Finally took my new boat out for a water test

[Ojay Samson]

Hi all, so i bought a new boat last month to upgrade from my 1st boat being a 3.7m clark tinny with 6hp johnson (some of you might recognize my past posts with it):

To this: 2003 BMT package Formosa 4.5m with a 60HP Mercury Bigfoot

So i have had the new boat for exactly 1 month on the day after buying and bringing it back to sydney from dubbo yesterday.

I have been working on it (and still am) to do it up to my satisfaction, but it is more than ready to use on the water. So rather unplanned i get a phone call from my mate yesterday morning who wanted to take it out for a water test... i agreed and a plan was set.

A lot of doubt was cleared up for me yesterday putting my mind at ease. I wasn't sure if my little 26 year old (owned from new) toyota corolla seca CS-X twin cam would be able to pull my new boat from out of the ramp. I had my friends work van there as backup just in case it couldn't make it up on its own. Fortunately she pulled up the new boat with no dramas at all, no wheelspin or anything, and on a low tide to so the ramp was very slippery.
Vid of the launch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Isb5baLoD0U

The plan was to just test drive it around my place, but sure enough we got carried away with WOT and ended up in front of pyrmont instead... the boat handled brilliantly and my mate couldn't stop praising it enough about how surprised he was as to how it handled other boats waves and chop (he owns a haines hunter 635L and several quintrexes and brookers over the years, as well as being on many other aluminium boats and now rates the formosa as the top for comfort on all the ones hes been on or owned. hes not one to blow wind up peoples sails either as he has a typical brand/type snobbery to mercury but couldn't fault my one either), i digress.

So we ended up at pyrmont which was not the plan at all. got the boat up to 53km/h WOT with the bimini up. Does that sound like a normal top speed for a very heavy 4.5m aluminium boat (compared to the other 4.5m boats i've test pushed while shopping for a new boat this thing weighs a LOT more, very hard to man handle compared other boats like 4.5m savage osprey with 70hp yamaha/ 445 brooker R/A with 40hp etcetc) with a 60hp bigfoot gearbox? i honestly dont know what i should be expecting as i am coming from a 6hp johnson.

Anyways this is where the afternoon gets interesting, as the previous plan was to putt around rhodes, we thought we had plenty of fuel in the tank (only 1X25L tank that was about 1/2 full, the other tank was completely empty), sure enough after getting carried away with the majority of it at WOT all the way to darling harbour, i was driving and the engine started losing power.... which then eventually died. Checked the fuel tank and sure enough the tank was empty.
Threw the anchor out and assessed what to do now ... we had died about 120m from cabarita park in front of the beach.

Disappointingly, no one came over to help us or even see what we were waving about, with 1 of those older type flybridge cruisers driving right past us while both of us were waving our hands in the 'international distress signal' type of waving our arms in the air frantically (definitely couldn't be mistaken for a friendly boating wave), this same story happened to 2 other trailer boats in the 5m+ range with the occupants merely staring at us the entire time they were driving past while we were waving our arms. disappointed to be honest the type of attitude people boating in sydney harbour/parra river have... its like the wild west, you're on your own. im glad in the 3 years prior to owning my tinny i never needed help because it seems i wouldve never got it apart form actually calling legitimate rescue services. this is quite the contrast when i remember my mate and I towing a group who's boat had died in the middle of botany bay at night and it took us about an hour to get to the ramp, i thought it was just what you did...if you see someone who needs help you at the very least go up to them to make sure there's no life threatening issues happening, in any case, i digress again.

We both got on our phones to try find anyone who could help us, i could see the fuel bowsers at the marina next to us so made a phone call to them and sure enough those bowsers were diesel only, so there goes that idea. eventually my mate found a friend who was free and could help us, so we bobbed around for a little bit as he was coming from punchbowl.

we then started the arduous task of paddling the boat to the beach for the rendezvous. sure enough we got to shore in the end and took 1 fuel tank out of the boat and my mate went off to get fuel while I stayed with the boat. They came back in about half an hour, hooked up the fresh fuel and we were on our way again for the final stretch to home. we putted around my area some more until we finally decided to pull up and retrieve the boat.

learnt a lot that day on things i want to fix here and there (like changing the skids to wobble rollers to see if launch and retrieve would be any easier, and to make sure to bring extra fuel, now i know this new boat drinks like a sailor). But in the end, we were both glad to know that the boat worked... just not without fuel.

might make a boat 'build' post when everything is done and dusted and I have done the majority of what i wanted to do.

Sorry for the long post, hope at the very least it was mildly enjoyable reading/viewing.

Here is a link to some pics and vids of the day (1st time im trying this so not sure if it'll work).
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/5dapwgm7ad7duqk/AADkmJqs3Ecb--Y27Db9XjC8a?dl=0

Cheers raiders

Edited September 21, 2016 by Ojay Samson

[jeffb5.8]

The fuel is a easy one to mistake,

i went from a 6hp which running all day would burn 18ltrs, to a 25hp which would burn the full 25ltrs to a 115hp which, well it burns a bit more again, thankfully it has a fuel gauge. I now carry a 12ltr fuel can filled to about 9ltrs as its easier to pour between tanks without splashing and if i dont use it i throw it into the wife's car and get a fresh tank before each use of the boat unless i know i am going out a couple times that month.

Glad the shake down went well and the old corolla being FWD should pull it out on most ramps on the Parra River.

Will keep an eye out for you along the river, if you see a guy with 3 kids or more wave in a Stacer 539 wave that will be me.

Edited September 21, 2016 by jeffb5.8

[Croydon]

Sounds like a fun, exciting day. Aren't boats just wonderful, we never stop learning. Good luck with the new rig and I hope it gets you into some fabulous fish. Cheers..........

Dave

[big Neil]

Nice boat Ojay. Congrats on an (eventually) successful trial run. The vids and photos all worked too so onwards and upwards mate. Will look forward to seeing the first fish come on board. Cheers.

[Guest 4myson]

Hard to believe that other boaters just went straight past you guys without stopping especially after you guys were trying to wave them down ....BLOODY IDIOTS !!! My General rule when it comes to boating is always STOP to lend a hand as you will Never know when it might be you that needs a hand one day on the water . Glad to hear that everything worked out in the end & you guys made it back to the ramp.....

[Fab1]

What a great read mate and congratulations on your new boat.

If I could give you some advice to help you launch and retrieve her would be to sink the rig lower in the water so the transom is floating as on the video your about to push your boat of a dry trailer into thin air so to speak.

The waterline should be somewhere between the middle of the wheel and top of the guards.

If you use this method and have well lubed rollers you'll need to slow the boat down during launch instead of having to give her a all mighty shove.

I know you said your paranoid about your rig sliding down the ramp and a good thing I use when I use my small car to launch and retrieve is a set of wooden chocks that has a length of rope between the two which I drape over the towball then set the chocks under the back wheels.After launch/retrieval they simply follow you back up the ramp.

Once again Congrats on your rig and look forward to seeing what you do to her.

Cheers.

[sleepydragon]

Sad to hear the boaters who did not help you. I always try to help the unlucky people who are in the bad situation and that I call it BOATING and hope good karma will come.

[recurve]

Congrats on the new boat mate. 53kmh is pretty quick. Got to be happy with that. As you now know, going WOT uses a lot more fuel than your optimum cruising speed. But cruising speeds are no where near as fun.

As far as waving for help. "while both of us were waving our hands in the 'international distress signal' type of waving our arms in the air frantically"

What you have described is not the International Distress Signal. Two blokes waving arms frantically could be mistaken for two clowns having a yahoo. The International Signal for Distress is to wave both hands up and down to the side.....slowly...It has to be slow. I agree that with you both looking stressed and waving frantically should have incited a call out or an Ahoy. But technically, frantic waving is not a Distress Signal so it was not a breach of maritime code or etiquette for them to not stop.

http://www.boatsafe.com/nauticalknowhow/distress.htm

[kingfishbig]

It's not good practice to pour fuel between open containers at sea (or enclosed waters) in the confined space of a boat. Plastic fuel tanks with connections for fuel lines are available in a variety of shapes and sizes. It will be far easier this way to re-establish your fuel supply if you run out, as well as being infinitely safer.

[fragmeister]

Hey OJ.

Sounds like another boating lesson for you!

In case you don't already know, watch that ramp on low tide its very shallow on the eastern side... launch on the side closest to the pontoon (which you did).

You should feel a bit safer getting into some kings around the heads this summer!

Fun times ahead.

Cheers

Jim

Edited September 22, 2016 by fragmeister

[Guest 4myson]

Congrats on the new boat mate. 53kmh is pretty quick. Got to be happy with that. As you now know, going WOT uses a lot more fuel than your optimum cruising speed. But cruising speeds are no where near as fun.

As far as waving for help. "while both of us were waving our hands in the 'international distress signal' type of waving our arms in the air frantically"

What you have described is not the International Distress Signal. Two blokes waving arms frantically could be mistaken for two clowns having a yahoo. The International Signal for Distress is to wave both hands up and down to the side.....slowly...It has to be slow. I agree that with you both looking stressed and waving frantically should have incited a call out or an Ahoy. But technically, frantic waving is not a Distress Signal so it was not a breach of maritime code or etiquette for them to not stop.

http://www.boatsafe.com/nauticalknowhow/distress.htm

Might not be a breach of "Maritime Code" BUT you think COMMON SENSE & COURTESY should have intervened here ...I remember a fair while back as a kid on holiday with the folks, We stayed at a caravan park at Entrance right on the lake which had it's own little ramp . Me & dad made our way down as we saw an ambulance there & a lot of people around , we later found out that while a father & son were fishing the father passed away from a HEART ATTACK ! The son tried to wave down several boats but was just IGNORED & had to make his way back in on his own ....Maybe the Dad would still be alive to this day if someone had the COMMON SENSE to stop & help instead of rushing off to get to their fishing spot.... Someone tries to wave you down or grab your attention YOU STOP plain & simple... they might not know the INTERNATIONAL DISTRESS SIGNAL . You can always get to your spot a little bit later & hopefully the fish will still be there. But if you can go out of your way to stop & check on someone Even though it might NOT be a Life or Death situation will result in a Better Day for All.....

Edited September 22, 2016 by 4myson

[recurve]

Might not be a breach of "Maritime Code" BUT you think COMMON SENSE & COURTESY should have intervened here ...I remember a fair while back as a kid on holiday with the folks, We stayed at a caravan park at Entrance right on the lake which had it's own little ramp . Me & dad made our way down as we saw an ambulance there & a lot of people around , we later found out that while a father & son were fishing the father passed away from a HEART ATTACK ! The son tried to wave down several boats but was just IGNORED & had to make his way back in on his own ....Maybe the Dad would still be alive to this day if someone had the COMMON SENSE to stop & help instead of rushing off to get to their fishing spot.... Someone tries to wave you down or grab your attention YOU STOP plain & simple... they might not know the INTERNATIONAL DISTRESS SIGNAL . You can always get to your spot a little bit later & hopefully the fish will still be there. But if you can go out of your way to stop & check on someone Even though it might NOT be a Life or Death situation will result in a Better Day for All.....

Agree, that it is alarming that no one stopped to check on them. But people who want to take a boat out and be a skipper need to make sure that they know their stuff. Can't go septic at the boating community because you did the signal for "Come over here" or "Hey we're drunk" or "Hey we're being eggs" or "Hey look at me I am about to do something stupid (Brown Eye)" You know what I mean. That is why the signal is slow moving hands so it can't be confused with a general frantic waving which can mean anything.

Also all boats should have a V Sheet, Flares, Radio even a hand held VHF. I think the fault more lies with the OP than the Sydney Boaters.

Just my opinion.

[Fab1]

Might not be a breach of "Maritime Code" BUT you think COMMON SENSE & COURTESY should have intervened here ...I remember a fair while back as a kid on holiday with the folks, We stayed at a caravan park at Entrance right on the lake which had it's own little ramp . Me & dad made our way down as we saw an ambulance there & a lot of people around , we later found out that while a father & son were fishing the father passed away from a HEART ATTACK ! The son tried to wave down several boats but was just IGNORED & had to make his way back in on his own ....Maybe the Dad would still be alive to this day if someone had the COMMON SENSE to stop & help instead of rushing off to get to their fishing spot.... Someone tries to wave you down or grab your attention YOU STOP plain & simple... they might not know the INTERNATIONAL DISTRESS SIGNAL . You can always get to your spot a little bit later & hopefully the fish will still be there. But if you can go out of your way to stop & check on someone Even though it might NOT be a Life or Death situation will result in a Better Day for All.....

Well said mate.I would rather attend to a false alarm than know later on that I could of possibly saved someone from a potential life and death situation.

Unfortunately there's not many of us left in this world mate that think and act like us.

[Cargo05]

Informative post of the new boat. A few teething problems, but it looks like a great fishing platform. You should have many enjoyable trips in the future.

[kingfishbig]

The fuel is a easy one to mistake,

i went from a 6hp which running all day would burn 18ltrs, to a 25hp which would burn the full 25ltrs to a 115hp which, well it burns a bit more again, thankfully it has a fuel gauge. I now carry a 12ltr fuel can filled to about 9ltrs as its easier to pour between tanks without splashing and if i dont use it i throw it into the wife's car and get a fresh tank before each use of the boat unless i know i am going out a couple times that month.

Glad the shake down went well and the old corolla being FWD should pull it out on most ramps on the Parra River.

Will keep an eye out for you along the river, if you see a guy with 3 kids or more wave in a Stacer 539 wave that will be me.

You need to be aware though even if you don't spill any fuel (not hard to actually do), by filling a tank any fuel vapour in the tank being filled will be displaced into the confined space of your boat. Fuel vapours combined with air are more of an explosion/ fire risk than the liquid fuel itself. Better off just carrying a portable outboard fuel tank with hose and connectors.

[kingfishbig]

What a great read mate and congratulations on your new boat.

If I could give you some advice to help you launch and retrieve her would be to sink the rig lower in the water so the transom is floating as on the video your about to push your boat of a dry trailer into thin air so to speak.

The waterline should be somewhere between the middle of the wheel and top of the guards.

If you use this method and have well lubed rollers you'll need to slow the boat down during launch instead of having to give her a all mighty shove.

I know you said your paranoid about your rig sliding down the ramp and a good thing I use when I use my small car to launch and retrieve is a set of wooden chocks that has a length of rope between the two which I drape over the towball then set the chocks under the back wheels.After launch/retrieval they simply follow you back up the ramp.

Once again Congrats on your rig and look forward to seeing what you do to her.

Cheers.

Though you will save a lot of maintenance if you don't dunk the wheel bearing in the water. Should be possible with a single axle trailer with decent sized wheels. Less of the trailer will get a saltwater bath too, which will cut down on rust problems.

Edited September 24, 2016 by kingfishbig

[Ojay Samson]

Agree, that it is alarming that no one stopped to check on them. But people who want to take a boat out and be a skipper need to make sure that they know their stuff. Can't go septic at the boating community because you did the signal for "Come over here" or "Hey we're drunk" or "Hey we're being eggs" or "Hey look at me I am about to do something stupid (Brown Eye)" You know what I mean. That is why the signal is slow moving hands so it can't be confused with a general frantic waving which can mean anything.

Also all boats should have a V Sheet, Flares, Radio even a hand held VHF. I think the fault more lies with the OP than the Sydney Boaters.

Just my opinion.

You perceive yourself to have a 'by the book' attitude yet you state that all boats should have " V Sheet, Flares, Radio even a hand held VHF". Since I was in parramatta river and thus enclosed waters i never needed any of those at the time, according to the boat user manual none of those are required for where i was, therefore you're statement holds no true value other than your own "by the book" opinion. Thought processes like that are dangerous in my opinion, just like '4myson' example... common sense and courtesy is not so common it seems. "oh look they're not doing the wave properly... lets move on". Its interesting the story 4myson told as it turns out that is exactly how my godmothers husband passed away many years ago. He was out fishing with his son (6 at the time) and he had a heart attack on the water, no one was around where they were so it was up to my close family friend (6 at the time, i was like 1 or 2 or something) to try take the boat back to port & help.

Just out of curiosity, were you one of the boat that drove right past us real slow and even glared at us and just trying to justify your actions on the day to yourself?

I am not trying to dodge any blame, merely stating my view on the state of the boaters mindsets in sydney harbour on that day. Have a good day mate, and thats just my opinion to.

For those of you who did enjoy the post, thanks for your attention.

I have taken all constructive criticism on board and am in the process of getting a 3rd fuel tank as opposed to a jerry can as fuel line piping is there for a 3rd tank, i just don't have a 3rd tank at the moment.

Hey OJ.

Sounds like another boating lesson for you!

In case you don't already know, watch that ramp on low tide its very shallow on the eastern side... launch on the side closest to the pontoon (which you did).

You should feel a bit safer getting into some kings around the heads this summer!

Fun times ahead.

Cheers

Jim

Thanks Jim, yep always learning. Yep i only ever launch on the side closest to the pontoon, because i only ever walk the boat to the wharf. I am not a fan of power loading either as 1st that is illegal hence i like to stick to the side closest to wharf, and 2nd if any of you have tried to launch at woolwich boat ramp on a low tide, you will understand my disdain to those I see power loading. furthermore i have witnessed 1 boater bottom out when launching at the east side closest to all the rock rubble at rhodes ramp... it was painful to watch & hear. learn from others as they say.

What a great read mate and congratulations on your new boat.

If I could give you some advice to help you launch and retrieve her would be to sink the rig lower in the water so the transom is floating as on the video your about to push your boat of a dry trailer into thin air so to speak.

The waterline should be somewhere between the middle of the wheel and top of the guards.

If you use this method and have well lubed rollers you'll need to slow the boat down during launch instead of having to give her a all mighty shove.

I know you said your paranoid about your rig sliding down the ramp and a good thing I use when I use my small car to launch and retrieve is a set of wooden chocks that has a length of rope between the two which I drape over the towball then set the chocks under the back wheels.After launch/retrieval they simply follow you back up the ramp.

Once again Congrats on your rig and look forward to seeing what you do to her.

Cheers.

Thanks for the advice, the video was cut short very early as it was just 2 of us. in the end we ended up dunking the boat to where the mud guards tops were just above the water line. we also tried the reverse then stop suddenly twice, that didn't work either, maybe i was being a bit to gingerly about it. the problem with the trailer is the wheels on them are properly long distance 4wd type tyres and as such raise the trailer a lot,as the previous owner used to tow the rig up to the NT to fish with the saltwater crocs (hence the permanently impregnated red outback dirt all over the trailer). my mate has a spare set of smaller wheels from his old trailer with the same stud pattern and we will chuck those on my trailer to see if that makes any difference in launching, also the trailer is incredibly over sprung as it has 9 leaf springs on each side (remnants from the previous owner lugging all his gear around up north while fishing) so we might take out every 2nd spring or something. the wood chocks are a great idea, i might make some up for next time when my paranoia kicks in and have the boat fully loaded for a days fish. the wood on the foot brake/hand brake and wood chocks... sounds overkill to some but i've read to many stories now of people witnessing peoples hand brakes let go/Park gear let go and the whole thing rolls backwards into the water (there wa a recent post with an unlucky guys subaru outback rolling into the drink due to slippery ramp).

The fuel is a easy one to mistake,

i went from a 6hp which running all day would burn 18ltrs, to a 25hp which would burn the full 25ltrs to a 115hp which, well it burns a bit more again, thankfully it has a fuel gauge. I now carry a 12ltr fuel can filled to about 9ltrs as its easier to pour between tanks without splashing and if i dont use it i throw it into the wife's car and get a fresh tank before each use of the boat unless i know i am going out a couple times that month.

Glad the shake down went well and the old corolla being FWD should pull it out on most ramps on the Parra River.

Will keep an eye out for you along the river, if you see a guy with 3 kids or more wave in a Stacer 539 wave that will be me.

Thanks Jeff, well you know what my boat and I look like so if you see me on the water don't be afraid to say Hi lol. It's always good to recognise 'regulars' when on the water lol.

[recurve]

You perceive yourself to have a 'by the book' attitude yet you state that all boats should have " V Sheet, Flares, Radio even a hand held VHF". Since I was in parramatta river and thus enclosed waters i never needed any of those at the time, according to the boat user manual none of those are required for where i was, therefore you're statement holds no true value other than your own "by the book" opinion. Thought processes like that are dangerous in my opinion, just like '4myson' example... common sense and courtesy is not so common it seems. "oh look they're not doing the wave properly... lets move on". Its interesting the story 4myson told as it turns out that is exactly how my godmothers husband passed away many years ago. He was out fishing with his son (6 at the time) and he had a heart attack on the water, no one was around where they were so it was up to my close family friend (6 at the time, i was like 1 or 2 or something) to try take the boat back to port & help.
Just out of curiosity, were you one of the boat that drove right past us real slow and even glared at us and just trying to justify your actions on the day to yourself?
I am not trying to dodge any blame, merely stating my view on the state of the boaters mindsets in sydney harbour on that day. Have a good day mate, and thats just my opinion to.

For those of you who did enjoy the post, thanks for your attention.
I have taken all constructive criticism on board and am in the process of getting a 3rd fuel tank as opposed to a jerry can as fuel line piping is there for a 3rd tank, i just don't have a 3rd tank at the moment.

Sorry to offend you. Was not meaning to be by the book. Is my opinion that all boats should have a V Sheet, Radio, Flares. Does not matter what the rules say. I think it is common sense. No one ever regretted having the right safely gear. I go fishing in shore a lot on a friends boat and he has all the safety equipment....why wouldn't you?

No I was not on Sydney Harbour and as I said it is alarming that no one stopped for you. Personally if i thought someone was in danger even slightly I would pull over. In fact I have done before and spent my fishing trip towing two guys who's motor died. They probably ran out of fuel but did not want to say.

I was saying, that you were doing it wrong and therefore going septic at other boaters was not entirely fair. I also said that the drama you got yourself into was your fault, which is cool, we all make mistakes. Your comment "you're statement holds no true value other than your own "by the book" opinion. Well the fact that you got stuck and could not raise help kind of does give it true value. If you had a V sheet you would have been assisted quick smart. V sheet costs what? $25? By all means, carry on boating with the bare minimum of safety gear and poor knowledge

Like I said, this is my opinion. Accept that in many peoples eyes I am wrong. I do come from a family with a long boating & yachting history, my opinions are ingrained. You are welcome to get angry.

Enjoy your knew boat and I hope you never run out of fuel and get some safety equipment. By the book or not.

All the best. Be safe.

[Ojay Samson]

Not angry friend, in fact I want to thank you for your advice of waving more slowly in the event that something like that ever happens again, as to not confuse people like you that I am not having a good old time and do indeed need assistance. Still perplexed why they call it "common sense" or "common courtesy" when indeed its a scarce thing it seems. Thanks for your feedback mate, it's opened my eyes to the egotistic elitist nature of some on the water. I abide by the same mindset of those like fab1 and 4myson, unfortunately I don't have the same pedigree of family boating pedigree as you, so I keep things simple, I see 2 people waving frantically on the water directly at me, I'll motor on over a make sure everything's ok, I don't mind false alarms, better to be sure on the water.

Cheers friend for your best wishes, sincerely best wishes to you to

Sent from my SM-G900I using Tapatalk

[recurve]

Not angry friend, in fact I want to thank you for your advice of waving more slowly in the event that something like that ever happens again, as to not confuse people like you that I am not having a good old time and do indeed need assistance. Still perplexed why they call it "common sense" or "common courtesy" when indeed its a scarce thing it seems. Thanks for your feedback mate, it's opened my eyes to the egotistic elitist nature of some on the water. I abide by the same mindset of those like fab1 and 4myson, unfortunately I don't have the same pedigree of family boating pedigree as you, so I keep things simple, I see 2 people waving frantically on the water directly at me, I'll motor on over a make sure everything's ok, I don't mind false alarms, better to be sure on the water.

Cheers friend for your best wishes, sincerely best wishes to you to

Sent from my SM-G900I using Tapatalk

Exactly, when on the water and in distress there is not time for miss - communication.

However, pretty sure If I had seen you and it was obvious that you were in strife I would have helped. "People like you" Really??......

[Twinfisher 4.9]

Oh dear, welcome to the club.....has a big membership.......running out of fuel happens - but hopefully only the once. Sorry you didn't get any assistance from other vessels, despite how you waved! I firmly believe that the majority of responsible boat captains would come to your assistance.

Anyway you now know how much fuel you need for a day out, and them some. Don't let it get you down, just happy that it ended well.

Steve