Scutty's New Boat

[Scutty]

I have allready posted a few pics, but I thought I would give a few details for those that might be interested.
The boat is a Gavin Mair designed "Abrolhos 4.5" It was purchased as a pre-cut kit which we built ourselves. It is 4.5m long and has a 2.0m beam, 4mm bottom sheets, everything else is 3mm sheet. It has a self draining deck, raised forward casting platform, side console, pedestal seats, underfloor fuel tank.
It will be powered by a 60hp 4 stroke Yamaha and will be fitted with a dirty big electric, which is yet to be selected.
We should have it in the water within the next few weeks, so I am looking forward to catching up with some of you guys on the water.

Cheers,
Scutty

[Matt Ireland]

if you dont mind me asking how much would a kit like that set you back.

thanks
matt

[Scutty]

Matt,
the kit cost about $5000, which included all the materials for the hull, but not the console, grab rails or boarding ladder.

Scutty

[Jocool]

GGGEEEZZZUUUUSSSS!!

And I thought mine was a big breamin boat!!!

Cool boat Scutts!

She's a bloody beauty, Hats off to you for building one for yourself.

Always wanted to hear how easey Gavins kits are to build - how you finding it?

It looks like a dance floor in there....

Abrohlos...means "Look out" in Dutch i think and that thing looks big and fast - probably an appropriate name for her!

She'd be a really neat rig drifting over the deep holes in the staghorn and piatella corals looking for coral trout out at the Abrolhos...

I'm headed back there in March - want me to test her out there for ya?

Hey maybe you can convince these fella's how easey it is to build your own boat from a kit - I've been tellinmg em till I've gone blue in the face.

Thats a heckof a LOT of boat for 5 grand.

Keen to see how it ends up. Please post more pics as you go along!

Cheers!

[Scutty]

Thanks Jocool & Troty,
The boat is designed as a multi purpose craft to suit my fishing interests. I guess its a bit of a compromise between an offshore type hull and my existing 3.85 Explorer.

I do like to fish Exmouth, Coral Bay & Carnarvon as well as our beautiful Swan river and south west estuaries.

The kit was a piece of cake to build. Very little experience needed. Getting a handle on aluminium MIG welding is pretty damn simple.
To be honest, the pics I posted show the boat down at Barrington Marine, where Kerry has built and installed the fuel tank, console, hand rails and casting platform.

I expect that the boat should do low 30's with the 60 Yammy.

Like Tim the Toolman (not Tim the Bream) says, "I don't care what the question is, the answer is MORE POWER !"

Cheers,
Scutty

[Scutty]

Trouty !!

Can you ever forgive me ?

I read my post and realised that I has spelt your name wrong, sorry mate.

Cheers,
Scutty

[Scutty]

LOL

Read my last post and realised I still had a spelling mistake !

Just not happening for me today

- just don't call me late for dinner!

Spellins a bit of a challenge for me too - being afflicted with Phat Phingers syndrome..

You going to paint her?

60 horses eh?.. I see Merc have a new 75hp 4 stroke EFI out for 2004 model year....that'd make her get up n boogie!

Course - if you made that pod a little "wider" at the back you could have put twins on there!

If one engines good then 2 must be better eh?

You can never have too many horses - they only eat chaff when you open the throttles...Bigger OB's operating at lower rpms often are MUCH more fuel efficient (and longer lived) than a smaller OB operating at close to WOT all the time.

For remote locations use (exmouth?) the redundancy of twin engines means that in the event one lets you down the other might be sufficient to get you home in an emergency.

It's called the Magilla Gorilla boating analogy...

"a spare for the spare!"

I think theres a little Tim the Toolman Taylor in all of us. Heh Heh Heh!

Cheers!

[Scutty]

Trouty,
At this stage I am struggling to pay for 1 motor, let alone 2 of the suckers !!

Although I do agree about the "spare for the spare" theory. I once owned an old 18' Sharkcat with 2 115 Johnno's on it, now theres away to get rid of petrol very quickly !

The next big challenge is the electric. I am a MK fan, but when you start talking 65 - 80 lb thrust, we are talking cricket score prices !

Am considering an 82 lb MG at this point, cable steer 24 volt.

I would need to sell the boat to pay for a MK in that size range !

Cheers,
Scutty

Have you considered the lenco trollin tabs as an alternative?..

That way you get the added benefit of trim tabs (Which give you added planing surface for a quicker hole shot and lower planing speed), as well as holding th bow down in chop giving you better drier ride, forcing the knife edge of the bow to CUT the waves aside rather than allowing the bow to rise and slam down over waves.

Added to that you get twin trolling motors with a joystick control for sneakin up on fish or maneovering into a slip or whatever.

They ain't cheap but then neithers a big trolling motor and trim tabs if you buy em separate.

It's only money and when your boating that doesn't count...

BOAT = Break Out Another Thousand!!!

Take a look

http://www.lencomarine.com/troll'ntabs.html

Cheers!

from the USA I'd say!

Cheers!

The lenco's are the ducks nuts at the moment, I have had "talks" with the Bennet hydraulic trim tabs people in the USA about a set of Bennet hydraulic trim tabs with HYDRAULIC driven trolling motor props..

Can't say much more.

Cheers!