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Boating Links
Boating Industry Association of Victoria Boating Industry Association of New South Wales Boating Industry Association of Queensland Boating Industry Association of South Australia Marine Safety Western Australia Boating Industry Association of Western Australia Marine Safety Northern Territory National (Australia/New Zealand) Australian Maritime Safety Authority National Marine Safety Committee Australian Marine Industries Federation Australian-New Zealand Safe Boating Education Group Australian Yachting Federation International International Maritime Organisation
These offer casting deck styled boats Other Options USA Style Bass Boats My old (sold) Quintrex 390 Hornet Trophy
Sunraysia Marine - One Stop Boat Shop John Smale's Family Boats (Syd) Terrace Boating-The Boss in Boating
Kipawa Propellers - electric trolling motor propellers
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Once an angler has made the decision to invest his hard earned cash into buying a boat they are then faced with a rather large dilemma, which boat should be purchased. To help answer that question the new boat buyer must first be very certain what it is he wants out of the boat he is going to buy?
It is very important for the boat purchaser to be able to confidently answer the above four questions so as to avoid buying a boat that really does not perform to the owners needs. The type of fishing an angler performs will determine much of what type of boat to buy. For instance, if the buyer mainly casts lures and/or fly fishes all day then much attention is given to a boat fitted with good solid flooring with plenty of room to move around without having to avoid obstacles at foot level. Stability will also be a very important factor so then a boat with large casting decks and flattish hull will be characteristics that will be looked for. If it's mainly bait fishing and/or trolling a vee-hull with comfy seating will be looked for and would be the most economical choice also. The type of waterway to be fished will be a factor that will need to considered very carefully as freshwater waterways are very susceptible to quick changes in weather conditions just like open salt water. River systems don't usually suffer too much from bad weather conditions except the larger rivers like the Murray River in places where it widens out and larger back waters will also chop up a bit when the wind picks up. However, the biggest mistake many boat owners make is over estimating their boats capabilities in rough conditions and none more so than on Australia's freshwater waterways. Many of our lakes are big open waterways without much in the way of cover and do chop up very quickly when the wind picks up and can catch a boat angler by surprise. There has been many accidents over the years and sadly many fatalities which could have been avoided by not being on the water if rough weather conditions may arise when in small tinnies or punts on an open waterway. Small punts and tinnies work great on the rivers but extreme care and common sense must be used. Avoiding open waterways or at best keeping to sheltered areas at a minimum but the return trip must be kept in mind because if the weather does get a little rough the route back to the boat trailer needs to be away from the rough or you just may not make it back. Safety on our waters is paramount and the boat operator must keep the pending weather conditions and the type of waterway in mind at all times. There seems to be no limit when it comes to spending money on a boat but for one obstacle, your budget. How much can the purchaser afford is what will ultimately determine the type of boat that will be bought in the long run. Taking in all the above mentioned guidelines and weighing them up with the amount of money you want to spend will be the best formula to ensure you get value for money and satisfaction throughout the lifetime of the boat you eventually purchase. Give this much thought and take as much time as you can on deciding what your requirements are. Make a few trips to the places you like to fish and head over to the boat ramp and have a chat to some of the boat owners. Most boat owners love to chat about their boat and more importantly the boats they may have owned in the past as this will be some very good advice to take in as many boat owners rarely buy the correct boat first time. After a bit of research you will narrow your future boat down to 1 or 2 boats. This is the time to getting back to other boat owners and ask them their thoughts as no doubt they have gone through the same thing you are doing. But take plenty of time to talk to as many boat owners as you can and get on the internet and look up for reviews and get on to forums that are specific to boats and put your questions forward. You will be very surprised as to the response you get. Tacklebox.com.au website has a great forum full of experienced anglers and boat owners that are only too happy to help you out. Hit the below link to go to the Tacklebox.com.au forums: Tacklebox.com.au - message forums
Boats are available in a plethora of designs and capabilities and many are more purpose built for a specific task or type of fishing these days. There are some great packages available to the freshwater angler and they're not just your average tinny. The popular type of boats for the rivers and water impoundments are the V-nose punts that offer fantastic stability for a small boat which range from the little 2.5m to 6m. Many of these types of boats are manufactured with carpeted flooring and casting decks with cupboards and compartments which is a far cry from the old plain tinny that used to be offered. With the popularity of Bass, Bream & Barramundi fishing competitions in the USA and in Australia for that matter there has been an ever growing demand for these type of boats and better and sleeker designs are being produced all the time. One of the major innovations that has come on the boat market has been the Quintrex Hornet range of flared hulled designs from the Quintrex boat manufacturer. These new age boats have been on the market for a few years now and new and better designs keep coming out. These boats are very similar to the V-nose designs except they have a very prominent sharp V flared bow that intern transforms into the hull and continues right through the length of the hull. What this new innovation does is enable the boat to cut through the water and deflect water down away from the bow hence creating a smoother and faster ride and less water spray. When motionless the flared hull gives the boat great stability just like a flat bottomed punt. Its this type of performance that appeals to the lure caster's and the fly fisherman of today. Well thought out flooring and casting decks add to their popularity as well as some well thought out cupboards and compartments. They even come with as standard live bait tanks, fuel tank compartments, battery compartments and rear transom brackets for a transducer. Some of the deluxe models and options are side console steering, sounders and under floor fuel tanks.
ABOVE: The Quintrex 445 Hornet Trophy is purpose built and is very sleek in design. BELOW: A new age in boat hull material, it's the plastic fantastic invasion. Theses boats are both from the Polycraft range. On the left is a 410 Challenger & on the right is the 455 Quickcraft
But this isn't to say that we all need a flared hull as due to many peoples needs and requirements there other designs that offer good value for money and maybe better suited to the individuals requirements for whatever reason. None more so comes to mind than the new and very innovative range of Polycraft boats. The name must give away that these boats are not made from the traditional aluminium, fibreglass or wood and as the name suggests they are made from plastic. Yes plastic! It's not your every day type plastic as this material is almost indestructible and will certainly last many many years and serve you well. The biggest advantage of these boats is they do not dent and are a lot less prone to cracking like aluminium or fibreglass, they have great stability and they are priced very economically. The plastic fantastic may not have hit the heights of popularity yet but given time and due to its advantages it is surely to become a lot more popular in time and we should start seeing more and more of these new age boats on our water ways. These Tupperware vessels of the water may be the butt of a lot of jokes around the campfire but they are certainly an alternative for the boat buyer to consider and they are very economically priced.
As time goes on and the demand and market scream for more and more of the Bass type boats we should start to see a lot more manufacturers start to cater to this niche market as there is indeed a growing demand and popularity for them. The Quintrex stable has mainly had the monopoly of this market with their Hornet Trophy range but we are starting to see some new blood enter this market with the likes of Stacer, Stessel, Sea-Jay and others. Hopefully a little healthy competition will start to bring the public some great deals. All the Bass/Bream type sports fishing boats that have been mentioned so far are affordable boats which probably fall under the $30,000 mark and hence why their popularity is growing and the market is filling the demand here in Australia. This type of boat has grown from the US style Bass competition boats which in the US has seen some very unique and very expensive boats being available. This trend is just starting to creep into the Australian market and the top-end of the sports fishing market is starting to see some very swish & sexy, but pricey, boats being available. Well known fishing identity Steve Starling is often seen in his flash Full Boar boat which I must admit would be an awesome Barramundi boat up in the top-end of Australia. Haines-Hunter offer a very sleek looking boat called the Prostrike. These boats are starting in the top-end of a small niche market and are certainly not cheap but we are starting to see more and more of these type of boats on the water. With the popularity of the Bream, Bass & Barramundi competitions in Australia will surely see this market grow and more and more expensive boats in this genre will be seen on the waterways on a regular basis..
As for the average angler who loves his smooth water sports fishing, these boats would more often than not be a bit of a dream but there is always the bloke who likes to spend that little bit extra for that "wow" factor. There is no limit as to how much one wants to spend on a purpose built floating casting decks that gets you from point A to point B at a zillion miles an hour if you have the money and enough water to use them on. But the reality is that not many of us will spend $50,000 and beyond to fulfil our speed freak desires but at least we can dream. Imported Dream Machines
Owning a boat of some description is fast becoming the norm in the Australian way of life, most are used for recreational activities like fishing, skiing, diving or just the pure pleasure of navigating our waterways. Until recently there were very little restrictions placed on owners and operators of these water vessels but now in all states except for Western Australia there is or soon will be a form of licensing required for all who operate them. It may seem like just another revenue maker for our government coffers but if you look at the statistics in recent years there appears to be a certain need to educate the public on safe operation and navigation. Money raised through these licenses is said to be re-spent back into the recreational boating sector on awareness programs and training facilities and so forth. I know many will be sceptical on what any government does with the publics money but like it or lump it we now have a boat licensing policy that in the long term will only make our waterways safer and more importantly save lives.
Life Jacket's (PFD's) The single most important topic when boating is concerned is safety and the most important item/s is life jackets. However you look at them they are the only thing that can be the difference between life & death when things go wrong out on the water. All Australian states have law requirements regarding the use and availability of life jackets but unfortunately each state does have different laws and view points on the matter. So the best suggestion that we can give you, the boat user, is to obtain the correct information from the state you are to be boating in. There are links below this topic which will take you to the relevant Marine Safety Board of the state you wish information for. I encourage all readers to become familiar with all the states recreational marine laws that you intend on using as ignorance will be no excuse if you are approached by the Marine Police and have not abided by their laws and it will not only ruin your holiday but can be quite an expensive over sight, not to mention the embarrassment and dented pride.
Victorian Life Jacket Laws From the 1st of December 2005 there were new laws that came into effect regarding the use and wearing of PFD's. We encourage all to hit below link which will provide all the relevant information required. There are mandatory rules on the wearing of PFD's while on the water so get familiar with these or an embarrassing visit from the Water Police may just ruin your outing.
Boating Safety Equipment We suggest you venture over to the websites provided by the Marine Safety Board of the state which you intend to use your boat in as each state has different requirements as to the level of safety gear you are required to carry at all times. The links are provided below.
Fitting Out a Boat [ under construction ] If you have a good look around at the boats that you see on the lakes and rivers or even in the second hand boat yards the one thing that stands out is they all have been modified and fitted out to the owners requirements. A boat direct from the manufacturer is never built to the standard that suits the individual for whom the vessel is meant for as everyone has there own ideas and requirements. This means that there are many enterprising and very clever handymen that get very busy and come up with some great solutions that make just that little bit of difference to the ergonomics of the freshwater tinny. Next time your out on the bank or boat ramp on your favourite waterway take the time to wander around and have a little sticky nose at some of the other boats that maybe there. You will quickly notice that each and every boat has a completely different set-up and is a statement of the owners individuality. Try and strike up a conversation with other boat owners and it will not be long before you are both passing on ideas to each other. It seems this is an instinctive and very common trait amongst fellow freshwater boat fisherman and is tantamount to this great friendly recreational activity. Now, let's imagine you have just bought yourself a boat and the most common package of this type if new from the manufacturer would normally be a trailer, motor and boat with perhaps a little storage area or two or if you've lashed out and purchased something like a Quintrex Hornet Trophy you would have flooring and a bit more storage space, a fuel tank of some description and a package of safety gear. So what's missing you say, well that depends on what type of fishing you want to do, how fussy you are when it comes to tidiness and then of course how much money one has to spend. As with most things in this world, when it come to humans we are so different in ideas and requirements that not many can agree on the same thing but I'll try to list all the items required to turn your boat into the Bismarck of the freshwater fishing world. Like I mentioned earlier the basic boat package is-:
And the most likely items (wishlist) wanted are-:
As you see the list can get a little big and expensive, but not all these items are necessary to be able to go out and catch a fish. They are merely additional extra's to give you a little extra assistance and make life more pleasant while out on the water. I personally have most but not all items mentioned but as the piggy bank gets fatter I'll dip in to it and continue to complete what's on this list no doubt. But items like rod holders for travel, storage for tackle, 12v system, deck & cupboard lights and navigation lights can be manufactured at home from a few purchased items that are relatively cheap. Many hours can be spent on achieving completion of these items but you will gain much satisfaction knowing that you created it once the jobs done and even more so after you receive compliments from others asking who did your work. Well that got rid of a few items on the wish list, now it's time to give alot of thought on where you want to spend your hard earned dollar on the rest of the list. Now this is where it can get a little hard on where you wish to spend your money but I'll make it alot easier for you and give my opinion although it's not necessarily the right one but it's a starting point. Some of the cheaper items left are the Bilge pump which can be purchased from one of the many boat shops, a fairly good one would be around $100 but is a very important item (assuming the 12v system is installed) if you have a floor built into the boat. The weather proof storage is another cheap item as this can be as simple as buying plastic Tupperware type containers from the kitchen sections in major department stores. There are heaps of different sizes to choose from so it wont be hard to find the ones that fill the space most efficiently.
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A boat is not essential to the freshwater
fisherman but it can certainly enhance and create vast opportunities for
the angler who has one. With a boat you are able to move and work
many kinds of habitats in far less time and this can only
improve ones chances. If one area is not producing simply move on to the
next area and so on. A boat to me is more like a floating tackle box and
casting platform which gives the angler far more scope to get to those
area's where you just can't reach from the bank. We also use the boat a
lot to get us to that certain spot that otherwise you couldn't get there
by foot or car. We often pull up on the bank, hop out and cast from land
as sometimes it is advantages to cast out and retrieve from the bank but
without a boat you wouldn't have been able to get there by foot or car so you can see just how important a
boat can be and the extra opportunity it provides you with. Of course a boat is
not essential but having one opens up a whole lot of opportunities and
gives the angler much more scope and versatility which should calculate
out to increasing ones chances. Yep! Life sure is better with a boat.
