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Im very sorry to hear this guys. Stay strong and keep well.

Thanks Craig, I had mate that owned a wasp years ago and it really was an impressive little boat. I saw the new one at the boat show and yes, it looks like a sweet little weapon. thanks for your help.

Hi Raiders, I just bought this little rig and wanted to know if it is actually the same hull as the wasp? I cant seem to locate any information about them... It's quite strange.

How did you manage to get the trailer here? I didnt think trailers over 2.5 were even alowed to leave the port? The best option when buying a boat from the US is to have a trailer built over there... They can build to our specs quite easily and you wont have any issues. Also, you mention the boat is cleared but your not there to pick Up? just be careful of storage fees.They can be enormous

2 of them?? mate, you wont need your outboard anymore.....Well done

Well done Arman, thats a great fish! What colour/size lure did the damage?

ill check the manual again, maybe that was the imaging, not standard sonar

Just installed the DSI Elite, ill post a review asap. looks good so far, bit concerned that the manual reads a max depth of 90Meters though. B

HI mate, there is literally hundreds of miles of water to fish in the Hincinbrook, be careful cause the tides are large and you can get stuck in a creek for hours if you forget your in there, it is a maze of creeks and mouths so be sure you do your research. You will more than likely be heading out from Lucinda, if so, there is a huge sugar loading wharf that is 5Klms long and is a fishing mecca in itself, Spanish Mac, GTS, Fingermark, Cod and Barra have all been caught here. I like to use Gold Bombers for most of my fishing up there (im crap at casting a net) but you will always find a helpfull person willing to cast a net for you. If your up that way visit Taylors Beach, it is South of the Hinchinbrook towards Ingham and is a fantastic fishing destination, the palm Island are very close (by queensland standards) and are a very good place to fish offering many angling options. Oh and always be CROCK aware... there are lots of them up there. Good luck, its a great place to fish and explore.

Hi Raiders, I have a sudden urge to drop 400 odd meters to the bottom of the sea to try my luck to catch any of ooglies that call browns sea bed home. I have fished browns many times before but only ever ontop, I dont have the gear to fish the bottom but am going to give it a try! I have been reading a few old posts and from what I know thus far is: I need 200LB braid, about 7P weight, 600 meters of line and a heap of damn elbow grease! Im not planning of using a lecky so it going to be a manual lift. Is this possible? Im looking for some direction, help, advice or whatever you can share raiders, Im also willing to take along anyone that has experience with this type of fishing and is also willing to share some sacred spots.

HI Mate, I think I saw you cleaning a few of these at Tunks, i was with my son. They definitely look like Nanagai to me... Bloudy big though.

Yarone, pm me the charter details mate im heading there is a few Months, the last Mob I went with were HOPELESS!!!! are you staying at Denereou or the Coral Coast?

Do yourself a favor and spend some time on the rockwall watching the bar closely, this will give you an understanding of wave intervals etc. When your confident, take your time, wear jackets and approach with caution. Best advise I can give is to not panic nor go too fast, Ive seen so many people do this causing them to launch into the waves unnecessarily which can toss everyone about. Go slow, use the throttle when you need it and hit it head on. Good luck.

OMG that is the biggest dollie I have seen. Well done. There seems to be some great game fishing atm

Here she is Raiders... Im stoked!!!

Hey Vince, ive use Ash from Extreme for years he's a top mechanic!

Hi Fezza, generally (if the AU dollar is over 95) you will save about 30-40% Worth the hustle I recon.

Thanks Duncan, please do come past and say hello The boat was shrink wrapped, however there was a heap of black soot (presumably smoke from the ship that got under the wrap) all over the boat So she finally arrived!!!!!! and im very happy! The 2 batteries were dead as the switch was left in the "on" position and there were 2 cushions missing but the broker is happy to come to the party and sort it out for me. A bonus for me what the set of full lock up style Bimini i found in the cabin, i didnt know it had that. I registered the boat yesterday and dropped her in the drink this morning. She went like a dream! First Click every time, sounded awesome, everything worked as it should! Im also very impressed with the trailer, the boat tows very well. Fortunately the whole import experience for me has been a positive one, whilst it took a tad longer than i anticipated and did cost more, overall im very pleased with the result. For anyone thinking of bringing a boat in yourself my advice would be to make sure you know ALL the costs, buy from a reputable broker/dealer, research brands and bargain hard! So that sums up my post guys, I hope I have shared some light on what seems to be a popular way to purchase boats in Australia (at least while the dollar is so strong). If you see me on the water please say hi.

awesome.....well done on the kings. And a great squid too

Hi mate, I think you sould be fine. Allow 40 "working" days, if you allow for that then you will be fine. On that note, the Striper will be delivered tomorow morning. For all you guys looking at theimport option, here is a list of fees you will pay to get the boat of the warf. Destination Port Charges 10%=77.04 770.38 Customs Clearance / Agency Fees 10%=13.50 135.00 Destination Documentation Fee / PLM fees 10%=11.00 110.00 c.n.a.c. 10%=0.49 4.90 Customs GST Exempt Rated (this is 10% of purchase price + delivery) Compile Entry Fee Exempt Rated 64.00 Destination AQIS Inspection Fee Zero Rated 229.00 Destination Cleaning 10%=20.50 205.00 AQIS agent fee - (attendant fee) 10%=7.50 75.00 Destination Quarantine Release 10%=3.00 30.00 Wohoo, lets hope its ok after the destination cleaning! Ill post some pics tomorrow night

What a harbour, to think we can catch dorado like that at the heads. Magic!

UPDATE: The boat has been at the warf for a week now and unfortunately quarantine want it cleaned, apparently there were some leaves in it that needed to be removed. So now, an independent company will need to clean it, then QA will come back and inspect and then I may get the release.... Maybe. It seemed to be smooth sailing until it got to Austraila! So lesson here is: MAKE SURE YOU CLEAN THE BOAT THOROUGHLY BEFORE IT LEAVES THE PORT. Ill be having a word to my agent in the US tonight.

ahhh man that sucks!!! sorry to hear mate. what can you do though aye. Hey if you need a rigger let me know you can borrow mine, Im not going to attach mine to the new boat so if you want to use it give me yell. Bloudy mongrel thieving unsavoury characters! Every dog has their day mate!

Hey mate, I owned a 543 cabin boat and it handled VERY well for a boat its size, since that boat I have owned much larger 23 footers and have to say for a boat of its size it was a smoother ride than some of the US boats ive been in. The SVDH (Variable deadrise) gives the boat a magnificent ride in the chop, not bad at rest either but what I love most is the way Haines Signature manage to distribute the weight in their hulls so well, they have a lovely tendancy to land on their bums when launching over the top of swell which tends to give a nice safe/soft landing. You'll find the old hainseys will do the same. (Maybe this is cause they were once from the same brain child, Hainsy himself). My only negative on mine was that I felt it was slightly lacking power, I had a 115hp 4 stroke and it really struggled to get on the plane when it was loaded with fuel and a few people. I think they are very well built boat and would highly recommend them. In fact if they made a walk around, thats probably what I would get..... Good Luck.

Ill let you know Jim, my Proline had a US coupling and it did actually pop off once when i was parking up onto my nature strip, lucky I had the chains on. Ill search around for a 2 inch ball.