Buying a boat for coastal fishing

The new boat market today has many boat types and configurations suitable for bay and coastal offshore fishing. But while some anglers love the open deck space of a centre console, others will prefer to have the storage space and shelter provided by a cuddy cabin. Still others will opt for a runabout due to the size of the rear cockpit.

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The one factor that does not change, irrespective of the hull type, layout or interior fit-out, is the size of the boat. For coastal offshore fishing, within about 10 miles of your home port, you need a craft of between 4.7 and 5.8 metres in length.

I'd rate 4.7 metres as the bare minimum really, regardless of the hull type, construction material, or seaworthiness of the hull. It goes without saying that the hull needs to be safe and seaworthy no matter the size of the boat.

Yes, you will see craft smaller than 4.7 metres fishing offshore waters, but I’ll bet most will be fishing within a couple of miles of the harbour entrance.

Some foolhardy individuals will take small, open tinnies offshore, but they run the very real risk of getting into serious trouble should the weather conditions deteriorate.

As most experienced offshore fishermen will acknowledge, the weather can change very quickly.

An alert skipper may see the weather coming, but that doesn’t change the fact that you need to be prepared for it – and to have a boat capable of riding out the conditions for the length of time it takes to get safely back home.

Where and with whom you fish should also influence the size, shape and configuration of the boat you buy for coastal fishing. The bigger the boat, the more seaworthy it should be.

However, a larger boat comes with several disadvantages; it will certainly be capable of fishing further afield, but it will cost a lot more to buy and to run, and you may need a bigger vehicle to tow it.

Accordingly, if you only intend to fish within 5.0 miles of the harbour, a smaller boat in the 4.7- to 5.0-metre size range could serve you very well, especially if it is only going to be you and your best mate onboard.

If you intend to fish with three other people onboard, or your extended family, you may need the extra interior space of a larger boat.

The layout and configuration of the boat is always going to be a personal thing.

For close-in offshore fishing the centre console layout is hard to beat. If you’ve only got a short distance to run back to port from your fishing grounds, then the lack of shelter in the open console boat is unlikely to be a huge issue.

Greater importance should be placed on interior fishing space, and the centre console layout has that in spades. Being able to fish a full 360 degrees around the boat can be invaluable for certain types of fishing.

The extra space of the console boat also means you can fish three or four blokes from the boat without getting in each other’s way.

With a side or centre console boat I would still recommend fitting a bimini or T-top above the console for shelter from the sun.

It is not going to matter too much if you get wet from rain and spray, but the consequences of heatstroke and sunburn due to exposure can be pretty serious.

For close-in offshore fishing, runabouts are also quite practical. I still personally prefer a cuddy cab layout, but I understand why many anglers prefer a more open layout.

The runabout, like the console has plenty of fishing space, albeit space is in the rear of the boat aft of the helm position. Runabouts are great if you do a lot of fishing at anchor and have a crew of three or four blokes.

As noted, the cuddy cabin and centre cabin are my preferred layouts for offshore fishing of any type, but I believe they are especially suited to fishing further afield.

If you plan to fish beyond 5.0 miles offshore, then I would recommend a cabin boat of some description simply because of the extra shelter and protection afforded by the cabin structure.

As well as providing more shelter and storage space, a high cabin will present a bulwark against the waves in rough weather.

Even if you should be hit head-on by a breaking wave, with a cuddy or half cabin the water will usually drain away to the sides of the cabin, allowing the boat to emerge largely unscathed.

The size of the boat should increase to between 5.2 and 5.8 metres when fishing beyond half a dozen miles offshore – and go bigger still if you expect to fish wider than that.

The larger boat size will be more capable of handling changing weather conditions and provide a greater degree of safety and seaworthiness.

I reckon an aluminium boat is probably your best option for close-in offshore fishing. There are plenty of inexpensive, pressed aluminium boats available in the 4.7 to 5.5 metre size range, and these are ideal for fishing offshore to about 5.0 miles or so.

Lightweight alloy rigs will not ride as comfortably as a good fibreglass boat, but you tend to get more boat for your money with a pressed alloy rig – and, in most cases you will have a short distance to run back to the harbour, so ride comfort need not be a priority.

Of more importance should be interior space, stability at rest, low power requirement, and minimal maintenance.

Pressed alloy boats are also suitable for fishing wider offshore waters, but I personally prefer a heavier, softer-riding plate aluminium boat, or a deep vee fibreglass hull.

If I am going to spend an hour or more running out the fishing grounds, I want the ride to be comfortable. Lightweight pressed alloy tinnies are fine in calm weather, but most get a bit bumpy in anything over a 12- to 14-knot breeze.

In making the above observations, please note that I am referring to single, or monohulled craft. Powered multihulls are different.

With a powered cat or trihull, what it is made from has less influence on the handling, ride and performance of the boat, although it is still true that you can create a more intricate hull shape with fibreglass than with aluminium.

Fibreglass cats and trihulls will also be heavier, which often translates into a softer ride.

You’ll find that trailer boats on the new boat market will be available with widely varying levels of equipment. Electronics gear is generally not part of the standard inventory, although it is often available as an optional extra.

In small to mid-sized trailer boats, standard fishing features are usually limited to a couple of rod holders, perhaps a nylon cutting board, and if you are lucky, maybe a live bait tank. Plumbing the live bait tank will usually cost extra.

In noting the above, most of the fishing accessories you need in a coastal fishing rig will be on the options list, including things like a rocket launcher, extra rod holders, a berley bucket, boarding ladders and bilge pumps.

Most boat makers will have an extensive options list, so you can worry about what extras you might need after you have picked the right boat.

A first priority should be to decide on the right size of boat, and then to compare the cockpit layout and design of different models.

For example, think about whether the cockpit has enough freeboard. Are the side decks wide enough to fit extra rod holders? Can you get your toes under the side storage pockets? Are there enough grab rails? Does it have an underfloor kill tank and is it big enough?

What about the transom design? Can you stand upright against the transom wall? Will you be able to pass a fishing rod behind the back of the outboard engine in the heat of battle?

There is more to choosing a good coastal fishing rig than the size, configuration, and construction of the boat. What about safety features? Will the boat be able to comfortably fish 10 miles offshore? What should you be looking for?

Most important, the hull must be inherently safe and seaworthy. The topsides must be high enough to keep the sea out, the hull must be stable and sure-footed at rest and underway.

Internally, there should be plenty of cockpit freeboard (more than 600mm) so that you can walk around the interior of the boat without the risk of falling overboard.

Other key safety features include flotation foam and a self-draining or self-bailing cockpit. Sadly, few craft less than 5.5 m are available with both – or either.

To be fair, with regard to self-draining systems it is difficult to fit a proper system in smaller boats because the cockpit floor needs to be higher than the outside waterline of the boat, which in turn can make a small boat unstable.

Most boat makers install flotation foam but rarely do they fit enough of it to meet Australia's Level Flotation standard, whereby the boat will float in an upright and level position – while fully laden – should it become swamped.

To achieve a Level Flotation standard, foam must usually be fitted above the cockpit floor line, built into the cockpit sides, or encased under the side coamings. Some, such as Stabicraft, will build in sponsons, while others such as Bar Crusher use flotation cells.

The reluctance of many boat manufacturers to fit positive foam flotation as a standard feature is due to cost. The simple fact is that it is more expensive to build a boat with positive foam flotation than to build one without it, and most boat buyers are not prepared to pay extra for this valuable safety feature even though it may one day prove life-saving.