Boouht my boat today

Hi Norm
hope u catch lots of fish in it.
What is the difference between the US motor and the other?

Mattie

Congrats Norm, sounds like a great purchase. For what it's worth I actually preferred the Stacer to the Quintrex when I was looking around, better freeboard at the rear in my opinion.

Now for the fitting out! Forward casting deck, rear casting deck, canopy, air-o-floats, bow and stern rails....you'll have that thing weighing 200kg in no time!

Good luck with it and hope you enjoy it, sounds like a great package. Should get along beautifully on the water

Mattie,
Apart from the differences stated in previous follow ups, the US made Mariners use a better quality alloy than their counterparts made in either Belgium or Japan.

The US alloys hold up better in a salt-water environment, saying that I had a Belgium made Mariner for over 12 years and never a problem (mechanical or corrosion related). Good maintenance is always the key.

Cheers,
Heefers

$4,940 Tony, with Redco trailer, the US Mercury 15 HP (which is a bit more expensive than the non US) a Redco trailer, all safety equipment, 12 months rego on boat and trailer and a glove box / dual drink holder that goes into a seat (same as the Quintrex one). I have to install the glove box though.

I got the trailer so I can leave the boat set up when I'm at home. I live only 1 KM from the Coomera River boat ramp and if it is easy to use, it will get a lot more use.

I've never got your maps going after I transferred them to a new laptop, but I am using the new Raster maps OK. You did tell me about a file I had to load to make them work on the new lap top, but I forget what it was and haven't tried.

Sorry 10 Para, it's not going to NZ, but I might have to get some fly fishing tips from you one day. I'm planning on Tassie next summer and Vic high country the year after.

Yep, that's the one. But I must admit, I bought it for the weight. It is 35KG. Other than the Yamaha @ 36 KG, most other 15HP are over 40KG. I need to lift this sucker in and out of the back of the 'Lux.

I have a similar set up on my Min Kota.

The Mercury man at the boat show told me that the Japanese version is actually an 18 HP motor and has a noticeable bit of extra grunt over the US model. That may be why it's heavier. I've had a US version of the 15 on my Avon RIB for 11 years now; I suppose I'll get used to the throttle gear shift eventually.

I expected to have had to replace it by now, but it never misses a beat and looks like going on forever. This is despite the fact that I have caned it mercilessly and have never given it the attention I should have.

I chose it for its weight. If you get as good a run from yours as I have from mine you'll be very happy.

Cheers Frank.

The super is made by Tohatsu apparently.
I took the exact same setup to the Cape. Very happy with the performance of both the hull and the motor. Just don't tie the front of the boat to the bull bar or the back of the boat to your rear step. All the flexing of the vehicle chasis will be transferred to the hull. I ended up with hairline cracks on the top of the gunnel. not a prob to weld up again but not really desirable. Crack where the arrows point in the pic.

http://web.aanet.com.au/mypictures/Boat.pdf

Leroy

Interesting Leroy. I'm assuming you carried the boat on top of the cab (body) of the vehicle, but had it tied to the chassis front and back via the bullbar and the rear step. Hence the problem.

I'll be carrying mine on the chassis at the back (via bars to the tow bar) and the canopy which is on the tub, which is sitting direct on the chassis (no rubber mounts, unlike the body). There may be a bit of flexing in the tub and canopy, but should not be anything like between the body and the chassis / tub.

I'll check out getting a bit of rubber into the mounting system to allow a little flexing.

I'll be carrying the boat far enough back that the front will be pretty much in line with the top of the windscreen. I shouldn't get much uplift, so hope not to need to tie the front down.

Only time will tell if I have it right.

Do you lift the boat up manually or via a loader?

Norm,

I made up racks that bolted to the tub!! So one would think that things should be very ridgid but the chasis will flex between the front and back.
I watched your other thread. No one suggested a rack which bolts around the canopy. I'll draw a pic and post it as it's easier than describing.

Leroy

ok I'm not quite the artist but here is a sketch. Because I didn't manage to pick up a canopy at the time I didn't get these racks.

http://web.aanet.com.au/mypictures/TUB%20racks.pdf

A few places in Melb make them but i'm sure someone up your way must. They are only 50mm tube and bent to the profile of the canopy and welded to tabs coming off at right angles from the right angle steel that bolts to the tub.

Leroy

Here's a pic of my setup.

http://web.aanet.com.au/mypictures/car.jpg


You can even see the distance between the handle on the front of the boat and the roof and it touched at some point because i noticed a small dent in the roof!!

Leroy

Thanks for all that Leroy. A good diagram by the way. I can see why you would want to copyright it.

I had considered the bars around the canopy. I have my cnopy 'permanently' fixed to the tub. Very neatly done with black selastic all the way around and it looks like it belongs and is pretty dust proof.

I could remove it, install the bars then re selastic it, but that would make the bars a permanent fixture. That would be a pity on such a pretty 4B; LOL.

My canopy is rated to carry 100KG, so weight is not a real issue, but the shape of the canopy is. The furtherest apart I can get bars on the canopy is 750mm, not far enough for a 3.5M boat.

Looking at your vehicle pic above, I have similar rear protector bars at the rear. I plan to put some bar work up, supported from these. This will take the back of the boat, and it's full weight when loading and unloading (and will have rollers to make it easier). I will then have two bars on the canopy as well. The three bars will be about 750mm apart.

My bars will be a bit higher than yours. I have 80mm legs on the canopy rails, plus the bar, so gunwhale will be about 100mm above the canopy and the handle will be about 130mm above the cab roof, given shape of cab.

Interesting that with how far back you carry the boat, you still tie it down to the bull bar. I'd thought this might not be necessary as the boat will not overhang the windscreen and should not geot a lot of uplift from air rushing up the screen.

I haven't built the rear bar yet (but have the canopy bars). I'm fiddling with the idea of incorporating some rubber like engine mounts into the rear bar set up to take up any movement, but I'm not sure how practical or necessary that is.

But having seen your set up now (no support from cab) and the fact you got stress fractures has me thinking. Your front stress fractures would (I asume) be from tying the front down too tight to the bull bar, then getting flexing over the length of the chassis and in the tub. I also assume you had both sides at the back tied down tight to your rear step to cause the rear fractures?

It is your rear fractures that has me concerned and thinking aout some rubber in the mounting system.

Thanks for you input Leroy.

the tiedowns weren't done up super tight. Next time I wouldn't worry about the tie downs. I had them for 'insurance only'.
Wouldn't worry about the rubber mounts.
My rear step was an ARB. I'd check one out for pointers on how you sould do your's.

Leroy

Thank u for that Norm

Mattie