Raiders old v new???

[Pete B]

A mate is in the market for a raider & would prefer a new'un, have they suffered now they're built in Poland or is that the comment that was bound to come out when they left 'old blighty'??
Anyone got 1st hand experience in new & old?
Cheers

[squidlips]

they are called clitoris boats because every c*** has one.

but realy pete i have been on an old one and a new one,they both have the same build quality.just watch out as the old ones used to spit the roof and the windscreens when the ply reinforcing got water in it.

would i own one? in a word NO because they are a pig when you are trying to drift and there is a slight breeze, the cabin catches the wind and swings them all over the place.
they are a night mare to launch and recover with 2 people let alone on your own.
most raider owners in our club wished they had put 115hp minimum on the back as they recon the 90 is under powered.
hope this helps ;D

[slippery]

I am sure they had probs with the hulls on the first models, splitting in rough weather and the power on, anyone else heard similiar??

[solehunter]

Lordy! Those comments are not overwhelmingly positive!

[striker]

squidlips said:

they are called clitoris boats because every c*** has one.

but realy pete i have been on an old one and a new one,they both have the same build quality.just watch out as the old ones used to spit the roof and the windscreens when the ply reinforcing got water in it.

would i own one? in a word NO because they are a pig when you are trying to drift and there is a slight breeze, the cabin catches the wind and swings them all over the place.
they are a night mare to launch and recover with 2 people let alone on your own.
most raider owners in our club wished they had put 115hp minimum on the back as they recon the 90 is under powered.
hope this helps ;D

Strange that! you look at the reviews' in the fishing mags
they say the Raiders are the dogs do da's?

[alderneyangling]

I've not had first hand experience of old v new but have known of owners owning one or other or both. The first ones built down Eastbourne were heavily laid, take plenty of weather but due to the weight are slower. My mates one does 24/27knots with a 90hp on. These are 1997 to 2000 approx. From 2000 to 2004 they were built somewhere else (or new builders were taken on), these were lighter but of the same qulaity. I own one of these which is a 2000 model. Definitely lighter and bouncier but still good at sea and as with all Raiders offer bags of protection from teh elements. Speed wise she seems comfortable in 26/29 knots but on my own and fishing normal conditons (not wrecking or distance work) I trounce around at 30/31 knots I have had 38 knots out of her but that was cheating, I was running with the tide down Alderney race!!
On the actual fishing side, plenty of room on the deck area, plenty of freeboard, softish ride and I have always felt safe even when we dunked her under on one of the banks and had 6" water all over the deck. Drifting, at times a pain. Bear in mind 80% of our fishng is done on the drift here. But other times it has worked for us so that I would call a pro and a con. When anchored and the tide has to turn you in to the wind, that can be a pain too at times as sometimes you fish down towards the anchor..........hate that! Especially when you know the fish are going to feeding. Launching and retrieving, definitely a 2 man job, I always use three to make sure and for that reason she is kept on a mooring. Also we have potentially dangerous slipway conditions here too, so three is cautious but necessary. Plenty of dashboard space which is dead useful. I would prefer a 115hp on it so I can be more of an animal with her in perfect conditions. Anything more than a force 3 and you can't run many 18' boats at full pelt anyway.
Would I buy another one.......defintely yes. Would I buy a Polish one..........almost defintiely no based on what I hear, I'd be to frightened of glueing it back together

[squideyebarnes]

great report the high freeboard shallow draft must be a bugger at ancour!

[alderneyangling]

As I say it is on the turn of the tide if you are in to wind, otherwise we can shear it using the cleets and/or outboard.

[Pete B]

alderneyangling said:

Would I buy another one.......defintely yes. Would I buy a Polish one..........almost defintiely no based on what I hear, I'd be to frightened of glueing it back together

I bet a 10 yr old boat sells for more than the new polish ones then

[alderneyangling]

Probably not but it would be easier to sell. Anyway weather we're having at the moment they are equal, both look shite on a trailer LOL