bisso

i think the radio install is very easy and any radio would come with wiring diagrams etc. if you have some ability then it really isnt a difficult task. for mine, i bought a separate twin core wire which i connect directly to the battery in accordance with the engine wires etc. i have a 20amp in line fuse installed in this line near the battery and lead the wires to a set of terminal blocks, one for neg and one for pos. from there i have a positive and negative set of terminals available from which i can connect the radio and other electrics such as a 12v sourch thereto. i also add a 5 amp fuse link from the radio the the terminal block for extra insurance. i am by no means an electronics whiz but from what i has seen from car audio installers, my 5yr old could do a comparative job for 5 bucks!! do a bit of homework and spend the $270 on a holiday.

if you want to do it properly, i would say marine ply.. however, there are other products available such as Everdure etc that can be added to other plys which may acheive the same results. if in doubt i would seriously ask a boat builder for their advice if that is available to you. Given they deal with this situation typically, i would think you would get the best advise direct from them other than guys like myself, whom may have little knowledge of this type of thing... as you are looking to do major surgery, i think it prudent to make sure you understand firstly what is involved and second, it is possibly a job for a professional given that you are dealing with structural issues that in essence allow you the enjoyment of boating without sinking due to poor workmanship... bit heavy but it is not a job for the faint hearted!!

Like huey said, take it for a ride and check for vibrations. if that happens then you have a problem that needs to be rectified. chips are not uncommon and again as said by Huey, file the rough edges to smooth out the damage. in the long run it will help your gearbox and other parts that may otherwise be damaged due to vibrations that will ultimately cause problems over time.... sorry to regurgitate the obvious. Listen to huey, you got the right advice for free which is a rarety these days!!!

What size is the boat in question? that might shed some light with regards to your query! Cheers Mick

just out of curiosity, is it a steel rim or a alloy rim that the problem has occurred?

yes i am also guilty of forgetting to put in those the 20c bungs... awfully embarassing as you drive your car from the ramp and park it only to return to see your pride and joy listing at the wharf while others look on with a wry grin. i once went out with a mate who had a tinny. i headed out first and waited further down the bay for him to follow. a short time later he came roaring by and didnt stop... i was completely confused and thought his throttle was jammed. i then preceded to pursue him and after a short time caught up and signalled for him to stop to which he waved and continued to blast down the bay. i had a hard time keeping up and finally i caught a glimpse of a boat beached on a sandbar. i casually motored up to the beach and asked him " why the hurry, i didnt know it was a race" to which he replied, " forgot to put the bungs in and she was sinking as i went through the channel so i had to go flat strap". fair explanation for mine!!! therefore, we all have some sort of sorry story of plight that we would rather forget, however we were lucky enough that we could share the tale and laugh about it at a later time. i hasten to point out that i have never, ever, since then forgot the bungs.. ever!!! Cheers Mick

Hi David, i have a boat that was antifouled and i would love to know how to get that stuff off my hull. my old man has a yacht that get slipped annually for the antifoul. unfortunately, legs, props and the likes, being metal dont seem to take kindly to having it on them. further, i am not aware of the fact that anything else currently available on the market is better than that currently used, else i would think that the shipwrights and marina's would have already cottoned onto it given the price paid to have it done.... but, if there is a better product they might do themselves an injustice by recommending it as the annual service might become a biannual service for them.... but that is pure speculation and is unfounded by me .

for the dollars you are looking at spending, stick with the hummingbird brand. easy to buy parts for which can often be difficult on some other brands. honestly, they all essentially do the same thing. it just depends on whether you want to pay for a colour screen, bells and whistles etc or have a functional unit that does what you need without fancy gadgets that, while they may look great in the shop, you will possibly never use them. only my opinion but ultimately that choice rests with you.. so for mine buy the best basic model which would have all the bits you need and forget the ritz that might impress your mates but you have to live with it when they are not around. only my two cents worth. good luck with the search and remember, set a budget and stick with it so you dont rue your decision later on. cheers

are you sure that is the case? i thought once your licence expired you had to comply with the current regulations. if i am wrong i would be glad to be enlightened as i have a friend who moved address but forgot to notify waterways and as such his licence expired two years ago... i am sure he would be glad to hear your news if that is in fact the case. Cheers Mick

The burnt tinge shown in your pic seems to point to an electrical short or fault that has occurred. either get a sparky in or buy yourself a multimeter and see if you have any elceltrical current there. If not, i would start at the battery and work your way along the chain until you find the dead end. Hope that helps. cheers.

Ah i know the feeling!! my kids look for any excuse to drag the net through the water. i would be the seafood king for all the bluey's my young net bearers have missed, but as you said it is a great learning experience for them and i would rather miss a crab here and there than not teach my lads the fine art of netting them. after all,they can only get better! and the crabs we missed get bigger!!!! Cheers

Sounds like my eldest! always used to hound me to go fishing and as soon as the boat hits the water..... "Dad i want to go home!" if i ignore the request and start catching a few fish it all seems to change and suddenly it is like days of old... They just grow uptoo quickly.. Cheers Mick

1970's (not sure exactly) Haines Hunter V146C towed by 1996 VS Berlina. Cheers Mick

If you are in doubt, do yourself a favour and have it corrected by a professional. at least you will enjoy many years trouble free rather than having it come back again months later. do it once, do it right. thats my advice. Cheers

i dont use clears as its a cabin boat so if pouring we adjoun to the cabin... its nice and dry there.. for interests sake it cost less than $300 including bimini boot storage. i installed it myself.

Here is a photo of it set up. i was too lazy to pack it away as it is 40 deg.... Cheers and hope this helps Mick Sorry forgot toadd. YES it does remain folded upright and the storage boot packs the bimini nicely away... Cheers Mick

Hi, Bias boating sell a bimini called "Whitewater series". they are self supporting and pretty easy to install. i have had one for a few years now on my half cabin and it is fantastic. easy to open and can leave it up while motoring and takes 2 minutes to put dowm and pack into the storage bag at the end of the day. i think this type of setup would suit what you are after. Regards Mick

i read a similar article back in Dec 08. all regular unleaded is to be replaced by E10 by end of 2011. that means you buy E10 or premium unleaded. you can thank the elected pollies for that... hope E10 doesn't end up in outboard fuel tanks... looks like is premium fuel as the only choice. as long as it doesnt cost you an arm and a leg.

Holly Molly!!!!! Brian that fish is the lock ness monster!

Hi Groperman, when i installed my sounder, i ran a separate pos and neg line direct from the battery. i installed two inline fuses on the positive line, one from the battery and one near the sounder. i am not sure why you need to run the sounder through a switch as i would think the one you have has an on/off button on the sounder itself. i am unclear what directions the manufacturer has stated but it appears awfully complicated when in fact it needn't be. Cheers

i remember a great days fishing with the kids and heading back to the ramp, i saw a guy sitting on his butt with his head hanging down. i looked behind him to see his brand new outboard firmly wedged between the bitumen and the edge of the concrete ramp.... i offered assistance but this guy didnt want a bar of it. i sat patiently at the wharf while watching him try to manually lift the engine that was embedded 3 inches into bitumen. this went on for twenty minutes before i had had enough and suggested he might like to drive forward a few feet rather than trying to lift up his motor along with the concrete ramp which it was firmly beded against. after coping a few verbal sprays from him, he reluctantly shifted his vehicle forward. much to his amazement, he was now able to lift up his brand new motor !!!! kellog's would be proud of supplying this one with a licence!!!!! common sense is something you are born with, not attached to a plastic token... Cheers

gidday. i am no expert on motors but i have a Tohatsu 70hp. i have had a problem with it once before.... but two years on it hasnt missed a beat. like Huey says, they are no world beater in terms of tech but they are a simple and reliable design that should serve you well for many years.As with any outboard, if you look after it then it will look after you. i'm happy with what ive got and i like its reliability... cheers Mick

I remember having a very similar problem with my outboard. if you slowly eased the throttle on , no problems, but if you gasses it up it would sound like it had eaten a beach umbrella.... turns out the linkage for the carbies had come loose ( its a tiny little bit of white plastic that clips into the linkages). clip her back on and whoa! instant HP gain. felt like completely different engine. might not be the problem but worth a look. Cheers Mick

This is my current ride. Haines V146C. awesome boat but wish it was a V17C. This is my work in progress. 17.5ft caribbean crestcutter. has not yet hit the water but i enjoy having a beer sitting in it in the driveway.

i would be checking the connection from the external antenna to the unit. if the unit has been gradually getting slower to get a gps fix, it seems like the connection may have been slowly deteriorating. also look at the condition of the external antenna, rusty connection, poor earth all might affect connection. hope this helps. cheers