Hi - its a big question and one asked in many guises before. The usual suspects will probably be along shortly with good advice and opinions but while they compose their responses be ready to say what is the budget (very broadly speaking) and where do you intend to fish?
If sticking to estuaries then I'd be quite comfortable in a 14ft boat with a folding cuddy and a non-planing hull/engine. However if you are going any distance offshore I'd seriously think about 16ft min and a planing hull. Of course the latter has budget implications. Also be wary of buying something vintage - they can cost more in the upkeep than you think you are saving on the initial outlay. Orkney do good boats throughout the range and even the older ones tend to be solid - its the engine to watch out for. I'm sure there's a lot of other makes too but as an ex-Orkney owner I can recommend them.
Finally if you intend to trail any distance don't skimp on the trailer. At that size you can probably get away with unbraked (check the law on all-up wieght though) but the bearings, hubs and wheels will need regular TLC after being dipped in the briney twice per trip.
Happy hunting

 

Hi - its a big question and one asked in many guises before. The usual suspects will probably be along shortly with good advice and opinions but while they compose their responses be ready to say what is the budget (very broadly speaking) and where do you intend to fish?
If sticking to estuaries then I'd be quite comfortable in a 14ft boat with a folding cuddy and a non-planing hull/engine. However if you are going any distance offshore I'd seriously think about 16ft min and a planing hull. Of course the latter has budget implications. Also be wary of buying something vintage - they can cost more in the upkeep than you think you are saving on the initial outlay. Orkney do good boats throughout the range and even the older ones tend to be solid - its the engine to watch out for. I'm sure there's a lot of other makes too but as an ex-Orkney owner I can recommend them.
Finally if you intend to trail any distance don't skimp on the trailer. At that size you can probably get away with unbraked (check the law on all-up wieght though) but the bearings, hubs and wheels will need regular TLC after being dipped in the briney twice per trip.
Happy hunting

Exactly what he said!

 

Thanks for the input fellas

Would like to be able to venture out to sea probably less than a mile maximum - and then only if it's nice & calm, which is why I thought that a small boat that I could tow to either coast would be ideal, as you find down here that when the weather's rough on one coast it'll be nice & clean & calm on the other coast, which would give me more chance of actually getting on the water more often.

I was also thinking that a smallish boat might be easier for me to launch & handle when it's in the water?

Budget wise I'm not too sure, I'll probably sell one of my bikes to fund it, which would give me a budget up to about £2.5K, with a bit left over to buy equipment etc. so I guess I'll be looking at something oldish.

Would prefer to pay even less if I can - like I said, I'd be happy with something old/tatty, as long as it's solid & seaworthy

Cheers

Beelzebus

 

It is very difficult to actually give advise to you at this stage as you do not state your budget. As you hint of an older type though lets say that you are thinking of less than £5000. There are so many factors to consider for your own safety, so perhaps try to ensure that you list everything that you will need to go on your boat first. That way you can search for a complete package and hopefully get a good used deal.

A fourteen foot boat is, in my opinion not seriously up to the job to take to the sea (I know you state that you only intend for calm inshore water but this can change very quick!). There are a few about that are well respected although give me the impression that they are more suited to lochs or well sheltered coastal bays. I see your reasoning though because you are towing and more than likely beach launching. Are you able to manage one a bit bigger, say a 16' boat? you should easily find loads of them about.

Regards

Harry

 

I suggest you look out for a 16ft Orkney Longliner or similar with a longshaft outboard between 8 -15 hp . Stick to fishing the south coast until you get some experience, Falmouth and Fowey areas have enough all weather marks for you to explore in safety until you get the hang of things. Find a mate to go with you preferably with some experience. Get all the safety gear, 2 anchors and warps. flares , lifejackets, bilge pump, handheld VHF, take it steady and enjoy.

 

Hi There.

I started off with an orkney coastliner but very quickly found that althouth it is a small 15 foot boat it was in fact quite heavy for its size. the other major draw back is that as it was a dispacement hull it only managed about 7 knots down hill with a following wind. There was only just enough space to fish two people comfortably. As previously stated on this thread - I would not even venture 1 mile offshore in a 14 foot boat - buy a 16 foot minimum.

I would seriously look around for an old Pre 1991 Shetland Alaska 500. this is a 5 metre boat and is almost 2 metres wide. it is an excellent fishing platform and will reach 26 knots with a 50hp on the back. you can quite comfortably reach marks 15 to 20 miles out with this setup. you can pick up an old Alaska for around 3.5k+ if you look. especially in the current climate.

The best bit of advice I can offer is do your research and take your time. decide exactly what you want to do and then find a boat to suit. Make sure you have enough cash left over for all your safety gear like life jackets, flares, VHF radio etc

 

Look at a Sea Hog (hunter or shortie) or a Wilson Flyer.

 

Hi There.

I started off with an orkney coastliner but very quickly found that althouth it is a small 15 foot boat it was in fact quite heavy for its size. the other major draw back is that as it was a dispacement hull it only managed about 7 knots down hill with a following wind. There was only just enough space to fish two people comfortably. As previously stated on this thread - I would not even venture 1 mile offshore in a 14 foot boat - buy a 16 foot minimum.

I would seriously look around for an old Pre 1991 Shetland Alaska 500. this is a 5 metre boat and is almost 2 metres wide. it is an excellent fishing platform and will reach 26 knots with a 50hp on the back. you can quite comfortably reach marks 15 to 20 miles out with this setup. you can pick up an old Alaska for around 3.5k+ if you look. especially in the current climate.

The best bit of advice I can offer is do your research and take your time. decide exactly what you want to do and then find a boat to suit. Make sure you have enough cash left over for all your safety gear like life jackets, flares, VHF radio etc

I don't know what boat you had there WL, but if it was fifteen foot with a displacement hull, it wasn't an Orkney Coastliner. They were fourteen feet long with a semi-displacement hull, similar to the Strikeliner. From memory, a 15hp motor would get it above displacement speeds, up to about 12 knots. I think you could go up to a 20hp max. but may be wrong.

I am rather concerned that posters have already tried to convince the original poster to change his plans. In his first post he seemed to be quite happy to accept the limitations of a smaller boat & understood he would be confined to sheltered inshore waters. Perhaps he'll only have this boat for a year or two and then graduate up to something bigger and faster.

What's this nonsense of not going further than a mile off shore in anything less than sixteen feet long ?

There are a good few sub-sixteen footers that I'd happily take several miles off in the right conditions. But there's also a few sixteen footers that I'd rather not be on in the first place.

Also, by encouraging the guy to go bigger (and faster) straight away, are you not encouraging him to take more risks ? A larger boat and engine will be on a braked trailer which will give him more headaches, when all he really wants at this point in time is to learn a bit of boat handling skills.

It is clear that the original poster, who admits he has very little boating experience actually has an awful lot of common sense.

Beelzebus, stick to your original thoughts, take plenty of advice but don't be brainwashed.

Have a look at something like this:

http://www.boatsandoutboards.co.uk/view/F195341

Pel.

 

Just trying to give the guy some advice. I had the same reasoning when I started boat fishing - I would just go out about 1 mile in very calm weather, but fact of the matter is that where I live on the south coast, in reality I would have probably ventured out about half a dozen times in a year in these weather conditions - it is hardly ever flat calm perfect conditions. I did try with my small boat but found it very worrying when the weather turned, so much so that I actually felt unsafe in a small boat.

I joined a local fishing club and soon found out that virtually all of the good fishing marks were between 5 to 10 miles out and these were out of reach with a small slow boat. virtually all of the guys used Alaska's, Endeavor's, Warrior's, Explorer's etc so the small boat had to go.

To be honest, when I purchased my first boat I did not know what I really wanted - I just bought it because it looked nice and it was within my price bracket. Once I learned about boat fishing and the requirements I realised that the boat I had bought was not really up to the job.

 

No, but it was perfectly up to the job when you needed to learn.

Earlier posts, not just yours, suggest that Beelzebus should by-pass the smaller boat, learning phase and go straight to the bigger, faster boat first off. Which in your own words gives him the potential to fish ten miles out, where he will get in some serious sh1t given his (self-admitted) lack of experience.

Also, with his limited budget, he'll get a decent small boat / engine for his money, rather than a cheap larger boat / engine package, fraught with problems waiting to happen and cost him a bomb.

What sort of 50hp engine would be on your suggested Alaska 500 package. How old ? How reliable (or unreliable).

I'd rather be two miles out in a fifteen foot displacement boat with a serviceable 15hp motor, than a 17 footer with a knackered 50 on the back.

Pel.

 

Usual lively debate on this subject with a good variety of views and observations. I started boat fishing (sea) two years ago having done a lot of inland fishing and bought a very tidy little QS500 which I fitted out to my own requirements. It served me very well and has been out 15 miles off the South coast in very calm conditions (only did this as we were buddy boating, wouldn't have gone that far on my own).

I had great fun with it BUT soon realised the limitations and have subsequently bought another bigger QS. I needed a boat big enough to sleep on for odd days here and there as I live too far from the coast to make a single day trip feasible and found accommodatioin hard to come by if wanting to take advantage of good conditions at short notice.

I only mention this as I was in perhaps a similar position to you not long ago and soon found the small boat a bit limiting. Not that you want to sleep onboard.

Has to be the buyers choice but just because you've gone for that bit bigger boat at the outset doesn't mean you have to go out beyond a range that your limited experience lets you feel comfortable with.

Just an observation, hope you do get sorted as its great fun

 

Lots of advice being offered, IMHO some good some not so good.

I think your approach is a good one. Nearly everyone likes to run before they can walk, fastest bike, biggest car, house, etc. They all have the same problem, its very easy to get out of your depth very quickly. Boats are the same. Its a very good idea to start off small and learn about your environment. Tides will influence just about everything you do in tidal waters. From how the fish bite to how it reacts with the wind and flows over banks and outcrops of rock.

Nearly all small boats have limitations, these guys on here who run out 10, 15 and some of them 20 miles from land are dicing with death. I doubt very much if they have experienced just how bad it can get, and how quickly. It will make no difference at all whether you are in a 14ft or 16 footer if it does. An engine failure when the wind goes from a balmy F2 to a F6 to 7 wind over tide will make them wish they'd taken up golf.

Having fun is what its all about, and fun does not in my experience depend on size. Lol.

I have been boating since I was 13 and in those days we used to hire a clinker 12 ft open dinghy for a £1 a day for another £1 we could hire a seagull outboard as well. We never did, we just rowed, we launched from the beach and we regularly fished 1 mile from shore when it was calm. We caught loads, and it was great fun. It taught me a lot about tides, and boat handling.

Today things have moved on a bit, and since those early days I have owned and used about 15 different boats from 11 ft inflatables 12 ft open dingies 14 ft CJRs, 16ft Orkney long liners, 16ft Solar Corsair, Hardy fishing 18, Sunspeed 19, Westward 22, Cox 22, Princess 35 and my current boat a 52 ft Cheoy Lee Motor sailer.

Whilst I was refurbishing my Motor sailer which took 2 1/2 years I had great fun in a 4 mtr open dinghy which allowed me to fish up to 3 miles off when it was calm, and to fish for Bass in the Stour and Orwell, pretty much in any weather. You can see it in the classifieds section.

So small is good in my opinion. Just like it is when you start with everything else in life.

Hope you find what your looking for, and have fun.

Orford Angler :boat:

 

these guys on here who run out 10, 15 and some of them 20 miles from land are dicing with death. I doubt very much if they have experienced just how bad it can get, and how quickly. Orford Angler :boat:

Oh yes we have!!!! I regularly go out 15 to 20 miles but always with a buddy boat, sometimes there may be 5 or 6 boats go out together - safety in numbers and all that. We fish competitions at a number of marks which are well known around the eastern approaches to the solent.

Fishing this far out does bring other dangers which may not be present when fishing close to the shore, but is perfectly safe as long as you have all your safety gear and know what you are doing!

We always phone the coastguard before we go out any distance to get up to the minute weather forecasts and always listen in to the safety warnings issued on the VHF.

I have been caught out in all weather including a severe gale force 9 once. we were merrily fishing away when the coast guard gave a 15 minute warning - we have never packed up so fast and headed for the shelter of the harbour.

 

Nowt wrong with a tidy 15 footer as a starter boat.

My first boat was a Seahog Sea Jeep with a 40hp Suzuki 2 stroke, she took me close on 10 miles from shore (nearly 15 miles from the Quay) a time or two, handled any sea that I wanted to be out on and it cut up rough a time or two but she handled it well and got me back safely, easy to tow and handle and a great starter boat to learn a lot on.

Beware of buying something a bit old n' tatty, cus it's in your price range at the minute, something costing a couple of grand may look appealing because it'll get you out on the water, but it's easy to spend another couple of grand (plus all the time it takes) later on repairs and improvements, because you want it to be better/safer/more to your liking, it's sometimes better to save that extra money and buy better in the first place.

Good luck with whatever you choose

AL ..

 

You may want to try the Shetland owners association forum.
Lots of good advice on older shetland boats and also some for sale.
I bought an old 535 and 2 of us fish of that in relative comfort.
They ok on a trailer and will handle a reasonable sea.
I fully agree with all the safety messages above but have fun!

 

Oh yes we have!!!! I regularly go out 15 to 20 miles but always with a buddy boat, sometimes there may be 5 or 6 boats go out together - safety in numbers and all that. We fish competitions at a number of marks which are well known around the eastern approaches to the solent.

Fishing this far out does bring other dangers which may not be present when fishing close to the shore, but is perfectly safe as long as you have all your safety gear and know what you are doing!

We always phone the coastguard before we go out any distance to get up to the minute weather forecasts and always listen in to the safety warnings issued on the VHF.

I have been caught out in all weather including a severe gale force 9 once. we were merrily fishing away when the coast guard gave a 15 minute warning - we have never packed up so fast and headed for the shelter of the harbour.

''Yes we have!!!'' I disagree!! Because if you have experienced how bad it can really get and you were in a 16 ft boat you wouldn't be here to tell the tale.

It doesn't matter how many boats you are with either, yes its fine if you break down in fine weather and need a tow home. But in sh**ty weather your mates will have enough just looking after themselves.

As for being caught out in a force 9. Last year I brought my boat back from Antigua via the Azores and on to Falmouth. We were caught in a storm for 3 days with winds of force 9 gusting to F10. I lost count of the number of times we were knocked down. The tops of the waves come off at about F8 and the waves start to break. At F9 most of the waves break with huge rollers and at F10 its white everywhere. There is no way a small boat will survive in open sea conditions in a F9, maybe in the lee of the land and only a mile off.

When the storm was at its worst I looked at the life raft and thought, what chance would we have in that, it would have been like flying a kite if we had needed to throw it over the side. Also another point to consider is life jackets. Most types for inshore use dont have crotch straps or hoods. If it is very rough and you end up in the water, with out a hood you will have dificulty breathing.

One other point to make is if you do get caught out and a long way from land is it will be very difficult to make any headway, and your fuel will be quickly exhausted. Without power and steerage you will go broadside and be rolled over. If you do go offshore take a sea anchor/ drogue with you. That way at least you will be able to keep the bows into the sea until help arrives.

O A

 

Thanks for all the input fellas, loads to think about there.

I am really just interested in fishing estuaries & inshore in very calm conditions fpr now (partly so that I can run to the shore if I need to in a hurry,) though I can see the attraction of fishing farther out, having done a fair bit of boat fishing from larger fishing boats years go, up on the east coast.

And as regards to my limited experience, it's limited to messing about in a boat on the Norfolk Broads that a mate owned (an Orkney Strikeliner that had ended up landlocked and used for Pike fishing,) which I ended up buying, then selling before I'd even used it due to a change in my circumstances at the time

Anyways, keep the advice coming please - will be asking plenty of (possiby stupid) questions if you guys don't mind.

Cheers

Beelzebus

 

Amazing how we can go from wetting a line in a quiet Cornish creek to fighting the elements mid Atlantic all in two pages. Did I tell you about the time I was two weeks on one wave !!! Swing the lamp someone.

 

Amazing how we can go from wetting a line in a quiet Cornish creek to fighting the elements mid Atlantic all in two pages. Did I tell you about the time I was two weeks on one wave !!! Swing the lamp someone.

I was thinking that. It's a very stupid person who sets out to fish when there's a lot of lines on the weathermap close together and heading towards you.

 

I bought my first boat last May, and have learned from my mistakes. Wilson flyers are going cheap now as the shape is now out of fashion but are a realy stable boat purpose designed for fishing, I have a 17ft. Best advice though is spend the most on a good reliable engine, most people can fill a few scratches in a boat and brush some paint but try stripping a broken engine and you are in trouble, also you will spend a small fortune repairing a bad engine and a few quid smartening the boat.
I went to sea school, best investment ever.
Hope you have fun and good experiences. But watch out the open sea can be a lot safer than river mouths and shallows where the waves break and the current meets the tide.

 

You may want to try the Shetland owners association forum.
Lots of good advice on older shetland boats and also some for sale.
I bought an old 535 and 2 of us fish of that in relative comfort.
They ok on a trailer and will handle a reasonable sea.
I fully agree with all the safety messages above but have fun!

I agree withe the Shetland, mines a 536 Seasport, 18' with a 40 hp engine. great boat, cost me £2k basic from Essex Marine, though I have spent a at least another £1k on it for Auxillery, safety gear and extras.
here is the link to the Shetland owners site
http://www.shetland.owners.org.uk/details/details.asp?g=1

 

Suggestions for a small starter boat anyone?


How about joining a fishing club ?
Great way to see what type of boat would suit your needs.

 

Thanks for all the input fellas, loads to think about there.

I am really just interested in fishing estuaries & inshore in very calm conditions fpr now (partly so that I can run to the shore if I need to in a hurry,) though I can see the attraction of fishing farther out, having done a fair bit of boat fishing from larger fishing boats years go, up on the east coast.

And as regards to my limited experience, it's limited to messing about in a boat on the Norfolk Broads that a mate owned (an Orkney Strikeliner that had ended up landlocked and used for Pike fishing,) which I ended up buying, then selling before I'd even used it due to a change in my circumstances at the time

Anyways, keep the advice coming please - will be asking plenty of (possiby stupid) questions if you guys don't mind.

Cheers

Beelzebus

Beelzebus,

now that you've cleared the air and made it quite clear (again) what you want the boat for, something like the Dell Quay fisherboat I posted a link for may be worth a look. I'm not saying buy that boat, just that style.
It's a shame you sold the Strikeliner as that would be ideal for your intended purpose.
Keep asking the questions and above all, keep safe.

Pel.

 

But watch out the open sea can be a lot safer than river mouths and shallows where the waves break and the current meets the tide.

Very true indeedy! We had a few interesting moments during the Weymouth meet last year while going past the entrances to Portland harbour. Places like Poole and Christchurch can get a bit lively as well at times for a small boat.

 

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/FIFTEEN-FOOT-...s?hash=item250371709962&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=66:2|65:10|39:1|240:1318

Worth a squint?