Thread: Boats / Ships & Fishing

Originally Posted by JDNSW

I seriously considered ferro, but ended up with steel. I think the problem with ferro is the amount of labour involved.

Another interesting point. I first sailed up the east coast in 1987. Most of the other long distance cruisers I saw were in "one-off" boats, usually built by themselves or bought very second hand. Ten years later I repeated the trip. Very noticeable was that there were virtually no home built boats to be seen. Most of the ones we saw were production fibreglass boats, generally pretty upmarket compared to those from ten years earlier.

John

You are right John.
Visiting yacht clubs now , not many homebuilts anymore. They are a lot of work. Back then we all kept in touch via Ham Radio on the 20 metre band. A sked was run by ZL1 ATE in Auckland at 0530 Zulu if I remember right.Cruisers used to check in with position etc. Dont think its done anymore.
We built it at the AG station about 5 miles out of town. Built the trailer from an old WW2 truck. Dug ramps for the wheels to go under the yacht, lowered it with the car jacks and talked Public Works into towing it into town and the beach to launch.
Everyone Local and Expat thought it would not float. We found out after the Planters in the Kavieng Club had money on it sinking. If we had known we could have cleaned up.

Not long after mine was launched, a ferro boat was launched and moored near mine at Williamstown (Melbourne). I heard from the local gossip that it had cracked when being launched. It was untouched for months, unlocked, with tools lying round. Then early one fineSunday morning, the owner boarded it and set off under power for Geelong, towing his dinghy. I hear later that it sank halfway to Geelong. According to the gossip, it had some help.

John

would a ferro with a crack need any extra help?

Originally Posted by Ean Austral

Worked on them for the last 27yrs, from fishing boats to landing barges and even did a trip as navigator on a 60mtr fast ferry from Darwin to singapore,and believe me the best boat is 1 thats owned by a friend or 1 you hire and give back..

Am presently steaming back to port with an expensive breakdown due to a new part failure,so maybe my view is abit tainted..

I am however all in favour of following you dreams/ideals, so its a big country surrounded by water, there's plenty of types of work in the marine industry, hope you find a good 1...If not just go back out with your mate at every opertunity..

Cheers Ean

Sorry to hear Ean.
Hows the prawn fishing going???
Andrew

Originally Posted by JDNSW

Then early one fineSunday morning, the owner boarded it and set off under power for Geelong, towing his dinghy. I hear later that it sank halfway to Geelong. According to the gossip, it had some help.

John

A while ago I asked a friend who is a keen boating and fishing man if he was going on our works bus trip to Terranora Golf Club on Sunday. His reply was that he was to rescue the crew from a sinking trawler that day.

Originally Posted by LandyAndy

Sorry to hear Ean.
Hows the prawn fishing going???
Andrew

Gday Andrew,

Was going really well, until we had a 10day old hydrolic winch motor fail,the problem is we bought it 3yrs ago, so try explaining to someone that a $10,000 motor is 3yrs old but only done 10 days work...

Anyway sourced a couple of 2nd hand ones and installed 1 today, so will be sailing at 5am tommorrow..Doubt the prawns will still be where I left from,I think they are in a couple of other boats freezers

Dont worry will have some for your christmas again this year if you guys want them..

Thanks and Cheers Ean

Hope it all goes well for you Ean.
Andrew

how about some action shots Ean?

you know the old saying,,
a picture sells a thousand prawns