Paikea

Hi Yowie Do you still want the maps. If so please call (04177778710 to agree a time to pick them up Cheers Paikea

I love eating chilies in most dishes. I have one plant that regularly produces one big very good looking/tasting chill about 100 mm long and 25 mm dia. But It never seems to produce more than one. The one shows no signs of being eaten by any type of plant predator but as the one chilli ripens the foliage of the whole plan dies off. Anyone else have this problem? I used to grow multiple numbers of the small variety chilies however they are a bit to hot for me. The plant is in a pot and is regularly watered. Cheers

I am thinking of painting the side/stern of my Brooker 4.1 leaving the bottom and interior bare. Problem is I want to use one of the good two pack paints like Norglass however their colour range is very limited. Can the two pack paints be tinted? If so, how is it done? Thanks for any advice. Cheers Paikea

Anyone have a location near Cronulla/Kurnell where there is long blackfish weed? Used to be able to buy the good weed from tackle stores like Jim Mitchel at Hurstville, Ken Apell at Caringbah or the bait shop at Tom Ugly's bridge etc but no more. The best weed was the type that had tiny molluscs in it, anyone remember that? Long, smelt great, strands of broad leaf etc. Ah the good old days. Cheers Paikea

Hi Noelm I was faced with your situation last year. Existing home no longer ideal for reason that with two crook knees I found it almost impossible to get up the 23 steps to our living area. So looked around but could not find anything remotely as good in a single storey. Also, as moving into a unit did not appeal we looked at the cost of moving and realized that with agents fees, taxes, moving costs etc we were looking at a pile of cash just to downsize to something less than what we have. So I looked into fitting a lift to take us up to the top floor. First quotes were silly and totally destroyed the look/use of a significant part of the floor space. Then out of the blue we met a lady who had a similar problem and fitted a 200 KG small lift that easily takes her and her husband up the one floor. We called the firm, they came out, immediately suggested an ideal position and best of all a price that was 25% of what the other firms quoted. We went ahead and ordered their unit which was fitted in two days including cutting through the concrete floor. Cleaned up a treat and we could not be happier with the result. We get to stay in the home that I built 30 years ago, no moving costs, no taxes, no agent's fees. We saved several hundred thousand dollars. Seriously. Pure bliss! Attached is a pic of the lift. If you would like more info please give me a call on 0417 777 871. Cheers Paikea

Thanks Donna & Dunc Cheers Paikea

Cheers Dave Paikea

You are missing the point, pimping a new (old) boat is all about the joy of working out mods that will enhance your future use of the boat. And then implementing those that best fit your needs and cost criteria either by doing the work yourself or getting the hard bits done after shopping around for the best deals. I will end up with a boat that has all that I could want/need without incurring the hefty prices of adding options to a new boat. My last boat, the heavily optioned Stessl 460 Extreme cost a bomb ($40K plus) but did not suit me, Hence I had a lot of money left from its sale to buy the old Brooker, a very good and safe boat, and spend some of that money pimping it. Make sense? Kept the boss happy as well as she gets the balance of the left-over money for her projects. I was fortunate to find a highly experienced welder living only 10 doors from my holiday home at Burrill Lake where I keep the boat. He did the welding for my mods at a price well below what I was quoted in Sydney. And a super job. The Brooker is a big boat, supposedly 4.1 M but actually 4.2 overall. With 7 strakes above the floor amidships it is a deep boat, 1.85m wide that unlike my last boat, a Stessl 460 Extreme with high floor and casting deck left me feeling quite insecure. Standing in the bow of the Brooker I can lean against the rear of the front deck very securely and still use the area to cast from. The mods that I have made so far include, Wide gunwales with welded in rod-holders, a custom boarding ladder with a high handle to assist boarding with 2 x dickie knees (three total knee replacements, all NBG!) Plus use the raised handle as a lean post at the rear of the boat. Replaced the cracked plastic anchor well with a welded in one re-enforced to take an anchor winch if I find that helpful. (see pic of the winch in my Bar Crusher 490 C) Fitted a welded in splash well to stop water coming over the deep transom cutout. New floor, carpet to be fitted to the floor and seats. (hate that gluing). Made a small switch panel to either mount ahead of the side at the transom or a future side console. Installed new bunks to the trailer and modified the rear supports to guide the boat onto the Center roller. Fitted a battery box under the floor ahead of the front seat to help keep the nose down on taking off and power for a future electric. Looking at fitting the electric over the top of the low front rails rather than cut the Port rail down to mount it flush with the deck. I also have a fish box with a seat and storage in the top and fish box under (see pic) I may try to incorporate that as part of the side console or just place it in the centre of the boat. It had been fitted to three of my last boats and is very handy. As the boat is kept at Burrill Lake, I can only work on it when down there. So I took on building a Billy-Kart for the grand kids to use in the down hill race at Bangalow next May. Bought a Vevor, Mig/Tig/Stick welder and am re-learning my Mig welding skills. Early results led to son in law saying You can always putty them up and paint them Opa! Cheeky sod! I am hoping to relearn Tig welding that I last did some 55 years ago to fabricate the side console.

Hi Yowie I have much enjoyed your posts over time. I have not been able to fish for some 18 months and am having withdrawal symptoms. When I do get back on the water my better half has banned me from fishing outside so I will mainly be fishing Burrill Lake where we have a small holiday cottage. So I will not have any further use for some fishing maps that I have . The Port, Botany Bay Sydney Harbor, Ulladulla and outside from each of them. Seeing as you appear to live quite close to me (I live four doors from the Esplanade between Oak Park and Shelley Beach) if they are of any interest you are welcome to have them. Give me a call on 0417 777 871 if interested. Cheers Paikea

Thank you Fab I think the only part that I am concerned about is the removal of the Tiller and replacing that with the linkage that goes through the main swivel. I guess I will need to remove the existing swivel and replace it with a hollow one to take the steering controls? BTW, how do you find your motor? Happy with it? Some folk claim that they are very noisy but hey that does not affect fishing at anchor! Thanks for the advice, if anyone else knows how/where to get the parts please let me know. Cheers Paikea

I have a 2006 30 HP two stroke Yamaha on my 4.1 Brooker and would like to change it to controls on a small side console. I have no idea what parts would need to change but the internet seems to offer a wide range. Has anyone had any experience of doing this? If so I would love to hear from you. The motor is the old two cylinder workhorse used by oyster growers & kids transom standing their little tinnies etc, in fantastic condition I would like to keep it rather than upgrade to a 4 stroke but obviously cost will be a factor. All advice gratefully received. Cheere Paikea

I have a 2006 30 HP two stroke Yamaha on my 4.1 Brooker and would like to change it to controls on a small side console. I have no idea what parts would need to change but the internet seems to offer a wide range. Has anyone had any experience of doing this? If so I would love to hear from you. The motor is the old two cylinder workhorse used by oyster growers & kids transom standing their little tinnies etc, in fantastic condition I would like to keep it rather than upgrade to a 4 stroke but obviously cost will be a factor. All advice gratefully received. Cheere Paikea

Hi All I have not posted for some time nor worked on pimping my Brooker 410. Reason being my being diagnosed with Stomach Cancer and undergoing Chemotherapy. Not a fun way to spend time and not how I expected to spent my retirement years. But hey, there are worse forms of the big C so I live in hope of a cure. In the meantime I have been building a Billie cart for my grand-kids. Ready for the Bangalow downhill race in May. Sometimes we need to experience adversity in any shape or form to appreciate just what good things happen to us every day.. Every day where I live on this earth and who I am so blessed to live with is a precious gift that has no bounds. as per the Maori mantra. THE BIRDS CALL, THE DAY BEGINS AND i AM ALIVE. Thank you to the Magpie that sings his song in our backyard with such joy and the noisy, paired for life Plovers at Burrill Lake You are a part of my life that I will value for all time. Cheers all, I will hopefully be able to finish pimping the Brooker but it may take some time. Paikea

Thank you, gentlemen, for your sound advice. Much appreciated. Sorry about the delay in responding. I have been suffering from the dreaded flu and out of action. Still not 100% but getting there. I have never used spade fittings before, and wonder should the goo be painted over the rubber boots of the spades or should they be removed before applying the goo? If the latter, that would be a pain to do. I will fit a 30A fuse in line as suggested using a separate blade fuse wired in using crimp connectors. I normally use heat shrink tube over crimp connectors but should they also be covered in the goo? I have ordered some bus bars that look to be ideal. Will apply the goo to the crimped screw on connections as well. I may end up covered in it! Cheers Paikea

Great report. Thank you for sharing Paikea

Hi All I am fitting various electrical items as part of pimping my Brooker 410. Looked for a suitable switchboard both on this site and the net. I wanted something compact that would be easy to wire up and troubleshoot in future if needed. I like rocker switches and a built in or separate fuse panel that is easy to access. As my switches will be mounted on a small panel installed between the gunwale and the top of the rear bench seat I wanted to be able to access the fuses from the front of the panel and not have to search in the back or unscrew the panel from the bracket. After much searching I lucked on a website that carried details of a combo switch circuit breaker panel that was ideal for my needs. Comes with a comprehensive set of stick on labels and indicating lights on the switches to show when they are on. Never thought of circuit breakers before but they look good and have splash proof boots so all accessible from the front of the panel. The following pics show self explanatory details plus a rough wiring diagram that I drew up to guide my wiring. The panel measures 173 Long x 132 High and needs about 100 clear behind for the wiring loops between the switches and the breakers. I hope that this might be of interest to members who are thinking of rewiring their boat. I will post pics of the panel when installed. Cheers Paikea

Hiyah Neil Love the juxtaposition of the bottle of (SA, I assume) Red in the background to the flowering gum. My wife got some bottle brush that was blooming in the garden of our shack at Burrill Lake and put them in a vase. They looked great, we are going down there again on Wednesday (to continue pimping my boat) and hope that they will still be aok. Oh, and the birds just love them. BTW, what river where you fishing in? I spent 3 years living in North Adelaide in 81-84 working on the Santos liquids project , saw a lot of the desert at Moonba plus the area at Port Bonython where the end product (LPG) was shipped out. Magic country, some of the best years of my life. Cheers Paikea (Hank)

I believe it is an A Model Ford. I will get details next time I go to Ulladulla. Meanwhile following is a more detailed pis incl the cabin. Cheers Paikea

Hi Yowie, good to see you still on the site, I missed my regular visits but hopefully will get back into it now. You still fishing the Port? Cheers

Thank you, I will post the finished job in due course. Cheers

Thanks big fella, good to be back on the site.

Be careful with a knee job. My left knee has been replaced twice. The last time the surgeon stuffed up and failed to position the patella so that the button on the patella runs in the groove of the lower part of the titanium prosthesis. As a result if I bend my knees more than about 10 degrees the knee collapses inward. The surgeon is known as a Figjam. (F@#! I'm good, just ask me!) Been to 4 different surgeons but no one can or wants to touch it. Hence waliking with a cane and painfull.

I have to confess, found a guy in Ulladulla to do the mods for me, best welding I have ever seen and pricing well below what I was quoted in Sydney. I am waiting for the floor to be done. 17 mm top grade form ply. I am hoping to get some dollar pattern rubber matting to lay in loose. That way I wont have problems drying carpet out or water seeping in to the ply, particularly the screw holes. Quickest way to rot a floor. Cheers

I have not posted for quite a while due to medical issues including deterioration of three knee replacements (2xL,1xR) which at 84yo have me using a walking stick. Hate it with a passion! The last trip in the 4.6M X-Treme Stessl on Port Hacking was a disaster as son in law and I struck the mother of all Southerly storms that came out of nowhere and whipped up huge waves with spume flying off their top. Caught in the channel at Lillie Pillie we had to run back to the ramp at Gunnamatta Bay which was very hairy. And getting the boat onto the trailer in that storm was an experience that I do not want to repeat.The day was such a disaster that my son in law told my wife never to let me out in a boat again, he was that concerned at the events of the storm and my limited ability to handle the boat. At this time I also hated the limited freeboard of the Stessl which felt quite insecure. All of this led to my selling the Stessl that was supposed to be my last boat plus the 3.6M lightweight lake boat that I used to fish Burrill Lake. Happy wife who insisted no more boats, you are too old to handle them and having retired in 2021 I was rapidly getting boat withdrawal symptoms. 18 months on without a boat I was bored Sh%$^&s and feeling my age. Not a good feeling. Then out of the blue we were driving down to our shack at Burrill Lake and there at Ulladulla Harbor were the usual vehicles lined up for sale plus a Brooker 410 Fisherman. I kept quite but after dropping the boss off I drove back to look at the boat. Although dirty and unkempt I was very impressed with the depth and large internal volume of this boat. (1.85 wide x .550 deep and a flat floor right out to the sides of the hull). The motor is a 30 HP Yammie 2 stroke. Known as a solid workhorse favored by small barge owners and oyster farmers for their ruggedness and simple construction the price was right so I persuaded the boss to part with some of our savings pointing out that I had sold the Stessl and the Little boat for approx 8 x the price of the Brooker so we were way way in front. Of course I love pimping my boats and this one presented great opportunities to make improvements. The pics show the work in progress, 1728 & 1731 show the boat for sale at Ulladulla. 1790 & 1764 the boat stripped ready for cleaning and mods. 1840 & 1869 new wide gunwales and welded in rod holders. 1864 & 1863 the new boarding platform and ladder that my wife insisted I fit in case I fall overboard. The high handrail is to help me get up and steady myself when getting in. Should be good to hang onto when standing up fishing from the back. 1846 is a new splash well. The transom cutout is so large/deep that I feel more comfortable with a well. 1866 is where I will mount the battery. Having that weight up in the bow should help keep the bow down and avoid the need for fitting a plate to the motor. 1862 shows a panel that will be used to mount switches, radio etc, being a tiller steer wont need much room. Finally, the last pics are of the Stessl and the Little Gem that I sold. All in all. I am happy too be back mucking about with boats and looking forward to getting the new Paikea (I kept the name) finished by spring ready to fish Burrill Lake and maybe the odd trip out of Ulladulla. Cheers Paikea

Hi All I am getting my 4M tinnie back from my son in law who does not get time to use it and needs a bigger boat to take his family out fishing etc. Problem is getting it down from Ballina. Too long a drive towing a boat at my age and my better half is not happy to tow a trailer or boat. Ideally, If I could find someone (with experience of towing a boat) coming back from Queensland or the Northern rivers who has a tow bar and would like to earn some bucks I would be happy to pay a reasonable fee to have it picked up at Ballina and delivered to me at Cronulla. If anyone is traveling down in the next month or so and is interested in towing the boat down leave a message with contact details and I will be in touch. I am having the wheel bearings serviced and the lights checked. I will also insure the rig for the trip. The attached picture was taken 10-12 years ago. A bit worse for wear now.