Boat for novice - Sunderland

Joined: Jul 07, 2010 Posts: 2

Can anyone recommend a boat that would be suitable for an absolute beginner?

Thinking about going halfies with a pal for some off-shore fishing. I've only really ever freshwater fished in the past but i'm not too fussed about the fishing part of it, just wanna get to sea!

ta in advance

Posted: Thu Jul 08, 2010 3:07 pm

personally i wouldnt even think about buying a boat without any experience as they can be a real nitemare to start off with try ur local charter boats they may seem expensive per trip but in the long run u will save a fortune because u ave maintanance to pay for moooring fees,insurance the cost of all the safety equipment the list goes on .
if u try charter boats n ask the skipper lots of questions maybe even try local boat owners in ur area andask them lots of questions too.
also u need 2 ave good mechanical skills because they r not like a car if they break down u cant pushthem to the side of the road.
please take my advice as they r a very expensive hobby ,ur hand is always in ur pocket.
also u would need to go through a vhf course,and a basic powerboat course would be advisable(more expense)
SPEAKING FROM 20 YRS EXPERIENCE.
screemin reels.
whitby.

Posted: Thu Jul 08, 2010 3:13 pm

Definition of a boat is an expensive hole in the water
Cheers
keith big grin

Joined: Jul 07, 2010 Posts: 2

Thanks fellas

you've dented my enthusiasm somewhat but not entirely. Perhaps a trip down the marina is the best next step,

thanks very much for the advice,

Frank

Posted: Thu Jul 08, 2010 6:36 pm

no worries frank but tread wi caution as there is some rubbish out there if u decide to buy and u need someone to have a look around any boats for u just let me know as im only in gateshead,only problem is i aint got transport.
whitby

Member Joined: Dec 24, 2009 Posts: 8 Location: West Dorset

rabbi2 wrote:

Definition of a boat is an expensive hole in the water
Cheers
keith big grin

...or should that be hole in the bottom???

A couple of weeks ago I managed to get out midweek, and was approached by a couple of guys who had a rather tatty Dory tied up on the pontoon...

They looked into my boat and commented that mine had a plug in the back like theirs.... Did mine leak water... because theirs was filling up....

It turned out that this was their first trip in a boat they had bought cheap on EBay and hadnt done anything to it... and there were clearly holes in the bottom as within ten mins of launching there was already four inches of water in the bottom.

Moral of the story??? If you are inexperienced and dont know what you are looking at... avoid cheap boats like the plague!

Another guy I came across a few years ago had decided he would save a few quid... bought the boat reasonably... but didnt buy a radio.. anchor... outboard...

I actually met him about two miles off Exmouth, drifting helplessly south in an offshore wind, having exhausted himself trying to row against it. Before long he would have been in some fairly nasty water for a small 10ft rowing boat.

Moral of this story? Get yourself properly equipped, and preferably trained as well.

Member Joined: Jan 20, 2010 Posts: 43 Location: Midlands

frank1978 wrote:

Can anyone recommend a boat that would be suitable for an absolute beginner?

Thinking about going halfies with a pal for some off-shore fishing. I've only really ever freshwater fished in the past but i'm not too fussed about the fishing part of it, just wanna get to sea!

ta in advance

I went halfies with my father in law earlier in the year and bought a Warrior 165.

First thing I would suggest is do a lot of research on the web to find out about the different types of boats. Are you going to trail it or leave it moored or onshore storage? What are you going to tow it with?

Set yourself a budget and stick to it. It's very easy to get carried away and buy bits and pieces and go over budget.

If a boat seems too cheap and too good to be true, then it probably is!! A £600 boat off ebay is probably just a sieve with an engine.

If you buy second hand then you may be able to persuade the vendor to throw in some extras such as life jackets, fenders, flares etc. Talking about te saftey gear, buy the best you can afford, it may save your life!

Most second hand boats come with electronics (GPS/plotter, fish finder, VHF) which might save you a bit of money. If there is a radio fitted then one of you will require a VHF license to operate the unit legally. The boat will also require registering with Ofcom if not already done so. The RYA course costs approx £100 with a £30 fee for the paperwork and can be completed in a day.

Boat handling courses are not a legal requirement but I would suggest you look into taking one.

So far I've got no regrets about going halfies on the Warrior but then it was something we've been thinking about doing for the last 3 years.

Good luck, keep us informed about what you're looking at. The Boat owners forum has plenty of experienced members with a large range of boat types.