thinking about a boat for christmas

[canerod]

hi there y'all.

lifes all about confusion and conundrums , and heres another one. im thinking of getting a boat for christmas , now if all i wanted it for was breaming, the choice would be easy. but i also want to be able to go out in the open as far as rotto with a couple of mates and i want to be able to overnite camp on it too. an 18 foot cabincruiser would fit the open water bit but would it be a complete monster for breaming? any opinions welcome, specially from people who've tried it and found the answer.

[Bear]

To be honest mate, unless you look at something like what Leon and Matchangler have got, you're going to find it hard.

It can be a pretty unforgiving stretch of water between Perth and Rotto and any small boat is going to have to pick it's day.

The Trailcraft boats would be worth a look. Good high sides for the rougher water and a great hull that is very well finished. One of my faves in that style.

In the end, what ever you get is going to be a compromise.

HTH.

[nifty]

http://www.boatlandwa.com/files/templatepage.html

Canerod have a look at the above link, I am going to Mandurah on Monday for a test drive, I first saw these hulls about 4 years ago and wanted one then, I have been looking for a boat for a longtime and have been very interested in the Polycraft, next week is my descision time, ring the dealer in Mandurah and talk to him about what the boat is capable of, as Bear said, the Trailcraft boats are excellent as are the Stessel edge tracker series and the Quintrex hornet. Neville

[Bear]

Sorry Leon. My BooBoo.

[nifty]

Canerod, I meant to say have a look at the western whaler on the link I posted to you earlier, I love the Trailcraft boats too, excellent all round, well made boats.. N.

[madaff]

Nev did you get my return email or PM or whatever. I tried many different ways and had trouble sending anything to you

[nifty]

Sorry Madaff, I havent heard from you, try this email address
nifty13@iinet.net.au I will make sure my pm box is empty as well... have another go at contacting me mate... Nev.

Hey Nev empty your mailbox dude I've been trying to message you.....


Cheers............

a hound dog.

More than capable of meeting all the stated criteria.

http://www.redbackweb.com.au/hounddog/index.html

Cheers!

[breamfisher]

I work at mandurah boatland and these boats are awesom. The boss is now fitting livewells under the seat. They are super stable and can handle a fair amount of chop. Bit to skinny and long for my liking though. You can also get a forward cast deck that goes where the cusions are .

If I were you I'd speak to Orange Flash before you lay down any Cash at Boatland for a Western Craft Whaler.

Tried emailing you but it bounced - and sent you a couple PM's.

Hope you got em before your test drive tomorrow!

You could do worse than look at orange Flash's "New Boat Woes" thread at Sportsfish boat forums at least...

Best to be informed about such things.

Good luck.

Cheers!

[orangeflash]

iwould have to agree the western whaler is a great boat but be very weary of the quality contol at boat land i bought my whaler a couple of weeks ago and this is what i found

THE QUALITY SERVICE I HAVE RECEIVED FROM BOAT LAND MANDURAH


ON MY BRAND NEW WESTERN CRAFT WHALER
SOME OF THE SMALL PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERD

1 ENGINE RUNS ON ONLY 3 OUT OF FOUR CYLINDERS
2 TEMP GAUGE DOES NOT WORK
3ENGINE SET TO HIGH AND VENTILATES OFTEN
4 SPLASH WELL DRAIN BLOCKED BY PLASTIC SHEET UNDER ENGINE BRACKET
5 BILGE PUMP LOOSE & NOT FUNCTIONING
6 GAUGES INSTALLED UNEVENLY ON CONSOLE
7 COMPAS POORLY INSTALED WITH BACK YARD BRACKETS
8 TRAILER LIGHTS HAVE BAD EARTH
9 WIND SCREEN BINDS ON CONSOLE CONSTANTLY SQUEAKS
10 FRONT BINIMI HALF SHOULD HAVE BEEN ZIPED BUT WAS SEWN INSTEAD
11 BUMP RUBBER HAS A LARGE GAP ON THE RIGHT HAND UNDER SIDE
12ROD POCKETS HAVE NO DRAIN HOLES SO STAY FULL OF WATER
13 WORK SHOP MANUAL SUPPLIED WAS WRONG ONE
14 tilt and trim leaks oil
THIS WAS THE CONDITION I RECEIVED MY NEW BOAT IN
I HOPE THAT THERE ARE NO MORE PROBLEMS WITH IT BUT ONLY TIME WILL TELL
I MUST SAY THAT IM NOT SURE TAKING THE BOAT BACK TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIRS IS A GOOD IDEA IF THIS IS HOW THEY WANT TO PRESENT A NEW BOAT HOW COMPETENT ARE THE REPAIRS LIKLEY TO BE ????

now i have been in contact whith the dealer and he says tha he will fix most of the problems after xmas wich is a good sign but the point remains why was the boat deliverd in such a poor state &why was there no quality controll

[nifty]

WOW, thanks Steve, Trouty rang me and told me about the problems, the new way for me to go as of this moment is as follows... My wife has gone into panic mode, I am not going to buy a boat for the ocean, I am going for a breamin' boat after all. My wife remembers five years ago how I went out on my own in my boat in Busselton, and the sea and I became one for five hours, I was rescued at about 8 pm, I fell out of the boat at 3pm. I was in all the local ( sth. west. ) papers as well as the WEST AUSt. Another one of my dreams are now gone as I could not bear to think while I am out having fun my wife is having a coronary. BUGGER. OH well, at least I can get a good breamin' boat, just have to decide on which one.... Nev.

Geez orange be careful what you say man, if someone on this site is sponsored by boatland you might upset them.........

I'm suspecting thats a tongue in cheek comment Leon... (One never knows these days).

I think Flash & I are agreed - that the Western Craft Whalers aren't a bad boat, for what they cost they do a mighty job.

Both Flash & I have recommended to Nifty that the Whaler would be a good boat.

That said - Flash has taken the trouble to point out the "small" issues that you shouldn't have to deal with. when splashing down a cheque for over 23K for a new boat. The reason you buy from a reputable dealer is so these sorts of issues don't happen, you use a professional..

I think it's in the right spirit of anglers or boaters looking out for each other, to 'warn' Nifty (and anyone else contemplating buying one) to be alert for such small things and to specify that these things wouldn't be acceptable before actually parting with the cash on delivery day.

Flash has photo's of poor workmanship he COULD post such as the shoddy layout of the gauges in his console dash etc of he chose too...so far he hasn't because the dealer has claimed he will make good on most of the problems.

Problems like the Splashwell not draining due to a plastic spacer installed behind the OB, covering the outlet drain are pretty basic "saftey" issues in a boat - if the splashwell doesn't drain - then it fills to the point it pours into the boat thru the OB control Cables rigging hole.

As it is every trip out means afterwards, you have to 'wick' the water out of the splashwell drain with a sponge and paper / cardboard or it goes all slimy and skanky in there (meaning it stinks like rotton seaweed!).

Who would put up with that on a brand new boat?

Same with Rod holders - no drain holes - they all fill with water (and stay full).

Flash specified Backing plates on all thru deck hardware like bow roller, cleats etc so as to spread the load and avoid bolts and washers tearing thru the glass if they ever come under heavey load, such as while the boats being towed by another boat if it broke down (as it did on it's maiden voyage).

Fancy then finding that your Bimini top is attached thru the gunnels with 4 bolts and small washers?

I mean, Hellooo - is any one home - this guy doesn't want stuff ripping off his boat and tearing holes in the glass - thats why he specified backing plates....but apparently that message never made it to the stainless man who supplies the bimini's - and it's the dealers responsibility to make sure those messages ARE passed on during manufacture.

I mean bimini's take a lot of wind pressure both when the boats mobile and while it's on a trailer being towed....2 smalll Alloy Backing plates isn't a big ask....seeing everything else on the boat has em.

There are other issues like with the Carpet and the Bimini itself not being removable because the trimmer sewed one part of the bimini to the Stainless Top instead of installing a zipper...(to save what?... $4 or $5 on one ziipper?) which would have made it fully removable for towing, in a few seconds.

The Carpet under the console is removable - Press studded, so you can take it out, wash it dry it and replace it - except that with 2 Batterys installed over the top of it and clamped down - you can't get the middle bit of carpet out of your boat without dissassembling your electronics.

A simple Cut in the carpet, across the front of the console - and fringe both edges and problem solved.

Like I said small things that bug you - all fixable...but if your paying full quid you shouldn't have too.

As is it Flash & I will likely have to redo the console with some starboard panels now to get the Gauges to line up nice and neat. It looks like a school kid attacked the console with a holesaw but didn't mark it out first.

Who in their right mind (who knew anything about boats) would install a Two way radio Mike (which has a magnet in it), flat on it's back on top of the console (where it will fill up with water & ultimately fail), and place it right alongside the compass????

At least you'll always be able to find your Two way Mike - the compass will always be pointing right at it for you.

Flash has listed other problems, all small in nature.

The dealers a nice enough feller, the boats a good stable seaworthy boat, and all in all they aren't a bad crew - but, as Flash has pointed out - I don't think it's untoward to aware other boaters to be on the lookout for such things at the time they place an order.

No one is saying don't use the dealer, or that the boat isn't good - just a heads up is all, to be on the lookout for the small things that make a boat either a pleasure to use or a pain in the ring.

Anyone ownes a boat will know - theres always something on them that bugs ya - and the less of those things - the more you enjoy your new boat - and people pay all that cash too enjoy them - not to be finding and fixing things that might be wrong, that could have been avoided with a little more quality control / attention to detail.

No doubt the dealer will gain from this info - and hopefully take steps to ensure such things are avoided on future boats - and thus everyone benefits.

As far as "sponsorship" goes - well - lets just say that sponsorship is a two edged sword (in that it cuts both ways) - and I've said plenty about that in the past both here and elsewhere.

Bottom line the Western Craft Whalers are still good boats - built to a price - and they have a few small quality control issues at rigging stage that if your aware of and take steps to avoid - you should have no worries with.

I don;t think you can knock the boat for small issues that have to get ironed out - but I'm sure we;d all like to think we wouldnt have to go thru those issues if it was us in Flash's place...

Once you've handed over all the Cash - well - it's then not as easey to demand satisfaction now is it - IMHO - If I were buying one - I'd "hold over" 10% of the final payment for a month after delivery to see how satisfactorily the dealer deals with all minor rigging issues, that dcrop up on maiden voyage/s and I'd word that into the purchase contract!

If dealer deals with all issues satisfactorily he gets the balance - if not then at least you have something to pay someone else to do it right.

Thats just how I would do it - but we all know that hindsight vision is always 20/20.

Maybe the experience will help Nifty or others be 'more informed' boat buyers.

Cheers!

Proudly 'sponspred' by no one!

Nev,

Re your comments about the long swim and wifes apprehension.

My wife has gone into panic mode, I am not going to buy a boat for the ocean, I am going for a breamin' boat after all. My wife remembers five years ago how I went out on my own in my boat in Busselton, and the sea and I became one for five hours, I was rescued at about 8 pm, I fell out of the boat at 3pm. I was in all the local ( sth. west. ) papers as well as the WEST AUSt. Another one of my dreams are now gone as I could not bear to think while I am out having fun my wife is having a coronary

I think I may have a solution for you where you get to have your Kate and Edith too.... oops - better make that cake and eat it too.

Generally speakin, boating on your own is a no no, although some have done it and got away with it for years and some others aren't so lucky.

There are a few things you could do to ease your wifes worry pangs on the odd day you decide to go to sea a little ways - even on your own.

Numero uno - would be to take a small boat handling course (with your wife along so she gets to see how competent you are and how knowlegeable ergo safe - i.e. unlikely to end up swimming solo again).

Next is some basic gear that - in the event you ever did fall in - you'd :-

A) be able to get yaself back into the boat again, &

B) If you couldn't get back in, you would DEFINITELY get rescued within say an hour tops.

First cab off the rank - for boating alone - I'd have a lanyard to a kill switch on your OB. This way if you go over the side - the boat stops ...

Next would be an inflatable life vest - if you go in, your NOT going to drown

Third would be a Pains Wessex personal 406 epirb in the pocket of your inflatable vest. If you go in then someones going to know about it within seconds and a rescue will be able to find you dark or not.

I guess you could always have a mobile phone on board and gve the loved one a call each hour with a fishing success update (along with a position Lat and lon to record...taken of course from your GPS.

Also a two way radio and place a boat plan each time with sea search and rescue so they knw to keep an eye out for you as well you can hear about any weather changes before they catch you unawares.

I reckon it makes sense Nev for a retiree who enjoys travelling up north etc to have a boat capable of a little breamin and say the odd trip within 3 miles of land on the ocean when the weathers nice.

If you wanted even more confidence in your abilities - then you could do a coxswains course just for the fun of it - even if you never sit the exam - to get the qualification - what you learn along with everyone else at the school would be invaluable for you.

Don't give up on a little fishing Nev, we only get one go at this lifetime - it's not a practice run for next time round - get out there and catch a few fish in safety Nev, if you have a boat thats got positive bouyancy (like the Whaler when foam filled) then you never have to worry about a boat sinking out from under you and if you have the Epirb - you never have to worry about swimmin all night and no one finding you.

I see it as a simple solution Nev, and I think if your wife had more confidence in your own abilities and you yourself did - then you'd be more likely to do more fishing and enjoy your retirement a little more.

On the lanyard thing to the outboard kill switch...some guys use a extension telephone cord connected to the lanyard kill switch to allow them to move freely around the boat when fishing solo - but still to kill the OB if they should fall over - others also tow a "saftey line" behind the boat so they have something to pull emselves back in with once the OB quits.

Long as you have a drop down stainless steel ladder to get aboard again - you should have no worries.

Alternately - an OB with a electric tilt switch on the side of the cowl. You stand on Cav plate, hang onto transom with other hand and tilt away - 1st floor womens hosiery, 2nd floor Hardware, 3rd floor - that'll be us - fishing tackle boat gear!

Too easey Nev....

Let me know if you need help with anything...I'm happy to lend a hand teaching you any bits of the boat course you have trouble with...

Cheers!