Geoff

Can you add a photo or two to get a better understanding of the problem?? Geoff

The price depends on the size of the boat. Jewgaffer recently had one made for his 4.6mt side console boat by Mobil Boat Covers. If I recall it was around $800 His is similar to the photo by Oz-brett all be it smaller & is designed to be left on when towing Bias sell a range of covers. They range from $200 to $300 again , depending on size. The less expensive one's are for storage only , not suitable when towing. Geoff

If mainly fishing enclosed waters then 50mt of 10mm would be quite OK. As for the anchor , a 4.5kg sand anchor is recommended for boats of your size. I see your at Lane Cove , a visit to Whitworths L.C. will help clarify the options Geoff

When there are no cleaning facilities at the ramp this is our solution As for scales , if you scale slowly they tend not to fly around every where. When finished a wash down with the deck wash hose cleans any mess before it can dry Geoff

As Obey 1 suggests , check the GB oil to see if it is milky which indicates water is entering. One additional point , check the actual oil level in the gearbox , it's possible the oil is escaping but no water is entering. Either way there is a problem. Remove the prop & allow to stand overnight to see where the oil is coming from , the GB caseing or the seal. Hopefully it will be the seal as this is not expensive to replace Geoff

Series or parallel normally applies to setting up batteries. 2 X 12V batteries in series = 24V. When connected in parallel they remain 12V For lights , the negative wire connects to the negative terminal block & the positive to the switch. As for the fuses , the Nav & anchor light , 2 or 3amp , the flood light depends on how much power it is drawing but 5amp should be OK Geoff

Visited Byron today at Fairfield Hospital. His new hip is going well & he is in good spirits. The other hip is still causing problems & restricting his mobility. He expects to be home in the next week or so. Following the house move , his computer is now back on line & hopefully he will be posting shortly after he gets home. Geoff

Unable to assist with the GPS. As for the ratchet jockey wheel , Bias at Lane Cove have several available & quality wise would be as good as any. I understand they work OK on flat sealed surfaces. I see there are some on the auction site at very cheap prices but the quality may be suspect Their efficiency on a slope depends on the weight of the trailer / boat Geoff

It should go hard when priming. Spongy when the motor is running. If the bulb does not go hard when priming , the most likely cause is the non return valve inside is faulty. They are not repairable so need to purchase a new bulb. They cost around $11.00 Geoff

If Craig can't help you then check the Yellow pages for marine dealers & make a few calls. The advantage of a dealer over a private sale is guarantee of title , motor serviced & checked & normally come with a warenty. Geoff

PFD's should be compulsery , especially in those locations considered most dangerous along with the locations where the 12 died. Signs also need to be erected with messages , Persons fishing past this point must wear a PFD1 life jacket. Penalty , $150.00 Policing those areas for complience could be a problem but at least something has been done Geoff

Sanfly Is the seat screwed to the floor or just loose. A friend has something similar with velcro on the bottom. This way , he can move the seat to what ever position required & it "sticks" to the floor. Also , it can be easily removed if required. Geoff

I'm running a 2003 70hp Yammie & on average use 1lt / mile (1.6km) at similar rev's. 1lt / km for a 140hp of that age sounds about right. I don't think a prop change will help but others with more knowledge in that area may be able to advise. Geoff

[ I recently had some signs made. These people were the least expensive & very good to deal with . http://www.slcspromotions.com.au/site/index.cfm?display=19601 This company is also worth a call. http://www.yellowpages.com.au/nsw/moorebank/scope-automotive-accessories-signs-graphics-14179024-listing.html?context=unknown&referredBy=UNKNOWN Geoff

Flushing the motor through with fresh water is the most important thing. Inox is the correct product to use but only needed once every 4 - 6 months Geoff

This is over the top for what your looking for but have you considered using ramps. Perhaps this may create a few ideas http://www.boardingramp.com/doc/wheelchair.htm Geoff

Do you know the name of the dealer who origionally sold the boat , if so , he should be able to advise the name of the trimmer who made the origional covers. Perhaps he still has the colour available although yours may now be a bit faded. Here are the colours available from a trimmer at Sutherland. They may be of interest http://www.mobileboatcovers.com/ Worth a call as his prices are very copetive Geoff

Did the artical indicate any word on timing? It will be a big pluss to get rid of the oysters between the concrete slabs. Not a place to be with bare feet. Interesting they are spending money on the Yowie Bay ramp. If I recall correctly the parking is rather limited so lots of $$$$ for not a lot of gain. Anyway , any upgrade is better than none. Geoff

Can you get your hand underneath the seats. Are they sealed or open. If sealed they may already provide boyancy. If open then the seat would need to be removed to filled with polystyrene. In you fill the seats with styrene it may not make the boat totally unsinkable but would go a long way to acheiving the objective. I recall an add by Quintrex back in the late 60's for their 12 / 14 footer boats. The boats came with the 3 seat filled with styrene as standard equipment. It was a selling point. The add showed the boat filled with water + 3 or 4 guys & it was still floating with the water lapping over the gunawls. Geoff

Steve Perhaps we're sliding a bit off topic but you raise a good point , especially with the bilge pump. I flush mine on a regular basis even though they had not been used on a particular outing. This not only flushes but ensurs they are working OK It's perhaps not uncommon for bilge pumps to be rarely used & the last thing we need is to flick the switch & find nothing happens. As a back up I have two bilge pumps. Geoff

Cut_loose If your thinking of a stand Gary (Brickman) made this up for Jewgaffers boat. Geoff

I received a reply from Maritime , "There is only one for lifejackets which is on page 19 of the hand book" In essence , the rule states , jackets need to be easily accessable. There is no reference to the storage or access to other safety equip in the book. It's all fine & good for Police & perhaps Fisheries to do safety checks , unfortunatly their knowledge or interperation of the rules can be an issue at times. Unless they are actually going to charge you it is easier to grin & bear it rather than argue. Geoff

There is no need for a bracket when fitting internally. Just mount the pump base on the bottom of the boat. If you use a Rule pump the blue base is detached , fit it to the bottom either with screws or adhesive then refit the pump. The bracket is for external use only to support the pump & a water pick up for a live bait tank. Geoff

Agree. If when the paint is removed a few rivots are lose then drill them out & replace with new alum rivots Those that are OK , then , as the old saying goes , "if it ain't broke then don't fix it" Geoff

Knave Here is the latest list for reference . http://www.maritime.nsw.gov.au/sbh/safety_equipment/safety_equipment.html As for the bucket , I agree with your comments. Where do they expect you to store the gear ?? Mine is in a storage box under the seat. I suspect most other boaters store there gear in a similar location. I'm now courious & have sent an E Mail to Maritime asking them to clarify the ruleing. Geoff