So am close to buying one of these units but just wanting to find out a little more info on peoples experience with who they bought their electronics from, and if they had it installed, or installed themselves.

Have got a 26ft Fury Centre console

Picture below is of the dash however its a little old, the GPS on the left has been replaced with a Lowrance HDS7

The problem i have is the 8.4" screen will not fit in the whole cut out where the current Navman Sounder is on the right, so need to do some dash re-modeling to make it fit. Possibly pull out the radio and move elsewhere on the right to make room, but will need to fill / patch the holes.

2nd issue / question is Transducer type. I've read a few different threads on this site, and have a mate who currently has a 585 with a 1KW transom mounted tranny and still not sure on which method to choose.

Im not a fan of cutting a whole in the hull so thats not an option.

I would like to be able to travel at speed (Lets say upto 30kn would be great) and still get a picture of the bottom. The boat runs twin donks so not sure if the additionall drag of the large transom mounted tranny (10 inches long 6.7" deep, 4.2" wide transom mount) will create spray / rooster tail.

Accessing the inside of a flush deck is not easy, and would require cutting the deck joints to access. I cannot see any other possible options for this, as the access holes (port holes) most likely are not in the right spot to be able to gain access to the unside of the hull.

3rd. Different transducers. The two options are the TM260 HD 1KW and the TM270W 1KW. has anyone used or have the 270W fitted to their boat. the 270W specs show at 130m deep you can read 50m wide range of the bottom. Question i have (and it may sound stupid but I've not found too much on it) is are you able to pin point where the fish actually are? 50m is not veyr precise.

4. Has anyone used a boat / electyronics company in Perth to supply and install such a setup?

Cheers

Bodie

Hi all.

I am new to the boating scene in WA but have fished and ran charter boats in uk. I have resently bought a 7.4 meter cabin / fishing boat. She was built by Freedom marine and origanly had a Volvo deisel inboard with a leg. The last owner did away with this and had a pod made for her with a 150hp Mercury fitted. Where the engine would have been is now where my fuel tanks are and i think that the origanal deisel tanks would still be under the wheel house floor. My question is would anyone know a boat builder / shipright that could give me some advice on utilising the space where the tanks are under the floor. I was thinking of cutting a hatch into the floor but would not be keen without first taking some advice.

Thanks

Leighton

Hey Guys,

I am in the market for a new sounder plotter combo unit and I was wondering what eveyone thoughts were as to which was the best, hoping to spend around $2000

cheers Steve

Hey just wondering is it possible to fix a warped hull on a plastic boat? It's right on the bottom and making the boat slightly unstable. Not sure what to do about, or how to go about fixing. If you know anyone who can fix or any information would be greatly appreciated

Bought a 2008 commodore attitude 7000 (centre console) earlier this year and have put around 250 hours on it. Best thing I’ve bought the kids in a long time! About 4 weeks ago I noticed the smell of fuel on one of our fishing trips and I noticed it in the bilge area on top of some water. On closer inspection the fuel is leaking out of the internal hull bilge plug, which I normally leave un-plugged so as to drain any water from the hull. So the fuel is leaking into the hull area from the under deck aluminum tank. I've checked the breather, fuel level pickup and filler connections and they are all dry. I’m thinking it’s the tank. It doesn’t leak when sitting on the trailer with a half full tank on a bout a 10 degree driveway. So that sort of means the leak is in the top half of the tank somewhere or it needs the boat flexing to open up the leak in the tank. I'm going to have to cut the floor to get to the tank and was wondering if anyone knows of boat repairers that do this type of work. Have rung a few and they are not interested.

Alternatively any tips and tricks would be appreciated

regards

JR

Hi crew, This is my old boat that i sold to my friends early last year. It was a great boat for me but was looking a bit sad, and the guy's had a problem with the motor. To have the motor fixed and serviced was going to cost half the price of a new one after spending a few dollars on it allready. So the decision was made to replace it brand new and i suggested we give the boat a make over while we had the chance.

The old boat looking a bit worn out .

We started with the strip down and with the paint in bad condition, the guys decided it needed to go back to bare aluminium.

There is no easy way to do this . Stainless wire brushes on a grinder was the best way we found without causing contamination to the aloy.

There were a few anoying problems that needed to be fixed . At the bow there was an old steering bracket that got in the way of getting to the esky and other items up the front.

Also there was a 50mm lip on the top edge that cut into your legs if you sat up on the bow.

It was time to get rid of these so they were cut out.

This left the problem of no strength in the front and also the sides of the boat now seamed to have twice the flex they used to have .

Working with the supplies we had, a 32mm heavy wall pipe was cut and shaped to go from the transom, along the side , across the bow and back down to the transom.

I formed it to fit the hull and clamped it to tack in place before the final welds were done.

4mm plates were fitted into the two back corners of the transom , and two more plates were weled up on the bow corners as well .

The pipe and plates worked out pretty good and made the bow and sides alot stronger .

With all the work done inside it was time to flip it over and continue striping the hull ready to paint. Afew repairs were also done while the boat was upside down.

Finaly the painting had begun .

After a weekend of painting it was ready to be put back togeather.

This is how the front turned out after the mod's were done. The rod holders were fitted through the 4mm plates i welded in .

Plenty of room now for the esky and no more dead legs from sitting up there .

The console was rewired and fitted up ( this took quite a while as all the wires were replaced and a Bus/fuse box was installed )

I also made a new windscreen that can be removed, so the boat can be stored inside a shed or carport with a problem.

After fitting the motor i had a big problem with all the instruments. Some how power was runing through the hull. I found the sterio had earthed out and isolated it. But i still had power to the hull. The motor was fully insulated from the hull and all bolts were shielded from hull contact. After a couple of tests i found the motor was earthing out through the steering cable all the way to the console. I had to isolate the steering bracket from the console and this did the trick.

In the picture above i have highlighted the contact points. This also made me wonder how many boats have this problem and the owners are unaware.

Anyway the boat turned out looking pretty good.

Just waiting for a couple Decal's to arive . But she looks sweet hooked up to the cruiser. ( it's riding a bit high on the hitch in the pic but that has been sorted out )

Cheers Grant ..

 Hi guys,

Fitting up a dual battery switch this weekend, had a sparky mate who was going to give us a hand but looks like I might be doing it alone.

Question is I don't understand the wire labelled dual sense vsr on the wiring diagram! I understand the rest of the diagram but the dual sense vsr wire, where does that go to and where am I supposed to connect it? Also on the diagram the thing it's connected into, is that a connector strip or fuse strip??

Any help would be much appreciated!

Cheers!

 Just wondering of anyone knows if these are any good. Haven't been able to find any reviews on the net, cheers.

Hi Crew

I have a 4.75 Quintrex runabout that the floor has gone a bit spongey on and broken in one place and I was looking to repair it myself.  In the meantime I came to the realisation that I could also fit an underfloor kill tank at the same time it would free up a bit of deck space becasue I wont need a 100l esky on board.

At this stage I dont think I will undertake the job myself due to time constraints

has anyone done this?  Or got any recommendations for doing it? the positioniong of it is also crucial in a small boat.

I think the actual kill tank needs to be made of aluminium and then a smooth transition into the marine ply deck.

If anyone knows/recommends any boat shops that do this sort of work I would like to get a few quotes NOR or SOR as I am pretty central

Cheers

Rig

Hi guys,

I've done a lot of searching on google, this forum, and on other forums and it seems this topic is one that has been beaten to death... so I do apologise for flogging a dead horse. However I am looking for as much information as possible.

I will soon be in the market for a new tub. Am looking for:

• Something in the 17-21 foot range
• Fibreglass
• Centre console / walk around
• A reliable 4 stroke engine
• Priced around the $30-35,000 mark (less would always be good)
• I love my fishing, so would be wanting to head out as much as possible - anything bigger than 2mtr swell and around 12-15knt winds would be my cut off point
• 20-25 miles would probably be the extent of my range, unless the water is a forecast to be a mirror all day.

 To give an idea of where I am at, from all my research to date I am leaning towards a Mid-2000 (2005-2007) model Trophy 1903 Centre Console.

There seems to be a lot of talk of American boats not being built for Australian waters etc... I am after some first hand stories from people who have actually had an issue with an American boat in Aussie waters ? I am certain that America experiences very similar seas and swell to here (eg. hurricanes) and everything else in the world that is American made seems to be renowned for quality. However the opinion is split when it comes to boating...and all I can put that down to is people looking to keep jobs etc in Oz and pride in what they own or want to own.

I found on google / forums that there certainly is evidence of these American hulls cracking etc However the same evidence can be found for the Aussie boats such as Haines Hunters, Evolutions etc.

So my question would be, are these American made boats actually good value for money (as they are a lot cheaper than the aussie made) ? Or are there some other alternatives that I could potentially look into ?

Cheers !

Step 1/ Ring Justin at Portsea Marine

Step 2/ Listen to what he is saying

Step 3/ Do what he tells you

Step 4/ Collect your boat and go fishing/cruising

Seriously, Ive missed out a fair bit of cheque writing, a wee bit of angst as you get ready to "push the button", and getting your head around time zones.

Plus the inevitable head scratching over how our beaurocracy go about dreaming up new ways to suck the lifeblood out of us worthy citizens.

When I began the process I started by ringing local guys, with varying success. From no response to "sorry mate, cant help ya there". Admittedly it was a little unusual not being from the US, but Portsea was the first to put their hand up and say "Lets have a go".

Portsea have done this so many times and seen all the pitfalls that youd be pretty brave to attack it yourself for a saving of a couple of grand. I know a fair few have done it on their own, but I also know one who lost the lot, and it was a bit more than the average $30K boats.

It rolled in on Melbourne Cup Day, straight thru Customs and Quarantine and now lives in my backyard or on my mooring.

If your thinking about doin it, try Portsea first, and Id take a punt that you'll end up using Justin!

A Fishwrecked site sponsor to boot!

Hey guys,
I was just wondering if I could put and electric motorer on a 5.1 trailcraft with a 115hp Yamaha four stroke  on the back? or am I wasting my time??
Cheers Steve
 

Finally got down to collect the new chariot, and struck a few problems with the trailer (common theme!).

BIG ups to Charlie at Cockburn Boat Storage for the loan of some tools I didnt have with me and also for being exceptionally easy and friendly to deal with!

Also to Paul G for the offer of help which in the end we managed to sort ourselves

And especially my good mate Harry for providing a driveway, equipment, bed and a handy drinks fridge til we got it properly sorted and I hit the road to Gero tonite.

Justin at Portsea handled the freight, the whole deal was a little out of left field as I generally do stuff ass about from everyone else!

But we got it here, its at its new home and now Im attacking the paperwork (keep the beaurocrats happy) then onto tidying the boat up.

After that the trailer will be next-formulating a plan for that!

Now-when can we fish at the islands again

Plenty of lightening around Jurien!

More to come later

First of all let me just mention what a cracking forum this is! Been a long time lurker, minimal poster as compared to some of you guys I have absolutely no idea what I am doing!

Now down to business, I picked up my first boat a little while ago - due to work commitments - i.e being FIFO and on a rotten swing I have had very little time to do anything with her at all! I would like to know the identity of the hull if you guys could help me, the engine I have sorted, from memory i found it was an 81/82 35hp evinrude which had a decent wrap, and so far i have found it to be in pretty good nick save for some dodgy wiring which i have since rectified, but the I cannot find anything at all info wise on the hull.

I have attached some pictures, apologies for the quality they are off my iPhone!

Any info you guys could give would be much appreciated! As I said this is my first boat and all i really wanted it for was to find my feet and get me onto the river to flick some lures :)

Thanks in advance

'Jarryd

Gidday all got a mate needs a few bits done to boat nothing major can anyone recomend someone rocko area plz .cheers craig

Probably not in the right section, but ..........

I've got a keen photographer mate who asked me a while back if he could take some pics / vid of my boat in action.

(not that my tub is anything real special, it's just I'm the only one he knew with a half-decent boat)

I told him it'd be pretty hard to get any decent ones unless I was doing fly-bys off the end of a jetty etc, and suggested that he'd need a 2nd boat to film from to get good footage.

He nearly fell for my joke suggestion of using my kayak while I fly past at close range doing 40knots.

Then we got talking about getting a few boats together to take turns in filming / shooting.

That was over a year ago and I told him I'd ask on here to see if anyone was keen to get some good pics / footage of their prides & joys in action - but I never got around to it.

(mainly as I told him if the weather was THAT good then everyone would be out fishing and he lost optimism)

I've seen a couple of good boat review vids etc recently with great footage which reminded me  .......  so better late than never !

I'd be keen to get some good memories, especially vid footage - anyone else ?

Got a mate who has a suzuki that needs a service under warranty. He phoned all boat business who told him to call back next year as they are booked out!! does anyone know who else services these motors under warranty prefer northern suburbs?

Hi all

When I bought the Trailblazer 2 years ago, I knew it wouldn't fit under the carport. With that in mind, I started thinking about options for housing it and finally decided that the best option was to build a boat shed next to my existing shed....and make it big enough for both boats, the trailer and the Drover. I also wanted it high enough so I could back it in without having to lower the rocket launchers or take the canopy off...that would be a real pain.

The planning was going along quite well until mrs gates got wind of how big it was going to be....anyway, after some reassurance from me, including the obligatory stakes in the ground to mark out it's size, I finally got her nod of approval to construct the boat shed. Final dimensions are 7.5m wide, 9.3m deep and 3.5m to the underside of the roof truss.

I had to clear the area at the end of the existing shed because it had become a bit of a 'storage area' for anything and everything that was too good to throw away. Work started in ernest in April this year with an expected completion date of July....well, even the best laid plans can go astray and this build was no different. Last night was the first night the Trailblazer slept in its new home...albeit a little bit unfinished.

Here's the specs of the build:

The uprights are 90 x 90 x 2mm galv RHS, buried 1m in the ground and the trusses are constructed of 40 x 40 x 3mm angle...the bottom rail is boxed angle. The sheeting was salvaged from the roof of our house when we carried out extensions a few years ago..which included a whole new roof....I kept saying that the old colourbond 'would come in handy one day'!

Each upright has a plate welded to it and it's matching counterpart bolted in place...when the truss was craned into position, it was welded to the other plate so if we ever wanted/needed to dismantle it, we could unbolt the trusses from the uprights. Top hat was screwed across the uprights and 76 x 38mm patio tube was used for purlins, which we screwed the sheets to.

I fabricated the trusses in the carport and the uprights in the shed, just because I had more room in the carport.

The build was a team effort with all members contributing in different ways....from digging the footings, mixing the concrete, helping with squaring the posts, screwing on the tophat, craning the trusses into place, etc. etc. Thanks to all the members of team gates 

The finishing touches will include guttering, some more flashing, adding a door in the side for access into and out of the shed for the Drover, a concrete floor, lights and power points and some shelves and benches will complete the build. 

Here's a selection of photos that show the build from where the boat used to live, up to how it looks in its new home....actually looks a bit lonely in there all by itself (maybe a bigger boat would look better in there...sometime in the future).

regards
rusty...

 Hi guys I have previously posted a few questions about imports. As I am looking to buy a boat very soon I originally only wanted something with twins donks. As good boats in the states are starting to thin out there isn't too many boats that tick all my boxes with twin motors left I am thinking about settling on something with a single donk. So I am asking the question to everyone. What do u guys rate better single or twin motors the boat size will be 24-25ft walkaround. Will be used for going out deep fads etc,rotto trips and out to the islands at exxie and abrholos. 

Cheers sammy

Has anyone got a Suzuki DF225 or the Johnson equivalent? Was wondering what fuel consumption you get out of them?

Come on guys, how about some boat project up-dates!

Hi,

THe 150HP etec on the evo has just bounced its way 2500km home. Noticed today that the weep hole on the leg has some black discharge on it.

I previously had a leak from the equivalent weep hole on my old 2 stroke johnson and it was a seal for the gear box oil. However that discharge was obviously oil. This seems carbon-y but still a little greasy.

Is this obviously normal for the etec or is it off to chivers for new seals/o-rings?

Who cares? What a weapon. I just wish I could afford one. Cant wait to play with the new digital displays. Only 6 more months wait...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dP79pf2ok_Q

Good evening fellow FWers,

Just wondering is there a difference between VRO pumps that are in the tank between a 1993 150hp Johnson and a 1998 90hp Evinrude? I have just purchased the latter type and was going to fit it to my 150. The only difference I can physically see is the tank is considerably larger. Any advice would be a great help. Thankyou.

Just bought a 200 etec 2006 with 180 hours on it attached to my Stabi craft 659 Supercab.

I am used to a 100hp Yammy 4 stroke on a UB 670.

Question is:-

Rev range between 3500 - 4500, seems like a very small section of the stick, so control is dificult to slow a little for a big swell to stop flying and pounding, the boat travels efficiently at these revs doing 28- 36 knots over 1-1.5 chop. 

Could it just be me not used to the new boat?

or its just the normal 2 stroke engine manor?

Could the cable be a little sticky & need replacement?

Could the throttle friction be set too tight?

Any ideas would be good.

Cheers guys

Justin

Hi guys

I'm interesting in adding some sort of toilet to my boat for our upcoming kimberley trip (and other overnight/extended trips) and came across these Air Head composting units designed for (amongst other things) marine applications. 

Does anyone have any experience with these http://www.airheadtoilet.com/ or have any suggestions for other options?

As we'll be living onboard for at least a week, the chemical porta potty type don't seem appropriate because you have to empty them 'somewhere' every couple of days. The composting option seems like it would be a better choice. The size of the unit isn't a problem in the boat and I have some ideas around making it so you can push it out of the way when not needed, and bring it just forward of the cab when needed. I've also sussed out some privacy screening, too.

This would alleviate the 'need' to go ashore every day to answer the call of nature. 

Comments or suggestions greatly appreciated, thanks.

regards
rusty...

Hi Guys just bought an older Baron Sportsman and need advice as to the trailer wheel bearings are they Holden or Ford 

Also need a new windscreen  and sliding side windows as im putting a hard top onto it if anyone knows someone that makes windows thanks   

No cracked floors, unsealed wood or PR disasters yet!

Now have to sell my old cruisecraft, so no fishing, just cleaning and polishing this weekend!

G'day guys,

Hoping you might be able to lend some advice. I have a 30hp Mariner 2 stroke. Im not sure of the year but assume around 98.

When I started the motor to flush it out after use, it made an awful rattling noise that was coming from the pull start area. Almost the same noise it makes when you give the pull cord a little tug if the motor is already running.

When it started doing this I spent some time observing it and found that if I did give the pull cord a few tugs while it's making the noise, eventually the noise would go away.

So I took off the pull start mechanism and found that 1 spring was attatch to the "pawl" (as i understand it is called) and the other "spring" was just sitting in the middle of mechanism. It looks like something bad has happened to these 2 springs as I can only assume they arn't suppose to look like this:

Here is the pull start mechanism. The arrow points to the hole where the spring (the straighter sping, the one of the right in the first pic) was located. The other spring was loose in the middle.

I have tried searching all over the internet for information or pictures about how these springs are actually suppose to look and how they would be attached. I'm guessing they're job is to spring back the pawl once the motor is started to it doesn't rub and make that awful rattle noise.

From what I can tell on the net, it is really hard to find somewhere to buy new springs like this.

Would any of you guys have any idea what the springs should look like and where they would go ?

Hopefully that makes sense.

Cheers !

I have a Navman Tracker 5500 and it has suddenly stopped working. I was wondering if anybody knew the best place around Perth to try and get this repaired?

I suspect it may be the plug, my echo sounder (also a navman) is working fine.

It's fairly old and not worth much money so I didn't want to spend too much on it.

Any help would be great. Thanks alot.