zmk1962

Agree. We cook on gas stove now - love the instant heat and it is hotter than electric. We are set up with 2 bottles so there is no extra rent for them. So it’s just the additional consumption of gas that I had to factor in. I’m spending $600 per year on off peak electricity for hot water. That’s 6.6 x 45kg gas bottles. Looks like I’ll be in front. cheers Z

Thanks @Rob81 ! So I guess you're concluding he webber is more efficient than the stove inside ! I've read a lot of recent bad reviews on the current Bosch models and only praise on the Rinnai (42 bad reviews from all over the country https://www.productreview.com.au/listings/bosch-optiflow-professional). Which is a bit upsetting cause I liked what Green Hornet said about the HydroPower start that Bosch has on some of their units. So at present I'm leaning to a Rinnai even though it will mean cold water when there is a power failure (but because we have solar, it will be limited to power failure at night). I'd be very happy to get 3months out of a tank (house of 3 adults) ... only 4 gas bottles a year ! Cheers and Thanks Zoran

Thanks so much Noel.

Thanks Noel... yup aware of that. Just want to get a handle on how much gas they consume. What peoples experiences have been.

Hmmm ... that just tells me you're missing some in the collection ! Cheers Z

Thanks @Green Hornet, thats exactly the type of advice and experience I was after ! A new offpeak electric tank is about the same price as a 26L instant gas system. Annually I am spending about $600 on offpeak electricity service... at my current Sydney gas supplier rates that equates to about 6.6 x 45kg of gas. So based on your experience I'd be way in front. Hey @Rebel, unfortunately north and west roof space already has solar electricity panels. Current hot water is on offpeak - so solar generated electricity cannot heat the tank unless I move the hot water tank to prime electricity circuit all the time - which doesn't add up if the tank wants to heat up at night or rainy day as I'd be paying 28c/kwhr. Cheers Zoran

Hey Raiders, Our 315L offpeak hot water just started to leak - it's done its time. Anticipating this event I've been considering switching to a gas Instant Hot Water unit - the only problem is we do not have Natural Gas in the street, so I'd have to go LPG and hook it up to our 2 x 45kg cyls that are currently used for cooking, BBQ and some instant room heating. Is anyone currently running a gas Instant Hot Water unit on LPG cyls? I'd be keen to chat to understand your experience - how long do the cyls last etc. Just post here or PM me. Thanks so much. Cheers Zoran

Yup same with mine its the topside that gets burned. The sides on mine not so much. The underside good as. Your welcome. Least I can do to repay for all those snapper hints and tips. BTW, if you wait a bit, I sense Baz will be in possession of one of those Ryobi cordless buffers - it's will make your job that much easier again ! Cheers Z

Hey Scratchie .... I assume you are just trying to restore that new showroom fibreglass look. Owning a 28yr old FG hull here's what I considered and what I do to keep BARRYCUDA looking like this: 1. Respray with two pac marine paint : my friend has a 40ft yacht - moored - he has it resprayed about every 6yrs to keep that new look. Being on a mooring he is somewhat restricted in waxing / buffing etc. The painting process is essentially the same as respraying a car - cutting back and stripping all oils to ensure you get good adhesion. You have the option of spraying with a clear coat or adding colour. Ongoing maintenance is the same as looking after your car paint job. Can you do it as a handyman, probably - but without a spray booth it will be like you respraying your car in the open. Also, you'd need to shift the hull (rollers etc). I chose not to do this. 2. Vinyl Wrap : I have no experience with this - durability - ongoing maintenance etc. DIY ??? It just seemed to me, if I did this I'd always freak if I bumped up against the wharf? What happens with scratches? Does it start to peel ? Maybe others can give more advice here - but I chose not to do this. 3. Cut/Wax/Buff: Yes the elbow grease approach. Initially I was quite disappointed with this - I used to cut back with a cutting compound (looked great) then just whacked on any car polish and buffed - looked even BETTER ... but this lasted about 2-3 weeks then it faded and was chalky again and I was pi$$@#off and depressed wondering why I bothered. Happy to say that I've changed how and what I do and now I am getting much better results that last for 2-3months (even longer over winter out of the harsh summer sun). But first its helpful to understand what's actually gone on at the fibreglass surface. The first layer of glass that you see is the gelcoat - gelcoat is different to the glass thats underneath. Gelcoat is permeated with waxes and oils that give it that smooth finish and water proof property. Once these oils have evaporated and the waxes have dried out, the resin structure of the gelcoat is exposed and oxidises (chalks). So in addition to cutting back the oxidation, the restoration process has to some how replenish some of those lost oils /waxes and seal them in. I found that just cutting back and using car wax products didn't cut it - cutting back exposed a new layer of colour, but the car wax only provided a surface wax (designed to keep car paint protected) but didn't penetrate into the gelcoat. So pretty soon after application, it dried off , exposed the gelcoat and you were back to where you started. Long story short, the best products I have found to maintain the gelcoat in a marine environment are the following products most are from Meguires. Heavy cutting - badly oxidised - use a product such as the Septone below (or even an automotive brand like Kitten). You only have to use this the first time to cut back years worth of oxidation - these products have NO waxes/oils. Lighter cutting - touch up cutting Meg44.... Once you have cut back, Meg45 this is the stuff that actually penetrates waxes/oils into the gelcoat - I absolutely recommend the Meguires stuff. Then you need to seal it in - so final coat of wax - The above Meg50 Wax has provided longest protection to seal in the oils, but the Nulon below has delivered good results (at 1/2 the cost) as a fall back --- The process: wash boat with a car detergent and let it dry. 1. Cut back with a cutting compound - if this is the first time you are doing this - you have years of oxidation so use the Septone/Kitten for a deep cut - then the Meg44 to polish the gelcoat. Otherwise just use the Meg44. 2. Wipe over with a clean microfibre cloth. 3. Apply Meg45 High Gloss Polish - buff after 4. Apply Meg50 Cleaner Wax - buff after. Repeat every 2-3months as required with Meg50 or the Nulon stuff . Rarely do you need to go back to Meg45 - I have one side of the boat that cops all the sun - and I may have to hit that side with Meg45 once a year. Application/Buffing. I use pieces of old towels to apply the compounds and microfibre cloths for hand buffing around railings, bollards and fiddly areas. I have tried using a 9in 240V shop buffer but just found it way too heavy and bulky and the cord was a pain always catching when I least wanted it to. So I recommend you get yourself one of these - I can swing this around with one hand, climb all over the boat and one 5Ah battery will last longer than it takes me to do the whole boat. I use it for cutting and buffing. Buy replacement cutting/buffing pads on eBay (way cheaper). Once used, chuck them in the wash let dry and re-use - I still have my original set 4years into this. You can also use the buffer on the cars AND on the stainless steel fridge and other household appliances - you wife will love you. Anyway, thats how I do it. It's a bit of an investment to buy the marine products (about $30 for each of the Meguires, $18 for Nulon) and the buffer, but it's definitely a DIY type job. The initial cleanup cutting, wax and final wax will take you a good half day or more. But once done, the upkeep wax and buff is easy. I can wax and rebuff now in about 1-1.5hrs - depending on how many beer breaks I have. So it's not that much of a chore. Hope this is what you were after. Cheers Zoran PS - I have no relationship or financial interest with bunnings, ryobi or meguires products ... 🤪

Found my link to an earlier post o hairtail ... best of luck ! please report back cheers Zoran

Is this the start of a Fishraider Hairtail sesh social !!! Cheers Z

First Hairtail I ever caught ... back in the 80's with my first boat in the background. Good tucker for sure. Cheers Z

Wow! Great skill great catch. Congrats. Definitely a bucket list adventure cheers Zoran

Hairtail are very good on chew. Caught many. they have no scales so just wipe down with a rough cloth. The gut cavity is very short and easy to clean. Lop the head and the rest of the fish is one flat muscle fillet. I cut mine into 8” lengths, dust with flour or crumbs and shallow fry. Search FR lots of discussion re how to prepare and serve. cheers Zoran

Glad the boat and rig are all sorted Jon and you are back on the water. Just fabulous photos. Thanks for sharing. Cheers Zoran

Yep Haines built them pretty solid - we found it's 3/4" fibreglass a the bow when we had the toilet plumbed. I try to keep Barrycuda in good nick - but he has his battle scars which don't show in photos. I can see a lot of similarity in the 2250's lines to the 635. 100% agree about boating during the week - so much less stress. I'll keep an ear out for chatter from SY321. BTW, I've sent you a PM regarding my calcs and thoughts on fuel consumption - welcome your thoughts ! Second Grady ! Nice- congrats mate. Without a doubt the Grady's are in a different league to the Haines - they are purpose built game boats built to go wide where as I feel my Haines is built to handle the occasional wide outing. Cheers Zoran

... I was just going to ask what bait you use at the Supermarket .... never heard of that waterway system (is it fresh or salt?)... so I am all curious. Cheers Z

Hey Jim. I haven’t made tortillas but my offsider (Maria) makes many styles of breads, flatbreads, naans, lepinje etc. We like our food ! If you have a good tortilla recipe please share. love the nachos!! cheers Z

Gotta stay positive and within the rules ... makes it easier when you just get along as well ! Cheers Z

Hey Raiders, This may not be everyone's cup of tea but in recent overseas trips Maria and I have developed a real taste for Fish Tacos and thought I'd share here how we go about reproducing this meal. It's definitely more street food than @kingie chaser's home fine dining .... but we keep coming back to it as a favourite .... infact just had a meal now ! Ingredients: 1 boneless fish fillets (blue eye, flattie etc) chopped into bite size pieces 2 prep Red and White cabbage coleslaw 3 Chipotle Mayo 4 Pico de Galo - chopped tomato, onion, jalapeno pepper, salt, lime juice, coriander, olive oil 5 medium size tortilla's Method: 1 roll fish pieces through flour/salt/white pepper mixture 2 fry the fish pieces till golden (I add a clove of garlic to the oil) 3 heat the tortillas in a pan till they start to bubble/char 4 assemble tacos, squeeze some extra lime juice on top and ENJOY !!!! Cheers Zoran

Thanks Yowie .... yup have provisioned good tucker for a while - so now we a free to experiment with other styles of fishing and target species. No pressure to bring a feed home ! Hmmmm ... KC gave an insight into why .... but I prefer to catch my own just like you I'm sure Thanks Jim. You have to keep looking for the positives - the alternative is rather depressing ! Cheers Z

Thanks... drifting and line direction - it's just one of those things you have to accept fishing - wind - waves - tides - a high sided boat - outboard leg in water - anyway eventually the boat settles into a somewhat steady direction - it's never bothered M in the past - but it was GREAT for me to try the other side of the boat hahaha! Occy - kept it simple - crushed garlic, olive oil, chopped parsley, white fine ground pepper, chilli flakes, himalayan pink salt - left it to marinate. Some of the thicker bits can be chewy but I don't mind when they are fresh like this especially when they accompany a soft flesh fish like the jacket - adds texture. Lemon - OF COURSE ! ... a side of string beans and greens and some air-fried chippies, with a bottle of Serafino Shiraz .... Friday feast ! Couldn't agree more. I have not purchased fish for home consumption for way over a decade. If we don't catch it we don't eat fish at home. Added bonus - it adds a lot of focus to our fishing and makes you appreciate every fish you harvest !!!! Thanks Neil. It was an unusual request from M - she knows drifts change - to her defence she didn't sleep the night before for some reason - so everything felt a bit off for her the whole day but she stuck it out to stumps. So can't complain AND now there is now an added incentive to head out together again - even the score so to speak! Thanks Sam .... great to get out, obey all the rules and have a great day. Yes the rivalry hahaha - it's all in good fun - I have at least two of everything - identical sets of gear - so there is no unfair advantage just skill on the day (lets say LUCK ON THE DAY!) BUT, I do have to say that rivalry just covers the fishing - I'm still the solo captain, crew, driver, parker, anchorer, navigator ... in addition to my fishing duties ! Thanks Rebel ! Thanks Mate .... yes was an awesome day - great to breathe some fresh salt air ! Cheers Z

Hey Raiders, After observing lockdown procedures from the start we were running very low on our fish stock so Maria and I decided to head out for a food gathering exercise at our favourite flathead grounds off Barrenjoey. Weather forecast looked great for a morning session on Thursday 23.04.20 with 9-10kts winds up to 9 am then pretty much dead calm on 0.6m seas. Earlier in the week I had to top up the landcruiser so I hitched the boat on the back and topped it up as part of the same trip - so boat was ready. Also, I had bait left over from the earlier Brown's mountain trip (salted pilchards and squid) and my usual stash of SP's so no extra bait trip required We were at Parsley Bay ramp just on 6.15am, only one boat with two oldtimers infront of us - they were still prepping their boat when M and I had ours in the water and were parking the car. Three other boats turned up in no time - everyone was friendly but kept their social distance. Raced straight out and were on the 40m mark at around 7am. Rigged 2 hook paternoster rigs, with a berkley powerbait minnow 10cm on top hook, half pillie or squid on bottom hook, and a bottom bouncing sinker jig (search workshop forum - Bottom Bouncing) at the sinker. First two drifts on the mark produced juvenile blue spot, then I hit a solid 55cm bluespot model on the SP. Dropped the anchor and swung around for 20min - more juveniles. Upped anchor - drifted for M to land another 50+cm bluespot on the SP then juveniles again. Decided to head out to 50m grounds. By this time M did something very unusual (remember she usually out-fishes me and gets the oddball fish) - she wasn't happy with her side of the boat - said the line was drifting under the boat and wanted to swap sides. Being the gentleman - I agreed. Anyway, 50m ground, her rod bends, solid hook up, bit off line peels of drag and then dead wait - and she brings up a decent octopus - there's the oddball. Hmmm. In the meantime I've landed a double hook up of two solid jackets - well glad they were in the boat but oh dear not jackets again. Then M boats a jacket and I bring another two onboard in quick succession (one being a horse) .. we call it quits on the 50m grounds. No loss of gear and 5 jackets in the boat - no point in testing fate any further. Score so far, M 1 flattie, 1 occy and 1 jacket, Z 1 flattie and 4 jackets. So we decide to go back to the 40m mark and focus on long drifts - keeping to our "new sides of the boat" as M previously requested. At 40m grounds, we made many repeated drifts, and bagged another 15 bluespot flatties between 45 and 59cm. I also landed an occy. So final count for the day: M 2 flatties, 1 occy and 1 jacket, Z 15 flatties, 1 occy and 4 jackets. Note: All the bigger flatties were hooked on either the SP or the bottom bouncing jig ! End result 5.25kg of clean fillets/seafood - so our food gathering exercise was a success. Being the gentleman, I thanked Maria for the use of her side of the boat (bahahaha) and offered to cook dinner Friday night ... also great to get some back on the jackets ! Tight lines amigos. Cheers Zoran

7m ... hmmm... is the craft a bowrider, center console or cabin cruiser? All would have different implications on ability to meet 1.5m social distancing requirement. Honestly guys, I think you are trying to read too much into this - maybe to satisfy a particular scenario you have in mind. The MRSS letter (like the other official communication) states in bold "physical distancing rules apply at all times" .... including at the boat ramp and "on your boat". This is the rule. The sub bullet that talks about being alone or with no more than one person ... still has to abide by that first bold statement - the rule - it is just trying to give you some insight into the implementation. Realistically, the wording will never be able to cater to all scenarios - but you understand the intent - implement social distancing. It is also basically what I wrote in my first post on this topic. Anyway, That's the last I have to say on this topic as well. We have abused @the skipper's topic enough. If you want to debate this further I suggest you move it to its own topic. It is very clear to me what the intent is and what is required to be compliant. Cheers Z

Most sounders will show a gravel / mud / sand bottom as a thicker line, and hard ground as a thin line. It comes down to absorption of the sounder ping signal. The more that is absorbed (soft bottom) the thicker the echo shadow, the more that is reflected back (hard ground) the thinner the line. Cheers Zoran