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New Boat ?

1K views 15 replies 9 participants last post by  Bayrunner 
#1 ·
OK I get it this has been asked before but my research has shown not often and then with fairly fleeting replies.

Honing in on the Pirate 22, Orkney 20 and Warrior 175. I realise different classes/prices but all capable "semi" offshore options I think.

I guess at knocking 60 and back to Northern climes from Australia where I have lived mostly for many years (born in England) a pilot house boat seems a pleasant option. Somewhere to make a brew and a call / cook a can of something and why make it harder that it needs to be weather-wise thinking, I guess. No health issues, touch wood, but the kids are all in their 20s and the calendar strangely says the next big one is not 40 with three small ones.

A left-field option looks like a Smartliner 23. My research says used enough in the Fjords but hardly a usual UK south coast option. I am looking for wrecking capabilities up to a good 10 miles as well as general potting, flatty bashing and bass fishing and etc duties. Anchoring would be a part of things.

Does anyone have first-hand knowledge of how this thing holds up over time?

Thanks in advance.

Jim
 
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#2 ·
From what Ive seen of posts like this, there seems to be a shortage of options available in the UK. Did you consider buying something here in Aus before heading back and getting it shipped over ?
Clinker on here has an Aussie boat which he seems pretty happy. As you most likely know, many of the good boats built here are built on deep v hulls which make for softer riding rough water, something to consider as you get older and don't want to get knocked about to much.
If you want to explore far offshore, then very few boats can beat a deep v rhib for ride, economy and fun, plenty of people in the UK use them on the RIBnet Forums - Powered by vBulletin forum.

Did you have a boat over here in Aus ? Ive owned several in the UK and would of gone through about 30 since living here.

Be careful of any older boat for rotten transoms and stringers.

Good luck in the search.
 
#3 ·
Cheers,

I enjoy Australia and not giving it up at all. Heck, my kids are Australian and their life is firmly in Australia. All that said I will be back in the old country for extended times that's all.

I have not really looked at RIBs in any serious way. Maybe I should !

The Smartliner 23 looks one from left field a bit. It has a small asymetric wheelhouse option that's enough to get out of the weather / store stuff / keep a loo for the women of the house if out and not fishing I guess in our case, but primarily its purpose is fishing. The Smartliner comes it at a reasonable sticker price for a 23 foot boat with a wheel house, but obviously there must be compromises somewhere. The questions really are how many compromises will show up in bills and general faff over a few years versus just paying more, and also sea keeping. The others on my list will just be super boats I know, within their remits ofcourse. FWIW I have looked at the Smarliner some and spoken to people in Scandinavia and I know they are used as a rental option for fishing, but anything I got is not a guaranteed balanced opinion even if politely given .........................

I also probably would not consider an old boat anyway for the reasons you said and generally not wanting project stuff anyway. As an also UK citizen I would simply be buying the boat there for solely UK use. I enjoy fishing in Australia etc but that's just not the issue here.

Thanks for the response.
 
#4 ·
Welcome to WSF, you might get more responses by posting the question in the Boating section.

There are 2 fairly new Smartliners in Portland where I'm moored but I don't think they are on WSF. Seem to cope with the Shambles bank Ok.

A couple of observations -
Anchoring, both these don't seem to be fitted with a capstan / winch but are probably using the Alderney ring method of retrieval, so if you needed a winch / capstan I would check that there is a built in strong point / place to reinforce for installation.
Gunnel height - this does seem lower than a lot of vessels (and possibly lower than a Warrior), I would think about adding rails for safety (plus rod holders).
 
#5 ·
You will to not go wrong with any of those you do to have listed so far. Good fishing platforms with good reliability, and used by many.
The same issues do to apply for all boats here though, thorough checks to be done and look to get something that does to of been well maintained.

I do to have a particular distate to the Pirates but for no practical reason at all. It does to remind me of a clown shoe.
To have been onto a warrior 165 and they do to be great boats, the 175 will to obviously be bigger but to expect the same.
Orkneys do to be solid and reliable also and smartliners to also have a name that does to be well known for reliability.
It does to really be onto your shoulders which you do to prefer and what you can to find into good quality at a reasonable price. If you can to test run them, to do so, and a decent surveyor will to be worth their weight into gold with the current boat prices here, give you come back, and to work as a guide.

If you do to be only occasionally back to the UK, then where will the boat to stay?
I would personally to want something to have a lockable cabin regardless of where, as we do to have little oiks with sticky fingers and would to not leave gear onto the boat for extended periods, especially electronics.
To have been a few thefts reported of boats from peoples driveways, so to make sure to also disable the trailer when laid up and alarm if possible the outboard, and to also install a hidden gps tracker.
 
#11 ·
You will to not go wrong with any of those you do to have listed so far. Good fishing platforms with good reliability, and used by many.
The same issues do to apply for all boats here though, thorough checks to be done and look to get something that does to of been well maintained.

I do to have a particular distate to the Pirates but for no practical reason at all. It does to remind me of a clown shoe.
To have been onto a warrior 165 and they do to be great boats, the 175 will to obviously be bigger but to expect the same.
Orkneys do to be solid and reliable also and smartliners to also have a name that does to be well known for reliability.
It does to really be onto your shoulders which you do to prefer and what you can to find into good quality at a reasonable price. If you can to test run them, to do so, and a decent surveyor will to be worth their weight into gold with the current boat prices here, give you come back, and to work as a guide.

If you do to be only occasionally back to the UK, then where will the boat to stay?
I would personally to want something to have a lockable cabin regardless of where, as we do to have little oiks with sticky fingers and would to not leave gear onto the boat for extended periods, especially electronics.
To have been a few thefts reported of boats from peoples driveways, so to make sure to also disable the trailer when laid up and alarm if possible the outboard, and to also install a hidden gps tracker.
Hi and thanks for the response.

I have been around the block and sadly it does seem things have only got worse crime wise, and very sadly more of an issue in Blighty than here overall. Don't like it in either place but my old born and bred stomping grounds of North East London are different to my child hood and my heyday in the 80s (yes 80s LOL). I will say in that regard this place here (Southern Sydney area broadly) feels more like several years ago in the UK, but no doubt we will catch up?? Different discussion.

I have contacted a couple of places and would go for dry stack I think. Gosport seemed fine but not had a physical look yet. Flushing the OB as often as I might like is something I will check but compromises, within reason, are OK and it's not like I don't have plenty of family in England.

Cheers.
 
#13 ·
Wow - looks a cracking set up................If I may onething I did wonder is if there are any slight listing issues bearing in mine it's asymmetrical in shape (wheel/pilot area)?? I am sure nothing that could not be corrected easily anywhichway but thought would ask. I would take it for a trial but as much knowledge as possible type thing..............
 
#9 ·
Welcome to WSF :)

Have moved this thread into this forum.


Nick
 
#10 ·
Welcome to WSF :)

Have moved this thread into this forum.


Nick
Hi Nick,
I have never started a thread about this anywhere before. I am new to this forum and not a usual forum person, so possible I double-clicked or something somewhere on this site. If I ended up double-posting on this site (only place possible) apologies for that. It would be me being a numpty, albeit inadvertently.

Anyway as say not a forum type and should have given more attention to the sections I now know......Thanks for moving

Cheers
 
#15 ·
Having owned a Pirate, can recommend them. Heavily built, great sea-keeping. Very secure boat to be out in and the deck area is good enough for two or three to fish from. Also reasonably fuel efficient and with the bigger engines pretty fast on the right day. The earlier models at least (blue hull, non-draining deck) benefit from trim tabs to stop the stern from squatting.
Lady HP describes the styling nicely as 'clown shoe', the cabin is set well back and eats a lot of space for little functionality though the anchor well is positively cavernous as a result. Cabin design is their main failing - two bunks aboard of which one is utterly useless, passengers sit low and side-facing and while you can get a small stove into the little shelf under the rear windows, it is a compromise.
For weather shelter under way, the cabin is great. If you are thinking of sitting in there in comfort with the kettle going and a fry-up sizzling, go for the Orkney. Very nicely designed and laid out cabin. Never been on one at sea but the semi-displacement hull does seem to ride high and I suspect they move more at drift or anchor?
Warrior 165 I've also run. Fabulous boats to tow and launch, again very secure at sea and the 175 is simply bigger and more capable again. The lack of a closable cabin and any 'designed-in' galley or heads though makes them a very different beast to the other two, rather more hardcore when travelling. As soon as I moved from towing to a pontoon berth, the 165 suddenly shrank and the need to be dressed to get wet/survive the wind blast became a bind. If you go the Warrior route, the spray canopy and the rear bait rail I'd call essential equipment.
Steve
 
#16 ·
As others have say, all are pretty good choices. I've seen a couple of Smartliners, but they look a bit narrow in the beam for my liking, but that's without getting physically to grips with one.

I am an Orkney man - my PH20 is great in most respects: They are acknowledged not to be fast boats, but on a long steam are most enjoyable to be in - especially with cooker and sink installed.
Overnight comfort is fine for one, but a struggle for two unless its fine enough to sleep out on deck.

The balance between the strength of the deck and weight overall is slightly wrong in my opinion - the deck could be a bit stronger - but then again, being a hairy a***d diver, bumbling about in diving gear is going to test a lot of lighter weight decks - probably perfect if you are only angling.
 
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