Hi Folks, recently bought a project boat that has a 97 model evinrude 150hp. The boat only has 1 gauge hooked up (tacho) but there are 2 other sets of wires leading to nowhere which had been taped up by previous owner. Im guessing they are for other gauges?  If anyone has any idea what these would be for I'd love to find out. The first set is white with brown stripe, black and purple. The second set is grey, black and purple. Cheers, Steve

Hi all - Merry Xmas and all that stuff.

I currently have a Qunitrex 2016 F390 with a 2016 Suzuki DF20A with a few custom mods. When purchainsing the tinny I had all the intention of puuting it on top of the camper - however  circumstnce have changed and sold the camper .... I also have the F390 for sale. I want to up size - quite like the tiller style steering. Looking for a deep vee Hull with good stabilty at rest. I have been quite surprised at the size of engines that are tiller steered and am intrigued on what a 50 -70hp 4st would be like to steer in this configeration.

I am after something from 4.2 upto 5.6 - with some degree of under floor storage and with deep sides.

I enjoy going out and chasing Snapper / Dhuie in the open water as well as huinting Black Bream and mulloway in the estury / River. I know there is always a comprise and you have to pick the weather.

I need to be able to launch / retrieve / handle it on my own - not after any bling - just functionality.

I have been looking at the following models:

Savage 445 Safari - 50 Etec

Savage 525 Safari - 70 Yamaha 4st

Quintrex 449 Magnum - 60 Yamaha 4st

Stacer 429 Outlaw - 50 4st

Does anyone out there reconmend or have experienc in these or other models / engine packages.  

Any advise is most welcomed.

Have a safe a happy festive season - tight lines to all.......

 Hey Fellas,

Just seeing if anyone is able to offer some advice on why there is no water coming from the tell tale when flushing out my yamaha four stroke outboard?

Cheers,

Mitch

Time for the QL tabs to go, had enough but i can't fit the plate type tabs that i want so i am looking at Zipwakes.

I know all the Fury's have them now but does anyone else have much experience with them ? Good/Bad ?

http://www.zipwake.com/

Cheers

Vinnie

 HI, I have a Bonito 20 and was chasing info about these hulls. Can anyone confirm that they were originally made as a regency viscount then Estuary Marine took them over and made them as the bonito. Also I was told that the later models may have been extended with a pod. Does anyone know if this is true and if so does anyone know who has the moulds or what happened to them.

Cheers for any info and compliments of the season to all.

I’ve changed over my seals, bearing races and bearings and regreased it all and tightened the nut while turning the hub a good dozen or so times. Usually I do up the castle nut to ‘nut tight’ and then back it off a notch (finger tight) but when I’ve done this there is a tiny bit of play in the hub so I’m about half a notch from the sweet spot. I’ve used the wrench and tightened it just enough to slide in the cotter pin.

I have a 1996 Savage Scorpion 485 with a 50hp 2 stroke mercury outboard and have been considering repowering with a used low hours motor.

I know that modern 4 stroke motors are very fashionable and highly rated at the moment for fuel effiecency, low noise, reliability etc but my question is what were the 4 stroke motors like before EFI and all the new bells and whistles and are they worth considering for my situation.

The oil pump on my current motor is damaged in a way that would require it being pulled apart to fix and the mechanic said once you pull it apart then you might as well rebuild it. Currently the motor smokes alot at idle and the mechanic mentioned that because I am premixing the fuel at 50:1 while at idle the motor is actually getting too much oil and a correctly working oil injection system would stop this problem. The boat is slightly under powered and would take up to a 80hp according to the plate. 

Thanks

 I have a 4.3m derben runabout. Has a 70hp evinrude on it that's dead. Wondering what size motor I can put on it. It doesn't have a plate on it saying. Wondering if a 90hp will be ok. 

 hey folks

For a few weeks now at random the engine keeps cutting out. I could be underway at 20 knots or even at 8 knots the engine will just cut out but each time it will restart without any problems. It doesn't always cut out when I'm out so it's just very random. So far we've checked the batteries, the kill switch and have even put a laptop on the motor to check for any errors. There are no error codes flashing on the dash when the engine cuts out.

Anyone have ideas ideas or suggestions?

cheers

Stumpie

Been looking for a cheap fibreglass project and stumbled across a cheap barracuda 5.5m powered by an ancient 115hp mariner, will be having a look at it in a few days hopefully. Just wondering if anyone has any feedback or advice about this particular boat (ride/handling, problems to look out for etc). I looked in the search function and there was a rebuild done on one back in 2014 i think but not much info.

thanks in advance,

Steve

the brakes are working fine - lock up no probs if I turn up the controller but if I pull the break away pin they lock up but the pump keeps going - it didn't do that before I changed the pads
No leaking fluid, have bled it with the trailer nose down, nose up and level, did it from the back (furtherest caliper) first and then from the fronts and tried the reverse of that - pump still goes when I pull the pin continuously!!!!

Trailer is a 2014 and has done no work so doubt the unit would be faulty but it needs to go over the pits for rego and don't think they will pass it if the unit keeps going after the breakaway pin is pulled even if it does lock up the brakes

Before I send it off to someone does anyone have any bright ideas? (unit faulty?)

 After prevaricating for quite some time, I finally went ahead and bit the bullet with the purchase of an anchor winch. I fish by myself a fair bit, anchoring up in fresh easterlies, and this has to be the way to go. Looked at all the options, and eventually decided on a horizontal windlass type. Bought a Maxwell HRC6 FF, after veering towards the South Pacific 710 or 810 for a while. Was eventually swayed by someone who started with the SP 710, was ok, but eventually had issues, and replaced it with the Maxwell. Reckons it is an absolute brute, and once he starting using the correct 8-strand plait rope, absolutely trouble free.

I don't want to get into the drum vs windlass debate--as I have stated before, I have a couple of reasons why the drum doesn't suit either me or my boat. It would either have to mean mounting it externally, ugly and constantly weather exposed, or internal bulkhead mods to fit it inside the big rope locker. Plus, you have to have it tied to the drum at all times, which means you can't drop it in a hurry if you need to chase a fish. Note to self--be careful about dropping 8-strand plait from the windlass winch, IT DOESN'T FLOAT. I have plenty of drop under the winch, so should have no trouble getting 100 metres of 12mm in, probably 150.

Holes were all drilled to template, done slightly oversize, then the exposed timber core had expoxy worked well in and left to cure before the gear was fitted up with sealant. A chain stopper was added, plus a horn cleat for taking the shock load off the winch when anchored in rough conditions. And a fairlead each side for directing handling or mooring ropes away from the bowsprit.

The Swiftcraft had a relatively short foredeck, but at least it is flat. It was a juggling act to get the rear stud holes in the right place as there is rib and structure under there, and bring it forward to clear them cramps the whole thing too much. The chain stopper is as far forward as it can be and still work with a Sarca #2 and swivel.

 Hi, I have just purchased a Bonito 20 with a 1.6l omc seadrive, The motor is shot but the seadrive bracket works fine. Does anyone have any experience with changing out the motor for a bigger one using the existing bracket ( the 1.6l is only rated around 110hp). There is a bit of info on the net but would prefer personal experience. This is the cheapest option. The alternative is to remove the bracket and put on a pod. I can get one built out of ali for $2500- $3000 but would prefer a fibreglass one glassed onto the hull so it doesnt look like a bolt on. I was thinking something like this one following the hull shape but only half width, again any personal experience would be appreciated as there is lots of conflicting info on the web.. Also do you know of anyone who could built it for around the same price as an ali one or do they cost heaps more. Pm me if you prefer to answer that way. Cheers

 So just had the 150 serviced cost including new water pump and a couple of other bits was $750 I am cool with that the water pump $200 and 300 labour. What i couldn't get my head around was that it has to go back in for a spark plug lead costing another 112 bucks more than likely plus labour and a wait of up to 3 weeks. I aren't sure but does this sound excessive seems a lot for a lead.

 I decided to sell my Sea Fox 216 Dual Console in favour of a more fishing oriented rig with better use of the deck space. I didn't have a big budget so I decided a project boat was the way to go. Having had a long running hankering to have a 25 Bertram sedan on a trailer I went and looked at all the ones that were available at the time and came to the conclusion that a 3m wide boat on a trailer was going to be a pain in the neck with towing restrictions at night etc.

So I then looked at what else I might like and decided on a 23ft Caribbean Crusder 235. It was looking a bit sad and had some issues with soft floor, soft foredeck and the seller couldn't get the engine started, however he implied it did run so home it came.

I got it home, added a fresh battery, pumped the gas a couple of times and it fired right up. After that it started on the key turn every. I thought maybe I could run it the way it was for a while and see how my project would pan out but the reverse gear couldn't be selected so that put an end to that.

On with dismantling.....

Out came the engine and drive and fuel tank (sold the engine and drive to another crusader owner for parts)

 Structure was looking a but wrong

 So out came all the deck and supporting structure

New Stringers and floors went in, I was lucky the transom was still rock solid. I had the stringers and engine beds replaced by professionals and I then replaced the floors to save some cash.

I glassed up all the holes in the helm and had that resprayed, refurbished the steering boss to remove the corrosion. The entire boat has had all new wiring and hoses as well.

So then it was a case of what to do for a powerplant? I could have gone with the usual things of using a petrol stern drive or an outboard on a pod. I stuck with the sterndrive as that was the way the boat was designed but I managed to find a used Volvo Penta D3 160 5 cylinder diesel with a duo prop drive for sale. It was from a dealer and comes with warranty so I decided it was for me. The only concern I had was that the 160hp wouldn't be enough. It is however 150kg lighter than the v8 that came out and according to the Volvo web site for the weight of the boat and this power setup I would still get over 30 knots at WOT. I was skeptical but would have been happy with mid to high 20 knot performance given the economy.

I also had a new tank built after the old one showed a leak when the boat went to have the engine fitted. I couldn't find the leak but the diesel in the bilge was a bit of a giveaway. While waiting for the tank to be built I investigated the front deck and decided the only way to know everything, was to cut the fibreglass off the top and see what was underneath. As you can imagine I was faily surprised to see the plywood was all completely rotten wherever previous owners had cut holes in the deck for fittings. I even ended up cutting out where the anchor roller was as it was rotten underneath as well.

Edit: added pic of repaired foredeck

I've also fitted new pedestal seats and put the old carpet down for now until I decide on a floor covering.

Edit: added pic of interior

Sea trial day was last week and while the weather wasn't spectacular we did manage to get out and run her up to temp and make sure all was well. The engine has great diagnostics that can be shown on the tacho screen. In the sloppy conditions we saw a top speed of 31 knots and at 23 knots she was using 16.2 litres per hour which is fantastic for me. That would give me a range of over 200nm from the new 180l tank. I couldn't get over the mid range punch from the engine and drive and it planed at about 12 knots so I was really happy.

So even though it's not finished, I can now at least take her out and fish it and do some of the other bits and pieces as required/desired/affordable. It might not look fancy on the outside but at least now I know it is safe and reliable on the inside where it counts.

Thanks for reading, I'll post more pics as she comes along.

Edit: Added pic of exterior current state

 Hi,

This isn't boating related, but I thought I'd use the collective brains of the FW members for advice.

I have bought my dad's old van off him and can't reverse it as the electric brakes lock on. He has never had dramas with the brakes and I am assuming it has something to do with my vehicle. I have an electric brake controller fitted.

Thanks in advance.

Stu

Took my 2 year old Mackay trailer over a rego workshop today - they failed it because the outer clear plastic coating on the brake lines is cracked....
under the clear plastic coating is stainless braid, under the braid is the copper brake line. Does anyone one here replace their brake lines every 12 months - because that's about how long the plastic coating takes to crack?

Hi Guys

Could someone recommend a stainless steel fabricator, I'm in need of a BBQ stand preferably south of the river. 

 Hi fisherman,  

Could someone tell me what the color paint code for a 2009 Yamaha F150.

If you have sikkens paint color code, it will be perfect.

Thank you

 Hello finding it hard to find a boat like mine. it use to be a inboard 

G'Day All!,

I'm hoping for some advice on installing a second sounder on my boat. Long story short, I have a Dragonfly 7 as main unit at present mounted right side, and on the left of the dash, an old Navman Tracker, which has popped it's clogs.

I fell for the 20% discount trap at BCF on the weekend and grabbed a Lowrance Elite 7 TI, with the Totalscan Transducer, which I would like to mount in place of the Navman.

I have searched old threads here and elsewhere on issues with mounting 2 transducers on a transom, and it seems it can be done, but a bit tricky, with high risk of interference. Attached is a photo of the setup as it is now, obviously the boarding ladder will be problematic, but what are people's thoughts of mounting the Totalscan Transducer immediately to the right of it? I would then send the wiring up the left side of the boat and up into the console.

Is this going to work, or should I forget about using the Lowrance as a sounder and have it as a dedicated chart unit?

Any and all advice very much appreciated!

Hey Guys,

Boat is a 1983 Guardian 24 ft cabin cruiser conerted to outboard pod and half the cabin cut off.

I have recently got myself into a bit of a mess.
While checking out my boat in preparation for the new trailer, I notice a squishy spot on the floor. My heart sank and I bit the bullet and decided to look closely to see what was going on.

Unnoticed during purchase, and all through last season boating and fishing, the floor was just some wood thrown over the original rotted floor and screwed down onto it. Carpet over the top and no one even noticed.

Up came the fake floor, big holes and splits in the original floor underneath.
Through one of the holes in the floor I can see water trapped between bulkheads with no way out and the bulkheads feed spongy too.

Original floor mostly out I removed a bulkhead and yes they all need replacing.

One strange thing I found was that the main stringer down the middle of the boat is hollow. I find it hard to believe that the wood could completely dissolve and noticed a small hole between each bulkhead. Passage for water to move to drainage point?
Wondering if anyone has ever seen anything like this before?

Photos of progress so far and plans ahead are to add storage and better drainage.

Also likely ill be looking at a new transom when I get that far..

I will keep updating this thread with images and progress as I make it but looking like its not going to be much of a season for me...

 Wondering if anyone has experience with the build of Southwind SF655 (2002 model) Recently bought one that has soft spot in floor port side about metre from the stern. Part of the floor seems to have a bubble that is solid underneath when pushed but just behind that and along port side edge theres a spot feeling really soft about 300mm long. Not sure what's under the floors in those boats. Didnt pick it up when looking at it to purchase :-(  and now would like to fix.

If people are thinking about installing cray winches, specifically anchormax capstan winch, here is a response i got from the distributor about the best lead angle for the rope, and wiring / rotation direction of the winch.

My issue is the roller of the tipper will be above the level of tbe winch so i have to lower the angle prior to the winch.

Subject: RE: Lead in angle to an anchormax capstan

Hi

If the windlass is mounted vertically then Ideally having the rope coming onto the drum horizontally  is the best option as this gives you the best wrap on the drum and stops the rope from trying to walk off the drum

If it is mounted horizontally then having the rope feed onto the drum straight is the best

From what they have described maybe option 2 with an idler to feed the rope straight onto the drum would be best 

As for the direction , The new Anchormax can be wired to run in either direction depending on the installation

Usually clockwise is the normal direction 

Kind Regards

Troy

I'm looking for a windscreen for my old derben fibreglass runabout. Also in need of a canopy or bimini. Want something decent but not overly expensive. Recommendations please.

 Chasing a plug to go into the 12v outlet on my outboard for plugging into to charge the battery. As you can see, it's a 2 pin, combination male/female, like a mini Anderson plug. If anyone has one kicking around they don't want or know where I can get one please let us know.

 i have had my boat battery disconnected for 12 months while working on the boat.

Problem i have is i cant recall the proper connection now.

I can hook up to start the motor but none of the accessories work .

Not sure what im missing.

Any boat sparkies on here who could possibly have a look.

Im in forrestfield but can bring it to you

What's the best and safest option for sliding on a rubber fuel hose? Just a bit of saliva or can I give the fitting a lick of Inox or Lanox? It's my fuel fill hose and it is reinforced with metal and is a motherfucker to get off if it gets stuck so I wanna make sure I push it on in one go.

 Hello

Someone sell his trailcraft made in Australia. It is a 570 tournament with center console, 2011 Yamaha 4stroke 150 Hp with 155 hours. It is coming with a trailcraft trailer. There is a bimini too.The boat, trailer and engine look new.

Asking  price is 37500 AUD. 

Is it a good deal ?

About the boat : I would to fish offshore. How the boat is when upwind with 1 and 2 meters swell ? Have it a good hull.

Is it a stable boat if I would like to fish ( jigging, popping ) in moderate sea rough water.

I watched avideo on youtube talking about 5.1 noble boat. Seems to be a trailcraft copyright with a betterave Vee hull ?

Otherwise, someone else is selling his trailcraft 530 profish Side console with a 2006 90 honda 4st with 450 hours in moderate condition at 29000 AUD

Sorry no pictures

Thank you for your help

My Merc 75 cowling decals have peeled off.

anyone know where mercury decals can be sourced for a reasonable price?