Boats
- Thread starter Poolman84
- Start date
bmurray2250
4x4 Earth Contributer
I use to have a 12 and 13 foot tinnie, then a 16 foot plate boat and then a 17 foot glass half cabin. I now have children, wife and mortgage so can't afford to have a boat 
bmurray2250
4x4 Earth Contributer
What do you want to do with the boat (trailer or rooftop) and the types of things you want to do with it?
havok011101
New Member
Yeah I wish... just building a house so my boat plans are put off for a while.
I'd love a decent tinnie though, nothing too big, just enough to shoot around some estuaries and closer islands, maybe the reef if it's calm as f**king and I'm game!
3 entries in for a local paper "Win a quinnie" comp... cross your fingers for me!
I'd love a decent tinnie though, nothing too big, just enough to shoot around some estuaries and closer islands, maybe the reef if it's calm as f**king and I'm game!
3 entries in for a local paper "Win a quinnie" comp... cross your fingers for me!
bmurray2250
4x4 Earth Contributer
I give a configuration I had for both tinnies (plate and glass boats were designed to out into open open)
I found the 12 foot tinnie ok but had a 9.8HP (old) motor and limited free board. This caused issues when waves or small chop was happen and a little bit of wind, I would get wet. The old motor is twice the weight of the new 10HP motors and slow.
The 13 foot tinnie had high sides which helped to water out of the boat at rest and motoring. The 30HP motor was to big but went like a rocket. I added a easy to remove false roof (with astroturf) between the seats so you have better space to esky and fishing gear. This made this after to fish up creeks and go into the protected waters without issues.
Both boats has nav lights added for night fishing and fluoro lights running off a small car battery that I charge between trips (as either motors had charging ability). The use of the gas light light was good too for toasting up ham, cheese and tomato sandwiches, burnt many fishing lines hence the change to fluoro lights. Added some PVC pipe as rod holders.
I personally like the trailer idea until it comes to paying for them on a barge trip. It is able to carry all the boat gear and some of the camping equipment. The trailer wheels were all changed to 13 or 14" rims which made it easy to tow.
Roof-toppers are ok but generally are 10-12 foot and lower sides. I like the idea of being able to do fish where I like. On a good day you can fish the ocean and water ski in any small boat. I have seen 14 foot low side tinnies fishing 4 miles east of Cape Moreton but that was a day when the ocean was flat and rarely you will see that.
I found the 12 foot tinnie ok but had a 9.8HP (old) motor and limited free board. This caused issues when waves or small chop was happen and a little bit of wind, I would get wet. The old motor is twice the weight of the new 10HP motors and slow.
The 13 foot tinnie had high sides which helped to water out of the boat at rest and motoring. The 30HP motor was to big but went like a rocket. I added a easy to remove false roof (with astroturf) between the seats so you have better space to esky and fishing gear. This made this after to fish up creeks and go into the protected waters without issues.
Both boats has nav lights added for night fishing and fluoro lights running off a small car battery that I charge between trips (as either motors had charging ability). The use of the gas light light was good too for toasting up ham, cheese and tomato sandwiches, burnt many fishing lines hence the change to fluoro lights. Added some PVC pipe as rod holders.
I personally like the trailer idea until it comes to paying for them on a barge trip. It is able to carry all the boat gear and some of the camping equipment. The trailer wheels were all changed to 13 or 14" rims which made it easy to tow.
Roof-toppers are ok but generally are 10-12 foot and lower sides. I like the idea of being able to do fish where I like. On a good day you can fish the ocean and water ski in any small boat. I have seen 14 foot low side tinnies fishing 4 miles east of Cape Moreton but that was a day when the ocean was flat and rarely you will see that.
teza h
Well-Known Member
I chose a small trailer boat,reasons being,
1.got a roof top tent so no car toper.
2.the boat is ready to go,just slip it off the trailer and your there.
3.if you dont wont it, just unhook it,can leave it somewhere eazy.
I gues the big thing for me is with a boat comes a lot of other stuff like, motor,fuel tank, aws, anker & rope,life jackets,fishing gear,and what ever els you need to take and it all has to be stowed in your 4by or tailer.It's amazing how much sh#t there is when you see it all lay'd out on the beech.
I'v got my trailer set up high to match the 4by and it tows well over the rough.You dont need boat ramps with your 4by,a carlm beech or river is all it takes, to eazy, I'v draged my 14 footer all over the place on and off road.
1.got a roof top tent so no car toper.
2.the boat is ready to go,just slip it off the trailer and your there.
3.if you dont wont it, just unhook it,can leave it somewhere eazy.
I gues the big thing for me is with a boat comes a lot of other stuff like, motor,fuel tank, aws, anker & rope,life jackets,fishing gear,and what ever els you need to take and it all has to be stowed in your 4by or tailer.It's amazing how much sh#t there is when you see it all lay'd out on the beech.
I'v got my trailer set up high to match the 4by and it tows well over the rough.You dont need boat ramps with your 4by,a carlm beech or river is all it takes, to eazy, I'v draged my 14 footer all over the place on and off road.
bmurray2250
4x4 Earth Contributer
Totally agree. The gear you need just to be legal on the water is a lot, I hate to have that inside the 4by.
havok011101
New Member
I don't like the idea of making my truck top heavy, or possibly dripping salt water all over the place when you're done.
I do like the idea of launching from almost anywhere, can get to some decent spots if you need to and there are plenty of mud ramps around here!
We also have a terrible situation with ramp parking at the popular ramps, no spaces, always busy and chokers with people, and not just that, RAMP RAGE! Seriously people, you're about to go chill on the water for a few hours and relax, how about taking it down and notch and not throwing punches cause somebody can't reverse a trailer super well! (not me in this example, but I can't reverse s**t yet anyway).
Hence, I have a 4x4, when I have a boat I can take it where I want.
However, watching people spin their wheels up the ramp cause they misjudged weights and traction is amusing!
I do like the idea of launching from almost anywhere, can get to some decent spots if you need to and there are plenty of mud ramps around here!
We also have a terrible situation with ramp parking at the popular ramps, no spaces, always busy and chokers with people, and not just that, RAMP RAGE! Seriously people, you're about to go chill on the water for a few hours and relax, how about taking it down and notch and not throwing punches cause somebody can't reverse a trailer super well! (not me in this example, but I can't reverse s**t yet anyway).
Hence, I have a 4x4, when I have a boat I can take it where I want.
However, watching people spin their wheels up the ramp cause they misjudged weights and traction is amusing!
Davidman
5th Annual Victorian Gathering member
I have a 3.7 metre tinnie with a 25 Merc on the back. The motor fits nicely into the rear of the 4WD, as does the fold up trailer, which is registered so you can drive it anywhere. Went for this configuration as we also have a caravan, and cannot (obviously) tow two things at once. Will post pics if anyone is interested.
off road heaven
New Member
This is my eldest daughter in front of my boat in the water on the inside of Fraser.
She is a 4.5 Brooker Safari with a 40hp mercury.
She is a 4.5 Brooker Safari with a 40hp mercury.
cloughcarib
Well-Known Member
We fill our 21' sailboat full of all the camping stuff that would have gone into the trailer, when we take our boat out. I over-built the trailer so that it could be loaded with a lot of gear both in, and under the boat, strapped to the trailer. It's obviously too big for dragging through a 4WD track so we do one or the other.
I have two bob each way, having both a canoe and a boat on a trailer. However right at the moment I am lusting after one of those Hobie kayaks that you can pedal, not paddle. The canoe will have to go if I am to go kayaking. Take a look in the fishing magazines; there have been some interesting articles about them recently. You can take them out to sea. I have been a couple of kilometres out to see off Sydney Heads with a mate on his double kayak chasing salmon; it is great fun. He has an Minn Kota electric outboard attached to it which he uses when his arms and shoulders get a bit weary!
bmurray2250
4x4 Earth Contributer
I like the jet ski with fishing rod holders and esky. I see them around the Sunshine and Gold coast a lot
Silver_Bruiser
New Member
Now we are stocking boats and about to add a Glow in the Dark Canadian canoe to the list (about $1995) remember thay attract fish at night. I am going to be selling my tinnie soon 3.7m savage with 8hp Tohatsu on trailer all registered and goes great $2000 if your interested PM me.
How many of us have small boats, roof top tinnies, foldable etc?
Give me ideas of ideal setups for fishing on small scale not going to go deep sea or wave jumping!
rodw
New Member
Skip the Canoe and go for a 10 foot Zodiac. I used to back down to the waters edge near the boat ramp with one in the boot of a Darwoo Cielo or a Renault Scenic. I also had room for the 9 hp motor in the boot as well. Only took about 10 minutes to put together, pump up with a foot pump and be on the water... The boat packs up small enough to sit on the back seat. Got some funny looks from some guys though, driving down the boat ramp with no trailer and nothing on the roof
millsy
4x4 Earth Contributer
I am into sailing. I have three dinghies. This is one I restored over a four year period over ten years ago. Its about 40 years old, maybe more. When I picked it up it was being used as a garden clippings trailer - full of rotting grass clippings and hundreds of snail shells. I pushed my thumb through the floor boards. A lot of rotten wood had to be replaced, and I added two built in buoyancy tanks - one at the front and one at the back. So now it is unsinkable.
This dinghy is a classic old design by Jack Holt, called a Heron. Its a British design, but we have a lot of them racing in Perth, Adelaide and Melbourne. I think Sydney too.
When I bought it it had brass rowlocks fitted. But no oars. Also lots of brass rubbing strips underneath. But I stripped all this off, and also all the brass screws holding the plywood to the frame. Glue is strong enough for that!
Some people clamp a small motor to the transom to go fishing. If you wanted to do that I would be unscrewing the side thwarts and leaving them at home. This would add some more space to move around in.
I have lots of fun with it on leasurely sails on the Murray, and up at Barmera where the Lake Bonney Sailing Club welcomes visitors for their Easter and Labor Day regattas. It goes very well in light breezes for some reason. Hopefully because of the many hours I spent filling and sanding the micro-balloons on the bottom to give the hull a true line and a mirror like paint finish.
A great family boat designed for parent and child, or two smaller adults.
You can pick them up from $300 if you like restoration projects, like mine, $500 ready to sail but a bit rough, and from $1000 to $4000 ready to race competitively.
This dinghy is a classic old design by Jack Holt, called a Heron. Its a British design, but we have a lot of them racing in Perth, Adelaide and Melbourne. I think Sydney too.
When I bought it it had brass rowlocks fitted. But no oars. Also lots of brass rubbing strips underneath. But I stripped all this off, and also all the brass screws holding the plywood to the frame. Glue is strong enough for that!
Some people clamp a small motor to the transom to go fishing. If you wanted to do that I would be unscrewing the side thwarts and leaving them at home. This would add some more space to move around in.
I have lots of fun with it on leasurely sails on the Murray, and up at Barmera where the Lake Bonney Sailing Club welcomes visitors for their Easter and Labor Day regattas. It goes very well in light breezes for some reason. Hopefully because of the many hours I spent filling and sanding the micro-balloons on the bottom to give the hull a true line and a mirror like paint finish.
A great family boat designed for parent and child, or two smaller adults.
You can pick them up from $300 if you like restoration projects, like mine, $500 ready to sail but a bit rough, and from $1000 to $4000 ready to race competitively.
Attachments
-
Lake Bonney Easter 2009 and Flinders Trip with 4s4 008.jpg -
Lake Bonney Easter 2009 and Flinders Trip with 4s4 009.jpg -
Lake Bonney Easter 2009 and Flinders Trip with 4s4 011.jpg -
Lake Bonney Easter 2009 and Flinders Trip with 4s4 022.jpg -
Lake Bonney Easter 2009 and Flinders Trip with 4s4 021.jpg
Last edited: