Project Hornet

[NAGG]

Well that didn't take long

Picked this 480 Hornet up on the Sunny Coast yesterday ...... 2010 model with a 75 hp Merc 4 stroke with less than 50 hours on it .

Hornet 480 1.jpg Hornet 480 deck .jpg

It's in pretty good nick but I'll spend some time & money on it to get it to where I'm happy to put it on the water.

The guy did the deck fairly recently ..... but as I discovered , he used form ply which swelled on the edges & has made the floor impossible to lift ...... I'm basically going to have to redo it cause it will have to be destroyed to get it up - need to for some wiring etc - a real shame

Anyhow , I'll put some photos as I go .

Chris

[disorderly]

Whens the Barcrusher going on the market..?

[bluefin59]

Whens the Barcrusher going on the market..?

I’d suggest he will go the North Queensland path and have 2 boats , every where I went they had the creek boat and the off shore weapon you greedy people hahahah . Matt

[NAGG]

Whens the Barcrusher going on the market..?

The demons were in my head a few months back as I questioned the Barcrushers very existence ....... .then I woke up ( I think)

Getting the Hornet now gives me more fishing options - where I can head out west to chase cod & yellas .... or even fish my local river (Nepean / Hawkesbury) for bass & EPs ..... with less hassle ( I dont need to spend a day cleaning the boat out ) - very easy to handle & just hit the road to go fishing .

The barcrusher is a great boat & will still remain a big part of my fishing ...... two 10 day trips to Evans Head next year .

So I think it will be a case of owning two boats - certainly for the next 4 or 5 years ...... then revisit

Chris

[NAGG]

I’d suggest he will go the North Queensland path and have 2 boats , every where I went they had the creek boat and the off shore weapon you greedy people hahahah . Matt

That's the case for me

Chris

[Dignity]

That's the case for me

Chris

Not a Q'lder yet, need a kayak as well.

[disorderly]

Not a Q'lder yet, need a kayak as well.

and a cast net Sam...

[disorderly]

I’d suggest he will go the North Queensland path and have 2 boats , every where I went they had the creek boat and the off shore weapon you greedy people hahahah . Matt

Its called the solution to the tradewinds, mate....when its blowing its ring out for months on end during the winter its such a releif to be able to at least get on on some enclosed waterways..

The demons were in my head a few months back as I questioned the Barcrushers very existence ....... .then I woke up ( I think)

Getting the Hornet now gives me more fishing options - where I can head out west to chase cod & yellas .... or even fish my local river (Nepean / Hawkesbury) for bass & EPs ..... with less hassle ( I dont need to spend a day cleaning the boat out ) - very easy to handle & just hit the road to go fishing .

The barcrusher is a great boat & will still remain a big part of my fishing ...... two 10 day trips to Evans Head next year .

So I think it will be a case of owning two boats - certainly for the next 4 or 5 years ...... then revisit

Chris

Good stuff man..

its nice to have a smaller tinny as well ..as you say when there is a lot less effort involved in prep, towing, launching and cleanup you tend to do more trips ...I even use my 3.85 explorer launched off the beach ramp around the islands on calm days...makes life so easy...though it gets a bit toasty this time of year without a cab and cover...

Been thinking of trying out Tinaroo for the big swamp donkey's but havent got there yet..

[NAGG]

Not a Q'lder yet, need a kayak as well.

Had a canoe when I was younger - then moved on

Chris

[Noelm]

It's kind of funny how your boating/fishing life changes as time goes by, these days, my tinny gets used 10 times more than the cat, I have thought of maybe upsizing the tinny and selling the cat, but then........I start thinking about chop, breeze, stability and all sorts of stuff, and stop thinking about it, right now, I'm thinking again! Currently got new seats, T top canvas and a new trailer made ready to tidy up the cat again.

[TheGurn]

I finally 'donated' the offshore rig to one of the sons just yesterday. Wasn't he happy !!!! Damn fine boat. Like new.
It hadn't seen salt water for 3 years because the little renegade does most of what I really enjoy.
It regularly provides a pretty good variety of fine fresh seafood without the big cleanups (& expense) at the end of the day.
20 mins to the water, $20 fuel, couple of coldies and a bag or 2 of softies (and company if I want it)
Not likely to get pearlies etc, but snapper, tailor, cod, flatties, etc...... All readily available and very tasty from the little quinny.

A buggered back and getting lazy in my old age helped make the decision too.
And maybe the kid might even ask me out occasionally.

Cheers
Gurn

[NAGG]

It's kind of funny how your boating/fishing life changes as time goes by, these days, my tinny gets used 10 times more than the cat, I have thought of maybe upsizing the tinny and selling the cat, but then........I start thinking about chop, breeze, stability and all sorts of stuff, and stop thinking about it, right now, I'm thinking again! Currently got new seats, T top canvas and a new trailer made ready to tidy up the cat again.

Ebb & flow Noel

I guess it would be easy if we just fished one style .....

The Seajay I had was reasonably versatile - except it was wet in windy conditions . I think these two boats will give me the right balance

Chris

[NAGG]

Well the Hornet is in a million pieces & the term BOAT (Bring on another thousand) certainly applies to this thing .

This is one of the pitfalls of buying a second hand boat - It's the hidden costs that can mount up very quickly & it's stuff that you wont even think about . .

All the plastic gland fittings were brittle & were either cracked or broke when tested ....... It didn't matter if these were exposed to the sun or not BOAT.jpg

Yep Fusion stereo ..... Ipod compatible ... ditch that

Antenna - brittle

Speakers - brittle & fell apart

Fuel lines - cactus

Replaced trailer winch , brake system

It goes on & I'm only half way there

A funny thing though ....... keep in mind that this is a 12 year old boat . I'm looking up the inside of the console up under the gunnel & see something ..... I couldn't believe my eyes . This was still attached to the bolt that connects the console to the gunnel now where is that socket.jpg


Annyhow - I knew what I was getting myself into

Chris

[Dignity]

Spelt BOATT now Chris. Bring Out Another Two/Ten Thousand.
Did the bloke give it an acid wash, never seen fittings go like that, I've got fittings much older than that and still good as gold.

[chris69]

Looks like you got a bargin there with the boat and you got a ratchet too is it a sidcrome,it just goes to show that people put in a new floors and don’t seal the edges of the ply , being end grain it soaks up anything like a sponge and that form ply is so heavy it’s best out of the boat have fun.