bisso

Dont forget to check all the connections also. i am not sure if you have an external gps antenna but a dodgy connection would be enough for the unit not to get a fix. Given the environment that electronics have to bear, a bit of corrosion in the wiring might be enough to cause problems. if you get to it early enough you can resolve it, if it is too far gone then it is unlikely you buy replacement parts, particularly for older units so you might need to update to a current model, which are generally better in that they have more GPS channels availble for tracking and also have the latest firmware which is for processing GPS signals. Technology changes quite quickly and you would be suprised how good the modern GPS units are in both time to fix and their accuracy (if set up properly).. Hope you might be able to get something out of my waffle.. Regards

Easy as to do it yourself. as said, just make sure you properly grease the bearings (make sure you use the correct grease!!!) when you retighten the lock nut, tighten moderately hard then back it off to the first hole that the split pin will go through. then make sure the wheel spins without too much drag. also check for wobble. if too loose, nip up to the next pin hole. dont forget to check them again after use as they will settlt a little and may require a nip up. easy to do and worth having a go at incase you ever have a failed bearing on a trip... it's not hard once you have a go.. cheers

As long as each cylinder reading is similar, it doesnt really matter unless they are all very low... big variations between cylinder readings indicates issues. should get around 100 - 160 as average for readings.

Good advice and a valid point!! i would think it would be a bathtub and sewing machine engine for that sort of budget stated!!

For the record, i have an 18ft Carribbean half cabin which has a 3.5 hp auxillary. it pushes the boat fine once it get going. i dont think you would have a problem with your Hinton given that! depends how fast you want to get home with the backup motor. i like mine for is size, doesnt weigh the boat down and i like the piece of mind should my main engine ever fail. i often run on the auxillary only as a bit of a fire drill, so to speak. that way i know its limitations, particulary the wind and tides can play, but its enough to get us out of trouble or off the rocks! Cheers

What a fabulous post. it is always refreshing to get the low down on a boat straight from the user. thanks for posting the detail and i would be interested to hear the progress. Cheers Mick

Just stay out all night and flush it when you get home in the morning... more fish and you wont pester the neighbours. as for your lights, an led light will run off a smaller battery if you want it separate from the starting battery however, they draw a low current so unless you are going out for days you wont have any dramas. i have a 30 glode led as well as the nav lights, radio, and portable tv & dvd all running off the starting battery for a nights fishing and not once have i had a problem. for the record the nav lights stay on all night until daylight and the radio too if i am still awake. just keep your main battery in tip top shape with regular charging and you wont have any problems. my battery is over 5 years old now and i always charge it the night before heading out with the kids for a night fish. cheers

Hi Guys, i only ever use fuel in my tank once. unless i will use it again within a week or two, i just drain the tank and use it in the cars as they have knock sensors to compensate for octane (i beleive this lowers quite quickly in premium fuels). sure it can be more costly than using the existing fuel in the boat again but given the extremes our motors already face (salt water, wind spray etc) i guess its purely for my own peice of mind. Never once had a problem with being stranded because of old fuel or blockages etc so i will continue doing so.. Cheers Mick

Hi all, i know this topic has been raised many times before.. i guess it is up to the individual user as to whether you may benefit or actually lose handling performance by fitting these. For mine, if the manufacturers of outboard motors thought they were needed would they not have changed the design of the outboard legs to be different from say 30 years ago, which i beleive hasnt changewd much on most motors i have seen? For the record, i had one on a Johnson 55hp motor fitted to a 13ft glass runabout once and while it helped the boat to plane a little easier, the boats handling was that shocking i took it off (almost dangerous in swell or rough conditions) and yes while it was harder to get up on the plane (from what i was used to) it actually turned and handled properly which was something it hadnt done prior too. would i buy one? No!!! but that is only my opinion on this!!! Cheers Mick

GPS is a great source for problems... your unit may be set to display WGS84 co-ordinates but is your mapping software set to another co-ord system? for reference WGS84 is a dynamic datum.. i.e it is not fixed at any particular time and moves. however, if your mappiing software is fixed it may be say GDA94 datum which is a static (fixed) datum and you will get differences between the two. further, some users set the parameters to UTM which is a projection that mathematically attempts to imitate the earth's surface. without actually seeing what settings your unit has in it, it is difficult to explain how to fix the issue. i use high accuracy DGPS in my work which consists of a base and rover system and the units differentiate between each other to give a very accurate location (within 10mm) but it costs almost $100k, your average sounder combo/plotter is a stand alone single frequency based system that unless you can get DGPS corrections, these may only be accurate to say about 15 metres (radially). Sure, some will say they get better than that and i dont wish to argue about that but getting back to your issue, you need to sourse that the maps (in particular you are utilising) are correct in relation to the co-ords your unit is displaying. after all, the GPS co-ords would be technically correct within themselves as long as a datum shift has not been applied previously within the unit to have this occur. other than a factory reset if you are unclear as to whether this may be the case, i cant really provide any direction you should look at without firstly checking out your gear. Cheers Mick

Just a note to be careful at the Patonga ramp for the surcharge on a Southerly wind/swell. It can make for an interesting launch and retrieve unless you are aware of it. I have seen a few boats land on the ramp and a few cars get swamped also. its a tough drive and hard on a vehicle getting up and down the hill into Patonga from Ettalong. Honestly, i would launch at Lions Park (Woy Woy), by the time you had hauled the boat up the hill and down into Patonga Ramp you would already be in the hawkesbury fishing in your boat without the stress, especially when the swell is running. Not trying to turn people off Patonga ramp, just giving a heads up as i have had first hand experience with the above (except the boat on the ramp and car part) but have had a nice set of very cooked and warped brake rotors on my car ($$$$) from that very steep downhill road(goat track) into Patonga. However of course, that choice is entirely yours as to where you go.

Simply turn the sounder off prior to starting your motor. The previous post mentioned a possible major drop in current to your device under cranking which is sound advice. it is hard to diagnose without knowing what type of circuits you have, the gauge of the wiring and the battery condition to name a few. i think the voltage drop when cranking may cause the sounder to shut off due to all the power basically going to the motor to start it. unless you have a dual battery setup where the cranking battery for the engine is stand alone and ancillary devices run off a separate circuit/battery, i cant think of a solution or cause as to this event. i always turn my sounder off prior too starting and then turn it on once that has occurred. After all, i already know the water depth/position i am etc as i havent moved until engine started and am underway. cheers Mick

I might be way off but i had an issue wiith my outboard a while back. had no guts when you moved the throttle (would idle ok though) and took abt 20 seconds for any power to come on. i often had trouble getting ther boat up on a plane let alone run as i thought it should. Turns out one of the plastic clips on the throttle assembly linkage was working its way loose under power and only two of the three carbs were working actuating the carb butterflies. once a simple adjustment to it to fit correctly was performed i have not had one problem since. it can be the case a 20 cent part that causes $700 or so to find the problem. i am not saying that is your problem in this instance but it may be worthwhile checking that all the carb linkages are a good tight fit under load. it is best to confirm this with the cowling off and have another crew member with a bit of mechanical knowledge watch the linkages while you work the throttle from the helm. Cheers Mick

Thats an impossible question to answer... its a bit like choosing cars. some folk like one type others dont and prefer another type, shape, brand etc... i think you should try out any boat for its suitablility to your particular requirements to narrow your choices down. ultimately, all boats basically float, have some sort of propulsion (inboard/outboard/rowing) and are either moored or trailered. a 10ft tinny can be fished in as can a 50ft cruiser. ultimately, it will be your pride and joy so you have to be happy with your own decision and not someone elses opinion. Sorry but i cant really provide any advice in relation to your question as it would be my own biased opinion. Cheers Bisso

Had a similar dilemma with an old trailer of mine. since you are going to the effort of removing the axle from the trailer, why not simply throw the old one out and replace it with a brand new gal one. i think i paid about $130 for mine and wont have too worry about cleaning rust off, painting it etc for many years to come. i did this and at the same time put new gal springs in as well (abt $70 a pair). My trailer is like a new one and i would not hesistate to do the same again. of course the decision on what you are to do it entirely yours. Cheers Mick

Just a thought... i once had a similar issue with water in the hull whenever i went out in the boat. it turned out to not be the bungs but the housing that screws into the transom that the bungs attach too. unless it is a clean, neat seal then under water pressure they may be allowing water in. i simply bought new ones, cleaned the old crud off and applied sikaflex and installed them. i then applied a bead of silaflex around them to make sure they were completely sealed. to date i do not get one drop of water out of the bungs when i open them upon return from a day out and that has been the case for a few years now. might not be the same in your case but well worth looking at as it is a cheap fix to try first. cheers Mick

What size boat are you talking about? this has alot to do with your question... i had a VN V6 commodore and didnt have any problems towing. mind you that was towing a Haines V146C with 70hp motor which was light. if you have a big boat then yes you might have issues however unless you venture into non concrete boat ramps you should be fine as long. i always tried to not launch at low tide as the ramp incline made it harder than say high tide.

Just one further comment regarding towing, dont rely solely on the winch post strap/cable. remember that at 90 odd km/h due to the shape of a boat hull it will be trying to lift up at the front which puts a lot of stress on that cable/strap and your hull also. i always hook a rope with a shackle on the boats front 'D' and wrap it straight down tightly onto the trailer frame. i have never had any problems towing this way and it is good piece of mind. Another thing to remember is not to load the boat up too much when you tow it. i know some people chuck all there clothing, camping gear, eskies and even kids bikes etc which all add extra stress to the hull and trailer components. The less weight you carry the less fuel you use and less stress on your boat and vehicle. Cheers Mick

I think from memory, mine was about $1500 per cylinder.. i cant remember if that included labour but pretty sure that parts were included in the price. that was about 4 years ago so it might be more now. Cheers

If you are serious about doing it yourself, which is terrific, then do yourself a favour and at least get a proper manual. honestly they are about $50 and after you have finsihed with it you can sell it on that online auction site and almost get all your money back. There is nothing wrong with home maintenance for your motor and doing so will serve you well in tackling problems for years to come as you will gain an understanding of how it all works rather than putting fuel in a tank and turning the key. for mine it is very satisfying, but different strokes for different folks.... Cheers Mick

make sure you dont skimp on the sikaflex and pay particular attention to the holes where the screws go else you may end up with rot in your transom. Cheers

Dont know what type of motor you have but i thought it could be an overheat situation.. for example, my motor will drop to 3500rpm when the engine gets to an overheat situation. it is supposedly to reduce the risk of the engine cooking due to the heat soak sustained at high RPM to stop the motor cooking and ultimately seizing. This might not apply in your case but it seems strangley like that is the case. i.e motor now runs fine after that occurred. check your owners manual to see if your motor has a overheat safety situation. Might save you lots of time and expense changing items that werent required. Regards

my two cents worth!!! i once had one of these of my boats, perhaps not the brand in question but a foil none the less. Sure it seemed to help the boat plane quicker but the trade off was that the handling was severely compromised. It handled like it was a slot car and was quite dangerous and frankly horrible. I guess the moral to the story is that in some instances the foils may assist in getting the hull out of the water onto a plane but the affect on the boats handling may be affected by this. In conclusion, if motors were meant to have these then the manufacturers would fit them standard. given that is not the case, it would appear that they would not concur with foils being a necessary addition. Either your boat is underpowered or your prop is incorrect for your hull. I think you might find that you no longer like how your vessel handles after fitting one.. that choice is of course yours to make. Regards

Hi Dat1111, Glad to hear is only superficial and not an issue... The transom is a job in itself but at least you have the possibility for a sound boat package that will give you the use you were looking for. for your sake i am glad to hear and hope you get out on the water soon. Regards

do either of the motors have forward controls? i need an outboard for my Haines Hunter V146C half cabin as i took my engine off it to put on my new boat. i need a motor so i can sell it as i dont need the boat anymore and it is unlikely to sell without an engine, thanks in advance.