Need some recommendations

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Kimtown
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Re: Need some recommendations

Post by Kimtown » Thu Sep 13, 2018 11:39 am

SWVIcSam wrote:Have a look at cruisecrafts. I fish out of 625 and do regular trips to the shelf.
My mate purchased another one this time last year up from Ballina Nsw. Fully setup for game fishing for 40k
What model, explorer?

I don't know much about them, how's their performance?

frozenpod
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Re: Need some recommendations

Post by frozenpod » Thu Sep 13, 2018 1:19 pm

Kimtown wrote:Jesus
That is what it costs. Often a lot more than people think.

Hence why you are better off buying a newer second hand boat.

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Re: Need some recommendations

Post by SWVIcSam » Thu Sep 13, 2018 1:33 pm

Yeah the 625 explorer mate.
Super stable at rest when there’s a bit of slop.
Heaps of fishing space. Real wide gunnels with heaps of space underneath them.
They don’t have the super big vee like a Haines but still are very comfy ride in my opinion

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Kimtown
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Re: Need some recommendations

Post by Kimtown » Thu Sep 13, 2018 2:08 pm

SWVIcSam wrote:Yeah the 625 explorer mate.
Super stable at rest when there’s a bit of slop.
Heaps of fishing space. Real wide gunnels with heaps of space underneath them.
They don’t have the super big vee like a Haines but still are very comfy ride in my opinion
They do look nice. Interested. What year? The 2015s with a couple hundred hours on them are still asking around the 100k mark :/ expensive as **** when new.

Found a few 2004-05 models for around the 45-55k mark. Decent prices I suppose.

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Re: Need some recommendations

Post by cobby » Thu Sep 13, 2018 5:03 pm

Kimtown wrote:Thanks cobby, some great recommendations there and a few more ambiguous ones that ill be sure to check out.


I had a search for Northbank and Tournaments yesterday, there were very few on boatsales, why would that be?
Northbank are built in SA. If I was buying a largish boat right now it's be a 550C.
Tournament are built by Haines in QLD at the same factory they build signatures.
They're just not as well known as your Cruisecrafts, Haines Hunters etc and in Northbanks case don't have a large dealer network. Both good boats for the money

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Kimtown
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Re: Need some recommendations

Post by Kimtown » Thu Sep 13, 2018 7:24 pm

cobby wrote:
Kimtown wrote:Thanks cobby, some great recommendations there and a few more ambiguous ones that ill be sure to check out.


I had a search for Northbank and Tournaments yesterday, there were very few on boatsales, why would that be?
Northbank are built in SA. If I was buying a largish boat right now it's be a 550C.
Tournament are built by Haines in QLD at the same factory they build signatures.
They're just not as well known as your Cruisecrafts, Haines Hunters etc and in Northbanks case don't have a large dealer network. Both good boats for the money
Would you be comfortable doing BIG trips offshore in a 550c though?

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Re: Need some recommendations

Post by smile0784 » Thu Sep 13, 2018 7:47 pm

frozenpod wrote:Also keep in mind the bigger the boat the more ongoing costs to maintain it.

The 650F has had 15k spent on it in the last 12 months which should keep it going perfectly for another few years.
What you been doing toit now

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Re: Need some recommendations

Post by cobby » Thu Sep 13, 2018 8:20 pm

Kimtown wrote:
cobby wrote:
Kimtown wrote:Thanks cobby, some great recommendations there and a few more ambiguous ones that ill be sure to check out.


I had a search for Northbank and Tournaments yesterday, there were very few on boatsales, why would that be?
Northbank are built in SA. If I was buying a largish boat right now it's be a 550C.
Tournament are built by Haines in QLD at the same factory they build signatures.
They're just not as well known as your Cruisecrafts, Haines Hunters etc and in Northbanks case don't have a large dealer network. Both good boats for the money
Would you be comfortable doing BIG trips offshore in a 550c though?
For sure, the only issue is fuel capacity. There's guys doing sword trips off Lakes in a 5.46m Caribbean Belmont (modified with bigger fuel tanks though). But I don't want a largish boat and will be buying a Cootacraft Little Ram or at worst Haines Seawasp to do both inshore and offshore fishing. Everyones wants are different and their comfort in their abilities the same

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Re: Need some recommendations

Post by blacklab99 » Thu Sep 13, 2018 9:10 pm

Hi Kimtown,
The 550c looks like a great boat, very capable.
Cobby is right, comfort and your ability come into it.
Mine is just under 5.4, but it's a beamy boat for its size, good pedigree, good size gunnels with a cuddy and a very high front screen for protection, plus it's very beamy for its size. Ideally, would I like a larger boat closer to 6 mtrs, yeah, but I do lakes, the bay, fish on my own a loy, do the horse shoe out of Portland on good days, Eden out wide. So it's an all rounder. I've had guys in my boat that have 6 mtr set up's and they all comment how much room there is in it, no problem 4 up in the bay, or 3 up out wide. Yes, it's all about weather conditions obviously, but if my mates near 6 mtr boat goes, mine did as well. I have owned boats since I was 17, for near 40 years, had a 6 mtr plus boat back home, so experience of what I used to do in that comes into it, and that's a learning curve which I have no doubt you would master. Unless you were specifically using it for going out wide only, there's nothing wrong with a smaller boat with good pedigree, that will cover more bases. I'm not saying a 6mtr plus cant do lakes and smaller water ways, but you then look into costs associated with towing a bigger unit around, maintenance service costs etc etc. The north banks have a great pedigree and I would have no issues owning one of them and it wouldn't restrict me in any way compared to a larger 6 mtr boat. I suppose when you mean a "big" offshore trip, we could differ there, for me a day out at the horse shoe trawling around and back is a big enough trip now days in my books, from memory, 60 km out there, with a modern 4 stroke, and around 170 ltrs you would do that comfortably, or out from Eden to the shelf, again, with obliging weather. Would a 6 mtr Haines be a more comfortable ride than mine, Yeah, but I or any of my decky's never had an issue.
I recon it's just as well you've got to sell your house first, cause your going to mull over this for quite a while, here from specific brand boaters and get some good advice from those with types that you will consider.
Take your time, let the emotive feelings about your other half approving your purchase pass, LOL
And as I previously mentioned, be anal with regards to due diligence,
And you'll make the right decision mate......
Very exciting times for you I'm sure

Col

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Kimtown
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Re: Need some recommendations

Post by Kimtown » Thu Sep 13, 2018 9:41 pm

Really appreciate all the responses. Like you said Col, I have plenty of time to research them make a decision. Just putting all the ideas into the thinking cap as of now.

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