Billy2014

Yeah - for $1100 you would expect it to make you coffee as well but it doesn't!

Hi Paikea, I built the boat myself in 2013 but still playing around with bits & pieces on it, it's essentially finished now but I still need to clean it Link below to more photos. http://billsboatbuild.blogspot.com.au/ Cheers, Bill.

Thanks Paikea & Erroll. Actually, I think we may have hooked a big striped not a blue, I'm still not 100% on it, I have caught striped before, almost as big as this one and they did look a little more slender, this is why I thought this may have been a blue instead, it was a really solid looking fish. Anyhow, striped, blue, black, it's all good!

Amazing work and you even managed a pretty decent photo on your own, great stuff!

Nice work!!!

Hopefully we all have a good season!

That humble eggbeater has come a very long way. I would have preferred to hook a fish on a Tiagra but the Stella outfits are so light weight and make fishing more fun.

Thanks guys - We were just off Sydney and all three Marlin raised were well inside the shelf, the water is really starting to look good now too and most of the bait seemed to be in close.

Raiders, Only just finished building my boat and it's first Marlin trip was a ripper. Yesterdays trip started out as a spin for kings and mahi only to end up going for a troll - Totally unprepared for it as we didn't intend to fish for Marlin, no outriggers, spin gear and old lures, we hooked a Blue Marlin on the shot gun with a Stella 10k and a jigging rod, totally under-gunned. The hook was merely wrapped and locked around the beak so we were very lucky not to lose it. The Stella was also short of line so the chase was on to stay with the fish. Later in the day, we raised and lost another two black or striped Marlin, they were lit up, slashing around at the lures, keeping us well entertained so it was a bumper of a day and conditions were fantastic! I estimate the fish to have been around 130kg, quite solid with a beautiful copper coloured band running under the lateral line. Just snipped together a quick video of the blue on youtube, link below; Cheers, Billy.

And they go so hard don't they? Fight dirtier than a King too. Nice bit of magic Houdini. Sent from my RM-875_apac_australia_new_zealand_243 using Tapatalk

Congrats Vic, finally done it mate and there will be plenty more to come!!! Sent from my RM-875_apac_australia_new_zealand_243 using Tapatalk

Sometimes the top foredeck deck serves to stop the gunwales at the bow from spreading, really depends on the structural design. would be great if we could see some photos. Cheers Bill.

I was there for a sticky beak today, what a coincidence, I was thinking of posting a similar question. Facilities look good, a fair but of surge on the ramp but it was rough today, plenty of parking and the fish tables are fantastic. Amazing though, the break wall was doing an excellent job of keeping the swell and sea away considering.

Hey mate, not sure why you would need Navionics on a mobile or tablet when you own a HDS 7? Better off buying Navionics for the HDS 7 and maybe as a backup on the mobile. The HDS is still records trails without Navionics. Sent from my RM-875_apac_australia_new_zealand_243 using Tapatalk

After a bit of mucking around, We now have confirmation by lowrance that the elite 7 chirp with the 50khz transducer will manage 700m in a good sea without issue and still show up some detail. Should be good enough for browns. Thought Id close this one out, nothing worse than unconfirmed posts, just in case someone else asked the same question in the future! Cheers, Bill.

Should be similar on the HDS. On the elite 7 you can customise the chart plotter screen to show all sorts of data and trip distance is one of them. All trips are stored and can be downloaded on Garmin base camp or Garmin mapsource. Its a bit of mucking around between lowrance and Garmin software but its worth it and its free. If you are keen, please let me me know and ill post up details.

Exactly the same here, multiple policies with them for over 30 years and no mention of a discount until we asked. Unfortunately they couldn't match the others so we moved all our insurances over and saved megabucks. We are still nrma road service members though. Sent from my RM-875_apac_australia_new_zealand_243 using Tapatalk

Thanks for the reply Brett. Lowrance state that elite 7 hdi CHIRP has a depth capability of 914m using the 50khz transducer but I guess this needs to be taken with a grain of salt. Cheers, Bill. Sent from my RM-875_apac_australia_new_zealand_243 using Tapatalk

For me anyhow, no bike means not much quality in life - Without the riding nothing else works, fishing, home, work, family, the exercise keeps everything in balance including the mind. Anyhow - I am at Sydney Olympic Park tomorrow, doing loops with all the crazy people!

You can normally weld hull material which is most likely 5052 on the Quinie with cast aluminum fittings using 5356 filler, this shouldn't corrode unless there was a fair bit of porosity in the original weld which is possible because cast fittings are a bit like aero bars sometimes, full of air pockets inside which can contaminate the weld if not dealt with correctly. Cast fittings aren't great, they tend to break a lot buts that's another subject.

Gday boys, It's a case of god being in the details......the stainless fitting could be touching the bare metal edge of the hole in the boat and the metal edges where the rubbing strips are most likely aren't protected, water got under the rubber strip causing the aluminium to oxidise, lifting the paint. One thing common is that the bubbling of paint is in an area where water can get in but can't evaporate in time. Tinnies used in salt water are best left unpainted unless you can guarantee that all surfaces, edges holes etc are primed and painted watertight and all drilling is done prior to primer and paint. I doubt any boat manufacturer could achieve this satisfactorily. Just another point, aluminium rivets are only good for light weight fixings, you still need stainless fittings sometimes so that's were duralac comes in, its ugly, its yellow but it works. Even with duralac, i would still suggest removing all stainless fittings every couple of years, cleaning them re applying duralac. Anyhow, that elephant in the room is still here......can anyone else see it or is it just me? Cheers, Bill.

Nice! And now Contador is out but you probably already know that!

Hi Guys, I realise this may have been done to death already but I was wondering if there is someone who has a bit of experience with the Elite 7 HDI and bouncing off the bottom at Browns? I have one with the 50/200 khz transducer but haven't tried Browns with the 50khz yet. A mate of mine is in the market for a new unit so he is tossing up between the Elite 7 HDI CHIRP or the HDS 7 Gen 2 Cheers, Bill.

Have fun mate! We will hold the fort while you are away

Nice, I would have also offered but I have a queue of fisherman, I'm booked out for years! When you do finally take your boat out to repeat the process, just make sure you have all the right safety gear and are sure about your motor and fuel capacity and range. Cheers, Bill.