bisso

Without looking at it properly, it appears that the brown stains are from water damage!! i note that some reglassing over the repairs has been done which would help however if there are any porous spots then water will be absorded through this. does it flex at all when you squeeze it? or is there a dull thud when you knock it? if so then it would be stuffed already. if not, you might be lucky and hopefully get it fixed before it goes into the timber structure of the hull itself. the problem with most repairs are that unless it is done correctly the first time, problems often occur later, or more often once the owner has passed the boat on to another party. i cannot advise as to what you should do with it and it would be advosed to get a qualified marine surveyor to check it out properly (for a fee of course) to ascertain the extent of damage if any and what can be done to rectify/retain the hull integrity. welcome to the world of boat ownership! you need a big thick wallet with loads of spare cash else pretty handy on the tools to do the job yourself. like you, i started out with a very cheap boat package that ended up costing me more to fix than buying a dearer one upfront that had no problems.. i now only look at boats which arent going to spend most of my time and hard earned fixing them up as after all, when you sell them they still are old, tired and basically at the end of their life... for your sake, i hope the damage is minimal if any and you get to use her on for what was intended.... boating and floating without hassell. Cheers

go any pics of it? i would think that car bog is not really suffice for a marine environment. you might get away with it for a while until it starts absorbing the salt water which may rot the timber beneath the gellcoat. that is a major job to repair and rather costly too. if you can nip it in the bud now before to much damage occurs, i would be seriously looking at doing that. do it once, do it right. thats my motto. Cheers

Hi and Welcome... Very good advice from Mrs Swordie!! i am sure you will find loads of info on your topic already on the site. Cheers

good effort... hope you left a few for those of us who only would keep what we would actually use/eat. cheers

i have a Haines Hunter 4.4m half cabin fibreglass boat which is supposed to weigh 380 odd kg's hull only(not verified). i hope that helps....

Hi Stuball, have you looked at http://www.biasboating.com.au/p-2157-dyneema-spectra-winch-rope.aspx instead? from what i have been told around the traps, it is amazing!! i will let you be the judge of that as i still use the webbing type winch strap. just a thought which may suit your needs..

It would confirm the reasoning to not put a gas bbq anywhere near it. especially if you have a breather anywhere near it. for mine i would set the bbq up on a beach as far away from the petrol tank as i could. only need one spark and GONE!!!!

See http://www.biasboating.com.au/p-85-seat-u-frame.aspx (hope i am allowed to post link without copyright issues) this will give you the general idea as to what i was referring too. i note from your photos that seat pods are already in place for the front. you may want to test how solid they still are for mounting if you decide to go with pedestals. it appears that a rear seat could be made to fit the existing anchoring points shown in your latter photos. just need to get appropriate hardware to fit it all together and accordingly manufacture the seat to suit. for your steering, you will need a helm, wheel and cable (Teleflex type). easy to fit up just make sure you buy the right size cable to suit your hull. again the catalogue explains how to measure etc. just think it all through before you go for it... draw up some concept plans so you get an idea of what you are trying to end up with.. finally look at other boats and their layouts to give you ideas. good luck with it. i had to go down a similar path as you are currently experiencing... (only took me two years to get it right)!!!!

you stated in your original post that boat was 4.6m long. this is a tad over 15ft in the old measure. if it is 13.9ft as later stated you boat is 4.2m. assuming the later is correct (check your vessel rego papers for length) you are probably on track in assuming a 40hp is the max for your boat. i had a 4.4m fibreglass boat and it was rated to a max of 55hp. Regarding your licence, ring the NSW maritime office in Gosford and ask them where they hold their training courses. i think from memory Gosford Sailing Club holds them. However, you may find there are some held around Woy Woy way. in relation to your query on seating, i would probably not screw pedestals into your floor. if you are a bit handy, get some CD exterior plywood, buy a fold down seating kit from Bias. (the mount on the sides of the boat so you can fold them down when not in use). the ply can be used to fabricate a long back seat at the rear to which you can attach to the splashwell. Cheers.

I agree with Tuffy. i used CD exterior ply, 12mm, coated it with everdure, sealed it to the floor and then used contact adhesive to glue the marine carpet over it. works terrific and i simply hose the carpet off at the end of the day. n.b. make sure you dont leave everything too wet so you dont get rot or mould/mildew buildup though. let the sun do its bit to dry things out prior to covering up.

Is Sikaflex no good????

have a look around the splashwell in front of where the motor would be. it may be that it has been taken off or perhpas even perished. there are various ways to test the transom for softness/flex. some are by soundings on the transom (dull thud indicates soft) or by pressing downwards on a motor in its raised (towing )position. given that no motor is currently on the boat the later is not an option. again i suggest you have the boat inspected prior to fitting an outboard. i will leave that decision up to you as to where you go from thereon.

Hard to say without looking at the compliance plate. If it still has one, it should state maximum Hp of engine for that particular hull. not factoring the age or condition of the hull itself. It would be hard to assume that that capacity could be met. you have to figure other factors such as state of transom (any flex??). HP rating specified would probably be based on the older type of motors whereby the HP was measured at the flywheel and not the prop like current outboards. that said, if say 85hp was max then i would figure that a current model 70hp would be equivalent to do the job... you probably should take it to a marine mechanic/service centre and get their opinion first prior to trying to fit something that may not suit your boat or cause you problems later on.

Well we braved it and not to be dissapointed.. the water was a chiily 12deg!!!!! managed to hit 13deg at the Rip but even tha was too cold for the fish to get interested, not to mention the running current and the masses of seaweed as well. It was at least nice out on the water which is always nice and calm for this time of year. Got a bit chilly around 3pm so we called it a day.. No fish, not even the pickers were interested, but the kids had fun catching crabs at the beach.. cant wait till the water warms up again... Cheers Mick

Chris, Thats what i thought!!! trying to cacth frozen fish!!! water looks good and if its too clear then usually not a bite.. Thanks guys for your posts. we'll see what we come up with and post anything worthwhile hereon... Cheers Mick

Hi Raiders, Tomorrow (Sunday) finally looks like a reasonable day to get the covers off the boat and head out with the kids. Given that we havent been out for a few months, i was wondering what other Raiders think we should be targeting and where to find them. (Getting sick of eating steak for dinner every night)!!! If anyone can give a few pointers that would be great as i have become a bit older and rusty on winter fishing in Brisbane water. Thanks in advance... Cheers Mick

Adam. i have a Haines Hunter V146c half Cabin with Gal trailer if your interested. it has no motor on it (as i put it on our bigger boat) so you can choose your own power (up to 70hp manufacturer's recommendation). it is in very good nick and i am sure others on this site will back up how good a Haines rides and handles in all conditions. if you interested either PM me or post your response. i will leave that up to you.. Cheers Mick

Good idea on keeping the seating unfixed. unless you are going to do it properly, the way you have done it is ideal as you can always easily replace it should that be required. keep the updates coming. Cheers Mick

Silly as it sounds, try an online shop .. i bought a set from a supplier that was exactly what i needed and basically paid for one compared to retail price and i got the other for free (two cost the same as one from a retailer). Might not be exactly applicable to you but its worth a look as others occasionally sell their seats due to upgrading so you might get what your after. Regards Mick

Same as above.. i have marine carpet also which i hose it but try not to get it saturated!! i leave it to dry in the sun also so it doesnt make the boat smell like a pair of old socks. i leave the cover off when possible to aid drying and only put it on when it rains. Hope that helps. Cheers Mick

Congrats Mate.. Boating is an enjoyable pastime and like others have said, take your time to find your feet, get yourself into a routine and dont rush things... these are important as it creates a good experience for all aboard without any mishaps which may turn people off going out with you again or suffering a bad experience.. the licence bit is all part of learning and it doesnt stop once you have it... Enjoy your boating for many years to come... hope to see you out and about in Brissy Waters sometime. Regards Mick

Thanks for your info Luffy, I also have found Paddys overrated... like you said plenty of small reddies that munch through your expensive bait like there is no tomorrow. Another spot worth mentioning is to drift from Blackwall towards the Rip on a runout tide. we often pick up decent flatties and the odd large bream and whiting. Lintern Channel is OK but it is narrow and the ferry running through makes hard work of it, best to get there at 1st light before the pickers come out. Erina and Narara creeks used to be gun spots years ago but hard work for a feed these days. as you said, plenty of patience required to hook something decent from these spots. In all i have found that all the spots you mentioned fish well but are best in the evening or at 1st light. after that it pickers and not much else. Cheers Mick

Welcome TMZ, i wasnt sure if you were refering to me or another... Thought i might clear that up before i start waffling away. Cheers Mick

Awesome report... had me reliving the same experience from years ago.. Thanks for bringing it back.. Fabulous......... Many thanks Mick