Thread: WTB Alloy boat

Hey team ,

Just been giving the nod from the better half that I can finally purchase another boat!
Looking for an alloy between 5-6 meters with a budget of 30k and under.
Seeing as their are a whole heap of clever individuals in here with a lot of experience it seems like a logical place to ask the question of what boats to look out for and what go really good!
I would love to go 4 stroke but I highly doubt that I will find something decent in my price range.
Would love something that rides nicely when things unexpectedly turn rough (even with keeping a close eye on the forecast)
Will be used for mainly fishing and doing pots and a bit of diving with the wife and kids

Cheers legends

My limited experience in Alloy boats Mclays ride awesome and feel super safe. Ospreys are super stable and ride nicer than Stabicrafts if you went down the pontoon route. Every stabicraft I have been on has been a bone shaker under way, from a 389 to a 2400, not sure what it is about them they just feel "sharp" and don't come down soft. Never been on a surtees but there's a few 5.5 workmates around your budget and they seem really popular

Originally Posted by Ryan_Songhurst

My limited experience in Alloy boats Mclays ride awesome and feel super safe. Ospreys are super stable and ride nicer than Stabicrafts if you went down the pontoon route. Every stabicraft I have been on has been a bone shaker under way, from a 389 to a 2400, not sure what it is about them they just feel "sharp" and don't come down soft. Never been on a surtees but there's a few 5.5 workmates around your budget and they seem really popular

I'm not sure why the Stabi's seem so popular because most people I have spoken to think the same thing as you!
I do like the Mclays , few mates have had them and seem to rate them

I've got a 5.5 workmate I'm looking at selling. It's an older one with a 90 horse Yamaha. Might suit you. Will definitely be within your budget.

Originally Posted by madmaori

I'm not sure why the Stabi's seem so popular because most people I have spoken to think the same thing as you!
I do like the Mclays , few mates have had them and seem to rate them

I've had a couple of Mclay over the years 5-6 M range and then went to Senator I would rate Mclay same as Stabi bone shakers.
They ride super hard compared to the Senator.

Sent from my CPH2145 using Tapatalk

Originally Posted by 25/08 IMP

I've had a couple of Mclay over the years 5-6 M range and then went to Senator I would rate Mclay same as Stabi bone shakers.
They ride super hard compared to the Senator.

Sent from my CPH2145 using Tapatalk

I've got a small Senator and very impressed with it so far even in big seas.

Sent from my SM-S916B using Tapatalk

Originally Posted by BRADS

I've got a small Senator and very impressed with it so far even in big seas.

Sent from my SM-S916B using Tapatalk

everyone that I have ever spoken to rates the shit out of Senator , unfortunately a bit beyond my budget...

Originally Posted by BRADS

I've got a small Senator and very impressed with it so far even in big seas.

Sent from my SM-S916B using Tapatalk

Yeah they are awesome I've had a 6.20 and 560 both handle big seas and great for bar crossings

Sent from my CPH2145 using Tapatalk

What size senator do you have @BRADS

Sent from my SM-A546E using Tapatalk

The stab-slabs seem to suffer from a very sharp increasing bouyancy curve - when coming down into the water they seem to reach a point very quickly where the reserve bouyancy overcomes the energy driving the hull down and forwards and they just stop in the water... Very stable at rest and safe etc etc but very sensitive to sea state and trimming/weight distribution etc.

Not my favourite tubs to work out of as others have said when you are underway, but fine for stability at rest. There are a reasonable number of boats around at the mo, your budget will basically dictate mid-age second hand so whatever you look at get a damn good going over done on it. Most places that set brand new boats up have their own particular ways of doing it, some are great some not so much. Find someone that knows boats mechanically and electrically and get a good survey report done on the state of these components including if the conductors are sized appropriately for the length of cable and the current they are drawing and also if the battery system is correctly installed. This can be a source of a lot of issues with modern electronics (insufficient power supply), especially once the dreaded green fluff takes up residence. Purchasing the boat is one thing, but buying someone else's cast off problems and having to then do an effectively full refit on the thing to get it running right will take the gloss off the purchase. A good report is not cheap, but a damn sight cheaper than replacing everything!

Have a stabi myself almost 2 years old.first pontoon boat.if I had listened to everything about ali boats and brands I'd still be looking .read heard and talked to people about all sorts of brands . Some horror stories with build quality
. I'm not sure with a ali boat you will ever have the perfect boat.bit go for a ride in some.differnt brands types and see what you think .

Originally Posted by Chur Bay

I've got a 5.5 workmate I'm looking at selling. It's an older one with a 90 horse Yamaha. Might suit you. Will definitely be within your budget.

Those 90hp yamahas were and still are the best 2 stroke 90 that was ever made..I've owned a few and such a good engine .although has to be looked after like anything .

There’s some good boats around your price range atm with a secondhand market seeing prices come down as less people are spending. This might help you pick up something nice.

My family and I recently picked up a Surtees 5.5 workmate hardtop and love it. Not as stable at rest as a pontoon boat but rides a lot nicer which was more important to me. Especially when you lock the water in the keel it drives through chop more like a glass boat. The practical efficient use of space in them is awesome too. I was pretty sold on wanting a surtees for a while after first going out in a mates newer 575 hardtop years ago. The price bracket was always just a bit high though but there are things around atm hence we picked up a good deal on the older 5.5 model.

$20K... and a steal at that.

Ex jet boat with 3000L 150 merc 4 stroke on transom bracket, Engine is 10 years old with about 100 hrs from memory. Gauges, controls and hydraulic steering 5 years old. Boat and trailer +_ 25 years old... not a princess, but a solid sound boat and.... the engine and controls have only had fresh water use.

75kph top speed, 125L below floor tank gives a cruising range of 300km at 50kpk. Twin batteries are about a year old. There is a transducer fitted and a second hand Furuno sounder plotter to go with the boat.

Selling because I have a yacht and want the garage space.. stored indoors.

Boat is in Murchison,so a long haul from where you are

Attachment 242749 .

I'm going to be selling my mclay this year 7.5m cruiser, hardtop, lockup cabin, custom lifted floor, 225 yamaha 4 stroke, trim tabs, top range garnin sounders plus all the electric bells and whistles, optima blue batteries etc all newly rewired throughout, anchor winch etc, but will be looking around 110k