Mclay Boats?

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Posted: 03 Jun 2007 at 7:35am

Barrie

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Titanium

Joined: 17 Jul 2002
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I go to coromandel a lot and there fore have a lot of hilly towing. If it wasnt for the weight(and thats a good thing) I would be looking at one for sure. I would be looking at the 6.1 I think with the hard top
Because of the weight towing over the Coromandel hills, I intend getting the lighter Surtees as it has water balist(extra weight) for the comfort on the water

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Quote nzbwana

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Posted: 03 Jun 2007 at 6:50pm

nzbwana

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I don't post negative comments normally but buying a boat is a huge expense, and you should help folks to get it right. I live in a coastal village and we have 2x Mclays, frypans, ramcos etc all 5-6m.......and all have poor ride and worse at anchor. I actually fell over the side of a Mclay when it dropped a side when I joined another diver all kitted up. Similarly a woman I know BROKE ankle coming off wave in a fisherman......suggest if going alloy test ride in worst conditions you are likely to go out in. If ride is important consider Pointer/Surtees/Boss http://www.bossboats.co.nz/

if fishing at anchor is important consider pontoon or surtees or boss. I ended up having a Boss built after testing the lot, I still have a 6.5 Stabi and feel really safe in it but it rides like a brick and has no room! Every boat is a compromise someway I guess

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Posted: 03 Jun 2007 at 7:36pm

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Sharpie I had a 5.3 Mclay fisherman, good rigid boat but rode very hard even in small chop had to trim bow down to get anywhere without busting my nuts-& bolts. Now have a 6.3 Marco HT and the diff is like riding in a limo, good at rest but I think it could do with more V as it tends to punch a bit hard into the bigger stuff and throws it over the top, but real happy with it.

Remember, not all crazy folks are locked up! Some own boats!

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Posted: 04 Jun 2007 at 9:30am

Sea-Sharpe View Drop Down

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Cheers fullas keep it coming

Have a pontoon at the moment and as you say nzbwana safe as house but bugger all room inside and cuddys got no room to put the new family out of the elements..

Like the looks of the Surtees for sure however am looking at just changing over the motor of the pontoon so reckon 5m is max to go for, motors a 60hp yammie four stroke. Will leave it on for a few months and see if it cuts the mustard. Saw the 5m mclay at the dealers the other day and just couldnt believe the amount of deck space and room in the cuddy compared to the pontoon.

Ride wise everyone seems to think the mclay, though hard riding, is still way better than the pontoon and not to bad at rest? the 505 I have is actually quite tippy compared with stabis and others of that sort.?

Taking it for a test ride anyway in a couple of weeks so will see how it goes eh.

Churs all

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Posted: 04 Jun 2007 at 10:14pm

El_Robbo

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Mate I have a 550 mclay. Done 400 hours in two years. Never felt unsafe in it. Been out in some reasonable swell and I chicken out before the boat. Seeing 3m of blue stuff all the way from sth america rolling over bird rock in the BOI aint pretty... not bad heading out but coming back with them up your bum aint so comforting. But she tracked true the whole way down no probs.

Yeah they can be a little tough in a bit of rough stuff but at the end of the day it is an aluminium boat. Thats the trade off. I drove a 650 marco souwester, one of the new ones, a couple weeks ago and it was better but I think it was the weight and waterline rather than anything else. It was def wetter than my boat.

Can't say I know anyone with Sportsman they will be lighter and if like the 530 have lower coamings etc which made me fork out the extra 5 - 10k for a feeling of safety in the slightly bigger boat. I have a 90hp 2str which is fine but I wouldn't go any smaller on the 550. The 60hp with extra weight may be at the light end for the Sports hull?

I am still happy with the McLay. But the next boat will be glass...

When I first started taking my boat out up in the BOI there were relatively few... they are now all over the place two years later. Very popular. A mate parked his outside the boat yard up there the other day while he was working. Had at least three or four people ask whether it was for sale in a day... very popular which is good.

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Posted: 05 Jun 2007 at 4:00pm

feeder

Titanium

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I had a McLay, same size you are talking about, big corrosion problems, ride like unsprung horse cart, took a couple of nose dives in the joggle on the Kawhia bar, scared sh*t out of me and crew.

Have a Seaforce now, like chalk and cheese, never have another tinny.

Cheers

The only bar to frequent is the Kawhia Bar

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Posted: 05 Jun 2007 at 5:11pm

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Titanium

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Thought of the 5.7m MacBoat? If you're in the S.I. all the time, the macboat is a very stable boat, totally unsinkable, but you will need a bigger motor. However, being roto-moulded plastic, it is bullet-proof (the advantage of tin), yet warm on the water (the advantage of the glass boats), kinda the best of both worlds. The big problem is the weight (which does help the stability), therefore hte need for a 90hp motor I guess.

Stu.

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Posted: 05 Jun 2007 at 5:24pm

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Titanium

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well i have to say, i raced in a Maclay it had on the back a fully worked 225 suzuki, it went like a cut cat, it was rough and we popped the port bulk head and bunk away from the hull, yes it was quite hard but it was dam rough and 2m swells, personally after what we went through and what the boat was smashed through i would buy one, not bad at all, oh yeah the fibreglass boats i was making at the time in those conditions one smashed a hole right through it so yeah it was rough as guts. great boats and made very well.

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Posted: 05 Jun 2007 at 9:03pm

Combi

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I have just taken one of these out last weekend for a fish around the back of Kawau and in all honesty I wouldn't touch one with a barge poll. Far to harse a ride in the chop for me, I found out the hard way why they call them "old thumper" . Just about broke my ankles and my eight year old son was in tears and spent the next day in bed with a crook back. There are far better boats on the market than these to pick from.

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Posted: 05 Jun 2007 at 9:30pm

Sea-Sharpe View Drop Down

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Cheers guys for the feedback, seems to a fair few guys not liking the mclay, will test drive it anyway and see how it goes, as I said my pontoon boats fairly hard riding so will interesting to see how it compares.

Have been looking around but not to sure what else i can put the 60hp onto, checked out the macs but the 420 is too small and the 570s to big?

What else is out there?

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Quote Capt Asparagus

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Posted: 05 Jun 2007 at 11:25pm

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Titanium

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Tell you what mate, if you want a smoother ride from a tin boat, get a centre consol... have a nice big canopy/windbreaker over the consol so you and the folks with you stay dry and warm, have high bow rails with clears around them coming well back along the boat, with some comfy seats at the front of the consol as well.

The consol has you sitting further to the back of the boat where the ride is soo much smoother, gives you the front of the boat for the kids to spread out and fish from, lie down in etc etc

It actually is surprising how comfortable the ride is in a rear-mounted centre consol boat. Billy Ho had his one, and it was awesome. Surprisingly dry as well really, as the bows are usually a little higher because you do not have all those folks huddled up the front of the boat.

Anyhow, just my thinks on that! :-)

Cheers mate,

Stu.

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Posted: 06 Jun 2007 at 6:55am

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Titanium

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sea sharpe, if you liked the plastic boats but not the right size there are some aussie boats called polycraft that are in between the 420 and 570. some dealer in NZ.

capt asp., you have one of the polycraft up in the islands no? would suit the 60hp perfect.

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Posted: 06 Jun 2007 at 8:07am

ohsif

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IMHO any lightweight boat that has the helm well forward is not going to give a comfortable ride in rough conditions. Confused

As far as I�m aware McLay make three distinct ranges. The Sportsman, the Fisherman and the Cruiser. The first two have little cabin space and the helm set well forward. Unhappy

The Cruiser has a larger cabin consequently the helm is slightly further aft, giving a better ride. Thumbs%20Up

I think the Cruiser also has a heavier hull due to thicker bottom plate which would also improve the ride.

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Posted: 06 Jun 2007 at 9:30am

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Titanium

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Well reminded there CJ! Yes indeed, the 455 polycraft could be a very good option for you mate.

..and yes, the 60 would be an excellent motor for it.

Could be worth exploring that option maybe.

Cheers, and thanks CJ,

Stu.

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Posted: 06 Jun 2007 at 8:52pm

Sea-Sharpe View Drop Down

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Cheers fullas

Had liked the idea of the centre consol allright, just as this is going to be more family orientated (young fullas only 8months old) the idea of having no real shelter prevents getting one.

ohsif Compared to my pontoon the McLay has stacks of room in the cuddy though I agree the helm position is quite far forward.

Thanks to all who have come up with more suggestions, will trial as many boats as possible and let you all know how I get on.

Churrs

Sharpie

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Posted: 01 Aug 2007 at 3:43pm

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Well have looked at a few more boats, Frypans, Ramcoeys etc and would have to say (apologies to anyone who has the above brand in my size) the Mclays got the goods when it comes to welds, layout etc...

Also finally took one for a scoot up in nelson last month and....

Not righting an advert here for Mclay but the dealer was selling them with a 60hp Merc 4stroke on the back for 28k ish, had sold the last one so chucked a 50hp Merc (super V or somesuch ?) 2 stroke on the back to try, boat hummed along real nice, turned like it was on rails and generaly impressed quite well... the 60hp yammie should be a goodin.. stability wise, yeah its got some tip, but is way better than some of the other brands I have tried...

Wasnt any significant sea conditions to try it out on the ride properly unfortunatley though

So buggered if I know....., unless I decide to flick the motor and invest in a bigger boat second hand looks like this one will be the choice I have

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Posted: 01 Aug 2007 at 5:05pm

Wizard

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Buying new you should be fine, but some of the older ones has bad corosion problems under the fuel tank. In the short time I was boatbuilding I figured that out. Not to put you off, but if you were keen on one, it won't hurt to lift the floor and tank to have a gander. Hope it helps, Dan

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Posted: 01 Aug 2007 at 6:34pm

righthook

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what about a 5.5 surtees workmate?

huge space in them for the size of them, and water ballasted for a bit more stability...id try one of those as well.....if the rides anything like my 6.1 they are bloody impressive.

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