Looking at buying first boat..

[SteveoTheTiger]

After owning several open boats and predominantly bait fishing PPB I changed to a cuddy and enjoy being able to stay warm and dry without having to dress like Scott of the Antarctic. There's also more rear deck space than the two CC's I had and better seating arrangement.

I have a Haines Hunter 460SLR, and as much as i would love to be getting around in a 445f or similar i just find something with a bit of protection is much more comfortable for me these days.

My ideal boat would be probably a V17L that has had an engine pod put on it and removed the back quarter seats and engine well so you can walk right up to the transom, you see a lot of these around at the moment. And i have always liked Barcrushers, the 490 or 530C would be nice one day. Although i am probably leaning more towards a Surtees Workmate these days as they have a couple of nice features that the 'crusher doesnt have.

[Jacob Scott]

Buy as big as you can afford 540 ish or something in that size.
What is ur budget btw

$10,000 to $20,000 or anything cheaper than 10,000

[SteveoTheTiger]

Assuming you are looking at the used market...

For less than $10k you would be able to pick up a nice 4.2 - 4.5m tinny fully decked out, either tiller steer or CC if you go right up to $10K. This might not get you offshore but it will get you out on the bay for minimal cost and on its day will be a fishing weapon. I have had boats for most of my adult life, but there was a time where i sold my boat and didnt fish for a long time. When i decided to get back into it i got myself a 4.2m tinny which got me back in the game. The only reason i got rid of it was because i got offered a bigger boat at a price i could not refuse and i wanted to be able to take more people out with me.

I would probably avoid most other boats at this price because you would have to get pretty lucky to find the full package at this price. Remember when you are buying a boat there are 4 main items you are buying. 1. the actual boat, 2. the engine, 3. the trailer and 4. the equipment it comes with. The first 3 of these are critical, they must be spot on or you are just opening yourself up for a lot of pain in the near future.

For $10 - $20k you will really open up a world of choices if you are happy to go with an older hull, which IMO is not an issue so long as it is in good condition.