Jaz44

It’s already sold so doesn’t matter. It was made in 1980. I’m not going to spend that much on a 40 year old boat with a 25 year old motor. There were much better deals only a few weeks ago. More will pop up soon.

Thanks for all of the advice guys. I have talked to my parents and we have decided to take our time. Many boats (and good buys) will pop up in the next 6-12 months. That Quinnie will always be sitting in his backyard (he sort of wants too much for what it is and doesn’t want to be told it’s not worth that price). Has anyone heard of ‘Star’ or ‘Starcraft’ boats? There is a 5.2m centre console an hours drive from me. It’s a 5mm plate boat with an older model 75hp Mariner which supposedly starts first go. When I checked the rego though, it said it was 4.3m and from 1977. The boat looks far bigger than 4.3m and looks like a newer design than 1977. I am not too sure whether to drive and look at this or pass it. He want $7500 for it. I have attached 6 photos of the boat. Thanks

I want to go for a centre console so I am able to stand up and drive. It will be better for my back when I drive the boat. The side console is just a home job with a plastic console. If I get the boat, my school holiday project was to gut the boat, put a custom floor with hatches and a bait tank and convert to a centre console. The boat is extremely wide so might no be a huge deal. I will certainly use food colouring. He just needs to see the hull to determine if it’s able to be used (and out the reef).

Yeah. The only problem is we have to find the leak. It’s a slow leak so filling the boat with water may not have a huge effect. The boat having a floor won’t help either. May take some work and time.

Hi everyone, I have inquired about a boat behind a family member's house. It has been sitting there for a few years and hasn't really been used. It's a Quintrex 520 Dory. The boat is a Quintrex so it's solid and has a thicker hull than most boats that size. I am happy with the boat and the trailer has been fully rebuilt with an electric winch. The motor is an old Mariner (75hp) but does run. The only problem is that the boat has a small leak. I am getting a family member (who is a boilermaker, has worked on boats and is highly skilled in welding) to look at the boat and see the condition of the hull. Providing the leak is the only problem in the boat, could it be patched up and still be a good boat to use? I like the size of it and will switch it from a side to a centre console (it's currently a side console). I have done some research and patches don't affect the boat much supposedly. If it's a crack at a weld, I assume the crack can be welded over? Thanks.

Thanks. I will have to try next time I go fishing.

Yeah. Trinity Inlet is packed with them. My spot is on the headlands so I have to wait for a good opportunity. I have't tried crabbing in the estuaries (landbased that is). Where I fish, there is minimal structure so I always wrote crabs off.

Any photos of the reel? How does it feel to use?

I haven’t been able to fish my spot yet due to the crazy winds we have had for the past few months. I have been stuck estuary fishing. The few times the weekend looked good, I had other commitments.

Stradic's are fine to take apart. Just do it slowly and 'learn' the reel. If it's the first time you've done a Stradic, have a schematics on hand. I always have a schematics on me until I know how to do the reel off by heart. I would replace them as soon as possible. They drag washers are really horrible and compress really easily. CarbonTex is the way to go.

Thanks guys. I might just keep it as a light bottom bashing outfit. I have other reels which can put out 12kg+. I love the reel and it works like new. I have only ever been smoked once due to my patience. If a fish smokes me into the coral, I just grab my second combo or sit it out and wait for it to swim back out. 10 minutes waiting isn't a big deal. I have pulled many large fish out with this method. With this method, I can still use this reel. I was just hoping I could increase the drag to stop having to do this multiple times every trip.

Okay. I won't bother changing the washers. I might experiment with changing a few bits in the reel and see how it goes.

Thanks but I am not after a new reel. I have hit double digits in combos and my parents would kill me if they found out I bought a new reel. I might just have to live with it.

I might have to get a new set of washers. I only want a few more kilos of drag. I have a Fin Nor 9500, a Saragosa 8000 and a Saltist LD40h to cover me, but I really like this combo. I am building a jigging rod for the Saltist so that will be another combo to use.

I can't get rid of it as it's sentimental and I am not selling a Made in The US $600 reel. You can't buy these anymore. I might just have to add extra pressure with my thumb.