Have a look at John Crawfords website they have a couple of boats in your price range and have plenty of photos of the different boats . The photos are worth while to look at to get ideas on how previous owners have fitted out their boats.

Cheers

Ray

[Drop Bear]

KM and Ray speak the truth. Both have a lot of experience. I wish they had talked me out of buying my yellow devil... haha.