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The Only Outboard Prices & Specs Database
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oat
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For Tinnies, Platies, GRP,
Imports, New, Pre-Loved, Retro,
Monos, Cats & Tris!
Mag
F&B’s TBM DECEMBER 2012 #193 $9.95
ISSN 2200 - 0623
Andy Myers: NT Jewfish
From Bynoe & The Perons
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NEW Deepwater Fishing
12v Winch Techniques
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New 4.81m - 4.90m Side
(or Centre) Console Report
New Series: Diesels &
Displacement Cruisers P1/3
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2 STROKE & 4 STROKE OUTBOARDS
CONTACT YOUR
PARSUN DEALER
-MORE CHOICE,
BUNDABERG sQLD
MIDTOWN MARINAS
River End of Targo St Bundaberg 4670
SYDNEY s NSW
PHONE 07 4152 9633
PARSUN OUTBOARDS
www.midtownm.com
5/800 Old Illawarra Road
MARYBOROUGH sQLD
Menai NSW 2234
MARY RIVER MARINE
PHONE 02 9532 0002
71 Wharf Street Maryborough QLD 4650
www.islandinflatables.com.au
PHONE 07 4122 4008
WEST GOSFORD sNSW
ROCKHAMPTON sQLD
ADVANCED MARINE REPAIRS
ROCKHAMPTON MARINE
3/5 Yandina Road, West Gosford 2250
Shop 2 / 199 Musgrave st
PHONE 02 4325 1011
Rockhampton QLD 4701
www.advancedmarine.com.au
PHONE 07 4819 1181
GRAFTON sNSW
EMU PARK sQLD
SKINNER MARINE
JEFF BIANCHI MARINE SERVICES
95 Bent Street, Grafton NSW 2460
3265 Emu Park Rd Emu Park 4710
PHONE 02 6643 3353
PHONE 07 4939 7144
THORNLANDS sQLD
AIRLIE BEACH sQLD
T.M.C. OUTBOARDS & SMALL ENGINES WHITSUNDAY OCEAN SERVICES
94 Beveridge Rd, Thornlands Qld 4164
17 Loop Road, Jubilee Pocket
PHONE 07 3207 0697
Airlie Beach QLD 4802
www.tmcoutboards.com.au
PHONE 07 4948 1366
SPRINGWOOD sQLD
HAMILTON ISLAND sQLD
THE INFLATABLE BOAT CENTRE
ISLAND INFLATABLE BOATS
Baker st (Next to Bob Jane T-mart)
Hamilton Island Chandlery
Springwood, QLD 4127
Front Street Hamilton Island QLD 4803
PHONE 07 3209-2977
PHONE 0409 052 499
www.iboat.com.au
www.scottsmarine.com.au
GOLDCOAST sQLD
STAFFORD sQLD
SLADES PARADISE POINT MARINE
DAVE’S BOAT YARD
16 Paradies Parade Paradise Pt 4216
477 Greenbank Rd Stratford QLD 4870
PHONE 07 5577 1011
PHONE 07 4058 1335
ALTONA sVIC
GET WET MARINE
353 Kororoit Creek Rd, Altona 3018
PHONE 03 9369 0122
www.getwetmarine.com.au
GOLDEN SQUARE sVIC
GOLDEN SQUARE MARINE
221 Woodward Rd
Golden Square, Victoria 3555
PHONE 03 54432818
WARRNAMBOOL sVIC
RUSSELL CAIRNS MARINE
1117 Raglan Pde
Warrnambool VIC 3280
PHONE 03 5561 4354
HINDMARSH s SA s FITCH
2 George St Hindmarsh SA 5007
PHONE 08 8346 5193
www.fitchtherubberman.com.au
GOOLWA s SA
SOUTH COAST MARINE
23 Hutchinson st Goolwa SA 5214
PHONE 08 8555 2211
MOOROOK s SA
MOOROOK MARINE
388 Gogel Rd Moorook SA 5332
PHONE 08 8583 9185
BURNIE sTAS
BURNIE MARINE SERVICE
29 Bass Hwy Burnie TAS 7320
PHONE 03 6431 3082
MOONAH sTAS
MAYNES MARINE
6 Effingham st
Moonah Tasmania 7009
PHONE 03 6214 9999
www.maynesmarine.com.au
OSBORNE PARK sWA
SEABREEZE BOATING
2 / 100 Frobisher St WA 6217
PHONE 08 6361 1086
www.seabreezeboating.com
MANDURAH sWA
OCEANWATER MARINE SERVICES
Unit 8 / 6 Tindale Street
Mandurah WA 6210
PHONE 08 9581 3232
www.oceanwatermarine.com.au
JOONDALUP sWA
COMBINED MARINE
Royce Court
Joondalup WA 6027
PHONE 08 9300 3100
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BOATING HARDWARE
Unit 6 / 1 Zeta Cresent
O’Connor WA 6163
PHONE 08 9337 9900
DEALERSHIP
ENQUIRIES
WELCOME
Island Marine Enterprises
(02) 9532 0002
FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL 02 9532 0002 OR VISIT
www.parsun.com.au
www.islandinflatables.com.au
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Mag
CONTENTS December 2012 #193
Gently Down The Stream - The
Displacement Cruiser Story.
FEATURES
Special Consumer Reports:
The 480-490 Side Console
Consumer Report
Love these 16 footers! PW looks at
the back story to the popular 480 490 consoles .................................27
Some Of The Best 480-490 Side
Consoles
We look at some of the most
interesting and innovative of the 480490 range ......................................40
Aquamaster 490 ............................40
BBB Marine 480 ............................41
CCC Bijoux 480 ............................42
Mako Craft Frenzy 4.85 .................43
Rebel 4.9 .......................................44
Sea Jay 485 ...................................45
Trailcraft 485 Profish. .....................46
4 The Boat Mag
Deep Water, Electric Muscle
If you have ever tried to haul up a 40
kg blue eye from 250-300 metres,
this report from deepwater fishing
guru Andrew Hestelow is a ‘must
read’ ................................................16
(Part 1 of A New 3 Part Series)
First leg - looking back into the
1980s to get a sit-rep on the growth
of displacement craft ......................52
BMD’s Gulf Explorer 16
Another in the very challenging series
by naval architect Mark Bowdidge Composite ingenuity ......................38
Darwin Rebel’s Escapade (Below)
Great adventure by Territorian Andy
Myers who takes us out in his 8.0m
Rebel built, “Leviathan” ..................60
Boat
The Only Outboard Prices & Specs Database
The
For Tinnies, Platies, GRP,
Imports, New, Pre-Loved, Retro,
Monos, Cats & Tris!
Mag
F&B’s TBM DECEMBER 2012 #193 $9.95
ISSN 2200 - 0623
As we are such a small team, we are
often tied up on the ʻphone - but
please donʼt waste the opportunity to
communicate - leave a message on
the phone system, or send us an email
- and weʼll get back to you ASAP.
Andy Myers: NT Jewfish
From Bynoe & The Perons
PAA’s Adventurer 485
Another great ally DIY kit boat from
the PAA team - and unusually, they
have 2 in stock .............................47
NEW Deepwater Fishing
12v Winch Techniques
New 4.81m - 4.90m Side
(or Centre) Console Report
New Series: Diesels &
Displacement Cruisers P1/3
Cover: Andy Myersʼ evocative cover
shot of Dundee Beach in the Northern
Territory, the prelude to his interesting
trip down to the Perons for some
superb fishing excitement - hence the
inset of the NTʼs black jew, a real table
treat in the north.
Noosacat 5000LE
Defiinitely in the “When I win Lotto”
category this is a magnificent Aussie
creation.........................................70
Letters / Your Say.................... 14
Around The Place.......................24
Outboard Database Prices and
Latest Specs.......................84
REGULAR
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Editor & Production
Peter Webster
Accounts: Tracey
Subscriptions: Helen
Sub Edit & Proof Reading: Mary
RETRO: Precision 45
It was one of the best when it was
created back in the 1980s .............78
Ebb & Flow / Neil Dunstan.........90
Comment / Peter Webster
Section Starts ..............................96
Too Many Fatal Accidents ............6
TBM
SPINDRIFT / PR / TBM Team
Regular TBM Contributors:
Neil Dunstan
Tony Ravenscroft
Gary Fooks
Andrew Hestelow
Frank Milito
Di Ross & John Batty (SA)
The Boat Mag 5
Comment
with Peter Webster
Worrying Increase In
Small Craft Boating
Accidents
W
ith Christmas and the summer
holiday season fast
approaching, many maritime
authorities are becoming alarmed at
the accelerated rate of boating
fatalities being recorded around
Australia, and especially in small
craft.
Most of the boats involved are
tinnies, which is hardly surprising
given that about 75% of all small craft
are tinnies, and further, most of them
are in the size range of 3.5 - 4.5m. So if
there is going to be a series of boating
accidents in small craft, it stands to
reason that most will be in tinnies.
I’ve been carefully checking the
details as they’ve become available and
again, a common thread (apart from
being in tinnies) is that most of the
fatalities involve blokes in the 60-75
year age bracket, again not inconsistent
with what you’d expect given that there
are thousands of blokes in this age
group who do love their fishing in
tinnies.
Just what has caused the spike in
accidents is uncertain, and it could well
be just an aberration of the normal
trend in small craft accidents. But the
fact that so many older blokes are
involved and always in a tinnie does
suggest there is either ignorance or
worse, complacency settling in to the
newly retired baby boomers who still
fish quite often.
But it’s hard to pick up on the actual
causes of these accidents without
getting the coronial report, and the
police are understandably reluctant to
release the scant details they might
have, before any formal inquiry is
conducted. However, it has been
suggested in several quarters that many
of these blokes are going overboard
through the simple and understandable
expedient of taking a leak out of the
boat - and standing up to do it.
The problem is that as we get older
the set of balances and weights between
our ears (literally) slow down, and we
don’t react as quickly as a youngster
when the boat jiggles, rocks or moves
from side to side.
This is something I’m very aware of
and understand because since having an
acoustic neuroma (a sort of small cyst)
settle on top of the balance nerve in my
right ear, from that day forward. I’ve
had some issues with balance. Not so
The Boat Mag
There would be far fewer fatal accidents if all small craft had the reserves of
safety (and STABILITY) of this Air-O-Float (the tubes) equipped Mako Craft.
6
much in a day to day living sense, but
more in the context of feeling my
natural stability in a small craft, or
more obviously, if I spin around too
quickly or even get out of a chair too
fast, I can sense the loss of balance
because of the damage that was done to
the balance nerves on one side of ye
old head.
The point I’m making is that the
older we get, the more our reflexes
slow down. Our ability to adjust our
balances (even without acoustic
neuromas) is lessened, and it behoves
each of us to recognise these
limitations in just the same way we do
with the more obvious ones of having
crook hips, bad knees, rickety elbows
or another gem I seem to have
inherited, an arthritic right hand.
No big deal at the moment, but I do
wonder whether I’m either going to
drown in those Red Krill tablets, or be
unable to tie knots in a decade or so’s
time.
Sailing Videos . . . ?? Er, YES!
Reader reaction to the embedded
video coming out of the pages of The
Boat Mag has been fantasic - when
you pull down the diagonal of the TV
“window” to cover the whole screen it is exactly the same as watching TV.
As an ‘ink in my veins’ editor, I have
to say this is a fantastic development with all sorts of potential.
Writing about videos reminds me that
it’s kind of cute that for the first time
ever, we are publishing a video of a
sailing craft – not your ordinary
Pittwater type sailing craft, that’s for
sure, but in fact the fastest yacht that’s
ever sailed on the planet.
I know this is left field, but as a
sporting enthusiast, I find it absolutely
amazing that these sailors have created
a true sailing craft (see pic above of the
Vestas Sailrocket) that has just set a
new world sailing speed record of 59.4
knots – the average speed from two
runs - but even more incredible, they
achieved that speed in just 25 knots of
wind!
This is truly unbelievable stuff and
we felt it was certainly worth making
the video available for the thousands of
ex-yachtsmen who make up a very
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significant component of our
readership, but who have long given
away mainsheets, traveller cars,
spinnaker, etc. See video on P-24.
In the same genre, we have to
observe that it’s really worth following
up on the antics of the extraordinary
America’s Cup combatants this season.
Once again, we are seeing weird high
performance cats racing each other on
foils around various harbours of the
world at speeds of up to 45 knots!
They look for all the world like some
sort of giant Praying Mantis as they
thunder round the harbour courses at
speeds nearly double the apparent wind
speed on the bay.
Sea Library Update
Very pleased to report we have
finally caught up with the Sea
Library input, and are delighted to
record that everything has now been
logged into the Sea Library right
through to issue # 190, the first of the
online magazines.
Several hundred more articles have
just been added to the Sea Library, and
we’ve made quite a few changes to the
indexing and inclusions in its content.
This is truly a remarkable resource
8 The Boat Mag
for boatowners of all persuasions.
The boat tests date back to the early
1970s, and come forward to 2012.
There are hundreds of articles of
interest that are free to all of the F&B
and The Boat Mag members, but
available for a small fee to non
members as well.
Indeed, that’s how many people enter
the world of The Boat Mag from
search engines such as Google, Yahoo,
Fango (etc) leading them to the Sea
Library, because of the amount of
‘traffic’ that comes through this part of
the website.
As the search engines are primarily
based on web traffic volume, the Sea
Library is one of the highest scoring
areas of the marine world and most
readers enter through the Sea Library
portal.
Once there, it doesn’t take them too
long to work out that if they’re going to
download 5 or 6 boat tests of a
particular type of craft, it’s actually
cheaper to purchase a six month
subscription for $29 which gives them
their own personal Members Card - and
from there on, free access to the Sea
Library, the Consumer Surveys, and of
course, 6 months’ issues of The Boat
Mag.
Changes to the Indexing in the Sea
Library include defining the Retro Tests
as a boat test section in its own right,
adding Boat Building as a section in its
own right and redefining sections such
as Fitting Out, and DIY and Renovating
Boats.
Although these may sound similar to
the lay person, in fact they are quite
different in practice and the new
Library sections reflect this new
change. Simply put, we’ve decided that
n Boatbuilding . . is where a brand
new boat is built from the keel up, by
amateurs or professionals. In any
material.
n Fitting Out . . . where a boat,
usually new, is fitted out with all the
bits and pieces needed to do its job but not necessarily installed by the
original boat builder ie., electronics,
outrigger systems, curtains, covers, etc.
Very commonly involving plate alloy
boats, where the ‘hot metal’ is done by
a professional, and the owner finishes it
off at home.
n DIY or Renovating . . . where a
Put Your Toe In the Water . . . and enjoy the
benefits of the Gold Coastʼs top Honda service
and sales facility. Re-powers a speciality, new
installations, portables and mid-sizes (all in
stock) and ready to go. Let Geoff ʼs team take
care of your boating needs with old fashioned
service values, competitive prices . . and care.
Factory 2, 247 Bayview St
Runaway Bay Qld 4216
Phone (07) 5577 4411
Email: [email protected]
Comment . . .
to www.boatmags.com.au
reader (usually) takes an old, worn out
boat, and renovates it, bringing it right
back up to speed. A hugely popular
section headed by our own Tony
Ravenscroft. His fibreglass reno and
repair articles are easily the most
popular in the whole SEA Library. (To
an embarrassing extent . . sigh!)
All in all, the Sea Library is bigger,
better indexed, with completely new
headings, descriptions and photo
mastheads.
Definitely worth a new look – just go
F&B Video Library Starts
After several false starts, the much
talked about F&B Video Library is
now underway, with our I.T. team
getting it sorted in the particular way
that Ruth Cunningham and I wanted
this to work.
Typically, that is a more complex
methodology than others have used, but
there is some method in our madness.
We both believe in the future of
video in our world, but at the moment,
interesting, properly researched and
Enjoying This Report? Did You Know It Only Costs
$29
For SIX issues of The Boat Mag, or $55 for 12 Issues. .
Hi,
We trust you are enjoying the revised F&B format in The Boat
Mag, as much as we are producing it.
Whilst retaining all the core F&B values of creditable, ʻhands onʼ
editorial, itʼs been good to branch out into other areas - working
with second hand boats for example, or recognising that imports
are here to stay, and local boat manufacturing will be strained to
the max as a result . . . .
These are issues that effect each of us in different ways, and we
believe itʼs more important than ever that you can count on The
Boat Mag team for fast, independent advice, whether you are
planning to buy a ʻpre-lovedʼ rig, an import, or renovate that lovely
old timber bay boat youʼve been admiring . . . as a subscriber, you
can count on the experienced support of The Boat Mag team.
edited productions are being muscled
out of the way by the amazing amount
of crappy video that is now freely
available through the internet, from
most boat manufacturers’ sites, and the
online mediums in the classified world.
So we’re going to swim with the tide
for a while, and see what pans out in
the marketplace.
In general principle, the videos that
we publish and use in The Boat Mag
will then flow into F&B Video Library
until further notice, and we’ll just let
the whole resource grow for the next 46 months. At that point we’ll stop and
take a look at who’s put up what
videos, and we’ll then be able to
examine which videos were the most
popular, which were viewed for the
longest periods of time, and identify all
the ones that weren’t viewed at all.
I think this whole process will
become self-fullfilling a bit further
down the track, so for the time being at
least, we want to facilitate that process,
so we’ll just stack up the videos as they
come in.
The 480/90 Survey & Next . . .
This month’s study of the 480
Consoles has been interesting to
produce and we thank all the
participants for their support of this
important supplement.
Next month we continue the
Consumer Survey with an in-depth
study of 5.4-5.7m Cuddy Cabs or Half
Cabs, with the variation in length being
sorted by each boat’s berth length in
the cabin.
Peter ([email protected]) & Ruth ([email protected])
Order or renew today, for just $29, you’ll get SIX Monthly ONLINE issues of The
Boat Mag to enjoy on your laptop, PC, or Tablet, plus your new Membership Card
to give you 24/7 access to the incredible SEA LIbrary, Ruth’s Shop and F&B TV !
ORDER TODAY through Boatmagʼs SECURE WEB SITE
www.boatmags.com.au
10 The Boat Mag
We’re looking for 1850mm berths in
the cabin; some manufacturers can do it
in 5.4m LOA, others do it in 5.7m, a
couple can’t make it until they get to
5.9m, but in the context of family
boating which we’re emphasising, we
think the berth demarcation is probably
more valid than an arbitrary
determination of (say) “all boats shall
be 5.6m long” and not included if
they’re a poofteenth more or less than
Be Sure:
Noosacat
6 Production St,
Noosaville QLD 4556
Phone: (07) 5449 8888
Fax: (07) 5449 9480 Email:
[email protected]
Web: www.noosacat.com.au
Comment . . .
the arbitrary figure.
This will make it particularly
interesting, as there’s a surprising
number of excellent craft in this field,
and once again, like this month, we’ll
be including all the regular boat
building techniques including
fibreglass, polypropylene, aluminium
(pressed and plate) and composite
materials.
The whole point is to study all the
boats of this kind available on the
market to help consumers make a more
informed decision as to what they will
find in their next family Half Cab.
After that, we close the Consumer
trifecta with a study of Bluewater
Sportfishing
trailer boats,
but we’ll have
more details on
that in the
January issue.
New
Outboard
Companies
There’s
certainly been
a lot of
‘movement at
the station’ in
the outboard
world at the moment, and readers
will be pleased to know our very own
Fellas . . putting this as delicately as
we can . . um, with the new downloadable PDF version of The Boat
Mag, in your iPad (as pictured above)
or tablet, you CAN now enjoy The
Boat Mag anywhere you little heart
desires - including out back on the
ʻloo, on the boat, the front porch, the
ʻvan, in your swag - anywhere,
anytime. And itʼs so easy to use, you
donʼt even need your glasses to read
it or enjoy the videos.
If you havenʼt tried one of these
things, ʻgit yer bumʼ down to Harvey
Norman and try one for size - youʼre
gonna luv it - PW
PS: When you get your iPad, get the
iPad 2 wi-fi + G3 model, and think
about buying the Navionics marine
Navigation App with it - add in a
simple iPad stand - and you then
have one of the best - and by far the
cheapest - marine navigation GPS
plotter units available. Capiche? specialist Gary Fooks has been
keeping a close watch on the
developments.
Between us, we are currently
compiling an upgraded version of our
database for publication in January and
this will include (all things being equal)
the facts and figures for the new Power
Tec range of outboards, the amazing
Klaxon diesel outboards and inboard
diesels (yep, you read that correctly –
this is a major development for many
commercial areas of the boating
industry) and the latest, upgraded
Parsun outboards which are due in the
country as this magazine is produced.
This will give Parsun the long
awaited 60-90hp range of three cylinder
2-strokes. These new engines are being
costed the consumer’s way using the
high $Aussie dollar (now there’s a
12 The Boat Mag
first!) and will be extremely good
value.
Significantly, they will provide an
absolutely perfect solution for countless
thousands of boatowners with craft
from the 1980s and 1990s that are now
looking to replace the original 60-90hp
engines but don’t want to invest the big
dollars required to buy mainstream 4stroke engines which would over
capitalise their now 20 and 30 year old
craft.
Parsun’s Garry Bakovic is very
confident that the solution for many
boatowners will be one of these brand
new 60, 75 or 90 Parsuns which have
now got all the bells and whistles to
keep them on par with anybody else’s
2-stroke, despite what the mainstream
dealers would like you to believe.
If nothing else, the arrival of these
new outboard brands with their much
lower retail prices will certainly stir the
possum in the more established ranks
of outboard companies.
Already companies such as Tohatsu
have become noticeably more
competitive in recent times, and others
(such as Suzuki) have brought back the
2-strokes in their range at seriously
competitive prices as well.
As that late, great politician Don
Chip would exclaim, at least the new
Chinese outboards are going to help us
“keep the bastards honest!”.
And that has to be a very good thing
for boating consumers in 2013.
Best Wishes For A Safe, Happy
Christmas
From all of us, to all of you, we
wish you a very safe, happy and
healthy Christmas and New Year.
For a great many people in the
boating industry, this has been a very
‘challenging’ year, and we are all
crossing our fingers and toes that 2013
will be considerably better!
At times like these, fishing and
boating can provide a rare degree of
solace and peace, and we urge our
readers to make the most of every
opportunity they have to get out on the
water and ‘wet a line’. Especially if
they can take their best mate with them,
or the grandkids, or family.
Thanks for your support in 2012 - we
look forward to working with you in
2013.
-Peter Webster & Ruth Cunningham
TBM
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The media, however seem to rave
about Cat handling in a 3/4 following
sea and how a cat will go so much
faster than a mono in these
conditions.
What are we missing? Is this side to
side (roll if you like) something we are
worrying to much about and
something to get used to?
Itʼs just a bit unsettling to have to
hang on all the time in relatively calm
conditions.
Thanks
( Iʼm a long term subscriber and
love your mag)
(Name withheld by request)
Letters to P.O. Box 98 Paradise Point
Qld 4216. Fax (07) 5577 5948
or email to: [email protected]
Worrying Issues With His Kevlacat
2400
I must be missing something
when it comes to cat handling in a
following sea.
Love my Kevlacat 2011 model 2400
weekender with twin Suzuki 140s, (Itʼs
my third Kevlacat) and canʼt believe
how smooth it rides in MOST
directions.
There are plenty of cats in our local
area and the general consensus is,
and I am repeatedly reminded by the
older wiser boaties, to be careful in a
3/4 following sea. I must admit it can
be a little unnerving when one corner
digs in a little in a 3/4 following sea
and even worse when fully side on. I
am continually reminding my crew to
hang on in these conditions so they
donʼt lose their footing. In these
conditions I drive with the motors
trimmed out fairly well and always
have the motors trimmed so the boat
runs level. I am not talking about
rough seas either, just an average trip
home 10 knots on a beautiful day.
While on the way out itʼs quite
comfortable at 26 knots plus, in the
other direction, I sometimes find it
most comfortable as slow as 17 knots
(again, Iʼm not talking about rough
conditions).
Some of the blokes Iʼve taken out
own monos and they donʼt like the feel
of it either.
14 The Boat Mag
I don't think you are doing
anything wrong, so much as youʼre
not contemplating the physics
involved in the three quarter
behind, or beam-to seas situations. I have to say that there are some
real disadvantages many cats in the
19'-23' class have to deal with,
compared to their smaller or larger
brethren. Iʼve written many times that all cats
are most vulnerable when they are
running ʻbeam-toʼ - and once the
waves get above the height of the
topsides, itʼs time to have a drastic rethink about the course being held.
Cats in this class are still relatively
small craft, and most (like your
Kevlacat 2400, the Glacier Bay 2200,
Dominator 7.0m, Noosacat 2300 (etc)
have neither the shorter, cork-like
buoyancy of the smaller cats, nor do
they have the weight and muscle of
the next size cats up - let alone the
bigger, more powerful 28'-33' class. The 2000-2400s are all
compromising their hull length to
beam width ratios, and chasing weight
so they can still be trailered fairly
easily. Most have very finely drawn
hulls to ensure you get that fabulous
cat softness. . . . BUT, like all things
in boating, the compromise here is
that where they shouldn't have such
fine hulls is in the conditions you have
outlined - three quarter following seas,
and running beam-to. Doesn't matter so much in the little
cats, 'coz you simply don't go over
and down three quarter following seas
once they get above a metre of so in
core height.
Invariably, the skipper (then) bears
away, bringing the cat about to run
more truly downhill, until it is either
safe to tack, and come back to the
original course, or come about and
deliberately run three quarter (or
7/8ths) forward for a while. In the bigger cats, the situation
doesn't really even occur - if you were
in the big Kevlacat 3000, it wouldn't
matter which way you 'ran' as this big,
wide-beam cat would scarcely move
in metre high stuff, and as the waves
get bigger, the physics involved
changes, so two metre high waves
running in the ocean will have far
more 'body' or swell beneath them Cats are not all equal - compare the
difference in hull shapes, the stem
entry and helm positioning in these
two cats (L) Kevlacat 2400 and (R) the
Voyager 625. Itʼs pretty easy to see
why the Kevlacat will be the softest and why the Voyager will be less
inclined to bury a hull when it goes
up, over and down the face of wave . .
EVERY cat builder that ever was (or
IS) has his own views on this subject!
so you rarely see 2 metre 'hollow' or
towering waves unless you are
working in surf, or a big open bar Double Island Point, comes to mind!
So cats in the 2000-2400 range
(and ALL monos) tend to fall foul of
the very common summer nor'east
afternoon wave break (or the Freo
Doctor in the West) which pushes up
the painfully ordinary 1.3m-1.6m
summer wave structure - and yes, if
the 'Cat is running before a three
quarter following sea as I've just
described, it can be quite scary if you
run 'over and down' such a wave. . .
I have to confess to having 'been
there, done that' on several occasions,
including a spectacular 'lose' we
had off Bermagui in the 23' Sharkcat
"Take Two" which became very badly
out of shape as we went over and
down on the starboard quarter through
a hollow wave at about 40 knots. . . . .
however, it was totally my fault, as I
was pushing the Cat beyond the
sensible limits the conditions on the
day would normally allow. I would urge you to continue as you
have been going. Trimming out for
downhill running; keeping a close
watch on forward weight; don't let the
crew crowd around under the hardtop
if it's rough and you have to run three
quarters downhill to get squared away
for Point Cartwright.
Keep the weight out of the nose,
and if the conditions are really getting
bad (as the ocean shallows as you
close into the shoreline) consider
bearing away to run straight downhill
(which the Kevlacat 2400 can do
happily for hours) in the 18-20 knot
range until you can bring it all about,
and head BACK into the sea, at
In the bigger classes, craft such as the Kevlacat 3000 (above) and the new
Noosacat 3000 (below) are considerably bigger, heavier and more powerful than
the smaller 2000-2400 class cats; they are simply untroubled by waves to 1.5m
high, regardless of where it (or they) are coming from.
around 7/8ths head-on, to the
entrance. Again, the Kevlacat 2400
can do that on its ear, for hours.
Pitchy? Yes. Safe? Totally. There are no absolutes in boating.
All boats are a compromise. You are
lucky in having one of the best.
Experiment with your course
running - don't be too rigid in making
good a course that might be the
quickest or shortest on the GPS when it might be a whole lot safer and
more comfortable to bear away and
work WITH the conditions. You have a
very fast boat - take advantage of its
performance. So you run a couple of
extra miles - so what? And trust your gut, AND the hairs on
the back of your neck. If it doesn't feel
right, I'll guarantee it isn't. Think about
it, examine the choices. If it is really
scary, ʻdropʼ the Kevlacat right off
plane, and revert to displacement
mode - hell, you can go anywhere,
anytime, in any conditions, like that.
'Drop' the cat, take a breather, and
THINK about your options - but trust
your gut, and don't keep pushing on
just because you feel you should. Remember, the roughest day in the
'Cat sure beats the best day in the
office!
- PW
The Boat Mag 15
Deep Water, El
Report and pictures by Andrew Hestelow and his mates, mostly off the Continental Shelf.
16 The Boat Mag
lectric Muscle
Thereʼs not much doubt about it, is there ? Todayʼs fisherman has to travel
much farther afield than ever before, and for many, fishing the ʻShelf and
beyond for VERY deepwater ooglies, is the only reasonable solution to the
ever growing list of Marine Parks, restricted fishing areas and - frankly - too
many fellow fishermen. But fishing down a couple of hundred metres has its
own problems (apart from the fundamental, invasive weather issues) not
least of which is knowing the best methods of getting terminal tackle
and baits up and down such vast distances without losing the lot
to seals or sharks. In this special report, deepwater specialist
Andrew Hestelow highlights the techniques involved
using powerful 12v winches to handle
the heavy lifting. . . . . . . . .
The Boat Mag 17
‘That’s cheatin’, mate!’
I was on our stand at the
Melbourne Boat Show - next to
our big electric reel which, at
the time, was mounted on a
heavy Saltiga bent butt rod.
Probably the fiftieth time I’d
heard it over the four days of the
Show but thankfully, it was
always said with a smile. I
turned to face the bloke and his
mates and quickly assessed them
as genuine fishos – although
probably restricted to the Bay.
‘Electric reels, mate’, I said.
‘For fishing 400 metres, and
deeper. If you want to try
bringing up two big blue eye
from that depth on your TLD 25,
go right ahead.’ I smiled. ‘Like a
demo?’
Deep water fishing with
electric reels has taken off in a
huge way over the last few
years. The edge of the
Continental Shelf swarms with
fish and almost all are delicious,
on the plate. They can be fished
for with regular gear and several
blokes on my boat have scored
their bag limit with an ordinary
game rod and reel mounted in a
correctly adjusted bucket and
back harness. But for regularly
fishing the abyss, particularly
when conditions aren’t ideal, an
electric reel is the way to go.
Here’s how to do it:
Firstly, where to start. That’s
the easiest part of the puzzle.
Digital marine charts, online
forums and fishing magazines
can provide locations and even
way points, of likely hot spots.
For many species – like bar cod
in northern NSW and southern
Queensland – fishing can start at
200 metres. But big tasty targets
like gem fish, blue eye cod and
hapuka prefer sea mounts,
wrecks and canyon walls in 300
metres, and beyond.
To the gear required. One
thing I’ve noticed when buying
tackle is that the kit which
promises to do the job when
you’re in the tackle store doesn’t
look quite so powerful, when
you’re way off shore. A 50W
Author Andrew Hestelow with a very toothy
(gemfish) critter! Like most seriously
deepwater species, gemfish are superb
eating.
18 The Boat Mag
Tiagra looks such a weapon,
when you put it in the rod rack.
But when a blue marlin hooks
up and runs so hard that you
can’t even get the rod out of the
holder, you realise that big fish
need big tackle. It’s the same
with deep water bottom fishing.
The rod should be a bent butt, to
hold the line well clear of the
gunwale. Two piece with butt
join is handy, for storage.
Electric reels are valuable, and
you don’t want them being
knocked around in the rod rack,
on the long run to the Shelf. I
like to unscrew the rod from the
fore grip and stow the reel –
normally clamped, to the butt –
in the cabin. A bit of TLC will
add to your gear’s longevity.
Your line has to be braid. Both
to show bites at the rod tip, and
to reduce drag on the drop. 80pound is our minimum for deep
dropping, although 50 is fine for
bar cod and smaller inshore
species. When multiple droppers
are used for big fish we use 200pound braid on the reel. Line
Hey - this is what deepwater fishing is all about a superb blue eye cod, surely one of the tastiest
fish to ever grace a dinner table - but catching
ʻem this big requires no little skill, a lot of
patience, and either a very strong back - or a
12v winch.
The Boat Mag 19
strength is not solely dependent
on the anticipated weight of fish
being retrieved. It’s common –
off southern NSW and Victoria –
for hooked fish to be attacked by
makos, bronze whalers and
seals, on the long way back to
the boat. If your 10 kilo blue eye
cod suddenly turns into a 140
kilo mako you’ll need all the
line strength you can find. And
yes, one client has boated a 140
kilo mako - after it took a gem
fish 60 metres under his boat.
you could be hundreds of metres
off the way point on your GPS
screen, or the fish marking on
your sounder, by the time your
baits arrive on the bottom.
n Chemical or electric lights;
n Reinforcing rod, sash
weights and bricks, used as
sinkers;
n Shark clips and lumo
tubing.
For terminal tackle, I
recommend monofilament line
slightly lighter than the breaking
strain of your braid. So, if your
reel is spooled with 200-pound
braid, use 150-pound mono for
your traces. Large spools of
heavy braid are expensive and
the last thing you want is to snag
up and break off your line, at the
rod tip. Not only will you have
to go to the tackle shop for an
expensive spool of line, but it’s
very likely that there won’t be
enough line left on your reel to
reach the bottom when you have
re-rigged. So protecting the
main line is very important.
Remember that anything you
add to your terminal tackle will
slow the rate of sinking.
Anything other than a lead
sinker will slow the rate of
sinking, too. And your sink rate
is very important. It takes so
long to get to the bottom that
Keep the droppers short and
simple. I use the heavy Crane 3way swivels available from
Shogun, which have the
horizontal ring rotating around
the barrel. These are rated to 265
pounds breaking strain and have
never let me down. I crimp the
For terminal tackle, avoid the
following:
mono to the ring and make a
short dropper of around 25
centimetres. A heavy hook is
crimped onto the end of the
dropper, with a lumo bead inside
the crimped loop.
To my mind long lengths of
lumo tube and mini strobe lights
just aren’t necessary. In the inky
blackness 400 metres down, a
lumo bead will give off plenty
of light. Plus it’s cheap, and
easy to rig up.
Hook selection is crucial. With
the retrieval time of a hooked
fish being anywhere from 6 to
10 minutes you must have a
good hook set with the leader
well clear of biting teeth. This
means a circle hook. I am not
going to recommend a size or
pattern because we are still
experimenting and indeed, often
use two completely different
hooks on each rig. It’s a work in
progress so for updates visit our
website where we discuss the
pros and cons of deepwater
fishing constantly.
Bait’s simple, any oily fish or
This is the decidedly
better looking half of the
Andrew Hestelow /
Stelco Team - AHʼs lovely
wife Carolyn who many
readers have met and
talked with on the Boat
and Tackle Show circuit.
They both look forward
to meeting existing and
future customers as they
do the long yards around
the Show Circuit.
20 The Boat Mag
Typical dropper arrangement - short as possible, and only (just) as
long as necessary, as the fisherman here is fighting rig “drag” on the
way down - so less is better!
When those bites are marked I
immediately do one of two
things. Either, we free spool line
on the reel, or reverse the boat
in the opposite direction to the
drift. The intent is to stop the
bait dead in the water, allowing
any pursuing fish to swallow it
deeply. After a pause, slide the
drag up or knock the boat into
neutral, and hopefully watch the
rod tip load. The hook has come
back up the fish’s throat and out
through the mouth, hopefully
giving a perfect hook set in the
corner of the jaw. As the rod
curves under load, you are ready
to start the long retrieve to the
surface.
Weʼve
published this
Lowrance pic
a few months
back - to the
astonishment
of many
readers; folks,
this is not a
trick pic - it IS
really that
deep!
fresh squid is fine. Don’t use a
large bait because all you’ll do
is slow the sink rate. If using a
strip bait, put the hook once
only through one end of the bait,
leaving the point standing clear
and proud. I find slimy mackerel
heads are great. Put the point of
the hook directly through the
nose and bring it out through the
lower jaw, so the head sits well
within the curve of the gape.
Keep in mind that the water
pressure at these depths is
incredible. A strip of mullet will
have juices pumping out like a
mini-burley trail at 400 metres
down. Your bait will be drifting
moving across the ocean floor at
quite a clip. Thankfully, the
braid has no stretch, and will
register bites at the rod tip in
exactly the same way as if you
were fishing for bream off your
local jetty.
along the bottom, illuminated by
the lumo bead and trailing a
delicious scent of oil which of
course will also be rising,
through the water column.
The real challenge with this
kind of fishing is the hook up. I
will just describe what works for
me, keeping in mind other fishos
may have just as good or better
methods they prefer. It’s quite
common to be drifting across the
deep grounds and registering 0.5
or 0.8 knots, on your plotter.
What does this mean, in
practise? A knot is one nautical
mile, or one metre every two
seconds. Your bait is very likely
You can make a pretty good
estimation of what’s coming up
depending on how the rod and
reel responds. A steady load and
curve with occasional heavy
bending means you have two
gemfish who occasionally swim
in the same direction. Constant
unchanging load is often
indicative of a blue-eye,
especially if regular tail beats
are noted. Mako strikes usually
seem to occur around 60-80
metres down, so when you pass
through that band it’s cause for
relief.
Seals are a growing problem
off southern Australia. They
make certain spots almost
unfishable due to the fact that
after eating their fill, their
powerful hunting instinct means
they still attack hooked fish
anyway. We are working on a
seal scarer to fix this problem
The Boat Mag 21
Above & Below: Obviously, fishing 20-30 miles off the Coast calls for serious luck with
the weather, or a particularly clever forecaster, and it is one of the reasons one most of
the pros prefer to work the winter months. However, enticingly, the big deep water
species like these, are there all year round, so if the weather settles - get outa here!
but have not had an opportunity
to test the prototype as yet. Keep
reading The Boat Mag for
developments.
With your hooked fish
drawing near the surface - as
shown on your digital line
counter, your analogue line
counter or your colour change
braid - it’s time to prepare for
boating. And I do mean prepare,
because it’s not like swinging a
whiting aboard.
Gem fish are hard to gaff, and
have hideous, vampire-like
fangs. Don’t even dream of
putting your hands inside their
gills without using gloves. Your
mates will henceforth call you
‘Stumpy.’
We usually bring them in by
the leader and grasp them under
the gill latch wearing heavy
gardening gauntlets or
sometimes, Kevlar filleting
22 The Boat Mag
gloves.
These are one of the best
eating fish in the sea, so please
give them the respect they
deserve. Don’t let them thrash
themselves around on the deck.
Bleed them quickly and get
them into an ice slurry in either
a chiller bag or a big cooler,
ASAP.
And without sounding
preachy, please be an ethical
angler. Gem fish swarm on the
southern sea mounts yet the bag
limit is still very low, at two per
angler. It’s not uncommon to see
blokes putting them back over
the side and fishing on, in the
hope of catching a blue eye or
hapuka. Please don’t do that. Try
for something else out at the sea
mounts – cubing for yellowfin,
jigging for albacore, fishing for
sharks or even using your
electric reel for swordfishing.
TBM
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*Remote controller with EC02. Powers up unit when it senses 240VAC or >13.6VDC).
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system features,
package details & prices:
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15 Redden Street Cairns Qld P.O.Box 204-B Bungalow, Qld 4870 Phone (07) 4035 2966
Fax (07) 4035 2662 Email [email protected] www.cairnscustomcraft.com
The Boat Mag 23
...snapshots of some very
interesting projects around and about...
‘Vestas Sailrocket’
Breaks Outright World
Speed Sailing Record
20 November 2012, Isle
of Wight, UK – SP-High
Modulus, the marine
business of Gurit would
like to congratulate the
Vestas Sailrocket team on
breaking the outright world
speed sailing record this
past Friday.
SP-High Modulus have
been involved with the
Sailrocket project from the
very early stages and
supplied materials, along
with technical services to
the project.
On Friday 16th
November the Vestas
Sailrocket team reached
speeds of 59.23 knots
(around 70mph) over the
500metre course at Walvis
Bay in Namibia.
Sailrocketʼs peak speed
during the record breaking
run was an amazing 62.53
knots in winds of just 25
knots. The outright world
speed sailing record is set
by taking the average
speed of a craft between
two points set 500 metres
apart. The previous record
stood at 55.65 knots
(around 64mph). Sailrocket
has added now another
almost 4 knots!
SP-High Modulus has
involved with the Sailrocket
project from the very early
stages and supplied
materials including Ampreg
22, prepregs from SP-High
Modulusʼ SE 84LV and SE
70 product ranges and
some dry reinforcements,
along with technical
services to the project.
Paul Goddard, General
Manager Marine at SPHigh Modulus,
commented: “Everyone at
SP-High Modulus is
delighted that Sailrocket
team have achieved their
goal of breaking the world
speed sailing record. The
team have put in a lot of
work to make this happen
and we congratulate them
on their achievement.”
More information on the
Sailrocket project can be
found at
www.sailrocket.com
TBM
F&B TV:
(Tablet/Phone users: If video does not play, press here to change formats)
24 The Boat Mag
“Torres Magic” Enters Service
Many TBM readers are
familiar with the Cairns
Custom Craft yard in FNQ,
and most of those are aware
that the yard has been
absolutely chocker full of a
huge inter-island ferry that
Marcel Maujean and his team
of merry men have been
busily working on for at least
12-15 months.
This is not a big deal in the
technical sense for Marcel, as
he has designed and built
many such ferries and
commercial craft (fishing boats,
Torres Strait Pilot vessels, etc)
but what made this project
particularly poignant was the
fact that he has had to
compete with the mining
industry for ticketed boiler
makers. In a painful process,
craft built In Survey these days
must use fully qualified,
ticketed boiler makers with a
particularly high level of
certification.
The trouble for major boat
building contracts in 2011-12 is
that the top tradies have just
about all gone west, literally,
following the big bucks
available for guys with the top
tickets. So building boats of
this calibre has become as
much a challenge in sourcing
and retaining human
resources, if not design and
engineering.
The good news for all
concerned (including the very
patient owners) is that the
project is now complete, the
big ferry has been launched
and yes, eagle eyed fishos will
spot it was moored next to
another very well known Cairns
Custom Craft – “Nomad”,
Damon Olsenʼs Sportfishing
Charter megacraft is another
from this popular North
Queensland yard. It was
interesting to see both craft
side by side for the first, and
probably the last time, as theyʼll
both be operating thousands of
miles apart.
Congratulations to all – a
terrific job done under very
unusual circumstances.
TBM
Right: Check this out - the latest pics of a new platey weʼve
been keenly following over in Perth - itʼs Brad & Carol
Tindaleʼs new 8.2m Air Rider, powered by a pair of the new
Honda V-6ʼs and destined to fish-cruise the waters from
Karratha WA to the Kimberley. Merry Xmas, guys, nice
prezzie from Santa, hey!
The Boat Mag 25
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26 The Boat Mag
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The Boat Mag 27
480-490 Side Centre
CONSOLES
he decision to
become a fisherman
is not something that
can be manufactured or
ordered. It comes into
your life at whatever
age it fancies,
regardless of the
circumstances you find
yourself in, where you
grow up, or what you
do.
In the writerʼs case,
more fortunate than most, I
was blessed with parents
who, although folk from the
bush (indeed, the Mallee
country of the Riverina) in
the 1950s, enjoyed their
summer holidays “down
the Coast” - mostly at
Tuross Lakes, on the far
South Coast of NSW, but
in later years, further north
at Batehaven, around the
corner from Batemans
Bay.
Earliest memories are
warm, sun filled and very
fishy. No doubt Dad was a
better stock and station
agent than a fisherman,
T
28 The Boat Mag
One from the archives . . . back in 2004-6, we developed
the Trailcraft 475 ProFish as a Project Boat - and it is not
hard to see why it was such a profound success. Check the
ocean friendly freeboard, the transom set-up (a first back
then) and the volume of this brilliant 16 footer. In 2012, the
re-numbered (now as the 485 ProFish) remains a stand out
in a what has since become a very cluttered market.
but he knew how to set up
a running sinker on our
trusty cork handlines (with
a matchstick stopper) as
good as the next man,
whilst my mother enjoyed
near legendary status as
the best whiting fisher
person on the far South
Coast. She certainly had
the magic touch. She
could feel the whiting, and
understood the delicate
timing that was required to
get these hyper sensitive,
tasty little morsels secured
to the line.
They were good years.
We learned a lot about
boating in strap started,
putt-putt clinker launches,
and grew muscles on our
young muscles from
rowing the clinker dinghies
around Tuross. As
youngsters, we were only
allowed to take out rowing
boats on our own, and the
rules were quite explicit:
we had to remain in sight
of the boat shed at all
times.
But we learned to row, to
fish, to prawn, to swim, to
surf and learnt all the
degrees of sunburn and
chapped lips. As bush
families, we were all pretty
close, and each year
various aunties and
uncles, nieces and
nephews would come
down from the bush to join
the wider family for the
summer break.
The house we rented
each year, just up from the
ocean beach, with its
wonderous views up and
down the Coast, was
significant too. With my
younger brother Tom, we
boys slept in the cooler,
enclosed front verandah,
and to this day recall
watching the rhythmic flash
of the Montague Island
lighthouse cross the
darkened room as we fell
into an exhausted sleep
from the dayʼs activities.
Montague Island . . . it
was a dreamtime, mythical
island even then, and as I
grew up into my teens, it
became something of a
magnet to a young
fisherman who knew that
one day he would fish this
hallowed place.
Even then, back in the
1950s, the waters around
Montague Island were
regarded as a world class
fishing area, and tall tales
and true would circulate up
and down the coast about
the giant kingfish caught
off the north eastern
corner, as much as the
snapper down off
Aughinish Rock, let alone
the Montague/Bermagui
billfish. People as famous
as Zane Grey himself
travelled around the world
to fish the waters off
Montague Island and
Bermagui.
For a young bush kid it
was the stuff of dreams
(literally), and as I grew
into my teens, my
determination to go
offshore and tackle the
fishing in these waters
grew exponentially.
I still remember the first
trip I did offshore with Dad
in a truly teensy 14ʼ
plywood boat, absurd by
todayʼs standards, but
then, something akin to a
Fremantle class patrol
boat!
It was a canoe bowed
plywood runabout with built
in plywood seats forward,
about 14ʼ overall, with at
least 300mm (no kidding)
of freeboard which rolled
into stylish ʻtumblehomeʼ
There is much to admire and study in this pic of the Mako
Frenzy . . . this is now a very complete, competant allrounder. Safe and capable for offshore fishing, easily towed
by the smaller SUVʼs - terrific sun shelter and flexibility
from the special F&B bimini - and small enough for good
use in rivers and impoundments. The Yamaha 70 4-stroke is
a perfect fit for this size craft.
on the extremities of the
transom.
With a 20hp West Bend
outboard on the back that
started on a decidedly
irregular basis, we actually
took this craft out from
Batemanʼs Bay past the
Tollgates and on out well
into the Pacific . . . now in
truth, it was probably all of
a few hundred metres east
of the Tollgate Islands
(which are still inside the
ʻBay) but to an excited 12
year old, we were well and
truly on our way to NZ.
And we caught fish –
amazingly, we pinned
kingfish on the surface and
snapper underneath, with
4 or 5 morwong finishing
off a crowded fish basket.
For a certain 12 year old, it
cemented a life long
commitment to the concept
of ocean fishing in small
open boats.
Fast Forward – 2012
Thatʼs a long segue into
todayʼs 480-490
supplement, but it is how
the writer and so many
similarly aged “baby
boomers” got into boating
at one point or another.
After my experience with
Dad in the 14ʼ plywood
runabout, some years later
weʼd matured to a brand
new Hartley 15ʼ6” New
Flareline (which weʼll do
more about next month
when we visit half cabs)
but the fishing commitment
only increased from this
point and led to a lifetime
in countless boats the
writer has managed to
own, run or operate over a
45 year period.
A common theme
though, right through the
authorʼs boating life has
been the principle of
finding a boat around the
ʻold 16 footʼ mark, because
there has always been a
certain magic about that
size, so it is no
coincidence at all that this
monthʼs consumer survey
features 16 footers,
although we call them
4.80-4.90m models today.
Best Of Both Worlds
The great thing about
this size . . . is its size.
Not kidding.
The 4.80-4.90m craft are
capable of going just about
anywhere offshore in
reasonable conditions, can
easily handle inshore work,
theyʼre small enough for
rivers and dams, and they
are very easily towed –
and when you think about
The Boat Mag 29
According To Cindie Jupp, Everyone
“I Think Everyone Should Build At Least
One Boat In Their Lifetime - It Is Such A
Great Experience!”
Well, that is what I think now that my 4.85m Plate Alloy
Boat is nearly finished. At the beginning, looking at this
CNC router cutting an outline out of 4mm plate alloy, I
knew it would be an adventure. And, being a female and
an accountant I had no idea how a few flat pieces of
aluminium were going to become a boat. So I enlisted in
the Plate Alloy Boat Building Course and learned to weld,
grind and sand, and put together a boat.
The first step was to build the custom made jig out of
MDF a composite timber-like material with properties
similar to plywood. Then we cut out the pieces of the boat
that had been engraved in the aluminium and sanded the
edges smooth.
The boat has been designed by Plate Alloy’s Naval
Architect using the latest 3-D modelling software to make
the pieces “mm” perfect. The kit is cut out on the CNC
router with all the holes, joins and markings to put it
together.
Then it is as easy as building a model – put A1 with A1
and tack it together, etc. Admittedly it is a little more
physical than that, but welding technology has improved
so much that after a day’s practice everyone on the course
480-490 Side Centre
CONSOLES
it, these are virtues that
most fishing families today
require.
Big 4WDs are rapidly
becoming a thing of the
past, as we move into an
era of much more
sophisticated, smaller,
lighter SUVs that might not
even be 4WD, but just
2WD - and front wheel
drive at that. It doesnʼt
really matter with any of
30 The Boat Mag
these 480-490s, because
all of them can be towed
so easily by the modern
SUV, let alone a true 4WD.
In terms of layout, the
side console and centre
console remains ingrained
in the fisho because they
are such fantastic fishing
platforms.
If you take the typical
480-490, you could fish
about 4.5m of boat, on flat
floors, usually on two
levels, with a casting
platform forward.
This is just about the
was a confident welder and trying to get as much welding
action in on the boat.
After a great week of welding, grinding and sanding we
constructed a hull of a 4.85m open fishing boat. The
following week I was acutely aware that this half finished
boat was mine and it was up to me to do something with it.
First was to put in some ply boxes under the hatches in the
casting deck for storage. So I cut the ply to fit, sealed it,
and after putting buoyancy foam under and around the
boxes, I fitted them with pop rivets and Sika-flex.
The boxes, side panels and hatch doors were then
carpeted. And the side panels Sika-flexed and pop riveted
perfect set-up for most
fishos because two or
three people can easily
cast and work lures or
plastics together, or you
can put a seat up forward
and fish two or three lines
on the drift, or fish 2-3
astern at anchor.
Does it get any better?
Not really – boats of this
size are very comfortable
to walk around, to sit in,
and to use – and getting
bigger means youʼre
simply going to spend
more, use more fuel but
really not achieve very
much more home comfort
until you get up into the 20ʼ
area. And of course, thatʼs
simply too big for many
types of fishing. And too
expensive to purchase and
run, for most people.
There are other
advantages in this size as
well as towing and fishing.
Just about the whole lot of
them will work very happily
with engines sized
between 50hp-70hp, and
this allows a very high
level of economy for the
Should Build Their Own Boat!
down and the hatch doors hinged on, so the casting deck
was finished.
Now the real work – the main deck. I decided where to
put the fuel tank, bilge pump, console and chairs following
the Architect’s recommendations. I then welded in the
brackets and base plates for them including cutting the
threads in the holes on the chair plates to allow the chairs
to be bolted down once the floor was on.
The fuel tank was then fitted into the hull and the hoses
clamped in place. Add the outboard, fuel, and we were
within hours of launching !
TBM
Footnote: The real issue here is not just that Cindie
is one very determined, pragmatic accountant and
wife - but between her vision and the excellent
week long boat building ʻschoolʼ for would be ally
boatbuilders, run by John Pontifexʼs Plate Alloy
Australia in Melbourne, people with no background
in boat building whatsoever, learn to build a
competant, naval-architect designed fishing boat
for thousands and thousands of dollars less than
purchasing a production model.
family. This cannot be
overstated in its
importance, going forward.
The boats are fantastic
for kids, as they have nice
safe little “walls” all around
the cockpits and whilst any
youngster can fall out of
anything without very
much encouragement,
these boats seem to offer
the necessary compromise
between run-around space
to deal with boredom and
the like, as well as inherent
safety where the kids
seem to sense there is a
thinking about boats to
purchase, the would-be
buyer actually climbs up
and into the boat off the
Showroom floor or the
highway, and gets a sense
of how the cockpit works,
how you get in and out of
it, whatʼs there to hang
onto - and how the boat
“feels”.
This cannot be
overstated too much,
either – and itʼs best of all
if it can be done on the
water because then you
can also “feel” the stability
wall there that they
shouldnʼt climb over – and
they very rarely do.
At the other end of the
scale, older folk in their
retiring years will find the
480-490 consoles very
comfortable to work,
especially as they all have
flat floors and lots of things
to hang onto – important
as we get older.
Some of these boats are
quite exceptional in this
regard and have more to
offer than others – so itʼs
very important when
which is to this writer, one
of THE critical issues.
Safety First
The safety issue is
paramount today. Very few
of these boats (including
the Quintrex Topender)
today are actually
unsinkable. Mark
Bowdidgeʼs DIY Gulf
Explorer can be made
completely unsinkable with
the placement of foam in
the right places by the DIY
builder, as can Plate Alloy
Australiaʼs model of a
The Boat Mag 31
Left: This is a very interesting
shot revealing much of the reason
why these 480-490ʼs make such
good all-rounders. Check the body,
or volume, of this craft from
astern. Check the freeboard, and
contemplate the transom structure,
the extra wide beam, excellent
coamings - this is a ʻsea eye viewʼ
if you like, and are the
characteristics that sort which
boats are capable of safely putting
to sea, and those that should stay
inshore.
Below: This time, we are up for the
seagullʼs viewpoint, and again, itʼs
easy to see why these rigs are so
popular with fishing families, as
well as the dedicated fishos. This
layout is all about space (lots of it,
too!) and flexibility in how the
space is best used. The downside
of all this good news is their main
weakness - a lack of weather
protection. However, any halfway
proficient canopy maker can
develop a fold-up and down
forward dodger to create a “half
cabin” on the casting platform that
will allow people to (even)
overnight if they wish.
32 The Boat Mag
480-490 Side Centre
CONSOLES
similar type from John
Pontifexʼs PAA team in
Melbourne. PAAʼs Naval
architect Catran Galema
has done some excellent
work in this area, and the
option of making these
plate boats work with Level
Floatation is there for the
DIY enthusiast to do, and
the foam is available to
make it completely
unsinkable.
This is, ironically, one of
the advantages of building
the boat yourself – as a
home builder, you can
make darn sure the boat is
unsinkable which is not
something many of the
production boat builders
want to touch.
Quintrex gave this a
good shot a couple of
years ago and did achieve
Level Floatation ratings in
Hey - isnʼt this a sweet liʼl combo! Powered by a gorgeous
Honda 60hp 4-stroke, the Horizon Northerner SC is ready to
head out for Borroloola and the Big Adventure. The Mackay
trailer is the best weʼve seen for quite a while - and we
especially loved the swing-out draw bar, and mesh walkway.
quite a few of their models,
but it put them at such a
price disadvantage to their
competition it was quickly
dropped against the reality
that they were losing sales
right left and centre,
because their Level
Flotation models were so
much more expensive than
their opposition, who didnʼt
bother with the Level
Floatation issue.
All of the production
builders claim to have
some sort of “Basic
Floatation” but thatʼs not
worth a pinch of the
proverbial if the boatʼs
been swamped going out
through a bar, or rolled
over at sea.
Sure, the boat will
probably form some sort of
hulk upside down where
the pointy bit may float for
quite a while, but thatʼs
hardly the same as having
true Level Floatation
wherein the boat can be
used as a survival platform
- for days, if necessary - let
alone if the crew has the
wherewithal to empty it out
and dry their ankles.
Donʼt laugh, thereʼs been
quite a few incidents over
the years where guys have
been swamped at sea and
have actually done just this
– bailed the boat out or
worked the self-draining
decks to such an extent
that they were able to clear
the water, and either get
going again, or wait for
help to arrive.
Look, nobody wants to
talk about accidents
happening at sea, and
even fewer want to talk
about them happening
crossing a bar or being
rolled over in the
Hawkesbury – but these
are all open boats. They
are vulnerable to severe
conditions and if that stuff
hits the fan, the skipper
can end up with a problem
– especially if he doesnʼt
have sufficient sea time or
experience to handle the
situation in the first place.
Conversely, given a
competent skipper with
good sea time and
considerable experience
out in the ocean, these
boats will handle almost
anything. Where it goes
pear shaped is when
something untoward
happens – and a good
skipper will make
absolutely certain that heʼs
minimised the chances of
things going wrong; of
The Boat Mag 33
480-490 Side Centre
CONSOLES
Uncle Harry falling over
and down to the leeward
side as the boat is beam to
in a choppy sea; punching
out into a green wave on a
bar that will cap over the
bow and swamp the boat
in milliseconds; pushing
the boat too close to the
cliffs or headlands in
pursuit of pelagics and
being caught in the
backwash of a reverse
wave pyramiding in front of
the boat before dropping
into the cockpit, or worse,
turning the boat over on its
side and dumping the crew
into the sea.
All of these scenarios
are typical of what can
happen without the
necessary care and
experience, so in standing
back looking at the craft
and making a purchase
decision, we all have to
think about the safety
issue.
The writer will always
give a priority to any of
these boats that has a
genuine self-draining deck
– and thus far, the
Trailcraft 485 Profish is still
the only production boat in
this group that has a truly
self draining deck capable
of shedding huge
quantities of water in
seconds. A couple of boats
have quasi self-draining
decks where the water
rushes down into a sump
before being pumped
overboard, but trust me,
that is as useless as an
ashtray on a motorbike if a
wave is dumped into the
cockpit. Before the pumpʼs
even got the first litre into
the overboard skin fitting,
the water will have rushed
over to the low side and in
all probability, will have
rolled the rig over in the
ensuing panic.
A self-draining deck with
freeing ports is just that:
Itʼs a specific naval
architect description of a
standard of cockpit design
Isnʼt this clever? Itʼs a private project by the well known and
respected Zell family of Yatala Marine (near Brisbane). They
have taken an old Haines Hunter 16C (a very sweet, soft riding
and dry hull) and converted it across to a side console confirming that such projects are totally viable - and can save
the incoming buyer a great deal of moolah. Our thanks to Paul
(Dad) and Ryan (ace Yamaha tech!) for these pics.
34 The Boat Mag
that is not often seen in
this class.
Now there is good
reason for this, too. Most
boat builders, regardless of
whether the boat is made
of GRP or aluminium, are
very reluctant to put a self
draining deck in their boats
because they believe it lifts
the floor of the cockpit up
too high, and creates a
level of instability that is
best described as making
the boat “tender” from the
point of view of walking
from side to side.
The Trailcraft is a good
compromise in this regard
– it is certainly more
“tender” than (say) a
Quintrex TopEnder, but not
to a point where we would
discount its purchase
against a TopEnder. Itʼs
just a characteristic where
the Trailcraft, with its
higher floor has a bit less
stability at rest than the
TopEnder – and about a
dozen or more other
centre or side consoles.
Different Building
Methods
One of the reasons this
is such a fascinating area
for the boating consumer
is that there is a wonderful
choice of craft available
today. When we did this
study last time (back in
2007) all the boats were
aluminium, but today, we
now have aluminium
pressed, aluminium plate,
composite fibreglass, pure
fibreglass and
polypropylene from
Bundaberg, rounding out
what is a truly fascinating
cross section of craft.
Each has their
advantages and
disadvantages - letʼs take
a look at them:
Fibreglass
There are very few
fibreglass boats in this
class, as most GRP
manufacturers have grown
out of them, and today
prefer to build bigger
boats. Mainly because
they all feel they canʼt
compete with the pressed
or plate aluminium brigade,
and have thus walked
away into bigger sizes.
Just how they figure they
can then compete with the
same pressed or plate
aluminium boats in the
bigger sizes is beyond me,
but the fact remains there
are very few GRP
manufacturers left building
4.8-4.9m consoles.
There have been many
very good ones over the
years, with the secondhand
market especially strong in
this respect. Some of the
original 1980s and even
1970s model ʻglass boats
are worth renovating to
bring them back up to
speed – and the reason
theyʼre worth renovating is
that by and large, these
are some of the softest
riding 16 footers money.
A good Haines 16C hull
converted or renovated to
modern specs (see pics)
will still be considerably
softer riding and much
dryer than any of todayʼs
pressed aluminium boats.
And the reason is that the
manufacturers in fibreglass
can build beautiful shapes
Featured a few months back in F&B, this is the 480 from
Plate Alloy Boats Australia - and believe it or not, is
available as a fully ʻkittedʼ home building plate ally project.
DIY building in both ally or composite fibreglass is enjoying
a resurgence in popularity, as many boatowners and fishos
look for better financial solutions to fit in what seems to be
ever-tightening family budgets. The savings that can be
achieved are spectacular - and the result is invariably as
good (or better) than many of the pro-builds. All it takes is
a decision - a shed, and time!
without regard for the
constraints of shaping
aluminium or plywood and
the difficulty that lies in
doing three way curves in
these construction
systems.
Fibreglass is wonderful
boat building material, in
that it can be moulded into
any shape that takes the
designerʼs fancy, and there
have been some beautiful
shapes made over the
years which are much
softer riding than anything
youʼll find in pressed
aluminium.
However itʼs all a bit
academic, as there are so
few new boats around, and
if you need fibreglass today
youʼve either got to
renovate it, or build it
yourself.
This is where Mark
Bowdidgeʼs Marine Design
(BMD) comes in with a
range of extremely
practical, composite ʻglass
hulls and shapes, some of
which are quite beautiful to
look at and they work as
the old axiom goes “just as
good as they look”!
So there is the option of
building beautiful shapes
with composite glass using
strip planking, foam or
plywood core, but these
are purely ʻglass boats in
the final analysis.
The money saved in DIY
is brilliant – and for an
increasing number of
blokes, definitely the way
to go.
You need a shed, time
(usually a day or so a
week) a patient wife and a
handful of mates
occasionally for some of
the heavy lifting – turning
the hull over, for example.
This has been known to
take up an entire, 3-day
long weekend: About two
hours on Saturday turning
the hull over, – and the rest
of the weekend celebrating
!
Polypropelene
Although there have
been several imported
boats built in poly, the gold
star award has to go to the
team in Bundaberg who
make Australiaʼs principal
line of polypropelene craft,
and itʼs a big range of
boats, too. Universally
selected by the hire boat
fleets of Australia because
they are damn near
indestructible, the poly
fleets have a couple of
very good models in this
class, including the almost
legendary 480 Brumby.
This rig can be banged off
a trailer and thumped down
the side of a river or creek
- and launched the hard
way without fear or favour.
And the poly boats have
been moulded into some
quite surprisingly
sophisticated shapes too,
The Boat Mag 35
480-490 Side Centre
CONSOLES
so these are usually quite
soft riding, very dry and are
marginally ahead of most
pressed aluminium boats
that are locked into (pretty
much) a 8-12 degree
deadrise angle at the
transom.
But there is a bit of a
stigma attached to the poly
boats, because they are
“plastic” (a misnomer, if
ever there was one) but
they still have the look of a
plastic boat and this is one
of their disadvantages in
the salesroom.
Most commercial people
couldnʼt give a ratʼs,
especially dedicated fishos
or licensed fishos who use
these boats in increasing
numbers as charter fishing
boats, crab boats, oyster
barges (etc) because of
their indestructibility.
Pressed Aluminium
There are a lot or
pressed aluminium 15 and
16 footers in centre
consoles, and more
recently, side consoles. A
lot of the early pressed
aluminium manufacturers
tried to offer side consoles
from their centre console
models, but quickly
discovered that the side
console throws the whole
boat out of balance if the
hull hasnʼt been designed
for it in the first place.
So readers are cautioned
These are two important pics for small boat owners of all
persuasions to think about - but has come to a head lately
as we fitted out several of these craft in the last couple of
years. Count the “holes” drilled into this transom - and
especially note the THREE nylon skin fittings and
subsequent s.s. clamps. Now, we know the skin fittings can
become very brittle with age - and who HASNʼT seen a
screwed circle clamp come off a skin fitting tail? to be extremely careful
when choosing some of
these side console variants
of what was originally a
centre console boat –
some of these craft are
truly bloody ʻorrible – and
thereʼs no gainsaying it.
Itʼs a fact and some of
them cannot handle the
side console set-up at all –
especially if the skipper
(Dad, usually) is (say)
110kg and his mate, wife
or crew only weighs 70 or
80kg, then the boat will run
on its side for yonks until
the whole thing is reset
with the freezer chest and
tackle boxes etc, to get the
thing squared away. Some
of these smaller centre and
side console boats need to
be as cheap as chips
because theyʼre not worth
buying in their standard
configurations.
How do you tell the good
from the bad? Well, itʼs not
easy, but the clues can be
the beam width, skinny
topsides, a sense that the
sides of the boat donʼt
come in far enough and a
poor transom set-up
(meaning itʼs not a full
height or full width
transom) - these are clues
that the boat may not be
such a good offshore boat.
Pressed Plate
Aluminium
Today we have an
increasing trend to what
has become known as
“pressed plate” which is a
bastardisation of the two
extremes.
A pressed aluminium
boat requires ribs vertically
for the topsides, and
horizontally under the floor
sections at very regular
intervals, because the
metal used (especially on
the topsides – usually
1.5mm - 2mm) is so thin it
has no real structural
strength until the ribs are
added. Because it is so
thin, it is also inclines to
suffer from heat distortion
36 The Boat Mag
(seen as ʻripples) from the
welding process.
So quite a few of todayʼs
console builders
compromised – they
started using stiffer,
stronger 3mm thick ally
sheet on the topsides, for
less welding, less distortion
and far less pre-prep in the
paintshop.
This is now a very
popular technique used by
many of the best
production boat builders,
including the likes of
Horizon, Sea Jay, Stessl,
Mako Craft, etc.
Plate Ally Boats
In a true plate boat
situation, the rig will have a
defined chassis running
fore and aft under the floor
against a 4.0mm-5.0mm
plate bottom, and 3.04.0mm topsides, which are
in part attached via the
cockpit to the honeycomb
structure under the floor.
Usually does not require
any vertical ribs at all, other
Of the many tricks and tips weʼve uncovered over the years
one of the best is keeping the clear glass fuel filter (an
absolute MUST HAVE) inboard WHERE THE SKIPPER CAN
SEE IT AT A GLANCE as he heads back through the bar,
or ocean break. As well, it quadruples (+) the life of the
filter, and critically, the little ʻdrain tapʼ underneath the filter
which invariably salts up and snaps off when itʼs mounted
(out of sight, too) on the aft-face of the transom wall.
Arguably, this is the most important bit of kit on the boat so put it where it can be seen, and used, every single trip.
than from what is known as
the ʻring frameʼ bulkhead
where the cabin is formed
in half cabs and the like.
Thereʼs not too many full
plate side consoles in
Australia, although most of
the top plate shops (Cairns
Custom Craft, SAʼs Nautic
Star, Sea Jay Plate, etc),
will happily build one for
you.
In this survey, Darren
Brandʼs BBB Marine builds
a beauty up in Mackay,
whilst Rebelʼs Warren
Cameron will hand build a
true plate 480 in time for
the next barra season.
Then thereʼs Plate Alloy
Australia DIY team down in
Melbourne who have a
very good 4.85 Adventurer
which is also a true plate
boat for the home
enthusiast – and they also
happen to have a couple of
these excellent side or
centre consoles for sale,
too, all ready to wet a line.
TBM
Overall length 4.8m
Max beam 1.82
Inside beam 1.26
Hull weight 280kg
Transom height 52cm
Depth 48cm
Max power 60hp
Fuel cap 80L
Check our introductory package:
A complete BMT rig, with 50hp
Suzuki 4-stroke, GPS plotter,
lifejackets, rego - drive-away for
less than $25K !
For costing
options &
demonstration info,
please contact
*Another production GRP boat
by Marcel Boat Design.
E
Cairns Custom Craft
15 Redden St, Cairns Qld 4870
P (07) 4035 2966
[email protected]
W cairnscustomcraft.com
The Boat Mag 37
The Boat Mag: NEW FOR 2013
BMD’s Gulf Explorer 16
Introducing another very ‘do-able’ Mark Bowdidge composite DIY Project just about
anybody can afford - and what a ripper, all-round fishing family boat comes out of
the garage in just a couple of month’s time!
Who's going fishing?"
ne of the most
impressive aspects of
the Gulf Explorer 16 is its
'fishability'! With plenty of
room, huge storage areas
throughout, and being an
all-round performer in
sheltered and bay
conditions, the Gulf
Explorer 16 will certainly
live up to its name.
(Meaning you'll be
everyone's best mate!)
As a composite design, the
Gulf Explorer 16 has a large
open 12ft x 6ft (3.65m x
1.82m) cockpit providing you
with plenty of fish-fighting
room, storage areas in the aft
compartments and also under
the raised front deck. With a
large double console, with
tons of room for electronics
and the capacity for a 50-75
litre fuel tank for those long
days on the water, an ultra
shallow draft, solid beam-to-
O
38 The Boat Mag
beam stability - the Gulf
Explorer 16 is redefining
fishability ….at a price you will
applaud.
Easy to maintain and trailer,
the Gulf Explorer 16 will
provide you with years of
family fun and fishing
memories.
Performance
Freed of the constraints of
an assembly line, BMD
designs lightweight, rigorouslyengineered boats that deliver
speeds in the 30+ knot range,
with emphasis on safety and
ride.
This speed capability gives
you the time and flexibility to do
more boating, more fishing, not
to mention the pride that comes
from building your own boat.
The weight ratios of our
designs deliver outstanding
range too, so you can cruise
further and faster with better
fuel economy. This maximizes
your time aboard - giving you
more options for any given trip,
more ability to go and more
money in your pocket.
Liquid Engineering
Built from marine or
boatbuilding plywood and
completely fibreglassed in an
epoxy matrix both inside and
outside, the Gulf Explorer 16 is
engineered as a composite
design to classification
standards.
Designed for easy building
with no compound curves, no
unnecessary complications,
ease of construction and long
life, the 1/4" (6mm) panels, cut
flat from our expanded plates
dimensioned drawings, are
bent around the 3/8" (9mm)
frames and fastened to the
transom and bow with stitches.
Then the hull is glassed,
faired, painted and rolled over.
Now the fun begins fitting out
the boat, naturally by following
the plans, but also adding your
own wants and needs as well.
When youʼre satisfied with
what youʼre wanting in your
boat, itʼs time to bog/ fair/
paint, throw in some fuel, bolt
on an outboard and youʼre off.
Itʼs that simple – well, nearly!
Required Skills?
As all our composite
designs are easy to build, no
woodworking skills or special
tools are required. As a matter
of interest, 90% of our builders
have never built a boat before
and come from all walks of
life, and range from 14 to 86
years old!
Approximate finished hull
weight, 258kg, plus
mechanicals.
Owner/builder Mathew writes:
“Boat building must be in
the blood. Among some of the
things my dad built, were two
timber boats; one inboard, the
other, an outboard with a
cabin. Apart from a few black
and white photos, details of his
build are a bit sketchy as he
built them before I was born.
“A few years ago I wanted
a project and just like dad, I
thought about building a boat.
I searched the net for some
websites just to get an idea,
and after a number of sites,
the Bowdidge Marine website
kept popping up.
“I didnʼt take much notice at
first, because all the American
boat building sites had tonnes
more information and cheap
plans; which I was a bit
suspect about, so I held off
and Iʼm glad I did. When I
looked closely at the U.S.
designs they appeared
sketchy, lacked detail and I
certainly didnʼt want read boat
building forums, day in day
out, to work out what to do
from one stage to the next;
whatʼs more, I thought it was
best to have some local
advice.
“When I rang up Mark, the
first time, I asked him a stack
of questions; like, “How easy
is it?” I think the replied came
“if kids can build this boat, with
your background, Iʼm sure you
Gulf Explorer 16 Specifications
Overall hull length ................................................16 ft ( 4.87m)
Beam ..................................................................7ft-2in (2.18m)
Max horsepower ..............................................................90 hp
Deadrise @ transom ..............................................10 degrees
Engine shaft length ......................................................L/S (20")
Inside depth from cockpit floor to coaming
..................................................................1ft-11-1/2" (600mm)
Depth of hull ......................................................2ft-9" (841mm)
Fuel capacity ....................................................Builders choice
Total persons, motor and gear ..................2280 lbs (1034 kg)
For more information regarding this design, or any other of
our designs, please visit our website at
www.bowdidgemarinedesigns.com
can…”
“What sold me on Markʼs
plans were the details in the
drawings, when compared to
American plans. After studying
the plans in depth, I went
about ordering the plywood
and other materials. During
the boat build, Mark was
always available to answer
any questions, and he would
often ring up to see how
everything was going; Markʼs
advice and experience is
second to none.”
“After building the Mushulu
14 and with the family growing
up, it came time to think about
something bigger…the Gulf
Explorer 16. What appealed
to me about the Gulf Explorer
16 design was the size of the
boat. It has a wide bow with a
good size fishing deck, with
plenty of storage space below.
The bow has a separate
anchor locker. Thereʼs plenty
of storage space in the rear
locker for just about anything.”
“Iʼm hoping to arrange the
centre console with a seat
placed at the front so it can
double as a seat / storage
space to house a small fridge /
esky, gas barby, or whatever
else. With the detached motor
and centre console it makes
for plenty of room to move
back and front. Markʼs designs
allow you to be creative with
space, as much as, or as little
as you want. The other great
thing about this boat is that Iʼm
confident; it will handle deeper
water and longer trips and a
generally more comfortable
ride in offshore conditions.”
“Although Iʼm in the very
early stages of building (see
pics of the set-up and my
foreman!) as I only started not
long ago, thereʼs a long way to
go yet, and Iʼm really enjoying
this build. I think the name of
this boat says it all, explorer by
name, explorer by nature, Iʼm
looking forward to the day
when I can get her in the
water and take family, friends
out and have a lot of fun.”
TBM
The Boat Mag 39
Aquamaster 490 Side & Centre Console
This is a brand not too
many interstate people
have heard of, although
builder Paul Cover has
been building tinnies for at
least 20 years that we
know of, because he was
actually in charge of the
very first project boat F&B
built back in 1992, when
he was with the Clark
people up in Wacol, SEQ.
Needless to say, Paul
has considerable
experience in tinny and
pressed/plate building and
has done a masterful job
of ticking his business over
through the good times
and the bad, keeping a
tight team around him and
building up an excellent
relationship with his
dealers. Paul likes to work
in the 4.5-5.5m area
mostly and is happy to
incorporate any sensible
owner requirements along
the way. Like most of the
smaller manufacturers
Paul works in a very hands
on personal way with his
buyers and dealers, and is
very proud of the
reputation heʼs developed
in recent years.
For further information ring
Aquamaster Alloy Boats
A 1/47 Tradelink Rd Hillcrest
Queensland 4118
P (07) 3800 7664
E [email protected]
W www.aquamaster.com.au
Model ..............Aquamaster 4.90
Construction ................Aluminium
Length .................................... 4.90
Max Beam ..............................2.2m
Hull weight............................320kg
Usual BMT weight ........800-900kg
Fixed Std Seats...................... Two
Max Power ............................80hp
Best Power ..........................60hp
Fuel Capacity ..........................60L
40 The Boat Mag
BBB Marine
Isnʼt this a weapon! Darren Brand
up in Mackay loves building specials
for his custom owners and this was a
beaut commission. He had to develop
a “bulletproof” 480 Console destined
for the Far North (hence the massive
trailer underneath it) as this owner
has clearly been there, done that!
Darren has considerable experience
with the sportfishing fraternity in and
around his home town of Mackay. Up
there, travelling a thousand kays to a
good fishing spot, is simply par for the
course. Beautifully built, this architect
designed hull is available in a wide
variety of fit-out solutions and
possibilities. Donʼt
hesitate – give Darren a
ring today.
For further information:
Darren Brand
BBB Marine
P (07) 4952 1412
MOB 0402 110874
E:
[email protected]
W:
www.bbbmarine.com.au
Model ............................BBB 4.85
Construction ................Aluminium
Length .................................... 4.85
Max Beam ..............................2.0m
Hull weight approx ..................450kg
Usual BMT weight approx 1.2-1.3t
Fixed Std Seats ......................Two
Max Power ............................90hp
Best Power ......................70-90hp
Fuel Capacity....................100L (+)
The Boat Mag 41
Cairns Custom Craft Bijoux 480
Now hereʼs a turn up for the books –
Marcel Maujean, doyen of the plate
aluminium brigade, at the helm of
another fibreglass boat heʼs designed
– not kidding – this time a sweet 4.8m
GRP low profile fishing boat in the
Hornet genre, but with one subtle
difference – a hull that is actually a
moderate vee designed to slice
through choppy water.
Marcel has probably more
experience building river,
impoundment, lake and bay fishing
boats than any other designer in
Australia, so needless to say this
brand new craft that has just arrived at
press time, is causing enormous
interest already. And being an ANSA
rated fisho himself, heʼs created this
sweet craft for todayʼs lure and plastic
fisherman - all in a complete BMT
package in the $23-$24,750 range.
For further information ring
John or Marcel Maujean,
Cairns Custom Craft
A 15 Redden St, Cairns 4879 Qld
P (07) 4035 2966
E [email protected]
W www.cairnscustomcraft.com
Model ................CCC 4.80 Bijoux
Construction ................Fibreglass
Length .................................... 4.80
Max Beam ..............................1.82
Hull weight ..........................280kg
Usual BMT weight (approx)....730kg
Fixed Std Seats ..........2 on bench
Max Power ............................60hp
Best Power ..........................50hp
Fuel Capacity ..........................80L
42 The Boat Mag
Makocraft Frenzy Series 440 - 530
Photos here DO
show optional
equipment on the
Makocraft Frenzy
440. Check with
your Makocraft
dealer for the latest
prices and specs.
Love this rig - nigh on the perfect
combo. Purchased by the F&B Team
in early 2011, and sold later that year
to colleagues Di Ross and John Batty
in Adelaide, SA. The Yamaha 70hp
4-stroke delivered the promised
smoothness and reliability, and
exceptional economy. Beautifully
balanced power for the Frenzy.
As shown throughout this supplement,
the Makocraft Frenzy series reflects
Alf Stesslʼs considerable skill and
knowledge in this area; it truly is an
outstanding contestant in the ʻallrounderʼ category with few (if any)
peers.
For further information ring
Nicola or Alf Stessl
Makocraft
A 28-32 Boswell Ave Newtown, VIC
(Geelong) 3220
P (03) 5223 1044
E [email protected]
W www.makocraft.com.au
Model ............................Makocraft
Construction ................Aluminium
Length .................................... 4.85
Max Beam ..............................2.05
Hull weight ..........................440kg
Usual BMT weight (approx)....900kg
Fixed Std Seats ..........................2
Max Power ............................90hp
Best Power ..........................70hp
Fuel Capacity ..........................60L
The Boat Mag 43
Rebel
5.2m CC
Warren Cameron is a name well
known to the south Queensland group
of fishos who traditionally ply Hervey
Bay and the adjacent Fraser Coast,
where Warrenʼs Rebels are a
common sight. Rebel has a terrific
reputation in the field, as strong, well
built, powerful boats that just keep on,
keeping on.
This model here is actually a 5.2m
but itʼs virtually identical to the 4.8 and
4.95m models he also produces. But
like so many plate builders, heʼs
observed a trend to slightly increase
the size of the boats now to around
the 5.0m mark. Excellent product,
very competitive pricing from a good
shop.
For further information ring
Rebel Boats
A 2/48 Redcliffe Gardens Drive
Clontarf, QLD 4017
P (07) 3283 3373
M 0417 142 352
E [email protected]
W rebelboats.bigpondhosting.com/
Model ..................Rebel 4.9-5.2m
Construction ................Aluminium
Length ................................ 4.9-5.2
Max Beam ............................2.15m
Hull weight ..........................520kg
Usual BMT weight ............1.1-1.2t
Fixed Std Seats ..............Optional
Max Power (4.9m tiller) ........75hp
Best Power (4.9m tiller) ........50hp
Fuel Capacity ......................100 L
44 The Boat Mag
4.9m Tiller steer
Sea Jay 485 Haven Sports
It always surprises interstate folk
when they click onto the Sea Jay
website and appreciate the vast array
of models this highly regarded family
boat building business (son Troy, with
Col and Janelle Glass) now produces.
Sea Jay are ranked in the top two or
three production aluminium builders in
Australia, with a whole flock of
passionate Sea Jay owners. Once
theyʼve had a Sea Jay, they rarely
change, with the traditional starting
point down in the 12-14ʼ tiller steer
tinnies, working their way through a
wonderful range of craft up to their big
7.0m plateys – yes, they make both
true pressed and full heavy duty plate
boats – quite separately from one
another, in the same factory.
For further information ring
Seajay Boats
A 2 Maddison Court Bundaberg
QLD 4670
P (07) 4152 2111
E [email protected]
W www.seajayboats.com.au
Model ......Sea Jay Haven Sports
Construction ................Aluminium
Length .................................... 4.85
Max Beam ..............................2.15
Hull weight............................385kg
Usual BMT weight ........900-950kg
Fixed Std Seats ......................Two
Max Power ............................80hp
Best Power ............................70hp
Fuel Capacity ..........................85L
The Boat Mag 45
Trailcraft 485 Profish
Photos here DO
show optional
equipment - check
with your Trailcraft
dealer for the latest
prices and specs.
This photograph, more than any other in the last
decade, launched hundreds of Trailcraft throughout
Australia, as it showed clearly why this outstanding craft
“cut the mustard” so effectively. Massive freeboard, self
draining deck, one of the best transoms ever put on a 16
footer (certainly the best boarding ladder) and an
aptitude to offshore fishing few other 16s have ever
replicated. Although itʼs been in production for nearly 10
years, it remains the benchmark by which all the others
are still measured. Would we buy it again? In a
heartbeat, but weʼd still put a number of mandatory
options on it, including the bimini set-up, the trim tabs,
and a bigger live bait tank.
For further information ring Brett Martin,
Saltwater Marine
A 221 Hampton Rd, South Fremantle
WA 6162
P (08) 9431 7779
E [email protected]
W www.trailcraft.com.au
Model ......Trailcraft 4.85 Pro Fish
Construction ................Aluminium
Length .................................... 4.85
Max Beam ..............................2.10
Hull weight ..........................495kg
Usual BMT weight..............1.1-1.2t
Fixed Std Seats ......................Two
Max Power ............................90hp
Best Power ..........................70hp
Fuel Capacity ..........................60L
46 The Boat Mag
The Boat Mag: NEW FOR 2013
PAA’s Adventurer 485
As budgets tighten, and fishos become
more determined to beat the system,
there’s been a big increase in the
number of fishermen and boatowners
doing their own thing in aluminium with dramatic success . . . . .
1
Everybody wants a bigger, smaller, more economical,
faster, slower - different - boat. Itʼs the way we are. And
heaps of people want a new boat; new mechanicals, new
technology, new economy; their set-up.
Second hand doesnʼt do it for them at all. Gotta be
new. Exactly what they want. A bloke called John
Pontifex in Melbourne had a light bulb moment. He knew
people wanted to build a boat from PAAʼs huge range of
architect designed DIY boats, but they were hesitant.
“What ifs” over-rode their enthusiasm. Ding!
“Iʼve got an idea . . . Letʼs teach ʻem how to do it . . . ! ”
So he started a series of week-long, ally boat building
schools. Half a dozen DIY fishos per course, working
under hands-on pro teachers. FIFO from everywhere to
Melbourne for a fun, friendly, learning week.
Brilliant concept. Took the “what ifs” out of the whole
process. Gave confidence to rookies. Gave them their
own ʻhands-onʼ experience BEFORE they bought
anything. They come to Melbourne, stay in motel, go to
class every day, and build a finished boat. Only need a
sense of humour, heaps of enthusiasm, an ability to roll
up their sleeves, work hard - and learn.
This is the ʻschoolʼs fave boat - the 485 Adventurer.
They build one of these in each class over the week.
Designed in house by their own very clever architect,
Catran Galema. You can SEE how good it is - and it goes
as well as it looks. Learn more; talk to the Man,
John Pontifex, Plate Alloy Australia,
E [email protected]
W www.plate alloy.com
P (03) 9555 6399
2
3
4
5
The Boat Mag 47
6
10
7
11
8
12
9
13
48 The Boat Mag
14
18
15
19
16
20
17
21
The Beginning.
The Boat Mag 49
sought after fish.
If you want to know more about
catching our northern snapper on
deep and shallow water soft plastics,
hardbody lures, jigs, live and dead
baits as well as the science behind
snapper and some of the sneaky
secrets the experts use to catch
their fish - then you must watch this
production!
RRP: $19.99 AFN Code: DVD3421
Release: August 2012
Fishing Atlas For SE Queensland
Introducing a terrific
range of Xmas gifts to
purchase for that special
person in your life . . . Bill
Classonʼs AFN Network
has a huge list of titles &
DVDs . . . here are some
of the latest!
Advanced Snapper Techniques
The chunky reef systems of the northern
NSW coastline, the offshore waters of the
Gold and Sunshine Coasts, the deep
waters off Moreton and Stradbroke Islands
and the shallows of Moreton Bay all
produce great snapper fishing every
year.
Today there are a variety of great
techniques used to catch these well
Over 5 years in research and development
this book covers every water in detail.
l Gold Coast l Broadwater l Jumpinpin
l Moreton Bay l Brisbane River
l Stradbroke Island l Bribie Island
l Pumicestone Passage l Mooloolaba
l Sunshine Coast l Noosa l Offshore
l Estuaries and bays
Over 50 detailed maps.
Fishing Guide to Geelong-Corio Bay &
The Bellarine Peninsula
Fishing Geelong and the Bellarine
Peninsula was first published in 1982 and
has been revised several times since, this
being the most recent.
Fishing Guide to Geelong - Corio Bay &
The Bellarine Peninsula contains Geoff Wilson's
accumulated knowledge and experience of
over sixty years of fishing in this area
during which he has caught just about
every fish species available.
Geelong, Corio Bay and the Bellarine
Peninsula provides great but often
challenging fishing. The purpose of this
publication is to show the fishing potential
in both salt and freshwater around the city
of Geelong and as a reference point for
anglers who want to take advantage of that
potential.
Whether experienced or new to the sport,
Fishing Guide to Geelong - Corio Bay &
The Bellarine Peninsula contains detailed
information that will be of use to every
angler fishing in the area.
Features
*Detailed maps of specific fishing areas
*Where to fish *When to fish *What to fish
for *How to catch fish *Landbased and
boat based fishing *Fishing Atlas for
South East Queensland
RRP: $14.99 AFN Code: B2112
Size: 280mm 215mm Cover: Soft
Cover/Flexi Bound Release: July 2012
50 The Boat Mag
RRP: $29.99 AFN Code: B1868 Full
Colour 280 mm x 215 mm
Cover: Soft Cover/Flexi bound
Release: 2012
Pelagic Fishing Tactics
The Sports Fish DVD crew have spent the
past two years chasing and filming the
capture of pelagic fish around Australia.
We have caught a huge variety of fish in
many exciting ways and the best
techniques have been compiled into this
action packed DVD.
A selection of top-class anglers will
take you through all you need to
know about catching pelagics such as
tailor, kingfish, tuna, mackerel, dolphin fish
and marlin.
Lure and bait fishing techniques are
covered, as is targeting inshore bay fish to
our larger offshore speedsters.
If you are an accomplished angler looking
for something different, or are new to the
sport of catching pelagics, then there is
definitely something in here for you.
Scented Southern Tuna Trolling
Scented lures and southern bluefin.
Port Stephens Getaway
Landbased family fishing tips for Port
Stephens.
Min-jigging the Reef
RRP: $14.99 AFN Code: DVD3414
Release: Now
Reef Fishing Tactics
Chasing reef fish is a popular past time for
many of us. The Sport Fish film crews
have captured some great reef fishing
action in recent seasons and many of you
have requested a compilation of our
standout techniques: let us now introduce
"Reef Fishing Tactics'.
This DVD covers a number of proven lure
and bait techniques on a variety of species
around Australia.
Our presenters take you through a
selection of techniques that include bay
style snapper fishing, fishing hard and soft
lures as well as baits on the offshore reefs.
We even show you how to deep-drop the
Continental Shelf. If you love your reef
fishing then this is a production you have to
take home.
RRP: $14.99 AFN Code: DVD3421
Release: Now
Drift fishing with small metals.
N.T. Barra Trolling
Finnis River barra on the troll.
Southern Whiting Tactics
Baiting South Australian whiting.
Plus regular segments:
Urban Angler - Melbourne trout
Travelling Angler - Patagonia Jurassic
Trout
Music segment - Fly Fishing NZ Trout
Knot tyin' - The FG Knot.
State. Splash proof, very useful. $9.50
A-4 (297 x 210mm), double sided.
RRP: $15.00 AFN Code: DM008
Run Time: 135 mins Release Date:
Available Now
Fishing Atlas for Victoria’s Coastline
Waterproof, tear proof. Latest regs for
bag limits, seasons, protected species
and sizes. Made for every State. Very,
very useful. rr $9.50
Sport Fish DVD Magazine Volume 8
Over 2 hours of action packed fishing
tactics featuring:
Northern Trout
Skinny water, soft plastics and NSW
rainbow trout.
Landbased Luderick
Spin equipment, floats and shore based
luderick.
Downrigging Mackerel
Towing live baits for mackerel and tuna.
detailed maps identifying specific fishing
areas from Mallacoota in the east, to
Portland in the west and everywhere
in-between.
Precise colour maps show all of the
areas discussed in the text as well as
points of interest to anglers, including
marine parks and sanctuaries.
Features:
• Detailed maps
• What to fish for
• Where to catch fish
• When best to target particular species
• Boat ramps
• Landbased and boat based fishing
• GPS marks
• Tackle shop outlets
15 x 11cm, 100 pages, made for every
A complete guide to fishing Victoria's
bays, inlets, offshore and estuarine
waters, including GPS marks to get you
amongst the fish.
Where and when to fish and how to
catch various species is covered with
Australian Fishing Network (AFN)
PO BOX 544, Croydon, VIC, 3136
Tel: (03) 9729 8788
Fax: (03) 9729 7833
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.afn.com.au
TBM
The Boat Mag 51
The Lost World . . . . . . .
,
52 The Boat Mag
This is one for the nostalgia buffs - Ron & Judy Youngmanʼs famous ʻSouth
Pacificʼ - easily one of the most widely travelled and respected displacement
craft ever built in Australia. This true ʻclassicʼ Queensland hardwood ʻtrawler
yachtʼ built by Milkraft and Thompson in Bulimba, Brisbane, was launched in
April 1970. Powered by a Gardiner 6LW (what else?) this 13.7m (45ʼ) 38.6 tonne
ʻbridge deckʼ cruiser was photographed by the writer in 1984, as she left
Broken Bay for 12 month sojourn over thousands of miles at sea, in and
around northern Australia and the Great Barrier Reef. ʻSouth Pacificʼ is the
epitome of the true long range, Australian displacement cruiser.
. . . . . . . Of Displacement Cruisers
Gently Down
TheStream
Part One of A Special Three Part Series Looking at (Diesel) Displacement Cruisers:
Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow
Pleasure boating at the sedate speeds allowed by displacement vessels is not
for everyone, but for a remarkably loyal — and usually very experienced —
number of boating families, the whole point of boating is to travel gently down
the stream ... relaxed, comfortable and content in the knowledge that theirs is
the most pleasant, economical way of going boating. By Peter Webster
I
t was not a particularly pleasant
afternoon.
Indeed, with a very heavy sea running
into the bay from the sou’east, pushing
up a lumpy, occasionally tumbling
swell, three metres high from the
troughs to the whitecaps, it was no place
for small craft.
Unless, of course, they were craft
with the pedigree of the little Nor-Dan
21 we were in the process of testing.
It was a remarkable afternoon by any
definition.
The conditions were already poor, and
deteriorating further as we worked the
little white craft up and down,
occasionally punching the bow clear
through the top couple of feet of some
of the larger waves, but none of the
‘crew’ seemed particularly concerned
by their surroundings; conversation
continued to flow naturally around the
TBM
RETRO
FEATURE:
Unchanged,
cockpit as the little two
as first
cylinder Volvo’ diesel
published,
purred (or is it a quiet
written and
rattle?) away under the
photographed
engine cover.
After an hour or so
by Peter
cruising seaward from
Webster in
Barranjoey Headland, there
was no doubt about it — the
conditions were becoming much
worse by the minute, and we were
1986
The Boat Mag 53
Gently Down The Stream
Circa June 1986
already four or perhaps five miles
offshore.
Satisfied that we’d learned everything
we were going to about the little
displacement boat’s handling, we
swung around westward, and started the
run back to Barranjoey Lighthouse.
“Now, with the seas rolling up under the
little boat’s pretty buttocks” I mused,
“we’ll see what this boat is all about.”
We did, too. An hour or so later we
turned in around Barranjocy Headland,
the last of the steaming hot coffee being
enjoyed as the remnants of the swell
died away in the lee behind the
headland. In more than an hour’s
running, in sea conditions properly
described as Force 5, (or far too rough
for small ship comfort) we had just
cruised quietly through, without once
taking so much as a drop of water, much
less spray, onto the side decks.
Such seakindliness is something rare
in Australian made powerboats.
Here, schooled by umpteen
generations of the “let’s go faster’
outboard industry, the focus of
mainstream boating industry attention
has (not unreasonably, it should be
noted) always been on planing boats —
especially in the big volume areas of 1625’ LOA. Most Australians want to go
fast on the water, and to do so, they have
traditionally been prepared to forgo the
advantages of going slower. Saving
money on fuel has never been very high
on our list of priorities. Except for one
rather guilty period five or six years ago
when it became fashionable to renounce
high performance in favour of
something — never quite defined —
“more sensible.’ Australian boatowners
have continued their support for craft at
the faster end of the performance
spectrum.
But not everybody is interested in
going fast. There has always been, and
doubtless always will be, a significant
section of the boating community who
really couldn’t care less about going
fast; to them, boating is about a quality
of life that is difficult to enjoy bouncing
from one wave top to another.
Interestingly, the proponents of the
displacement boating movement enjoy
an equality of thinking that is, for most
intents and purposes, a philosophy that
exists regardless of the financial
wherewithall of the individual; going
54 The Boat Mag
Everything about it was right — but the Seatrek 42 failed to survive the onslaught
of the Taiwanese/Hong Kong/Singaporean imported ʻtrawler yachtsʼ in the late
ʻ70s, and although it was well built (in steel, in fact) the buyers couldnʻt be
convinced that it was a far superior craft to many of the imports.
slowly it seems, relates more closely to
a state of mind than the depth of one’s
wallet.
The facts bear this point out.
There is not a lot of difference in the
cost of a 35’ displacement cruiser (say, a
Cuddles 35 @ $110,000) and a twin
engined, high performance Riviera 34
costing around $119,000.
And what of the craft themselves?
Surely they both offer very similar
accommodation? Aren’t both flybridge
cruisers?
Truth is, they are poles apart. In fact,
they are about as far apart as two
powerboats can be.
The differences literally start from the
keel up. The Cuddles has a developed
keel in the old-fashioned sense; a keel
that forms a protective base for the
emerging single propeller shaft tucked
up safely out of harm’s way behind the
skeg and rudder. Running aground in
this type of cruiser is usually a bit of a
giggle; damage is mostly confined to
the dent in one’s ego!
Not so the Riviera/Mariner/Precision
type of high performance cruisers.
As they have been designed to run at
relatively high speeds, planing across
the water instead of travelling through
it, their shafts emerge from the hull
without much more protection than the
bronze strut actually holding the shaft
away from the hull bottom. Bury one of
these cruisers at 20 knots into one of
Moreton Bay’s unfathomable and
frequently indetectable mud banks, and
the damage could be a lot worse than
egodenting — shafts and props can run
into thousands of dollars.
Needless to say, for this reason, many
high performance boating buffs prefer
stemdrive installations in such shoal
areas, but they would be first to concede
that in solving one problem — the
removal of the potential of wiping out
their underwater gear — they create
another — the inevitable problems that
go hand in hand with keeping the
stemdrives operational over the long
haul.
What is often forgotten in this
performance debate and the vexing
question of potential underwater gear
damage, is one of the displacement
boat’s greatest advantages — and
disadvantages.
It concerns the fundamental issue of
speed. At seven knots, a skipper has
much more time to study the conditions
around him, and if necessary, take
avoiding action — even if it is only
going very smartly into reverse.
It is obviously easier to stop a boat’s
progress from seven knots, than it is
from twenty four. And if neither skipper
saw the mud bank dead ahead, who is
going to suffer the most damage?
However, there is much more to the
performance equation than simply
running aground, and getting off with or
without damage. As most high
performance skippers correctly point
out, in many of Australia’s favourite
boating areas, they’ve been happily
anchored, and soaking up the sun before
the displacement cruisers are even
halfway to the anchorage in question.
Although this is unquestionably true,
most of the experienced displacement
skippers are willing to concede the point
Continued on Page 56
Gently Down
The Stream, 2012 :
WHAT
WENT
WRONG?
ʼm sure there are hundreds of
boatowners and dozens of
manufacturers scratching their
heads wondering why
displacement craft havenʼt been
more successful over the years
and specifically, why they came
to a sudden halt towards the end
of the 1990s.
Of course, there have been
various good attempts at getting
displacement craft up and about
since then, and Iʼm sure there will
continue to be more in the future,
but the reality is that compared to
sales that were made in the 1970s,
80s and 90s, displacement craft
have just about dropped off the
new boat radar.
Itʼs a real pity too, because there
is a virtue in displacement craft
that increasingly fits the older
boatowner now retiring to live on
a waterfront or canal estate where
the issue of distance no longer
really applies.
If you take the question of speed
across the ground and/or the
necessity of making a fairly long
passage of say more than an
hourʼs duration out of the
equation, there is a huge place for
displacement craft in todayʼs
boating world.
Their principle weakness,
obviously, is the slowness of their
gait - but their greatest strength is
the slowness and steadiness of
their gait and the attendant
comfort it imbues. Some of the
mid-level cruisers such as the
Honeymoon, Cuddles, Endeavour,
Sunseeker, etc, have a beautiful,
seakindly manner in the water,
that is especially beguiling to
older folk, and women in
particular.
I
Women, generally speaking,
hate banging and crashing around
in a boat - especially offshore and feeling like they have to hang
on all the time. And whilst we all
make jokes about ʻboob bounceʼ
and incontinence, it is a FACT that
this is precisely what turns most
women away from boating as they
get older. They just donʼt like it –
get it?
This month, a number of things
inspired me to turn the clock back
to look at what Iʼd written in the
past, and in discovering the
attached feature “Gently Down
The Stream” that Iʼd written in
1986 – thatʼs nearly 25 years ago –
I realised that it could be
republished today without
changing barely a word, and thatʼs
what weʼve done.
Next month is different, because
we are already researching what
happened to all the displacement
boats that were made in the 80s
and 90s in this genre, and looking
at those that have been made
since. And in the third leg of this
Displacement Trifecta weʼre going
to look at the future of
displacement craft, modern 2013
designs by some of Australiaʼs
foremost naval architects, and
also look at marvellous
developments that have taken
place in the world of diesel
engines. Europe has gone diesel
mad and some of the engines
coming out of Europe at the
moment are absolute crackers.
Smooth, quiet, amazingly
economical and very easily
installed.
Our challenge is to present this
to you in such a way that youʼll
find it interesting, and hopefully,
will inspire more than the odd
builder or two to pick up the
opportunity and do something
about it. And for those who canʼt
wait for that to happen, we intend
to publish a number of
displacement designs that you
can either build yourself, or have
built professionally for you – and
weʼll show you how to do that,
too. And just to put the icing on
the cake, weʼll be publishing some
of the prices of the inboard diesel
engines now available from China.
Donʼt frown - practically all the
recreational diesels are now made
in China, but some of them have
slipped through the cracks and
donʼt have the ʻhyperʼ margins
attached to them that some of the
mainstream diesel brands collect
along the way.
You will be absolutely staggered
at some of the prices and it will
certainly make you (and hopefully)
the industry think long and hard
about the possibilities.
In summary: January #194: Displacement Craft Today
February #195
Dispacement Craft Tomorrow
TBM
The Boat Mag 55
Gently Down The Stream
Circa June 1986
for all the advantages their craft offer,
especially compared to the more
conventional planing craft.
Let’s take a look at some of these
advantages — not necessarily in any
order, because individual owners will
attach different priorities to the points in
review.
Seaworthiness
Will a good displacement craft hold
its own in a seaway? The answer is a
definite ‘yes’ when the chips are down.
Displacement craft are often able to
plod away at a very comfortable 8-10
knots in conditions that will reduce
planing craft to an unhappy sub-plane
performance; but this only happens in
very poor conditions. Most planing craft
will otherwise disappear over the
horizon in good conditions, albeit using
up to five times as much fuel in the
process.
Strictly speaking, however, a well
designed displacement craft is usually
much more seaworthy in conditions
which prevent a planing craft from
achieving the (planing) parameters of
performance the designer meant it to
achieve.
Seakindliness
Few would dispute the statement
that a properly designed and built
displacement craft is more seakindly
than a planing craft — of any length. It
is just one of those facts of life.
The little Norwegian craft mentioned in
the introduction was an excellent
example. Purring along at 5-6 knots, the
little boat slipped gently up and over the
waves; rose gracefully as the big swells
slid relentlessly under her double-ended
stern; she was truly one with the sea,
and while her design heritage could
unquestionably be traced right back to
the Vikings, is that so surprising? The
sea hasn’t changed in all that time, and
with over 2,000 years development, the
little Nor-Dan 21 was as easily capable
of holding its own off Broken Bay as it
was back in a Norwegian fjord.
The key to note is (again!) the
question of speed. It is far, far easier to
design seakindliness into a craft that
travels through the water, than one that
is supposed to travel over the top.
The high performance equation is
simple enough; to move a boat faster
56 The Boat Mag
It is no coincidence that as boatowners become more experienced, their interest
in displacement cruisers returns — as evidenced by these two superb examples
of long range cruising powerboats. Both were custom built for very experienced
boating people and recognise (amongst many other fine points) that when a
displacement craftʼs length gets to the fifty foot mark (and beyond) the craftʼs
hull speed is very often as high in coastal passages as that of a so-called planing
boat—for a fraction of the fuel usage.
through the water - just add horsepower.
The more you add, the harder you’ll hit
the waves. And the quicker the motion
becomes as the boat goes up and down
between them.
This is one of the great furphys
about high performance and/or deep
vee hull performance in a seaway. The
deep vee might well allow the boat a
‘soft, cushioned ride’ but what the
advertising blurb invariably fails to
mention is that the motion of the boat in
a seaway is such that it is virtually
impossible to move about the craft
whilst it is underway. So much for the
cushioned ride.
Again, it is one of those fact-of-life
things. No matter how smoothly the
boat rides in the seaway, the faster it
goes, the faster the motion — and the
author has owned some of the fastest
cruisers in Australia. Without exception,
making a cup of coffee when cruising
along at sea, is something of a
challenge; drinking the coffee without
scalding yourself is an even bigger
challenge. And this in craft widely
recognised as the softest riding cruisers
in Australia.
The problem is basic physics. High
performance craft don’t level the seas
very much (unless one starts talking
about the VERY large inter-island
catamarans, etc.,) and so what goes up,
must come down the other side of the
wave; all that happens with most high
performance cruisers is that they go up
and down four or five times faster than
a displacement cruiser — and the
difference is mind-boggling. Hence the
difference in seakindliness. As far as
coastal cruising or planning that run
through to the ‘Reef is concerned, the
displacement cruiser will be infinitely
more seakindly, and considerably more
comfortable. All good, provided you are
not in a hurry.
Capacity/Size
On the basis of berths for length, or
gallons per crew, or cruising range —
the displacement launch wins hands
down, just about every time.
The displacement boat is usually
more comfortable fully loaded; its final
displacement is a clearly defined,
calculated figure with a fairly high
degree of tolerance. As it is not involved
(to such an extent, anyway) with the
horsepower vs. performance equation, it
doesn’t make too much difference if
you carry 200 gallons of water or 300.
Six crew persons or eight. In turn,
because the manufacturers know this,
they adjust accordingly. Fuel and water
tanks on displacement cruisers are
inevitably larger than they are on weight
sensitive, high performance cruisers.
As most experienced skippers are
aware, when planning island cruising of
the type now being planned by so many
Australian boating families, the range of
the vessel is no longer governed by the
fuel capacity so much as it is by the
water capacity.
For the skipper of the faster cruiser, it
is often a Catch 22 situation. In
preparing for a cruise — especially one
away from ready access to water or fuel
— the need to carry additional tankage
of water and or fuel (not to mention all
the paraphernalia a boating family
needs to be sustained for just a week or
two away from ‘civilisation’) becomes
counter productive. The boat, bogged
down with so much gear, very often
turns into a thirsty, inefficient semidisplacement cruiser, and either has to
be run flat stick until some of the fuel
Despite the initial success of the Kingston 770, sales languished after the original
designers and builders (Walker and Jaffray) sold the moulds. The Kingston was
an honest sort of boat, too, and in the later flybridge version, should have
enjoyed more popularity than it did. Most experts believe it was yet another
victim of the Aussie preference for going faster than displacement speeds allow.
and water is consumed and the throttle
can be backed down to more sensible
limits, or worse, the craft is forced to
run at (you guessed!) displacement
speeds.
Fuel/Cruising Range
Apart from the basic question of
capacity, there is also the vital
question(s) of range and running costs.
There is increasing interest in coastal
cruising coming from boating folk fairly
recently retired, so it follows that the
cost of running a cruising vessel is
going to assume ever increasing
importance in years to come — as if it
hasn’t already!
For the purpose of this review, let
us consider the running costs of two
vessels in the $100,000 category. Given
that variations on this theme can be
developed as long as your imagination,
we’ve selected two very typical
situations — a 35’ displacement cruiser
powered by a single Volvo four cylinder
turbo diesel, the engine so commonly
used in the Cuddles, Deltacraft,
CruiseCraft (etc) style of cruiser, and a
twin screw cruiser of the Mariner 34
LE, Riviera 35, Ranger 35 class
utilising the virtually standard TAMD40 Volvo diesel — the turbocharged six
with a veritable mortgage on this
section of this business, thanks to its
reliability, performance, and economy.
Installed in a typical displacement
cruiser, the four cylinder Volvo will
return around 14 litres an hour, logging
about eight knots over the ground, so to
speak. (The distinction of speed versus
course made good is deliberate, and
important).
At that rate, our displacement cruiser
will cruise for (say) a 10 hour day,
using some 140 litres of fuel, and
travelling
80
nautical
miles.
For the record, that works out at 2.6
miles per gallon, or just $0.87.5 cents
per mile, assuming the diesel costs
$0.50 cents per litre.
On the other hand, the family in the
twin screw diesel, travelling in the same
10 hour period, will travel (typically)
220 nautical miles, burning up some
600 litres of fuel — based on the very
reasonable assumption that the six
clyinder Volvos will use an average 30
litres an hour — each. (2 x 30 x 10 =
680).
However, the cost per mile is
considerably higher. The twin screw
diesel is only getting 1.68 miles per
gallon, and is costing nearly 56%
more to run, at $1.35 per mile.
To put that into perspective, think
of it this way. The run from Sydney
through to the Whitsundays would cost
$2,175 in fuel for the displacement
vessel, and some $3,375 for the twin
screw cruiser.
But again, the hidden issue of time:
the displacement cruiser would need at
least 32, ten hour days (that’s two
months just to go up and back)
compared to 12 days for the faster twin
screw cruiser, assuming, of course, that
it could maintain those speeds for so
many consecutive days.
In the sense of a retired cruising
couple, the difference at issue though, is
The Boat Mag 57
Gently Down The Stream
Circa June 1986
surely one of cash — making the
retirement fund last, achieving budget
during the cruise is just as important at
sea as it is in the suburbs. Over a six
month cruise from the southern cities up
to the Barrier Reef and back, the
difference in cash just for fuel alone
would keep a cruising couple in food for
the whole trip.
On A Smaller Scale
Given that not everybody has the time
— or the funds — necessary to lay out
for a four to six month sojourn (sigh!)
on the Great Barrier Reef, what then is
the role — and the future — of the
displacement cruiser in waters (and a
boating lifestyle) closer to home?
The answer, if history is anything to
go by, is that displacement craft will still
continue to occupy an important niche
in the total scheme of things, but the
high performance cruiser will still
dominate the market for some time yet.
It is something of a vicious circle,
because the momentum generated by
the larger manufacturers (who
invariably build high performance
cruisers) ensures that most of the
publicity and the design emphasis is
directed to that end of the marketplace.
None of the major manufacturers —
Mariner, Riviera, Ranger, Precision,
Steber, Bertram, etc., produce a true
displacement cruiser. And of the larger
manufacturers that have in the past,
(notably
Ranger
Marine
and
Queensland’s CruiseCraft) the trend is
clearly away from displacement
performance.
CruiseCraft in particular have a
fascinating situation to contemplate.
Two years ago, they turned out the very
handsome Executive 800, an eight
metre true displacement cruiser,
powered by a four cylinder Volvo
diesel,
sleeping
four/six
very
comfortably, and finished as the sons of
the old master, Roy Nichols, know how.
Simply, they don’t come any better, and
the price was right (and still is, for that
matter) with Australia wide distribution
and promotion.
Within six months, the Nichols family
were planning a flybridgc version of
what was originally planned as a single
station, wheelhouse cruiser. “They don’t
need a second station, but they want a
second station!” Barry Nichols ruefully
58 The Boat Mag
Cruise Craftʼs little displacement cruiser (the 580D) is an excellent example of the
ʻsmall is beautifulʼ theme. Itʼs a very comfortable craft for two, very, very safe and
with a few modem touches like an anchor winch (optional), radio and depth
sounder, etc is a fine little passagemaker for an older couple.
At the other end of the scale, cruisers like the superb Ranger 40 have managed to
cross the displacement-performance equation with a performance ʻenvelopeʼ that
allows them the best of both worlds — they are able to operate effeciently at slow
and/or faster cruising speeds.
commented to the author.
Within 12 months, the bigger 165 hp
six cylinder Volvo diesel was the
‘standard’ engine, and to Roy’s chagrin,
his classic, hard chine Brisbane
‘sharpie’ style trawler hull was being
pushed up over its own wake into an
unhappy sort of ‘semi-displacement’
mode.
There was only one solution — give
‘em what they want — so the Nichols
family have just recently completely redesigned the Executive 800 from the
chine down (under the watcrline) to
create a brand new, albeit (on the
surface, at least) identical cruiser that
will be known as the President 800 — a
craft now being billed as the first real
alternative to the long running, high
performance classic, the Bertram 25.
Significantly, the Nichols estimate
that sales are currently running 3:1 in
favour of the high performance
versions.
Ranger Marine experienced a very
similar situation with their Ranger 37 —
originally brought to Australia from
their yard in Taiwan as a semidisplacement cruiser, it became quickly
apparent that the boating public didn’t
want to sit between two stools, and the
Ranger 37 slowly but surely was tuned
up to become the highly successful
Ranger 40, nowadays recognised as the
biggest selling cruiser of this class in
Australia.
At the other end of the market,
things haven’t been quite so successful.
The displacement cruiser business
has seen a plethora of small companies
come and go, leaving a trail of bad debts
and broken promises in their wake.
As a result, there has been little, if
any real development at this bottom end
of the market, as most small boat
manufacturers’ energies have been
directed at surviving instead of retooling to produce upgraded product.
Therefore, the smaller displacement
cruisers we do have in Australia tend to
have been around for years — with
very, very few exceptions.
That such a situation exists is a real
pity, because there is unquestionably
solid demand for small, comfortable
cruisers for people who neither want to
go fast, nor have the hassles of trying to
handle a big craft on their own.
Sadly, the existence of a very large
volume of craft for sale on the
secondhand market mitigates against
the development of much in the way of
new models — so Gordon Townsend’s
new Nordic 18 is a very brave move
indeed. Retailing for $16,250, this
traditional little clinker-styled ‘doublelunger’ competes not with other new
craft of this genre, but all the secondhand craft in the $15-17,000 price
range.
Future Trends
As waterfront canal estates continue
to blossom in popularity, retirement
ages lower, and an increasing number of
people find themselves with time (and
some wealth) on their hands, it is not
hard to predict there will be a
continuing trend towards ‘two people’
cruising boats, designed for Australia’s
unique
boating
and
cruising
environment.
Powerboat cruising in Australia is
unlike most other areas in the western
world, and in our northern climes, is
unlike anywhere else in Australia, for
that matter.
The continued emphasis in this review
to boating in Queensland is quite
Displacement craft such as this Clipper 34 remain high on the popularity stakes
with boat charter fleet operators and charterers. Many families, so taken with the
comfort and convenience of this style of craft, have bought one for private use.
Inconsistency of marketing has drastically affected many excellent displacement
craft. This one was built in Singapore, and closely followed the long-proven lines
of many Queensland hardwood trawler yachts.
intentional, and singularly relevant to
this style of boating. The Queensland
government is unique in more ways
than southern journalists might think;
incessantly knocking Premier Joh
Bjelke- Petersen is to ignore the fact
that this premier has determined that
Queensland is going to have a string of
marinas — superbly designed, safe
harbours and anchorages — not more
than a day’s sail (yes, at displacement
speeds) apart, right along the
Queensland coast.
Already, southern Queensland has
more berths per capita than any other
state in Australia. Now, throw in an
idyllic climate, a very positive attitude
to death duties, and unquestionably the
most fabulous cruising grounds in the
world — still largely untouched for the
most part — and it doesn’t require much
imagination to figure out why
Queensland’s boat registrations are
increasing in direct proportion to their
decrease in New South Wales and
Victoria.
Into such an atmosphere, it is hard to
see how any manufacturer of sensible,
practical ‘two person’ cruising boats
could fail.
Next Month: Who Survived to 2012?
A surprising number of displacement craft
have remained reasonably constantly in
and out of production, and there are new
options to consider. Don’t miss our special
report on this interesting subject in
January’s issue #194, released Thursday
10th January.
TBM
The Boat Mag 59
Okay, youʼve got the catfish - now go to sleep!
Author Andy Myers with a black spot
Da r w i n R e b el
They donʼt do things by halves up in Darwin. Fishing and crabbing are taken very
seriously, so when Darwin fisho and builder Andy Myers decided to take his father
in law from down ʻsouth” fishing - they made not one, but two trips.
The first was to the fringes of Bynoe Harbour, pretty much on Darwinʼs back doorstep
- but the second, down to the Peron Islands, involves quite a serious run, and a
Leviathan in 6 Pack at high tide.
60 The Boat Mag
tusk fish
Tea or cofee, anyone? The crew do it tough on Leviathan! (Note foldaway berths)
s ’ E s ca p a d e . .
whole lot more planning. Not least of which was figuring an equitable plan to divide
up the ʻspoilsʼ from the packed ice chests that would have most southerners go weak
at the knees . . . . . this is a great report from Andy, packed with a heap of useful info
about fishing the ʻTerritory. Youʼll need it - ʻcoz after reading his report, youʼll be
planning to get there, somehow, soon!
Last jew for the bag limit hooked and running - hang on, John!
The Boat Mag 61
WEEK 1 - Bynoe Harbour
ike so many Top End fishing safaris, this one
begins at the pick up area at the Darwin
International Airport. The dry season conditions
were typically fantastic when I picked up my father
in law John, on a Thursday afternoon in late June.
Anticipation of a couple of major fishing trips was
running high, as planning had been underway since my
wife and I sent a flight voucher to him as a Christmas gift.
Now for John, fishing trips are nothing new, as he spent
many years line fishing commercially out of trailer boats
in South East Queensland, and in particular, off Fraser
Island. I spent quite a bit of time fishing with him over that
time, and have learned quite a lot off him as a result
(some good, some not so good).
Though he is still associated with the island,
circumstances have seen him off the water for the last
few years so we were keen that his return to the fray
went as smoothly as possible. Essentially we had two
extended trips planned with the mid week period for me
to get some work done, and him to have some rest and
recuperation time. Typical for this time of year, a south
easterly surge coming off a high pressure system in the
Great Australian Bight, meant that the first weekend was
spent targeting mud crabs and mangrove jacks in Bynoe
Harbour, as apposed to chasing reef and pelagic fish out
on the blue. We planned to spend a couple of nights
L
aboard in the maze of islands and mangrove lined creeks
in this region, doing a bit of hunter gathering.
Bynoe Harbour is a system larger than Darwin Harbour,
located an hour or so south west of Darwin. A Friday
afternoon high tide was perfect to launch Leviathan on
the steep ramp we were using at Six Pack Creek. At 8.5
metres overall length, some would say the big plate
aluminium Rebel is not your ideal crabbing boat, but with
the twin 130 engines, it is surprising where you can get to
in the small creeks that are not even as wide is the boat
is long. However, I would concede that at times a bull bar
would be a good crabbing accessory to have fitted.
We didnʼt set the bar too high on the first afternoon,
and went about setting our pots in little drains and side
creeks a few kilometres up Bennettʼs Creek, finishing just
after darkness fell. From there we anchored up back in
the open at the junction of Bennettʼs and Six Pack Creek
(or Mackenzieʼs Arm) for the night while the crabs did
their thing. Safely at anchor and out of range of the bugs
and midges we cracked a few pre-dinner drinks and
relaxed a bit.
Our companion for the trip, Andre kept us entertained
through the evening, as he cut a swathe through the local
catfish population. As usual though, sleep came pretty
easy after a few wines and a nice hot dinner, and the
bunks and swags were set up, anchor alarms and anchor
light checked - and was time soon enough, for ʻlights outʼ.
Leviathanʼs trailer has done the hard yards, protecting the hull and Hondas well.
62 The Boat Mag
“Bloody South African bowlines . . !”
Five minutes later all hell breaks loose as Andreʼs catfish
trap ratchet goes off again . . . Grrrr, cʼmon on Andre, itʼs
sleep time!
Morning witnessed another spectacular sunrise, and
with the last of the tide flooding in, we ate an unhurried
breakfast. We were waiting to fish the low tide on some
snag piles in a couple of hours, and needed only to pick
up our pots and gather some live bait.
The first two pots had been the subject of a break and
enter courtesy of the local croc population, with the
remainder pots yielding about 7 or 8 fairly reasonable
crabs. Okay, not a bad start.
We stowed the pots for the day and set off to net some
high tide bait. The first stop was Turtle Island for some
cast netting on a sand bar, nervously wading around in
the milky water. We then made a quick dash over to a
sandy corner on Dum in Marie Island, and we were soon
full in both live bait tanks, and ready to see what we
could do.
The snag pile I had in mind, was a few kilometres up
Hardys Creek, still in Bynoe Harbour, but a bit further
around towards Dundee Beach. In no time we had
Leviathan anchored fore and aft about 15metres
upstream from the nicely exposing snag pile that had
slipped in off the bank.
Lines were hastily rigged and deployed while I broke
out the tea and an assortment of snacks. When
everybody was set up I cracked an effervescent beverage
and surveyed the scene so far. A few pesky bream were
knocking the live mullet off, but a few bust-offs and better
pulls gave the clue that as the tide dropped, we would do
okay.
Around these snags gear attrition is high, so it is very
simple stuff for me: 25lb mono straight through to a
chemically sharpened 5/0 suicide hook. If anything,
maybe a double or triple ʻOʼ ball sinker off a plain, six inch
Alvey reel. Like I said ʻI like to keep it simpleʼ.
As the tide got to the later stages, we landed a few nice
jacks, and a couple of blue salmon for the table. A brace
of estuary cod on some small crabs that were picked up
on the sand bar were also a welcome addition to the
esky. Typically, as the tide stopped all together, so did the
action.
We took the opportunity to top up the live bait tanks
before re-anchoring around the other side of the snag to
fish the run in which is usually better in this creek.
Strangely, the first of the run in was slow to get going. We
kept adjusting the levels in the esky by taking out our pre
prepared lunches and some more beers so we could fit
more fish. Sure enough as the run picked up, we added a
few more nice jacks to the bag before giving it away
about 4.30pm when we could safely get the big boat out
of the creek mouth.
After steaming out of Hardys we headed a couple of
kilometres further west and up Madford Inlet for the night.
A quick run around to re-set the crab pots, including the
first three up a side creek a few kilometres at least, which
was an experience for the crew in an 8.5m boat, but I had
been up there a few times before and we had plenty of
water. Once all the pots were set we headed back to the
junction of where Embley Creek hits Madford Inlet,
anchoring just inside the Creek mouth.
This anchorage offers plenty of shelter from the South
Easterly winds which were going to freshen over night
without doubt. An evening of italian food and wine meets
Slim Dusty and Dean Martin ensued, and after a rather
full day in the sun, the call of the swags came, and solid
sleep came pretty early with it.
The Boat Mag 63
As the building South Easterly passed overhead, I was
sure it brought the faint mumbled curses of mud crabs
straining to get out of our pots as I drifted off to sleep. No
mist on this morning, as the wind was pretty much
howling once we came away from our sheltered little
corner. We cooked up a hot breakfast after the skipper
treated the crew to hot tea in their swags, again. Last
nightʼs crab cries for mercy must have been for real, as
we took the crab tally up to 15 or so crabs, plenty for us
anyway.
We had a reef pick to retrieve out of a tree in Hardys on
the way back so we had a fish for an hour or so in the
very chilly (for NT people) wind without success, so we
headed back to Six Pack ramp to pull the boat out before
the water got too low. The tide got away from me a bit
and it took about six attempts to drive onto the trailer in
the fast flowing creek and wind, but after a few anxious
moments and heated threats we got it right.
We headed back to Darwin, arriving in the early
afternoon to start the clean up and steam the sweet NT
mud crabs to go with the brilliant seafood and pearl meat
feast we enjoyed that night… and the next … and the
next.
WEEK 2 - On To The Perons
fter working all week to catch up, and carefully
watching the weather, it was decided that the
weekend after the Bynoe assault, the weather
would be pretty much spot on for a trip to the
fabulous grounds surrounding the Peron Islands.
The weather was a pretty important factor here, as we
would be out for two nights and needed nice calm nights
to still get a good sleep. The Friday night and Saturday
looked like being brilliant with the next Southeast surge
hitting on Sunday. The South Easterlies up here are quite
bizarre, as they start getting up in the late evening and
blow their strongest between then and (say) around
A
Hardies Creek ʻjack headed for the icebox.
What a cracking morning - “Hey, get the gear ready, boys this is going to be a great day!”
64 The Boat Mag
10am. After 10am quite often they will drop entirely just
after lunch and give a glassy afternoon. It takes a bit of
getting used to after seeing these winds on the east coast
just get stronger and stronger all day.
The tractor launch is quite convenient at Dundee Beach
as it runs until 6pm. This allows most of the day for work,
and as long as you get away from Darwin by 3.30 or 4pm
latest you can still launch and get down to Channel Point
to chase a jewfish for the night. As an added bonus in the
morning, you are already on the spot and get a couple of
hours start on the guys still launching at Dundee.
John and I had organised to meet Andre at the launch
area after 5 pm and we were launched pretty much
straight away. Fog Bay was its usual choppy self, but
once we rounded Point Blaze it was a quick, smooth ride
the last half of the 60 odd km trip into the lee side of
North Peron Island and Channel Point.
The tide was just slowing, so I went straight to the
deeper jewfish ledges just north of the cottages. These
ledges are very steep at over 45 degrees, and end up in
40+ metres of water. I find the best zone to fish is about
17 – 20 metres.
We set ourselves up with some paternoster rigs and
heavy sinkers, with fresh squid and pilchards for bait. I
was starting to relax after driving down there and sorting
gear out, etc. We dug around for some savouries and
some red wine or a beer to watch the sunset.
My peaceful revere was interrupted not 2 minutes after
fishing commenced with a grunt from Johnʼs direction; it
had started already. Old habits die hard . . “Get out of my
way, give me some room, hurry up, slowdown, take your
time, quicker, watch the line, where is he? I canʼt see
him!” . .
Some things will never change, I guess!
The fish he hooked was a good one and not at all what
you are expecting given the calm almost civilised nature
of an evening fish at Channel Point. He played it up the
anchor rope and back, it swam all round the ledge, and
despite all that, we pulled the gaff into a reasonable black
jew, Johnʼs first. It was different to see him more worried
about getting his photo taken with the fish and the sunset
than getting back down to catch another one. The tide
was starting to move along a bit but we persevered for
another hour or so, landing another two nice jew.
Once it got a bit too hard to fish on the ledge we
moved North and over into the nape of the North Island
lee shore on some 10 metre country that doesnʼt run as
hard. I didnʼt bother having a fish up here as I heated up
some hot chicken casserole and rice for dinner with a few
more wine and beers as the evening wore on. Andre and
John landed a steady stream of small sharks and catties
but no more jew. Finally the eyes grew tired and we rolled
out the stretchers and swags to have a sleep till sun up.
Some time after midnight a very heavy fog descended
and proceeded to condense and drip off the roof frame
onto us in our swags. No great harm done just a bit
annoying, at least it augured well for the conditions the
next day, as coastal fogs usually indicates light winds to
come.
I had a bit more confidence on the jew ledge proper,
than where we slept in the 10 metre country, so to
maximise our chances we motored back the ten minutes
and spent the hour or so over breakfast with the jewfish
gear soaking in 20 or so metres of water.
Somewhere between slices of hot quiche something
possessed Andre to sit his outfit down. He sat the tip and
the last metre over the transom while he took care of
something up at the cabin dash area. I saw his rod give a
bit a jump, while he was not looking.
I hastily reported my observation to him, but alas, it was
already too late. The crazy South African reel that he calls
a wagon wheel (full of 100lb whiplash braid) gave a bit of
a spin, and then somehow in the next moment, it was in
my hands. Now I have decked some pretty big fish on
The Boat Mag 65
plain, no drag Alvey reels over the years. mulloway to
37.5kg, longtail tuna and even spaniards, and I never
once felt in trouble or out gunned. . . . all this changed
that morning at Channel Point.
Straight after setting the hook into this something, I just
started winding him up ... all good. After about 10
metres… all not so good, I am gradually being forced to
slow down, then stop, and then a bit of backwards
winding line out. I tell Andre to grab this thing or it is going
over the side. In between bursts of laughter he does so
and just lets his thumb lock on the reverse rotating
handle that is almost a blur. His great paw closes on the
handle and he just winds that jew straight up, a very
impressive effort, even for a big guy. Moral of the story is
this: stay well away from funny looking 9” diameter timber
spooled South African wagon wheels branded simply KP.
Bloody hell, who puts ball bearing races on a reel that
hasnʼt even got a wing nut on the front of it to help slow it
down? How fast do you want it to spin, anyway?
The jew was a good one and we iced him down and
packed up the breakfast accoutrements ready to head to
the alleged pinnacles out towards Batemanʼs Shoal. The
first time Andre took me there, I remarked that these
ʻpinnaclesʼ arenʼt very steep, like most ground up here.
Henceforth the spot is now known simply as, ʻAndreʼs
Pimplesʼ. We headed down and out of the Channel and
headed out to see what we could find.
It was only a 25 minute run, and we were sounding
around in 12 metres or so of water
over some good shows of fish. I
had Andre drop the pick on a lump
and we wafted back onto the
rise/face of the next one over some
fish. John and I stuck with the
paternoster rigs and fresh squid
while Andre considered his options
for a moment, content to see what
was going to happen when our
baits reached the bottom.
Straight down we went and
straight on to fish, with John and I
both getting a double header of reef
fish, a reasonable red for me and a
huge stripy. For John it was a blue
lined emperor or sweetlip and
another stripy or spanish flag.
Andre quickly decided to opt for a
bottom rig, and was into the action
as well. We got some very good
fish there for a couple of hours in
Blue lined emperor - much like a grassy sweetlip.
the glassed-off conditions, before
they slowed a bit. Surprisingly, we
got a dozen or so really nice
estuary cod during the session
Prized dinner - bar cheeked coral trout which are always welcome on my
boat.
I decided on a bit of a move and
another fish before lunch, a good
choice as it transpired. The tide had
turned, and we drove the anchor off
with the float and moved about 200
metres onto the opposite face of
another lump and were straight into
them again. This time Johnʼs first
drop was a treble with two golden
snapper and giant pimples stripy.
The snapper werenʼt huge, but I am
an avid subscriber to the ʻjungle
drumsʼ theory that sees that
species in particular shut down, if
individuals are caught and released
straight back down.
Again we had a great session
before things slowed a little and the
weather stayed absolutely perfect.
At both of these spots the only
problem that we encountered was a
66 The Boat Mag
Andre with the ʻWagon Wheelʼ back under control.
sprinkling of ocean run super catfish; damn things
fight like hell, and then itʼs hard luck stories all
round at the boat when they are spotted. At least
they werenʼt the mega catfish that we sometimes
get in the Channel while jew fishing – they reach
35kg quite easily.
This time we opted to stay put and have some
lunch as we were still picking up a few fish and
Andre had just deployed a floating gar under a
balloon targeting a spanish mackerel. Straight
after lunch, I hooked a good fish and straight away
Andre called it for a catty, this time however a nice
jew surfaced, and we ticked jew number five onto
the score card. We got a few more reef fish
including a couple of brilliant parrot for Andre and
John that topped the box off nicely. The fish had
another chew as the afternoon progressed and it
was in the midst of that bite that John alerted
Andre to a customer on the mackerel rod. The
balloon parted company and Andre battled a feisty
little spaniard to the boat declaring him a ʻtoyʼ at
about 8kg or so - thereʼs just no satisfying some
people, is there?
In the end we had the fish well iced down in
both big boxes, and some in the food and drink
esky as well, so we decided to leave ʻem biting on
the Pimples and have another hour or two in the
Channel in the hope of bagging the last jew.
Andre and I had a good clean up on the deck as
we made our way back in. John took the helm
and enjoyed a nice cold beverage, albeit smelling
a little fishy. It was a fantastic dayʼs fishing with the
species list running to spanish flag, blue salmon,
estuary cod, sweetlip or blue lined emperor, red
emperor, golden snapper, parrot fish, jew fish,
spanish mackerel plus a few other more unlikely
and unfortunate captures.
Hard work on a centre pin and no drag - the
ʻWagon Wheelʼ jew!
The Boat Mag 67
Triple header - on the chew!
We got anchored up on
the ledge and I sat back to
have a beer and watch for
any action as the sun
settled lower in the western
sky over North Peron
Island. To tell the truth, I
canʼt remember who caught
the last jewie to take us to
our bag, but it doesnʼt really
matter we had all had an
absolutely brilliant day. All
this on what would hardly
be the best of tides too, as
those Pimples can really
run in a decent tide and are
essentially not really
fishable in much over 4
metres of movement.
With the impending
South-easterly surge due
overnight we decided to
stick with our original plan
and steam back to the launch site at Dundee and have
dinner and sleep there, so we didnʼt have any chance of
a rough run home. This was a good choice, as we
steamed home at a comfortable 23 knots keeping an eye
out for boat lights (etc) but saw none.
As we approached the Lodge area the house lights
along the coastal strip made us slightly nervous as they
started to come into view one by one. When running in
proximity to the coast at night I change the display of the
Furuno GP7000f combination unit over to half GPS and
half sounder.
I do this to compare information from the dedicated
GP7000 chart plotter and it sort of gives me a second
opinion on our distance offshore and heading info, and
just makes me feel a little easier. Once we were getting
close we pulled the speed back a bit and when we were
only about 200 metres off the beach where the launch
68 The Boat Mag
Above: Awesome Pimples jew - premium tucker on
any table. Left: A ʻsouthernerʼ (John) with his first NT
black jew.
site is, we slowed right down to idle, and had a good look
with a large spotlight to see if any other boats had the
same idea to anchor up for the night.
Sure enough there were two other boats moored in
close that evening without proper lights, one boat
showing no light at all. The remaining boat was a centre
console guide boat with a cylume stick taped halfway up
a short aerial. Nobody was aboard either of them.
Presumably they had left them out there to save the $25
launch fee the next morning. This type of thing is pathetic
really, as there was no chance of seeing either of them
with the shore lights of the Lodge of Dundee behind
them.
It scares me a bit up here, as some people put very
little value in things such as navigation or anchor lights
etc. Education and enforcement is also complicated by
the fact there is no registration or even licensing for
drivers on boats in the NT yet, but it will come soon
enough, I am sure.
Once we were safely anchored up with lights on, we
had dinner and went straight to the beds for well earned
sleep. The tractor started up about 7 am on Sunday
morning and the noise of boats zooming around woke us
up. We got the boat out about 8 am and had a leisurely
trip back to Darwin with thoughts about the brilliant
weekend we had just had.
Low tide retrieval, Dundee (tractor) style!
Makes life pretty hard on the trailers, but
thereʼs not a lot of choice out here.
Having seen how tough time on the water catching big
fish can be on gear, I opt for very robust tackle and
equipment, and as a result find it pretty trouble free. I
picked most of it up in clearance bins, and the reels off ebay paying less than 100 bucks for them. The other thing
I would stress is that I like to maximise my time on the
water – so I make my droppers in front of the TV at
home, not on the water in the middle of a hot bite. For
hooks, again I go cheap and donʼt keep them. Usually it
is a Mustad 5/0 OʼShaughnessy pattern, maybe even two
ganged if the spanish flag are about. I recently found a
commercial supplier in Darwin clearing ancient stocks of
them. You remember the type - paper boxes of 100
hooks, with a little coloured adhesive label. I hadnʼt seen
a paper box of hooks for at least 10 years, and these
were $5.00 per box of 100! I didnʼt go overboard (much!)
- buying 5 outers of them, 10 boxes per outer. Yep, I am
pretty right for hooks for my time I reckon!
The other thing is line. I use quite cheap 60lb dark blue
monofilament, no braid. I get it mail order and a 5.5km
spool costs less than a spool of 70lb Schneider for
droppers. The water is usually pretty shallow up here so I
just spool off 50 metres off the top each year and change
it every other year.
We didnʼt go as far south as I like to this trip, as we
usually fish near Cape Ford or Scott, and usually for an
extra day or two. Although it wonʼt be this year now, I
guess, I am intending to get a couple of boats organised
for a trip even further south in the near future to the
Moyle systems or Emu Shoals, but thatʼs next time.
These trips are long, and the short chop of the NT waters
can be a bit mind-numbing at times, but on the up side, at
least there is very little swell and no bar crossing to
contemplate. There are also some nice little creeks that
open for navigation over the high tide and can offer
shelter and a nice diversion for a few hours.
Visitors often get quite a shock as the distances
travelled to go for a fish up here are great. For example,
itʼs 120km to Dundee in the car, then 60 odd km to the
Islands, 95km to Cape Ford and so on. We regularly do
350km for a couple of days and have done 550km on a
recent trip to Moss Shoal to the north. You need to carry
all your own fuel and ramps are few and far between, out
of Darwin.
If youʼre planning a trip, try to get the end of the neaps,
as they start to build and I also like the lead up to the
moon – but not so much after. Stay away from the
springs if you can, as it limits the options quite a bit. And
as for the ʻno run, no funʼ statement often heard around
the place, in my opinion this is a thing the guides push so
they get constant business throughout the tide cycle, as it
has not been my experience. Sure you can do well, but a
much better trip can be planned if you hit a little bit either
side of the springs.
The one option that does work for medium size boats is
to camp and launch out of the camp ground at Channel
Point. Contact the NT Govt for permits - and keys are
required. The ramp is pretty exposed and tide dependent,
but it cuts down the distance required to travel in open
water.
For this trip at least and especially for John, it is fair to
say for sure the wonderful Peron Islands certainly fired up
for us that day, giving him a perfect return to the blue
water fishing he loves.
TBM
The Boat Mag 69
SEA DIGEST
View from the top station is fabulous - and pleasingly, left open so the skipper can enjoy the open air. Top
Right: Check out the wide, walk-around side decks - thereʼs enough fishing room here for several footy teams!
Below: Performance of this big cat is awesome - and amazingly stable and soft riding - even at speed.
70 The Boat Mag
Boats we’ve driven. learned about. or admired recently
Noosacat 5000 LE
Another exceptional example of the performance edge the Volvo Penta IPS drives deliver
- especially when married to a tough, go-anywhere ultra-seaworthy Noosacat.
s Hogeʼs would be inclined to
say “Now THIS is a
walkaround!” And indeed, it is
easily the biggest production
walkaround in Australia.
Interestingly, the walkaround
and overhanging hardtop harks
back to traditional trawler yacht or
long range cruiser strategy too
(complete with the sliding side
door for simplified single-handing)
so itʼs an extremely practical
design set-up made possible by
the massive 4.5m beam of this
very big cat.
Created and built for a very
experienced cruiser owner, the
Noosacat 5000LE represented a
complete departure from the
ownerʼs previous mono cruisers.
Here, the owner wanted a much
higher level of seaworthiness and
all weather capability given his
aspirations for cruising in different
parts of Australia.
Heʼs certainly achieved that, and
A
added some exceptional touches
to what is an outstanding 15.5m
(50ʼ5”) platform. Observe the
hydraulic gate and boarding
platform on the transom to
provide access for his PWC or the
RIB tender.
This big cat has been built
regardless of cost to the highest
GRP manufacturing standards,
and represents the pinnacle of
GRP cat production thus far in
this country.
A unique feature of the big cat is
the installation of twin IPS 600s
for a total of 2 x 412 hp (824 hp)
producing a maximum speed of
no less than 29 knots with 80%
fuel onboard and full service trim
and all the toys - see full data
sheet on page 72.
For more information call
Wayne Hennig, CEO,
Noosacat Australia Pty Ltd,
6 Production St, Noosaville
Queensland 4566.
Phone: (07) 5449 8888.
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.noosacat.com.au
TBM
The Boat Mag 71
Noosacat 5000 LE . . . .
“Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, this is your Captain speaking. We are currently cruising at
24knots across the ground, and expect to reach Hamilton Island in time for cocktails at 1800hrs . . .
72 The Boat Mag
The Boat Mag 73
Noosacat 5000 LE . . . .
Fitting-out here is world class, but it does not sacrifice the pragmatism
necessary in a big, working rig like this Noosacat 5000LE. Itʼs
destined to host parties running the PWC, the RIB, mixing diving,
fishing and cruising as circumstances and weather allow. This is a
15m fun platform designed for minimal maintenance and maximum
working efficiency with the least amount of clean-up time afterwards,
so the finishes have been carefully chosen to achieve that end. Mind
you, we are concerned they left off the b.ball hoop off the trailing edge
of the flybridge - and we still havenʼt figured out where weʼll land the
chopper!
74 The Boat Mag
Why so many of the worldʼs leading boatbuilders love
working with Volvo Penta - how good, how elegant is
this clean, uncluttered installation? This is one
of two 317kW Volvo Penta IPS 600s under
the back deck of the Noosacat.
The Boat Mag
75
Noosacat
5000LE & Volvo Penta IPS-600
BOAT DATA
Boat builder:
Country:
LOA:
Beam:
Fuel tank capacity:
Noosa Cat
Australia
15.4 m / 50.5 ft
4.5 m / 14.8 ft
2000 l / 528 gal
Boat model:
Draft:
LWL:
BWL:
Water tank capacity:
5000LE
1.2 m / 3.9 ft
14.0 m / 45.9 ft
4.5 m / 14.8 ft
700 l / 185 gal
Volvo Penta
Diesel engine
320.0 kW / 429.1 Hp
Volvo Penta
1.82:1
Engine model:
Speed:
Output propshaft:
Transmission type:
Propeller type:
2 x IPS-600
3500 RPM
307.0 kW / 411.7 Hp
IPS
T2
5
100 %
Scale
GPS
22.0° C / 71.6° F
Light Choppy
Fuel filled:
Weight as tested:
Center of gravity:
Ambient air temp:
Wind speed:
Water type:
80 %
17000 kg / 37479 lb
ENGINE & TRANSMISSION DATA
Engine make:
Fuel type:
Output crankshaft:
Transmission make:
Gear ratio:
TEST CONDITION
No of crew:
Water filled:
Weight checked by:
Speed checked by:
Water temp:
Sea condition:
30.0° C / 86.0° F
4.9 m/s / 11.0 mph
Salt
SINGLE / PORT ENGINE
STARBOARD ENGINE
Inlet air temp.:
Air temp. front:
25.0° C / 77.0° F
Exhaust back press.:
Air temp. top of engine room:
Inlet air temp.:
Air temp. front: 25.0° C / 77.0° F
Exhaust back press.:
25.0° C / 77.0° F
BOAT TEST
RPM
3750
3500
3400
3200
3000
2800
2400
2200
1500
1000
knots
29.0
27.5
26.8
25.3
22.6
20.4
15.4
12.8
8.3
5.3
mph
33.4
31.6
30.8
29.1
26.0
23.5
17.8
14.7
9.6
6.1
l/h
166.0
158.0
140.6
123.9
104.6
92.2
66.5
55.9
11.1
6.2
gal/h
43.9
41.7
37.1
32.7
27.6
24.4
17.6
14.8
2.9
1.6
l/n.mile
5.7
5.8
5.3
4.9
4.6
4.5
4.3
4.4
1.3
1.2
ACCELERATION FROM IDLING
To knots
18.6
25.5
27.2
29.0
To mph
21.4
29.3
31.2
33.4
sec
8.0
16.0
24.0
28.0
Test conducted by: Gavin Rooney Location: Offshore Noosa Heads
76 The Boat Mag
mile/ga
0.8
0.8
0.8
0.9
0.9
1.0
1.0
1.0
3.3
3.7
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TBM
RETRO
BOAT TEST:
Unchanged, as
first published,
written and
photographed
by Peter
Webster in
1984
Australian Boating Test # 274 - November 1984
78 The Boat Mag
The case in point, the new Precision
45 Sportfisherman designed by
naval architect Len Randell, for the
Precision Marine yard in north
Fremantle, Western Australia, is an
outstanding example.
The Precision 45 is, to put it in the
simplest possible terms, the best game
fishing boat we have tested. We are not
alluding here to catching bream in the
Hawkesbury River on a Sunday afternoon.
We are referring to a fully fledged, ocean
going gamefishing platform that has been
designed with just one purpose in mind —
to lock horns with the biggest sporting fish
the world has to offer, be it a world record
black marlin out of Cairns, a flighty
sailfish from Cape Moreton, or the
rumoured leviathens that abound in the
torquoise water off the legendary
Ningaloo Shelf, west of the western-most
point of this great Australian continent.
The Precision 45 was created to take
the big game fisherman, his crew and his
lady on fishing excursions that most can
only dream about. It has the range, the
seakeeping ability and the gracious
comfort to keep a party of four or five
fortunate souls at sea for several weeks.
That’s important too, for a craft born and
bred in Western Australia, the state with
the longest coastal waters, some of the
wildest country, and certainly the state
with the greatest distances between each
port.
More than that, its breeding in
Western Australia is reflected in every
nuance of the design. There is probably
no boatbuilder in Australia more
experienced or better able to come up with
a soft riding, sure-tracking fisherman than
Precision Marine; for years now, Precision
has been building work boats and fishing
boats for the multi-million dollar W.A.
rock lobster fishing industry. And there is
no tougher, harder to please bunch of
fishermen in Australia than the well
heeled lobster fishermen of W.A. They
know what they want, and they can
afford to pay for it — and they’ll brook
no compromise.
Not surprisingly, Precision Marine
is their favourite GRP boatbuilder. Their
craft are renowned for their tracking
ability, their speed, and their seakindliness.
And when you go to sea in your boat
every day for 260 days of the year, then
you sure as hell get to know exactly what
it is you want in a boat to bring home the
goods, safely and efficiently.
Not surprisingly, the demands of
the W.A. lobster fishermen have exerted
Left: Wrap-around close-up — truly
panoramic effect.
The Boat Mag 79
80 The Boat Mag
considerable influence over Precision
Marine and their range of pleasurecraft
over the years. But it’s different with
pleasure boats — there is always the
question of compromise; not too big a
cockpit, because in pleasure boat circles
more often than not, the sale goes to the
cruiser with the most numbers of berths.
Similarly, the lean, rakish lines of the
Precision 45 with its magnificent teak
cockpit sole, flush coverboards and rolled
coamings are as likely to appeal to the
neophyte as Snr Enzo’s new Berlinetta is
going to appeal to the owner of a Camira
station wagon. Although the alliteration is
perhaps harsh, the contrast is no less
exaggerated.
In design terms, the Precision 45 is
perhaps the boldest stroke we’ve seen yet
in Australian power boat circles. Never
have we been treated to such a committed,
such a completely — and competantly —
engineered powercraft revealing such
contemptuous disdain for mere pleasure
craft pursuits!
The Precision 45 is a boat surrounding
a cockpit, an arena that will see many
exciting contests between man and the
primeval decendants of the species that
still dominate the oceans of the world.
Above the arena, the nerve centre;
the bridge. The centre of all mechanical
activity, structured to react to fingertip
pressure and all the subtleness the highly
skilled skipper and fishing maestro can
bring to bear on the sophisticated linkages
connecting the hydraulics and the
electronics to the man at the helm.
The man who can put the hunter on
the scent of the fish just by sensing,
tasting the pressure of the wind on his
face, of finding the traces of debris in
the ocean, of glimpsing the flash of
silver in the waves beyond one’s normal
line of sight. For the bridge complements
the cockpit to such an extent one
is merely an extension of the other.
This is something few, if any other
builders in Australia have come to terms
with so successfully. In the Precision 45
the skipper is more than an integral part
of the action; more than the gaffman, or
deckie, or even the fisherman. He is the
conductor, the maestro: he will bring the
Precision 45 team back to the trophy
desk, time after time.
At the end of the day, when the crew sit
quietly around the cockpit, skin taut
against cheekbones, flushed with the day’s
exposure to warm winds, the interior of
the Precision 45 will embrace them with
the same efficiency, comfort and precision
as the cockpit and the bridge has been to
them throughout the day.
The Boat Mag 81
Above, left and right: The Precision 45
photographed on these pages
features the layout shown above, but
most of the later craft utilise the layout
shown on the facing page, Page 97. In
the later plan, the galley is located in a
mid-level position, the saloon is
marginally reduced, and the head is a
much more practical layout, with the
shower and toilet separated, albeit in
the same compartment.
Middle left: The Caterpillar 3208TA
engines nestle under the removable
saloon floor — access for service
though, is very good.
Bottom left: The anchoring set-up
is okay if the craft is kept in a
marina or at anchor — but will
need changing if the owner uses a
swing mooring; bring on the bow
roller!
The saloon is a marvellous, like-it-orbe-damned statement that says what
you need in a gameboat at the end of the
day is a long, comfortable settee that
stretches from one end to the other, and
enables two or three guys to yarn over a
cold beer, or lie down and snooze as the
needs be. Opposite is a long row of
cupboards which contain a nicely
conceived lift out chart table, the all
important cocktail cabinet and a series
of custom cupboards to stow away
reference material, the Penn Internationals,
your favourite Hardy, fishing accessories
and so on. Above all, there is space,
freedom to move about, to laugh
and to enjoy the roughneck, ribald
satisfaction that inevitably follows a
great day at sea.
The galley, located down, out of the
saloon on the lower level, starboard
side, will bother many people. Because
of this. Precision Marine have designed
a mid-level galley in their production
models, but no doubt the pros will stick
with the lower galley; in this boat, that’s
where it should be.
82 The Boat Mag
The stateroom is big, comfortable
and befitting a $300,000 cruiser.
The forward cabin has the option of
two, three or four bunks depending on
crew needs.
The only minus in this otherwise
outstanding design is the layout of the
toilet and shower. In cruiser No. 1 far
too little space was allowed for the big,
muscular sort of guys one finds in
gamefishing circles. Besides, the shower
should not be over the toilet in a cruiser
of this calibre. In fairness, subsequent
models have a better, bigger separated
shower and toilet.
The Precision 45 Sportfisherman was
released at the Sydney International Boat
show and we made arrangements with
Sydney agents Roseville Bridge Marina
and their very helpful manager Nick Doig,
to take out the Precision 45 for a short
sprint out from Sydney Harbour.
It was impressive. The conditions were
mild, but confirmed that the design
philosophy behind the Precision 45 had
been borne out on the water. It feels
good. It feels powerful, fast.
With the Cat 3208TA engines
delivering 355 hp through 57 mm (2.25”)
s/s shafts turning three-bladed wheels,
the unusually large wide planing strakes
lifted the Precision 45 out of the water
smoothly and cleanly. Observe the swept
back, run of the water — this is a dry, soft
riding vessel sensitive to trim tab control.
But not overly so; it’s designed for the ham
fisted skipper to either set up and forget for
the day, or for the more sensitive skipper to
use — if only to compensate for ballast
changes as the fuel load is progressively
used on long coastal passages.
Steering, general handling offshore
in the quiet conditions was about as
testing to this craft as it would be testing
a Berlinetta on Friday afternoon on
Parramatta Road. There was no chance
to give this magnificent craft its head,
beyond that of sitting back, fire-walling
the throttles, and revelling at the clean
wake, the much higher normal top speed
— say between 24-25 knots — and the
excellence of steering and general
handling.
With the Precision 45 Sportfisherman,
the Western Australians have more
than thrown down the challenge to the
east coast builders — they have
simultaneously moved Australian standard
of powerboat design several rungs up the
ladder. It would do most Australian
cruiser builders a power of good to
spend a couple of hours crawling
through this Precision 45. It’s that good.
But it is by no means perfect.
Boat No. 1 had one major
disappointment — it was far too noisy for
a craft of this quality. It was headachesville
after an hour in the main saloon, and after
going to the enormous time, trouble and
cost of developing the panoramic wraparound windows in the saloon, it’s
positively dumb not to see the job through
and insulate the occupants of the saloon
(not to mention the forward cabins) from
the sound and fury of 700 powerful
Caterpillar horses thundering away under
the saloon floor.
We understand the factory is on its
way to resolving the problem having
engaged special sound engineers in Perth
in an attempt to soothe the savage beast.
And well they might try, because if
Precision Marine is going to lay claim to
building the best big game fisherman
in Australia, they may as well complete
the job.
Description
High speed monohedron designed
planing hull with sleeping accommodation
for six adults in double berth
stateroom and four single berths in
upper and lower vee configuration.
Dimensions
Length overall....................13.63 m (44’9”)
Length waterline................11.98 m (39’4”)
Beam ....................................4.56 m (14’7”)
Draft ......................................1.25 m (4’ I”)
Freeboard forward ....................1.6m (5’3”)
Freeboard aft............................ 1.1m (3’7”)
Headroom throughout ..........1.9 m (6’ 3 “)
Maximum height ......................5.5 m (18’)
Cockpit area 3.2 m x 3.4 m (10’6”x ll’l”)
Deadrise at transom....................22 degrees
Hardware ..... Stainless steel and chrome
plated gunmetal
Windscreen ....... Lexan or perspex glass
in aluminium frames
Side windows ..... Tinted armour glass in
aluminium frames
Fuel capacity ............1360 litres (300 gals)
Water capacity ............680 litres (150 gals)
Motor Options — Diesel
• Twin Volvo TAMD70E (300 hp) with
twin disc 507 gearboxes.
• Twin Caterpillar 3208T (300 hp) with
twin disc 507 gearboxes.
• Twin GM 6V53T (306 hp) with twin
disc 507 gearboxes.
• Twin Caterpillar 3208TA (350 hp) with
twin disc 507 gearboxes.
• Twin GM 6V92TA (425 hp) with
Allison M gearboxes.
Hindsight, November ʻ12
Always loved this boat; to see it
working wide offshore is one of
THE great vistas. To use it in
those circumstances, a privilege.
Iʼve often wondered how much
better it would be by dumping
those 2 ridiculously heavy,
gutless, noisy, 3208TA Cats and
re-powering one of these beautiful
craft with a pair of the new
lightweight Euro diesels, having a
genuine 300 (continuous) hp a
side, and saving a couple of tons
of ʻballastʼ in the process.
Once again, this Retro test
reminds us that we havenʼt come
very far in the world of bluewater
convertibles in 25 years, have we? - Peter Webster, November, 2012.
The Boat Mag 83
TBM’s December 2012 Outboard Prices
Make
HP
Honda
Yamaha
Mercury
Mercury
Parsun
Suzuki
Tohatsu
Tohatsu
Yamaha
Parsun
Yamaha
Mercury
Mercury
Tohatsu
Tohatsu
Tohatsu
Parsun
Mercury
Mercury
Parsun
Suzuki
Tohatsu
Tohatsu
Yamaha
Yamaha
Honda
Mercury
Mercury
Parsun
Suzuki
Tohatsu
Tohatsu
Yamaha
Mercury
Mercury
Parsun
Suzuki
Tohatsu
Tohatsu
Tohatsu
Yamaha
Honda
Mercury
Mercury
Suzuki
Tohatsu
Tohatsu
Yamaha
Yamaha
Suzuki
Tohatsu
Tohatsu
Mercury
Mercury
Mercury
2
2 pmx
2.5
2.5
2.5
2.5
2.5
2.5
2.5
2.6
3 pmx
3.3
3.5
3.5
3.5
3.5 b
3.6
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4 pmx
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5 pmx
6
6
6
6
6
6
6
6 pmx
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8 pmx
9
9.8
9.8
9.9
9.9
9.9
Model
B2D4 SCHD
2CMHS
1F02201FK
M
T2.5BMS 2C
DF2.5S
MFS2.5A S
M2.5A2 S
F2.5AMHS
F2.6MBS 4C
3AMHS
M
1F03201FK
MFS3.5A S
M3.5A2 S
M3.5B2 S
T3.6BMS 2C
1F04201FK
M
F4BMS 4C
DF4S
MFS4BD S
M4C S
F4AMHS
4ACMHS
BF5A4 SB
1F05201FK
M
F5BMS 4C
DF5S
MFS5BDS
M5BDS
5CMHS
1F06201FK
M lite
T6BMS
DF6S
MFS6B S
MFS6BSUL(Sail)
M6B S
6CMHS
BF8D2 SHD
1F08201FK
M lite
DF8
MFS8A3 S
M8B S
F8CMHS
8CMHS
DF9.9
MFS9.8A3 S
M9.8B S
1F06201FK
M
EL Big Foot
RRP
4-stroke
Cylinders Amp/hr
2-stroke Capacity
capacity
Carb/Inject (ccʼs)
$1,234
$900
$1,247
$833
$700
$1,048
$1,494
$894
$1,497
$899
$1,099
$969
$1,325
$1,527
$925
$1,029
$720
$1,687
$1,392
$1,195
$1,535
$1,693
$1,411
$1,817
$1,468
$2,090
$1,775
$1,608
$1,245
$1,619
$1,746
$1,536
$1,782
$1,892
$1,767
$1,495
$1,791
$1,851
$1,900
$2,013
$2,153
$3,392
$3,054
$1,906
$3,260
$3,080
$2,040
$3,495
$2,467
$3,442
$3,147
$2,188
$3,236
$2,398
$4,290
4c
2c
4c
2c
2c
4c
4c
2c
4c
4c
2c
2c
4c
4c
2c
2c
2c
4c
2c
4c
4c
4c
2c
4c
2c
4c
4c
2c
4c
4c
4c
2c
2c
4c
2c
2c
4c
4c
4c
2c
2c
4c
4c
2c
4c
4c
2c
4c
2c
4c
4c
2c
4c
2c
4c
57
50
85
74.6
74.6
68
85.5
74.6
72
72
70
74.6
85
85.5
74.6
74.6
74.6
123
102
112
138
123
102
112
83
127
123
102
112
138
123
102
103
123
169
169
138
123
123
169
165
222
209
169
208
209
169
197
165
208
209
169
209
262
209
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
2
2
1
1
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
5A
4A
5A
5A
0
6A
5A
5A
5A
3A
5A
4A
6A
5A
5A
5A
5A
6A
5A
5A
6.7A
6
6A
6A
6A
6A
6A
6A
6A
6A
6.7A
6A
8A
6A
Weight
(Kg)
12.2
16.5
19.0
13
16
13
13.0
12.5
17
18
16.5
13
13.0
19.0
12.5
13
16
25.0
20
24.5
26
26.0
19
22
21
27.0
25.0
20
24.5
26
25.0
19
21
25.0
26
26
26
25.0
25.0
26
27
42.0
38.0
26
39.5
37.0
26
38
27
39.5
37.0
26
38.1
35
43
F&B Emiss
Emiss.
Star HC+NOX
CO
Rating (g/kw/hr) (g/kw/hr)
3
0
3
0
0
3
3
0
2
2
0
0
3
3
0
0
0
3
1
3
3
3
1
3
0
3
3
1
3
3
3
1
0
3
0
0
3
3
3
1
0
3
3
0
3
3
1
3
0
3
3
1
3
0
3
24.9
388.2
25.5
277.1
434.1
399.4
24.2
24.3
305.3
42.9
29.8
399.6
384.5
150.0
466.2
134.5
277.1
27.7
24.3
305.3
280.2
399.4
468.8
384.5
150.0
150.0
24.3
221.9
21.8
19.1
20.7
204.0
26.8
332.3
20.5
24.3
221.9
21.8
19.1
20.7
204.0
468.9
236.2
339.9
273.0
263.0
258.4
254.3
598.3
374.0
468.9
236.2
296.5
273.0
263.0
258.4
24.3
306.1
468.9
225.5
19.1
20.7
20.7
220.9
322.7
17.9
20.7
306.1
18.6
20.0
220.9
21.9
322.7
21.0
20.0
195.0
20.7
323.2
20.7
273.0
263.0
263.0
377.3
331.7
363.5
144.4
225.5
214.1
296.4
377.3
325.0
331.7
231.1
296.4
150.0
144.4
533.4
144.4
est
est
est
est
est
est
est
est
est
Notes: Shaft length - representative models shown use the following convention where possible. Up to 10hp, short shaft.
10hp to 150hp, long shaft. Over 150hp, extra long shaft. Up to 18hp, tiller steer. 20hp and over - forward steer. Readers are
advised to make sure they check the latest prices with their local dealers, before making a purchase decision - and please
note, freight costs will vary according to the location of the dealer.
84 The Boat Mag December 2012 Outboard Database
HP
Model
Parsun
Parsun
Suzuki
Tohatsu
Yamaha
Yamaha
Honda
Mercury
Honda
Mercury
Mercury
Mercury
Mercury
Parsun
Parsun
Suzuki
Suzuki
Tohatsu
Tohatsu
Yamaha
Yamaha
Tohatsu
Honda
Mercury
Tohatsu
Yamaha
Yamaha
Evinrude
Honda
Mercury
Parsun
Parsun
Suzuki
Tohatsu
Tohatsu
Yamaha
Yamaha
Yamaha
Yamaha
Evinrude
Honda
Mercury
Mercury
Parsun
Suzuki
Tohatsu
Tohatsu
Yamaha
Yamaha
Yamaha
Evinrude
Honda
Mercury
Mercury
Mercury
Mercury
Mercury
Parsun
Suzuki
Suzuki
Suzuki
9.8
T9.8BMS
9.8
F9.8BMS
9.9
DT9.9S
9.9
M9.9D2 S
9.9
F9.9FMHS
9.9 pmx 9.9FMHS
10
BF10D2 SHD
10
Sea Pro
15
BF15D3 LHD
15
15ML
15
M L super
15
ML
15
Sea Pro ML
15
T15BML 2C
15
F15BML 4CT
15
DF15L
15
DT15S
15
MFS15CL
15
M15D2 S
15
F15CMHS
15 pmx 15FMHL
18
M18E2 S
20
BF20D3 LHD
20
20ML
20
MFS20CL
20
F20B MHL
20 pmx 20DMHL
25 e-tec E25DTSL
25
BF25D4 LHGD
25
ML
25
T25BML
25
F25BML FES
25
DF25L
25
MFS25B (EFI) L
25
M25C3 L
25
F25DETL
25
F25AETL
25 cv pmx 25BMHL
25 pmx 25NMHL
30 e-tec E30DTSL
30
BF30D4 LHTD
30
EL GA EFI
30
EL lite
30
T30BML 2C
30
DT30L
30
MFS30B (EFI) L
30
M30A4 L
30
F30BETL
30 cv pmx 30HMHL
30 pb 30DETOL
40 e-tec E40DLP11
40
BF40D LRTL
40
ML
40
ELPTO
40
MHL Lite
40
Sea Pro MLG
40
ELPT EFI bigfoot
40
T40BML 2C
40
DF40TL
40
DF40AQHL
40
DT40L
RRP
4-stroke
Cylinders Amp/hr
2-stroke Capacity
capacity
Carb/Inject (ccʼs)
$1,575
$2,095
$2,401
$2,494
$3,557
$2,656
$3,906
$3,006
$4,274
$3667
$2,385
$2,594
$3,127
$1,810
$2,645
$3,443
$2,544
$3,858
$2,601
$4,102
$2,952
$2,601
$4,550
$4,211
$4,114
$4,998
$3,456
$5,589
$6,321
$5,250
$2,635
$4,045
$5,026
$5,312
$3,384
$6,285
$5,986
$3,456
$3,729
$6,685
$7,109
$6,514
$3,700
$2,660
$3,049
$5,312
$3,384
$7,026
$4,385
$6,053
$8,612
$8,990
$6,498
$6,341
$4,640
$5,721
$7,991
$3,140
$8,544
$8,147
$4,017
2c
4c
2c
2c
4c
2c
4c
2c
4c
4c
2c
2c
2c
2c
4c
4c
2c
4c
2c
4c
2c
2c
4c
4c
4c
4c
2c
2di
4c
4i
2c
4i
4c
4i
2c
4c
4c
2c
2c
2di
4c
4i
2c
2c
2c
4i
2c
4i
2c
2c
2di
4i
4c
2c
2c
2c
4i
2c
4i
4i
2c
169
2099
284
247
212
246
222
262
350
351
294
262
262
246
323
302
284
351
247
323
246
294
350
351
351
362
395
576
552
526
496
498
538
526
429
498
498
496
395
576
552
526
430
703
499
526
429
747
496
496
864
808
747
644
697
645
995
703
814
941
696
2
2
2
2.5A
2
6.7A
2
6A
2
10A
2
6A
2
6A
2
6A
2
11A
2
6A
2
6A
2
6A
2
2
2
6A
2
2.5A
2
12A
2
6.7A
2
10A
2
6A
2
6.7A
2
12A
2
11A
2
12A
2
10A
2
6A
2
56A
3
10A
3
15A
2
2
V2 70º 6A
3
15A
2
6.7A
2
10A
2
15A
2
6a
2
6A
2
56A
3
10A
3
15A
2
6A
2
2
2.5A
3
15A
2
6.7A
3
16A
2
6A
3
6A
2
81A
3
17A
3
6A
2
18A
3
11
2
18A
4
18A
2
3
6.7A
3
19A
2
18A
Weight
(Kg)
26.0
38.0
38.5
37
39.9
36
42.0
34
46.5
52
42
35
34
37.5
51
49
38.5
52.0
37
50
36
37
46.5
53.0
52.0
53.7
48
64.4
72.5
71
53
68
72
82.5
52
79
71
54.5
48
64.4
72.5
71
48
75.1
60.5
82.5
52
99.6
54.5
66
109
98.0
93
78
69
74
120
75.1
110
104
76.0
F&B Emiss
Emiss.
Star HC+NOX
CO
Rating (g/kw/hr) (g/kw/hr)
0 est
0 est
3
1
3
1
3
0
3
3
1
0
0
0 est
3 est
3
0 est
3
1
3
1
1
3
3
3
3
1
3
3
3
0 est
3
3
3
1
3
3
1
1
3
3
3
1
0 est
1 est
3
1
3est
1
1
3
3
3
1
1
1
3
0 est
3
3
1 est
13.6
180.9
18.6
249.6
17.9
323.2
15.5
18.4
173.5
323.2
323.2
104.2
287.2
267.7
408.4
336.2
533.4
172.6
150.7
270.3
533.4
533.4
16.0
15.4
221.3
255.5
16.7
180.9
22.3
249.6
173.5
15.5
18.4
16.7
14.6
201.9
14.4
14.1
14.9
164.4
287.2
229.0
408.4
270.3
172.6
150.7
164.4
311.1
200.4
144.8
217.2
279.4
12.8
15.5
14.5
160.7
201.9
14.6
211.2
201.9
16.4
14.6
14.9
164.2
152.0
205.2
282.8
194.0
200.4
230.5
326.9
200.4
139.8
239.2
279.4
202.9
14.5
164.2
237.6
237.6
237.6
15.2
12.6
13.0
142.2
142.2
142.2
14.2
282.8
202.9
425.6
425.6
425.6
66.5
87.0
185.4
192.3
192.3
192.3
188.9
13.8
14.8
235.3
74.2
TBM’s December 2012 Outboard Prices
Make
The Boat Mag December 2012 Outboard Database 85
TBM’s December 2012 Outboard Prices
Make
Tohatsu
Tohatsu
Yamaha
Yamaha
Yamaha
Evinrude
Honda
Mercury
Mercury
Mercury
Suzuki
Suzuki
Tohatsu
Tohatsu
Yamaha
Yamaha
Yamaha
Mercury
Evinrude
Honda
Mercury
Mercury
Mercury
Mercury
Mercury
Parsun
Suzuki
Suzuki
Tohatsu
Yamaha
Yamaha
Yamaha
Yamaha
Suzuki
Tohatsu
Tohatsu
Yamaha
Yamaha
Evinrude
Honda
Mercury
Parsun
Mercury
Mercury
Mercury
Suzuki
Yamaha
Evinrude
Honda
Mercury
Mercury
Mercury
Parsun
Suzuki
Tohatsu
HP
Model
RRP
4-stroke
Cylinders Amp/hr
2-stroke Capacity
capacity
Carb/Inject (ccʼs)
40
M40D2 L
$4,519
40 tldi
MD40B EPTOL $8,373
40
F40FETL
$7,774
40 cv pmx 40XWTL
$5,868
40 pb
40VETOL
$6,780
50 e-tec E50DPL11
$9,487
50
BF50 LRTL
$10,469
50
ELPT EFI
$8,309
50
ELPTO
$6,750
50
ELPTEFI BigFoot $8,472
50
DF50TL
$8,975
50
DF50ATHL
$9,804
50
M50D2 EPTOL $6,962
50 tldi
MD50B EPTOL $8,551
50
F50FETL
$8,781
50 cv pmx 50HETL
$7,051
50 pb
50HETOL
$8,263
55
Sea Pro MHL
$6,939
60 e-tec E60DPL11
$10,437
60
BF60ALRTN
$11,499
60
ELPT EFI
$8,708
60
ELPTO
$7,159
60
Sea Pro Big Foot $7,024
60
ELPTO BigFoot $7,610
60
ELPTEFI BigFoot $8,349
60
T60FEL
$7,100
60
DF60ATL
$10,322
60
DF60A
$10,322
60
M60C EPTOL
$8,995
60
F60CETL
$9,200
60 cv pmxE60HMHDL
$7,592
60 ht
FT60DETL
$9,325
60 pb
60FETOL
$8,819
70
DF70ATL
$12,568
70
M70C EPTOL
$9,045
70 tldi
MD70B EPTOL $11,994
70 pb
70BETOL
$9,346
70
F70AETL
$10,412
75 e-tec E75DPL11
$12,087
75
BF75DKO LRTL $13,650
75
ELPT EFI
$11,936
75
T75FEL
$7,200
75
ELPTO
$8,825
75
Sea Pro MLHG $9,067
75 opti
ELPT
$11,785
80
DF80TL
$13,545
80
F80BETL
$12,376
90 e-tec E90DPL11
$13,260
90
BF90DKO LRTL $15,950
90
ELPT EFI
$12,658
90
ELPTO
$10,273
90 opti
ELPT
$12,312
90
T90FEL
$7,400
90
DF90ATL
$14,244
90
M90A EPTOL
$9,799
2c
2di
4i
2c
2c
2di
4i
4i
2c
4i
4i
4i
2c
2di
4i
2c
2c
2c
2di
4i
4i
2c
2c
2c
4i
2c
4i
4i
2c
4i
2c
4i
2c
4i
2c
2di
2c
4i
2di
4i
4i
2c
2c
2c
2di
4i
4i
2di
4i
4i
2c
2di
2c
4i
2c
697
697
747
703
698
864
808
995
967
995
814
941
697
697
996
703
698
967
864
998
995
967
967
967
995
1141
941
941
938
996
849
996
849
1502
938
1267
849
996
1295
1497
1732
1141
1386
1386
1526
1502
1596
1295
1497
1732
1386
1526
1141
1502
1267
3
3
3
2
3
2
3
4
3
4
3
3
3
3
4
2
3
3
2
3
4
3
3
3
4
3
3
3
3
4
3
4
3
4
3
3
3
4
3
4
4
3
3
3
3
4
4
3
4
4
3
3
3
4
3
11A
23A
15A
6A
6A
81A
17A
20A
16A
20A
18A
19A
11A
23A
17A
6A
6A
18A
81A
18A
20a
16
16A
16A
20A
(tba)
19A
19A
11A
17A
6A
17A
6A
27A
11A
23A
6A
17A
81A
44A
50A
(tba)
18A
18A
60A
27A
25A
81A
44A
50A
18A
60A
(tba)
27A
11A
Weight
(Kg)
85
93.4
90.4
80.7
88
109
98.0
112
93
120
110
104
85
93.5
111
87
86
100
109
110
112
99.5
108
109
120
119
104
104
115
111
102
115
105
156
115
143
105.5
118
145
162
181
119
138
139
170
155
172
145
163
181
138
170
119
155
135
F&B Emiss
Emiss.
Star HC+NOX
CO
Rating (g/kw/hr) (g/kw/hr)
1
2
3
1
1
3
3
3
1
3
3
3
1
2
3
1
1
1
3
3
3
1
1
1
3
0
3
3
1
3
1
3
1
3
1
2
1
3
3
3
3
0
1
1
3
3
3
3
3
3
1
3
0
3
1
153.0
30.6
150.0
119.2
196.6
167.5
15.2
12.6
14.2
140.1
14.2
13.8
14.8
167.8
30.6
15.1
167.5
167.5
140.1
13.4
14.2
14.2
140.1
140.1
140.1
157.9
364.8
329.7
66.5
87.0
188.9
411.0
188.9
235.3
74.2
387.0
119.2
128.7
329.7
329.7
411.0
66.5
188.9
188.9
411.0
411.0
411.0
298.1
14.8
74.2
157.9
15.1
168.2
15.1
168.2
12.37
151.4
31.2
168.2
11.2
12.3
15.2
15.4
298.1
128.7
319.4
128.7
319.4
60.28
291.2
91.2
319.4
108.0
69.8
63.6
336.0
122.9
122.9
13.3
12.37
16.2
12.3
15.2
15.4
122.9
13.3
401.5
401.5
127.5
60.28
102.0
69.8
63.6
336.0
401.5
127.5
12.37
147.7
60.28
286.0
est
(est)
est
est
Notes: Shaft length - representative models shown use the following convention where possible. Up to 10hp, short shaft.
10hp to 150hp, long shaft. Over 150hp, extra long shaft. Up to 18hp, tiller steer. 20hp and over - forward steer. Readers are
advised to make sure they check the latest prices with their local dealers, before making a purchase decision - and please
note, freight costs will vary according to the location of the dealer.
86 The Boat Mag December 2012 Outboard Database
Tohatsu
Yamaha
Suzuki
Yamaha
Evinrude
Evinrude
Honda
Mercury
Mercury
Mercury
Suzuki
Tohatsu
Tohatsu
Yamaha
Yamaha
Yamaha
Mercury
Evinrude
Yamaha
Honda
Mercury
Mercury
Suzuki
Tohatsu
Evinrude
Evinrude
Honda
Mercury
Mercury
Mercury
Suzuki
Yamaha
Yamaha
Yamaha
Evinrude
Honda
Honda
Mercury
Mercury
Suzuki
Yamaha
Yamaha
Evinrude
Evinrude
Honda
Mercury
Mercury
Mercury
Mercury
Suzuki
Yamaha
Yamaha
Yamaha
HP
90 tldi
90 pb
100
100
115 e-tec
115 e-tec
115
115
115 opti
115
115
115
115 tldi
115
115
115 pb
125 opti
130 e-tec
130 pb
135
135 opti
135 ver
140
140
150 e-tec
150 e-tec
150
150
150 opti
150 ver
150
150
150 pb
150 pb
175 e-tec
175
175
175
175 ver
175
175 hpdi
175 pb
200 e-tec
200 e-tec
200
200
200 opti
200 ver
200
200
200
200 hpdi
200 pb
Model
MD90B EPTOL
90AETOL
DF100TL
F100DETL
E115DPL11
E115DHX11
BF115D
ELPT EFI
ELPT
PRO-XS
DF115TL
M115A2 EPTOL
MD115A EPTOL
F115AETL
F115A
115CETOL
L
E130DPX11
130BETOL
BF135A4 LD
L
L
DF140TX
M140A2 EPTOL
E150DBX11
E150DHL11
BF150A4 LD
L EFI
L
L
DF150TL
F150AETL
Z150QETOL
150FETOL
E175DPX11
BF175A6 XD
BF175 AK1
175ProXS
XL
DF175TX
Z175GETOX
175DETOX
E200DPZ11
E200DHL11
BF200A6 XD
XL EFI
XL
1200V13FD XL
LW
XL
DF200TX
FL200CETX
Z200NETOX
200FETOX
RRP
4-stroke
Cylinders Amp/hr
2-stroke Capacity
capacity
Carb/Inject (ccʼs)
$12,249
$10,844
$14,873
$13,928
$16,253
$16,847
$17,990
$14,322
$12,797
$TBA
$15,378
$12,314
$15,849
$15,834
$TBA
$11,935
$TBA
$16,966
$12,832
$19,194
$16,904
$21,626
$16,233
$12,795
$19,674
$20,361
$21,126
$14,023
$17,603
$22,657
$19,413
$20,210
$20,746
$15,927
$21,325
$23,636
$23,636
$20,312
$23,649
$21,276
$21,957
$17,067
$25,469
$23,957
$24,854
$15,901
$20,141
$27,626
$24,861
$24,054
$22,871
$22,827
$18,279
2di
2c
4i
4i
2di
2di
4i
4i
2di
2di
4i
2c
2di
4i
4i
2c
2di
2di
2c
4i
2di
4i sc
4i
2c
2di
2di
4i
2i
2di
4i sc
4i
4i
2di
2c
2di
4i
4i
2di
4i sc
4i
2di
2c
2di
2di
4i
2i
2di
4i sc
4i sc
4i
4i
2di
2c
1267
1140
1950
1596
1726
1726
2354
1732
1526
1526
1950
1768
1768
1741
3352
1730
1526
1726
1730
2354
2507
1732
2044
1768
2589
2589
2354
2507
2507
1732
2867
2670
2596
2596
2589
3471
3471
3032
1732
2867
2596
2596
2589
3279
3471
2507
3032
2598
1732
3614
3352
2596
2596
3
3
4
4
V4 60º
V4 60º
4
4
3
3
4
4
4
4
V6
V4 90º
3
V4 60º
V4 90º
4
V6 60º
4
4
4
V6 60º
V6 60º
4
V6 60º
V6 60º
4
4
4
V6 76º
V4 90º
V6 60º
V6
4
V6 60°
4
4
V6 76º
V4 90º
V6 60º
V6 90º
V6
V6 60º
V6 60º
6
4
V6 55º
V6 90°
V6 76º
V6 90º
23A
10A
40A
25A
133A
133A
55A
50
60A
60A
40A
27.5A
40A
25A
46A
20A
60A
133A
20A
40A
60A
70A
40A
27.5A
133A
133A
40A
60A
60A
70A
44A
35A
45A
45A
133A
60A
60A
60A
70A
44A
45A
45A
133A
133A
60A
60A
60A
70A
70A
54A
45A
45A
25A
Weight
(Kg)
143
122.5
189
172
167
177
217
181
170
170
189
164
173
188
278
167
170
177
167
217
195
231
186
164
190
190
217
193
195
231
211
216
220
198
190
267
272
229
239
211
220
198
190
238
267
196
225
294
239
263
274
220
198
F&B Emiss
Emiss.
Star HC+NOX
CO
Rating (g/kw/hr) (g/kw/hr)
2
1
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
2
3
1
2
3
3
1
3
3
1
3
3
2
3
1
3
3
3
1
2
2
3
3
2
1
3
3
3
3
2
3
2
1
3
3
3
1
3
2
2 est
3
3
2
1
31.2
161.4
12.37
16.2
12.5
12.5
13.8
15.4
13.3
19.8
12.6
199.6
31.1
11.9
TBA
169.4
12.6
12.8
140.0
13.8
14.2
15.4
12.4
167.3
15.2
15.2
13.8
117.2
14.2
15.4
12.9
10.8
30.5
130.0
15.2
11.5
12.4
15.1
15.4
12.9
30.5
122.5
15.2
10.6
11.5
117.2
15.1
15.1
91.2
432.5
233.2
102.0
114.9
114.9
75.6
336.0
127.5
170.2
233.5
150.0
128.5
246.5
TBA
356.4
139.7
122.8
392.8
75.6
107.6
336.0
238.5
355.3
114.2
114.2
75.6
282.4
107.6
336.0
159.6
222.3
89.2
354.8
114.2
77.8
89.4
92.8
336.0
159.6
89.2
241.8
114.2
84.9
77.8
282.4
92.8
278.8
13.0
12.7
30.5
122.5
200.9
199.9
89.2
241.8
TBM’s December 2012 Outboard Prices
Make
Footnote: Readers are reminded that all the outboard data, and the prices Boatmags P/L has published here, are as accurate as we can
make them at the time of going to press. The database is derived from various sources in Australia and overseas, and regularly spotchecked for accuracy. We maintain the lists on a monthly basis, but from time to time, an ammendment will come in too late to make the
cut for the following issue, so the published prices and specs can be as much as 5-6 weeks behind the ʻstreetʼ figures. Do Not Rely On
Them To Make A Purchase Decision! Always check with your local outboard dealer to get the latest ʻdealʼ, ʻpackageʼ or price before
deciding which one to buy - and donʼt forget to clarify whether the ʻpriceʼ includes the propeller, throttle, gearshift and appropriate
cables, the engine gauges, and installation charges.
The Boat Mag December 2012 Outboard Database
87
HP
Evinrude
Evinrude
Honda
Mercury
Mercury
Mercury
Mercury
Suzuki
Yamaha
Evinrude
Evinrude
Mercury
Mercury
Suzuki
Suzuki
Yamaha
Mercury
Evinrude
Mercury
Suzuki
Yamaha
Mercury
Yamaha
225 e-tec
225 e-tec
225
225
225 opti
225 ver
225 3L
225
225
250 e-tec
250 e-tec
250 ver
250 opti
250
250SS
250
275 ver
300 e-tec
300 ver
300
300
350 ver
350
Model
RRP
E225DPZ11
E225DHX11
BF225A6 XD
XL EFI
XL PRO XS
XL
Sea Pro XL
DF225TXX
FL225FETX
E250DPZ11
E250DHX11
XL
250 XL PRO XS
DF250TX
DF250STL
F250DETX
XL
E300DPZ11
XL
DF300TX
F300BETX
XL
FL350AETX
4-stroke
Cylinders Amp/hr
2-stroke Capacity
capacity
Carb/Inject (ccʼs)
$25,469
$26,204
$25,230
$19,080
tba
$29,190
$20,450
$25,654
$25,840
$29,332
$27,708
$30,689
$27,464
$26,879
$30,723
$28,772
$33,308
$31,777
$34,550
$31,036
$31,578
$38,527
$40,110
2di
2di
4i
2i
2di
4i sc
2i
4i
4i
2di
2di
4i sc
2di
4i
4i
4i
4i sc
2di
4i sc
4i
4i
4i sc
4i
3279
3279
3471
3032
3032
2598
3047
3614
4169
3279
3441
2598
3032
3614
4028
4169
2598
3441
2598
4028
4169
2598
5330
V6
V6
V6
V6
V6
V6
90º 133A
90º 133A
60A
60º 60A
60° 60A
60º 46A
V6
V6
V6
V6
V6
V6
V6
V6
V6
V6
V6
V6
V6
V6
V6
V8
55º
60º
90º
90º
60º
60º
55º
55°
60º
90º
90º
90º
55º
60º
60º
90º
Weight
(Kg)
238
238
267
218
229
294
209
263
253
238
234
294
229
263
262
253
294
242
294
274
253
300
365
54A
70A
133A
133A
46A
60A
54A
54A
70A
133A
133A
133A
54A
70A
46A
50A
F&B Emiss
Emiss.
Star HC+NOX
CO
Rating (g/kw/hr) (g/kw/hr)
3
3
3
1
3
2
2
3
3
3
3
2
3
3
3
3
2
2
2
3
3
2 est
3
10.6
10.6
11.5
103.6
12.1
15.1
26.3
13.0
10.4
10.6
10.6
15.1
12.1
13.0
13.0
10.4
15.1
29.5
15.1
13.0
10.4
tba
9.2
84.9
84.9
77.8
248.3
278.8
278.8
146.2
200.9
219.8
84.9
84.9
278.8
83.8
200.9
200.9
219.8
278.8
251
278.8
200.9
219.8
tba
216.1
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The Boat Mag December 2012 Outboard Database
TBM’s December 2012 Prices
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Neil was pretty happy
with the fishing north of
Bowen - even if it did
cost a couple of tyres!
Neil Dunstan:
Ebb & Flow
Saltwater Creek
Revisited.
n the seven or eight
years that I have been
writing these articles for
F&B magazine (I still
have trouble with “The
Boat Mag”) some of the
most popular stories
have been about
travelling to other places
to find out how the other
half fishes.
My mate J.T. and I have
been to many places such
as Princess Charlotte Bay,
Cape York, Karumba,
Western Cape York, many
North Queensland areas
from Cairns down to
Stanage Bay as well as
many trips in our home
area and we enjoyed them
all.
Recently J.T. has been
battling with cancer and the
testing and treatment has
taken it out of him, so at
seventy years of age, he
was starting to wilt a bit.
I suggested that we
should go off on another
road trip for a week or
more so that we could get
a bit of fishing in, and just
relax for a while. He was
pretty keen, so we decided
to do the trip in a style
befitting our advancing
years which means
I
90 The Boat Mag
maximum comfort in all
areas.
The plan was to go to a
place which was not too far
to drive, and take my small
caravan on the back of my
Commodore, whilst John
would tow the Quintrex 4.5
behind his four wheel drive.
This meant that we would
be looking at an estuary
system within half a dayʼs
drive from home, which we
thought may offer some
good crabbing and maybe
a barra or two.
Some time ago we
enjoyed a trip up to Bowen,
and after we had explored
the area around that town,
we still had a couple of
days before we turned for
home and I suggested we
head a bit north of Bowen
to a couple of estuary
systems I had visited some
years before. The couple of
days we had there gave us
an idea that we should
come back and have a
longer look, so when I
Introducing
suggested to John that we
head up to the Saltwater
Creek system he thought
that it was a good idea, too.
There are a number of
good estuary systems north
of Bowen to just south of
Townsville, including the
Burdekin River system.
However, we donʼt like to
go near the Burdekin areas
(such as Groper Creek at
Home Hill) as there are
always mobs of grey
nomads camping there, so
we use the other systems
north and south of the
Burdekin during the dry
season for a bit of solitude.
On Day One we got
away about mid-morning,
and accomplished the five
hour drive with no trouble
and turned into Wallaceʼs
Landing, which is a
tributary of Saltwater
Creek, and is accessible
via a turnoff at Mount
Inkerman, south of Home
Hill. The track is pretty
good and was no trouble
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for the caravan, but it must
be remembered that the
last section is private
property and should be
treated as such.
On arrival, we set up the
caravan near the small
concrete boat ramp and got
the boat ready for an early
start the next morning.
The area is good for
camping, as there is a
gravel parking area for cars
and trailers with a number
of solar powered lights for
illumination at night, plus
there is a well maintained
long drop toilet along with
large rubbish bins, but
there is no fresh water, and
no firewood available.
On Day Two we got
away to an early start and
headed down Wallaces
Creek to where it joins up
with Saltwater Creek,
where we set half a dozen
crab pots, and then
continued down to the
mouth of the system for a
dayʼs fishing.
It was a bit difficult to say
the least, as there was
virtually no run in the tiny
tides and the wind was
blowing at twenty knots coupled with the fact that
we could not find any live
bait or prawns so we had to
rely on frozen bait. Not a
good option, but it was all
we had.
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How about this for a nice camp site? Ramp, creek, barra and crabs at your doorstep.
There were
another couple
of boats around
and we all
fished the
snags for a few
mangrove jack
and bream with
some
reasonable sized barra caught on
plastic prawns jigged in the snags.
On the trip back up to the camp
site, we pulled our pots and caught
over twenty mud crabs with only two
legal bucks, so we reset them and
headed back to clean up, cook tea
Neil Dunstan’s
Ebb &
Flow. .
and crabs before relaxing with a
couple of drinks.
Day Three and the wind had
dropped considerably, but there was
still no run in the tide, so we motored
right down to the mouth of the
system, towing lures all the way
without any success, then headed out
to the open sea to check out the
deeper channels on the incoming tide,
hoping to get onto some blue or king
salmon coming in with the making
tide.
Our only success was the capture
of a couple of shovel nosed sharks
which are great fighters, but we donʼt
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92 The Boat Mag
eat them (as lots of people do) so
they were released. We then fished
our way back up the river, all the way
to our camp site, checking the crab
pots on the way for another twenty
five mud crabs of which only three
were legal - but we managed to catch
a jumping cod and some reasonable
sized bream for the ice box.
When we got back to camp, the
owner of the property came over for a
bit of a yarn to see if we were
catching any fish and he said that if
we liked to drive back up the track for
a mile or so, we would find a bore
where we could have a shower if we
wanted, so off we went as it was very
hot and we were starting to pong a
bit. We started the pump and got
under the hose to find that the water
was freezing but we stuck at it and
went back to camp clean and very
refreshed.
Early next morning we took off in a
hurry to go and pull our pots as it was
getting close to low tide and we
wanted to pack up and head to
another destination. We just made it
over the sand bars to get the pots
and headed back up the creek licketty
split with them on board to just make
it back before we ran out of water.
Amazingly we had at least six crabs
in each pot but frustratingly we still
only managed two legal crabs from
over thirty crabs. Iʼll bet there will be a
crab bonanza in six months time.
We packed up camp and decided
to head the sixty five km north to Giru
and then over to the “Landing” at the
junction of the Haughton River and
Cromarty Creek where we had been
before, and fished with a bit of
success. I arrived at Giru a
bit before John and I was
talking to some blokes at
the shop who I knew, when
I noticed Johnʼs rig go by at
the end of the street. Then
a few minutes later he went
past again in the opposite
direction, so I guessed he
hadnʼt seen the sign for the
boat ramp when he went
past again, at which point I
thought I better go and find
him. But heʼd disappeared,
so I headed off to the
landing, assuming that he
would eventually find his
way there. When I got
there he had already
arrived and was very
disappointed to find that
the shop had sold out of
the beaut pies which I had
promised I would bring for
lunch.
We were very pleased to
find that there were no grey
nomads camped there, so
we set up camp in the
prime spot overlooking the
water and had a peaceful
afternoon before a restful
nightʼs sleep ready for the
next day.
Next morning we set off
down the river and lured
most of the way, but caught
no barra so we set the crab
pots out and fished our
way back during the day,
fishing the gutters in the
mangroves for a
reasonable feed of grunter
and bream. As we were
passing a large snag near
the bank of the river we
saw a monster barra leap
out of the water in the
middle of the snag chasing
small jelly prawns. He must
have been close to the
magic metre mark and he
jumped a number of times
right near the boat with
some spectacular splashes
and prawns flying in all
directions. We carried on
back to camp fishing along
the way and checking the
crab pots for another haul
of more than twenty crabs,
but again only two legal
ones but with the fish that
we had, and the crabs, it
was still a reasonable day
finished off with a giant
feed of fish for tea that
night.
On our last day we
headed off down river
again to the snag where
we had spotted the large
barra the day before,
armed with some clear
plastic prawns which the
locals use to jig in the
snags for barra. We tried
for some time and had two
big strikes but missed both
of them and each strike
destroyed the plastic
prawns so it was back to
bait fishing.
The rest of the day was
spent fishing the snags for
some more bream, a
couple of mangrove jack
and unusually, a number of
archer fish which gave a
really good account of
themselves for such small
fish. With another huge
haul of under sized crabs
for only two legal bucks,
we headed back to camp
and on the way stopped to
watch a charter fishing boat
chasing barra with about
five very drunk fishermen
on board. The skipper was
using hard bodied lures
and only got two barra but I
donʼt think the crew would
have known the difference
between a barra and a
catfish - and at $1500 a
day, they were pretty
expensive barra.
We had decided to head
back home the next day, so
camp was packed up
straight after breakfast and
we were on our way fairly
early.
Although we had not
caught heaps of fish we
still had some nice fillets in
the freezer and we
calculated that we had
caught two hundred and
twenty crabs for about a
dozen or so takers, but that
was okay, and we hit the
road having had a really
good break.
Giru is about ten km from
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The Boat Mag 93
the Landing and after going
through town, as we
headed back towards the
highway I blew a tyre on
the caravan. Bugger. I had
a spare so I wasnʼt too
worried, and after a lot of
mucking around I managed
to fit the spare. I discussed
with John whether we
should stop somewhere
and get another tyre for the
spare but we had a good
look at the two remaining
tyres on the van which
looked like brand new and
decided to carry on home.
About another sixty km
further on past Home Hill
there was a loud bang; the
bloody van had blown
another tyre, which meant
we werenʼt going anywhere
until we got another
replacement.
I jacked the van up on
the side of the road and left
it there still hooked up to
the Commodore then
travelled sixty km back to
Ayr in Johnʼs Toyota.
We stopped at Burdekin
JT takes a well earned break with a coldie, as he
contemplates the next dayʼs fishing and crabbing.
Tyre Service where they
had two light truck tyres to
suit and fitted them to the
two wheels, I wasnʼt going
any further without a spare.
When I asked the chap
who fitted the tyres as to
what had caused my
problem, he asked what
they were off, and when I
said “They were from my
caravan . . ” he
immediately looked at the
date which is stamped on
the tyre wall.
He told me the tyres
were over ten years old
and even though they
looked perfect, when they
sit in a shed for years, they
get out of shape from
sitting in one position and
the rubber becomes hard
and inflexible – until all of a
sudden, they are put back
on the road, and driven
thousands of km with a
heavy load - and they fail.
He was very patient with
me explaining all this, even
getting the old tyres and
showing me where and
how they had failed, but it
was the fact that even if the
tyres look perfect, with
brand new tread, they will
still fail if they are too old –
and thatʼs not good news
for many trailerboat
owners.
Back to the van parked
on the roadside. Luckily it
was all still there, so the
new tyres were installed,
and an uneventful trip
home followed in time for a
shower and a nice evening
meal.
I spoke to J.T. a few days
later, and he was nearly
back to his old self again,
so I reckoned that even
though we had only
marginal fishing luck, the
trip was a real success and we were soon
discussing our next trip
away.
Neil Dunstan.
Sarina Beach.
TBM
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Ruth’s Boatshop. . .
battery of your torch is flat, there’s
no power - and it’s a very dark
night!
2012 Xmas
Stocktake
Clearance
Now On!
F&B Navy Tee Shirt. Was
$18.90 Members $10.90
Simple, cool, elegant and srong,
these navy blue tee shirts are
worth every cent - especially at
$10.90 plus P&P.
Get organised on the boat or around
the camp. Easy & quick to wrap up.
F&B Polar Fleece Vest. Was
$59.90 Members $39.95
Very useful on the tinnie, in the car
or on the picnic rug. Effective, too.
F&B Tournament Pro. Was
$39.90 Members $25!
This is a
favourite, and
easily one of
the best
‘sahara’ style
caps around.
Very
comfortable,
terrific protection and amazingly
effective with good polarised
sunnies.
Weekender Wet Shower Bag.
Was $24.90 Members $15.95
F&B Cooler Bag. Was $59.90
Members $40
Shakespeare Pro-Am reel.
Was $19.95 Members $9.95
Love these sleeveless vests - and
wear ‘em all the time. Excellent in
late winter or spring when a full
jacket is too hot, but you need
something for the small of
your back.
Perfect for the little bloke! And a
useful bait reel into the bargain which it is. Approx 220m x 3kg,
fast 4.8:1 gearing.
12v Halogen Spotlight
(Round). Was $19.95
Members $9.95
LED Torch: No Batteries
Required - ever!
Was $49.90 Members $34.00
Extremely useful and very practical
- the light you need when the
500,000 Candlepower spottie with
10’ car cord and cigarette lighter
plug. Trigger on/off.
Geoff Wilson’s Knots & Rigs
(and DVD). Was $24.95
Members $17.95
An absolute classic for any halfway
serious fisherman. Wonderful gift.
F&B Drink
Bottle.
Was $9.90
Members
$6.95
Be it ever so
simple and easy
to use, the F&B
water bottle is
especially
important on
those hot days!
Cork Key Ring. Was $7.95
Members $3.95
Yeah well - can you have too many
cork key rings? These are value,
and they do float!
To order, please go to Ruthʼs Shop on The Boat Magsʼ web site www.boatmags.com.au
CHANGES TO NSW LIFEJACKET
SAFETY RULES
Marine safety rules in NSW are being fine tuned so
it is simpler for people to understand when the law
requires them to wear a lifejacket.
Office of Boating Safety and Maritime Affairs General
Manager Howard Glenn said changes to the Marine
Safety (General) Regulation follow new laws introduced in
2010 which required lifejackets to be worn in certain
conditions and situations.
“There‟s no single more important piece of safety
equipment on board a boat than a lifejacket,” Mr Glenn
said.
“The best safety
practice is that
everybody on board a
small boat wears a
lifejacket, but there are
situations of heightened
risk where the law
actually requires one to
be worn.”
“We‟ve listened to
ideas for fine tuning
these laws which were
introduced in 2010, and
made some
clarifications.”
The main changes to
the regulations include:
n Pejar Dam near
Goulburn and the Yass River are now confirmed as
“alpine waters‟.
n People on board vessels on alpine waters may now
wear any type of lifejacket.
n Removing the exemption from wearing a lifejacket
which previously applied to surf skis, which now come
under the requirements for canoes and kayaks.
n Requiring people aboard vessels less than 4.8
metres to wear lifejackets at all times between sunset and
sunrise.
n Requiring canoeists and kayakers to wear lifejackets
at all times when on white water.
n Clarifying that inflatable lifejackets that have been
purchased or acquired new less than 12 months ago are
considered to be appropriate, regardless of when they
were manufactured.
n Amending an existing clause that requires a person
to wear a lifejacket if he or she is boating alone in a small
vessel without emergency assistance, to allow the
company of a young person to qualify as emergency
assistance if the young person is the holder of a boating
licence.
n Increases safety requirements for divers with
improvements to the display of dive flags, including that
the flags must be in good condition and may be displayed
96 The Boat MagMag
on a nearby buoy.
With the new changes, the law now requires lifejackets
to be worn:
l By children less than
12 years old at all times
when aboard a vessel
less than 4.8 metres long
and when aboard a
vessel less than 8
metres long which is
underway.
l By all occupants of a
vessel less than 4.8
metres long between
sunset and sunrise, in
open or alpine waters,
when boating alone or
when being used to
transport goods/people
more than 200 metres
from shore.
l By anyone being
towed, including
waterskiing, wakeboarding or parasailing and those being
towed on tubes, sea biscuits or similar towable devices.
l By anyone aboard a canoe or kayak when more than
100 metres from shore or on open or white water.
l By a person kitesurfing alone more than 400 metres
from shore.
l When in an off-the-beach sailing vessel in open
waters.
l In certain situations of heightened risk including, but
not limited to bad weather and crossing bars.
l By anyone at any time when directed by the skipper.
“Boating Safety Officers carry out random inspections
of recreational and commercial vessels across NSW
waterways,” Mr Glenn said.
“Their role is primarily education and safety, but they do
have enforcement powers and penalties apply for noncompliance.”
For more information about lifejacket safety visit
lifejacketwearit.com.au.
New Humminbird Radar
Humminbird have launched their new plug and play
radar systems. Having radar on your boat can now be
as simple as installing a Humminbird radar dome and
plugging it into your Ethernet compatible
Humminbird sounder.
Navigational hazards in low light or visibility can be a
problem but now you can watch things like beacons,
kayaks, coastlines, other boats and weather all take
shape on your fish finder for maximum safety and a
competitive edge.
You can choose from either of the rugged 30.5cm (12”)
D
s
NSW Minister for Roads and
Ports Duncan Gay says new laws
have passed Parliament which will
bring NSW under a national system
for commercial vessels.
Mr Gay says the Marine Safety
Amendment (Domestic Commercial
Vessel National Law Application) Bill
ST
s
ED
TE
SF
AC
N
TI
A
Breaking Down
Borders For
Commercial Vessels
GUARA
NT
ION
EE
CT
FA
A
BUILT TO L
sS
or 53.3cm (21”) radomes to suit your
boat and these will easily connect to
your Humminbird Ethernet Network.
Up to 4kW transmit power delivers
accurate target detection at both long
and short ranges; while adjustable
VRM and EBL functions provide
precise range and bearing information
for any target. The shaded target
intensity on-screen helps the user to
judge weather severity and also
differentiate between large and small
vessels. Humminbird Radar is just
another way that you can see things
clearer with Humminbird.
Ethernet compatible sounders are
the 858cx Combo, 858cx DI Combo,
898cx SI Combo, 958cx Combo,
958cx DI Combo, 998cx SI Combo,
1158cx Combo, 1158cx DI Combo,
and 1198cx SI Combo.
For more information on the new
Humminbird Radar and to find your
nearest stockist, visit
www.humminbird.com.au or
www.bla.com.au
s SA
TI
S
2012 enables the formation of a single maritime safety
system to govern the operation of commercial vessels in
Australian waters.
“These changes break down the maritime borders
meaning a commercial vessel that complies with national
standards and is certified to operate in QLD can work in
NSW without additional inspection and certification,”
Minister Gay said.
“Or that a vessel built in NSW can be sold and
operated in any other state or territory without the need
for further inspection and possible expensive
modifications.
“These reforms were agreed to at the Council of
Australian Governments in July 2009 and implementation
of the national system is also a key initiative in the
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The Boat Mag 97
Governmentʼs Maritime Policy Agenda, which I
announced in August 2012
“It ensures uniformity in standards, legislation and
administration and it means greater efficiency by reducing
the regulatory burden for the maritime industry.
“Current registration certificates, survey certificates and
crew certificates will continue to be recognised until either
these certificates expire or until 2016. As existing NSW
certificates expire they will be replaced with national
certificates.
“These changes will not affect the management of ports
and harbours or the regulation of waterways, and it will
not affect recreational vessels.
“NSW has had a significant involvement in the
development of the National Law and industry has been
widely consulted.
“The Boating Industry Association of NSW has lent its
support as the changes would dramatically simplify the
regulatory environment for all parties engaged in maritime
commercial enterprises.
“It is a common sense reform and Iʼm pleased NSW will
now formally come under the new maritime safety system
when it commences in March 2013” Mr Gay said.
Old Town Camden 106 Angler
Old Town Canoes & Kayaks®, a brand steeped in
tradition and innovation for over a century have
launched a new kayak in the Camden series, the
Camden 106 Angler.
Sit-in kayaks are becoming a more practical and easy
to use watercraft for those of us that enjoy some serious
fishing or even a nice leisurely paddle on the waterways.
The Camden 106 Angler boasts smooth lines, a proven
design and clever features that are set to successfully
deliver a superior on-water experience. It is a stable,
comfortable, easy gliding watercraft built for the
discriminating paddler and touring fisherman.
The kayak features a front-mount
Cannon® rod holder and
two inclined
rear
98 The Boat Mag
flush mount rod holders. They allow for multiple rods to
be accessed easily from a seated position as well as
giving you the option to leave them rigged and troll. The
kayak also has a paddle holder and a corded anchor
system which easily deploys from a seated position.
The kayak features a smartly designed dashboard
engineered for extra storage and to keep personal items
close at hand. The dashboard includes mounting areas
for GPS or rod holders, a rubberised cup holder and a 4inch dry hatch for secure storage of smaller valuables like
wallets, keys or mobile phones.
Additionally, the Camden 106 Angler features the
comfortable new Active Comfort System (ACS) seat. It is
a seat with an intuitive adjustment system, three-layer
polyethylene construction for optimal support and an
enhanced seating surface for superior airflow and
drainage.
The four-way adjustable seat tailors to individual backrest height, thigh and lumbar support, and back-rest
angle to provide a truly customized ride. ACS thigh pads
and adjustable foot pegs add increased manoeuvrability
and control to the package.
Additional innovations on the new Camden kayak
includes the distinctive new Click Seal™ hatch system
with bulkhead. This unique stern hatch is hinged for easy
access and includes a superior seal designed to keep
gear dry over the long haul.
The Camden 106 Angler also features a forward
thinking bungee system intended to provide paddlers with
a variety of on-deck storage options. All these impressive
features are packed into a kayak that only weighs 23kg
so loading it on your vehicleʼs roof racks shouldnʼt be a
problem. The Camden 106 Angler boasts a length of
3.2m, a width of 0.73m and a carrying capacity of 158kg.
For more information on this great Old Town watercraft
and to find your nearest stockist visit
www.oldtowncanoe.com.au or www.bla.com.au
Christmas Emergency Beacon
Value Packs from GME
(Mainly for 4WD & Bushwalking Adventurers)
GME, one of the worldʼs leading emergency beacon
manufacturers will once again offer Australian and
New Zealand customers an outstanding preChristmas special with their MT400, MT406G EPIRB
and MT410G PLB integrated bonus packs.
Commencing in early November these three
emergency beacons will be presented in clearly
identifiable custom packaging containing the emergency
beacon and bonus items.
The award winning MT400 and GPS equipped
MT406G EPIRBs bonus packs will include a 15 litre GME
branded “dry bag”, along with a Guardian dual function
signal light, recognized globally as the lightest, brightest
and toughest product in its class. Both bonus items were
carefully selected to provide genuine value for the boating
fraternity.
GMEʼs hard wearing PVC ʻdry bagʼ is designed to
safely transport wallets, keys, cameras and other such
valuables. The bag can be made water tight by rolling
down the top and sealing with the clip, it is also supplied
with a convenient shoulder strap.
The Guardian light utilises an unbreakable LED bulb
that will never need replacing, it comes complete with 2
lithium coin cell batteries that deliver over 250 hours of
flashing light or 100 hours of steady illumination.
The light is visible up to 1.5 km and submersible to a
depth of 90 metres.
Matthew Heap, GMEʼs Marine Marketing Manager,
commented “These EPIRB bonus packs, coupled with
our recent 6 + 6 year battery initiative represent the best
safety at sea value anywhere in the world, and I
challenge anyone to find a better offer. However this deal
will only be available for a limited period during November
and December 2012 or whilst stocks last, so
make sure you watch out for the unique
promotional packaging at your local GME
marine dealer”.
NOTE: The MT410G GPS equipped PLB
bonus pack will contain a 15 litre GME “dry
bag” plus a Sparkie™ the latest emergency
fire starter from Ultimate Survival
Technologies.
Matthew Heap again said; “The MT410G,
dry bag and Sparkie™ really compiment
each other and are a tremendous addition to
any outdoor adventurerʼs equipment. The
GPS equipped PLBʼs value has been
documented in numerous survival stories.
The Sparkie™ is a lightweight, one handed
emergency fire starter that operates even
when wet.
GME has been designing and
manufacturing emergency Beacons in
Australia for almost 40 years, in this time
literally thousands of lives have been saved
in Australia and around the world.
Customers seeking additional information
regarding these promotions can visit
www.gme.net.au or contact their
favourite GME marine retailer.
Olympic Medallists Visit
Soldiers Point Marina to
Talk to Students
Over 100 guests including Cr Bruce McKenzie
Mayor of Port Stephens, Real Futures Foundation
(RFF) sponsors, Soldiers Point Sailing School
students, parents and other guests were invited to a
cocktail party at The Point Restaurant Soldiers Point
Marina on Wednesday night to meet Olympic Gold
Medalist in the 49er Skiff Class at the London games
Iain Jensen and Paralympics dual silver medalist,
local girl Taylor Corry.
Iain and Taylor spoke about their “Olympic Experience”
and their lives and achievements leading up to that point,
The Boat Mag 99
From left: Iain Jensen, Graham Oborn Chief Sailing Instructor, Taylor Corry, Darrell Barnett, Soldiers Point Marina Manager
with lots of questions asked from the guests.
The cocktail party was held to thank sponsors of the
RFF and also recognize the achievements of the school
students from the Soldiers Point Marina sponsored
Soldiers Point Sailing School who receive sailing lessons
and have completed their Basic Skills 1 Certificate.
Students from Tomaree High and St Philips Christian
College as part of their weekly school sports lessons,
work towards gaining their Yachting Australia accredited
Basic Skills 1 Course over 10 weeks, with over 30
students achieving this certificate to date. These lessons
are sponsored by Soldiers Point Sailing School at no cost
to the student or the school.
Another highlight of the evening was the presentation
of four special encouragement awards to young sailors
who have completed their Basic Skills 1 Certificate and
are now moving towards achieving their Basic Skills 2
Certificate.
RFF is founded on the philosophy that schools and the
local community are partners in the support and
development of their young people who have reached a
critical crossroad in their lives, ensuring they find a
productive future in either furthering their education and
training, or securing suitable employment. “Soldiers Point Marina is proud to be a major long term
sponsor of the RFF and supporting our local youth” said
Marina General Manager Darrell Barnett CMM. “Our
experienced and qualified sailing instructors foster and
encourage confidence and a love of sailing and the water
for our young people” he said. “Sailing builds a sense of
adventure, a strong mental ability, and confidence, all the
skills needed for life………a perfect fit for the Real
Futures ethos” said Mr Barnett
100 The Boat Mag
World Reach Ltd Launches
Satphoneshop.com as Telstra
Mobile Satellite Dealer
Melbourne, VIC, November 22: New Telstra Dealer
SatPhone Shop provides a wide range of satellite
products for the Iridium satellite network.
SatPhone Shop Pty Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of
World Reach Limited, announces its new online satellite
phone shop, SatPhone Shop. SatPhone Shop is a Telstra
Dealer and provides a wide range of satellite products for
the Iridium satellite network.
“This initiative will make it easier for customers in
Australia to buy affordable, reliable Beam
Communications and Telstra satellite products and
services”, said Michael Capocchi, Managing Director for
World Reach and SatPhone Shop. “The shop has been
designed to specifically target the needs of government,
enterprise and consumer customers across a broad
range of industries including mining, oil & gas, emergency
services, construction, transport and recreational users.
As a specialised Telstra Satellite Dealer, customers can
be assured we have the credibility and backing to provide
first class service and satellite communication solutions.”
As an accredited Telstra Mobile Satellite Dealer,
SatPhone Shop offers the full suite of Satellite products
and services including standalone handsets or tailored
packages for the Iridium 9555 satellite phones and
Iridium Extreme 9575 satellite phone, Grab n Go kits, Invehicle docking solutions, handset accessories, antennas
and cables. Approved customers also have the option to
defer payment of their satellite equipment to monthly
interest free installments over the term of the contract,
allowing for a convenient $0 upfront purchase option of
the hardware.
Telstra is the only Australian Iridium service provider to
offer this installment plan.
SatPhone Shop is an approved Australian Government
Satellite Subsidy provider, allowing eligible customers to
claim the subsidy, making the cost of satellite equipment
very affordable.
World’s Most Advanced Sat-TV
Released At Fort Lauderdale
Ft. Lauderdale
International Boat
Show 2012 was
chosen for the
introduction of
Sailorʼs most
advanced satellite
television antenna
ever. Evolved from
market leading
antenna systems,
the all new SAILOR
100 Satellite TV
offers a number of
innovations including multi-polarisation and a
programmable LNB to ensure high quality worldwide
TV reception.
The SAILOR 100 Satellite TV is designed, developed,
tested and manufactured in-house by Thrane & Thraneʼs
Huntleys Point Wharf Upgrade The NSW State Government is upgrading the Huntleys Point Ferry Wharf. A new $4.9
million wharf will improve safety and amenity for customers, and ferry berthing efficiency. Work to build the new wharf is
expected to start in December 2012 and will take about four months to complete, weather permitting. The Huntleys Point Ferry
Wharf will be closed during construction of the new wharf. On completion of the new wharf, the existing wharf will be
retained for water taxi and recreational use. The new wharf has been designed to have a consistent look and feel with other
wharves being upgraded as part of the Sydney Harbour Wharf Upgrade Program.
The Boat Mag 101
experienced engineers and is claimed to be the most
advanced, rugged and reliable satellite TV antenna ever
built. Further innovations include single cable installation,
which is a truly unique feature in the maritime satellite TV
market, making installations easier and considerably
more cost effective. It also features an advanced rotary
joint, eliminating the need for cable unwrap when the boat
turns.
The SAILOR 100 Satellite TV provides television for
crew aboard commercial vessels, so is reliable in even
the toughest maritime environments. With a 103 cm dish
and advanced 3 axis structure, the antenna is the perfect
compromise between size and performance, so is also
the ideal choice for motorboat or luxury vessel owners
seeking a TVRO antenna to provide uninterrupted
viewing across regions and even on long international
passages where the broadcast satellite will change
regularly.
The SAILOR 100 Satellite TV is designed with
simplicity and ease of use in mind. It comes as standard
with a powerful touch screen terminal to handle all setup,
service and management, and features an advanced but
intuitive Graphical User Interface.
To learn more about the SAILOR 100 Satellite TV and
the SAILOR range of satellite and radio communication
systems, check out the Sailor web site.
Honda Powers River To Reef
Around Australia
The new season of popular television fishing show
River To Reef is in full swing around Australia,
powered all the way by Honda.
102 The Boat Mag
Airing on ONE (regional areas) and on Foxtelʼs Aurora
Channel, this series takes viewers to locations around
Australia and New Zealand in search of some of the most
popular fish species.
Presented by Honda dealer MY Marineʼs Theo Rozakis,
the latest series also includes a boat review in every
second episode, as well as in-depth product reviews on
Hondaʼs innovative BF90 and flagship BF250.
You can catch the River To Reef crew onboard its
Honda-powered Surtees 6.7 Gamefisher every Sunday at
4.30pm (ONE) and every Wednesday at 8.30pm (Aurora)
until early January 2013.
For further information and news regarding each
episode, visit rivertoreef.com.au
The Brisbane Boat Show Returns
to the RNA Showgrounds in 2013
M
arine Queensland is excited to reveal a new
venue for the 2013 Brisbane Boat Show.
From the 5th to the 8th of September 2013 the
Brisbane Boat Show will return to the cityʼs iconic RNA
Showgrounds, taking advantage of new facilities as part
of the venueʼs redevelopment.
“
In 2013 the Brisbane Boat Show will celebrate 53
years of showcasing the latest that Queenslandʼs
trailerboat marine industry has to offer,” said Greg
Nickerson, Marine Queensland President.
“The decision to move the event was not made lightly
and comes after a lengthy consultation process with
members and key industry exhibitors.“
“
The redeveloped showgrounds provides a fantastic
mix of indoors and outdoors space allowing us to tailor
exhibition options to suit varying needs and budgets.”
T
he Brisbane Boat Show will make use of the
redeveloped Industrial Pavilion which has been
transformed into a $65 million state of the art convention
and exhibition centre over two levels with the addition of
over 10,000m2 of new exhibition space.
T
he multi-level centre offers Australian first features
including a custom-built operable ceiling grid system
which can significantly reduce exhibition set up time. The
30 x 9m2 frames are each capable of a 700kg load, are
fitted with power and network ports and are able to be
lowered by remote control.
“
In recent years the costs of producing shows has
increased dramatically while the ability of exhibitors and
visitors to bear additional costs is diminishing. Getting
the balance between cost of running the event and
ensuring that the value proposition for exhibitors and
visitors remains strong is increasingly difficult. This move
allows the association to address these issues and
lessen the burden of costs on exhibitors and visitors”.
“The Brisbane Boat Show continues to be a key retail
event for marine dealerships and products suppliers in
South East Queensland.”
“
We aim to deliver true value through industry owned
and operated events. This means that members and
exhibitors can be confident that their dollar spend works
twice – once at the event, and secondly when the eventʼs
gate takings are reinvested back into the promotion of the
industry.”
T
he Brisbane Boat Show was last held at the RNA
Showgrounds in 1996.
I
n 2013, Marine Queensland will also run and manage:
n The Brisbane Tinnie and Tackle Show,
March 15 – 17 (RNA Showgrounds)
n The Mackay Marine Festival,
June 22 & 23 (Mackay Marina)
n Power, Sail & Paddle,
23 & 24 November (Manly Harbour, Brisbane)
For further information contact:
Nicholle Smith, Marine Queensland
P: 0427 267 545
E: [email protected]
Fishing for Facts – New Tassie
Study Seeks Community Input
A new study, funded by the Fishwise Community
Grants scheme, is underway to examine the history
of fishing in Tasmania and how popular recreational
fishing species including rock lobster, flathead,
flounder, trumpeter and gummy shark have
responded to fishing and other pressures.
Dr Sven Frijlink at the University of Tasmaniaʼs Institute
for Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS) is collecting
historical data for the study that will provide a better
understanding of how the numbers, size and distribution
of popular fishing species have changed over time. “From a historical point of view, understanding the
relationship between fishing and the viability of fish stocks
is a growing area of research,” said Dr Frijlink.
“Generally speaking, fishing pressures result in a
reduction in both the numbers of fish available and
average fish size - and because scientific assessments of
fish stocks are relatively modern, the state of most
fisheries prior to formal assessments is poorly
understood. So fisheries researchers are increasingly
turning to other methods to get a longer view on the
health of fish stocks and to complement data from
scientific assessments,” said Dr Frijlink.
The Boat Mag 103
Dr Jeremy Lyle, a fisheries scientist from IMAS, said:
“Information can be inferred through old government
reports, newspaper articles, journal articles and
commercial catch records. For example, a Royal
Commission into Tasmanian marine fisheries conducted
in 1882 provided numerous observations of how
abundant various fish species were at the time.
“However, another way of collecting historical
information is by talking to people who have been
catching or observing fish for a long period of time. These
are the people IMAS needs to contact.”
Such people possess a wealth of knowledge that is
valuable to researchers and may have implications for the
way fisheries are managed. The value of such
information is even greater if it can be supported by
photographic or written accounts of fish catches or
observations over the years
At this stage of the study, the research team are
seeking people with an enduring involvement in
Tasmanian marine fisheries to participate and contribute
to this important study.
If you have been involved in fishing in Tasmania for at
least 30 years and would like to know more about the
study, please contact Dr Sven Frijlink on 6227 7155 or
0400 643 653 for further information.
Fishwise
Community
Grants
provide
funding
for
104 The Boat Mag
individuals and community groups to conduct projects
that improve the management of marine resources or
improve the awareness and knowledge of our fisheries.
They are administered by the Tasmanian State
Governmentʼs Department of Primary Industries, Parks,
Water and Environment.
Finding Fish is Easy With The
New Garmin® echoMAP™ 50s
and 70s
Garmin International Inc. has announced the
echoMAP 50s and 70s, their newest combination
fishfinder and high-performance chartplotter series.
“With amazing features integrated in this line of combo
units, the echoMAP 50s and 70s prove to be unlike any
other on the market”
“With amazing features integrated in this line of combo
units, the echoMAP 50s and 70s prove to be unlike any
other on the market,” said Dan Bartel, Garminʼs vice
president of worldwide sales. “Ultra-fast position updates
combined with an included transducer perfect for
inland and shallow water, these units
are ideal for any estuary or nearshore
fishing situation.”
The echoMAP 50s combines a 5-inch
VGA chartplotter display with an
advanced echo HD-ID fishfinder,
whereas the echoMAP 70s gives an
amazing chartplotter and fishfinder
combination in a 7-inch WVGA
touchscreen display with pinch-to-zoom.
These crystal clear displays provide
clear target separation, allow visibility at
both day and night, and highlight a user
interface that anyone can navigate.
With the integration of a 10Hz
GPS/GLONASS receiver, both the 50s
and 70s have the ability to refresh
position and heading up to 10 times per
second. This allows the unit to display a
constant and fluid on-screen location
and provides significantly better
accuracy when marking waypoints and
navigating.
In conjunction with the new GPS
receiver, the echoMAP 50s and 70s
also allow for sonar recording. With this
feature, the vessel can coordinate the
timing of the sonar return in relation to
the boatʼs position. This allows for every
one of the 5000 user-defined waypoints
to be accurate and precise. The
echoMAP is an absolute must for the
avid fisherman locating and pinpointing
the next hot fishing spot.
The GOOD NEWS Corner . . .
Weʼre trying to encourage readers to
share their ʻHappy Daysʼ boating
experiences with fellow readers. We
reckon itʼs time to remind each other
about all the wonderful things you can
do in a boat . . It is not about literary or
photographic skill; it is all about
putting together a summary of a
special day, or weekend, youʼve had in
your boat. Weʼve got subscriptions,
tee shirts and sunnies on offer as
incentives . . and yep, we are
particularly keen to see family pics with
the youngsters involved. Weʼd also
love to hear from readers boating and
fishing some of the more unusual and
remote areas of OZ.
Enquiries to [email protected]
Included with both the 50s and 70s
is a dual-beam transducer that
transmits a 77/200 kHz signal. The
devices will also have wireless
connectivity capability, giving anglers
the opportunity to connect and
access future marine-specific Garmin
apps via smartphone or tablet.
The perfect accessory to
accompany the 50s is the new echo
portable kit. This soft-sided carrying
case with rigid structure for durability
and support can harbor any existing
echo series fishfinders and the new
echoMAP 5-inch combo products and
is an absolute necessity for the
fisherman on the go. The echo
portable provides a built-in cable
management and storage system for
a transducer to ensure that it can be
transported at a momentʼs notice.
Alongside trays designed for battery
and transducer storage, the echo
portable truly provides all the fishing
necessities in an easy-to-handle bag.
The echoMAP 50s and 70s are
scheduled to be available in the first
quarter of 2013. For additional
information regarding the echoMAP
50s and 70s, visit Garminʼs combo
website soon. TBM
The Boat Mag 105
QUIK 2 FIND - Gear, equipment & services we use over and over again
SEQ Stainless steel work
Hydraulic steering systems
Hydrive is a South Aussie company which makes world
class hydraulic steering to suit ANY application. Weʼve
used them on a huge variety of boats for many years.
Contact head office on (08) 8243 1633, or check out their
informative web site www.hydrive.com.au
F&Bʼs famous
strapless bimini has
been copied a
zillion times, but the
original is still the
best - and available
through Ruthʼs
Shop for fishos who
want freedom from
straps - and
uncluttered work
areas. More info at
www.boatmags.
com.au
For truly beautiful stainless steel work, and a remarkable
eye for ʻlineʼ SEQ customers need Drew McKenzie on their
team. The big guy is a legend - and has done all our s.s.
work for years. Phone (07) 5665 8920 or email
[email protected]
Bennett trim tabs
PWʼs favourite accessory and in our opinion the
best of the best - but they
are a bit harder to install,
and very powerful.
Available in OZ
through
any good
chandler or
marine dealer.
Learn heaps more at
www.bennetttrimtabs.com/
F&Bʼs Strapless bimini
Manson NZ anchors
Some of the claims
made for anchors
beggars belief - but with
the proudly Kiwi
Manson brand - the real
ones, that is - the claims
can be trusted. They
have the numbers on
the board. Available allover in good chandleries
and marine dealers.
Check their web site for
their backgound & know
how. Worth the visit:
www.mansonmarine.co.nz/
iPod, USB stick compatible marine AM/FM
radio - the GME GR9200
Upgraded over
the years, GMEʼs
AM/FM radio is a
beauty; designed
from the ground
up for marine
use, genuinely
rain or splash
proof. From
good chandlers
everywhere.
106 The Boat Mag
Covers,clears, midge screens, berth
cushions, roll-ups, etc.
Lots claim to have the skill, but in reality, Craft Coveringsʼ
(Qld) Phil Baker trained most of ʻem, and still wholesales
the good ʻbolt ropeʼ track and bits to the trade all over Oz.
Theyʼve done EVERY boat weʼve had! Call them on
(07) 5580 4800. Or visit www.craftcoverings.com.au
Wavemaster seat
dampener
Recently featured in TBM, the
Springfield Wavemaster
dampeners “put the glide back into
the ride” and whilst your tinnie
isnʼt going to float across the water
on a magic carpet - the dampeners
sure as heck take that awful ʻcrackʼ
or ʻbangʼ out of it. A must for
blokes with bad backs, hips or
knees. Available thru Ruthʼs shop
www.boatmags.com.au or with
more details from Wavemaster at
www.wavemaster.com.au on our project boats, or we are constantly asked “Where can I find . . .”
Superb cork flooring
The KLM team of v. clever sparkies . .
Upfront we must concede
weʼve always believed
cork planks produce the
best marine flooring for
internal or external use.
Beautiful to look at, nice &
safe underfoot, virtually nil
maintenance - the secret
is getting it laid properly.
More info, quotes, talk to
Len Perry at Eagle
Catamarans at Steiglitz
(near Brisbane) on (07)
5546 2900 and tell him
Peter & Ruth sent you!
When you canʼt find someone in SEQ to install the tabs,
that new sounder or rip out the shitty electrics and do it
properly - you need the team from KLM. Talk to John
(thatʼs ʻim on the right) with Simon (centre) and Cody (L)
Phone (07) 5546 1466
Maxwell quality winches
You might think it is
hard to stop the
ageing process - but
with a 12v Maxwell
power winch you
damn nearly can this can add years to
your boating life, as it
takes the whole backbreaking struggle out
of anchoring. Check
them out at
www.vetusmaxwell.com or talk to
our friend Jamie (Qld)
on (07) 3120 9704
Metho (NOT BUTANE!) Stoves
Boatbuilders need to think more about installing some of the
comforts of home - like this beautifully made, Swedish Origo
metho stove. Easy to install, takes bugger all space and is
completely safe. From BIAS Boating - see their ad P-93.
Parsun 3.6hp 0utboard
QL trim tabs
Made by Volvo, the QLʼs are the
easiest tabs to install and operate a vertical ʻbladeʼ drops down from
the above ʻboxʼ. Popular with the
trade ʻcoz they are so easy to rig.
Find ʻem at any Volvo Penta dealer.
ʻBaitmateʼ bait/cutting board(s)
Unabashed plug for
the “Baitmate” baitboards.
Extremely well designed and
ruggedly made in powdercoated
ally. Several varieties and sizes,
available nationwide. More info in
Ruthʼs Shop at www.boatmags.com.au
Reelax helmsman & passenger chairs
Folks, stop asking - this little 74.6cc,
16kg, 3.6hp one-lunger is a ripper
and just keeps on going. And
going. For around $750 rr,
it is a long term
winner!
More info (& other Parsun models) from
www.islandinflatables.com.au
The Reelax team make more than
outriggers and rod holders - they also
produce the best helmsman and passenger
chairs. A beaut range to consider (07) 3299 6666, or www.reelax.com.au
FThe Boat Mag 107
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(READER”S NOTE: We have a
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We Run A Smart New 9.0m SA Diesel Fisherman
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TBM’s Sea Library Good Read Pick Of The Month
This is a great bush yarn from Mike OʼNeil, one of the most popular
contributors on the original F&B team, who specialised in his once a
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aided and abetted by a mad bunch of mates, their main mission in life
was to explore the Top End, catch a barra or three, and enjoy a coldie
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Hi,
We trust you are
Readers Note: We have just
upgraded these sunnies to a new
enjoying the revised
version with stronger arms; they
F&B format in The Boat
look (and weigh) much the same,
but are better again.
Mag, as much as we are
producing it.
Whilst retaining all the
core F&B values of
creditable, ʻhands onʼ
editorial, itʼs been good to
branch out into other areas working with second hand boats for
example, or recognising that imports are
here to stay, and local boat manufacturing will be strained
to the max as a result . . . .
l The Only Outboard Prices & Specs Database
These are issues that effect
Beneteau’s Intriguing 7.0m
The
Walkaround
each of us in different ways,
and we believe itʼs more
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Mag
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team for fast, independent
advice, whether you are
Ruth
Peter
planning to buy a ʻpre-lovedʼ
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youʼve been admiring . . . as a subscriber, you can count on the
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The NEW 2013 QUINTREX!
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Tinnie Fit-Out
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