Do you have your doubts?

[kingtin]

Wonderful post Nige, and I'm sure you'll have many happy hours fishing with the nipper.

Savour it mate 'cause they won't appreciate what you are doing till 10 yrs after they've flown the coop and have their own

Mate, you've almost got me thinking that I want another kid

kev

[spears]

Kingtin..
I’ve read your storey and can understand where your coming from with this dilemma .I started of with small tinny and worked my way up to a really nice 16 ft swiftcraft fitted every accessory that I think of I would need .
Went out fishing thinking that now I can get into the deep blue.Well that great happy idea hit a wall.First of all was if my fishing companion couldn’t turn up then I could go as it took two people to get it back on the trailer with a strong side wind.I had to buy a bigger car to tow it with.Cost more petrol to run the car and boat and I wasn’t catching more fish..Just peachy..
So the boat only did a dozen trips out one year compared to every 2nd week with the smaller boat.
I see so many large boats parked in front of houses not being used with a tarp over them,
I sold the boat after 18 months and got a stacer 14foot and started to enjoy fishing but got too wet sun burnt and thought this is too small after the swiftcraft.Sold it in the first year.Now I’m on my 8th boat this time a 15 foot glass run about with every thing fitted and really having a ball cause I can launch/retrieve it my self got windscreen and canopy 60HP to get me there,less fuel costs.
But if you catch fish then that’s a bonus even though I’m not a big fish eater.I think everybody needs something to do and if the family can enjoy it with you then that’s a bonus.
I bought my first boat 30 years ago and its taken me 27 years to get the right one and I can take it to where the fish are being caught..Thats my storey and its been and expensive lesson..

[Angla]

I know how you feel Kev, but for me the feeling passes.

The wife makes me feel guilty about it but she wants to enjoy it later in life.

The kids won't go with me cos I never catch anything and I'm always out for too long.

Its alot of money sitting there when the weather has been bad for soooo long

I have also taken up motor bike riding too just recently.

The bones are nearly fifty now and I am starting to feel a little older than when I was a kid.

In answer to the lot of it......... I can still run rings around my teenagers (even after a afternoon nap) I keep up with younger blokes on 450 dirt bikes, Launch and retrieve the 575 Outsider solo and above all love the feel of wind in the face and the freedom of the ocean and the bush tracks (on the old 600cc dirt bike).

Stick with it until you are all broken and the body just cannot do it.

Chris

[kingtin]

Been crook and offline for a couple of weeks........gave me time to think............The Whittley is sold and the tinny is for sale in the for sale section. The deckie has taken a shine to the Stacer 489 or 519 Nomad and to be honest, I really like the lay out of it too.

Nothing decided yet though but it will definitely be something we can run up the beach and ramp without having to look for a ramp with pontoons and it will have to fit in the garage as the Whittley got egged again. The garage is 8m deep so we have quite a few options.


If we go for the 519, we also have to decide between the 90 merc 4 stroke or the 75 honda 4 stroke..............21/2k dearer but those 5 yr warranties are tempting. If we go for the 489 it'll be the Honda 50 LRTD 4 stroke.

So yes, we had our doubts about the cost of our boating, but really, that wasn't the deciding factor. It was simply down to need....the need have something that I could garage and handle easier, the need to have more launching options, the not needing something that big.........we will also have enough left over to take the kids back and show 'em their roots in the UK for a month............show 'em how lucky they are :-)

kev

[Jackinthebox]

Hey Kev,

I think you've struck a great balance with the Nomad, much easier to handle, cheap on fuel and you can still get outside in that sucker too if you want. If you go the 489, i'd get the 60hp. My 469 goes well with the 50 four stroke but the 489 is a fair bit heavier boat.

BTW, Mercury has now increased the warranty on the Four strokes to 5 years as long as you keep up to date with the services. My new merc 50 4 stroke has now got about 5 hrs of cruising on it for about 15 litres of juice. That's 3 litres an hour, can't complain about that.

Cheers,
Mick

[reidy]

Good day all,
every time i jump into my 4.1 Bermuda tinnie (tiller) and have a good day i look at others $45000+ investments i think to my self what if,
What if i scratched,dented,busted or sunk such a large investment,how would i feel. sad i would think
I have dented,scratched,scraped and abused my baby 4.1 and am still a happy camper.
I guess its like buying a new 4x4.brand new im not taking it in there.
10 years old look out coming through
Cheers
Reidy

[kingtin]

Hey Kev,

I think you've struck a great balance with the Nomad, much easier to handle, cheap on fuel and you can still get outside in that sucker too if you want. If you go the 489, i'd get the 60hp. My 469 goes well with the 50 four stroke but the 489 is a fair bit heavier boat.

BTW, Mercury has now increased the warranty on the Four strokes to 5 years as long as you keep up to date with the services. My new merc 50 4 stroke has now got about 5 hrs of cruising on it for about 15 litres of juice. That's 3 litres an hour, can't complain about that.

Cheers,
Mick

Thanks for that Mick. I've gone for the 519..............just love how 2 adults can move to one side and she hardly leans.

I've married her to the Merc 90hp ELPT EFI 4 stroke...............the deckie wants to learn to ski

kev

[Shagga]

Kev,

Maybe boat share might be an option to consider. Keep the tinny and sell the Whittley.

[SeaHunt]

I noticed you had been missing for a while Kev.
I hope all is OK now, nothing like a new boat to get the juices flowing again.

You should be OK with the Merc , they have had an up and down history over the years, but I think they have had their act together for some time now.
I havn't head anything bad about the 4 Strokes.
My EFI 4 Stroke 60 has just hit 5 years and not missed a beat with just the annual service.

The 90 should be heaps, even my 60hp will pull a fat skier out. err.. my son , not your deckie.

And they are fantastic on fuel.

[kingtin]

I noticed you had been missing for a while Kev.
I hope all is OK now,

Yeah mate, thanks for asking. I'm coming good apart from some sort of reversal with my body temp mechanism. ................sit in the sun, and I'm ok..............step into an air conditioned shopping mal, and the sweat pours off me

The deckie goes into hospital Tuesday for 4 or 5 days, then she'll be off her feet for a month, so waiting for the new rig, (8 wks delivery) will drag a bit.

I'm sure that I'll be happy with the merc.............the black anchor thing goes back a few years and they've upped their game now. I had a test drive this morning with the 90 2 stroke and was surprised just how quiet they were.

kev

[manchild]

Sounds like a perfect excuse to sit in the sun and drink cold beer.Gotta balance out things at your age you know. To answer your original question mate ,i had doubts and still has.Things change ,since i bought a camper we go a lot out into the bush as far st george.Beachcamping doesnt interest me as much as it used to.Now as you know i got a near new boat sitting here ,do i keep it or downsize ?Its barely getting used ,its useless as a cartopper.Expensive piece of garage decoration if you ask me.Having said all that tha kids love it when i take them out for a day .Dilemma -dilemma.I still remember how exiting it is when your are a kid.Anyway ,gone a bit long here.
cheers
George
Hope everything ok with your healt mate ,see you sometimes for those beers

[kingtin]

Kev,

Maybe boat share might be an option to consider. Keep the tinny and sell the Whittley.

I camp at the Pin a lot mate, and as the boys get bigger, the tinny won't plane with all the gear on board..............No...............I'll just have to get a bigger tinny ;-)

Kev

[kingtin]

Hope everything ok with your healt mate ,see you sometimes for those beers

Nice to hear from you George. Mate, don't give the fishing away, the kids will curse you. 8 weeks to wait for the new rig and then I'll catch up with you down the pin for those beers............I'm still chasin' that elusive jewie

kev

[manchild]

Sound good mate.Just got back from Levuka ,had a ball .
cheers
George