bravo

Braveheart is currently in my uncle's backyard waiting for summer. I'll find something.

Hi, I have a temporary storage problem (a few months) for a 4m Coastguard RHIB on a trailer. It is an old support boat in need of some TLC that I need to store for a few months until a decision is made as to whether it is to be refurbished and repatriated with the fleet or to be sold. I have somewhere to put it for a few weeks but thought I'd start looking for somewhere a bit more medium term. Preferably in Auckland. Ideally it would be free and undercover. I'm sure I could think of some way to say thanks. Maybe a ride on a Coastguard boat or a tour of the Westpac Helicopter hangar or something. Help out the charity saving lives at sea.

Lol. There for my fun, not the other way around.

Even recovery day was on a boat....

Some teasers of other fun in case you're still trying to decide whether to view the link, or whether we had enough fun to win prizes...

So Ari Gold (Spargo), Geep (Chris), and I had one hell of a summer on the water.... We took a fair few pics and quite a bit of video footage and then spotted a video competition on Marine Deals website. We compressed the footage down to the 3 minute limit and the vid went up 2 days ago. We have until midnight tonight to get votes in. Go to www.facebook.com/marinedeals and scroll down to Chris Grainger's post about Summer of Boating 2011-2012 and like the post to vote. We're currently in the lead, but need to keep the votes coming to win. Besides, the video is pretty boss. Check it if you just want to watch it again...Soundtrack is Metronomy - The Bay Cheers all. P.S If you're interested this is what the footage shows: Fishing charter on the Hauraki Gulf 3-day Coastal voyage between xmas and NY on my family's launch from the Bay of Islands to Warkworth via Tutukaka, Hen and Chicks, and Kawau. New Years Day speed boating at Matarangi where we found another ski boat to race at over 100km/h. Other various Hauraki Gulf fishing excursions Bay of Islands Sailing week and island beach party Paihia bach party and speed boating Paihia cruise ships (5 in 4 days) What we missed because the footage is still on other devices (not to mention we already cut a lot to fit in 3 mins): Racing (and passing) the Mac Attack at around 100km/h in the Bay of Islands. A couple of days at Islington Bay Hauraki Gulf Champagne afloat at Garden Cove, Waiheke. 75mph on Kai Iwi Lakes Footage of the family launch underway as committee boat at BOI sailing week.

Not really. Ferry wakes and some slight chop, but it's actually surprisingly dry and soft ride. On very flat water there is some slap as it sits up on the pad, but in chop the vee cuts through most of it. Awesome spray deflection from the bow - like a knife. And it spends a lot of time in the air (thinks it's a plane) and air is pretty soft

The Haines 1900s I trialled before I bought this was hydraulic. But it topped out a shade under 50kts and the hydraulic was a dream. I think it was set up wrong to only get that much out of a 225. Under propped probably. Turbo is correct, it has Galv wire wing steering. It's pretty good. Owned for 48hrs now and been out twice. Once on a shakedown run with a mate up the western Waitemata, and then out to Motuihe this afternoon with three attractive young ladies from last night's night on the town. Was sunny when we left, but pissed down on the way home, raindrops like bullets. All arrived back soaked but with grins a mile wide. I love this thing already. Less than 20 minutes from Okahu Bay ramp to on the beach with our feet up in Wharf Bay at "cruising" speed.

You're right Brian - not what I was originally after, but once I got a taste for this sort of boat (and realised that it was possible to get one with a moderate vee hull), then there was no looking back. Has foot throttle and trim controls on steering wheel = very easy to drive. Will be kitting out with a few extras in the new year - fixed VHF (handheld for now), the all-important stereo, a few cleats, etc for tying up (being a lake boat 'til now it has none), maybe a wake boarding arch. Have put the pre-requisite safety gear on board before anyone asks. Looking out the window of the office at the landing in Okahu Bay and wondering if an early knock-off isn't on the cards....

So I finally found a boat that was being looked after in the way that I would look after my own boat, so I bought myself an early Xmas present: Top speed is an estimated 78mph. Saw well over 60mph on sea trials, but was still accelerating and had to put gps down and hang on. Will dash-mount gps at some point and report back. Yehaa!

Boys toys... Link to Showroom thread

Very nice Dylan. Have been hearing about this. I understand the precipitation was keeping it indoors at Team Mac?

Yikes, porpoising and chine walking all at once - gnarly. I looked at a Haines 1900s with 225 on the back first, but had been raced hard and lots of stress fractures in the gel coat so walked away. The bullet is mint with the motor jacked quite high. Was very nice to drive in the salt. Had only been in fresh water before I made the vendor let me take it in the salt.

Thanks turbo, quite used to fast boats but it is different to the deep vee ocean jets and RHIBs I'm used to so will be baby steps. Patience Westy. Have trademe pics, but until it's safely parked in my shed I'm resisting the temptation to post them here. It's a beast though.

Had a sudden rush of blood to the head and bought an immaculate Bullet 1850 with 200hp on the back. Using GPS speed app on my iPhone we passed 52kts and still accelerating during sea trials and I had to put the phone down and hang on (a$shole firmly puckered). Thinking mid-high 60kts top speed if it's flat enough and trimmed out. In other words it is insanely fast. Have paid for it and will pick up later in the week. Will post pics then.

Use Advantage the Wonder cleaner. Best thing since cake and ice cream, but unlike Madonna it's never been touched.

I would hire him today. I got some sh*t needs cleaning is all...

I think in this case it was just a douche and some bad luck. Not entirely unfamiliar with the subject matter.

Problem is Josh, you can't really do that in the boat market. It's not quite as simple as buynig a car and i suspect the buyer may be new to boats. No-one i know would buy anything except maybe a dinghy without having a surveyor take a look first. So cash may be king, but a fool and his money are soon parted.

I might ring you about that Brian. I'm a cash buyer, so not sure whether that would stand up. I didn't put a deposit down because he said he didn't need one, it was subject to pre-purchase inspection and I didn't want to lose a deposit if that didn't pan out, but we had a set price, and agreement to hold it (he had another interested buyer). Shook on a deal and the guy was by all accounts a GC, or at least appeared to be. Turns out either that buyer waved cash in front of his nose, or a third one came along and did the same. Totally bereft of ethics.

Son of a bitch low life vendor sold the boat out from under me. I didn't have a deposit, but we did have a deal and it should have gone through tomorrow, and I had spent a couple of days working through it with him. I'm just venting, but the up shot is - still looking people... FYI, it looked like this so you have an idea of where I was going:

Look to be going with a 6m Steadecraft. Will post pics if deal goes through next week.

Want to, but can't afford to... Have decided need minimum 21degree deadrise because if I'm honest I'm an all weather boatie. Also 5.5m prob. minimum length too. Problem is balancing length (weight) with my tow vehicle. And while I could extend my budget to a more expensive boat, I'm NOT buying another car to tow it with. At least I know what I don't like

I suspect the ride might be sh*t, but if it handles chop OK, this tickles my fancy... Classic Wooden Fleetcraft

I didn't like any of the second hand ones I looked at. So I test drove 5 new ones and the one I wanted was $25k so I thought - f**k it, buy a boat.