rayke1938

Eug wrote:

edit: the fish was caught quite a few months ago.

Just reading on another site that the ramp at end of Ferry Road Carbrook ( The private one at the cable ski park has been closed till firther notice by WHS.

Apparently someone impaled his foot on a bit of reo last weekend and firebrigade had to come and cut it off ( The reo not his foot) under water and he had to go to hospital to have it removed.

Be a bit worried about infection with the sloppy gunk that is on the ramp.

The ramp at Skinners park is open.

Cheers

Ray

To be fair to both sides of the fence I think that some new fishers have no idea of the real costs of a trip.

Being newbies they may be a little overawed with procedures in the boat and reluctant to display their ignorance but a few hints from the owner or a what can I do to help question from the guest goes a long way.

If a decky is a little green i try to help with rigging and procedures and also tell them what they need to bring along.

Most of my trips are short ones with negligible costs and I am going anyhow but I do appreciate a hand launching and stowing everything away on retrieval.

Cheers

Ray

Hard to keep alive but as a dead bait good for bream and flathead.Present them as per Tinytims post.

Cheers

Ray

You can buy direct from factory at century batteries at carole park also they sometimes have seconds with marked cases. Also factory direct at superchagre.

Cheers

Ray

You wont damage the watersnake but the battery will not last very long as a car battery is not designed for continious discharge. Do yo mean that you will be using the leccy continiously for 3 hours or only intermittently for a 3 hour fishing session/

If only intermittent you would get away with a car battery but it still wouldnt last long.

What is the output of the charge circuit on your outboard? Unless its an efi 4 stroke I suspect it will only be a few amps and not sufficient to maintain charge for your battery.There is a lot of info on the site already if you do a bit of research.

Cheers

Ray

From boatpoint.If you want new drop in and see Brian at Wondall Road marine. He is a terrific bloke and very honest . I have known him for 40 years and never heard a bad word.He would be quite happy to let you crawl over it and take measurements.

Cheers

Ray

---

Looking for a new boat, but need to sell your old one first? List yours on BoatPoint now from just $30 until sold!

Stessco's 420 series

Stessco's 420 series

Stessco's 420 seriesStessco's 420 seriesStessco's 420 seriesStessco's 420 seriesStessco's 420 seriesStessco's 420 seriesStessco's 420 seriesStessco's 420 seriesStessco's 420 seriesStessco's 420 seriesStessco's 420 seriesStessco's 420 seriesStessco's 420 seriesStessco's 420 seriesStessco's 420 seriesStessco's 420 series

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Stessco's 420 series (September 2008)

words - Rick Huckstepp

For the budget conscious or first-time boaters, Rick Huckstepp evaluates the very affordable Catcher SF420 open dinghy and the Skipper 420DLX runabout from Stessco

Budget shopping with Stessco

All of the bells and whistles on many of the boats adorning TrailerBoat inevitably push the purchase price higher. So there comes a time to take stock of what is available for those about to start out fishing and/or boating or perhaps for those looking for cheap water transport - so we checked out the 420 series of Stessco's.

These alloy boats come with the bare minimum of window dressing in the case of the Catcher SF420 open dinghy while the Skipper 420DLX has a few added extras adorning its runabout design. Both will find a place in the lower end of the market for those looking at economy at purchase and low running costs with small horsepower propulsion units.

CATCHER'S OOMPH

In the case of the Catcher it was fitted with a Yamaha 30hp two-stroke engine which offered plenty of power with two adults aboard and gave it a WOT speed of 44kmh on the handheld GPS.

Holeshot was quick and when solo at the tiller, the boat bow lifted high quickly but laid down flat just as quickly. The fitted outboard had a manual tilt and short tiller arm, but this did not impede its performance in turns, with minimal torque having to be overcome by the left arm.

With a single adult on board the chines on this boat sit above the water line so it will behave with more stability when at anchor or dead in the water with additional weight payload. Another body on board remedies this.

Standard on this boat is the rear boarding platform with rail, which is a great asset for the price. The aft gunwales have robust grab handles for those seated in that part of the cockpit, while those in the forward area with the same seats in another set of post-base holes will have to do without.

The bow point features a couple of grab handles for hand guiding the boat onto the trailer, but which also second as a place to connect rope tiedowns for extra security when towing.

CHECKERPLATE PROTECTION

Another practical feature is the bow section gunwale consisting of alloy checkerplate which keeps the area looking neat rather than having the flat sheet knocked around and dented with anchors being dragged on board.

Still up front, anchor and ground tackle may be stowed in an area in front of a low-profile retaining fence. The base of this was welded to the most forward short rib each side of the centre line, while the top sections are a small distance from the side of the hull. This is done to alleviate stress cracks developing at that point due to flex, but, in this case, the ends of the partition were sharp and unfinished which could be an issue to the fraying of anchor ropes and also should a toe or finger get caught here.

The deck is carpeted marine ply and sits under flanges welded to the ribs and is then screwed to the full supports underneath.

The aft end of the deck has a small aperture leading down into the bilge and transom strengthening struts from the engine mount cut-away in the stern, extending down through here to the deck support structure below.

One issue we see looming is rubbish and gear getting swallowed up by this void and being unable to be retrieved without removing a floor section. A way around this might be to make a sieve basket to sit in here that catches any wayward materials before they go missing. Even a flat piece of alloy sheet with holes drilled all over it and Velcro stuck to the carpet would do that job cheaply.

The beauty of unpainted aluminium boats is that you can take to them with drills and welders, and chop and change anything to your liking before settling on what fits your style, like a glove.

SKIPPER'S FANCY

So, need a few more comforts in life but suffering budget constraints? Then the Skipper 420DLX might fit your wallet.

There's nothing like getting out of the cold wind behind a windscreen under some shade.

The Skipper features a curved Perspex windscreen with a centre opening pane allowing one to stand and lean through and over the open anchorwell. This last item is a reasonable size and would accept a small grapple or large Danforth anchor with chain and 50m of rope. It is drained via a hose to the outside hull.

The forequarter low-profile handrails come from the sides of the screen right up to a sturdy heavy-duty plate bowsprit on which is fixed a rope roller.

Two simple pedestal seats sit behind the windscreen which, when closed, offers a person of average height clear vision over the top. Excluding that section which opens to the bow, the screen has a handrail wrapping around for extra screen rigidity.

A flat-top dash behind the screen will accept gimbal-mounted medium-sized cabinet electronics and on the test boat Eagle's Cuda 128 was installed, but not connected to the power supply.

Teleflex NFB (non feedback) manual steering was fitted on the boat and connected to a Mercury 40hp two-stroke engine. The remote throttle, power trim and tilt control are installed on the inside of the gunwale in a comfortable position.

While occupying the front seats, one has improved legroom, due to a dropdown in the deck height under the dash. A bimini top provided plenty of shade while seated and while not fitted, it no doubt could be rigged with clears to the top of the windscreen.

COCKPIT ADJUSTMENTS

In the aft of the cockpit, a beam-width rear lounge is installed and occupants may lean against padded inner gunwales. The lounge is a stowage box with a hinged padded lid and tilts forward to access the battery and tote fuel tank in each aft corner under the transom bulkhead.

It can also be used as a fishing seat for those facing aft and the box is large enough to stow all of the safety gear and more. If required, it would be easy to remove the screwed hinges to take the box out of the boat and give anglers more room, or perhaps to use as a seat on the beach when picnicking.

Some more stowage is available in short sidepockets, port and starboard, that are welded between structural ribs at a position high enough off the deck to allow feet to get under.

The deck is carpeted marine ply which sits under flat flanges coming off the structural ribs and is then screwed to the frame underneath. This deck extends to the stern and a small aperture is open to the bilge.

There is no bilge pump installed and the engine well superimposes over the top of the aperture. Should any objects fall in here one cannot look into the aperture to locate them and must go by feel. If out of reach, the floor would have to be unscrewed which would be inconvenient. As with the Catcher SF420, a grate installed over the aperture would save a lot of hassles in the future.

The Skipper has a boarding platform and grabrail on the port side of the stern and there is a grab handle on each end of the beam for manoeuvring the boat onto trailers and tying off back anchor ropes.

POWER AND ECONOMY

I must say we were pleasantly surprised at the performance of the Skipper 420DLX with such low horsepower. With two large adults on board it got onto the plane easily and ran quiet for a standard-type two-stroke engine which was rated 'one star' under VELS.

Trimmed right in, the Skipper handled tight, high-speed turns without aeration at the propeller and steering was easy on the arms at various angles of trim.

The transducer brackets welded to these boats sit about one centimetre above the bottom line of the hull which might create installation problems for some types of mounts, depending on the brands. We would like to see these lowered so the bottom of the bracket is in line with the bottom of the hull.

CATCHER SF420

HIGHS

* Simple and cheap

* Economical to run with low horsepower

LOWS

* Sharp unfinished edges on ground tackle fence

* Open bilge needs to be screened

* Bilge pump needs to be mandatory as one cannot bail via the small aperture to the bilge

CATCHER SF420

HOW MUCH?

Price as tested: $7,990

Options fitted: Nil

GENERAL

Material: Aluminium, 3mm bottom, 1.6mm sides

Length overall: 4.2m

Beam: 1.98m

Deadrise: 15.5°

Weight: 175kg (hull)

CAPACITIES

Fuel: Tote tanks

People: 4

Rec. max. HP: 40

Rec. min. HP: 25

Max. engine weight: 95kg

ENGINE

Make/model: Yamaha 30 CV

Type: Single carburetted two-cylinder two-stroke outboard

Displacement: 496cc

Rated HP: 30

Weight: 54.5kg

Gearbox ratio: 2.08 (27/13)

Propeller: 12in three-blade

VELS rating: 1-star

SUPPLIED BY:

Marine Tune,

64 Kortum Road,

Burleigh Heads, Qld, 4220

Phone: (07) 5576 7388

Email: sales@marinetune.com

SKIPPER 420DLX

HIGHS

* Small-engine capability

* Good seating and stowage in rear lounge

LOWS

* Bilge pump should be mandatory

* Aperture to bilge should have sieve or grate

* Transducer mount-base too high

SKIPPER 420DLX

HOW MUCH?

Price as tested: $14,990

Options fitted: Nil

GENERAL

Material: Aluminium, 3mm bottom, 1.6mm sides

Length overall: 4.2m

Beam: 1.97m

Deadrise: 15.5°

Weight: 250kg (hull)

CAPACITIES

Fuel: Tote tanks

People: 4

Rec. max. HP: 40

Rec. min. HP: 30

Max. engine weight: 110kg

ENGINE

Make/model: Mercury Lightning XR

Type: Carburetted three-cylinder two-stroke outboard

Weight: 69kg

Rated HP: 40

Displacement: 697cc

Gearbox ratio: 2.00:1

Propeller: 13.5in

VELS rating: 1-star

SUPPLIED BY:

Wondall Road Marine,

419 Wondall Road,

Tingalpa, Qld, 4173

Phone: (07) 3396 5633

Website: www.stessco.com.au

My 4.6m stacer tinny with 50hp merc 4 stroke is exactly 6m lomg with the motor down, It is centre console without windscreen and height to top of steering wheel is 1.8m high.

The vc is a brilliant sea boat but you would legally require a braked trailer so trailer rego would be over $100 against 65 for the quinny lazabout. Not certain of weight of freedom sport.

The boating rego for the freedom and the vc is around $100 dearer than the 4.5 quinney.

Just make certain that floor and transom in the vc is sound as some of them are getting on a bit.

Cheers

Ray

Just a wee bit dangerous. Re max hp another factor to be considered is the transom weight.

All the literature and the compliance plate on my boat says max recommended hp and weight.

As Booty pointed out there is no legistation in place to enforce this.

Some manufactures offer a reinforced transom and additional boyancy to enable larger motors to be fitted.

As long as you can prove that you have taken consideration your duty of care obligations you will never have any problems.

Some boats are absolute dogs when they are only fitted with the max recommended hp/weight motors.

Graham Pflaum has a 3.9 allycraft shadow it only had a 20hp 2 stroke yamaha on it when he got it and as it would only just plane with 2 up.He wanted to go to a 30hp 4 stroke and one salesman said no probs even though the hull was only rated to 25 hp and another said he could only go to 25hp so he went to a 25 hp and it still will only just plane with 2 up.He has tried several props and no difference. He has seen plenty of others with a 30 and they absolutely hoot with 3 up.

Some oldies and goodies from dino.

My wife sat down on the couch next to me as I was flipping channels. She

asked, 'What's on TV?'

I said, 'Dust.'

And then the fight started...

******************************************

My wife and I are watching "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire" while we were in bed. I turned to her and said, "Do you want to have sex?"

"No," she answered.

I then said, "Is that your final answer?"

She didn't even look at me this time, simply saying, "Yes."

So I said, "Then I'd like to phone a friend."

And then the fight started....

******************************************

Saturday morning I got up early, quietly dressed, made my lunch, grabbed the dog, and slipped quietly into the garage. I hooked up the boat up to the truck, and proceeded to back out into a torrential downpour. The wind was blowing 50 mph, so I pulled back into the garage, turned on the Radio, and discovered that the weather would be bad all day.

I went back into the house, quietly undressed, and slipped back into bed. I cuddled up to my wife's back, now with a different anticipation, and whispered, "The weather out there is terrible."

My loving wife of 10 years replied, "Can you believe my stupid husband is out fishing in that?"

And that's how the fight started...

******************************************

I rear-ended a car this morning. So, there we were alongside the road and slowly the other driver got out of his car. You know how sometimes you just get soooo stressed and little things just seem funny? Yeah, well I couldn't believe it.... He was a DWARF!!!

He stormed over to my car, looked up at me, and shouted, "I AM NOT HAPPY!!!"

So, I looked down at him and said, "Well, then which one are you?"

And then the fight started.....

*****************************************

My wife was hinting about what she wanted for our upcoming anniversary.

She said, 'I want something shiny that goes from 0 to 150 in about 3 seconds.'

I bought her a scale.

And then the fight started...

******************************************

When I got home last night, my wife demanded that I take her someplace expensive...so, I took her to a gas station.

And then the fight started...

******************************************

After retiring, I went to the Social Security office to apply for Social Security. The woman behind the counter asked me for my driver's license to verify my age. I looked in my pockets and realized I had left my wallet at home. I told the woman that I was very sorry, but I would haveTo go home and come back later.

The woman said, 'Unbutton your shirt'. So I opened my shirt revealing my curly silver hair. She said, 'That silver hair on your chest is proof enough for me' and she processed my Social Security application. When I got home, I excitedly told my wife about my experience at the Social Security office.

She said, 'You should have dropped your pants. You might have gotten disability, too.'

And then the fight started...

******************************************

My wife and I were sitting at a table at my high school reunion, and I kept staring at a drunken lady swigging her drink as she sat alone at a nearby table.

My wife asked, 'Do you know her?'

'Yes,' I sighed, 'She's my old girlfriend. I understand she took to drinking right after we split up those many years ago, and I hear she hasn't been sober since.'

'My Goodness!' says my wife, 'who would think a person could go on celebrating that long?'

And then the fight started...

******************************************

I took my wife to a restaurant. The waiter, for some reason, took my order first.

"I'll have the strip steak, medium rare, please."

He said, "Aren't you worried about the mad cow?""

Nah, she can order for herself."

And then the fight started...

******************************************

A woman is standing nude, looking in the bedroom mirror.

She is not happy with what she sees and says to her husband, 'I feel horrible; I look old, fat and ugly.

I really need you to pay me a compliment.'

The husband replies, 'Your eyesight's damn near perfect.'

And then the fight started.....

Cheers

Ray

As far as I am aware there are no laws governing what size motor you can place on a hull.Some manufactures will upgrade a transom to take a higher hp motor.

The only thing is that you have a duty of care to operate the craft in a safe manner.

Just look at some of the race boats and thundercats out there to see what they hang off the back of relatively small craft.

Cheers

Ray

Slip onto ebay and do a search on trailer parts and look for a seller called spinny things. His adds have a link to his web page with all sorts of good info.

Cheers

Ray

This thing is her other pet. She used to keep snakes so I suppose it is an improvement.

Cheers

Ray [img size=500]http://www.australianfishing.com.au/media/kunena/attachments/legacy/images/P1010869_AFO-99bc0bf15bec0b6bb67eec251f03d102.jpg

My daughter has 2 pets. Here is a painting of rusty the kelpie that my missus has just done. [img size=500]http://www.australianfishing.com.au/media/kunena/attachments/legacy/images/P1010877_AFO.jpg

Used to have a rotti cross who used to get deep sh!ts if I went out in boat without her. Now have this one doesnt bark or sh!t on the lawn.

Cheers

Ray [img size=500]http://www.australianfishing.com.au/media/kunena/attachments/legacy/images/P1010863_AFO-cae3c0125bdc1adbe75a9acff178bc7b.jpg

Showing how I mounted it to the trailer frame. You can buy a mounting kit or make your own.

Ray [img size=500]http://www.australianfishing.com.au/media/kunena/attachments/legacy/images/P1010673_AFO.jpg

Spare wheel and hub. This gives me a spare wheel, hub, wheel nuts, bearings and axle nut ready to fit. [img size=500]http://www.australianfishing.com.au/media/kunena/attachments/legacy/images/P1010672_AFO.jpg

The seal surface is the round bit near the square bit.

This one is in fairly good condition just has a little surface rust from sitting out in the open. [img size=500]http://www.australianfishing.com.au/media/kunena/attachments/legacy/images/P1010674_AFO.jpg

When O do mine I always clean and polish the inner seal surface with emery. The main cause of bearing failure is due tio the inner seal failing.

If the surface that the seal sits on has a wear groove or rust pits it wi9ll pay to fit a stainless speedy seal.

They are not cheap but a lot cheaper than a new axle or leaving the missus sitting on the road side to guard the boat and trailer while you try to locate a set of bearings.

I carry a spare wheel mounted on a hub and bearings.

Ray

Excellent as flesh bait,schnapper love it. Too boney to eat may be ok if minced . I just couldnt be bothered.

They have only become prevalent on the bay over the last 5 years before then I hadnt seen one.

Ray

Good on ya it now will only get better.

Main thing for filleting is to have a very sharp knife. I just cut into the backbone cartelege near the tail and take a slice off the side up as far as the gfins just behind the gills. Then turn the fillet over and cut down as far as the skin and holding blade at an angle remove flesh from skin. I usually remove the 2 anal fins before I fillet and skin.Once you get the knack its easy.

The skin is very tough and hard on your knife.

When i am boating and am going to take a fish home I dong the shark with a priest and head it ( the guts and liver usually come away with the head) and tail it straight away and place the carcase in a bucket of water to bleed out for about 10 minutes and then ice it down this seems to improve the quality of the meat.

Great fillets and no bones.

Ray

Good report Al .

With reference to your overrun problem its just a matter of setting your reel up correctly and then LOTS of practice.

If you go to Tackleworld or maybe your local tackle store ( dont bother about BCF or Supar A mart they are too busy to spend time with a non buying customer ) they will assist you in how to adjust your reel. Tackleworld at Tingalpa are excellent but are on the other side of town to you.

Ray