Pimped my ride
After about 15 years with the same little tub and approx 2500 'almost'-trouble free hours on the donk, I started to loose faith. Other than adding duel batteries about 10 years ago, a few electronics and religiously servicing her every 100 hours (usually twice a year), she had done herself proud and cost me bugger all after the initial purchase.
An old fraser hull and an old school 2 stroke yammi, she had always got me home safe despite some pretty bad weather on occasion; but reliability was starting to become an issue and she was starting to age QUICKLY over the last couple of years (plus fuel usage was really starting to hurt as she aged).
My 2013 annual trip to Exmouth was the last straw - two sets of trailer barings changed on the side of the road, and a trip to the Murions which involved stopping every 10 minutes for the outboard temp to drop and the alarm stop sounding, was the last straw - I'd had enough and she deserved some attention.
A bad tempered bastard at the best of times, I got home and parked her in the shed and thru the keys in the back of the cupboard for almost a year, but the call of the salt 'made' me do something. I toyed with buying a newer and bigger boat but sentiment got the better of me and I decided to give her a birthday.
My scope was simple: fix up the trailer, replace the motor, replace the electronics, fit a windlass (as I'd had enough of pulling the pick in crap weather whilst night fishing solo), add floatation to the hull (having once seen the same type boat go to the bottom of the drink in under 5 minutes off wedge about two years earlier), remove and replace any rot, replace and reinforce the transom....oh and add some good quality clears (she has always been a good ride but always VERY wet).
First of all I re-built the trailer from ground up - re-galv, new heavy duty axle, oversized barings etc etc
I then searched and found a shipright whom as well as doing exceptional work, let me pay it off as I went/ could afford it, and who was happy to house her at his workshop undercover rather than see it sit on my driveway half complete.....
Over a year later, one and a half cubic metres of closed cell foam added, etc etc etc etc and she's done.
I've had her back for a fortnight now and have put twenty DRY and very economical hours on her already, apart from re-propping it to ensure I reached factory advised revvs at WOT and some transducer adjustments....all good so far.
Heres hoping many more years of her on the water.
Try not to laugh too hard at the ridiculous outriggers on such a little boat....I was getting a bit 'keen' towards the end!
Have I over-capitalised - YES;
Have I ended up with what I wanted and had great fun - DEFINATELY.
Would I do it a again - THE MISSUS WOULD KILL ME IF I TRIED
Vinesh87
Posts: 2751
Date Joined: 02/04/11
Looks epic! Any before
Looks epic! Any before pictures ?
Silver Fox
Posts: 1097
Date Joined: 19/06/14
Excellent work
I too have been down the road you have just taken. It's a great feeling to bring life back to an old tub that most people would rather thrown on the scrap heap .It took me seven ( no shit gentlemen) years to totally re-build a penguin Phantom from a bare glass shell to a sweet little centre console. A little work here and a little work there I built a boat with my own hands. It's an even better feeling when your cruising around knowing exactly what your taking out to sea. Tons of underfloor flotation ,lots of individual foam filled compartments that you know are oing to keep you afloat if the shit hits the fan. I encourage you to have a go a pimping your ride... You would be surprised at what can be done with a simple tinny. Next on my radar is a Penguin Huntriss that's been sitting in the driveway for a year. I'm pretty damn sure this one is going to be quicker than seven years.... At least I've got a clue what I'm doing this time!
My wife understands why I clean my rods n reels in the shower....
Hutch
Posts: 2221
Date Joined: 21/04/13
WOW! Sure you didn't chuck
WOW!
Sure you didn't chuck it away and buy that new tub?
dodgy
Posts: 4563
Date Joined: 01/02/10
Came up really good. Who did
Came up really good. Who did all the hull work? I need something similar myself.
Does anyone know where the love of god goes, when the waves turn the minutes to hours?
Brock O
Posts: 3166
Date Joined: 11/01/08
Great Work
Chris! You've done a great job and it does look like a dry boat now. Nice read thanks for posting.
Ive used Ben for a small repair on my last boat, very honest and a pleasure to deal with.
out wide
Posts: 1535
Date Joined: 30/12/08
Nice looks like a new boat
and probably every bit as good
ChrisG
Posts: 558
Date Joined: 30/12/11
Thanks for positve comments
Thanks for positve comments guys
shipright was fibrelite boats in oconnor....Ben Punch and crew......outstanding quality work but even better people.
kirky79
Posts: 1351
Date Joined: 13/01/12
That's a beast mate Awesome.
That's a beast mate
Awesome. Would also love to see some before photos.
Chris.
bod
Posts: 2318
Date Joined: 03/05/06
smicko
looking really good Chris. Nice job.
ChrisG
Posts: 558
Date Joined: 30/12/11
Will post some before pics
Will post some before pics when I scan a couple - not sure where I saved the original digital ones but have a few printed
Paul H
Posts: 2104
Date Joined: 18/01/07
Looks great nice work. Bloody
Looks great nice work.
Bloody good finish
Youtube Channel - FishOnLine Productions
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbUVNa-ViyGm_FTDSv4Nqzg/videos
sarcasm0
Posts: 1396
Date Joined: 25/06/09
Nice Job
!
Deleted
Posts: 6265
Date Joined: 26/04/14
How good is that. Couldn't
How good is that. Couldn't even tell what it was from first pics but then bam up come the last photos. Looks mint nice fishing space.
chris raff
Posts: 3257
Date Joined: 09/02/10
If your going to do a job ,
If your going to do a job , do it properly as they say ... excellent job come up real nice
“Intelligence is like a four-wheel drive. It only allows you to get stuck in more remote places.”
stephenm
Posts: 152
Date Joined: 03/04/13
great job!
Looks like you now will have many more years of fun with it. Job well done
pelagicyachts
Posts: 1301
Date Joined: 23/02/11
thats a great looking boat -
thats a great looking boat - i like the outriggers too- trust me - you can never have too big!
one favour to ask - can you pls change your avatar! :-)
ChrisG
Posts: 558
Date Joined: 30/12/11
Sorry is the avatar
Sorry is the avatar offensive? If it is I'll change or are you taking the piss?
Subaquatic
Posts: 515
Date Joined: 23/04/11
Cringe Factor- Set to Max!
Cringe Factor- Set to Max!
ChrisG
Posts: 558
Date Joined: 30/12/11
Made me more than cringe -
Made me more than cringe - especially the 20 minutes it took to remove
GGs
Posts: 330
Date Joined: 06/09/14
I would hate to bring back
I would hate to bring back bad memories but whats the name of that lure? I need to re-stock my macky lures and the closest i have come to finding that profile is the halco max.
Ive seen that lure before and from memory it had a great smoke trail at speed.
Awesome refurbishment on the boat aswell!
ChrisG
Posts: 558
Date Joined: 30/12/11
That lure is a 'Mack Bait'
That lure is a 'Mack Bait' they come in 4 and 6 inch versions in a few diff colours - they're made by some bloke in Qld and he used to supply heaps of tackle shops like cambells etc but in the end he reckons he couldn't compete with halco etc on price so they aren't sold in shops anymore - I found his details on line and called him - paid with credit card for a box full of them. I'll see if I can find his details and post them for ya. Great lure - I've caught LOTs of mackies on them up north and even more tuna in local perth water - run at pretty high speed too so always have one out he back when moving between bottom bouncing spots
ChrisG
Posts: 558
Date Joined: 30/12/11
Lively lures - Mack
Lively lures - Mack baits
Www.livelyluresonline.com.au
GGs
Posts: 330
Date Joined: 06/09/14
Cheers mate would appreciate
Cheers mate would appreciate his details.
Ive seen a guy spinning with them and the smoke trail they produced when cranked in really fast was great.
pelagicyachts
Posts: 1301
Date Joined: 23/02/11
haha - no mate not offensive
haha - no mate not offensive at all - im just not good with blood! (human type at least) - i got one in the same spot - with a crushed barb - still had to cut the treble and feed it thru - crushed barbs seem to work best on fish!!
Tradewind
Posts: 756
Date Joined: 18/09/12
Amazing Job, couldn't tell it
Amazing Job, couldn't tell it wasn't a new rig off the yard!
fish 06
Posts: 164
Date Joined: 30/06/13
Nice Rig
Nice looking rig you have there
You might have to change the part in your profile about your boat.
Perfish
Posts: 103
Date Joined: 15/11/11
One thought
Great effort in getting her back to new Chris!
One thought though (and happy to be corrected) - shouldn't the rego number be midships rather than almost at the stern?
Man with line in water catches fish!
You only get what you always got if you only do what you've always done!
ChrisG
Posts: 558
Date Joined: 30/12/11
Not sure on regos about rego
Not sure on regos about rego location - has been in that same spot since 1997 and never been spoken to by DOT or fisheries
Cruise Control
Posts: 972
Date Joined: 03/11/10
Thats a real nice job Chris.
Thats a real nice job Chris. Gotta be happy with that !
fishin mad
Posts: 70
Date Joined: 03/05/13
SWEEEEET like a new one
SWEEEEET like a new one
mullows
Posts: 738
Date Joined: 25/12/08
Looks Mint Chrispy!Will get
Looks Mint Chrispy!
Will get my arse on it one day haha.
Cheers
Mullows
The Older I get the better I was :-)
ChrisG
Posts: 558
Date Joined: 30/12/11
Hahahahahaha nothing wrong
Hahahahahaha nothing wrong with your memory!
ChrisG
Posts: 558
Date Joined: 30/12/11
Hahahahahaha nothing wrong
Hahahahahaha nothing wrong with your memory!
ranmar850
Posts: 2702
Date Joined: 12/08/12
Sweet rig
Beautiful job, it's a credit to you, just the shot for chasing some sails
barracuda
Posts: 197
Date Joined: 01/09/13
Very nice
lovely job , what winch did you go for please?
ChrisG
Posts: 558
Date Joined: 30/12/11
thanks mateLewmar 550 (just
thanks mate
Lewmar 550 (just added freefall kit today)
barracuda
Posts: 197
Date Joined: 01/09/13
Ok
thanks I will check them out