Hi all,

On my last trip out I had to retrieve my anchor manually as the stressfree anchor winch kept slipping.

Once home and upon further investigation I noticed the shaft collar was damaged. 

Now I was wondering if someone could point me in the right direction on where to get this fixed. It appears that it may of been pressed and then welded to the drum.

Any help will be awesome. I'll be contatcting Stressfree on Monday as well, but if I could find someone local that would be better.

Cheers 

 As requested, how to get ya boat off the trailer for whatever reason.

I have done it onto tyres on the ground with the Trailcraft, which isnt hard if you have a good winch and a roller trailer.

The following way works with bigger boats and is easy to get back on also.

It took me about 40 min this time, alone but is the second time Ive done it.

If you look closely, in all the pics the boat is actually already off the rollers and ready to move.

I happened to have 7 4wd tyres/rims that I chucked under there also in case the worst did happen like some asshole up to mischief, cant fall on concrete at least. 

Step 1/

Choose a solid spot, obviously concrete etc is best, and/or spread the load as wide as possible at the base, even concrete that is thin may not like the load over a tiny area, like stillettos on a timber floor.

Measure the height off the ground at the transom at both the chine and the keel., then also near the front.
Get an idea of where the centre of gravity is by looking at the trailer, roughly its going to be about a foot or so in front of the axle or centre of the 2 axles, it may suprise you how far back it is.

Gather enough blocks, preferable solid jarrah or similar ones.

I definitely dont recommend concrete blocks or bricks, if they shatter its all over red rover.

However if you do (and in any case) try and use soft pine as the last block against the glass, this crushes a little and spreads the load out.

Step 2/

If you dont have a good jocky wheel, put it on a skate board like in my pic.

Lower the towball as far as possible to the ground.

Step 3/

Chock the back up, making SURE that at least one of the chocks will provide lateral stability, also chock under each chine.

Its a bit of trial and error, and this is where the softwood helps as the crush spreads the load across 3 points (keel and chines)

Wind up the jocky wheel whick lowers the stern onto the blocks, after a few goes youll get it right, making CERTAIN all blocks are tight.
Pretend you are the ratbag kid of the house and boot all the chocks and shake the boat. Still on the trailer at the front it cant fall anywhere.

Step 4/

Once you are happy with that, wind the jockey wheel as high as itll go and chock under the front (just aft of a trailer cross member) then lower down to level and after a bit of trial and error youll have the boat about an inch or 2 clear of the trailer

Now if you need to, let some air out of the tyres to lower a bit more and pull the trailer forward by hand until the front block touches the next crossmember.

Use a trolley jack to take the weight (with wooden blocks) and move your front chock around the crossmember.

At this stage the boat is still over the trailer so not much to go wrong really

step 5/

Keep moving trailer forward and juggling blocks until its clear

Tomorrow in the daylight Ill take some more pics

 OK fellas ,

Thanks for the help on the other post , here is another one for you. While going through google yesterday researching boat catches etc i came across a product called Keel Gaurd . As i have a few chips in the bow of my boat ,mostly from clunking the trailer whilst driving on, and before you start its not easy to get the right depth for the trailer everytime epecially when there is a bit of surge but mostly i blame the deckie lol. Question is has anyone ever used it ? and is it any good? Lots of stuff about it on the Hull Truth but i wanted to know if anyone local has used it and if there is an Aussie made or equivalent or distributor for it.I reckon i would only need 5 ft or so just to cover the leading edge of the bow.

Cheers

Willo

 Just after opinions on how well these work and what brands are the best. For a 6 metre Ali    cheers Ace

 Hi Guys , 

Well after a successful solo effort last week , couldn't find a deckie .I bit the bullet and took the boat out solo , first time in about 6 yrs . Managed to bag out on dhu , snapper and K George. After that i am revitalized and will be doing more. Which brings me to my question.  I have a 5.8 Haines centre cab , it's a heavy f@$% and it took me a while to launch and retrieve,  luckily it wasn't busy at the ramp but if i am going to be going solo more often i would like to streamline the launch anf retrieval times , usually with a deckie i can do it in undet a couple of minutes. Do people rate the boat catch and are there any better methods ?

hey guys just after people's opinions on the pros and cons of skid type trailers. Looking at a new trailer for my 5.9m seafarer , but always had wobble rollers on my trailers. Do skid type trailers make launch and retrieve harder ? Any advise would be great. Cheers paul. U

I need the services of a marine mechanic who knows his way around a Mercruiser Alpha 1. I live in the Northern  suburbs. Can anyone point me in the right direction?

 So the bait board i have is a custom made moulded white teflon style.  Its looking pretty ratty and was thinking of trying to recondition it. Does any one know of a liquid or spray on product that can give it a new look. 

Hi All, wondering if there is some wonder product out there to get rid of Pilbara dust stains on white boat cushions? slowly getting worse and probably attack it before it gets really bad.
Cheers

I need some ally welding done ie, extensions to the hand and guard rails, some extra tube bending for additions to guard rails. Need a ladder custom made. All in 25 mm ally tube. Any one recommend a welder/shop or maybe a member here does it privately. I am NOR (Karrinyup) boat is on trailer so can go to a home or shop or come here. Regards.

 Hi all, 

My first post on fishwrecked, if i'm digging up old news please let me know.

I've been looking at upgrading outboards and i came across this website. http://www.yamaha-outboardsale.com

I'm always wary of online scams that seem too good to be true, so i'm here to ask if anyone has seen this site or bought from there before?

Thanks in advance

Jimbo.

 Does anyone use the navionics app? If so what's your experience been like? Is this a viable alternative to a gps unit?  What does a plotter do that the app on an iPad can't? Looking at this as an alternative to a combo unit. 

 Hi All,

As some of you will know, I'm very new to boating.

I'v been up the river 3 times, mandurah once, and cockburn sound twice.

Im in a 4.8 Meter Half cab.

Last Saturday afternnon I was on D9 anchored up, there was a slight swell 0.5 to 1 meter at most.

Anyway, just 2 of us on the boat, and Im sitting on the built in seat at the back on the starboard side by the engine, and my mate is working on tackle on port side. Anyway, he stands up, and takes a big step over to the starboard side in front of me to grab something.

I dont know if we has just gone into the trough of a wave or something at the same time, but with the weight of both of us on the starboard side, the boat suddenly raised up a lot on the port, to the point where I grabbed the side of the boat thinking this might not end well.

Anyway, nothing happened, and I might just be being a big princess, but I was wondering how easy is it to tip a 4.8M half cab ?

If for example, I jumped in for a swim, and my mate gave me a hand getting back in, could that tip us ?

If I had 3 or 4 people on board, would it be pushing my luck ?

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After just over a year my Lowrance Elite 5 suddenly played up today. The first issue was that it lost the Navionics chart. GPS working and all waypoints available but no chart. Then it intermittently started rebooting itself.

I checked the connections and removed and cleaned the card but the problem remains.

Any suggestions or help greatly appreciated.

Ok guys and girls, IV taken on a baron 16 footer as a rebuild project with a friend. Neither of us have experience in most tasks involved which is half the reason why we chose to take it on... Plus we have a boat at the end.

Couple of questions on the paint side though, I'm looking through the Hempel website and there are way too many options on there for the untrained eye. I'm chasing some info on what products to use where. IV gathered I can sand down existing old gel coat and use a high build primer over that for a couple of coats then topcoat over top, I'm also thinking I can do this with the hull? Can I use a topcoat under the waterline ? Any product info would go a long way and process crash coarse would put my mind at ease

just wondering if there is someone who can tell me the weights of above.

boat/trailer/motor/gear etc.

hoping someone who has one of the above has been over a weighbridge.

I know I can find out OL cruiscraft sites etc but stated never seems to be right.

 Hi Guys

I recently imported a boat from the states and it only came with two meters of chain?

Im wondering if anyone has around 14 meters of 7mm short link chain for sale or where I can get some?

Cheers

 Howdy all

I have a 5.5m western craft fibreglass boat can anyone recommend a dual speed hand  winch i should purchase my 1 to 1 winch is pretty slow i want to upgrade to something a bit quicker and easier houghts would be appreciated tia

G'day all,
I'm looking to upgrade to a SS prop but have no idea what to go for. Any experts on here or advice on where to go and who to talk to in the Perth metro area? Motor is a 175hp Merc 2 stroke currently has a 15" ali 3 blade, not sure of the pitch, I'm guessing it was the prop bolted on in the factory many years ago. Any info or advice would be appreciated.

Anywhere sell spindle sleeves for the inner grease seal for trailer axles. 1 of mine needs replacing and can only find ameriacn suppliers 

 Hi guys

Anyone have a recommendation for a great 2 stroke Evinrude mechanic?

I'm near Scarbs.

cheers!

g

 Time to replace the trailer springs but every company seems to have a different opinion on what style,weight, gal or no gal can anybody give me a bit of insight on what to get. 

Boat loaded with fuel is 1600kg fibre glass centre console.

Trailer is aluminium with 2300 aggregated trailer mass.

Trailer and boat does alot of KMS. 

Springs at the moment are 4 leaf 45mm eye to eye  tandem axle

No problems with cutting them off and starting again.

 Hey all quick question if i put my riding light next to my gps antenna will it interfere with the gps in any way cheers craig

 Hello fellow fishers and boaties

I bought a project boat abt 6 mtjs ago and have it ready to get wet, my problem is one side of the mtr riser only gets alot hotter than the other side, i have done flow tests on what water the impellor puts through the mtr at idle revs in 20 sec abt 7 litres when i take the revs up to 1500 or higher the temp drops. Now am i worried about nothing or should i dig abit deeper. I have checked the circulation pump , thermostat and all hoses and cant see any problems anywhere. Any advice and help appreciated 

Thanks Russ

Can anyone reccomend a mobile boat mechanic SOR who specialises in RIBs?
my old boy needs a tube valve replaced and a few other bits and pieces fixed to freshen up his RIB, located on the boat racks in freo

Have been getting the run around from RIB Rescue so looking for some other options

Cheers

 Hi,

Im very new to boating, and I have flares & radio on my boat.

I'm wondering, if I'm on the water, say in cockburn sound, its 4pm or so, and when I go to start my boat I can't get it to kick over - no matter what I try.

Its not an emergency, so not a pan pan call, but you dont want to be stuck out, especially after dark, cause then it gets a bit more serious. 

Scenario 1 -  So whats the correct way of calling another boat to tow you in on their way back, is it acceptable to use channel 88, do you get a fine ?

Scenario 2 -Also, if its a flat battery, and radio doesnt work, then what, are flares acceptable, or would you get fined as its not an emergency ?

So whats the acceptable guidelines or etiquette ?

Thanks All !!

 Been watching a lot of you guys on here and on bookface where you're catching pinkies before and after dark. Now being dinghy bound, I needed to see what I could do to make it so I could have a crack at them. A quick flick through the Whitworths web site showed me all I need, LED Nav lights, an anchor light and some lighting for inside the dinghy. A shade over $100 sealed the deal and home I went with a heap of new ideas how to go about it. The lighting for in the boat, I went for strip lighting, about $25 for a meter, these I have put under the gunwhale on each side. They have an adhesive backing and could have stuck them on, but being 8mm wide, they fit perfectly inside 10mm clear plastic hose, $12 from Bunnings. So I stuck mounting blocks inside the gunwhale and cable tied the plastic hose to this. Nice and secure and out of the way. I probably could have just gotten away with one of these light strips as they are incredibly bright, but being LED, small drain on the battery.

 Hi all, I'vemanaged to let my fairly new boat battery run dry (which i know is a really stupid thing to do) and now the engine won't start.

I wanted to ask is there any saving a battery in this situation or do you just scrap it and buy a new one?

Thanks

Hi , i'm looking to invest in a vhf radio , and would prefer a hand held as it would give more usable options. What would the range be on a handheld compared to a in built unit ?

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Cheers Paul 

 Hi all,

Can anyone help a novice? I have installed an after market fuel guage on my boat. The tank is fiberglass and I have earthed it to my negative earth that all my other guages, ( Fish finder, GPS, radie..etc.) are connected to. Is this the correct method or should I be running a separate earth to the motor?

Looked on the internet but can't find anything except steel tanks.

Would appreciate any feedback amature or tinkerer or prof.

Cheers Coben13