Your inventions...

[tenzing]

Had this little canvas curtain made up to cover the batteries , switches etc and protect that area from the bulk of the salt spray,
Sailtrak on to the area where the seats attach and bungee down on each corner.
The bottom is still free for poking toes under or fiddling around without having to undo the bungees as they are not attached right down in the corners.

[Dignity]

Brought myself a $5 sink from a Garage Sale earlier this year, but $80 worth of copper plumbing fittings later - and presto, my new filleting table. Have since added a $10 shower rack underneath the sink to take the soap, towel, detergent, brush etc. Also cut up some marine ply to have as my fillett board on top of sink. All the scraps go into a bag in the bin and hence no smell later. Only blood of the board is washed down the sink. Waste water straight into my garden bed on other side of fence. Cheers, Darren

Fishbait, If you can find a garbage disposal unit attach that and you will have all the berley you want. Check around with some of the kitchen installers they might have a couple on hand that they have pulled out.

[Dignity]

Yet to do on my tinnie but on my mates we used pool noodles, must be the hollow type, put a legthwise cut in them and slip over the gunwhales. His rod holders are a little too close to the gunwhales and when a good fish strikes the rods were hitting aluminium.

[Micadogs]

Have made a trailer wash down system, similar to the Dunbier system on the market. Cost $29 in parts and approx one hour to install. Now i just flush the motor whilst unpacking, then put hose on the trailer wash down whilst putting stuff away. I used 19mm garden irrigation poly tubing, 20 micro jets (360 degrees) and 4 micro jets (180 degrees) for extra attention on the hubs/brakes.

All that is required after flushing and trailer is a quick rinse on the outside of the boat. No bending and getting wet etc.

Regards Adam

[randell]

My best invention was a spotlight made from a sealed beam car headlight , the smaller one ,mounted in a cut-off detergent bottle , and a lead to a car battery with those metal clips. It probably spooked the fish but when you were ready to you could see where you were going...................
randell

[Jono_SS]

With all the concern over the visibility of boats on the water at night, I rigged up an all round light that stands well above anything else on my boat. I stripped down an old broken rod and made a short attachment to slide over the end. I fixed an LED white all round light to the attachment. When I want to use it, I place the attachment over the rod and place the rod in a rod holder in the bait table. Bingo! As visible as the proverbial. Even the water police down at the Broadwater liked it when they pulled me over for a breath test one night recently.

By the way, the light has so far clocked up about 70 hours on the one set of batteries. Go the LEDs! Do they actually use power???

[Gonzo73]

I made a sound proof box in which i place the mobile phone so if the wife rings " When the $^#&$ are you coming home ? " ... I can't hear it : )

[Dignity]

With all the concern over the visibility of boats on the water at night, I rigged up an all round light that stands well above anything else on my boat. I stripped down an old broken rod and made a short attachment to slide over the end. I fixed an LED white all round light to the attachment. When I want to use it, I place the attachment over the rod and place the rod in a rod holder in the bait table. Bingo! As visible as the proverbial. Even the water police down at the Broadwater liked it when they pulled me over for a breath test one night recently.

By the way, the light has so far clocked up about 70 hours on the one set of batteries. Go the LEDs! Do they actually use power???

Jono, great idea, I have an old 27 mghz radio aerial that I haven't thrown away yet and was just waiting for a bright idea like this.

[Jono_SS]

Jono, great idea, I have an old 27 mghz radio aerial that I haven't thrown away yet and was just waiting for a bright idea like this.

Hey Dignity,

Keep in mind that putting a weight of any amount at the end of a long lever like an aerial on a bumpy old boat is going to end up with lots of movement when your zooming along (less problem at anchor, of course).

I get minimal movement with my setup because the rod is quite stiff, plus the attachment has a reasonably long sleeve that takes out the bendiest part of the rod, if you know what i mean.

If I were rigging up something on an aerial, I would be keeping it as light as possible (those things sway even without a weight on the end).

Good luck with you project!!

Jono

[Dignity]

Jono,

The aerial I have is the fibreglass type and not the steel type, after your post I was thinking of cutting it shorter and as suggested using when at anchor.

Sam

[sparky54]

I heard of a guy in my area with a trailer wash down system where he had a sprinkler system mounted on the trailer and carried an old beer keg in the back of his ute conneced to the sprinkler, he would half fill the keg with water and pressurise it with the compressor, after he launched the boat and parked the trailer he would just open the valve and walk away while the trailer was automatically rinsed. Great idea for those extended or overnight trips where the trailer is sitting there covered in salt.

[Gippslander]

Hey fellas, I like to have a feed when I am out. So I built a timber tray that fits over the bait board to make the sandwiches, cook the stir fry on etc. without getting blood and guts all over my tucker. See pic.

[Gippslander]

I also siliconed a yellow pingpong ball to the top of the aerial so I don't poke my eye out if I walk into it!!

[D river]

Turned the storage space under each side of my sleeper cab into 2x 100L eskies and in the center I have a 140L stainless fuel tank. leaves the floor space for fishing room

[John Buoy]

For Solo Launching

My home made boat latch saves me getting in and out
when doing solo drive on/offs.
simply hook up the ring to a fixed hook on the trailer
with a tad of slack rope tied off to the stern cleat,
once your in the water unhook safety chain and winch
if the boat slides back the hooked ring will tension up holding the boat
then simply start your motor drive forward and removed the ring!
park the boat and trailer and off ya go.
simply reverse the procedure when loading the boat!!
Drive on lean over the side with motor in gear hook up the ring and tie it off
shut down engine's and hop out to apply safety chain and winch !!
Edit re posted pics






Regards Frank