Thread: Scorpion alloy boats

Anyone got one/had experience with one? Interested in any opinions good bad or indifferent. Looking at 565 with 90hp merc on it. Want to be able to get out to Ruapuke etc (on a good forecast) and the wee inflatable isn't cutting the mustard. Also looked at Ramco fisherman 5.5 but same money and much lighter built hull and the Scorpion is a much beamier hull that feels a lot roomier. Cheers

I haven't even seen one but here is an old thread on the fishing website.

https://www.fishing.net.nz/forum/sco...opic77313.html

Boats are worse than guns for snobbery.

Are you looking second hand or new?

No no
They are cheaper for a reason
Prob OK for a Lake boat - but you sure not want one off the Southern Coast

There is a few of them up here as they are built in Morrisville.
They were always known as a cheaper boat, I've never been in one are lighter than alot I would compare them to a fryran.
I'm a pontoon boat fan I've had a couple of Mclay and then 2 different sized Senators.
The old Ramco maybe a good option or Marco are an awesome boat with plenty of room.

Sent from my CPH1903 using Tapatalk

Basically I have about 30k to play with and want aluminium, 5m (ish) with something reasonably modern pushing it.
To be honest I've not liked the ride in any of the pontoons I've been on. Mate has a Mclay we have had in some monster seas in the Foveaux and very impressed with how it handled it (after I managed to pry my hands off the grab handles once back in Bluff) but dont have the budget to go that route, I'm not going to go into the strait in anything less than a perfect forecast in any case as I'm not a super confident skipper yet. Probably do a bit of diving etc around fiordland also and messing about on the lakes

Originally Posted by Ryan_Songhurst

Basically I have about 30k to play with and want aluminium, 5m (ish) with something reasonably modern pushing it.
To be honest I've not liked the ride in any of the pontoons I've been on. Mate has a Mclay we have had in some monster seas in the Foveaux and very impressed with how it handled it (after I managed to pry my hands off the grab handles once back in Bluff) but dont have the budget to go that route, I'm not going to go into the strait in anything less than a perfect forecast in any case as I'm not a super confident skipper yet. Probably do a bit of diving etc around fiordland also and messing about on the lakes

I would have said 30K should get you into something way better than a Scorpion/Bluefin
BUT - we appear to be in a dream world at the moment with Boats sales being one of the enigma trends in this CV time frame

Supply/demand at the moment would shy me away from buying

Example:
My neighbor 2 years ago sold his Ramco Renegade 580 with a near new Honda on it for 23K
It took us (I did all the promo etc for it) 7 months to get that
Today - he would shit in for 30K and be a stampede to get it too I imagine

Nothing wrong with Fiberglass
Smooth ride
A lot of hull for the equivalent $$

My hull must be close to 40 years old
New motor on Pod
6m
Hardtop
Owes me 30K now with new Suzuki 140 4smoke doing 14-17Lt per hour @ 22-25knts

Im a bit biased but got a small 4m pontoon /rockhopper for close in shore but my other is a v17l haineshunter fibreglass and they are the best . 80s era are well built with high sides you will get a good hull and trailer easily under 10k and spend the rest on a modern injected motor of 115 to 140 hp thats what we use in welly in all seas . Spend a extra couple hundy or more trailer rollers and retrieval is easy and put a modern t bar style ladder on the back for boarding also warmer in the cold .

Originally Posted by Ryan_Songhurst

Basically I have about 30k to play with and want aluminium, 5m (ish) with something reasonably modern pushing it.
To be honest I've not liked the ride in any of the pontoons I've been on. Mate has a Mclay we have had in some monster seas in the Foveaux and very impressed with how it handled it (after I managed to pry my hands off the grab handles once back in Bluff) but dont have the budget to go that route, I'm not going to go into the strait in anything less than a perfect forecast in any case as I'm not a super confident skipper yet. Probably do a bit of diving etc around fiordland also and messing about on the lakes

I've had 2 McLay and compared to the pontoon boats they are back breakers and come down real hard.


Sent from my CPH1903 using Tapatalk

Originally Posted by Sarvo

I would have said 30K should get you into something way better than a Scorpion/Bluefin
BUT - we appear to be in a dream world at the moment with Boats sales being one of the enigma trends in this CV time frame

Supply/demand at the moment would shy me away from buying

Example:
My neighbor 2 years ago sold his Ramco Renegade 580 with a near new Honda on it for 23K
It took us (I did all the promo etc for it) 7 months to get that
Today - he would shit in for 30K and be a stampede to get it too I imagine

Yeah mine sold real quick

Like any small 4.5m 5.5m Ali hull they will bang and you will get what you pay for ..... I’d be looking at a second hand Ramco or Southern boat 30k should get a sweet older rig with possibly a re powered engine, goodluck I’m sorta looking for the same rig but in hardtop

Im a small boat user and I appreciate wanting space.
Sub 6m pontoon boats really sacrifice interior space.
Anything sub 6 m is hard riding but that said some are better than others.
My little frypan is the softest riding 4.5m boat I have ever been in, it is also one of the wettest and struggels with 40hp where flatter harder riding boats are well powered with 40hp.

Considering the part of the country you intend to fish and the likelyhood of other fishers near you/going past I would be leaning towards a safe boat capable of big seas (with a competent skipper) second hand if need be rather than a perhaps less capable new boat.

Have plenty of experience in small ramcos and a bit in small maclays. Both are solid boats but at the hard riding end of the scale.

One thing to be aware of is traditional hulls like the ramco/maclay/fryan while they may be "unsinkable" what they dont tell you is that since all their buoyancy is in the floor then if swamped or broached they naturally float upsidedown.....which means you are swimming with all your gear gone.
This is something I am acutely aware of in my wee 4.5fryan......its been in some big seas for a little boat but never far from help if need be.

Maclay now have the "crossover" model, which is the same boat with some foam up under the gunnals. They had to do this to be able to sell the boats in Australia to meet their regs.

"Soft riding" pontoon boats = Senator/Profile Kiwikraft Osprey.....new gen stabicraft might sneak in there.
Frewza definitely worth a look....value for money
Senator great deck space for size and good ride.
Stabi.....its the hilux of the sea, doesnt do anything great or bad but reliable and ridiculous resale....pre arrow pontoons are hard riding AF

It sounds like a Senator 540 with a 90 or 115 4srtroke would suit you perfectly.....unfortunately they hardly ever come up second hand.

Frewza F16 or stabi 509 or kiwikraft 505.

Can get a new F16 for $32k it would appear.

Sent from my F5321 using Tapatalk

Originally Posted by berg243

yes you can get a new frewza this time next year

Wait till interest rates go back up....there will be mad sales on cancelled orders.