First Boat Purchase...confused

[Jimboy]

 

Hi guys,

Looking to buy a new boat (I am set on new, sorry) for around 20-30k mark, can push it to 35k

This is our first boat ever and will mainly be used around Woy woy area/Taren point/brisbane waters.

Main use of the boat will be for fishing but also for cruising and having a good time on the water

I have narrowed it down to mainly 2 boats

-quintrex fishabout 481 60hp 

- Quintrex cruiseabout 481 60hp or 75hp (the 75hp variant is pushing the limit cost wise, will there be a significant difference in 60hp vs 75hp?

The problem is besides Quintrex and Stacer I'm not too sure what other brands I should be looking at and it's difficult to find dealers in NSW. 

Any other information would be greatly appreciated.

When I do decide to purchase the boat is there any chance of negotiations on a boat or are boats usually quite fixed with pricing, should I ask for things to be thrown in? 

[John]

what sort of fishing do you mainly do?

[Jimboy]

I've only ever fished on land. I'll be starting out with Brisbane waters and inshore fishing 

[kmcrosby78]

Both those packages look like nice set ups, although the Fishabout seems to have more room in the back for fishing and the Cruiseabout less room at the back due to the lounge set up in front, so I'd decide which will suit you better overall. Do you have kids? How many will it need to be able to seat/fish.

It's a lot of money to spend on a first boat so I'd want to be pretty confident it will suit you or you will lose money selling and buying again to get it right.

[Drop Bear]

On 10/02/2019 at 8:48 AM, Jimboy said:

will there be a significant difference in 60hp vs 75hp?

Yes mate a good rule is to always buy the largest motor the boat is rated for. It is really frustrating to have an under powered boat. 

There are lots of brands to choose from. Both those are ok. I really like my Stesco but there is probably a lot of confirmation bias in that and I guess you get to like what you are used to. 

Buying a boat it tricky at the best of times. Good luck. 

[Nog]

From what I've heard from some in the industry over the years Seajay are very well built boats that you could  consider. I'm not sure of their distribution but  Stones Corner sells them.

 

[benno573]

it's all about being fit for purpose.  work out exactly what you want to do, how many people you want to take with you and things like that.  trying to find a boat that does everything is nearly impossible, there will always be some compromises along the way.  i had what was a great boat for 95% of what i wanted to do, it was a 5.3m fibreglass half cab.  great for most forms of fishing, small enough to launch by myself or big enough to take 2 mates fishing.  Would go offshore on a good day or go and hide up a shallow creek/estuary on a windy day.  Big enough for an overnight trip.  enough power to ski behind, but not enough to pull my fat arse out of the water on a single ski.

 

but it came with compromises... being 5.3m i was limited in fuel range, not many boats in that size have significant tanks.  being a half cab allowed me to do overnight trips or get out of the rain/sun, but it wasn't great for throwing lures around.  having the cabin meant less deck space out the back for fishing.  so basically, everything you do with a boat is about compromise and balance - trying to find the boat that does as much of the stuff you want it to.  what's important to me in a boat may mean nothing to you so there is certainly no "one size fits all".

 

so i guess spend a bit of time working out exactly what you want your boat for.  this will narrow down your search to a few models and from a few manufacturers.  do some research on the manufacturers, go and talk to a dealer and get them to put the boat in the water and take you for a run.  continue narrowing down your short list until you know what boat is the best for you and then start the serious conversations about the overall package and price - and definitely hit up a few different dealers.  a 400-500km drive to collect a new boat if you save $2K or something like that is still well worth saving.

 

as far as pricing goes, any price for a big ticket item is open to negotiation in my eyes.  they have their RRP which includes a margain, you have a budget.  best for you to have more money in your budget and less in their magain.  This could be through included options, upgraded engine, lower price etc.  always best to approach these negotiations knowing what you want and having cash ready to go.

 

good luck!