using the boat for???

if its fishing id say a walk around

if your planning on doing overnighters you need a cab

but that also depends on how big the boat is some 23fters the centre cab is big enough to do over nighters!

Depends on your budget, but a 7-8 meter walk around with a diesel in/out and a 1000liter tank would be ideal for the waters here.  Only thing is they might be hard to tow.

Couple of weeks ago I had a ride on Pgreen1's 11 meter center consul Donzi with a forward cab and that would be nice too.  High fishability and you can overnight with the family at Rotto.

do you have kids. if so i would be going the half cab as you can put a dvd on and sit them in the cab plus they are out of the sun. if you dont and you are a die hard fisherman i would go the centre cab as they are a true fishing boat. make sure you go fibreglass as it will give you a better ride that is my expreiance any way. the big question is to ask yourself what am i going to use it for and then way it all up. as a allround boat faimly,fishing,sunday drive, water skying, staying dry, staying cool etc i would go a half cab. the oter option is to go and test both of them out. if you are in busselton area happy to take you out in my 6.3m half cabin and see for yourself how it goes. hope that may help you.

thanks rocky

 personally i would be going the half cabin or a decent size walk around with a smaller cabin. mainly for the protection against the elements. if you have ever fished all day out in the hot sun without a cover or fished in the wind and rain without a cover you would know the answer. plus when traveling in a centre console you can get horribly wet, as you may have seen over the time with comments on here. 

thats my 2 cents worth but you are the one buying the boat, not us . one thing but , the glass over the alli is the go imo

 depends where your fishing too .. down south here around busso .. cabin is the only way to go .. it has protection from wind and rain 

if i was up north CC all the way.

im not even going to get into the ali-fibreglass comments .. go for a ride in a few boats and make up your own mind is all i can suggest 

What your budget is.... What size you want... What you are going to use it for... Our first boat was a small runabout then sold it for a larger 1/2 cabin for the protection.... The cabin only got used for storage (apart from daughter sleeping on the V-Berth after a hard night)... Now have a runabout of the same size as the 1/2 cabin and it has more/plenty of deck space with the same amount of protection, if needed, with the bimini and clears. Only difference is that the daughter will have to sleep on the floor after a hard night

I won't get into that comment either. Have had both and they have pro's and con's.... Depends on the individual requirements.

 the only pro about an ali boat is its light so it easy to tow if your doing long trips! if you have a decent 4x4 to tow your boat buy a fibreglass! i have had both alis and fibreglass and i would never have an ali again!

protection offered by a cabin is priceless when it blows up , which it often does.

i go out fairly regularly in a cc and we always seem to fish off the back of it anyway.

never had to run round a boat to fight a fish yet , but maybe thats just me not having caught the right fish.

Thanks for the comments guys.

I'm looking at something around 23 foot, budget around $80k, don't have kids but one on the way, I'm a fishing nut so the boat will mainly be used for this and the bigger the fish the better. Furthest I'd probably tow is Jurien with a trip to exmouth not out of the question. Would prefer a fibreglass as I've heard they have a better ride, don't get as hot and aren't as noisey when stationery. The missus wants a cabin but I don't think one in a 23 foot boat would be that usuable due to it's size. Fair enough in something like 28 foot and above. I agree with Rocky and that is the missus argument. I think stay overs at Rotto would be much easier in the cabin but gotta weigh up how often I'd actually do this.

As I haven't been in a decent sized cabin, do you still get wet if they aren't fully enclosed? Should I be looking at getting a fully enclosed cabin?

I was looking at getting a Boston Whaler 235 Conquest, nice boat but the kill tanks are way to small, would be pointless. Now looking at the Pro-Line 23' Express.

I currently have a Quintrex Classic 5.6m. Its a great boat but I do get wet and my joints are starting to give way from the rough ride. I've done 200 hours since I got it in March so I'd say I go out fishing quite regularly. Just need something bigger to get to the better spots and return in less pain and dry.

you can't go wrong with a cabin in our winter months or when punching back from the FADs into a head sea!

I must say I lived my Trophy, even though the deck space was limited, but then I bought the boat for myself and not for my mates as a fishing machine. If I got a Trophy again, I'd get a outboard version, as the inboard motor ate up to much deck space for me. We did a week stay at Rotto on it with me, wife and son sleeping in the cabin and if you do a good set up of camping covers like PeteD then you can sleep on the motor cover or deck as well. Oh and Pete is a die-hard fisherman too and diver.

These days I have a 25 foot Bertram Nova, with a wheel house set up, and love it. Still can fish three in comfort and thats all I need to handle. I'm not a charter for mates...

I'd love to have a 35foot cabin cruiser and a 15 foot centre consul as a tender, now thats the perfect world,,,lol.

Old man has the Boston Whaler 235 conquest and it is awesome the ride is fantastic and the build quality Fantastic. PM if you want any info.

Cheers

Ben

I've had both (cabin & centre console). Currently own a centre console. As mentioned, cabin boats are great when the weather takes a turn. I've been out in the CC in winter & almost froze my fingers off when we got stuck in a dirty NW chop. It gets miserable if the weather turns.

I haven't done an overnighter in the CC yet, but did plenty of overnighters in the cabin boat. If you plan to take the missus out regularly, including, overnighters, I'd go the cabin. My missus doesn't come out often enought to warrant a cabin boat anymore.

I'm into plenty of forms of fishing, so the CC serves it's purpose well. Then again, with the metro fishing I do, a cabin boat would also do the same.

As for which rides better (CC or cabin)... it all depends on which hull you're looking at.

Ok, I guess I'm going the cabin.

Now here's the one that will get people arguing, Ali or fibreglass?

Now before we get into it. I know that fibreglass is better, well I don't know, have just been told, but obviously it weighs a tonne. Now, which Ali boats ride would be comparable to a fibreglasses of the same size (21' - 25')?

Had a quick look at the Stabi that Oracle mentioned, and they look pretty good for their ride. The FG have such a nice finish though.

Anyone know which Ali/Fibreglass boats to steer clear of due to their ride and quality of build?

The stabi is a good ride, barcrusher/surtees look at the same problem a different way too. Ali is always compromise, it won't ever be as good, but it may be acceptable or worth it because of other benefits, ie; tow cap, layout flexibility.

My only tip would be a reminder that the further back you ride, the better the ride.

Bumpier < Runabout < Walkaround - Center Cab > Center Console > Smoother

When I bought my boat, I had 3 pre requisites.
1. Four stroke engine
2. Cabin for sleeping. This is great for me, cos I now can stay out in the Dampier Archipelago for 2 nights at a time. It gives you so much more fishing time, saves on fuel bill and I dont have to drive home after having a few ales.
3. I really wanted fibreglass. I have been in a lot of different boats up here, and alluminium is ok, but when you are traveling 60 -80 kms one way, it really starts to piss ya off. Fibreglass is more stable and much less stress on your bones in rough weather. (lets face it, it is usually bloody windy!)

My CC is glass - and it's the first glass boat I've owned. There are some really good plate boats out there - but couldn't confidently say they'd be as good as a glass equivalent. Note, there are also some shocker glass boats out there too.

Plate - Noble, AMM, Evolution (Chris Prince - Ledge Pt), make good plate boats.

You'll know you have a poor plate boat if you're at a pub looking like a greyhound trying to root a grape.

If you've got your eye on a Boston Whaler - awesome...

We were keen on a cabin 12 months ago... a cruise craft 685 explorer or outsider... they are worth a look.

Just thought I'd throw something back into your mind.

Thus far, I've only been wet a couple of times in my Fury in 2 years. Went out saturday to rotto in a 20knot SE wind to rotto and stayed completely dry at 25 knots.

Its only if your in bigger swell which required you to slow down, and possibly a NW wind.

Heres a couple of pics of Mine.

See the 2 lounges up the front, there is a centre piece that geos in there, which makes a bed. There is a canopy that pulls right up to the centre console, which provides the cover.

Has fresh and salt deck pumps, 400 ltr fuel tanks, toilet under the front console to keep the women happy :) Kill tank is a little small if your trying to fit a 15-20 kg dhu in it, but almost anyhing else no probs.

Plenty of deck space, plenty of room, plenty of seats for the ladies who come out and about. A nice bed for the rotto runs. in 2 years Ive been out in almost all condiitions except a real heavy swell, and only been wet a couple of times, and almost never travelled at less and 20 knots. This goes in hand with Till's thoughts of 'the further the cab is back, the better the ride'.

Fits into your price range too, did notice a couple 2nd hand Fury's for sale on boatsonline for around 80.

There was an absolute pearler 28fter for 105k somewhere but i cant seem to find it, so may have been sold.

Only downside, if its an issue, is length for storage, its 7.85m long, and weight, its 3.2 tonne without fuel or water

Glass is the only way to go in my experience if you want the soft ride, but Allie scores again in terms of smaller motor needed and cheaper in cost.

If I was you I would go talk to Sean at Ocean Craft & Spray in Bibralake, he has two boats from last year that are dam nice rigs he needs to move. ( could be a good bargain there for you  )

just don't buy new.

buy a used glass boat. save heaps and get a bigger better boat with a nice low hours 4 stroke. 

electronics do matter too. moneysworth there , if they need upgrading.

A great ride with lots of room and a 225 honda on the back, And get a toilet fitter for the wife 

IF you need more i can show you one if you like, One phone call to the skipper  _  Or ring the boat builder Paul 9437-9980

Steve