Are you wanting to buy a pontoon boat?

If yes then before you go ahead and splurge, we’ve compiled a quick breakdown of costs & options to consider before buying a pontoon boat.

Options to go for.

Pontoon boat size

5-5.9m – Usually up to 8 people.  Suitable for small areas of calm water only.

6-6.9m – Usually up to 10 people.  Suitable for larger bodies of calm water.

7-7.9m – Usually up to 12 people. Suitable for rough waters.

Engine size

Loosely based upon the pontoon boat size as above, you have a few options.

10-25HP – Suitable for small bodies of water/canals with little to no current.

25-75HP – Suitable for bodies of water with a slight current.

75-150HP – Suitable for open water & strong currents.

# of pontoons

There are only really 2 options here, 2 or 3 pontoons when buying your pontoon boat.  The common consensus is that if you can afford it, go for the third pontoon.

You’ll get:

Much better resale value

Better fuel efficiency (Our pontoon boat has been as effiecient as cruising at 40kph whilst using 22l/hr)

Pop up out of the hole quicker

Better stability around corners

Extra safety if one pontoon gets damaged

Now for the fun bit – paying for it!

Based on boat value of $75k	Cost per yr
Mooring cost	$4,000
Rego & insurance	$1,147
Servicing & maintenance	$1,450
Finance @ 10%	$7,500
Depreciation (50% of value every 5 years)	$6,500
Total annual cost	$20,597

Seem a bit expensive?  We’ll break things down for you before you go and buy a pontoon boat!

Mooring cost

For a boat in the 20-30 foot range, most marinas will set you back around $350 per month.  If you have a waterfront property with a solid pontoon then you’re set and won’t need to think about this cost.

The other option is obviously getting a trailer.  For a 7m boat you’re looking at around another $10k + the space on your driveway.

Rego & insurance

Pretty self-explanatory…

Servicing & maintenance

The engine will need at least an annual service & antifoul the hull if it’s in the water.  Best to watch out for odd dings & scratches too before the become too troublesome.  As the boat gets older and you rack up the engine hours, this cost may start to creap up each year so it’s always worth working out whether to keep or trade for a newer model before fixing things.

Finance

A little insider secret on boat finance when you’re looking to buy a pontoon boat – finance on boats is always going to be at a rate of at least 10%.  Any special promotions that loan companies may offer will always end up at least 10% over 3-5 years in the long run, whether it’s through fees or extra long repayment schedules.

Depreciation

This is the real killer!  Studies have shown that after you buy your pontoon boat, it’ll lose 1/2 its value approximately every 5 years.  So over 5 years that’s a reduction in value of $32,500 which works out to $6,500 per year.

This is where we come in!

There are thousands of people joining the hire boat revolution.  You can effectively share all of those above costs so that you and the family can still enjoy boating but without the eye watering cost.

Not only does it work out cheaper but our loyal customers can specify the type of boat that they want to use depending on what their plans are.

Want a quick trip fishing?  You only need the Ranger 4900 (Starting at $195)

Want to take the kids or mates out wakeboarding/tubing?  Go for the Tsunami bowrider (Starting at $375)

Got family visiting? Hire the 150HP Tropical Pontoon for 12 people (Starting at $395)

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One last thing – we work on the beach so meet us at the beach at whatever time you like.  Everything is up to you.

Hopefully you’ve learned something about what to look for if you want to buy a pontoon boat so now take a look at our boats and start planning your next day out!

Transfer your UK licence in QLD

If you’re one of the lucky Brits that have made it to QLD from the UK and are wondering what happens to your licence in QLD then we’re here to help!

The Department of Main roads can accept an overseas licence temporarily.  The slight pickle is that if you intend on becoming a resident then you have to change it over within 3 months of either arriving in the country or becoming a resident.

The boat licences from the UK that we can accept for our boat hires are as follows:

• RYA Sail Cruising and Yachtmaster
• RYA Motor Cruising Scheme
• RYA Powerboating/Old Sportsboat (using E.U. Resolution 40)
• RYA Coastal Skipper
• RYA Competent Crew (sail only)
• RYA Day Skipper (both theory and practical)
• RYA/MCA Yachtmaster Offshore [Certificate of Competence]
• International Certificate of Competency
• International Certificate for Operator of Pleasure Craft Res. 40 12/02/2010
• Certificate of Competence ‘Helmsman’s (Overseas) Certificate of Competence’
• RYA National Powerboat Certificate Level II
• RYA National Powerboat Certificate Level II (conducted at Royal Navy HMS establishments)
• Certificate of Competence ‘The Helmsman’s (Overseas) Certificate of Competence (Skipper)’
• British Water Ski Federation Ski Boat Driver Award (meets RYA Level III and Res. 40 I.C.C.)
• UK Maritime & Coastguard Agency – Seafarer Standards Branch [The Merchant Shipping (Training & Certification) Regulations 1997] Officer of the Watch; Chief Mate 
• MCA Master of Yachts 200 Tons Limited
• Certificate of Competency as Master of Foreign Going Vessel
• Certificate of Competency as Master of a Pleasure Yacht (Coastal) issued by Ministry of Transport U.K.
• Boatmaster’s Licence (U.K. Dept. ofTransport)
• Department of Transport ‘Boatman’s Licence’ 1993 ONWARDS
• BSAC/CDA Boat Handling [‘Seamanship for Divers’]
• BSAC/CDA Diver Coxswain UK
• BSAC/CDA Approved Boat Handling Instructor
• MCA The Mediterranean Cruising Association ‘Certificate of Competence’

Boats on the Gold Coast

When you look at the Gold Coast from above, you can instantly see the gorgeous blue waterways winding around the whole city.  It is thanks to this (almost completely ) natural feature that means we have such a huge variety of boats on the Gold Coast.

In 2014 there were over 250,000 recreational vessels registered in Queensland with 51% of them being in the Brisbane region which includes the Gold Coast.  That’s a lot of boats on the Gold Coast!

The open runabout is the most popular choice for Gold Coast boaties, with 67% of the boats being that type.  This runabout category includes the boats such as bowriders, fishing boats & tenders so it’s no wonder there are so many of them about.  We’ve even got one you can hire here!

The other interesting yet unsurprising fact is that around 70% of boats on the Gold Coast are less than 5m in length.  That’s not surprising when you think about the price difference between a 4.9m tinnie like the one above compared to a 7m boat!

If you take a cruise down any of the Gold Coast waterways, you’ll be dazzled by the array of boats on show.  Everything from 2m tenders right up to 30 foot yachts are fairly commonplace.

Obviously all of these boats cost a lot of $$$ so if you love boating but struggle to justify the cost, you may find that you’re actually cheaper to simply hire one whenever you need a boat.  It’s the same principle as uber, airbnb and every other new company that is effectively offering a share service.  There’s no point paying for a boat all year round to only use it a handful of times.

As well as the tinnie above, we also have a 150HP Pontoon boat that takes up to 12 people.  This is an incredible machine that can take you anywhere inshore, check out some of the cool places we go to here >>> Link

2 stroke Vs 4 stroke outboard motor

If you own a boat or have ever looked at buying one, the engine on it will have been described as either a 2 stroke or a 4 stroke.  In this post we’ll have a quick look at the mechanical differences for those that are interested or just skip down to the characteristics if that’s all you’re looking for.

 

Mechanical differences of 2 stroke vs 4 stroke outboards

There are 4 basic stages of how an engine makes power –

1. Sucks air & fuel in
2. Squeezes that mix until its nice and hot
3. Ignites that hot mix
4. Blows the gas out of the exhaust

(Image Credit: http://www.mybasicconcepts.in)

The above image is how a 4 stroke outboard works, it has a stroke (up or down movement) for each stage of the process.

A 2 stroke outboard still has to have the 4 stages but combines them into just 2 strokes (As the name would suggest…) which are.

1. Sucks the air in and Ignites the previous mix
2. Squeezes the fuel mix to make it hot and blows the previous mix’s gas out.

(Image credit: http://idahospudsblog.blogspot.com.au/)

Characteristics of 2 stroke outboards

Lightweight

One of the reasons for their lighter weight is that the flywheel can be made lighter.  The flywheel is the part that effectively stores energy and delivers it much smoother instead of a big jolt followed by nothing.  4 stroke outboards have to have a heavier flywheel in order to balance out the fact that it only gets 1 kick every 4 strokes whereas the 2 stroke gets powered every 2 strokes instead.

Imagine having to throw a ball 100m.  A 2 stroke can throw 2 x fairly easy 50m throws but a 4 stroke has to throw one MASSIVE 100m throw.

This is why 2 strokes are used in handheld, portable things like chainsaws, lawn mowers and on smaller boats.  The 4 stroke also has a lot more extra parts & complexity that adds to the weight of it.

Power/responsiveness

Obviously a 2 stroke 60HP has the same power as a 4 stroke 60HP but it is how that power is delivered that changes.  As the 2 stroke is firing (igniting the fuel mix) a lot more often, it becomes a lot more responsive and generally a bit more ‘zippy.’

Cheaper to buy

The 4 stroke outboard is more complex with intake & exhaust valves, a heavier flywheel and a few other considerations.  This means that the 2 stroke engine is simpler to build, and simple to build means cheaper to buy.

Characteristics of 4 stroke outboards

Fuel efficiency & emissions

You can see in the images above of the 2 stroke engine that the fuel is being transferred into the chamber at the same time that the exhaust port is open.  This inevitably means that some fuel will be escaping before it gets burnt.

Not only does this lead to wasting fuel but that’s also why 2 strokes tend to be smokier with the smell that everyone knows is a 2 stroke smell!  If you’re planning on taking kids or family out then this is definitely a biggy as if you’re downwind of the motor then you will almost be able to taste the fumes.

The 4 stroke on the other hand is more complex and advanced in its technology to minimise any fuel loss, giving it a much more efficient burn rate despite the added weight.  So a trip to across to Straddie will use a lot less fuel with a 4 stroke than with a 2 stroke engine.

Quieter & less vibrations

As the 4 stroke is not firing as much as the 2 stroke, you don’t get that annoying high pitched noise that you hear on 2 stroke engines.  That noise that is familiar to anyone who has used a chainsaw or mower before.

So you’ll find that 4 stroke engines are very quiet and also produce a lot less vibration when idling.  Customers often don’t even realise that the 4 stroke 150HP we’ve got on the back of our performance pontoon hire boat is running when it’s idling!

No extra oil in the fuel

2 stroke engines need you to add a bit of oil in with the fuel at every fill up.  This is because the fuel & air mix surrounds the crankshaft and a few other moving parts which need lubrication.  May not seem like much hassle but it can only take 1 run without oil to destroy your engine if you’re unlucky.

Conclusion

2 stroke engines still have a place, their lightweight, zippiness and budget friendly nature mean that they are great for small boats and portability so if you’re looking at an engine for a tender or car topper then grab a 2 stroke.

But for most of the other things that we love boats for, tubing, trawling whilst fishing, getting away from the crowds, then 4 strokes are definitely going to be worth the extra investment.  This is why we run all of our performance hire boats on 4 stroke engines, their extra reliability can also give us peace of mind that our guys are safe out on the water, especially when they’re up fishing at jumpinpin or when there’s a couple of families relying on us to make their day awesome!

With the rise in boat costs, rego, maintenance, insurance, trailers, you might find that selling your boat and turning to hiring whenever you want to head out will work better for you.  Take a look at the range available to hire here – https://coastalventures.com.au/boats-available-for-hire/

Tipplers family name

You’ve probably seen the name Tippler around the broadwater or on maps & charts but ever wondered why all of these things are named Tippler’s?

Who is this dude that seems to own everything?!

In the late 1800s Moreton Bay was heavily involved in Oyster farming and the Tippler family were one of the families that farmed the area.  The industry peaked around the turn of the century just after Stradbroke island split into North & South at the Jumpinpin bar (Read the story here).

Henry Tippler is considered to be one of the pioneers of the oyster farming industry and as such, has become a name synonymous with Stradbroke Island.

If you’re interested in exploring the broadwater by boat, take a look at hiring one of our boats below:

For more interesting stories about the islands around Brisbane & the Gold Coast, download our guide to the islands here –

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