Roof Topper Boat

[tugger]

Bought a boat before the lockdown so have had a good project to work on at home. It is a Horizon 3.55m angler with a 15hp mercury and is well suited to go on the car roof as when the travel restrictions ease I will do more travelling in my caravan.

I had to strip everything out as the previous owners use zinc screws everywhere and the wiring was shoddy. So I have now fully rewired it with marine tinned wiring and made a casting deck and replaced all scews with stainless.

Installed a bilge pump a battery box and mounting frame. All framing for the casting deck was made with light aluminium angle. The boat came with a lowrance hook 7 sounder gps combo and works well.

My son bought a min kota 55lb electric motor for it for his use when he borrows the Boat. I purchased some relax cushions from Lance "Reeltackle" and will add that comfort for my behind.

Later I will purchase a folding trailer and side roof loader racks for when I can get back out on the road.

[kmcrosby78]

Looks like a great little rig Mark and you've decked it out well. Trailer looks to be in very good nick too. I've been keeping an eye out for a Sea Jay Nomad to be able to put on top of our camper trailer and noticed a good one yesterday in Brisbane (on Gumtree) but unfortunately we aren't ready/able to buy yet until we move house (Wynnum hopefully) and have more room to store it (as it is I already have my Fisher CC at my parents .....).

Will also be a handy tinny for you and Brock to do some crabbing and smack some prawns with .

[AUS-BNE-FISHO]

Hi tugger

It seems like a great set up for travelling you've got there, it's a bit bigger than my lousy fishing cart I built, that's for sure . Hope I hear some stories about it eventually (when the travel restrictions are eased).

Cheers Hamish 

[tugger]

26 minutes ago, kmcrosby78 said:

Looks like a great little rig Mark and you've decked it out well. Trailer looks to be in very good nick too. I've been keeping an eye out for a Sea Jay Nomad to be able to put on top of our camper trailer and noticed a good one yesterday in Brisbane (on Gumtree) but unfortunately we aren't ready/able to buy yet until we move house (Wynnum hopefully) and have more room to store it (as it is I already have my Fisher CC at my parents .....).

Will also be a handy tinny for you and Brock to do some crabbing and smack some prawns with .

Yeah I was after a sea Jay or the horizon as they had the highest sides Kelvin 

[tugger]

6 minutes ago, AUS-BNE-FISHO said:

Hi tugger

It seems like a great set up for travelling you've got there, it's a bit bigger than my lousy fishing cart I built, that's for sure . Hope I hear some stories about it eventually (when the travel restrictions are eased).

Cheers Hamish 

Got a couple of big whiting and bream on the maiden trip 

[Old Scaley]

Very nice tidy little setup Mark. Is the box under the sounder your switch box? And is that the MK remote recessed into the box? Are you running separate batteries for the electric and the sounder? So many questions, sorry @tugger. 

[tugger]

1 hour ago, Old Scaley said:

Very nice tidy little setup Mark. Is the box under the sounder your switch box? And is that the MK remote recessed into the box? Are you running separate batteries for the electric and the sounder? So many questions, sorry @tugger. 

Yes there is a switch panel under the sounder and a blue tooth stereo as well mounted into a aluminium box. Yes going to run separate batteries for the leccy motor to the rest of the power needs. The min kota has a foot peddle on a lead if that is what you mean ?

[Cobiaaddict]

Perfect Little Jack boat for the  little creeks around 1770 & Bundy. 

[Old Scaley]

22 hours ago, tugger said:

Yes there is a switch panel under the sounder and a blue tooth stereo as well mounted into a aluminium box. Yes going to run separate batteries for the leccy motor to the rest of the power needs. The min kota has a foot peddle on a lead if that is what you mean ?

Nah, just my eyesight Mark. I was looking at the speaker. When I zoom in I can see what it is.

[tugger]

6 hours ago, Old Scaley said:

Nah, just my eyesight Mark. I was looking at the speaker. When I zoom in I can see what it is.

I'll take a closer picture tomorrow it's a good set up the switch panel has usb points as well

[tugger]

11 hours ago, Cobiaaddict said:

Perfect Little Jack boat for the  little creeks around 1770 & Bundy. 

Yeah planning on taking it far and wide in the end I'll be doing a lap of australia, plenty to explore 

[AUS-BNE-FISHO]

9 hours ago, tugger said:

Yeah planning on taking it far and wide in the end I'll be doing a lap of australia, plenty to explore 

Hi tugger

That sounds awesome, you'll get to target heaps of different species. Do you plan to go coastally, inland, or both?

Cheers Hamish  

[tugger]

7 minutes ago, AUS-BNE-FISHO said:

Hi tugger

That sounds awesome, you'll get to target heaps of different species. Do you plan to go coastally, inland, or both?

Cheers Hamish  

Both I plan to be on the road for a few years as they say a grey nomad most likely a few laps of our big brown land

[tugger]

On 16/04/2020 at 3:06 PM, Old Scaley said:

Very nice tidy little setup Mark. Is the box under the sounder your switch box? And is that the MK remote recessed into the box? Are you running separate batteries for the electric and the sounder? So many questions, sorry @tugger. 

[tugger]

Took the missus out and caught some whiting bream and even sand crabs all on live yabbies from our local creek. Still doing some testing with motor angles on the trim pins will have to drop the crab pots in next time there were that many crabs.

[AUS-BNE-FISHO]

Hi tugger

Good the boat is going well, nice job on the bream, whiting, and sandies. Hopefully your pots will be full next time.

Cheers Hamish  

[kmcrosby78]

Mark in case you are interested, I just noticed a Flip n Easy trailer for sale at John Crawford Marine. Doesn't appear to come with the brackets to secure to back of your van though.

https://www.johncrawfordmarine.com.au/current-listings/accessories/214/view_vehicle/56/used-motors-trailers/780/flip-n-easy-trailer

[tugger]

10 hours ago, kmcrosby78 said:

Mark in case you are interested, I just noticed a Flip n Easy trailer for sale at John Crawford Marine. Doesn't appear to come with the brackets to secure to back of your van though.

https://www.johncrawfordmarine.com.au/current-listings/accessories/214/view_vehicle/56/used-motors-trailers/780/flip-n-easy-trailer

I've seen that 1 there are a few 2nd hand fold away trailers for sale at the moment i am guessing a few more might come up for sale that are not being used.

[tugger]

Had to do some work on the trailer for this little boat as the bearings were shot i made the decision to change the wheels over from these little 9 inch rims to 13 inch rims. Bought some new hubs, bearings, wheels and tyres then packed the bearings with grease and fitted the new hubs.

I under slung the axle on the springs to give the new tyres and wheels enough room in the guards this has also raised the whole trailer to match the car i tow with. The axle and springs were fairly new so the new running gear should last many years to come apart from regular bearing changes. 

The new cushions have arrived thanks Lance 'reeltackle' and i will fit them tomorrow and give it all a run later in the day to see how the boat launches off the higher trailer. I will try for a few fish while i am down my local creek tomorrow and give the boat another good run.

[AUS-BNE-FISHO]

Hi tugger

Good that you have found the trailer and that you've fixed it. Thanks for all the information as well, I think I need to put this in an archive at the back of my mind because if I end up getting a job when I'm 14 or 15, I will save for a small boat like this as I think you can get a boat license at 16. 

Cheers Hamish  

[tugger]

On 23/04/2020 at 7:05 PM, tugger said:

Had to do some work on the trailer for this little boat as the bearings were shot i made the decision to change the wheels over from these little 9 inch rims to 13 inch rims. Bought some new hubs, bearings, wheels and tyres then packed the bearings with grease and fitted the new hubs.

I under slung the axle on the springs to give the new tyres and wheels enough room in the guards this has also raised the whole trailer to match the car i tow with. The axle and springs were fairly new so the new running gear should last many years to come apart from regular bearing changes. 

The new cushions have arrived thanks Lance 'reeltackle' and i will fit them tomorrow and give it all a run later in the day to see how the boat launches off the higher trailer. I will try for a few fish while i am down my local creek tomorrow and give the boat another good run.