ritchie

picked up the boat on Friday night and the first thing done was draining the oil tank..then filled with 98 octane and 1:50 marine 2 stroke oil.. then took her out on Saturday morning to Brooklyn (yep, didnt waste any time) and gave her a good run for about 45 mins and guess what????.. ...NO MORE EXCESSIVE SMOKE !! .... and she ran smooth .. the hull didnt take any water (couldnt see the carpet getting wet) and 2 of us could fish comfortably.. so...overall, I am happy with my "second first boat" (the first tinny turned out to be a lemon but sold with a little profit ) once again, thanks ya'll for the help and advice! ...a $1700 well spent i reckon

Thanks Jono..wonder what the legal size is?...

Caught around right at the end of the Mullet creek, 19ft of water..around 50CM .. released back 'cos i wasnt sure of the species and the size limit..

Spoke to a boating place owner and he confirmed the same thing..wrong mixture of the oil.. Owner said he's been using 1:25 mix when the actual ratio should be 1:50 .. so, that explains the smoke!! However, the owner beleives its a blown gasket or somthing serious like that.. So, I managed to close the deal for $1700 !! Once again, Thanks everyone for your help and advice!!!

WOW!! so much of useful information guys!! CHEERS !!! summarising all replies, this could be a bad oil mix crating some sorta build up inside the motor?.. not a sign of blown head or gaskets?... ..the boat was started at the owners house and with the motor tilted to a massive water bucket.. That smoke stank the joint i must say..my didnt even allowed me in the house (since we have a new born! ) without me removing my hoodie, cap and even pants! LOL .. well, I'd def call few people to help me with having another inspection (may be send them without me, as otherwise, the owner might think we're interested and wouldnt budge with the price) .. if i ask an outboard mechanic, roughly how much would it cost? (eg: NRMA guys charge about $250 for a car inspection) .. apart from this "smoking issue" the boat seems to be in good nick.. no soft spots on the floor (im 100kg and when i stand the floor wouldnt "sink" and when i push me feet hard it pressed in very very subtly) and couldnt find any significant repairs on the hull... It'll be interesting to find out the story behind the smoke!

if that is the case, anything to clean it up?... apart from that, what are the other possibilities?... Cheers..

Mate, he's asking $2300 for the whole package, boat & accessories incl Eagle fish finder.. My main concern is the smoke coming out of the motor.. :/ .. any idea why would it emit lot of smoke when started and running?... ...blown head..?..may be?...

Hi All, Just got back from inspecting a Stebercraft 3.65M fibreglass boat for a mate. The hull seems to be fine, no cracks and solid floor etc.. However, when the owner started the motor it emitted big smoke and the smoke kept on coming out from under the motor and from a hole what is supposed to be a water outlet of the shaft (long shaft, this is the upper hole just below the head..not sure whether it supposed to emit smoke or water).. when ive started the motor after 5 mins, the smoke still came out but not as bad as previous time.. ...Owner said he's not sure why but could be due to motor sitting idling for a period of time... so, my question is, What could've produced that smoke?.. Selling for $2300 ... Thanks in advance...

Hahaha...Thanks Mike..i'll look up on yellow pages.. ..I dont even know why I want to go to a boat wreckers', since there's nothing much you can pick for boats eh?...

Does anyone know of any boat wreckers in Sydney?...Similar to car wreckers?.. Cheers

Craig, I have a 1999 Johnson 25hp outboard...is it possible to hook up a electric start kit to that motor?..any idea how much $$$$ it'd cost? Cheers..

Very interesting topic.. I have recently purchased a tinny with Johnson 25HP (1999).. Owner hasnt taken her out in a while.. but the motor started on the first pull.. When ive first flushed the engine (using muffs), abit of smoke came out and after the flushing some thick black oil was coming out of one of the holes just above the propeller (when the motor is running, water pumps out of that hole).. it leaked abit then stopped..started the motor again in a week, this time only a drop of oil and nothing after that.. So, i guess this is due to the above given reasons..the oil mixture too thick or low quality 2 stroke oil..?... ...couldnt see any oil leakes at all under the motor hood..

You can get them from GO FISH @ Dural... check out this thread.. http://fishraider.com.au/Invision/index.php?showtopic=28802

FOUND ! CHEERS!

Hi All, Just a quick question... Where can I see/get the Fishraider merchandise?..I am particulary after the Fishradier measuring tape (seen it somewhere) and any boat decal stickers.. ..Started doing up my boat...YAY...watch this space for some photos too!

good catch mate! they're fun arnt they??? yeah, i think they'd eat anything this time of the year cos they're spawning!! need extra energy, you know? LOL

wow..thanks everyone !! I feel like a little boy who gets praised and congratulated by his teachers for getting good marks for year 2 maths! it is a great feeling and this is something i was wanting to do ever since i was 16!! now im 30..so go figure! hahaha... the best thing is that my also supported the idea .. she's probably sick of me perving at those nice boats on trailers drive past me! Pelican, you remind me one of my uncles, who is the "thinker" and the "cautious" one in the family..he's the one who makes sure everything is okay&double cheks everything even in the middle of weddings & christnings! once again, thanks for the awsome advice.. ..to answer few of your questions.. The tiny hole is caused by a submerged rock. can see the small dent from outside the hull. I was releived to see there's no rust there.. I have viewed the service receipt (serviced by C&M marine @ Toongabbie in Dec 08) however, didnt specifically look for the compression testing etc..will do it on Wednesday It was too late last night to do a water test but "tested" the owner by asking and he didnt freak out! hahaha.. he sounds/looks like a good man the address on the rego matches with the actual pick up address and the owner even invited me to visit this upmarket restaurent which he manages. Forgot to mention, it comes with a spare fuel tank,bimini,a boat cover,oars,life jackets,1/2 bottle of 2 stroke oil,marine carpeted false floor,a spare tyre i will ask for the motor manual etc..the boat is boat coded. I am not rushing in to do any mods etc..by the looks all it requires a decent paint work and the reason i concider is because my neighbour is a professional painter! .he'll do the job free for me and yes, we have a 2 months old and the first thing id check will be the paint's safety i have a name for her in mind, but will wait till i give her a new paint

Thanks JewHunter!! Will DO put up some pic !! yeah..ive done a bit of research and found a motor of that range worth over $900 anyway..plus the hull is in good condition!! and YES, beware all the jewies who lurk in those big holes where i couldnt reach previously!! Thanks John... Yes, everything about boats are new to me and im excited to learn all the new stuff PS/ I'll still harasse you guys with my 101 questions when i start doing her up!! warning in advance, be prepared to put up with it! lol

Ladies and Gentlemen, Thanks to your kind and professional advices, i FINALLY BOUGHT A BOAT !! (you can see the prequel to this post here, http://fishraider.com.au/Invision/index.php?showtopic=41561) its a 4M DeHavilland tinny with 25hp Johnson outboard...no oil leaks and the motor is clean as..looks brand new..last serviced on December 08, receipt viewed. Hull's 1989 model and the motor is 1999..Forward control with pull start.. The motor starts on the first pull, pumps the water well and runs smooth as!! comes with 6 months rego, marine raido, 2 anchors, nav lights, 2 front seats and back "couch style" bench seat, life jackets, bimini, spare wheel and a good clear windscreen (yes, im a fan of windscreens ) good clean boat ..only $1700 some surface rust on the trailer which im planning to scrape later..Hull condition is great except tiny 1mm hole at the front.. well, I am planning to tidy up the boat first, fix the tiny hole, may be give a new paint work and then take her for a spin...cant wait !! paid a deposit today and picking her up on Wednesday... will take some glamour shots of her and post 'em then.. Once again, a BIG THANKS to all the nice people out there who helped me with their golden advices... FISH RAIDER ROCKS!!!!

THANK YOU Pelican, guess what???...Ive actually found a boat in my suburb..advertised on the local news paper! .. the ad is very brief.. all it says.. De Havilland Boat On a registered Trailer with a 25hp Johnson motor, in good condition, recently serviced. Pay for the motor and get the boat and trailer free Looking for a quick sale Spoke to the owner and he said the motor is only 8-10 years old and the hull has only one tiny issue..a very small leak..1/2 hr on the water would collect 1bucket of water.. but then again he said he has the marine glue etc to fix it but have no time.. so i have some faith.. is it something i really need to worry about ? re: fixing the leak? havent seen the boat yet but i'd most probably inspect the unit on the w'end given the owner travels alot due to work.. on another note, the 25hp Johnson's a pull start...does that mean its an older (than owner claiming) version?...from my understanding the only Johnson 25hp's made in recent times are the 4 stroke ones?... advertised price is $1700 ..

yeah true..and i AM LOOKING! hahaha... checked every single boat sales websites but none of 'em got what im after..they're trying to sell me 40K cruisers! LOL .. perhaps i should stop sound like a professional! If you guys know of a good tinny up for sale, let us know!

Thanks all for your advice... I think this time im gonna give both boats a miss..because... Boat 1 Pro's - Good size solid hull to fit my fishing requirments, key start&forward control, affordable price Con's - Unreliable motor (given the brand&age of it), Surface rust on trailer, Poor hull paint condition Boat 2 Pro's - "looks" pretty, tidier than Boat 1, slightly better mortor than Boat 1 Con's - Recent paint work could be to mask any issues, owner not responding well to request to inspect the boat, smaller hull compared to Boat 1.. Therefore, the waiting game begins again

...however... found this 12ft tinny on a online auction site..Model is "runabout" (?) and has a 25Hp Evinrude with forward controls (not clear whether its key start or not) ..Trailer has bit of surface rust,owner mentioned. the paint is new.. Current bid is $1000..auction ends on VERY early hours of friday.. attached some pics..how much would this one worth?

Gentlemen, went to see the boat not long ago...well..the hull looked okay however the trailer has few areas of surface rust..didnt look too bad but given my minimum to nill knowledge of boats it could be bad too.. The motor started after few attempts..Owner did not put a new battery but tried starting the motor with his car battery..it started and didnt make any wierd noise but had a bit of grunt...ran for a little while..however could smell some petrol..Propeller looked fine..no bends or cracks..just paint loss.. the steering was bit tight but the owner said it'll be way smoother once the boat's in the water.. No mods have been done to the hull..that "captian's chair" can be easily removed and replaced with one of them chairs with a pole at the botom (?) ..pardon my use of words but not sure what you call them seats.. Ive offered $1200 but the owner insisted he wouldnt go below $1500.. so..what ya all think?..

Thanks Ross.. Will def add your advice to the list so i can ask him all the questions tonight and probably ask him to take it out to water on thursday.. you guys ROCK!!