Buying a Boat advice please

[Captain]

Hy guys I am still on my never ending quest to buy my first boat I am looking for a bream boat. The boss has put me on a budget of $4000. So I've been looking for a second hand 4metre V nose punt style boat, painted, with some sort of deck, a tiller 25H motor, room for a bow mount, safety gear, rego and a Trailer.

I saw one of the boat yards had just gotten in a very nice 4 meter Stessel Edge Tracker, paint, some decking very good condition electric start Motor over all a very nice package but are asking $6500 doh.
I'm sure I could of got it for $5000 at a private sale.
This would have been a perfect boat for me.

Anyway I really like these hulls so I am looking at a couple in the paper for around $3000 3.7m but older motors.

Am I expecting to much for my money or am I on the right track?
Should I try to talk my wife around as I have some money coming in after selling some gear or just continue to wait it out until I find a 4Metre in my range.
Any advice, stories, tips would be great.

Cheers
Captain

[kevinnugent59]

Originally posted by Captain
Anyway I really like these hulls so I am looking at a couple in the paper for around $3000 3.7m but older motors.
Any advice, stories, tips would be great.

G'day Capt,

Well, I've just been through the same ordeal as you. I ended up with a budget of around that same money. I ended up buying a 3.7 Stessl Edge Punt new, with flooring installed, a Minn Kota 30lb electric, a bimini cover (although in hindsight I wouldn't worry about this as they are a pain to cast around!), a second hand but nice 6hp Johnson, a new Humminbird 150sx fish finder, safety gear and anchor etc.

Roughly, buying new wasn't that much more expensive than what the second hand guys wanted for their boats, and I couldn't find one that was "just right" for me. I got exactly what I wanted this way, and I reckon only paid an extra $500 to $800 for that.

In hindsight? I'd forget the bimini. I'd get a bigger motor. And I'd try for the Edge Tracker hull rather than the Punt hull. Mine is super stable but the Tracker has higher sides. The beauty of the 6hp at the time was no need to bother getting a license straight away. I imagine I will get one soon though, and then trade up to at least 15hp.

Hope that helps you some. There's a place at Currumbin called Currumbin Tinnies and they will deal a bit on the hull price and extras to add on. He has some nice Trackers there all set up and some Hornets too .... although they are around the $10k mark.

Give them a call and see what they can/can't do.

Kevin

[Captain]

Kevin that sounds like a very decent outfit, I would be very happy with a setup like that, how much did you pay, maybe I should look into the new stuff a bit more.
I've looked at a few packages but they all had the bigger more expensive motors.
Did they offer you that package or did you put it together yourself?

Cheers
Captain