Which Boat

[Jcc]

Hi everyone,

This is my first post so i hope i'm in the correct spot. I need some advice from those who know about tinnie's. I have fished all my life both fresh water and salt but i have never owned a boat, whats more I know nothing about them .  I will be moving to the Noosa area in a few months and i'm determined to get my hands on a good quality safe tinnie. One that I can use in the Noosa river and on the right day head out to a reef. I need to be able to launch the boat by my-self. I'm thinking around 10k. Here are some questions any help or advice would be great. 

1. What size boat 4.2mtr?

2. What size motor 25hp 30hp 40hp? Two stroke or four stroke? What make?

3. Is there any brands to stay away from? Any you recommend?

4. Should I go for a tiller steer or front steer? Is there any difference?

Thanks again any advice is really appreciated.

 

[Raymondo]

Repost this in the boating section mate, opinions a plenty will flood in.

[Guest Guest123456789]

4.2 metre is best size if you want to venture out in open water in close on calmer days yet launch yourself, fit in garage and keep around $10k.

you should get the biggest motor you can afford and also 4 stroke if you can. That said I have a 30hp 2 stroke on a 4.2 and it's acceptable (but I would prefer larger and also a 4 stroke). A 30hp 2 stroke will cost around $3k and a 40hp 4 stroke will cost around $8k. It's a big difference.

cant answer your third question as I have only owned Suzuki. I've had no problems and am impressed how powerful it is. 

Definitely tiller steer for me as aside from being cheaper you maximise freeboard which is important in a relatively small tinny. Tiller is comfortable for me, can be noisy but a $10 pair of safety ear muffs from Bunnings fixes the noise problem and protects your hearing. If you plan on doing a lot of trolling though and won't get an electric motor then you will need a side console. Personally I find trolling boring and use my electric to do it, most of the time I like flicking lures around up front.

I suggest the Stacer assault 429 with a 30hp 2 stroke (electric start). Yamaha, Suzuki or Honda. An evinrude also but be prepared to pay a little more. 

Optional extras I would get include wide gunwales and the bow mount bracket. Also insist on an alloy trailer not an old galvanised one. They should also include rego, inshore safety gear and a battery.

you should get tow away price under $11k. You could get $10k without the wide gunwales or bow mount bracket but it would be a mistake not to get them IMO. 

you could also look at a Quintrex renegade or Stacer outlaw but will cost extra and low sides means you can more easily go overboard.

you could also look at a Stacer rampage or Quintrex busta (I have the rampage). Both models don't have a factory bow mount option though and I would think an electric motor in Noosa river would help you're fishing a lot. I added a bow mount aftermarket and it cost me a fortune ($900) and doesn't have manufacturers warranty.

One mistake I made was to buy all the options at the time of sale (GPS, electric motor etc). If I had my time over I would start out with the basics and slowly add these. Learning to operate a boat is fun but also challenging so keep it as simple as possible to begin with. It's also like why people suggest you live in a house for 12 months before renovating, you learn about the house and what is needed and where before spending money potentially adding the wrong things in the wrong space.

[Jcc]

Thanks so much mate really good advice.

 

[frankS]

Jcc Welcome aboard, personally IF I were you buying for the first time I would buy second hand, you can often pick up a as good as new outfit for way less than the hull new price and mostly the second hand boat will have a few extras already added, some with everything you would want or need and for far less money.

It won't be easy buying the right boat the first time so another reason to shop around the second hand market to get a good view of what is out there.

 

Frank

[PaddyT]

Having lived up that way for a few years and crossed the Noosa bar more times than I can remember a 4.2 M boat is not going to cut it. You do see guys on glassed out days go across in all sorts of little boats and get themselves in trouble at times too!. For your budget 2nd hand is the way to go. A pure estuary boat up their gives you a lot of options anyway- the river has a pretty good fishery anyway. Trevally of all sorts, queenies (the small variety) , jacks , whiting , flatties- occasional barra (not that I ever caught one). Get a cast net and learn how to throw it, live prawns, herring etc the way to go. Light tackle lure fishing can be pretty good too.

[Raymondo]

Do you have to cross a bar at Noosa to get outside?   Forget it JCC, to dangerous in a tinny of those size parameters.

[PaddyT]

15 minutes ago, Raymondo said:

Do you have to cross a bar at Noosa to get outside?   Forget it JCC, to dangerous in a tinny of those size parameters.

Sure do- can be very benign but can be a nasty piece of work too. Its not controlled by seawalls so the channels are always on the move. You can drive down to Mooloolaba and go out there but even that bar can get tricky

[Guest Guest123456789]

6 hours ago, noelm said:

I don't quite see how a tiller steer "maximises" freeboard?? also don't see how a Renegade or Outlaw are too low in the sides compared to a Busta? need some explaination on those.

Free board should read free space.

In order for boat manufacturers to receive a builders plate the vessel must meet buoyancy standards. IE if the boat is swamped it shouldn't sink to the sea floor like a stone for obvious reasons. Foam is one way to achieve this. In the renegade and outlaw the foam is inserted above the hull and under the floor. Consequently, the floor is raised which means the gunwhale is lower (for me its below my knees). The busta, rampage and assault have the foam inserted into the two bench seats. There is no foam between the hull and the floor. So when standing you're closer to the hull so the gunwhale is up higher (for me just below the waste).

its why the renegade and outlaw have swivel seats and the busta and rampage have the traditional bench seats.

[Guest Guest123456789]

Lower floor yes. Not sure of the exact measurements of the sides but they look similar from the exterior.

[Jcc]

Hey guys thanks for the great advice. It seems I just need shop around. I had a look at a busta package today for around 10k I liked it. It did had a Suzuki 2 stroke 30hp. I have a few months up my sleeve so I'll see what pops up. By the way I love this site very informative. 

[Guest Guest123456789]

Lots of fun to customise the Busta. My friend and I filled the blue esky full of fish last trip.

[Guest Guest123456789]

You should definitely consider the renegade 420 tiller with a bow mount bracket and give up on the idea of crossing the bar and just fish the river. It's a seriously sweet rig and the resale value is great as they are so popular. As others have mentioned crossing that bar requires a bigger boat to do it safely and the river fishes really well. That said I have crossed bars in my boat you just have to pick the right day and time.

 Otherwise consider a bigger second hand boat. But me personally I don't buy second hand boats or cars I buy new and hold them for 7 years+. Each to their own.

[Raymondo]

Would you take that across a bar luke?

[Guest Guest123456789]

@Raymondo read my post again more thoroughly and there's your answer

[Raymondo]

No I didn't read your post in it's entirety and for that I apologize. 

Your post has been edited by mod team. 

[Raymondo]

I don't feel what was written in my previous post warrented being edited. As I am a guest here on this forum I will accept  the moderators decision but please be mindful that your heavy handed moderation may/will lead to a stale , lifeless forum.

[Jcc]

What's going on? I'm nee to this site I'm not sure why anything that has been posted in relation to which boat needed to be edited either? 

[Scratchie]

Moderation of this site happens to keep the sites integrity in tact. Our team is here to uphold the rules and regulations of this site. 

[Kingie Pursuer]

On 2/1/2017 at 2:56 PM, Jcc said:

Hi everyone,

This is my first post so i hope i'm in the correct spot. I need some advice from those who know about tinnie's. I have fished all my life both fresh water and salt but i have never owned a boat, whats more I know nothing about them .  I will be moving to the Noosa area in a few months and i'm determined to get my hands on a good quality safe tinnie. One that I can use in the Noosa river and on the right day head out to a reef. I need to be able to launch the boat by my-self. I'm thinking around 10k. Here are some questions any help or advice would be great. 

1. What size boat 4.2mtr?

2. What size motor 25hp 30hp 40hp? Two stroke or four stroke? What make?

3. Is there any brands to stay away from? Any you recommend?

4. Should I go for a tiller steer or front steer? Is there any difference?

Thanks again any advice is really appreciated.

 

i have a 4.3m quintrex decent boat lands very hard but i go outside on a decent day with it i have rigged it with a live bait tank new sounder and a rocket launcher (coolest looking 4.3m boat ive ever seen hahaha) you would definitely want a 40hp which is what i have great motor my only beef would be i have a two stroke great power but now with better 4 strokes they are just as powerful 2 strokes are a pain to mix and very smokey and smoke alot even with the right mixture, hope that helps

[Aeger]

I personally agree with regea that a four stroke is the way to go and worth the extra money. Can't go wrong with a quintrex. I have the renegade 440 sc and its a great boat for fishing in the river and the harbour. An electric motor is a must for in the river, certainly makes it easier. It has a 60hp suzuki 4t and it is very reliable. I know that the new 2t motors are much more fuel efficient than the older ones but the 4t are much more economical. 

[Jcc]

Thanks for your comments guys.