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I agree with RZEP. There is no way that you fit electric brakes to a boat trailer. Electric brakes are designed for caravans and similar things. Just think about it......electronics and water do not mix. You cannot adapt inertia brakes on your boat trailer to electric brakes fitted in your car. The common brake system fitted to the majority of boat trailers is known as "inertia brakes". If the components of your brakes are regularly maintained there is no reason for panic or upgrade. Simply give them a good rinse with fresh water after use, then when they have dried a quick spray around the moving parts with INOX will keep them trouble free for years. As the pads wear a simple adjustment of the turn buckle will see them operating effectively. I have replaced all the brake calliper bolts and turn buckles with stainless steel to make things nice and tidy, and to ensure I can undo/tighten them when I do my maintainence on them. Red Herring, your Barcrusher looks pretty new.... just keep on top of the maintenance and look after your trailer and you won't have any problems. Make it a annual event to service your trailer by pulling the hubs off to inspect/clean/replace the bearings. Pull the brake callipers off and inspect/clean/lubricate then make any adjustment to the interia cables as required. Grease the coupling at the towing point. Check your trailer rollers for signs of splits. Inspect the tyres (including the spare) tread and tyre pressure, look for nails or screws inbedded aswell. And finally torque up all the trailer bolts that may come loose, ecspecially the ones that hold the mud guards on. I make a habit of doing this before the start of summer each year. Call me weird but I am amussed by the amount of sad and sorry boat trailers I see on the side of the highway with the axles collapsed, flat tyres and no spare, bearings smoked, etc etc. If people think they can dunk a mechanical object into salt water and not do regular maintenance without headaches...they are kidding themsleves and deserve what they get! Neglect is the biggest cause of boat trailer failure . You may say that age is a contributing factor in boat trailer failure... I disagree. I upgraded my 14year old Brooker boat trailer 2yrs ago to a new Supa Roller Dunbier trailer. The 14 yr old Brooker was still in top condition as I had looked after it, no rust, everything including the interia brakes were still in top working order. Put it this way I got $1000 for it second hand when I sold it. So regular maintenence will not only protect you from a long hot wait on the side of the highway this summer, it will also ensure your investment does not depreciate un-necessarily. Anyhow I drifted off the topic there a bit, but thats my view & advice. Nathan.

Sounds very pricey to me too!

Wildfish, With water restrictions here to stay, I invested in a small 240v Karcher gerni for $100. I fill up a 40litre tub with water then use the gerni to suck the water from the tub/bucket to wash the boat. I have checked with Sydney Water and this is 100% legal- no problems at all. So as long as I suck the water from the tub/bucket I can wash my boat & trailer with the gerni until the cows come home. In regards to flushing outboard engines, you can still do it legally. To wash my boat and trailer I only use about 40-50litres of water....so using this method you still use heaps less water to achieve the same result. The Gernie makes light work of washing the carpet and the little bits of sun dried bait stuck on the gunnels. It is also easier to reach under and wash all the trailer components. The days of hosing down the boat are over my friend so we have to find ways around it to protect and maintain our investments. If the politicians think that I won't be thoroughly washing my boat/outboard/trailer because of water restrictions they are kidding themselves. We have all spent alot of $$$ on boats/engines/tackle and I won't be sitting back watching them deteriorate anytime soon.. Nathan.

I HAVE A FURUNO LS6100 SOUNDER WITHOUT TRANSDUCER FOR SALE. IT IS IN PERFECT WORKING ORDER ABOUT 3 YEARS OLD, BRAND NEW STILL IN THE BOX. MAKE ME AN OFFER? I KNOW TO BUY THE TRANSDUCER FROM BIAS BOATING FOR THE LS6100 IT IS $96. NATHAN.

One word Offtap.......YAMAHA! Sounds like you are really having some real issues with your E-Tec. It really you off when you spend heaps of $$$$ and are not satisfied. Put your E-Tec on EBAY and buy a Yamaha. Good Luck sorting it out dude.

I am thinking about getting a full storm cover made for my boat. I keep my boat under a carport but the front of it still gets smashed by the afternoon westerly sun. I am also sick of the boat getting dusty from a nearby construction site. I have looked at the covers you buy from Bias & Whitworths but lets face it they are crap and wont fit properly. I want one made from quality material that is waterproof and breathes............ and fits! So I want to a get a custom full cover made. Has anyone had one made recently or know how much a custom job would cost ????? My boat is a 18ft Seafarer and I want the cover to cover the entire boat/motor. Please any feedback will be greatly appreciated. If anyone can recommend a manufacturer/company feel free to PM me. Thanks Nathan.

I noticed that all the FADS from Port Macquarie northwards have been re-deployed for this season. Bring on Dolly season!

Well, with a day off and the kids at school I didn't have to think too hard how I'd fill the day in. Put the boat in at 6am and left Oatley ramp for Botany Bay heads. The wind was slight and the all looked OK. Headed about 2kms past the heads to between 40-50mts of water. Used pillies and scored 6 good flatties all about 50-60cm in about 3hours. We caught heaps of smaller ones but the keepers were only in about 45mts. Any shallower or deeper we found ourselves totally off the mark and couldn't even loose a bait. The Nor-easter picked up to about 15-20knots by 10am which made holding bottom near impossible not to mention lumpy conditions it created. So we head back into Spot X in the Georges River to fish the run up tide. Using live bloodworms I caught a PB whiting....it went 44cm and was the fatest one I've ever seen. When I first saw colour my mate and I both called it initially for a small jewie! By midday with the sun high in the sky the fish went off the bite, so we called it a day. Ended up with 6 x flatties between 50-60cm and 2 x whiting 44cm & 28cm. Sorry guys I left the camera at home. Just a tip for any guys heading out to fish Botany Bay this weekend.... The keeper flatties out the front are in 45mts of water. By the way water temp out the front was 18.1C........bring on the dollies! Nathan.

Stewy, it was a blue. I was told that black marlin are very rare in their waters. But blues and striped are prolific. Nathan.

Daniel, let me clarify that issue. I did not mean that there is no T&R in Hawaii, just that the company I went with don't practice it. I know that T&R is alive and growing on all the Islands of Hawaii. I did see an number of tag poles onboard the boat when I was out however they were a bit dusty!!!! I was fishing out of Kewalo Basin - Oahu. The charter company I went with run four other Game boats and they all capture their fish to supplement the running costs of the boats. This in turn keeps the charter cost per head down for blokes like you and me. Who am I to question the skipper of a boat about releasing the fish. I am sure that if I started telling Ross Hunter how to run his business he would quickly put me in my place. I look at it.... that I am a guest on his boat in a different country. I have to respect their way of life and culture. If they choose to capture the fish over T&R then I will not loose any sleep, I respect their decision. I am a huge supporter of T&R. Nathan.

Sorry to tease...but I got back from my trip to Hawaii on Friday night. As planned I went game fishing while over there, and yes I hooked that trophy fish. It was hooked at 10am on a trolled 8 inch skirted lure. It shook its head out of the water twice then went deep. 12 minutes later it was along side the boat with the gaff in its side and the deck hand smacking it on the head with a baseball bat. The fish did not perform like a typical marlin, it did not even jump once. Even the skipper and deckie were really suprised at its lack of fight! At 10:15am the fish was on the floor of the boat being iced down. In Hawaii to my suprise (or disgust) there is no such thing as tag & release. All fish hooked are captured and sold at the local market to supplement the running costs of the boat. The fish weighed 155lbs and would get between $3- $5 US at the local fish market. So my fish made the skipper about $620 US..... not bad hey! During the day we had 4 marlin strikes but my fish was the only one landed. It was a awesome day and great boat. As you can see by the pics the water colour is a beautiful blue and a warm 25.C

Wow, should have thrown that salmon back in with a dirty big hook through it!!!! My guess down that neck of the woods would be a little bronzy or a hammerhead. There are heaps of those toothy tackle theives that hang around at the mouth of the Bay.

Well Raiders, sorry to tease you all.....but I fly out to Hawaii tonight for two weeks . I have the game fishing charters booked already. I have my camera and I'll hopefully bag that trophy fish!!!! I'll hopefully post some great shots when I return. I just checked the fishing reports over there and they are catching 15kg dollies on a daily basis and marlin every other trip. Over there they use a technique to jig up the dollies, something I've never seen or heard of over here..... Jigging for dolphin fish - WHAT THE???? Hopefully I'll learn a thing or too which will help my strike rate. ALOHA Nathan.

Trent, the Ballast Heap is virtually opposite Dolans Bay or Gannons Road on the sourthern side of The Hacking. It is a reefy outcrop jutty out from the long continuous sand/weed bank that adjoins Mainbar. As you approach it you can see the colour change in the water, from sand to reef. It is quiet shallow and the water is usually very clear, as with the majority of the Port Hacking. There is a deep hole adjacent to the heap which is the area you want to try and target. My book states: On the incoming tide you will need to anchor on the eastern side of the hole and let the movement of the water take your berley and bait up alongside the reef (Ballast Heap). The area is worth a try for bream, flathead, whiting, and garfish. REF: FISHING GUIDE TO SYDNEY > HAWKSBURY by Gary Brown. Mate I have fished the Ballast Heap successfully for some big whiting on the local nippers which I pump at low tide from the Mainbar sand flats. The key is live bait and very light line with a very long leader (1.2-1.5m). Use just enough lead to hold the nipper on the bottom. The whiting are very shy in this area and if they feel any resistance they will spit the bait quicker then you can strike. I usually find myself changing the sinker several times depending as the current picks up or slows with the change of tides. I also fish this area with tiny hooks (no lead) and rolled up bread for 5-6inch poddy mullet which I use for live bait for flatties/jewies. Just throw some bread crumbs into the water and you'll have a million of the buggers there in no time at all. Anyhow, good luck. Nathan.

From one Seafarer lover to another......nice boat mate. I think its time for a new wife! Nathan

Adam, Congratulations on the investment. I'm sure it will bring you plenty of enjoyable times....and keep your pockets empty!!!!! There are always little things to buy that come with owning boats and fishing. I'd be interested to hear your feed back after you take it for a run. I'm sure that won't be to far away either! Keep us posted. Nathan.

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm or it might Puuuuuuuuurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Adam, Mate I have owned a 5.5m Seafarer Vega for the past 15yrs. I can only describe it in one word..."EXCELLENT". Put it this way, earlier this year I considered upgrading to a newer boat of similar size. I looked and I looked and found myself comparing everything back to what I had. My hull is excellent as good as the day I towed it out of the showroom 15yrs ago. I decided to stay with my trusty Seafarer and recently put a new motor on the back and got a new trailer. Mate seriously I have never looked back. Mate you want to fish 10mile offshore....no problem at all (as long as watch the weather & forecast - safety first). I regularly take my boat out to Browns off Sydney which is 40kms. I go out to all the FADS up and down the NSW coast chasing dolphin fish. Make sure that boat you are looking at has a decent size fuel tank. Mine came standard with a 130litre S/Steel tank. If I intend on going a long way I throw a 25litre jerry can in as a reserve (never had to use it thank god). I've got a 2007 130hp Yamaha 2 stroke on the back and I find 150+ litres of fuel on board is plenty for my offshore fishing trips. If your looking at a 90hp that will use about 25-30% less fuel. As far as the ride goes.... Its as good as it gets for a 18ft boat. What alot of people have to remember is that the ride is only proportionate to the size of the boat. Yeah sure its not a 35ft Bertram so the ride isn't that good. But I've been in a lot of both glass and alloy boats and by far mine gives a smoother, dryer ride for any boat of its size. I have found that the cheaper glass boats, that are heaps lighter don't ride half as good. Mate its the saying "you pay for what you get". I hope I have help you in the decision making process. I can only give a HUGE to the whole range of Seafarer boats. If you go through with the purchase of this boat I can guarantee that you won't be disappointed. If this boat that your keen on is a 1998 model, if you look after it and keep the sun off it there is no reason why you wont get 20years service out of it. My boat looks as good if not better then the day I brought it. People are regularly suprised when I tell them its true age. Most people think its only about 4or 5 years old! Mate sounds like a great investment to me. That's my two bobs worth anyhow. If you have any other questions just fire away I I'll happily reply as will the other bunch of good blokes on this great Forum. Nathan.

Spikey, Thanks for the GPS marks. I'm there the weekend 16-18/11/07. I think my 100 series Landcruiser will do the job easily if the ramp is like you have all been saying. Thanks guys for all ya input. Nathan.

Thanks Bomber. Those GPS marks are much appriecated. I'll certainly give them a go. Nathan.

Thanks for the tip Rod.

I'm off on a trip down the south coast in November to Bendalong. I have done heaps of fishing at the usual haunts on the south coast, like JB, Batemans bay, Narooma & Bermagui, but never fished out of Bendalong. Has anyone fished here before? Any hotspots to try? Bait grounds? I've heard the boat ramp is also little average at low tide? Any feed back from fellow raiders would be appriecated. Regards Nathan

Mate I have a Shimano TLD star 20/40 loaded with braid that I have used for flatty & snapper fishing for the past 5 years. They are a great robust reel. I highly recommend them. And to be offered one for $100......I'd be snapping it up with two hands. Nathan

Thanks guys, your replies were very informative.

Roberta, I agree, after doing my research and speaking to people who own Engel products, they are by far the best on the market. Although they are pricey, they are probably worth it. Nathan