Scorpion tinnies, any good?
Printed From: The Fishing Website
Category: General Forums
Forum Name: The Boat Shed
Forum Description: Discuss all things boating.
URL: https://www.fishing.net.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=100906
Printed Date: 28 May 2026 at 6:22am
Topic: Scorpion tinnies, any good?
Posted By: FizFisho
Subject: Scorpion tinnies, any good?
Date Posted: 06 May 2014 at 1:18pm
| Ive never been in one but Im wondering how the 12ft range compares with say a fyran? |
Replies:
Posted By: Scuba Skip
Date Posted: 06 May 2014 at 9:24pm
| Very solid little boat, high sides as well. Probly one of the best 12ftrs around imo |
Posted By: flyfisher
Date Posted: 06 May 2014 at 9:35pm
|
I had a look at them at the boat show last year and thought the welding was some of the worst I had ever seen, really spotty and messy, they look pretty cheaply thrown together IMO, but most 12 footers are... Nice deep sides and full-flat chequer floor though. There is better tinnies out there than Fyran these days as well. Fish City, Kingfisher, Savage, Fisher, Ally-Craft, Striker, Quintrex, Ramco, Frewza, Assault, Brooker etc. Why not a plastic Smartwave? Leaves tinnies for dust in every way IMO. Look for the thickest bottom plate you can with no rivets, many are 3mm these days which is good. The old riveted Fyran's were only 1.6mm and will deflect like hell in a moderate chop. Most of the aussie-spec tinnes have got it right and went away from rivets 20 years ago! ------------- https://www.youtube.com/user/troutboynz |
Posted By: huntfish
Date Posted: 07 May 2014 at 7:21am
|
I have one and am very happy with it. Yes there are things I would add / change if I was building from scratch but overall it is a great wee boat. I use mine for fishing and diving, both spearfishing and scuba. My son and his mates use it all summer nights down the river for wakeskating and they love it. Mine has had no build quality issues and I rate it as a solid and capable. Not perfect by any stretch but following all the posts in this forum I haven't seen a perfect boat yet. If I looked to replace it now, I would most likely be looking at the FC range, but that is a different boat again. It's all about compromise and what you see as the most important features for you and what you will be able to go without.  |
Posted By: flyfisher
Date Posted: 07 May 2014 at 7:30am
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Pretty sure he's referring to the 12ft open ones huntfish not the pontoons? I could be wrong though, quite different boats if so. ------------- https://www.youtube.com/user/troutboynz |
Posted By: huntfish
Date Posted: 07 May 2014 at 7:37am
|
Good point, I was thinking that they were far different boats. cheers |
Posted By: FizFisho
Date Posted: 07 May 2014 at 10:12am
|
yeah i was referring to the 12ft open tinny, i see them now and then used for sale and around the same price as a fyran tinny, but they look more solid. i just wasnt sure how well they go. |
Posted By: CanadianJohn
Date Posted: 07 May 2014 at 10:21am
| they certainly look like a solid boat. would be nice to hear from some owners. |
Posted By: Denny Boy
Date Posted: 07 May 2014 at 12:38pm
| Hi FizFisho-in my days of owning a Scorpion I was told by the dealer that the hulls are all the same on the Fyran/Scorpion and Bluefin. What does vary between boats is from the hull upwards as the cabins and top gear can differ. For example I had a 6.1 Scorpion HT that I could fit under comfortably (I am 6'6") but couldn't on the 6.1 Fyran and 6.1 Bluefin HT's. That was 4-5 years ago-they may be different now. These boats are cheaper than most of their rivals and for a reason. The welding mostly is spot/patch welded with not too much in the way of long-run welds and on the one I had the welding was crappy as well with a lot of arcing and heat stress around the welds. However for an entry boat they are a great way to start fishing and then if you like move on to another make. Cheers |
Posted By: FizFisho
Date Posted: 09 May 2014 at 2:40pm
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hi denny, thanks for that. im refering to the little open dinghies. the fyrans seem really low in the transom. scorpions definitely have thicker ally, 3mm vs 1.8ish i think. quintres and fyrans seem a similar build but i think quintrex has a better name and sometimes better features. end of the day im only looking at $3k used tinnies, not expecting the earth. |
Posted By: Catchelot
Date Posted: 09 May 2014 at 4:46pm
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And with the weight of these heavier solider Scorpions you'll be looking at a 25-30hp motor versus up to 15-18hp on the Fyrans. ------------- "The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever." - Jacques Cousteau |
Posted By: FizFisho
Date Posted: 09 May 2014 at 5:17pm
|
yeah good point catchelot, but ive seen a 12ft scorpion under way with 15hp 2up and seems to do fine. think if i go tin ill settle for a dime a dozen fyran 12 (even though they are not really 12ft which annoys me). i wish the manufacturers would increase their beam as a standard. 1.5 on a 12ft boat is tippy. |
Posted By: CanadianJohn
Date Posted: 09 May 2014 at 5:39pm
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i had a 4m ramco which is a 3mm bottom and a little bit heavier then the fyrans and quintrex. the 15 hp on it was plain scary one up. with two it was more then adequate. mever had three up but imagine it would have been sufficient.
the scorpion is 3mm bottom but lighter guage sides no? i'd reckon 18hp tohatsu or similar would be a good match.
should be looking at something like this myself in a few months time.
|
Posted By: FizFisho
Date Posted: 09 May 2014 at 6:56pm
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yeah i think 3mm all over john. i read a couple of bad reports on here and it put me off them, dont know why though as they have a decent beam for their size compared to a fyran and thicker ally. |
Posted By: Kandrew
Date Posted: 09 May 2014 at 7:45pm
| Mate I can't really see a problem with them, I have a scorpion myself and for where if fish it's fine. Lots of knockers on here when it comes the different manufactures. Had a 12 foot quintrix with a 8hp on the back went real good, very light boat and you couldn't move around to much in the boat at anchor. Would look more at things like seating anchoring and bait board setup. My quintrix didn't have a middle which made it great for 2 guys with a fish bin in the middle with a bait board mounted on top the fish bin. A 15hp would be heaps. |
Posted By: FizFisho
Date Posted: 09 May 2014 at 9:46pm
|
tossing up between a tinny or a cheap sea nymph, but at that price most of them have older engines and very old hulls, so its always a risk. |