Geoff

As Juggs suggests , you should use a good quality deep cycle charger which cost around $200 not an ordinary charger used on car batteries. Check out this site which has good information on chargers. Note the auto cut off function when the battery is fully charged http://www.firststartbatteries.com.au/shop/index.php?searchStr=charger&_a=viewCat&Submit=%C2%A0 As for the caps , if there are no holes then just loosen the caps. Actual removal is not necessary. Geoff

Your post suggests that the battery will need to be externally charged after each trip That's OK but check with Yamaha , that motor may have a charging circuit that can be connected to the battery so it can be charged from the motor. At $15 the metal box is most likely mild steel which will rust over a period of time. To reduce the rusting process & avoid stains on the boat fit a strip of timber , about 1/2" wide to each end of the base so it's the wood , not the metal base coming in contact with the boat. Geoff

I have a Yammie 70 2s. Book service is due every 100 hours however , due to low hours (approx 30 hours PA) I service mine every 50 hours. I went through the manual & prepared an Excel spread sheet. Whilst yours is a 4s there may be a number of common items in the following list that may be of interest Geoff Item Comments Complete Greasing Grease nipples . See page 4 - 10 for details Greasing Linkages , apply grease to all linkages Greasing Steering , remove nut , clean shaft & regrease Greasing Power tilt / trim. Clean & grease shafts / top of pump. See page 4-18 for more detail Propeller Remove , grease shaft , check oil seal for leaks Spark Plugs NGK BR8HS-10. .9-1.0mm (.035 - .039 thou.) Compression Tst. Results, Cold. Top………... Middle…………...Bottom………… Hot, Top ………. Middle………….. Bottom…………. Fuel lines Check all lines for leaks Fuel filter (boat) Remove from under rear deck , check / clean or replace Fuel Filter (motor) Remove & clean as per page 4-14 Idling speed 700 - 800rpm when hot Tell Tail Run motor , measure output pumped for 1 min. Litres…………… Engine oil tank Fill tank Engine oil tank Check translucent hose for water , drain. Page 4-16 Fuse Holder Check for corrosion (located starboard side of motor) Anode & ground wire Check condition & connection. Replace anode if heavy corrosion Cylinder Head Run engine & check for water / exhaust leaks Thermostat Check condition Gear Oil Check level & colour.S/B light brown (golden) Change every 100 hours Battery Check for corrosion , water level & Hydrometer test. Charge if necessary. Under Dash Check for loose wires & corrosion Motor Degrease , wash & light spray with Inox Trim sensor Lubricate with Inox & test for operation Trailer Brakes Check caliper operation. Oil / grease front adjustment assembly Coupling Grease Wheel Bearings Check & grease Electrics Check operation & fittings / connector plug ( Inox) Jockey Wheel Grease shaft

Can we clarify a few points , Do you have two switches , one on the side of the motor & the other on the throttle / gear arm?? If so , does the problem occur on both switches or only one ?? If standing at the back of the boat & activating the switch on the motor does the pump motor start immediately & there is a delay in the actual pump opperating? Geoff

Mijaro. I use braid on several of my rods. The rods are standard , off the shelf brands fitted with whatever guides they used on the day. Never had any problems so from my experience provided it's a well known brand like Daiwa or Shimano etc I would not be too concerned with the actual guide type. Geoff

Using Bias and Whitworths mainly I found it's pretty difficult to try and match it all up. I've found that Bunnings have a huge range of the fittings at a fraction of the price of marine dealers. Then only purchase the speciality items from marine shops Geoff

One of these may be an option. There are a lot of brands on the market but good quality ones can cost in excess of $1000.00 Geoff

This should do the job. As Juggs wrote , they available from the larger marine dealers , cost around $50.00 Geoff

Agree. Don't leave the hand brake on when the trailer is stored as the water is retained between the roter & the pad & ends up looking something like this. All steel roters will get a small amount of surface rust which will ware off in the first few hundred meters. The most important aspect is to ensure the calipers are moving freely on the 2 bolts / sleves which attach the caliper to the axle Geoff

Considering the night fishing , it may be wise to set up a 2 battery system. If staying with a single battery suggest a 80 or 100amp marine battery. As to brands ,I've been using SeaMaster & found them very good however , there are several other good brands available from marine dealers. Geoff

I'm not familiar with all the features of Google Earth so not able to give you a good answer , however at the bottom of the screen are the GPS coordinates of the curser & as the curser moves so to do the GPS. As best as I can determin these coordinates are WGS84 datum Geoff

Luke In the tool bar on top of the Google screen there is a symble that looks like a ruler. Click on that & you can measure between any two points. As for your comment "30 kms from Grays Point to Stanwell , it's closer to 35k's From the ramp to Jibbon Bommie is about 10k's then a further 25k's to Stanwell Geoff

What is the boat length? Check for cracks both internally & externally where the transom is joined to the sides & bottom. This will indicate the structural soundness of the transom. A 15hp would be a big inprovement but with a few people & gear on board I would be looking at a short shaft 25hp. As to the flexibility , this is not uncommon for a boat of that vintage. They tendered not to place a lot of structural strength when maunfactured. Again , check for cracking along the keel however there is little you can do about it. I recall back in the 60's , which I suspect is about the age of this boat , a friend had a half cabbin BellBoy. Late afternoon , heading into the sun you could see light penertrating through the thin fibreglass in the bow area with all sorts of wobble occuring in the sides each time it hit a wave. His father , who had more money than sense , fitted the boat with twin 75 hp Johnsons Geoff

Here is another. The stand was made by Gary at S.S , Geoff

Here is one that may be of interest. Geoff

Firstly , only use 316 stainless bolt or screws. These are best purchased from a marine dealer as hardwase stores sell S/S but in a lower grade. Corrosion occurs between the fastner & the aluminium when exposed to salt water therefore , use a good quality sealant under the bracket or fitting like Sikaflex also available from marine dealers. Geoff

Take care when turning , particular at high speed. This style of foil have been known to work in reverse , one side digs in & can tip the boat on it's side. The flat type like SE 200 / 300 or Permatrim are much safey & normally give better performance. Geoff

This may be of interest, http://www.fishraider.com.au/Invision/index.php?showtopic=61166 Geoff

Definatly the way to go. I have a VY & needed a new key. Rang one of the onsite (mobil) locksmith , came to my house , cut a new key , all fixed for not a lot of $$$$. Geoff

Correct , but you need one with a variable speed so it can be run slowly. Too fast & the bottle is uncontrolable , ie , it goes in all directions Geoff

Removing old line from a reel can be a bit messy & laborious then it needs to be disposed of. Came across this little gadget on an O/S site. They wanted $16 for the screw on top which fits most drink bottles. Why pay $16 when very easy to make a home made unit. Got on drink bottle , drilled a hole in the top & fitted a bolt & nut , job done. Perhaps this will be of interest to other Raiders Geoff

Clive See your PM's Geoff

Is it a fiberglass boat ? , if so , yes it's a problem , not so much for the amount of water but it means water is leaking in , most likely around the bung hole area , & FG boats normally have an internal timber frame inside the transom which can rot over a period of time & as such weaken the transom area. It needs to be fixed. Geoff

I think for a boat of that size you will need an 80lb motor , but be aware , 80lb require a 24V battery supply. 2 batteries , charger & fittings will cost around $1000 Geoff

Gazza That's also important when purchasing new springs. The damaged spring was a single leaf so unable to make that direct comparrison. The supplier offered a choice of a soft or firm spring. Following some dicussion looking at the pro's & con's I decided on the firm. Geoff