PHP Warning: Use of undefined constant VBA_SCRIPT - assumed 'VBA_SCRIPT' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in ..../includes/functions_navigation.php(802) : eval()'d code on line 1 Fitting out a 12 ft Tinny
About 6 months ago I bought a second-hand 12 ft (3.7 metre) tinny, intending to use it mainly for fishing. Bit by bit I have turned it into a useful boat for fishing the estuaries and close-in reefs along the western side of Moreton Bay. I had the idea of sharing my experiences in doing the modifications, and getting suggestions from others about what else I can do.
To kick off the story, the photo below shows what the boat looked like when I bought it - it was pretty much a bare hull, though it had lots of screw holes and a few fittings that showed that the previous owner was a keen fisherman and had done his/her own modifications. The boat did have a ply floor with a revolting green carpet that was well past its use-by date and was shedding green dust every time you touched it.
I would much appreciate suggestions for further improvements I can make. Catch you soon,
As I said earlier, the tinny already had a plywood floor, covered with a piece of revolting green carpet/artificial grass - quickly dispatched to oblivion via the wheelie bin. I lifted the ply (held down using self-tapping screws), checked its condition. It was perfect – no rot or serious cracking. The floor supports were aluminium angle, quite over-designed, and in good condition.
I sanded the ply before applying a coat of good quality primer and two coats of enamel. As I brushed on the two top-coats, I sprinkled washed and dried beach sand into the wet paint to make the surface anti-skid. I had done this in an earlier boat and it worked well, though it could be hard on bare skin. I left the underside of the ply with a single coat of primer. Experts reckon that sealing up ply too well encourages rot.
Before reinstalling the floor, I filled the space underneath with blocks of foam, plastic milk containers and soft drink bottles. They are so crammed in between the aluminium angle grid that supports the floor that they can’t move even if the boat is swamped. The total capacity of the bottles was more than 70 litres, therefore adding about 70 kg of additional buoyancy at nil cost.
One thing that a fishing boat must have is rod holders, and I reckon you can’t have too many. In my small tinny I have about 8, scattered about the boat. Most of them are made from PVC pipe, cut to size and with holes drilled for mounting screws. One of them is angled outwards and has an added support in the form of a saddle, this one can be used for trolling.
I also bought an adjustable rod holder with an extra mount. Having two mounts lets me use it on either side of the boat. To tell the truth, I rarely use it. I mostly fish with only one rod, using the PVC rod holders to store one or more extra rods with different lines and rigs.
Storage is a problem in any boat, and the smaller the boat the bigger the problem. One approach is to use the principle “if in doubt – leave it out”. This is very true, but there are certain things you must take with you. As I was thinking about this problem, I wanted a solution that let me store things at home, away from the boat, for security reasons as well as in the boat. I got the idea of using a large plastic crate, fitting a lid to it to keep things dry.
In the end, I added a switch panel and some sockets to one end, a mount for the sounder and a few hooks and holders on the outside. At home, I can store the whole thing securely under the house. When I am going fishing, it only takes a minute to transfer it to the boat.
I needed a 12V power source to run a few things on the boat – navigation and anchor lights, some general lighting around the boat, a spotlight and some electronics. Ideally for this application you would have a deep cycle battery connected to the charging coil on the outboard motor. As it was, I already had a portable 12V system I set up a couple of years ago to use camping. I simply bought a conventional car battery, fitted it into a plastic battery box and hooked up a couple of sockets wired on separate fuses at the battery.
While a car battery is not the best in this application, it has one big advantage – it’s cheap. To ensure maximum life, I added some of that battery “conditioner” stuff. I also make sure that the battery is kept well charged. I recharge it at home immediately after use, and also stick it on charge every couple of weeks if I haven’t used it to compensate for the self-discharge that lead-acid batteries are famous for.
To use it in the boat, I only needed to fit longer cables that allow me to make the necessary plug-in connections inside the plastic box. I run two cables on separate fuses – one runs the spotlight and the other the rest of the loads.
You have some good ideas there buddy. For your spot light why don't you buy a rechargeable one saves you using power off your battery and you will have no cord to bother you
My 3.1 tinny is a lot less complicated as I wheel this down the beach on attached wheels so weight must be kept low:
I use 3 milk crates (2 rear, 1 forward) for things like emergency fuel, tackle and anchor. The motor is a 6hp Suzuki with internal tank and I get about 2 hrs of trolling from this. The anchor is attached to a float so if I need to release it in a hurry - as you sometimes do in a small boat, you can go back and get it. I've got a rod holder set in each rear corner as I troll 2 lures at different depths and usually get tangles but I double my chances of catching fish. GPS is a Garmin 12 with a mount on the side of the rear seat. No sounder yet but when I do I'll use a motorbike battery sealed in tupperware. No need for lights as I have a bigger boat for serious fishing. My esky just sits in the bottom wherever is best. I also carry oars as I need to row past the small break and fringing reef on my beach.
I like your simple PVC rod holders so will steal this idea to store the rods up the front when underway as they'll cop less spray.
Thanks for the ideas Tiny_Tinney.
I am very new to the site. It is an awesome wit loads of good info.
I am about to enter the water and am currently reading up on all the tips that I can find.
Don't have a boat yet, I am still trying to figure what I need for my young family.
I hope to get out there soon.
Hi Tim - yes you have a good suggestion about a rechargeable spotlight, but I already had the old fashioned one. I'm waiting for it to pack it in so I can replace it. I have to take a few more pix so I can continue the fitout story.
Crisp Bee - it's a bit of a problem to find a boat that suits all things, every boat is a compromise. When our first child was born, we went for a 'glass half-cab. That was good for little kids. Ours grew up in central Queensland with trips to the Keppels a regular thing. Looking back, it was pure heaven. People pay thousands to visit a place we could visit any time the weather suited.
The half-cab wasn't a bad boat for fishing, though the cabin took up space and got in the way sometimes when fighting a bigger fish. The current choice of a 12 ft tinny was based on what I could afford, though my first boat was a small tinny. They have limitations but are tops in my mind when you think of fun per dollar.
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