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 #15 30 Nov 2022 at 2.18pm | |  |   |
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The old Tabur Yak boats were decent deep hull on them a lot more stable, one of these in decent condition is worth considering
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#14 30 Nov 2022 at 2.12pm | | | |
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In reply to Post #13
Interesting!
One of the guys on the syndicate also has a Funyak 250, slightly smaller than the 280 - but definitely better than a BIC
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#13 29 Nov 2022 at 10.47am | | | |
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In reply to Post #11
Incidentally, the Funyak 280, is the same boat they use at Rainbow lake in france, also I'm led to believe.
They do use this boat as well as one similar to the Helix which again is a good stable boat and slightly cheaper.
They also have some like THESE at Rainbow which are not so great.
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#12 25 Nov 2022 at 3.15pm | | | |
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In reply to Post #11
Funny story. As a river keeper I took on the reduction of Signal Crayfish to improve ecological conditions in a river. I got a whopping grant and had made and imported 2000 traps from China to my design. Using salmon heads and tails I set 200 from my newly purchased Bic 245. The next day I returned to my trapline and started filling up the bins on the boat. By the time I'd finished I'd caught 4200 and they were everywhere in the boat, completely overrun. We got the boat out at the end of the run and tipped the crayfish out into the empty boat. They filed it to the gunwhales. I must have been knipped 100 times.
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#11 25 Nov 2022 at 11.31am | | | |
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In reply to Post #10
If anyone's interested, I ended up upgrading to a Funyak 280,
Much bigger, a lot deeper - much safer, and basically 10x better than the Bic 245 I had.
Incidentally, the Funyak 280, is the same boat they use at Rainbow lake in france, also I'm led to believe.
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I’ve had my 252 for over twenty years, one of the original all dark green ones.
I fish a large Mere, doing a week at a time so have a fair amount of gear, bait, plus a dog and find that I can load the boat up fine, even when it’s windy as the mere is exposed on 3 sides and invariably windswept.
I agree about the 245’s though. A mate bought a used one and he had to pay the same price as a new one post being discontinued. It looks very low and a low less stable than mine. I know he would buy mine at the drop of a hat if I offered it.
I think for really big French inland seas you have to scale up accordingly.
A 242 is just a toy.
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In reply to Post #8
I remember going out on a massive French reservoir in my 252 to put my rods out, there was a 3-4ft swell and those BICs roll like a pig ! Not safe at all lol
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#8 28 Apr 2022 at 12.07pm | | | |
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In reply to Post #7
Yeah, to be honest - an inflatable would be fine. However this is an ex-Cemex big pit that's full of rusting steel girders, submerged trucks and other hellish snags, and inflatables are strictly prohibited, it has to be a solid twin skinned boat.
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#7 28 Apr 2022 at 11.22am | | | |
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In reply to Post #5
Yep, that's why I own an inflatable. They're also much better in terms of maneuverability. Cheap synthetic boats are often all over the place. Some brands also produce wide inflatables nowadays. Those are even more stable and easier to load and may save you from having to buy an additional tow.
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#6 28 Apr 2022 at 10.23am | | | |
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In reply to Post #5
Yeah,
When it's got myself + all my gear in, it's a bit bloody terrifying! one move left or right and it feels like the whole damn thing is going to tip over. The problem seems to be the freeboard is so low, the waterline is only 3-4 inches away from flooding in.
Incidentally, I actually live around the corner from Mortonboats in Lincolnshire, last night I went down there as he'd had a huge delivery of Funyak boats, all of which were spoken for except for 1x Funyak 2.80, they're much more expensive, but these things are 100x better than any of the BICs. People use them for work boats, weedcutters, and rowing boats for multiple people. So I got one, problem solved.
https://www.fun-yak.co.uk/product/fun-yak-2-80/
Onto ebay with the 245!
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In reply to Post #4
I have used a 252 on a large pit and think if the weather pics up they sit too low in the water,especially with a outboard and battery on.
I would get hold of a small inflatable to tow
In France I have used 2 x 3mtr inflatables to travel 45 mins across a large body of water with a ton of kit and they are completely stable
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#4 26 Apr 2022 at 10.15am | | | |
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In reply to Post #1
If you're insecure about your boat, you should never live with it. If something bad/unexpected happens, insecurity can seriously harm you. First thing I would do is give the boat a serious stress-test on the shallows to find out whether this low position can cause the boat to easily capsize/make water. If testing does not boost confidence, change boats.
As far as I know these catamaran hulls are supposed to offer stability and a high 'tipping point', but weight distribution is very important. Towing isn't complicated and you may seriously consider it if you don't feel completely comfortable in the BIC. Like Steve says: a floating unhooking mat is a great option. Solar and Nash do them and the Raptor ones can even carry people (watch youtube). Once you have your gear out of the way the boat (and you) will behave very different.
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In reply to Post #2
Yeah I saw some guy with one of those inflatable solar unhooking mats, with a bunch of his stuff in and he was towing it.
To be honest, I think i'll just try to scale down as much as possible, as towing another boat sounds a bit too complicated! 
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In reply to Post #1
I know what you mean.The 242 and 245 both sit really low in the water. Spreading the load helps a bit. I’ve reduced the amount of gear to a minimum. If your sessions are long enough and it’s practical and within your budget, how about a smaller second boat that gets towed and contains some of your gear?
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Yikes.
I've just been using a BIC245 on my syndicate, transporting my gear around and using it for fishing, it doesn't feel that stable and it gets really low in the water at times, too low for my liking!
Would a 252 be any better, I've heard they're a lot deeper? Or what about those Seaspray microboats? just wondering if anybody has any ideas or suggestions, or should I just live with it and get used to it?
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