Boats for beginners: The best fishing, family and overnighting options

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Boats for beginners: The best fishing, family and overnighting options

Want to try boating but don’t know what style of boat is right for you? Here’s the boatsales.com.au guide to getting started

Australians are taking to the water in record numbers, with boat sales booming as families who have thought about owning a boat take the plunge for the first time.

But for every family that buys their first boat, there’s another family waiting in the wings and wondering just what sort of boat will suit their needs.

One of the factors we’re going to take into consideration is the size of a boating newbie’s budget. We’re looking at basic models so that come the time a family decides if the boating life is everything they expected to be, they can either get out cheaply or trade up to a newer boat more in tune with their growing needs.

Another important factor we’re considering here is you’re buying a new boat, not a used one. The reasons for this are quite simple: everything will work so you can just jump on and enjoy your new ride without any fuss; new technology makes finding your way around on the water much easier and the experience much safer; and unlike an older engine, a well-maintained brand new one will save on fuel and get you home every time.

So what boats should someone new to boating consider? Let’s run through the choices for someone considering fishing, kicking back for a day on the water, and even turning a day trip into an overnighter.

A fishing boat you can leave in the driveway

Boats made from aluminium are a good option for first-time boat owners. Light, durable, and able to be pushed around by smaller and less expensive outboard engines, they’re an attractive option.

Stacer’s Sea Master is a range of forward-control – you steer from the front of the boat using a steering wheel rather than from the back of the boat via a tiller attached to the engine – alloy boats that are made to be both affordable and user-friendly.

One step up from the entry-level Stacer 429 Sea Master is the Stacer 449 Sea Master, a boat we reckon ticks a lot of boxes for first-time owners.

Sea Master is a relatively new line of boats that has blended the best of two previous Stacer model lines into a single package optimised for fishing.

The Stacer Sea Master 449 measures just 4.6 metres from end to end, making it fairly compact. But it is also quite beamy for its length, measuring 2.1 metres from side to side. This results in a cockpit – the space behind where the skipper and first mate sit at the font of the boat – that is surprisingly large compared with other boats of a similar length.

It’s a good boat for children, too, as the sides and rear of the cockpit space are the same height all around compared with older designs that have a lower height at the transom, the back of the boat where the outboard engine is fitted.

Come time to tow, and the entire boat weighs less than 700kg, meaning you can easily lug it around behind a mid-size family car.

You can fit it with up to a 75hp outboard engine, so if part of the plan is to tow the kids around, you will have enough grunt available to do it confidently.

The boat is built on top of Stacer’s Revolution Hull, a design that helps the Sea Master 449 easily cut through the water, even if it is rough, and provide a smooth and stable ride.

A word of caution, though. This is not really a boat for taking out to sea unless conditions are ideal. The Stacer 449 Sea Master is much better suited to enclosed waters such as bays and estuaries where the water is well protected from the elements should the weather turn bad.

Standard features include an anchor well so you can pull up at your favourite fishing spot, a folding rear lounge with a backrest (the boat can carry up to five passengers), comfy seats for the skipper and crew, a glovebox, a low windscreen complete with a grab rail and a folding section that allows you to easily reach the anchor, and a bimini for keeping the worst of the sun and rain at bay, and a boarding ladder if anyone wants to jump out for a swim.

The Stacer 449 Sea Master includes a recess where you can insert a ski pole. Storage space onboard is limited and rather exposed, so choose what you bring onboard wisely.

If you plan on seriously upping your fishing game, an option is to install a live bait tank that will let you catch and keep bait that you can use to target bigger fish.

Options we’d think about include a storm cover if the boat is going to be parked up in the driveway, a travel cover for keeping the interior free of dust and leaves while you’re travelling to and from remote launching ramps, a cutting board for preparing bait (and cutting fresh sushi), and a 12-volt outlet for recharging smartphones.

You’re also going to have to think about where you’re going to put the fish you catch. An icebox could work, but is bulky and keeping your food and drinks separate from the catch can be tricky. A better option is probably going to be an insulated fish bag.

When it comes to upgrade time, a larger boat will be better suited to offshore. However, you will need to think about upping the tow car as well, as a bigger boat is also a heavier boat – and more so if you choose to go with a fibreglass build over alloy.

Prices will start around $40,000.

A family boat you can leave at the marina

If you live in an apartment, there’s no room at the house or you want fuss-free launching, an option is to leave it at the marina.

Dry stacking is a process where your boat is hauled out of the water and put away on a shelf in a large shed where it’s out of the water, and out of the weather.

One of the best day boats around is the Sea Ray SPX 190, a US-made 5.9-metre fibreglass boat with an inboard engine that’s hidden under a large rear sun lounge, or an outboard engine that sits on its own pod.

Sea Ray’s SPX range is optimised for family day-boating, where you just jump on board, spend a day bombing around on the water, and head back in as the sun slowly sets.

Despite its relatively small size, the Sea Ray SPX 190 is large enough to carry up to 10 people. They can sit in a bow lounge up front, or the sun deck out the back. There is also a seat for the skipper that can turn to face rearward, and another for the crew with a reversing backrest so it can look backwards for someone to act as an observer if you’re pulling kids around on a sea biscuit.

Other features we like are a large swim deck with easy walk-through access and an extending ladder to make it easy to get in and out of the water, plenty of under-seat storage where you can leave gear in between trips as well as three locking spaces, and all the technology you need including a depth sounder and a decent Fusion speciality marine audio system.

Options we’d consider are a bimini to provide some shade, carpets that clip onto the cockpit floor and make it more comfortable underfoot, and a mooring cover that protects the interior while the Sea Ray SPX 190 isn’t being used.

You might also want to consider a refrigerator and a transom shower for rinsing saltwater off faces.

Why go for dry stack storage? It will cost you upwards of around $4000 a year to store your boat, but it will bring a number of benefits.

These include the ability to phone up and have your boat ready to go on the water by the time you arrive at the marina, reduced wear and tear on both the boat and your vehicle because you don’t need to constantly tow it, and the marina can take care of everything for you from servicing the engine to ensuring there’s enough fuel in the tank for a full day on the water.

Most marinas have the cheapest dry stack rates for boats up to 6.0 metres in length, so the Sea Ray SLX 190 is the most economical option.

If this style of boat is the right fit for you but you’re looking for a bit more convenience, a bigger boat will have the option for an enclosed toilet – handy because you won’t have to encourage people to jump in the water if they need a pee – that can also act as a change room.

Prices for this type of boat start at around $85,000.

A larger boat you can spend the night on

Some days out on the water you don’t want the fun to end. That’s where a boat with cabin space becomes a brilliant option.

The overnighter we’re going to look at here is the 8.1-metre Beneteau Flyer 8 SUNdeck, a French-made day boat that is ideal for families.

Upstairs, it’s like a roomier version of the first boat we’ve looked at here, although the bow lounge up front is replaced with a sunbed that’s wide enough for two people.

The Beneteau Flyer 8 SUNdeck is a style of boat known as a walkaround. Take a close look at where you sit when you drive this boat, and you’ll notice it is a centrally located console featuring walking space to either side for access to the bow.

Because the bow is raised – there are a couple of steps up to go forward – Beneteau can build a comfortable sleeping and living space into the bow of the Flyer 8 SUNdeck.

The boat is built with comfort and practicality in mind, and with a bit of French flair – right down to the black rails running forward rather than the more conventional brightwork of stainless steel.

Step down into the cabin and the Beneteau Flyer 8 SUNdeck is surprisingly spacious with a good amount of headroom.

Built into the bow is a large double bed with a removable infill so it can be used as a dining area.

To one side is a small galley – that’s a kitchen in boating language – with a stainless steel sink and options for a fridge and even a microwave. On the opposite side is an enclosed head – again, that’s boat-speak for toilet – that can also double as a change room.

The Beneteau Flyer 8 SUNdeck has a quite unique stepped hull that allows air to mix with the water flowing under the boat at speed. This makes the boat more slippery through the water, which in turn saves on fuel for the outboard engine fitted to the back.

Beneteau’s home waters are the Atlantic Ocean, so the boat is made for rougher weather. That ability will allow you to use the boat for a larger part of the year.

Of note, even though this boat is so large, it can still be towed on Australian roads without the need for adhering to special conditions. While a lot of overseas boats are built to 2.58 metres wide, the Beneteau Flyer 8 SUNdeck is a road-legal 2.5 metres wide.

That means you can take your boat with you on holidays. Just ensure your tow vehicle is up to the task.

You’re looking at a much higher spend for this type of vessel, so expect to pay close to $200,000 once the deal is sealed with everything you need to properly equip the boat.

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