Pimping my Brooker 4.1 Fisherman. Third go at getting it right.

[Paikea]

You are missing the point, pimping a new (old) boat is all about the joy of working out mods that will enhance your future use of the boat. And then implementing those that best fit your needs and cost criteria either by doing the work yourself or getting the hard bits done after shopping around for the best deals. I will end up with a boat that has all that I could want/need without incurring the hefty prices of adding options to a new boat. My last boat, the heavily optioned Stessl 460 Extreme cost a bomb ($40K plus) but did not suit me, Hence I had a lot of money left from its sale to buy the old Brooker, a very good and safe boat, and spend some of that money pimping it. Make sense? Kept the boss happy as well as she gets the balance of the left-over money for her projects.

I was fortunate to find a highly experienced welder living only 10 doors from my holiday home at Burrill Lake where I keep the boat. He did the welding for my mods at a price well below what I was quoted in Sydney. And a super job.

The Brooker is a big boat, supposedly 4.1 M but actually 4.2 overall. With 7 strakes above the floor amidships it is a deep boat, 1.85m wide that unlike my last boat, a Stessl 460 Extreme with high floor and casting deck left me feeling quite insecure. Standing in the bow of the Brooker I can lean against the rear of the front deck very securely and still use the area to cast from.

The mods that I have made so far include, Wide gunwales with welded in rod-holders, a custom boarding ladder with a high handle to assist boarding with 2 x dickie knees (three total knee replacements, all NBG!) Plus use the raised handle as a lean post at the rear of the boat. Replaced the cracked plastic anchor well with a welded in one re-enforced to take an anchor winch if I find that helpful. (see pic of the winch in my Bar Crusher 490 C) Fitted a welded in splash well to stop water coming over the deep transom cutout. New floor, carpet to be fitted to the floor and seats. (hate that gluing). Made a small switch panel to either mount ahead of the side at the transom or a future side console. Installed new bunks to the trailer and modified the rear supports to guide the boat onto the Center roller. Fitted a battery box under the floor ahead of the front seat to help keep the nose down on taking off and power for a future electric. Looking at fitting the electric over the top of the low front rails rather than cut the Port rail down to mount it flush with the deck.

I also have a fish box with a seat and storage in the top and fish box under (see pic) I may try to incorporate that as part of the side console or just place it in the centre of the boat. It had been fitted to three of my last boats and is very handy.

As the boat is kept at Burrill Lake, I can only work on it when down there. So I took on building a Billy-Kart for the grand kids to use in the down hill race at Bangalow next May. Bought a Vevor, Mig/Tig/Stick welder and am re-learning my Mig welding skills. Early results led to son in law saying You can always putty them up and paint them Opa! Cheeky sod! I am hoping to relearn Tig welding that I last did some 55 years ago to fabricate the side console.

[dunc333]

looks awsome

[Jimmy 75]

Pimping is the best. One can get great satisfaction. Well done keep it going