Feedback on boats

[Blade]

Hi I am looking to upgrade I have come across a few boats but I cant seem to find much online about them I am hoping a Raider is able to give some advice/input on the below brands:

Stejcraft - Sportsfisher

Sports Man - no model given it is an 18ft Fiberglass hull, the current owner says it is a Hanies Hunter replica

Seafarer Viva 5m- I have found some reviews about this boat all of which seem very positive but it is not reviewed as a fishing boat and in one review they note that it is a great closed waters boat.

I am looking for a boat that is capable of going past the heads (I will mostly stay within 2 nautical miles but may in good conditions go beyond that) looking for something that is stable at rest and underpower hence I am leaning more to fiberglass. I there are any ali boats that meet my requirements I am happy to consider them too.

My budget is limited to $8000 not much I know but there are a few boats out there in that range. 

Any recommendations other than the above appreciated.

 

[JonD]

It's not so much the boat but more to do with the skippers knoledge and experiences of seamanship. Personaly I like fibreglass boats as they often have deeper v hulls, which ride choppy conditions better. 

Deep v hulls will ride softer but can be a little tender at rest ( not always though )

Deep v hulls will generally need more horsepower and use more fuel.

In saying the above, I regularly took my quintrex 4.75 out to the shelf on good days from Sydney. I also regularly took a Haines 3.85 sea wasp to the shelf from down here in Narooma. The 4.5 centre console formula after the sea wasp was used on trips as far as the sea mounts 50k offshore.

In the price range you mention you could find both good and bad in a boat, so be careful in your search. I'm not sure if the book "secondhand boat secrets" is still around but there was one for glass and one for aluminium boats, both of which I leant put and never got back!!!

[JonD]

Just checked and those magazines ( books ) are available, just google search them. The good thing about those magazines is there are reviews on older boats before the Internet took full stage.

[Blade]

The other boat I am looking at is a 4.3m Bluefin Discovery with a 40hp 2 stroke. Seems like a neat boat  but I am worried it is not big enough to handle anything but the best conditions. 

Any feedback on this size and spec boat

[JonD]

1 hour ago, Blade said:

The other boat I am looking at is a 4.3m Bluefin Discovery with a 40hp 2 stroke. Seems like a neat boat  but I am worried it is not big enough to handle anything but the best conditions. 

Any feedback on this size and spec boat

Each boat has its pro's and cons. The bluefin will be easily towed and hopefully not need a breaked trailer, which saves a heap in rego inspections and break maintenance. The old two stroke engines were mostly pretty easy and cheap to maintain, so saving again there and a 40hp should belt that boat along with more than enough power. Heading out the front of the Hawkesbury would be no issue on good days but don't forget Sydney harbour can be busy and often sloppy from bigger boat traffic ( all within the capabilities of that boat though in my opinion after gaining experience).

Some of the best fish I've caught have been from a little quitrex 3.85 explorer which I used as far as Montague island and many trips chassing snapper just a few km offshore. This boat was so easy to hitch up and tow around that I found myself using almost daily. We towed it to the NT where I used it on most of the river systems as well as inshore reefs, we even used it for towing toys and scuba diving from.

[Blade]

So in your opinion the Bluefin is good to fish the Jibbon bommie? 

[Croydon]

I owned a Seafarer Viva for a few years.  It was a very safe, well mannered boat with a good riding hull, across the chop/swell or in a following sea.  I was happy to take it to the shelf on good days and never felt unsafe. 

If you find a good one you will enjoy it.  Good luck with the search.  Cheers 

Dave

[Blade]

Found a Nautiglass V150 that looks like it is in excellent condition. 

I saw a review online that basically said the hull is not very good and not suitable for anything outside of the river? 

Should I give the boat a miss? 

Thanks 

[rickmarlin62]

Pick the seafarer over the noglass  i have a 4.8 vsea  luv it  fish outside all the time  the nautiglass arnt highly rated as an outside boat in my opinion  nickname noglass for a reason

[antonywardle]

One of the members here has a V150, as I bought it off him for the trailer. I never ended up using it, before selling it, but he quite liked it and fished outside a lot. If I can remember his fishraider name, I'll tag him in here and he might respond.

As above, the bigger the boat, the better it will be outside. I had a FG boat that I used a lot, but never really felt all that safe in and now I've got a slightly larger Alloy boat that I feel safer in, but I don't think its ride is as nice. 

 

You'll be able find a lot of cheaper FG boats in your price range, all around the 5m size, of varying condition. Some will need work and some wont. The things that you can easily check are the condidtion of the trailer and how good the engine is. Unbraked trailer doesn't need an inspection every year like a braked one does, but you can't tow as much. 

 

Good luck with your quest, I found that if you take your time, something suitable will turn up, but it may take a while.

 

[Blade]

Nautiglass seems a bit hit and miss the one I am looking at is on the higher side of my budget too. 

It seems the Viva is the most highly regarded option. 

How would the Viva 5m compare to a 

Sportsman Craft 5.5m

Stjecraft Sportsfisher 4.75m

Cheers

Edited June 3, 2020 by Blade