fraser
Submitted by adamsmith84 on Thu, 2009-12-24 21:37
hi i was wondering what all you guys think of the old fraser voyager in the 18 to 21ft lenght as we used to have one and is it true that commordore marine bought the designs and is using the exact same hull design in their allrounders
Muppet
Posts: 408
Date Joined: 23/11/09
Yep, used to have one
Hi Dave,
I reckon the old Fraser hulls are pretty good considering their age. My first boat was a Fraser Voyager 18'8, I had a Johnson V4 130 on the back. I got hold of it in the late 90's and had a bit of fun refitting it.
The floor was a bit soft so i ripped it up and replaced it. I was pleased to find that there wasnt too much timber down below, alot of moulded glass. Less to rot I would think. The windscreen was a bit on the raked side, so i ripped that of and had a new one done, more vertical to provide more dash space and protection. Had a rocket launcher done and a bimini. I miss that boat considering how much i spend on the new ones these days.
The boat ran excellent in a decent chop and was quite stable at rest.
Given the money that one can spend on a boat these days, the voyagers are more than capable of doing what the new ones do today, especially if a bit is spent on sprucing them up.
I cant say much for the newer 'Fraser' models, I dont know what they did but they dont look or feel the same. As for Commodore Marine, I dont know if their using the Fraser Moulds. Commodore's look alot like the mid 90's Haines Signature's in some ways.
Final word, I like the older Frasers.
Cheers
.
Faulkner Family
Posts: 18029
Date Joined: 11/03/08
got to agree about the
got to agree about the frasers. our first boat 18 foot was an early 70's good little runner , our second and current 23' fraser good solid hull , cuts through the waves with ease and sits on the water well, even in rough conditions, wouldnt get rid of it. they are a heavy hull but a solid one
RUSS and SANDY. A family that fishes together stays together
jersey
Posts: 393
Date Joined: 12/06/08
True
The Fraser is a very good design boat ,and true,Commodore have the moulds,At least one,but it depends on the wy they are laid up ,hand laid or chopper gun,how many onzes of glass they use,this ia all to due with the strenght of all boats,hand laid aare recognised to be the best tried and proven methode,and the amount of glass makes the boat,as we all know,Ali boats are lighter than glass, but tend to ride hard due to the wieght issue.jersey
wide open
Posts: 444
Date Joined: 24/12/09
good
the old fraser voyager hulls were exceptional with good handling and performance and were one of the best boats