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Mick & Claire Levin Purchased a Formosa 4.8m
Side Console
After 14 years of hard service our old
fibreglass boat was starting to look a little sad. Fibreglass on the
ramps in North Queensland is not a good idea. With 1100 hours on the
old Honda 90, it needed constant TLC, but it was still running
perfectly, so we found it difficult to look at another brand. We
were looking for an aluminium replacement. Basically what we wanted
was a solid alloy boat, small enough that Claire could hold it on
the ramp without too much trouble and getting eaten, (important in
FNQ) but large enough that she would feel comfortable going offshore
in it.
I had checked a few
dealers around the area and was not that impressed. I was looking
for a plate boat, most of their stock in the size I was looking at,
had pressed bottoms and plate sides to make them look pretty. I had
heard of the Tinnie Shack, but I had never checked them out, tinnies
to me, have always been twelve foot pieces of pressed, re-cycled
beer cans. When I checked their web site I found the opposite, real
aluminium plate boats, and Honda motors.
In my first call to
Carla, I brought up my wife’s concerns she replied, “I understand,
I’m a chick too”! Carla recommended a Formosa 4.8m side console,
this would be good on the ramps and have that added advantage that
Claire could sit down the back and enjoy a smoother ride. I quickly
realised that I was actually talking to a salesperson that
understood boating, fishing and from a woman’s perspective as well.
My first look at the
Formosa range, I was impressed, they are built very well and with a
4mm plate bottom probably the strongest small plate boat on the
market. Dean informed me that although the recommended maximum
horsepower was 90, the 4.8 performed better with the 60hp. My
thoughts were, “We can’t afford this boat!”, we were pleasantly
surprised, even with the live bait tank, transom door and ladder and
the canopy the total was the same as a pressed boat elsewhere with
the same motor and no extras.
Dean was correct the boat
is brilliant with the 60hp, they certainly know their products and
all of the products they sell are of the highest quality. We are
just getting to know the vessel and are loving it.
Buying a vessel from the
Tinnie Shack has been an enjoyable experience and I would recommend
them to anyone. Hopefully soon there will be a picture of Claire on
their website holding her first mackerel....
Mick & Claire Levin
Mourilyan
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