Boat

[mzaakir]

Hi guys, im looking for a boat preferable something under 5k so i was thinking a tinny and maybe doing it up a bit. Was wondering what size i should get, thinking of going moerton bay, fraser island and straddie island, also the sea way and port of brissy. Whats the smallest size boat i should get for those condiitons since i know seaway and seawall can be quite rough sometimes

 

Thanks

[Rebel]

I was always taught to be safe in a Tinny.

Buy around 5 Metre & at least a 30hp outboard.

Good luck.

[mzaakir]

wow, so a 4.1m will be too small..might have to put in a few more grand. thanks for the advice

[Noah Fitzpatrick]

nah a 4.1 would be fine, can fit a 30 on pretty comfortably and itll be quick as. just have to pick the day for it and dont go out in silly conditions. that being said, you would be hard pressed in the current market getting a 4m with a 30hp for under 5k id say.

 

[Tuna are fish]

3 hours ago, mzaakir said:

Hi guys, im looking for a boat preferable something under 5k so i was thinking a tinny and maybe doing it up a bit. Was wondering what size i should get, thinking of going moerton bay, fraser island and straddie island, also the sea way and port of brissy. Whats the smallest size boat i should get for those condiitons since i know seaway and seawall can be quite rough sometimes

 

Thanks

Something like a 429 rampage, 420 dory, 419 bass tracker or 420 busta would be perfect for what your looking for, running with a 40 - 50hp would get you anywhere in the bay on a good day.

[Junky]

Anything over 4m is fine on the right days. Can get hairy in 10 to 15kn though. Cleveland point is known as the paddock. It gets choppy out there real quick. Good spot to water test imo. 

 

My magic number for smoother safer handling boat is 5.2m. 

That said, I also would not get a boat with forward controls under 5.2m.

Your back will hate you, and you'll end up hating the boat. They're for rivers only. 

Side consoles are okay. @ellicat has a 4.5 side console and seems to do okay, but do not get forward controls. Tiller steer all the way in smaller tinnies. 

 

And get yourself a good spray jacket. You'll need one of those as well, especially in winter. 

 

 

Edit.... On second thoughts, ellicats is a forward steer. He would be better to advise on these. 

[mangajack]

If you are keen to fish the islands regularly then at least double your budget and start looking for minimum 4.8m with rather deep sides. 

Any 4.2m alloy hulls are going to struggle crossing the bay once the winds come up to about 15 knots....at 10 knots it can be wet and bumpy in a 4.2m esp if the winds oppose the tides.

Don't buy something just because it is in budget....it needs to do the job safely for you and the crew you are also responsible for.

[Angry51]

22 minutes ago, mangajack said:

If you are keen to fish the islands regularly then at least double your budget and start looking for minimum 4.8m with rather deep sides. 

Any 4.2m alloy hulls are going to struggle crossing the bay once the winds come up to about 15 knots....at 10 knots it can be wet and bumpy in a 4.2m esp if the winds oppose the tides.

Don't buy something just because it is in budget....it needs to do the job safely for you and the crew you are also responsible for.

+++++ Spot on, good advice.

[Bretto77]

48 minutes ago, mangajack said:

If you are keen to fish the islands regularly then at least double your budget and start looking for minimum 4.8m with rather deep sides. 

Any 4.2m alloy hulls are going to struggle crossing the bay once the winds come up to about 15 knots....at 10 knots it can be wet and bumpy in a 4.2m esp if the winds oppose the tides.

Don't buy something just because it is in budget....it needs to do the job safely for you and the crew you are also responsible for.

I agree.

I have swum over 3km in the bay when a forecast turned out to be a complete joke and a 4m quintex hornet was not the ideal vessel.

Not blaming the boat. It was built for a purpose. 10 knots (forecast) is very different to gusts of over 40... @mangajack is right.

Things can happen different to the forecast very quickly and you are responsible. 

That was a horrible day for me and the mate I had with me. We are lucky to still be here. I was the skipper and have to own the responsibility for the rest of my life. I will never forget it.

If you want to do the bay then save for a bit longer. It will give you that bit more peace of mind if you happen to experience mother nature letting bom know that they haven't quite got it 100% yet....

 

[Another Wazza]

I get around in a 4.27 with a 40, and totally agree with what everyone has stated above, on good days it’s great, but when it picks up a bit, it can become a very slow wet ride back in.

[ellicat]

I have a 4.7 runabout - forward steer -and up to 12 knots is fine, but over that it gets a bit on the jarring side with wind against tide. It's not unsafe, I'm just past getting bashed about. I take mine close in offshore up the Coast when conditions are sub 10 knots and the swell is about 1 metre or less. I go to the Northern bay only when the forecast is sub 10 and around the islands and over to the Rous up to 12 knots. The Bay chops up very quickly with a bit of breeze.

A tiller might be the nearest thing to your budget. I agree with what others have said - it's better to wait a bit and pay a bit more.

generally in the bay if the forecast is good, it will be until about 11am when a breeze does get up, so make sure you've got that in the back of your mind when out there.

[Sylvathorn]

Hi @mzaakir, there has been a lot of good advice so far from all.

Don't buy to a budget, thinking in good conditions I will be fine, as mentioned by a lot earlier, conditions can change rapidly.
I put in at Rudy Maas one time when the forecast was 20 gusting to 30, I've got a 23 foot Cathederal hull, so fine, I'll just troll around the southern end of the bay I thought. By the time I got to Cabbagetree point it was 40 knots gusting to 60 (didn't really notice it until I was in the middle of it as my boat handles a trailing sea better than most, it was really when I noticed the height of the waves) ... open water there, so it was a slow wet ride getting back amongst the islands.

Most of the time you are looking 10 to 15 knots and it's not just going out, it's getting home. In Moreton bay there are a lot of ways to avoid the worst of the water, but even then there are rough spots you have to cross, if you're fishing the Moreton Island side.
There are a lot of good small boats out there, deep V, glass boats tend to handle conditions better, but cost more to power and I'm not up to date with modern boats.

Also, you mentioned the seaway.

Coming back in with the wind at your back and an outgoing tide is definitely not something you will enjoy if you are in an underpowered small boat. The swell/waves stand up a bit, and try to suck you back in, plus you sometimes get the odd waves heading North to SouthWest (crossing the seaway) in those conditions to complicate things.
Oh, and I've done the seaway crossing probably more times than you've had hot breakfasts, I was a Quartermaster with QF1 Australian Volunteer Coastguard, and I was with that flotilla for a bit over 10 years.
So don't rush in, heed the advice of all these good people, especially about which are currently good boats, they'll be up to date, I'm not.
Don't forget, your boating/fishing experience should be a pleasure, not a pain
Not trying to put a damper on it, just saying don't rush in.

[mzaakir]

Thanks everybody for the advice, really appreciate it. I searched for hours last night trying to find something and i cam across a 4.7m boat for $2500, everything was in brand new condition only problem it needed a new motor. Ive decided to buy it and hopefully when conditions are alright ill go out. I think for now ill go sub 10 knots and maybe when i get more comfortable go up to about 12 but definitly not more than 15.  Thanks for all the advice again

[mangajack]

What hull did you buy?

I suggest your maiden run should be to the Brisbane Port outer wall....that way you will get a taste of how the weather affects the boat whilst still being in a fairly populated area in case you need somebody around. Aim for 10 to 15 knots for this run just to get to know your boat more than anything. I wouldn't venture past Mud Island on the maiden voyage unless it is quite calm. You need to prove seaworthiness and reliability to yourself before a big run.

[kmcrosby78]

Some great advice here. 4.7m is a good versatile length - like @mangajack I'd be interested to know what hull it is. Also, what size motor are you putting on it?

Be careful around the Brisbane River mouth, particularly on an outgoing tide if it is against the wind, as it can get real hairy. I'm not sure what boating experience you have but if you're a new boatie or relatively inexperienced I'd be conservative at first. Also, in the bay, factor in the wind direction versus tide direction as this will have a big impact on your ride experience (which impacts both safety and how wet you get in an open boat).

Put some pics up once you have it .