Nice one Merv /forum/smilies/big_smile_smiley.gif. Cliff ,before buying any boat you need to do a lot of homework,is it going to do the job you want, are you going to need a licence (in which case you'll need insurance ),how often will you be able to use it, can you manage on your own,these are just a few of the questions you need to adress,there are a few very experienced boat anglers on this site ,( i am not one ),but you may get more info from the boating threads of pike and predators. Portaboats are quite expensive but can get you to places that others can't, but any boating mistakes are going to cost.!