View Full Version : Setting up the perfect boat
Keithy P
05-01-2010, 01:04
Hi everyone, I want a new boat.
I work up in FNQ, I live by the water and I fish alot. I love my old dinger but shes getting tired and more often these days I find myself hoping I'm going to get home, or laying in bed at night while its tyed to the jetty or on a mooring wondering if it will still be floating when I get up.
I also would like to get a boat in survey so I can take punters from the lodge I work at out for a flick, and thus help to offset the cost of buying a new vessel.
I do a lot of flicking in the creek, trolling and chasing birds working in the bay. I also get out to the reef; troll for pelagics, bottom bash and sneak around the edges with my lecky motor flicking plastics and poppers.
I would like to get a 4.8 Brumby, Im not sure on the configuration but I need the casting platforms, a quiet donk, a sneaky motor up front and a fair size esky. I think the polycraft has it all over the alternatives for what I do and how I treat my vessel, but a big draw card is that its easy to get in survey. Of course, I want it all whilst spending the least possible cash.
I am interested in everyones opinions.
What is the best configuration for a reef/creek boat? I have a center console now and it has its pros and cons, I thought the side looked good but a mate had one and he recons it wasnt that great. I like the look of the rear but where does everyone sit on the move?
Where do you store the esky while your steaming without it smashing around and without encroaching on the seating? Is there enough storage for the safty gear, fishing gear, rods, lures and all the other bits and pieces the we fishing fenatics hold dear for a day on the water.
What size bow mount do you use to pull around a plastic boat that heavy? I have a watersnake at the moment and its a ripper for my little tinny. Is there really that much more benefit it spending big bucks on big brands for the same thrust.
Most importantly the power, how much muscle do you really need if you dont ski or anything. I have read so much debate about E-tech versus 4 stroke on so many sites and I am not trying to rekindle it, but I am interested in your experience. I left a post on another thread asking the same question but will an E-tech pull a brumby out of the goo as quick as a larger 4 stroke? Evinrude seems to think so.
I know I'm asking a lot for my first day of membership, but I am fairly certain you all went through the same thing and I am interested in how you feel about your choices. I am particularly interested in the opinions of any commercial operators that use polyboats, as mine will get a fair workout.
Thanks for your help, looking foward to hearing your info and hoping to join the poly owners club soon.
Cheers,
Keith.
Geez Keith, good job we charge so much for membership having to part with such a large knowledge base of information to a new member....laugh1
Keithy Hi everyone, I want a new boat.
I also would like to get a boat in survey so I can take punters from the lodge I work at out for a flick, and thus help to offset the cost of buying a new vessel. - We have a great guy on here, Glenn (the Big Fella) who is a dealer and sold boats to members throughout Oz. If you are going to use it as a business type boat, maybe you could do a deal with him for purchase price with advertising on the boat? - he will smell tha sale and be in this thread before you can reel in that barra :rolleyes:
I would like to get a 4.8 Brumby, Im not sure on the configuration but I need the casting platforms, a quiet donk, a sneaky motor up front and a fair size esky. I think the polycraft has it all over the alternatives for what I do and how I treat my vessel, but a big draw card is that its easy to get in survey. Of course, I want it all whilst spending the least possible cash. - wheeling and dealing, see above. Polycraft have been pushing the rear centre console configuration. The console is set back further in the boat giving more room up front. It may help with the casting deck requirements. PC boats are easy to get insurvey. I am sure Glenn can give you info on that.
where does everyone sit on the move? - If you have the rear CC, you could put theesky infront of it with a cushion on for some seating.
Is there enough storage for the safty gear, fishing gear, rods, lures and all the other bits and pieces the we fishing fenatics hold dear for a day on the water. - if you are building in casting decks, some planning with give you plenty of storage boxes underneath for all the gear.
What size bow mount - the guys with leccys will be able to help you there, i am not rich enough to own one.
Most importantly the power, how much muscle do you really need if you dont ski or anything. - there is always great debate and emotion when talking motors, much like the Furd vs Holden debate. I have a 50hp 4st and its not really big enough for the boat. If you are doing charter work, you are going to be loaded with max fuel, people and gear including food, water etc. I would recommend the ETEC max ph for the boat.
Why? You get the power of the two stroke with the noise level, economy and reliability of the 4st. The ETEC will give you the hole shot required to get all those fat yank tourists up on the plan without struggling. It is an acknowledged fact the poly is a heavy boat and from everyones experience, the bigger the motor the better. Generally I am happy with my motor, but I dont max it out like you are going to do with a business.
I know I'm asking a lot for my first day of membership, you are welcome, thats what we all love, being able to help prospective buyers make the right choices before committing to buy.
One other point. Make sure you shop around as prices vary. We have had guys from WA buy boats from the east coast due to prices and the frieght came in cheaper than WA dealers boat price. I know the dealer in Townsville charges some high prices for the PC range. Mark went further north to buy his boat.
If you consider buying the boat from Glenn, I know that he will look after you to the best of his ability. He will have it set the way you want it before it comes north. His phone number is on the site, in the post for his business.
Thanks for your help, looking foward to hearing your info and hoping to join the poly owners club soon. Welcome to the site Keith. This is a good topic and should bring some interesting information and comments. - cheers Dave
Cheers,
Keith
(I have no affiliation with Glenn or his business, personal or financial. I know that he provides excellent service to his customers and have no hesitation in recommending him- Dave)
bushbeachboy
05-01-2010, 10:14
Keith, I have been considering upgrading to a 4.8 for a long while. With regard to the motor, the best value I found was the Mercury 75 2 stroke. It is a 1400cc motor which should give it a lot of torque, but not real heavy. And lots cheaper than the newer-tech motors. Check the prices in F & B Mag.
Hi Keith,
Your post is a very common post that I see come up everywhere. I think it went downhill when I saw the words
"I want it all whilst spending the least possible cash."
Sorry fact of life is you get what you pay for. The moment you start to compromising things on your boat, is the day your boat is always short of the boat you want. So my number 1 suggestion is to save your money for the boat you want, not the boat you can afford.
Engines.
All brand 60HP engines put out 60HP, 4 strokes put out 60HP on every 4th stroke (Suck, Squeeze, BANG Blow. LOL) and 2 strokes put that 60HP out in every 2 strokes. This is a straight forward example on why the same HP engine has different POWER. 2 stroke will give you more POWER at takeoff compared to a 4 Stroke. Injected 2 strokes are NOT the same as 2 strokes. These motors will give you 2 stroke power with added goodies like, fuel consumption, better emissions, Idle control, smokeless. Maintenance is another factor that can sway someones choice. Some Injected 2 stroke will cost you nothing for up to 3 years. Ever thought how many $'s that adds up to? Weight. Wow this comes up all the time as well. 60HP pushing 600KG = 1:10 now 60HP pushing 200KG 1:20. Smaller the ratio the less effort for that engine to push it. Pretty much all NEW engines have sorted out the power to weight ratio (in my opinion) to not be a factor to STRESS about. I would be more worried about getting on the treadmill & dropping of 20KG of fat. Now thats a saving laugh1 for power to weight gain. All this and we haven't even named a single manufacturer
Boat
Well you cant go wrong if your looking at Plastic. In my OPINION from the criteria would be either a 170CC or DC Triumph (NOT cheap) or the 4.80 Brumby Rear Centre Console. Definitely not going to start a debate on whose boat is best, but I like the Triumphs finish, dead rise, dry weight & seating capacity, and the Brumby is an excellent upgrade of design taken from the past with, vertical walls, wider gunwales & full pod transom. Both these boats will give you a long lasting all rounded boat that will fit many styles. But with any boat, I would again not skimp on engine size. Tell me a single guy who hasnt been proud of, and fully enjoyed having a large Donk He He.
All views expressed are opinions made by me only LOL
Hope this helps
Mark
Hi Keith,
In my OPINION from the criteria would be either a 170CC or DC Triumph Mark
Geez Mark, if only we were all as rich as you...laugh1
To be honest if I was going to upgrade and had the extra cash I would go Triumph in a heart beat. I had a look, and was allowed to sit in whittos Triumph and was amazed.
It is such a great finish and has all the extras that we wish we had in a PC. There is no reason why the PC dont have these apart from keeping the price down.
The US has a longer history with plastic boats, but I dont think that is an excuse for PC. Its like holden putting out an EH against the BA ford. There is no reason why they cant improve the design and layout.
Having had that whinge, the PC is a good industrial boat for knocking around at an affordable price.
Hahaha at spending the least amount of cash. The capital cost is the cheapest part of the boat ownership. So many toys to buy and then the cost of fuel, servicing, transport, car to tow, insurance, registrations...:eek:
...oh crap, I am going to put my boat in the for sale section.
Yeah, a Triumph would nice, but boats are like cars. I've had a few nice cars back in the day, but for the last 7 years I've been driving a Holden Combo (aka "the bread van"). It's functional, it's cheap to run and to buy, it's got a few dings and the paintwork was never first class, but I drive it around without giving the thing a thought. When I had Audis and RX7s etc life was a constant worry about who was going to scratch it, bash into it (in hospital carparks), wondering whether it would still be there at 0300 when I finished the emergencies etc etc,
PC are a bit like the Combo - you can enjoy it without having to worry about the last scratch from going alongside a jetty. It's easy to keep looking OK, without ever looking like a Triumph. Even my son commented on how it was easier to just have fun in it.
'Course, when my "investment strategy" comes good (Powerball) I'll probably buy a Triumph for swanning around in, but keep the PB for fishing and for when Dave visits.
yep yep, what DOUG said.
wtf
bugger, i just agreed with the Doug, don't think that has happened before.
Paul
laugh1laugh1
When the revolution comes Poly, everybody will agree with me.......:D
LOL Dave,
I wish I was as rich as you may think I am too laugh1 . But I owned a Poly 12' Bushman with a 20HP on it prior to SAVING up for my new boat.
http://i806.photobucket.com/albums/yy350/Markrel/Bushman02Small.jpg http://i806.photobucket.com/albums/yy350/Markrel/NVE00001.jpg
My good mate had imported his own 21' Triumph privately and I was in love with it. But nobody imported them at that stage so I was all cashed up to upgrade to a bay capable PC. At the next boat show, the misses & I were looking and dreaming and that was the first time Triumph's were started to being bought into Aust. After seeing the 170 Dual Console in person, Rel (misses) fell in love with it. After a long discussion, we parted with another $10K (or more)to invest in a new family boat. We looked at it in a way that it was fully loaded & ready to rock with a skii pole ready for the kids, live well ready for tournaments, 6 seater for day trips, Size for Moreton bay trips & it looks GREAT He He. Mind you, our house Reno's took a back seat for a while to recover. Kids were growing up way too fast so better having the boat now and reno's later.
I wish PC would give the option of a top line finished hull but they have a market that works. I think the advance updates included in the Brumby have shown that PC listen and addressed the small issues people had. (grats to them for that). Hmmm, makes me think I should sell the Poly 12' one day. It even sits on a full stainless tilt trailer????
P.S. Whitto's 19'FS is a Dream. Now that a flagship in plastic boats. great design, power & functionality. If ya bought that their is nothing to do at all. Now we are talking about $'s Thats my next upgrade.
P.P.S. You guys obviously dont know me well, I used my triumph like any other boat I own. I beach it in many dams that always have rocks & I never worry about scratches?? thats why we got plastic boats in the first place. Boy you would have thought I said I had a Fiberglass Bass boat LOL. I care for my Triumph the same way I cared for my 12' Poly. Thats a personal pride thing not how much it cost!
Cheers
Mark
My point is Mark, that if you get a scratch on a PC (the bread van of boats) then "ho-hum, shit happens", but if you scrape a barnacle ridden jetty on your $x-thousand Triumph then it's upsetting, and the wife tends to get shouted at.
Or is that just me? shockshockshock
Wow Doug,
I have to totally disagree with you. I wasn't going to bother replying but I think you insulted PC owners by rating PC's as Bread Vans. I see guys put their boats up in the showcase with pride. I don't think they see their boats as Ho Hum Bread Vans. They may not have owned Audi's in the past so they may see their boat as the best thing they have ever had. I could not imagine PolyBoy with his BADEST 5.30 THE HULK saying, "Oh shit happens" when I run my boat down the length of his scratching the shit out of it. I reckon he would be pissed. He spent alot of time effort and money to get it in the condition it is today, as have many other that use this site. Finally, lets put things in perspective here. I bought a Triumph not a bloody Ferrari
Regards
Mark
BigFella
05-01-2010, 18:22
G'day Keith,
I had a Brumby as my demo boat last year, we fished a couple of fresh water comps along with playing in my back yard (Port Stephens) chasing flatties, bream and what ever else we could catch. The Centre Console worked really well. It gives you more fishing room up front and with the swing down rear bench seat the fishing room to the rear is awesome.
I did consider a more centrally mounted console and honestly don't think it would be as good?
The front casting deck insert is a good option to consider, it gives you ample storage and is a good height to "sight fish" from.
As for motor choice, this a real personal choice.
No matter what colour you choose, there will be "experts" that will tell you other wise!
Me, I love the power and cleanliness of the new Etec's.
We supply what ever motor our customer decides is best suited to his or her application!
Thats one thing that stands us apart from the crowd, we respect your choice!
I have Mercury's on my hire boats, but will always rely on Etec for my more personal choice!
In my personal opinion that Etec motors are the better choice when both clean emissions and raw power are desired!
If you want some package prices send me a pm with your email details.
Good luck with your choice!
Pirate Pete
05-01-2010, 18:28
ET has at least 1 Polycraft 4.8 in his fleet with an E-tech on the back.
They are good solid boats & setting then up with extended decks looks like a fairly easy job looking at some of the mods on here. Good luck with what ever you pick.
Sorry Mark, last thing I wanted to do was insult the members here (except for a few who need regular insulting). And don't think I'm bragging about having Audi's etc - my accountant made me buy them. That was a lifetime ago anyway.
All I'm saying is that PCs are a bit utilitarian compared to the Triumph, something most PC owners will reluctantly admit to. However when minor damage is done to something utilitarian the tears are fewer than when it's a beautifully finished boat like a Triumph. Doesn't mean you set out to damage the PC, you just shed fewer tears when it happens. Hence my comparison to my Combo Bread Van.
So when are you buying the Ferrari?
Arrives next week yippy
Ill just have to settle for the Bread Van of the Europeans..... The New "C" Class Turbo Diesel Mercedes. Surprisingly good for towing with 400NM Torque. But still a bit of a girl car. Looking forward to the Ferrari
http://i806.photobucket.com/albums/yy350/Markrel/C220CDIDeiselMerc400NMBoatSmall.jpg
LOL I wish
Brucesta
06-01-2010, 10:36
Just upgrade to a AMG C63 Mark, now there is some grunt!!! wouldn't want to get it wet at the ramp but.
I think the 4.8m is a very good size and it seems afew people are seeing this with Luke G also looking to downsize to the 4.8, would make a excellent inshore/estaury machine!
Nice to see things are back to normal as well hehe
Wow Doug,
I have to totally disagree with you.
"Nice to see things are back to normal as well hehe"
Not at all, Bruce; Mark is just adjusting to the New Year. He'll soon remember his place, and start agreeing with me again.;);)
Keithy P
06-01-2010, 18:23
Thanks Dave, Mark and everyone else, you did a good job of filling me in straight off the bat. I really appreciate everyones help and advice and the more info I get the more confident I feel, still a little torn on configuration. I'v never actually seen a Brumby in real life, when next I get to town I'll have a crawl around in one to get a better gist of it but I'm sold on the idea of it. I'm looking forward to hearing back from Big Fella to compare a southern price with freight to a local price devoid of competition.
Cheers everyone, if anyone else has any input, I'd love to hear it.
Keith.
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