Summer coming...hows the boat?

[Member]

I`ll kick start a conversation about our members boats. I live in Margate on the Reddy peninsular and this summer, I have told myself I need to do more fishing. With Borumba 1.5 hours north, Lenthals 3 hrs away, and a lot of salty stuff surrounding me, Its time to service and replace and repair stuff on the boat before I use it too much.

After doing a mates trailer bearings with him recently, it was time to check mine out. Pleased to report that all original bearings are still OK after 6 years of use.
I am going to stiffen up a rocky passenger seat that has been getting progressively more annoying to me of late. Theres some fuel line checks and replacement to do. Theres a small section coming out of the tank that has perished!! And the list could go on.

Anyway, I would encourage all that have put off the little maintenance tasks for the winter period to get out there and have a look around your tub. there will be stuff to do !!    He`s mine, a 4.1 polycraft.

Randall.

[Member]

Randall, when you replace your fuel line, be sure to buy a line that is compatible with Ethanol based fuels.  We really don't know now if ethanol is mixed with the fuel we buy.

[Member]

I was just going to get one from BCF or similar mate. Would there be a problem with them you think?

[Member]

Hey Randall,
That's a good bit of advice. Reminds me I did one wheel bearing a while back, better do the other one. My electric's in the shop getting something mysterious done to it. I went down the Wilson River near home this arvo and flogged the place a bit but nothing. The fish are back up from the salt but there's still a lot more to come. Apparently there are quite a few in the Richmond near Coraki.
JD

[Member]

I was just going to get one from BCF or similar mate. Would there be a problem with them you think?

Better off going to a proper marine dealer and asking the question mate.  Your motor is before Ethanol, so you fuel line should be replaced with a new style one.  The consequences of not changing it can be very expensive.

[Member]

I did my boat about a month ago and I had a number of things written down on my to do list. I'm probably due to check the bearings on the trailer though.
 

Randall, when you replace your fuel line, be sure to buy a line that is compatible with Ethanol based fuels.  We really don't know now if ethanol is mixed with the fuel we buy.

I personally ask everytime I fuel up somewhere different before filling the fuel tank up if it has an ethanol blend. I thought by law the fuel companies had to specify at the bouser what was in the fuel in the form of signage??? I have been recommended not to go near the stuff, and the same for premium or higher octane fuels for my Yamaha 40hp, 4  stroke by my local Yamaha dealer.

Dave

[Member]

Coming in to the hot season, soon be time to mothball the boat until march, and give the yak a bit more work.

I replace the wheel bearings every year, cheap insurance, you should be replacing the seals anyway if you service them, may as well replace the lot.

Eyeing off the batteries, one bank is getting long in the tooth, (10 years)  but still performing flawlessly, but at a replacement cost of around $700, time to start putting some pennies away I think, maybe replace them before the start of next season for peace of mind.

Dave, the ethanol mandate comes in to force shortly, at that point ethanol free fuel will become very hard to find. (As well as being very expensive).

[Member]

Did my trailer bearings a couple of weeks ago, just need to check on the lights I think a few of them are a bit intermittent .
Hopefully towing the boat to Tinnaroo this Christmas, don't need the extra hassle of trailer problems, three kids in the back of a dual cab will provide enough headaches.

Cheers Andrew

[Member]

Yep Randall just did my bearings and I just arrived back from Awoonga and not one wheel fell off all else great so have a fair bit of fishing coming up in the following weeks so many places to fish so little time


The Bomber

[Member]

And I thought I had it planned that the right wheel bearings would colapse about Gin Gin.

Glad to hear they made a 14 hr round trip. Weather they make it to 20 hours is an unknown mate

Randall.

[Member]

Well when it comes to a list of things to do... my list goes on. Wheel bearings is one i need to do, i also wanna rip the deck and the wiring out and replace it all. Just to make it that little bit more friendly to use. the wiring has been giving me  a bit of grief at noosa of late, sounder not working 100% of the time, lights turning on and off, some switches continue to get stuck... just want to make it all shiny and good again. and a new black box to power everything is in need... the old one barely lasts half a day driving the leccy.

Thats my list and unfortunately allot of it wont get done till the end of the big heat... got to many other things that will take up my time and money 

Jackson

[Member]

Jackson, get your priorities sorted out mate!!
Get the boat fixed up.... 
You will be a much happier person because of it

Randall

[Member]

HAha... the Mrs and i had this conversation on the weekend... only it was a little bit different... instead of fix boat go fishing... it was more like boats fine, dont waste money. dont go fishing haha

Of cause i listened intently. So im going fishing friday night at noosa 

Jacko

[Member]

Grab every opportunity mate

[Member]

A sore point at the moment

Last Thursday I was working up under the Ord Dam on Lake Argyle, about 70ks from town.  Just leaving the 80k zone some tossa a bit impatient overtakes in his big Ford thingie with the jet ski on the tray.

So I make sure I keep on his clacker knowing if he turned off to the lake I'd touch him up in the corners.  About 20 ks out right on Philchowski's Crossing I start to lose power, mat caught under the throttle, nah! Headwind, nup! Motor missing, no! Whilst I contemplate the speed drops to 100ks and I eat the ute's dust.  I get to the turn off and lo and behold I got full tilt again.  A few ks further after running the corners I hear/feel bump bump. I look in the mirror and the boat is on a lean. Pulling up and I'm looking at a hexagonal rim on one side, no tyre in sight. 

On the way back later that arvo there's the tyre tread right on the crossing, betcha Philchowski's cold dead fingerprints were on it . 

Amazingly the trailer tracked straight and true for the twenty ks it had no rubber up hill down dale and round and round.

Incidentally Philchowski was speared in 1913 by Wallambain for being a bit untidy, he sold grog and local women to travellers and got his comeuppance for the latter.  In an interesting quirk of fate, he found Hugh McKenna's body after he had been speared by blacks, himself was in turn speared and the person that found his body was also speared.  All about a year after each incident.  Spears flying all over the show in them days.

Come Sunday I decide to find a leak in the hull, so after fishing I chuck the hose in expecting to put a few inches in the bottom to look for the leak.  About an hour and a few beers later I realise I forgot all about it so go out to view my new swimming pool. Not sure the weight of the water a 4 metre boat can hold to overflowing but it flattened the tyres.  I also note the VHF about 6 inches under.  I did however find the leak.

Drained the water and the VHF lived up to its waterproof status, the wiring is all located just under the gunwhale so that was cool.  The first aid kit is all that suffered badly, soggy bandages. Bled new fuel through the filter and hoses just to be sure and good to go again.

PS the wheel bearings are just fine