Orkney Strikeliner 16 footer - questions
Posted: Thu Jul 30, 2015 11:38 am
Hi everyone
Thinking of finally burning a whole lot of money (!) and going back to becoming a dinghy angler... given the shore angling this year has been crap and the boys are old enough and excellent swimmers. There are several Orkney strikeliner 'packages' near me and some information from present or past owners would help.
The boat would be for use in Clew Bay mostly, and would not be venturing out far although we'd look to drift off known marks including rocks and peaks that show at low water and the like, so there would likely be some chop in the waves and being Clew Bay, there can be quite a swell even in the inner Bay and even on calm blue sky days.
We might bring it as far as Purteen for use off the rocks at Rusheen Point and behind Inishgallon Island, but I'd expect we'd launch mostly from places like the Old Head and Mulranny and scoot up and down the coast, with maybe a some trips out towards Clare Island. We're definitely not talking Bills Rocks, just to be clear! I've operated from a GRP 14 footer in the past (OSM Darragh) but that was on the east coast, so I reckon we'll need the extra size for Clew Bay. Is 16 foot enough?
My main questions relate to engine size - most of the offered boats come with 2 or 4 stroke engines in the 25 - 30 hp range with an auxiliary in the 5-10 hp range. Is that enough? Is there a big difference in fuel efficiency between the 2 and 4 stroke engines? I know the early 4 strokes had lots of mechanical problems, are there year ranges / brands to be avoided? One of the packages has a 4 stroke Yamaha and overall its seem unreasonably good value - should I be concerned or delighted? Is there anything beyond a compression test that can be done on an engine? Are there any signs of wear and tear that can be reviewed by a non-mechanic like myself?
With thanks in advance for all advice offered, PMs welcome
Thinking of finally burning a whole lot of money (!) and going back to becoming a dinghy angler... given the shore angling this year has been crap and the boys are old enough and excellent swimmers. There are several Orkney strikeliner 'packages' near me and some information from present or past owners would help.
The boat would be for use in Clew Bay mostly, and would not be venturing out far although we'd look to drift off known marks including rocks and peaks that show at low water and the like, so there would likely be some chop in the waves and being Clew Bay, there can be quite a swell even in the inner Bay and even on calm blue sky days.
We might bring it as far as Purteen for use off the rocks at Rusheen Point and behind Inishgallon Island, but I'd expect we'd launch mostly from places like the Old Head and Mulranny and scoot up and down the coast, with maybe a some trips out towards Clare Island. We're definitely not talking Bills Rocks, just to be clear! I've operated from a GRP 14 footer in the past (OSM Darragh) but that was on the east coast, so I reckon we'll need the extra size for Clew Bay. Is 16 foot enough?
My main questions relate to engine size - most of the offered boats come with 2 or 4 stroke engines in the 25 - 30 hp range with an auxiliary in the 5-10 hp range. Is that enough? Is there a big difference in fuel efficiency between the 2 and 4 stroke engines? I know the early 4 strokes had lots of mechanical problems, are there year ranges / brands to be avoided? One of the packages has a 4 stroke Yamaha and overall its seem unreasonably good value - should I be concerned or delighted? Is there anything beyond a compression test that can be done on an engine? Are there any signs of wear and tear that can be reviewed by a non-mechanic like myself?
With thanks in advance for all advice offered, PMs welcome