Finally getting  back to boating after a 20 year stint raising my business. Am strongly leaning towards the Surtees 6.7m Sportfisher or Weekender (so we can overnight at de Surville Cliffs or Tom Bowling Bay).  We live on th peninsula.   There are so many options with Surtees' boats. 

 Questions are: 

What options turned out to be great,what not so good and what do you regret not adding?

Is your boat an alloy drum machine or has the hull noise been reasonably dampened with the cabin lining and tube mat? 

Is the water ballast system all it is cracked up to be and does this feature create any unusual noise or movement at anchor? 

This forum seems a great way to learn from other so would greatly appreciate your input.  This is my first post so be gentle. 

Hi Needalife.... welcome aboard.....

i have a 6-5mt Mklay H/T which is enclosed, the wife and i spend a lot of time at Xmas out the back of Gt Barrier diving swimming and just lazying around we can get into places the bigger boats cant by using two anchors so we are left to ourselves...

a Mklay is built very tough and its finish is way above the rest hence you pay a bit more for one of these, the inside cab on mine is completely carpeted they come with a swab that fills in between the bunks so you have a huge double bed....

ive owned it now for 5 years and used it for 965hrs thats over 12000km and its still as solid as a rock....

cant say that for the outboard but to be fear i think it ws a bit on the small size for a boat that weighs more than a ton on the water fueled up, plus i made it produce a air lock in the oil feed which didnt help things.. i have just repowed it with a new 200hp Opitmac, im not a big fan of going like a bat out of hell anymore so tend to cruise at 20knots which is pleasent for the wife and me now that im reaching 60years......

i carpeted the back area when i purchased it at a cost of about $100 and it still looks like it did when i brought it, but in saying that i water blast it after every trip, ive stood on that tube mat for a day and its not very comfie compared to carpet.......

i cart a 150lt cooler bin plus it has a 75lt livebait tank in the transom and i have a 2 person rubber boat which slips onto the roof, by the way you can jump up and down on the roof its solid as.......  

trim tabs are a must on hard tops and this hardtop being inclosed is heavier still......    

Hi Need

The 6.7 is a great boat, i have had mine for 3 years.

The water ballast works very well 3 people on 1 side pulling up a dredge is no problem at all.

I saw the weekender at the show and if it was around when i got mine that what i would have got.As i am sure Lethal would agree it would be alot warmer in winter with the doors closed.

The only thing i do not like is the foredeck, just not enough room, but it is only a problem for the anchor boy(not me)

Any other questions give me a ring after 6pm any night 09 8174202

Dean

Just browsing around today while the weather is rubbish and noticed this thread.

I have had my Surtee's 6.1m Barcrusher for two years now.  I spent a whole year researching what boat would suit me, I had the time and patience only because I was using a mate's boat! I wanted a fishing machine that could take me (and others) out to G. Barrier when the weather permits, but small enough to launch and retrieve quickly for an evenings fish in the Tiri channel too. It had to be good looking, I don't like the ugly-duck approach and comfortable when I take any kids on board. I needed to be able to overnight in it, although realistically only a few times a year. The Barcrusher is awesome and I am glad to say was a great choice, no regrets. See through livie tank (water inflow pump needs minor improving), sun/rain shade, wide sides to sit on while fishing (gunwhales??), totally clear area to fish from, fold away seats, drain away sink area/galley, ballast is great especially when a 100kg+ mate comes aboard - no spending the day clinging onto a listing boat.....the perfect fishing machine that looks the bizzo too. The Nyalic coating top-side is fantastic. It has functional 'hardcore' stuff as well as a few comfort touches . Launch and retrieve easily by myself.

I too would like to trial some doors - mainly for winter and overnighting reasons. Not sure if doors would diminish the clear fishing zone - as this was the first 'must' for me - i.e. I hate any clutter, toe trippers and stuff when fishing, give me clean efficiency and room to walk around - kind of like the difference between flying Economy class and Business. I use tube mat as I enjoy getting into it when fishing, often going out a day or two apart, so a full wash down each time I certainly do! I had the interior 'flocked' and it's really nice, a must. The electric capstan is perfect - I use a heavy Kiwene anchor with 7m+ of heavy duty chain, since using  this I have not dragged or lost an anchor.

I looked at both the Ramco's and McLay's - both great boats too without a doubt. The Surtee's I personally like the look of, and with the engine (150hp Yamaha 2 Str. at a good deal) all completed was about $62k.

My next addition may be trim tab's/stabilisers for the inevitable wind and choppy conditions around Tiri etc. I have not been on aboat with them, so that's on the list of things to try this year.

Hey Lethal - I will be getting a second anchor to use just as you show - what do you use, just a small grapnel for the stern? And can you ellaborate on the benefits of trim tabs please?

If you want come around and have a close scrutiny of 'Espresso' Needalife - PM me, I live on the Hibiscus Coast.

Oh yeah - I never got the cute blonde that appears in most boat advertisements?????? Not yet anyway.

Cheers

Espresso

Quote: Originally posted by Espresso on 25 January 2006

---

Oh yeah - I never got the cute blonde that appears in most boat advertisements?????? Not yet anyway.

Cheers

Espresso

---

Hi Needalife, cant add much more from what Bushie and Expresso have said other than stop wasting your time looking at others and place an order with Surtees. I have the 6.1 Barcrusher Xtra and had it 3 yrs now and done over 800hr in it, lot of it in some pretty narly conditions, have too down here no islands to hide behind. We're looking to uprgrade to the 6.7 this year possibly in the Barcrusher Xtra configuration ( more cockpit room) and now leaning more to  diesel to power it although the Weekender is also in the running except I would have them lengthen it to at least 7m feel the door close's up the cockpit too much. Take Expresso's offer and go for ride you wont be disappointed.

dohboy if you were to use a dummy anchor line from bow to the cockpit your cabin boy wouldnt have to get up on the bow. I have made a device similar to a ladder which I thread on to the anchor line and then clip the dummy bow rope to it, this allows me to do all my anchoring from the cockpit also use a windy bouy to lift anchor as well. No more getting wet on sloppy days lot safer as well.

Lethal new motor looks great, how do you like it compared to the EFI model.

hahhhaaaa - good call!

Quote: Originally posted by Bushpig on 25 January 2006

---

Espresso

Mines the 6.7 with a duckboard.

---

And four bungs. Or was that five?

Of course I have. But Mr Bushie has now done this twice in less than a year, so providing us with fodder for michael-extraction.

I have to say that the bung arrangement on his boat is a pain in the backside and it's inevitable that they will be left out. There are five of them across the back and two of them are hidden behind the trim tab/transducer  mounting plates and are very hard to access.

And why, oh why, oh why have a 6.7m boat with a diesel in it on a skid trailer. There's only one word for it - insanity.

Yeah there are a few bungs. First time out forgot the one in the wet locker! But I only use two - the 'proper' bung at the back bit and in the wet locker, which gets filled with fish blood etc, sometimes. The other two at the rear being air bounancy tanks dont get undone, so I have never had a bung problem - oh except once when I put it in for a service and 'they' left one loose and they threw away the other one - made for a heavy trip home from the first fishing session! Moron's.

The bung in the cabin up front hardly ever gets opened. So really it's just the two at the back and since they're within a foot of eachother - even after a couple of beers, shouldn't cause a problem?  All I remember are the 4 B's, Beer, Bait, Burley and Bung. I actually like the bungs being accessed from inside the boat - once at the ramp after retrieve, undo both and the bait tank from inside and it all drains out - also if I have got a heap of blood/gts in the wet locker, a little loosening of the bung to fill it up, then put the bilge pump into it and pump out as burley! Works great with Kingfish goo. I also like the thought that IF I (n)ever have a problem with the bung I can access it from inside the boat rather than having to go for a swim - sometimes not a nice thought in winter, fishing by myself in a choppy sea with a 3.2m tide running = bad recipe.

It was the best value for money at $62k I could find- and yes I would like to try the weekender one day.

Thanks everbody, struck a rich seam.  Thanks Lethal for the advice and the great photo.  I was raised on wood and glass and felt a bit aprehensive seeing your anchorage.  Maybe with an alloy boat of such build strength I might be less inhibited.  Still, I think the Surtees boats have captured by soul. 

Thanks also to PdaS, Dohboy, Bushpig, Espresso and Tzer for your comments and encouragement.  I can see you all find it hard to find things to criticise if your primary focus is the number of bungs!  Not suggesting this isn't a problem, just not something that would make me reconsider.

O.K. Tizer, you win.  I'll stop looking and order the sweet thing.  Won't need the Blond,  Espresso- although she would look great on your boat!  Have one of my own.  Since she will be cast in the role of 'anchor-boy' I will refrain from telling her about the tight foredeck.  Surtees claims you can do it all from the hatch and that is all she needs to know.  Right?

I take from your responses that I need not worry about hull slap or  stiff movement irritations so I'll stick with the options and get the trim tabs.  I too was interested in the choice of Optimax over Etec, etc.  Care to elaborate.  Once again, cheers. 

i dont beleave i just did that....... ........ thought i hit the copy button and some how 1/2 a page of anwsers to you gents has disappeared.....

will get back to it tomorrow....... dam that pisses me off..............

Needalife

On the anchor/foredeck thing i have seen a small box that fits over the anchor well so you can mount a windless on it, that way you never have to go up there.

It is not a standard item bit if you speek to a guy called bones he makes them. I will be getting one as soon as i have the money.

Dean

Needalife & Espresso.... Optimac over a EFI, Optimac is very nosie and vibrates alot, on the new motor just installed ive had a vibro kit in stalled $500 plus instalation which easy knocked 30% off both out....

the Optimac is about 70kg lighter all up, best run i did with the 150 Optimac was just over 200ks on 150lt with 2 people doing 3800rev at 20knots in light winds from Omaha to Tryphena Gt Barrier then up the back stayed there for 3 days mucked about with short runs then back to Omaha via the top end still had 7lt in the tank...... those smart gauges are unreal when it comes to trimming the boat out... and i see the new ones on this motor have even more stuff on them.....

Barrie & Espresso second anchor is just a home made grapnel job weighs about 3kgs can be cast out the back but better if you let out extra anchor rope on the front to place the grapnel then pull yourself forward again, just make sure you know what the tide is doing or you could pull it out......

the good thing about this is you can have the wind always blowing onto the bow hence when cooking with gas its sheltered via the hardtop...... plus a small wind change wont put you on the rocks, the fish just love you as well they will sit under the boat all day and night.....

Espresso trim tabs make your life a pleasure to be at sea for a $1000 they will straigten the boat up in a cross wind and hold the bow down in a head-on sea they can save you fuel by helping plain the boat more effectively i would never go with out them now that know what they can do for you... with all these different settings trim tabs, engine tilt and revs takes a while to get used to before you get it right but with the smart Guages you can see the difference straight away.......

Peter da Squid  you have sharp eye my freind......      

Hey Lethal

Yeah isn't it great maximising effciency in the ever changing water states out there. Great cruising along adjusting trim, rev's etc to get max performance/efficiency. I can still hear my Private Pilots Licence Instructor literally yelling in my ears.....she only does EXACTLY what you tell her to, otherwise we'd still be sitting in the hanger! Now trim her properly and stop wasting my gas.

Same as a boat.

Now I'm thinking a 7.5m Surtee's with full cabin. Oooh sexy.