Geoff

As Stacer560 mentioned , it is a good question & one that was taken into account when ordering the tank for Humsey's boat. The two center rod holders were not included & the tank was tapered , being narrower at the base. If I recall correctly there is about 1 - 2" clearence when the motor is raised. The attached photo shows the taper Geoff

There was no actual drain fitting to fit a hose , just a hole so decided to fit a skin fitting which could double for the overflow & drain. The attached photo has the pipe fitted in the overflow position. At days end , the orange pipe pulls out to release the water. (Ignor the piece of clear tube in the photo) Geoff

I fitted one to a friends ( Humesy) boat a few months back. The quality & finish of the baitboard / bait tank is excelant. However , there were 2 minor issues. The black plastic cutting boards which cover the top , bow when exposed to heat of the sun. These were replaced with nylon cutting boards available from most department stores. This particular unit had a drain hole in the rear left hand corner but it was too small to fit a skin fitting & needed to be enlarged which was not an easy job. I sent a mail to Rod at Baitmate suggesting he use a different product for the cutting boards & supply the unit with out the hole leaving it up to the customer to cut a hole that best suited their requirement. Attached for interest are photo's of the finished unit. Geoff

I took mine to Chubb at Silverwater. They quoted me $12.00 on the phone but when I arrived it was no charge. There is also a place at Condell Park. If these are not convenient then perhaps check the yellow pages under fire extinguishers or fire equipment Geoff

As I understand the rules , yes , which is a bit of a pain if the light is down the back & you want to fish at night , especially with the canopy up which would require additional stem height I've just installed a light on top of the rochet launcher on my boat & one on top of the consol screen for Byron. If coming off the gunnwal , the issuue is , finding ones with a long enough stem. The other thing is , even if not planning to be out after dark , Maritime are checking lights during daylight hours not just at night Geoff

Alan. If your not already aware , it would be worth checking through this list to ensure all items are covered http://www.maritime.nsw.gov.au/sbh/safetyequip_tables.html In respect to fire extinguishers they need to be checked & a tag stamped every 6 months. If the extinguisher is older than 5 years , it's cheaper to replace it with a new one than having the unit striped down & pressure tested Maritime are also checking nav lights , especially anchor lights. The current rules state , ** 360 degree display. This means 360 degree above the higest point on the boat , eg canopy / bimini / cabbin etc. Not the deck or gunnal ** Light not to be less than 1 mt above the port / starboard light ** The light to display for a distance of not less than 2 miles. To acheive that , LED are recomended Geoff

This would be the better way to go. Cutting & fitting plywood under the pedsetal base willl not make the bond between the base & the floor any stronger. As an alternative , have you considered seat boxes. There are companies around that supply these or you could make them from plywood to what ever size suits & have a hinged top. They are great for storage. Geoff

Here is a post that may be of interest. http://www.fishraider.com.au/Invision/index.php?showtopic=28539 Also , whilst the rule of thumb for the chain length may be about the same length as the boat the other is the amount of rope released should be around 3 times the water depth. This applies to any anchor not just Sarca Geoff

There is a trailer place at Lansvale called Barnes Caravan Spares. There on the Hume highway , right hand side when heading towards Liverpool . They would be worth a visit Geoff

There was a similar post a few months ago. This may be of assistance http://www.fishraider.com.au/Invision/index.php?showtopic=45891 Geoff

I have a Quell brand extinguisher . Rang Chubb at Silverwater , the distribuitor of the Quell brand this morning. The guy was most helpfull & appreicated the problem with 6 month testing on 1 off small extinguishers. He advised the normal cost was $12.00 if I bring the extinguisher into their office , however , considering a new one only cost $25.00 they may be able to review the service cost. Fortunatly for me , Chubb are only 10 min away. If other Raiders want to have their extinguishers checked have a look on the net , there may be someone in your local area. Geoff

What brand of motor. Ring a dealer who sells that brand , they should be able to provide a new key. Geoff

Have checked the Maritime reg's 2009 - 2010 hand book. The only reference other than that mentioned above is , Page 60 , "Have an approved fire extinguisher , service it regulary". Page 71 , "Check the fire extinguisher is in good condition" So , With no specific rules I'm not sure what they are going to check. There is no reference in the Maritime reg's that I could find relating to expiry or test dates. Checked my extinguisher. There is no date of manufacture , expiry or when a retest is due either on the bottle or lable. The instructions advise , if the indicator is in the green section then it's OK. There is reference to AS 1851.1 which states ,fire extinguisher need to be checked every 6 months. At $ 24.95 for a new one , who would bother. If Maritime did check , unless the extinguisher has been knocked about or signs of rust , ie , in good apparence how would they know it was not purchased in the past 2 - 3 months Geoff

If it is the head there are a few tests that may confirm , Connect the rabbit ears & run the motor for a few minuits Remove the plugs & check if there is any moisture on any of the plugs With the plugs out , crank the motor & see if water comes out Do a compression test. The varience between each cylinder should not be more than 8lb If no water & compression is OK then suggest the problem is else where. In respect to your comment when on the flusher water is coming from the tell tail , this may from the hose pressure & not necessarly confirmation the water pump is working. The water pump may have been replaced 6 months ago but if at any time the motor has been run "dry" , it only takes a few seconds the damage the pump Geoff

The repair cost for mine was $20 plus 10 min at the tyre shop. A lot easier & about the same cost as finding then buying the sealant. Geoff

Ben I had the same problem a few weeks ago. Thinking I had picked up a nail , removed the wheel & off to my local tyre store. They checked , no nail it was leaking around the rim. They indicated this was not an uncommon problem especially for trailer wheels left standing in one spot for periods of time. They removed the tyre , there was no rust. Wire brushed the sealing lip inside of the rim , applied a black sealent , refitted the tyre & now all is OK. Suggest a trip to your local tyre store Geoff

Don All good points from Bleeding Green. In addition check out the stability when at rest , especially with 2 guys leaning over one side. The other is to check the ride when heading into a decent wave chop at speed. All boats are great in calm water but it can be a different story when heading into a 15 knot plus wind Geoff

I spoke with several rep's about the lights being non complient. They were unaware of the reg's & the basic response , "that's how they are set up" The concerning thing , people buy a boat in good faith assuming all is OK & ready for launching. Get to the ramp or on the water & if an inspector comes by , the owner could be fined. Personally I would not be a happy camper & be back to the dealer very quickly. I think Maritime need to take some responsibility for comunicating changes to the reg's. There is definatly room for improvement. Even the officers I spoke with agreed. Geoff

Spoke with Maritime officers at the Rosehill boat show this morning , mainly about anchor lights. The 3 key requirements, ** 360 degree display. This means 360 degree above the higest point on the boat , eg canopy / bimini cover etc. Not the deck or gunnal ** Light not to be less than 1 mt above the port / starboard light ** The light to display for a distance of not less than 2 miles. To acheive that , LED are recomended but Maritime could not advise how an officer was going to measure the distance It was interesting to note , from all the boats I looked at only 2 dealers complied , one of those being Huett Marine. In respect to flares , expired flares can now be handed into any Maritime office. I was also advised that it's OK to have expired flares on board provided a set of flares with an expiry date in the future could be produced. Not sure if that is 100% correct but did not debate the point The show is larger than last year & with free parking & entry was a popular attraction Geoff

Towards the front is better from a weight aspect but from a volume aspect a location around the center of the boat would be better so it becomes a bit of a balance between weight & volume. Stainless is better but there are a lot of boats fitted with Aluminium as Alum is lighter & the material less expensive On the side is more convienent but difficult to know how much fuel is in the tank. In the floor allows the use of a dip stick. Fuel gauge may be an option but not sure how to calibrate to a custom made tank Baffles , Nice to have , nor sure if they are esential. Talk to Gary at Serious Stainless. I understand he only has stainless available but he may be able to put you onto an Aluminium fabricator. Huey from Huett Marine may also know someone Geoff

Tiger cam. See your PM's Geoff

DGF Google "Fuel flow meters" there are lots of options. Navman appear to be popular. Large marine outlets sell fuel gauges so give them a call Geoff

I have a friend in Melb who is a very keen fish'o & a commitee member of the local fishing club. She should be able to help. At presant on vacation & will not be home for about 2 weeks. I will make a note & contact her in a few weeks then send you a PM Geoff

This post moves a bit off topic but assume it will be OK Barry...... Byrons boat is currently at my place & in respect to his comments, I don't have any photos of my multi purpose trip rope as my boat is not here at the moment. But for dropping the anchor anywhere along the side of my boat and tying off purposes in the bow area, if you can picture a separate length of rope permantly tied to the anchor bollard behind the electric motor -also acting as a race for another type of anchoring purpose- and then having the rope going around the side of the boat and clipped into the stern rail for permanent storage - the trip rope then becomes an extension of the anchor rope itself. I used this anchoring in cabin boats so that the the anchor could be launched and retrived from the drivers seat or the passenger seat and used also this system to hold the deep boat boat side on in estuaries when required. I've taken some photo's this afternoon showing the rope. It normally comes over the bow roller then along the inside to prevent it flopping around when not in use. I've moved it outside for the purpose of the photo's To add a bit more detail to the process , Drop the anchor over the side , release the required amount of rope , tie a loop in the anchor rope & fit the metal clip to the loop. Release the "lanyard " rope & some more anchor rope until the lanyard takes the strain. The loose anchor rope between the clip & the side of the boat just needs to be lightly secured. To retreive , motor up slowley pulling in the loose anchor rope until the clip can be released then continue to pull in the anchor. A word of caution. Great care must be taken with boat balance , especially in small boats as there is a risk of tipping the boat over especially if the anchor is stuck & the boat is side on to a swell , chop or the wake of a passing boat. The metal clip Geoff

It's the stern , where the motor is fitted. In respect to billfisher comment, With fiberglass boats you have to watch out for dry rot - particular in the transom This normally begins around the rear drain (bung) holes. Check this area carefully. If when pressing around the drain hole there is any flexing or it feels spongy walk away. The price may sound attractive but 5.5 mt for your first boat may be a bit oversized Geoff