G'Day from sunny (??) Queensland

[Kram71]

I've been lurking around the forums for quite a while now, and a member for several months, so I thought I should get around to introducing myself. I'm Mark, based in Rockhampton, CQ.

I've grown up in a family that has always had boats, most recently my father's 17' Mustang half cab that he sold around 8 years ago. I've missed having access to the boat since then, and now that I have a family of my own, I want them to experience the fun and enjoyment of boating and fishing as I have. So I have recently taken the plunge and purchased my first boat (many years later than I had originally hoped to own one). My budget constraints, mixed with the desire to do some restoring of an older boat, led me to an early80's Stejcraft half cabin boat. It was in need of some TLC, but overall wasn't in bad condition.

It's now been 4 months since I brought the old girl home, and I'm gradually getting closer to completion of the phase 1 restore.
The completed work list so far:
- Trailer restore (Replaced springs, hubs, brakes, rollers. Removed rust, and so on)
- Electrical (completed re-wired the boat from front to back, replaced switches, nav lights and a few other components)
- Engine (The one that came with the boat was beyond help, so a decent pre-loved outboard was sourced and fitted)

She's currently in having the floor replaced due to a minor case of the dreaded rot. The transom is in good nick, and otherwise the fibreglass and structure is pretty solid.

I still have a bit of work to do before she sees the water again, but the end of the tunnel is in sight. I've quickly learned that when working with boats, there is always an other cost to add to the list, but by doing what I can myself I've managed to (so far) stay within my budget. It's been fun so far, but the real fun is yet to come

This forum has been a fantastic source of information so far, and has provided me with many hours of entertaining and useful reading. I look forward to seeing some of the Ausfish family out and about when we hit the water in the coming months... especially around Keppel Bay. We're heading down to 1770 in June for a long weekend camping trip, hopefully the boat will be joining us.

Cheers & Beers
Mark

[RZSmokey]

Hi Mark, sounds like you're a little ahead of me!

I'm in the process of purchasing an old cuddy cabin to try to get out on the water with the family on a budget, also based near Rocky, so the stomping grounds would be Keppel Bay, Gladstone, Fitzroy River and 1770 to begin with.

I'm going to have to tidy up the old boat and repower with a 2nd hand engine as well, so feel free to post up your progress so I may learn from it!

I've been lurking for a little while now and this forum is certainly a wealth of information.

Any idea what you'll be fishing for? Fun or food or both and what species and techniques are you thinking for our area?

Smokey