Geoff

This would have been taken around the mid 50's. Unfortunatly they are a bit fuzzy but I'm sure you will get the general idea. My first boat , taken at Currarong I do have a pic which is more appropiate bu for some reason does not want to upload Geoff

Not sure what your budget is but if you looking for somethng to handle bays & close off shore in the 4.0 - 4.3mt range you might like to run your eye over these options http://www.websterstwinfisher.com.au/wantBoat.htm Geoff

Yep , that was us. Geoff

We will be launching at Putney around 6.15am It's a bit of a run down the harbour but beats trying to park etc at the lower harbour ramps Geoff

Some time back a friend bought along packet food in a satchal. Break the seal at the top , add cold water into the outer pack & there is some form of reaction which heats the inner satchal. When hot , remove the inner satchal open & eat. It looked very nice. Not sure where they come from but would try camping , outdoor , hiking places. Geoff

It depends what your looking for , trailer boats there is heaps to see. Accessories , room for inprovement. Not a lot of exibitors I think due to space restrictions. Size wise , it normally takes 2 - 3 hours to wonder around . Overall , it is not difficult to spend half a day. Cost , free parking & there is lots of it , Adults entry $10.00 so pretty good value for money Geoff

Show starts next Friday. Will head out either Friday PM or Saturday. Any one else planning to go ???? Geoff

Pls add Mottyman & myself for the social Tks Geoff PS Ross , do you need the trailer to cart the gear ?? If so , pls PM me with you address & mobil No. & the day you would prefer me to drop off , ie 22nd or 23rd

Jas The little swing legs you refer to are designed to do the job . Lift the motor , swing them into place then drop the motor back until the legs have taken the weight. There is no need to withdraw the rams any further Geoff

Donna. For the cancelled social in Jan , I was lending my box trailer to FM to cart the gear. The trailer is normally available so transport should not be a problem Geoff

Baiting up , Pt Stephens Giving the 70 a work out across B.B. Geoff

Will certinally report back , pls feel free to copy the idea. I might add 2 points that may not be obvious in the photo. Elected to connect the hook with a loop & a crimp rather than tieing to allow more freedom for the hook / yakka to move around. The squid barbs are attached to the trace with 2 small cable ties Geoff

Over the years , when bottom bashing we throw out a livie or two to see what may be about . On regular occusions we find a squid has had a feed at the expence of our livie. So I thought , enough of this , using a cut down squid jig , the one with the long stem I came up with a combination that may just work. Not tried yet but if a squid takes a fancy to the yakka I think there is a good chance he will be caught. On the other hand , if a hungry King is passing he may take a fancy to the yakka Will report if we have any sucess Geoff

Been there , done that I think we would all be interested in the comparison Geoff

Agree with your comment regarding service once a year & water being sucked in to hot hubs . On that point , planning to change my launching proceduers so not to dunk the axle when launching. In respect to , most seals turn on the axle! tight fit in hub. Mine is the reverse , the tight fit is around the stub axle , ie the rubber seal remains stationary. The hub rotates on the outer edge of the double lipped seal against a SS housing. Geoff

Ross The brakes were working , well sort of. The pic of the rusted disc was taken a short while back after the trailer had been standing for some time . After an outing there is normally shiney spots on the disc. But it is an interesting point you raise. I discovered the brake caliper work on a floating system , ie it slides on SS tubes bolted to the axle frame. This is a basic design used on a lot of cars these days. The difference they are not submersed into salt water on a regular basis. Mine , even though was washed down after each outing , after 4 years , salt water & some may suggest a lack of maintance had all but frozen hence the lack of efectiveness. Will be paying closer attention to this area in the future Geoff

Decided to replace the wheel bearings this week. After 4 years & numerous dunking's I thought it was time. Once removed noticed some water ingress into the inner bearings (outers were like new). The water appeared to come between the stub axle & the seal. Not sure how , as the seal is approx 5 mm wide once installed does not (should not move) Cleaned up the axle & decided to apply a small amount of silicon then slide the new seal into place. Not sure if using silicon was the smartest thing to do but thought I would post this to see if others had a similar experience & how it turned out. Also decided to do the brakes which were in a lot worst state than I thought. Looked like I would be up for new disc's but fortunately my mechanic was able to save the day by skimming the rust off. 2 discs skimmed, $30.00 + new pads for $36.00. I thought $66.00 for the brakes all up was reasonable Some before & after shots included Geoff

I had a look at one some years back. Looked good but was just too big for my requirements. Stassl rereleasded the boat in the early 90's with a model brand Stinger. The press gave it glowing reports. It failed to take off , mainly due to supply problems Suggest you have a surf around Google , "Stessl Tri Hull , Stessl boats"etc. You may find information that will be of assistance Also , http://www.marinews.com/details.php?recordid=134 Geoff

Check out this thread for further info http://fishraider.com.au/Invision/index.ph...8&hl=fingal Geoff

I had a similar problem which occured over a few weeks period. On checking , the fuel filter the inlet line was blocked with some crap that came from the tank. Fixed that , thought all was OK but the problem reoccured. Then found one of the fuel hoses was loose & it was sucking air. This was fixed , no more problem. You may wish to check all the connections from the tank to the motor. Geoff

Very helpful Geoff, thanks. As the house I have rented has a dock I was hoping to just launch and leave it on the dock but that doesn't sound possible unless I make brief sorties around high tide. As I recall , the only places that have a dock are further up stream from the creek ramp , ie between the ramp & the bridge. If this is the case then access , even at high tide , is very difficult as this section is full of ribbon weed. There was a time back in the days of "putt putt" boats there was a chanel up the middle but I think this is now pretty much closed in Keep in mind the creek is empty at low tide so the boat will high & dry . Perhaps not the best thing if it is a glass boat. Don't be disillusioned by all this , it is just a matter of being aware & working around the enviorement to get the best outcome Currarong is still one of the best spots on the south coast. Geoff

It's been a few years since going to Currarong but here is what I recall There are 2 ramps , one in the creek the other is a beach ramp a few hundred mt's N/E of the creek entrance The creek is empty at low tide. For a 5 mt boat the creek is possible but only about 1 hour each side of high tide & even then a challenge to navagate with a large boat. The beach ramp can handle most size boats but whilst the sand is very hard has a shallow gradient & exposed the the N/E wind which tends to blow in around lunch time. People launching 5 mt boats generally live there & use tractors to get the trailer far enough in when retreiving. There was a make shift ramp at the creek entrance. This was accessed via the creek ramp but the sand is very soft & a challenge even for 4WD especially towing a 5mt boat At the risk of placing a dampner on your holiday , Currarong ramps are not suited to 5mt boats. So , what are the options. I note the tides are high around midday next week so perhaps , launch at the beach & retreive at the creek. Drive around to Callaha Bay (spelling??) & launch into Jervis Bay Note . A lot of the Currarong area is Marine Park so suggest you check the M.P. web site for information. As for the fishing location , "The Banks" (Sir John Young Banks shoal) is considered a good spot also the closer in bommies , see map , are worth a try. As for bait fish , try the small rocky out crop which is near the word "beach" on Currarong Beach. Currarong is a great spot , spent most of my youth down there & have many fond memories. Have a great week Geoff

All good advice but the water on the plugs worries me , this should not occur. Were all the plugs wet or just one. My suggestion , do a compression test first , if that's OK then look at some of the other areas Geoff

Try the beach at Fingle Bay. Start at the surf club house & check out likely spots heading Nth towards the sand spit. I have heard there is a place along the beach called Green Hill. Have not fished it myself so unable to report. The western end of Shoal bay is worth a try for whiting Have a word to the owner of the tackle store opposite the large supermarket in Nelson Bay. I think the tackle store is called Steggies Have a good holiday Geoff

Here is another snap of the catch Saw Tun O Fun cruising around the headlands , any luck guy's Geoff