Geoff

For interest , the tides for Sunday at Picnic Point are, Low 9.55am , .4mt High 4.25pm , 1.6mt Geoff

Framedtrash. Humsey has a 620 , you may wish to PM him for comments. Also , this may be interest http://www.fishraider.com.au/Invision/index.php?showtopic=45536&st=0&p=336728&fromsearch=1entry336728 Geoff

Huey If one was looking for a new sounder to operate in the 10 - 60mt range would you still suggest the Furuno or one of the others Geoff

This is a step in the right direction but unfortunatly become rather useless unless there is some one there to throw the ring. Of the 15 deaths it would be interesting to know how many had people nearby , that could have thrown the ring. Also , one ring is not going to be much help if there are 2 or more people in the water , eg the 5 that drowned recently. There has been some interesting dicussion on Hitide over recent weeks. The general consensus at this time is, rock fisho's should wear a life jacket. This is not a difficult law to introduce. The issue is policing the law Geoff

I've been using a DST300 for about 10 years & it's had a lot of use. & until recently been trouble free. It's now in need of a service but unable to find a local Agent. Have E Mailed Omoto office / factory in Tawain. Currently awaiting a reply. If unavailable locally , am considering purchasing a new DST 300 reel from an offshore supplier , approx $80.00 delivered Geoff

Marine shops sell the kits , they start around $200 for 15lt / minuite up to $350 for 19lt / minuite. Whilst the volume is lower than a normal LBT pump (360 Rule pumps at 26lt / minuite) the pressure is a lot higher for DW pumps , 50 / 60psi. I use a 360 pump & find it more than adequate Mine feeds off the water supply for the LBT & as such only requires a tap , "T" fitting , hose etc. All up , the cost would be less than $50 for the parts. It also provides water to the bait board if required. "Is it worth it" Very handy for washing down the back of the boat during an outing to clean away any blood or bait splatter. Would not be without one Geoff

T-Dog Generally speaking I agree with the others regarding the bearings. You mention brakes in your post. If they are the standard mechinal brakes the calipers need to be removed to enable the hubs to come off. This is not a big job , each caliper is held on with 2 X 16mm bolts. These need to be removed & the brake cable disconnected. When serviceing , ensure the 2 X 16mm bolts & sleves are cleaned & lubricated with marine grease. Further information can be found in the forum section, "The Workshop" . There are 2 posts by Boofhead which are worth reading The member responses to this post may also be of interest http://www.fishraider.com.au/Invision/index.php?showtopic=48157 If you decide to take it to a mechinic I suspect the job will cost around $200 - $250 as there is a fair bit of labour especially when brakes are involved. Geoff

Leo The box in the photo is made from aluminium but could easily be made from 12mm waterproof ply available from hardware stores. The plywood , hingers (stainless steel) paint etc are not expensive They may not look all that big but they hold heaps of gear The top is hinged for access Pls PM me if you require more details Geoff

I'm the same as the others , hose down & leave to dry prior to fitting the cover. For those who do not have under cover storage or , from a security aspect unable to leave the boat in the sun , consider purchasing marine carpet as an overlay. This could be removed after each trip & washed. The actual floor carpet does not get wet so the cover can be fitted without the worry of mildue etc. Marine carpet cost about $20 / sq mt Geoff

There is a ramp at the boatshead off Carinya Rd Picnic Point. If I recall correctly there is a ramp fee involved but how secure it is at night is another question. Finding a location with good lighting would be an advantagage , trailer wheel clamps would be another idea to consider. Geoff

Paul Suggest you ring or E Mail Maritime. The rule states 2 mile offshore but I have heard of people being being booked when they are more than 2 nm north or south of the heads but less than 2nm actually off the coast. Geoff

Peter. We had the normal mix , pillies , squid , prawns & Bonnie fillits. The kings were on the bite so they hit just about any thing we threw at them. Geoff

We had the pick down , running a burley trail with floating baits & bottom bashing. Overall , the result was about 50 / 50 however , the larger fish were caught on the floating baits. Geoff

On a 4.8mt boat you will most likely require a a motor around 80lb thrust. This size require 24V (2 X 12V) batteries AGM deep cycle batteries are not cheap. Depending on use you could get away with 70 amp hour batteries but 100 - 105 amp hour is prefered. 2 X 12V , 100amp batteries + a 12 amp charger will cost around $850.00 - $900.00 As for the motor , suggest Minkota or Motorguide Geoff

The links in this web site may be of interest. http://www.fishbermi.com/ Geoff

Ring a few Yamaha dealers. They should have keys or know where to purchase. If no luck , contact Yamaha via this web site http://www.yamaha-motor.com.au/ Geoff

Have a look around this site ,lot's of interesting information even if you choose to purchase elsewhere. FS are one of the few suppliers who offer a 2 year warranty. http://www.firststartbatteries.com.au/ Geoff

wrxhoon1 Could you advise further information on the stainless sleve. Was it supplied with the axle or fitted at a later date.? If with the axle , who is the trailer manufacture. Did the geniune B/B's come with the trailer or purchased later. If later , from whom? Just about every marine & trailer dealer sells "bearing buddies" but normally called "bearing protectors". I had a look on the web & can only find one supplier on the Centeral Coast. Tks, Geoff

Others have provided the 2 basic options available , ie , permenant & removable. If you choose to removable plastic holders are OK with 3/4" 10 gauge round (pan) head screws if used just for the bait board. Metal holders are preferable if using the holders as actual rod holders. Which ever way you choose , when installing , have the motor fully raised to ensure there is sufficient clearence between the board & the motor. Geoff

Thanks for the feed back. Will check it out Geoff

Can you post a photo or two of the transom / rear deck. It would be would be of assistance seeing what you have to work with. In the mean time this may be of interest Geoff

Dorado. Could you expand on comment , " molybdenum content ". I had a look around the web , below are 3 extracts which appear to sumerise the options. Am I correct is saying your useing the first one , Lithium / Moly Grease Lithium / Moly Grease Lithium is the base material in the grease, moly is an additive in the grease, and synthetic tells about the type of oil held in the base. The base is the thickener. Lithium or lithium complex is probably the most popular grease base material. The base is something like a sponge. It holds oil in its pores, and the oil does the lubricating. The oil can be conventional or synthetic. Lithium Grease Lithium based, high melting point grease, specifically designed as a wheel bearing grease for use over a wide range of temperatures. Also suitable for general purpose applications Moly Grease High melting point, lithium based grease containing molybdenum, providing dry lubrication under extreme operating conditions. Ideally suited for the following applications; King pins and bushes, shackles and suspension trunnions, bevel worm and peg steering boxes Tks Geoff

Tks to all for your replys & informative information. Chrisg The grease is a well known brand. I dought it was a grease problem. I think the water ingress would have caused any grease to fail. A clean surface on the stub where the seal sits is a must. Yes , I agree. Whilst the piting is only minor it is still a weak spot , so to speak. I guess what I was looking for was a product like silicon that could be applied to the axle than slide the seal on thereby sealing the area between the two surfaces. If this worked it would it would avoid replacing the axle. Another cause is putting the trailer in after a bit of a run. Good point , will keep this in mind Holmesis I always put a few pumps of grease into the bearing buddies prior to dunking the trailer I did this but suspect the bearings may have already been on their last legs & the extra grease was too little , too late. The annual inspection is now on the "to do list" Bill S Durahubs are certinally an option. Unlike Bearing Buddies , am I correct in saying , there is no positive pressure with the oil filled system. Not that this is of major concern but I still need to stop the water from entering. Jewgaffer. It's high time that all trailer bearing manufacturers took more care in regard to the design One would like to think , with todays technology , someone could design a water proff sealing system. billfisher In fact I don't think bearing buddies actually work. After this experience the same thought crossed my mind. David purchase the hub seals that sit stationary on the axle. This is the type that were installed. But as mentioned above , I think the challenge is to ensure a good seal between the rubber seal & the stub axle. I think the bottom line is , Provide as best as possible , a good seal around the stub axle. Avoid dunking the wheels where ever possible Remove & check & repack at least every 12 months or prior to long highway trips Geoff

Coming home from PT Stevens last Sunday , about 1/2 K North of Ourimbah , a car pulled along side with the passenger pointing at the trailer wheel. I pulled over to find smoke coming from the wheel & on closer inspection the inner & outer bearings had all but disappeared leaving only the cones & the race housing & basically , the hub running on the stub axle. I had a spare set of bearings with me but replacing bearings on the side of a freeway was not an appealing thought. Other than having the trailer trucked back to Sydney there was really no other option. Moved a few hundred meters to a safer spot & an hour or so later , with new bearings fitted , was on my way. On Monday , I removed the bearing buddies from the other side to find water dripping from the hub & the bearings with perhaps only 50 - 100 k or so before they to collapsed. In both cases , the water had entered through the rear seal. For interest , the original set of bearings on a new trailer were replaced after 4 years & were still in good condition when replaced. This set only lasted 2 years even though they were good quality purchased from a bearing company. I noticed a small amount of rust with some minor pitting on the stub axle where the seal sits , perhaps this is the source of the problem. I would be interested to hear from raiders who have had a similar problem & found a solution , other than not getting the seals wet when launching / retrieving , to prevent or minimise water entering into the hub. Thanks , Geoff

Agree. It is not the place to be without a depth sounder & even then approach the area with caution. If I recall correctly , there was an accident out there last year & 1 or 2 on board did not come home Geoff