Fab1

If your rig weighs less than that 1500kg braked capacity then it will be a legal towing combination. How much dose your boat weigh fully loaded for a trip including fuel and all gear is the first thing I'd want go know? Take whatever boat you plan to buy "fully" loaded over a weigh bridge to be "certain" of it's actual weight. You can tow pretty much tow anything with anything provided what your towing is kept under the vehicles max tow rating,taking care on the roads,having a well maintained vehicle and being sensible at the ramps. Cheers.

I would be happy with a "Little" 85cm Flatty.Imagine if they let Yowie fish there.

Good luck Zoran.Just for future reference instead of anchoring through the hatch standing on the bunk beds etc,you can always run a short length of rope to the helm and clip your anchor to this rope that you carry inside the boat in a fish box or similar. If you weren't aware. It works a treat for boats with difficult access to the bow due to one piece windscreens/small hatches etc and is much safer to boot. Anyway all the best with it mate.

In real life I put my foot down explaining I'm the boss,you do what I say,if you don't like it there's the door etc,etc.Then I quietly gather my pillow and blanket and go out and sleep with the dog in the shed for a while.She always learns her lesson because it happens every time.lol. With her crushed car beside it.

What's the purpose of the dick?Does it have a longer shaft for better penetration into the seabed?Tell you what,you don't want to get it snagged.Just kidding,I know what you mean. Good luck with your choices as Rick has given you some good info.

If your anchor is pulling/dragging I've I find it's not usually the rope used.From what I've seen way to many people don't have enough chain inbetween the anchor and rode,Use to light an anchor,and most importantly don't pay out enough rods when anchoring.A good guide I use is to have an angle of 30-45deg in the line from your bow to the surface of the water. If those above things are wrong your anchor can and will drag.You want a nice belly in the chain to keep the pull on the anchor horizontal and set. The Alderney ring and buoy work well or you can make your own up with a plastic barrel etc. I've anchored in that much water plenty of times in the past and even now in some of the deeper parts of the estuaries and just motor over the top of the anchor pulling the line in by hand over the bow roller.How much effort it takes will be dictated by your size and strength I guess ,but the easiest way other than a winch definitely is the buoy system. Again I'd like to hear from others.

The neighbours would of loved that I'm sure. Lol.

I use to have a haines signature 520c and always anchored with 10mm silver rope fine manually.(No winch). I still use the 10mm on my tinny now. I know you've got a bigger/heavier boat than the haines I had but 10mm would be the minimum I would go.I'd even go 12mm just due to strength and abrasion resistance. Just bear in mind that 95m of 10mm rode doesn't give you much scope in deeper/rougher water/weather. Ask yourself some questions such as: What weather conditions am I likely to find myself out in? What is the maximum depth I'm likely to anchor in? Type of bottom I'll be anchoring in? You get the picture and then base your decisions on this. If I was going offshore in any boat regardless of size i'd want 200m of rope on board split into two lengths of 100m lengths. I'd use one 100m length in shallower waters and clip on the other 100m length when anchoring in rougher deeper water. A lot of people carry 50m or less of rope even when going offshore which I think is madness.I carry 100m even on my tinny as you don't use the whole amount often,but you'll be glad you've got it when you need it. Unfortunately most of what I just said will be useless to you as that drum winch won't have the carrying capacity for the rope I like to carry. Looking fwd to what others have to say. Cheers.

Only a woman would do something like this guys.I guess it's one way to get hubby to spend time in the garden.Don't get any ideas ladies.

Yeah,It's always bbq night on Fridays,Saturdays and sometimes Sundays mate. Im working on this one to chuck on the ute and take it with me.

Make yourself a contraption from the trailer to a rear cleat similar to this.No holes,Little expense and works a treat.It will hold your boat while you launch retrieve driving off and on.Simple drive on/off Hook rope to trailer and tie off to a rail /cleat. I have a hook I made up on a rope I use for this purpose which works great. Just a thought.

You did it all wrong mate.You should have just placed an open palm below the surface and the trevally would of just came and lay in your hand.We all know your the fish whisperer.

I reckon your at the stage of being able to throw a line in with no hook attached and catch fish mate.Again a great report/feed.

Fair enough,Other than enlarging that access hole for removal the only other two options really are an engine hoist or chain block. I'd choose the enlarged hole method and fitting a rubber bellow afterwards for easy future maintenance if needed. Hope all goes well mate.

Thanks Donna. Some very valid points mate.Yes my cable is one of the easier ones to do but the harder ones have been put there some how. Personally I really enjoy tackling those real hard jobs the most. In regards to your mechanic from what you say,I would bend over backwards to keep him as good ones like him that do a good job and are reasonably priced are few and far between. Take care.

That's why I always take plenty.lol.Now if I can just stop feeding them and they start feeding me it would be nice.

Jon,your taking it all out of context mate.What your mechanic is doing for you is working.Keep doing what you have always done.I didn't say anything about $75hr etc that was Jon stating that he wasn't prepared to pay that.Never apologise for having an opinion mate as that's how we all learn. I don't know everything and I make it a habit to try to learn something new every day. If you thought I targeted you I sincerely apologise mate as that wasn't my intention. I just wanted anyone reading out discussion that simply oiling the cable is not doing a full service on a cable operated steering system for someone that would be giving it a go for the first time. We'll leave it there and I hope you continue to post on this fantastic site of ours and look forward to your posts. Again,I didn't mean to offend you or upset you in any way. Take care.

You need to lighten up Jon.Rick was just stating the obvious.Having someone work on your boat costs a lot of money to some people including him,myself and many others.There is no better satisfaction in the world than doing something yourself and saving a fortune in the process over the years that I'm sure rick will agree with. Not once did any one say your going to have a failure,in fact because you put so many hrs on your boat you keep everything moving and less likely to seize up. Who cares how much your service was I could of done it for a fraction of that but so what you do what you can. I never intended to have a crack at you or your mechanic,I just said oiling the cable is only helping the cable.If you don't clean and lube the tilt tube water will get in and eventually cause rust and the old grease if used originally can cake in there causing issues.The same goes for the bushes inside the swivel hub of the motor. I leave you with this thought and is part of the reason I've always done things myself where possible. When you have your car,boat ,mower etc etc serviced can you be 100%sure that the work and parts that where done/fitted where one in fact done and two done to a quality standard?I can. Sadly there's thousands of people that get taken for a ride every day it's not funny. Anyway,again I apologise if this has upset you but I will say it again oiling the cable will only help the cable from Seizing/freezing it will do jack for the tilt tube,bushings etc. Cheers.

There is a huge satisfaction doing things yourself isn't there mate?Im glad you found my post helpful.

Go and try to make a warranty claim on a rusty cable or tilt tube and you'll find your answer.They will laugh at you and say it is neglect on your part.You'll also find that usually the same people that neglect the steering on their boat or do minimal maintenance are the ones that sooner or later will be asking for help with seized steering.The same goes for wheel bearings etc. You keep doing what works for you.

Doing the hours you do will certainly help keep the steering free ,but I can assure you there will be corrosion inside your tilt tube that hasn't had time for the rust to weld itself to the inner tube unless your running a stainless tube due to your frequent use.For the rest of us that have our boats laid up for extended periods there is no substitute for a proper service.I stand by saying that just forcing hydraulic fluid through the cable is only a partial service.If your mechanic tells you otherwise I'd find another one it it where me. Your idea of a cheap cable may be someone else's idea of expensive too. You don't understand why I do everything myself?here's my reason. Because I can and I save a heap of money in the process and NO ONE will do the job like I will. Your mechanic may have a good reputation but he's doing a partial job by just oiling the cable.If you want to prevent stiff/frozen steering you have to be thorough. If you want to prevent stiff steering you need to attack the cable,tilt tube and all pivot points properly especially if you are a boater that uses their boat a lot less than you do. In conclusion just because some one is qualified doesn't mean they're any good.Not saying it's the same with your mechanic just saying through personal experience.

Good report Yowie.I must be a magnet for those inbetween undersized ones.I can just see the little ones thinking....here comes that sucker to feed me all his bait.

That does nothing for the corrosion inside the tilt tube mate.All he's doing is forcing fluid through the cable trying to keep it lubricated but is forgetting the tilt tube.Don't mean to be rude but that is not a steering cable service. The only way to do it properly is to dismantle,clean and lubricate everything as above and grease all Grease nipples while your there. Now you know why I do everything myself. Cheers.

All the best mate.Let us know how you go.

Thanks mate,hopefully it helps people have a crack when and if the time comes. cheers.