Anyone got a trailer boat?
 

Hi Guys,

Looking into getting a trailer boat, anyone go one in the Brisbane area.?

looking into the boring stuff, insurance, fuel costs, licence etc.

Also where do you go out with your boat?

Any useful info would be great



Cheers, Pete

Re: Anyone got a trailer boat?
 

Plenty up north going cheap at the moment.....:D

Re: Anyone got a trailer boat?
 

Hi Pete,

Got one not long ago.
licence:
Day course not one can fail, costs about $150
insurance:
I think I pay about $450 a year from memory.
fuel costs:
Not that bad but again depends on lots of things engine type, boat size etc but for an example a Trip from Sandgate to Peel Island used just under 30L return
Where do you go out with your boat:
Morton Bay, Pine River Brisbane River, Pumicestone passage gold coast etc

useful info:
Don't reverse your boat/trailer off the side of the boat ramp :o

Oh service costs are about $300-$400 a pop

http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=687702

Re: Anyone got a trailer boat?
 

Thanks for the info, use just want a boat to use on the bay in calm water, nothing too fancy- no big water!. What boat do you have and what size is the engine (will help work out fuel etc)

Cheers.

Re: Anyone got a trailer boat?
 

It's a Quintrex 4.7 Bowrider with a 60hp 4 stroke

Re: Anyone got a trailer boat?
 

As I have said on here many times......don't underestimate the bay. It can get very rough very quickly so make sure you have the right safety gear and a boat that can handle it.

Ignore anyone who tells you the southern bay is OK for little boats....there were two young men drowned a few days ago who launched from Victoria point.

Re: Anyone got a trailer boat?
 

How far have you been out on it? Straddie - moreton island?

Re: Anyone got a trailer boat?
 

Didn't they they come unstuck crossing the south passage bar?

Re: Anyone got a trailer boat?
 

Not been to morton island yet but done the trip to Peel Island from here which is about 35k's

Re: Anyone got a trailer boat?
 

That's what is thought to have happened

Re: Anyone got a trailer boat?
 

Both of those are a long way in a small boat.

OK in calm conditions but not when the wind gets up

Re: Anyone got a trailer boat?
 

Rule 1, don't ever work out how much a boat is cost you... You'll never buy one.

Southern or northern bay ?

Southern is shallow as.. 2m and under but ok between the island is the wind gets up. It gets very choppy very quickly in the bay.

First thing is to work out what type of boat by what use you want out of it, and where you're going to use it.

4m tinny for some fishing ( Drinking ) , 5 m tinny bowrider for both fishing, family , fun. Cabin boat ? GRP ski boat, Real offshore fishing 6m+ GRP.. etc.

1) So a boat can cost 15K-60K depending on use. 25K I'm guessing for a decent arounder.

2) Rego, boat and trailer. About 300

3) Insurance. Depends on boat value

4) Servicing once a year, or 100 hours. Depending on your point of view. My boat is now 7 years old, and has 94 hours on the engine !!!

5) Fuel. I think my 115hp can drink 35l an hour at full speedm but typically 20-40 litres per trip to peel/ jumpinpin etc.

So 25 K lawn ornament costing $1000 a year before you move it , and $50-$100 per trip.

Unless you fish after work, expect to take it out 3-8 times a year between family commitments, and weather.

Re: Anyone got a trailer boat?
 

I reckon the best way to run a boat is to buy one between 2 or three of you. This is very common for small aircraft. You do need a legal agreement drawn up but that's peanuts in the scheme of things. You each pay $x per month towards insurance, servicing, mooring or whatever. After that you only really have the fuel cost although to do it properly you should have an additional cost per engine hour to cover engine maintenance/eventual replacement.

The boat gets a lot more use that way - "sweat the asset" so to speak.

Re: Anyone got a trailer boat?
 

As other people have said, the costs depend on the boat.

First, decide on what sort of boat you would like, as datamile said.
For instance, aluminium or fiberglass?
We have a fiberglass (sp?!) boat, and had a another fiberglass before this one. If you want to be able to get in and out of creeks and things, a tinnie might be better as it is smaller (generally). We will have troubles getting our boat in and out of the water (it's 25 ft. The last boat was 21 ft and we had a bit of trouble with that too - limited to beach boat ramps, for e.g).

Also decide on size. I'm not sure how big you are thinking, but it might be worth checking what you can legally register to tow in your state. Look at width, length, weight and whether or not you need to have break-a-way systems on your trailer etc. It sounds silly, but it might be best to look in to these things before, so you know what the easiest trailers/boats to register actually are.

Our 25ft, we have to get breakaway systems made for it (pricey) and when we get to registering the trailer will have to have "over width" signs etc.

(The boat we have now hasn't been in the water yet, it is an on-going restoration project! The 21 ft we used regularly though).

So, cost wise....
We just sold our 21 ft fiberglass Caribbean for $20,000. It had a cabin with a v-berth bed, a toilet, and was nicely done out, new electrics etc, 2002 motor (250hp - a guzzler!) and was a 1980's hull.
We bought our new boat, a 25 ft fiberglass Bertram for $13,000 but it needs a lot of work doing. We have no interior, the motors aren't running, we've just replaced the trailer... But when complete will hopefully be worth at least $30,000.

Tinnies, depending on size, you can pick up pretty cheap. Starting at about $10,000 for a half decent one.
It's generally speaking the motors that are worth the money on older boats. The hulls are cheap (comparatively).

Fuel - a 250hp eats a lot of fuel, steer clear! Haha, if you want that much power, it would be better to go for 2 outboards rather than one.
We used to pay about $150 to fill it up (can't remember how big the tanks were... 100 litres maybe?!), and a good days fishing would eat most of that. I can't remember how many nautical miles to a tank though, which isn't helpful... sorry!

I agree with what was said above, maybe buy one with a friend.
A cabin is nice as you can stay somewhere for the night. Otherwise, I agree that you'll probably use it about 5 times a year after the novelty wears off! Getting it organised, fuelling up, a tiring day, catching no fish, having to clean it all down and put it away etc... takes it out of you! Boats are a lot of work, and never really gain money.
They are nice, but I think splitting one with friends/family is a good idea.
My boyfriend is massively in to boats so that's not really an option for us, but it's a good idea for people who maybe don't know what it's like having one! They're an expensive hobby!

:D

Re: Anyone got a trailer boat?
 

beautiful place anchored up for a couple nights last winter ;)