Keep the poly, buy a cheap tinny...down sizing sucks!

 What donk is on the poly?

is she a cuddy or centre console job?

Depends what your doing most of the time really.If your heading out in all weather then keep the bigger boat, its hard going back to a tinny. I have a 12ft tinny i love it if i am just squidding or in the river and will be working on putting it on the camper trailer for those north trips where i cbf towing 3T.

As wade said get a tinny, watch gumtree they come up pretty cheap sometimes!

I sold my 6 fibreglass voyager and went back to a a 12 foot dinghy mainly because of convience and you do save a fair bit of money through servicing and petrol. The one thing that i hated was not being able to power through waves and wake- you had to slow right down and still would get a pounding when theres no weight at the front (tiller steer). Also the attitude from other people in their flybridges driving on the wrong side of the channel because they think they can intimidate you frustrates me a bit. Maybe this wouldn't happen if I was in a larger boat. But you get d1ckheads so maybe I was unlucky. 

At 4.6m it its still easy to launch, manageable, light, cheaper maintenance, and you can take it up to Ningaloo because it's not real heavy. You won't regret it, but it will take a bit of getting used to. 

Went from a 5 metre boat down to a 4.8 metre boat then back up to a 6.8 metre boat and have never looked back since stuff the small boats you are restricted with the fishing that you can do in the smaller tubs certainly for Perth metro

 Thanks for the comments, helpful to get some feedback.

Dooma the Poly is a cuddy with a 175 opti.

I have two boats, I  didn't move to the Kimberley to sit at home watching TV on the weekends.

Be sensible about it and it can work very well.

Got a 5.3 Noble side console and a 3.7 proline, and just completely fitted out the Hilux to cater for both. Just bought the proline off a mate as he had it sitting in his yard and wasn't using it (it was his second boat also) so he relented and I didn't pay much.

Only problem is the short weekend :(

I had a 7m for 10 years before I got tired of humping all that weight around. After much soul searching (cos I loved the the 7m) I decided to downsize to a 6m Haines.

BIGGEST MISTAKE EVER. Haines lasted less than 12 months before I returned to a 685 sized boat. Happy again to hump the weight around witn the offset being the presence on the water and the comfort.

Buy a small dinghy to use on those odd occasions that you want to launch off the beach.

cheers

I have a 1982 5m Quintrex Centre Console with a 90hp Yamaha (1999) 2 stroke on it, and I wouldnt swap or sell it for anything.... It can be launched across the beach, into creeks etc, but is still big enough to get out wide on the right day. I caught the Sailfish in my profile pic outside Ningaloo reef in it, have got Spanish Mack off Cape Nat (launching at Eagle Bay), have caught plenty of Pilbara Barra, Reds, been spearing out from Fortesque towards the Montes, etc.  It isnt too big to tow, is easy to launch by myself, is big enough for 4 guys for a weeks spearing trip camped out off Damiper, is reasonably economical to run, and if I did sell it, I would never get in $$ what it is worth to me....

Drew

 Ill swap you a 3.8m markham whaler for your poly.... Small enough? 

Because Im a good bloke.... Ill throw in a 6.3m Caribbean reef runner!!! With 225 Opti... 

 Very tempting Dooma

Drew, your situation sounds a lot like where I want to be.

I know the bigger boat really is the choice if I was heading out wide most of the time, but I don't, and when I do, the conditions are good.

I had to do the big boat thing, and I have literally flogged the deeper water scene for the last year but  my past has always been with the smaller craft and I'm being called back.

Thanks again for all the comments. This is a very cool site. Cheers.

 Sold my 4.8mtre Ali to rebuild a baron sportsman. Really miss the stacker as it could be used as an all rounder, in lose and out wide in good weather. Having the larger boat has reduced the times I take it out just due to ease use and money to run. 

Gday Craig,

I totally agree with Drew, I have a 5M Quinni Topender with a 80hp Yammy 4 and love it! Great for the Pilbarra creeks and offshore, weather permitting! Its light enough for towing on sand, have launched in shin deep water and walked out to knee deep to drop the leg and head off. Also its big enough to sleep me and my brother on the overnighters, plus you cant beat the ride of the millennium hull! One thing I cant comment on is retrieving on the sand but if you trust your 4WD I cant see it being an issue.

And before anyone comments no I'm not a Quintrex rep

Alex

But there is no way I would downsize once you have a bigger boat. You will loose money selling it, and loose more getting another one back. Trust me it has been done.

23ft Glass to 12ft ally (swapped rotto dive and fishing trips to crabbing in Mandurah) and never again. Didnt go as big on the return to size as the 23ft was not trailable. Solid as a rock built by my dad, brother and self as a custom dive boat. So didnt skimp on the fibreglass and devinycell etc. I still miss her as she was a beast. Cant remember the hull but I dont think I will do that glassing again. Still itch from thinking about glassfibre.

Now happy with the 5.4 Traily, which was ideal for the time in the Pilbara, but probably a little rough and bang bang for trips out on the briny in Perth, and to big for crabbing with ease.

My solution would be to get a glass 5.5-6m and a cheap tinny. Might cost me a bit to upgrade to a bigger glass, but the tinny shouldnt damage the valet to much. Might be cheaper than a flat screen TV, and a hell off a lot more fun!!

JMO.