BaitDropper

Correct, this is one of it's biggest pluses, the lightest in it's class... with more cubes to boot. Add in the larger CT gearbox and it certainly looks the better performance engine.

Yeah, it works a treat for smelly foot wear, it's an alkaline, so it absorbs anything acidic, including sweat. I played a heap of tennis and ran in my day, after a week from new, my sneakers would only have one place to be, Outside !! but Baking soda works brilliantly. I also use it in my old reel restorations, 50/50 vinegar and water to remove that green corrosion, then to neutralize the vinegar a paste of baking soda and water.. Its a great product.. As mentioned, for de smelling fishing cloths as well, I also used it for all my duck shooting clothes years back, while fishing I still do, shooting is now a think of the past. I can't claim credit for it, I lived with my grandparents when I did my apprenticeship as a youngster, Ol Gran taught me this trick, been using it ever since. With your wet suit boots, leave a table spoon in them all the time, don't empty them out when you put them on, its amazing how it stops your feet from sweating.....

Ditto to the above comments, 1 set of dedicated fishing cloths. However, what I always do, is soak the cloths in a bucket of warm water with a cup of baking soda first over night, then wash separately from other cloths, and again, used baking soda instead of laundry products, this will fix your issues.. Another tip, I was always in work boots and after 3-4 months from new, ( because my feet are absolute sweaters) , Yep, they get pretty nasty on the nose. Actually, its funny that, some people have no issues, but as mentioned, my feet will start sweating after an hour or so of wearing them, SO, what I used to do, is put a table spoon of baking soda in each boot, shake it around a bit, and leave it be overnight, Presto, your boots will never smell !! really good for footie boots, sneakers etc, I used to do this once a month or so. Give it a go, you'll be suprised..

Beautiful photo's... That water looks crystal clear, sensational....

The Merc 125 2 stroke, was the exact same motor I had before raising the transom and up grading to a 4 stroke. They are a bullet proof motor, I can vouch for that, but thirsty as hell. I had the 2 + 2 system modified to full time 4 cylinder on mine as trolling out wide, the system was useless, it was impossible to troll under 2000 revs in the swell and current. Now, I was in the same dilemma as yourself, which 4 stroke to put on the back. I looked at Yamaha vrs Merc in the 115 range and the Merc came out on top hands down. The Yamaha was a 1.8 ltr engine, vrs the 2.1 litre Merc 115, as well as the upgrade option to the CT gearbox, the Yamaha fell well short. Now I'm not bagging the Yamaha, it's just a simple Spec's game, of which the Merc was superior.. I ended up going to the Suzuki 140, as at the time, supplied and fitted with the Suzuki gauges, came in at 19k, the Merc CT 115, with gauges fitted, came in at 23k !! there was definitely some Covid profiteering going on. The other main factor, was the service center wasn't too far for Suzuki, in fact he does my services mobile to my door. The supply and wait time to have the Suzuki fitted up, was 3 months, which eventually only ended up being 2 months,, the Merc was a minimum of 6-8 months, no guarantee.. I was originally fully intending going Mercury, everything was in there favour when comparing other brands, regarding weight, Cubes, warrantee, the simplicity of self servicing once warrantee ran out etc etc but am more than happy with my Suzuki choice. There isn't really a bad 4 stroke engine made now a days, and for the larger boats, where weight doesn't impact decisions, all models are up for selection, with basically warrantee and servicing being all you need to consider, but boats under the 6 meter size, you do need to consider each variable. You won't look back with having a 4 stroke on the back and raising the transom to take a 25 inch leg is also a big positive, I can vouch for that through my own experience, good luck with your decisions.

That looks mouth watering !! Thanks for sharing

HaHaHa, Think we have all been there at some stage. I remember once, with people everywhere, launching me boat, went to climb up to launch ( I have a boat catch ) the ramp was like ice, I unceremoniously slid about 6 feet, arms going everywhere, God knows what it must have looked like, but managed to stay on my feet, then climbed aboard as thou nothing had happened, embarrassed, but thankful I never ended up on me Butt !! .... Thankfully, the times I did end up on my Butt, witnesses were not around to observe 😁

That looks like a Ripper Derny !! Congrat's on your purchase, glad you got all sorted out and are now and the finish line.. Great lookin Tub there.

Haven't been here to long, but I enjoy reading Derek's posts. Seems a very well earned title he has now been presented with. Congrats.

I agree with all the others, fantastic read and made me ponder about why I haven't done similar !! Maybe this has prompted me to get my A into gear.. Thanks for posting

Hmm, Ok, I'll sit myself in the cuddy cabin in the next few days and have a look at exactly what and how I did it. Basically, from the Pos & Neg Buzz bars up front inside cabin, I wired to a fuse box type set up which is fused, from there I went to accessories, which have switches to turn power on, ie, radio, VHF radio, Then to USB and Cig lighter, from my memory, plus a separate dash fused switch panel for lighting, bilge, deck wash etc etc. Now, I'm not sure what wiring was done when the new motor was fitted, they did that, but they wouldn't have feed into the main cables I used to power up front, they would have run new ones. Actually, come to think of it, I drew a schematic of the wiring, which is stored somewhere in the boat, I'll look for that. But the radio definitely isn't on any direct feed, once battery switch is turned off down back, no power goes forward.. I shall investigate.. Cheers

Wow, a couple of great fish there, well done.. Was admiring that waterway when the wife and I went on an excursion to Mudgee a moth or so back, very veru nice area.

That's the funny thing Xero, Nope, wired like all other accessories, not direct off battery, and not constant either but even if it did, it shouldn't actually switch the radio on once power was turned on from the batteries ??.. It's wired like all the other accessories, feed off a fused box behind dash. I'll have to sit in there and properly Suss it out, I'm picking it's a faulty on/off switch on the actual radio, Dunno.. Only issue with it, is if I have had the radio on while tinkering in the boat, maybe listening to a bit of Mick Jagger on full volume 🙂, and don't wind back the volume before switching it off at the radio, next time up, simply switching batteries on down back, is met with a huge noise !!! Last time it was John Denver !!! very embarrassing..

Great day out by the looks anyways... Any kingie caught is always a great thing ...

Well, I'm calling it a gremlin of sorts... I rewired the boat myself during the rebuild, had an auto electrician check over everything during and after, so fairly confident all things are done Ok.. However, This dam gremlin keeps appearing. As soon as I switch the batteries on down back, my FM radio turns on automatically !!!..I mean, surely this isn't normal ? I go straight to the radio on off ( push button) and switch it off. Now I noticed the other day, this didn't happen, but all other times it will. It's got me baffled and thinking it's a radio issue, not the wiring itself, as once the battery switch is switched on, it feeds all accessories, every accessory runs thru a fuse box, or thru the main dash switch panel, ( all fused ). My marine radio does not do this, just my FM radio.. Probably not worth worrying about in all honesty, but there seem to be times that I'm idle and the whole idea of why keeps tormenting this simple mind of mine, thoughts anyone ??

Hi Triman, I think you'll find, that 5-6 years back, sewage escaped into the bay around coogee, due to tree roots damaging the sewage pipes and they also had a lot of pollution due to the high rain fall levels we had last year, via the storm water pipes, which will always be an issue after heavy rains. There's no sewage piped with direct outlets anywhere in the harbor, to my knowledge, but I think I'm safe in saying that. Like all other things, environmental factors always come into play, especially with storm water pipes. I'd would rather eat anything I caught, than take a gamble with some of the cheap food outlets that the poor students frequent !! 😁 Bring all your gear with you, I'm sure plenty of good folks here will steer you in the right direction, with regard to good fishing spots. The only warning I would give, if you catch a fish with that 3rd eye, right in the center of it's noggin, best not eat those, it's been an unsolved Sydney mystery for decades 😁 ( kidding). Oh, and welcome to the site.

Thanks Yowie, this recipe has been noted, will definitely be giving this a go. As far as the Salmon go, ever since I was a nipper, I was introduce to Smoked Salmon.. Split the filets, a generous dose of lemon juice and anything else that takes your fancy, into the fridge for a good few hours, then sprinkle brown sugar over the meat, into the smoker it goes. I had a heap of friends that didn't know what they were eating that regarded Salmon as bait and dog food, it sure changed most of there minds. I only have a small mobile type meths burning smoker, I intend to build a decent one, but rocks in the two meth bowls underneath, your favorite choice and flavor of the wood chips, normally as close to 30 minutes on the smoke, B-e-u-a-t-i-f-u-l...... Maybe because I was bought up on it, but ever since when I've served it up, it was gone before it had a chance to cool down...

Yes, with all those spin on filters, a small smear of oil over the rubber seal, is a must do. With the filter service period, it will unscrew easily. It doesn't need to be wound on with great force either, that's a big mistake people make. I think I have said to you once before James, those 150 Merc's are a great engine....

I'll soon find out Noel, In fact it was someone from the " other forum 😁, that recommended it to me, said it cure his " spit back" he was having while filling, he too didn't have the room to loop the breather hoses underneath and recommended to me what he did. I would have to check, but I "think" it was " Digs" if you follow. Because of my transom lift, I have no room to loop, I can basically keep filling the underfloor tank, until full flow out the breather, as one of my friends did, when he was paying for my fuel and I was chatting to someone. It supposedly stopped all his spitting out the breather when he installed. I have an extra filter set up, I have the space, so nothing ventured, nothing gained as the saying goes..

Yeah, looking good there, great job. They definitely are the better type to get, same brand filter as mine. I take it you can still turn the tap underneath to drain it if necessary ? hard to see with that Pic. I'm just about to fit the same set up for my fuel tank breather hose, I remember a bloke telling me he used to do that for years, the clear bowl also gives you the chance to see any fuel coming out the breather when filling, before it makes a mess 😁, plus the fact it works the same as looping your breather hoses before exiting... Looking good tho James.

Your probably right, the "MIndset" factor does have to be questioned..

Probably agree with you overall, however off the field, well that never stopped them selecting Valentine homes for this match !! but this years state of origin players showed more balls and effort than what this team did against the Kiwi's, Teddy, never fired a salvo in this game and in all honesty, I would have been happy with someone, ie Walsh, at least having a go, trying something different even if mistakes were made in the process. He's always going to be that type of player, that pushes the boundaries of decision making on the field, which is what wins games. I guess a loss every now and then is probably expected from any team, but this result was horrendous, biggest every loss in history, held to zero, I think there will be ramifications from it. I thought hard about individual players afterwards, and in all honesty, probably Haas was one of the biggest disappointments, touted as the best prop in the game today, he was made to look like a second grader, bullied on the ball and targeted in defense when he was on the field, it was quite alarming how he never fronted up.. Hmmm, always 2024 season to look forward to I guess...

Well, It's been a long League season, but I'm feeling the need to speak of Aussie Leagues darkest hour 😁 Whether their hearts really weren't in it after a long season or not, it must be said, that was a shocking display on Saturday in the pacific final. The Kiwi's basically demolished the Kangaroo's, in every facet of the game, they exposed players playing out of position and made a few others look kinda ordinary. Sure, there were some players missing, Cleary being an obvious one, but in all seriousness, I don't think he would have changed the result. I'm not sure if there was a reason Reece Walsh wasn't in the squad, I know Latrell also has issues and obviously Cleary, but this result should be a big wake up call to Australian selectors, that if they don't go out with their no1 team, playing against the Kiwi's, chances are there going to end up on the wrong side of the scoreboard. It was a big performance turn around from their previous weeks game against the Kiwi's, You would have to put some of that down to McGuires coaching, who I believe will do well with the NSW origin team next year, But as far as the Kangaroo's performance, Well, I'm picking there may well be a changing of the guard next time we see the Green and gold. In my opinion, the sooner they give Teddy the big thankyou handshake and insert Walsh in the no 1 shirt, the better and they stop rewarding average players with a green and gold shirt and insert them in an unfamiliar position, ie Dylan Eadwards, the better. Hass was made to look like his first training run of the season and the rest of the pack, in all honesty, got bashed around by a team that plain and simply, turned up to play. I actually enjoyed the game, but there was enough experience on the field to at least compete with the Kiwis, but I can't single out a single player that could have honestly held their head up in the changing rooms afterwards, after that performance. Am I being to hard here ???. Anyways, I guess the kiwi's regarded this tournament, more than what the Kangaroo's did. On the Kiwi's performance, who I will also add, were also missing a few first choice players, un available, suspended or injured, or changing allegiance, were nothing short of brilliant, with skill and power all over the field, in what I previously mentioned, in a superb performance. I think there may well be some fall out from the Kangaroo's performance, or, have I got it wrong and just judged as a bad day at the office ??

Hope this is alright to put in this section. For those with any interest, as mentioned, I like to tinker with old reels, Modding and bringing old reels back into the 21st century. Currently I'm tinkering with a few reels, even tho I should be out there wetting a line, tinkering is my weakness. The back one is one I mentioned in another thread, a completed a Penn Senator 4/0 narrowed with a one piece frame and all internal stainless steel gear upgrade and converted to a double dog set up. I'm yet to put this one to the test, all my other completed 4/0's are standard width, which do have set backs as far as weight goes. This one is filled with 80lb braid with 100 meters of 50lb mono, it should be fun to fish with 😃 The one in front of it, is an extra wide Penn Senator 6/0, with the one piece Tiburon frame. I have the new Hex drag system for this one, but am waiting on the new 2 speed set up, currently being prototyped in the states. This is the same size as a Penn international 50, so I'm hoping the new 2 speed gearings works Ok and I can put this in the rod holder rather than an international. The third one, the Blue reel, was actually one of Accurates first made products when they started out in the industry. They formed a relationship with Penn reels, to make there own frames and sideplates, in the same model range as Penn's senators. The reel is a narrowed 6/0 Senator version, with all standard Senator internals. This actual reel, was one of Accurates sample reels, that they took around tackle shops in the 90's, the salesman retired and was given the 10 reels as a retirement gift from Accurate, of which a friend of mine bought 5 of them when the salesman sold them for funds. I guess I should leave it on the shelf, but I don't really have any sentiment for it, or it's history, I just like the colour and the size 😁, I also nabbed another, exactly the same in gold. Accurate obviously eventually went there own way and started producing there own reels, the rest is history, but this is how they got started, in there garage with there fathers aviation machinery and produced some quality upgraded parts for the trusty Penn reel market. This particular reel, was the actual reel photographed on there original pamphlet... Agggh, bugga the history, it needs to be upgraded and fished !

I'm hoping my old Ranger see's me out in all honesty,,, Which I know is wishful thinking 😁 For the life of me, I can not get used to keyless entry and a button to start and stop my wife's car... Again today, after we went out for a few hours, I drove, I got out of her car, locked it up, she again, had to go back to the car and turn it off. It's so Dam quiet I don't hear it running, I forget to push the off button because the dam keys are in my pocket, The beeps that happen when I open the door, don't register and I just lock it and walk off.. I did say earlier that I was Neanderthalic with regard to technology, but you would have thought after 2 years it would have sunk in by now.. Give me an ignition key, any day of the week !!