4.5 polycraft open

[dunney]

hi blokes im in the middle of deciding on a new boat..and its between a stessco hull and the 4.5 polycraft open.


i was at the dealer today getting some prices on the poly and he commented that the 40Hp would be fine on the poly. i thougth it might be a little under powered as ill be using this boat in the bay,creeks and open water which often requires trips over 15+km one way to get to my spots off mooloolabar .

has anybody got any experience with this hull and weather or not the 50Hp is the way to go or 40 is more than good enough. what sort of cruising speed do they get with the 4.5open and a 40hp or even a 50hp.
unfortunately the c/c and s/c are out of my budget and to be honest i dont mine open boats as it suites my style of fishing anyways.


also i couldnt find any pics on fitted out 4.5 opens and i cant seem to access the old site anymore to do some searching on there. (ie- bow mount,possibly extending the front deck, live bait tank etc)

regards.

[Doug]

Hi Dunney, welcome to the zoo.

When it comes to choosing a motor for a poly there is only one rule - the maximum recommended by the maker. There are those amongst us who would say, "The max plus another 10%", but they are undoubtedly speed crazed idiots, who probably drink alcohol and use bait to catch fish, and so are not to be believed.

[Jabiru658]

I have a 50 horse Honda on my CC 4.55 poly and it is does the job ok.

I wouldn't want any less power though (and I don't run heavily laden).

50 is the max for the open boat I believe? I'd go for a 50 if I were you.

[chin]

For a 4.5 don't go any lower than 50 dunney, mine is adequate....just.
I do a lot of trolling (with lures Doug), which means traveling at that awkward speed just below planing, and the 50 works too hard for my liking.

[Doug]

" mine is adequate....just "

That's not what Mrs Chin says................yippy

[chin]

Here's another tip Dunney...word your posts very carefully.

[Dozer]

I have a 50 suzi 4-stroke. It is a side console, which adds a little weight, but I find it is adequate for the job. Have put on some trim tabs and it has improved things again.

When I purchased the drifter, the shop took me out in a open (no console) with a 40 HP 2-stroke suzuki, and it went fine with 3 blokes and no gear. I went to lift the motor out while on the water - and lets just say I prefer my bowels on the inside. Hence the T&T 50 4 stroke.

(word to the wise = power trim and tilt if you can afford it) When the swell is up and I am getting wet, the 50 looses some if its charm - and those times I wish I had a 60 on the back, but you can certainly get away with a 50 on those boats, besides the length of these craft mean you will never be punching through the waves like Don Johnson in Miami Vice. If you want power in reserve - go bigger. The suzi is a very good motor also. I am happy with my boat - just thinking of adding a meter to it. (but arent we all)

Good luck.
Dozer

[Doug]

"Here's another tip Dunney...word your posts very carefully. "

Ah, Grasshopper, you're learning!

[bream reaper]

I've got on 4.5m open drifter and it has a 60 Etec on the back. As everyone says, go the max power allowed (and then some :).
Cheers, Jan.

[bushbeachboy]

G'day Dunney,
I am a big fan of tiller steered boats. If it is within your budget, get one with power trim and tilt. It will make a huge difference to your enjoyment of the boat.

If you do decide to get a PTT model, there are only three worth considering, and that is because they are the only three that give true one-handed operation. 1. Honda 2. Yamaha 3 Etec.

If you are going for a manual tilt motor, they are all good.

Cheers

[dunney]

Here's another tip Dunney...word your posts very carefully.



am i missing something?



anyways


yeah all tiller motors that i were looking at were the PTT versions. im beginning to wonder if its worth staying with the stessco as i have a mate with the exact hull and it goes great with a 40, cruises at 35Km/h+ all day and WOT is around 50Km/h+. if i added a 50hp it would be bordering on dangerous.

im a little apprehensive on the poly's after reading the comments above. it seems that Max hp seems to be not really enough in most people opinions, im not really keen on haveing to put a 50hp or even a 60 as im building my 1st house so money isnt exactly laying about.im sure the max hp is ok on poly's but like everyone else has said another 10% is really desired. i know that i wont be leaving the boat stock either and there for a considerable amount of weight would be added. so maybe it would be in my best interest to stay with a tin can over poly?

[chin]

am i missing something?
No mate, if you read back, it's just that maniac from Noosa misinterpreting me again. doh
Doug, you see the trouble you cause laugh1

[sweeden]

dunney as I see it people don't by poly for speed or weight.

The buy them for comfort of ride (over a tinny at similar speeds in a variety of conditions), robustness, and an incredibly stable (fishing) platform.

Pick your top criteria, and you'll probably have your answer.

[Doug]

"Doug, you see the trouble you cause"

Me?......Trouble?......NEVER!

PS. I'll bet you're being dragged to a chick-flick tonight, when you could be talking beer and fish with yer mates. Wotta GIRL!

PS2 Regards to Bronwyn!

[Doug]

Meantime folks, back to the thread.............

[guffo]

just my 2 cent's dunney,i've got an 07(i think)4.55 cc 50hp suzi,it's had 4 adult's &2 dog's(staffy's)(probably a touch over loaded;)),and still planed pretty well,no trim tabs or foil.i'm no boat guru or expert by any mean's,but it doe's the job for us.

(alco) guffo

p.s. yeah,you MIGHT miss something,occasionly,but Doug misses nothing,be warned!

[bushbeachboy]

Dunney, before you finally decide, try to get a ride in a poly. If you have done a trip in your mate's tinny, compare the two.

With your mate's tinny, he must be driving it in fairly smooth conditions to be able to maintain the speeds you mentioned. For the conditions you will likely encounter off Mooloolaba, I'd much prefer a poly for the ride alone.

On the issued of stability, does the Stessco have the reverse-chine hull? (as on the similar Sea Jay and Stacer hulls)?

What you have said about being able to use a smaller motor on a tinny of similar size to a poly is true. In general, they are considerably lighter. If you start to pimp it a bit, with casting decks, electric motor, etc etc the weight will go up. Some of that might already be built-in to a poly from the factory.

The poly also comes standard with bow and side rails and an anchor well that you would have to add to a tinny (either factory or after). That will add to your costs. Some tinnies come with wide side decks, some need you to pay extra for those. Check out the Sea Jay website for an example with their X Pack options on their smaller models.

I see from the Stessco website that they make a couple of interesting models with some extras built in (SF models from memory). They could be worthy of your consideration.

If you would like to achieve the result of owning a capable boat while keeping the budget within reason, consider looking at some second-hand boats. There should be heaps to look at in SEQ on the Trading Post and the Boatpoint websites.

Also, when talking to boat dealers about their PTT outboards, listen carefully to what they have to say and do you homework before handing over your money. I have been blatantly lied to by boat dealers about their motors being one-handed operation. In the case I'm thinking about, a Suzuki dealer tried to tell me the BS, but when I pointed out to him that to operate the PTT with the left hand you had to remove your hand from the throttle, he said I should use the right hand, and that is one handed operation. HELLO!!! Being able to operate your PTT with your throttle hand is important if you want to hang on with the other. The best I have seen is the Honda, where the PTT button is built in to the throttle grip and turns with it. Next, and the one I own is the Yamaha where your left hand thumb rests over the PTT button. The there is the Etec where the button is placed at the very end of the tiller handle.

If you check them out for yourself, you'll see the difference immediately. Jump up in the boat, sit in the driver's seat, and try it out.

Whatever you decide, good luck with your choice.

Cheers

[Jabiru658]

i have a mate with the exact hull and it goes great with a 40, cruises at 35Km/h+ all day and WOT is around 50Km/h+.

I have a Honda 50 on my 4.55 CC as I mentioned earlier and my boat cruises at 35Km/h all day and WOT is around 50Km/h.

I consider that performance 'ok' or 'adequate' but nothing special, a 60 horse 2 stroke will see WOT on the high side of 60Km/h on a 4.55

I had a stacer tinny before I had my poly and the stacer with the 2 stroke used to beat my spine to pieces and bounce my kidneys up near my throat if I sat up the front at 40Km/h across Port Phillip bay (when there was a bit of chop) with the teenager driving (it was ok back at the tiller end).

I'm just getting to old for that, the final straw was the day it blew up and after I finally got back I couldn't straighten up without pain for 2 days.

OTOH I can sit comfortably in the front of the polly even on a choppy day (although the spray does get a bit wet) because the way it handles the chop is completely different.

It cushions the chop... not just BANG.

If you are short of a few dollars then there is nothing wrong with a traditional tech 2 stroke 50 (maybe a Yamaha CV50?) and that won't cost much more than a 40 horse 2 stroke.

[fred]

Hi Just another 2 cents worth I was looking at a similar boat , just remember tinnys are only 2.5mm thick now days , polys are about 10mm makes a lot of differance when you hit something . I have a frountrunner it mannages 40 km/h with 4 onboard with a 50 etc fantastic on fuel :Iain

[rissile86]

i'm looking at buying a new 4.50 just wondering what is the price difference between the 50hp and 60hp 4 strokes? Also what do you think would be best the frontier or centre console?

Thanks in advance,
rhys

[Nog]

My 4.55 used to be an open in another life. with the suzi 50 on the back top speed was 51klm with two up. plenty fast.

if you want a tiller handle assembly for a suzi I'm your man :)

Steer clear of "Stressco's" unless you've personally welded on twice as many stringers.

[dunney]

yeah its a big decision the poly does have the advantage of the nice ride.

does anyone know that link for michael guest poly open build up?