Recommendations for 5 to 6 metre aluminium boat to buy

[WayneK]

Hi everyone,
I want to buy my first fishing boat and I have been doing a lot of online research. I hope to buy a very good second-hand boat - one's that's been babied. The more and more I read and listen to, the more and more uncertain I'm becoming. I'm going to buy an aluminium boat because I want to camp in it/from it and will want to beach it on occasions. Also, weight is a factor as I will be towing it with an AWD Kluger for the next couple of years - until I buy my 4WD retirement gift. As for my other 'wants', I want a small cabin, a transom door and a decent area from which 2 to 4 people can fish. I intend to fish PPB, WPB, the Gippsland Lakes and, occasionally venture a little out into blue water on glass-out days (but the blue water fishing will not happen until I've gained some reasonable experience). I'm looking at something in the 5.4 to 6.0 metre range. What's my budget? I don't have a set one in mind but it's going to be north of $60K.

I've been looking at the following boats and I'm interested in your thoughts and advice: Trailcraft Trailblazer, Quintrex Ocean Spirit, Stacer Ocean Ranger. I've also looked at the Bar Crusher 585/615 but, as nicely made as they appear to be, I get the feeling their cabins wouldn't provide as much protection as the other boats. Please don't let this trigger another aluminium vs fibreglass discussion - I'm set on a large tinny and I'm really keen to get some good advice! Thanks in advance.

[sandef]

Barcrusher not sure about tow weight of your kluger

[WayneK]

Hi Sandef,
Gee that was quick! The Kluger has a towing capacity of 2 tonnes so it should easily tow any of the boats I've nominated. Do you have any particular reasons for preferring the Bar Crusher? Thanks in advance.

[sandef]

Some the boats you mentioned have sealed wooden floors the barcrusher has a sealed self draining flooring,that makes cleaning easy .you can run deck wash , I belong to a game fishing club over 50% of our boats are barcrushers or surtees

[sandef]

Trailcraft some years ago changed to being manufactured in China

[Paulanderson]

For a long time I fished (inshore, offshore, lakes) from a 5m Quintrex Fishmaster - which was a cuddy cabin and provided good protection - and would fish 3 adults. Something around the 5.5m range should achieve what you want You should consider the hull thickness and if you can get a plate boat within your budget I would go for it - a little heavier which will improve the ride and more robust if you are pulling up on a stony bank. Finally a foot does not sound much but in a boat it makes an amazing difference - so the difference between a 5.5m and a 6m in terms of room is very significant - particularly if you want to fish 4 adults.

[WayneK]

Hi Sandef,
Yes, Trailcraft are now made in China and I'm not mad-keen about supporting Chinese industry. Having said that, I've heard from a couple of sources that the quality of the fabrication is just as good as it was when they were made in Western Australia. A work colleague of mine has a Trailcraft Sportscab 560 that she and her husband take out off Lakes Entrance. It has sealed aluminium flooring and a self-draining deck, which they love when they wash the boat. They say it bangs like most tinnie's do but they feel very safe in it.

Hi Paul, thanks for chiming in. You've touched the nerve that's probably causing me the most grief: how thick should the bottom and sides be? Will 4mm and 3mm be sufficient for my needs? Do I need to go heavier on the bottom plate? I simply don't know. I have zero desire to go out when the wind and sea is up but I want something to properly handle the return to shore if the weather turns quickly.

[sandef]

also consider the GVM kluger being 2620kg eg 4x 80kg persons full fuel tank in the boat 80kg couple of extra batteries power anchor winch,sinkers for shore

[sandef]

Found this for you

[WayneK]

Hi Sandef,
Thank you for your ongoing input, it's much appreciated. I won't be transporting 4 people and towing the boat at the same time - that's simply not going to happen. Most of the time it will be just my wife and I fishing or, the pair of us and our youngest son. On those rare occasions when we're four-up, an extra vehicle will be involved and we'll all meet at the ramp. I'm well aware of GVM considerations as I drive a 200 Series Landcruiser at work and the company has fitted placards to the dash advising to only carry a maximum of 4 adults when carrying a certain load or when towing. If I had such a vehicle, I probably wouldn't need to seek so much help. In a nutshell, I'm trying to go as light as I sensibly can and yet safely fish outside on glass-out days.