queensland 1770 March Report

[tugger]

Headed up to 1770 on Wednesday got into the caravan park about 530pm set up a few chairs and had a brew. 

 

 

Got up early and was at the servo in town at 5am to get our ice then launched the boat and headed out the weather was mint all day and in 2 hours we were dropping our 1st baits.

 

The fishing was good as we were quickly putting quality red throat and trout in the box. My best trout went 63cm and was fat as mud.

 

Lots of under size red emperor were caught up to 54cm must have got 20 or more without 1 legal size. We anchored up behind the reef just after dark and settled in for the night.

The next day was slow but slowly put some more fish in the box like tuskies and more rte. The boat was playing up with the motor not charging the batteries so we called it and headed home around lunch.

We had got close to our bag limit so not a big loss for the trip and have dropped the boat in today to get fixed.

Here is our final tally

 

[benno573]

bummer about the technical issues mate.  Looks alike a few good feeds there - amazed the yellow fish made it into your esky, i thought they were unwanted bycatch in your boat? 

[tugger]

12 minutes ago, benno573 said:

bummer about the technical issues mate.  Looks alike a few good feeds there - amazed the yellow fish made it into your esky, i thought they were unwanted bycatch in your boat? 

Lance wanted them for his neighbors they look after his pets when he is away

[Old Scaley]

Lots of tasty meals there @tugger.  Hopefully the battery issue will be a quick and cheap repair and you will be back into it soon.

[Luvit]

Still worth the trip by the bag you got.

Best to play it safe and get home when power is playing up.

[jon]

2 hours ago, benno573 said:

bummer about the technical issues mate.  Looks alike a few good feeds there - amazed the yellow fish made it into your esky, i thought they were unwanted bycatch in your boat? 

Haha poor old spangly gets a bad wrap there not so bad lol

[jon]

@tugger not a bad mixed bag there, it’s a bummer bout the boat. Some of those lipper look nice and fat. What are the two fish under the spangles?

[aussie123]

1 hour ago, jon said:

@tugger not a bad mixed bag there, it’s a bummer bout the boat. Some of those lipper look nice and fat. What are the two fish under the spangles?

They are just Iodines Jon.

Those 2 fish and the trevally went in to the esky as they were supposed to be that evenings Red baits but when we had to cut the trip short, they ended up staying in there.

[benno573]

2 hours ago, jon said:

Haha poor old spangly gets a bad wrap there not so bad lol

always welcome in my boat mate - i reckon they eat very well.  I just know @tugger is a complete anti-fan (he has been vocal about this in the past), hence I was surprised to see them in the box.

[aussie123]

That small spangly was also kept for Red baits and we got the bigger one just as we decided we had to go home early and we had room in our bag limit to take it.

We did let some big suckers go earlier but at least my neighbour got a nice feed of fresh fish

[Anglen]

NIce catch and report there Tugger. Thanks you for sharing.

The reds throats are eating well this time of year. Sweet solid flesh.

Is there cabins at the caravan park or do you just up a tent etc.

I too am paranoid about running out of power all that way out so I installed an auxiliary charging cable on my Yammy and charge both batteries independently whilst under way (whenever the motor is running) they're both charging a full rate - no master slave relationship like a VSR. I have no VSR (they clap out too often for my liking) and 2 battery switches to isolate or turn off each bank 1 for Crank and 1 for 140ah House supply. They are not linked and I cannot select both (on purpose)  - but I carry 2 jump type cables with clamps 1 end / Anderson plug the other.
If I need to hook up to a battery I just plug the plugs together and clamp off the good batt to the lower one and I can slave a charge into it bypass style. I haven't had to do it yet but set the system up and carry the items in case needed. So far so good.  Happy to provide more details  and pics if required at all.

Enjoy your dinners.

Cheers

[aussie123]

The reason we ran out of power and flattened both batteries is because the charging circuit from the motor failed.

Linking both batteries together through the isolator switch is the only thing that got us back to the ramp as both batteries would not run the motor on their own.

[Luvit]

26 minutes ago, aussie123 said:

The reason we ran out of power and flattened both batteries is because the charging circuit from the motor failed.

Linking both batteries together through the isolator switch is the only thing that got us back to the ramp as both batteries would not run the motor on their own.

Scary stuff, can't do much about that sort of stuff failing.  

When did you notice it was not working, when the battery was flat? or do you have a voltmeter showing on your sounder or dash showing it was not charging.

 

Nothing to do with your situation because if the motor is not charging the system there is not much you can do but limp home. I run an battery isolator switch (like you) where I can have 1 or 2 batteries working independently or link them.

When doing overnight trips, when we pull up I set the anchor alarm, disconnect the 3D power box and set the sounder/gps to stand by mode. This way I expect I have only the bare essentials running like the auto bilge pump on a float switch and the gps incase we break anchor. I will sometime even disconnect the fridge overnight if it only has drinks in it. Luke and I were discussing it last time and the fridge uses a lot of power so I'll take a battery pack and use that overnight to conserve power.

I'm just glad the linking of the batteries got you home safely.

[Anglen]

I guess that's why Yamahas have 2 charging circuits. In case the primary fails you can use the auxiliary if you have it installed and running.
You would have to swap out the batteries - but that's easy enough to do.
Solid redundancy in-place of reliance upon 1 a VSR to charge (not applicable in your case) and 2 a battery combination switch - which may also fail - but not in your case in this instance.

Glad you made it home OK without issue. The sea test's us every trip and its only through these types of discussions others can become away of circumstances and potential remedies.
Thanks for sharing your experience.

My o/nite power down procedure is similar to Luv-its and I can also power down my nmea network individually additionally by item as they are all switched. I turn off the 2nd lowrance unit totally too. I start a new trail and set the alarm for anchor monitoring that way I know exactly which way I have gone if and when the anchor breaks free.

Safety at sea is a major issue and if other readers learn of procedures or methodologies others use via discussion that they may have never come across and look into and adopt them then the forum has served it purpose fully. Better practices be it seamanship, navigation, weather reading, towing, fishing ability etc.

Tugger if you don't mind could you pls share the mechanics findings on the cause of the charging failure when you become aware and have time.

Cheers

[Anglen]

As an aside and by way of demonstration of the nature of our pursuits and not derailing Tugger report.

On the weekend Luv-it and I and our other boatmates were up at 1770 there were 2 incidents in the 1 day with the same boat. No names no pack drills but the vessel ran aground on the finger spit on the port side of the fitzroy entry markers. (most of us know the chart markers are not accurate and he may have been following those) The vessel became lodged and despite several attempts to rope him off he would not budge. As the tide floated him off he entered the lagoon. He anchored up and presumably further assessed damage. 

Our boat mates were anchored nearby. We were up behind Sykes.

It is assumed he then commenced preparing dinner. All of a sudden there was a bright orange flash, a delayed boom and the occupant was then seen throwing a flaming BBQ into the lagoon.

On Monday he was at the ramp when our boat mates turned up. He was OK as was his vessel despite a bit of reef rash.

So it just goes to show no matter how prepared or skilled you may be the sea takes what it wants when it wants it - by accident or design, and catastrophe is the sum of small errors enacted enroute.

I am by no means implying any errors on Tugger' vessel or battery incident just highlighting why I take the step I do and by the looks of it Luv-it does too.

Cheers

[jon]

16 minutes ago, Anglen said:

As an aside and by way of demonstration of the nature of our pursuits and not derailing Tugger report.

On the weekend Luv-it and I and our other boatmates were up at 1770 there were 2 incidents in the 1 day with the same boat. No names no pack drills but the vessel ran aground on the finger spit on the port side of the fitzroy entry markers. (most of us know the chart markers are not accurate and he may have been following those) The vessel became lodged and despite several attempts to rope him off he would not budge. As the tide floated him off he entered the lagoon. He anchored up and presumably further assessed damage. 

Our boat mates were anchored nearby. We were up behind Sykes.

It is assumed he then commenced preparing dinner. All of a sudden there was a bright orange flash, a delayed boom and the occupant was then seen throwing a flaming BBQ into the lagoon.

On Monday he was at the ramp when our boat mates turned up. He was OK as was his vessel despite a bit of reef rash.

So it just goes to show no matter how prepared or skilled you may be the sea takes what it wants when it wants it - by accident or design, and catastrophe is the sum of small errors enacted enroute.

I am by no means implying any errors on Tugger' vessel or battery incident just highlighting why I take the step I do and by the looks of it Luv-it does too.

Cheers

Hopefully he had time to take his steaks off before ghosting his burner in the drink

[tugger]

On 19/03/2019 at 8:04 PM, Anglen said:

I guess that's why Yamahas have 2 charging circuits. In case the primary fails you can use the auxiliary if you have it installed and running.
You would have to swap out the batteries - but that's easy enough to do.
Solid redundancy in-place of reliance upon 1 a VSR to charge (not applicable in your case) and 2 a battery combination switch - which may also fail - but not in your case in this instance.

Glad you made it home OK without issue. The sea test's us every trip and its only through these types of discussions others can become away of circumstances and potential remedies.
Thanks for sharing your experience.

My o/nite power down procedure is similar to Luv-its and I can also power down my nmea network individually additionally by item as they are all switched. I turn off the 2nd lowrance unit totally too. I start a new trail and set the alarm for anchor monitoring that way I know exactly which way I have gone if and when the anchor breaks free.

Safety at sea is a major issue and if other readers learn of procedures or methodologies others use via discussion that they may have never come across and look into and adopt them then the forum has served it purpose fully. Better practices be it seamanship, navigation, weather reading, towing, fishing ability etc.

Tugger if you don't mind could you pls share the mechanics findings on the cause of the charging failure when you become aware and have time.

Cheers

Got the boat back from mechanic and it was a rectifier in the charging circuit all good now bloody motor was just out of warranty 

[Luvit]

Thanks for the follow up.

You have piece of mind that the component that has failed has been replaced and it's all running well. 

At least it was not an intermittent problem, they're the worst and can shake your confidence in the motor when you can't find the cause.

[straddiebrad]

3 hours ago, tugger said:

Got the boat back from mechanic and it was a rectifier in the charging circuit all good now bloody motor was just out of warranty 

if the weather monday was a bit better was going to hit you up if you wanted to go and leave tonight for a friday morning kick off at the ramp and come back monday but it looks a bit ******

[straddiebrad]

good she all good to go too

 

[Drop Bear]

On 19/03/2019 at 9:24 AM, tugger said:

Lots of under size red emperor were caught up to 54cm must have got 20 or more without 1 legal size. We anchored up behind the reef just after dark and settled in for the night.

The next day was slow but slowly put some more fish in the box like tuskies and more rte. The boat was playing up with the motor not charging the batteries so we called it and headed home around lunch.

Mate just saw this. Cracking trip again. You have it on a string. Stunning fish. Glad your motor is all good now.