Thread: Boat setup - onboard necessities

A set of binoculars for the boat.

I’m impressed but not surprised. Knew there were a few experienced booties on the forum and not disappointed with the responses. I didn’t want to go out initially and load the boat up with crap till I’d at least run some hours up and got a proper feel for it. Going through the list of suggestions highlighted a lot of little things that are very practical and, stored right, don’t take up much space. A lot of it I have on hand already.

We saved a lot of money when we bought the boat by not wasting it on fancy paintwork etc and spent it on practical options so want to continue that trend. Besides, I detest clutter so will be ruthless on anything that doesn’t serve its purpose.

Also appreciate nobody started in on fishing gear, that’s a whole other kettle of fish so to speak!! Will start another thread on that later. Thank you for the feedback.

spare prop nut and washer you can take prop off sitting water with ljacket on to clear line etc , tie rope to prop but the nut goes oops so have a spare and splitpin also .

Originally Posted by m101a1

spare prop nut and washer you can take prop off sitting water with ljacket on to clear line etc , tie rope to prop but the nut goes oops so have a spare and splitpin also .

I have been in the trade of working on boats in the water, I wouldn't be recommending this as a viable option. It's not going to be that easy with the newer bigger outboards - it's just not something they are designed for as the nut retention and torque specs are needing some pretty decent sized kit. If trying to do it off the back of the boat the bit you need to get to is a heck of a stretch to try and get to and in the water it would need to be pretty bloody calm to be able to do it. I have done it on 70hp and smaller with outboards and full sized boats (used to used detonators to pop the prop off the taper). Easier to try to keep the line intact and try and push it out from under the prop to clear it. Biggest danger with line wraps is taking out the oil seal - which can destroy the gearbox. Less of a risk is a catch of the prop and tweaking the shaft which can do the same thing. It's also a risk of bending the shaft trying to wrestle with it in the water, I'd be more keen on removing as much as I could and then limping back to shore and getting the gearbox checked for water ingress etc. Just my opinion having destroyed more than one shaft in my time!

Originally Posted by Sidetrack

We saved a lot of money when we bought the boat by not wasting it on fancy paintwork etc and spent it on practical options so want to continue that trend.

We did the same.

Originally Posted by Sidetrack

Besides, I detest clutter so will be ruthless on anything that doesn’t serve its purpose.

My boat is a nightmare/dream depending on your personality. Zero clutter. Everything has it's place and is stored out the way until needed.

Originally Posted by Sidetrack

Also appreciate nobody started in on fishing gear, that’s a whole other kettle of fish so to speak!! Will start another thread on that later. Thank you for the feedback.

That's the really fun part!


Another thought. I've mounted a few things on the inside of the hull using Railblaza stick on mounts because I didn't want to drill holes in my new boat. I thought it was going to be a temporary solution, but they've held really well. 2.5 years later and still going strong.

all our obs down here mostly 140 and 200hp in the strait have splined shafts also we round rocks a lot 12in cres is enough tite as they replaced with dings etc , we
usually keep old prop in boat as a spare . The bay used to hold the record for bent divers due the currents push them to far from boat so they come up to quick .

Do the coastguard day skippers course if you haven't already. You can do it online over several weeks as you please,there is some good stuff in there it's not all just common sense.

I have gone away from the inflatable life jackets personally for several reasons. If you're not aware the inflatables have to be serviced yearly. That just involves inflating it ,checking for leaks and replacing gas cylinder. Simple enough to do yourself but just another thing yo do.

I also just felt it was a bit safer,especially with kids that if someone ended up in the water suddenly the flotation is working without them having to do anything. And how fo you know that the inflatable hasn't got a pin hole in it from a fish hook or something at some point?

My boat is only 4.5 metres so space is at a premium and i also hate clutter so I could go on forever about all the little things I've done yo make life easier and tidier.
I like to use insulated fish bags for bait, just throw the whole thing in the freezer at the end of the day if there is some leftover.
I cut the end out of a container and glued a steel ruler in the bottom for a fish measure, then you just slide the snappers in and can see instantly if it's legal or not. Cuts down on how much your handling the fish and how often you get spikes in your hand.
I prefer to use a sharp pair of Secauters for cutting bait, especially if it's still semi frozen.tidier and no random knives being left in random places on the boat.

Originally Posted by m101a1

all our obs down here mostly 140 and 200hp in the strait have splined shafts also we round rocks a lot 12in cres is enough tite as they replaced with dings etc , we
usually keep old prop in boat as a spare . The bay used to hold the record for bent divers due the currents push them to far from boat so they come up to quick .

Ali props used to be the go - they would break the blade off before the shaft bent. Nowadays it's high performance stainless props, they bend the shaft and the blade before the blade breaks. Not ideal, a bit of a limitation in fact!

I've done a heap of them with the good old crescent, prop changes aren't hard but the newer setups I've seen are a bit more techy not the old bent tab jobs. I guess have a look at how your prop is held on and see if you're happy swapping it out on the water...

Yeah, big currents can be a pain in the arse. I used to have an inflatable float thing with a 5m line on it, send it up when at around 5m and you could hang off it to stay at around 5m while everyone knew where you were.

Originally Posted by Bradp

Do the coastguard day skippers course if you haven't already. You can do it online over several weeks as you please,there is some good stuff in there it's not all just common sense.

I have gone away from the inflatable life jackets personally for several reasons. If you're not aware the inflatables have to be serviced yearly. That just involves inflating it ,checking for leaks and replacing gas cylinder. Simple enough to do yourself but just another thing yo do.

I also just felt it was a bit safer,especially with kids that if someone ended up in the water suddenly the flotation is working without them having to do anything. And how fo you know that the inflatable hasn't got a pin hole in it from a fish hook or something at some point?

My boat is only 4.5 metres so space is at a premium and i also hate clutter so I could go on forever about all the little things I've done yo make life easier and tidier.
I like to use insulated fish bags for bait, just throw the whole thing in the freezer at the end of the day if there is some leftover.
I cut the end out of a container and glued a steel ruler in the bottom for a fish measure, then you just slide the snappers in and can see instantly if it's legal or not. Cuts down on how much your handling the fish and how often you get spikes in your hand.
I prefer to use a sharp pair of Secauters for cutting bait, especially if it's still semi frozen.tidier and no random knives being left in random places on the boat.

You got a picture of your container with the ruler in it? Having trouble picturing this in my head but actually sounds like a neat trick. Some of the inflatable jackets have a tough outer sheath that opens up and lets the inner bladder inflate, I've found those to be better than the folded single skin type. A lot of them are annual service, some are 2-yearly and a lot cheaper than others. I have about 6 or so inflatables here including a couple of fully waterproof self inflating jackets, much prefer those to the foam ones. If used regularly the foam can break down in them and they lose bouyancy but it usually isn't that obvious by eyeball which is not ideal!

Re: lifejackets, pros and cons with each design. Foam jackets are awkward and a bit warm in summer, but no doubt, less to worry about. We like our manual inflatable jackets. You have to be aware of fish spines puncturing the bladder, so no cuddling fish for trophy photos (just hold them out, closer to the camera!). I service the jackets once a year, it's not hard. Check they stay inflated and there is no rust on the mechanism/CO2 bottle. My 10 year old son goes in a foam jacket though.

Re: knives. I use a short, stout knife to iki fish. Handles on knives are more ergonomic than iki spikes and the broader blade provides more margin for error. Knife goes in holder on bait board when not in. use. Like Bradp , I use scissors for cutting bait rather than a knife.

Originally Posted by No.3

You got a picture of your container with the ruler in it? Having trouble picturing this in my head but actually sounds like a neat trick. Some of the inflatable jackets have a tough outer sheath that opens up and lets the inner bladder inflate, I've found those to be better than the folded single skin type. A lot of them are annual service, some are 2-yearly and a lot cheaper than others. I have about 6 or so inflatables here including a couple of fully waterproof self inflating jackets, much prefer those to the foam ones. If used regularly the foam can break down in them and they lose bouyancy but it usually isn't that obvious by eyeball which is not ideal!

I need to make another 1 as the original got left sitting on the trailer mudguard and ran over, I'll get onto that tomorrow and take a photo.
If you imagine a sturdy bucket cut in half lengthways and then a ruler stuck to what was the inside wall of the bucket with the bottom of bucket now the headboard or measuring device. I then trimmed the ruler and bucket to the 30cm mark so that it's very easy to see if the v of fishes tail is overhanging

Aux is a must for me.
Possibly different in the NI with so many more boats around and good coastguard coverage but down here in the SI we have to be more self sufficient .
I have used an aux to get home twice...in both cases the main was a reasonably modern outboard .

1. First aid kit (may have been mentioned but didn’t see it)
2. Coastguard membership.
3. If your vhf has inbuilt gps, configure the screen to show your position (lat/long). If your vhf doesn’t have inbuilt gps, configure your chartplotter/mfd to always show position (lat/long) in a side bar/data bar/ data overlay on chart (depends on brand). This is useful if the shit hits the fan and you’re calling for help - you can provide your location without having to learn where to find the lat/long when shit is going sideways.


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Originally Posted by nzspearo

1. First aid kit (may have been mentioned but didn’t see it)
2. Coastguard membership.
3. If your vhf has inbuilt gps, configure the screen to show your position (lat/long). If your vhf doesn’t have inbuilt gps, configure your chartplotter/mfd to always show position (lat/long) in a side bar/data bar/ data overlay on chart (depends on brand). This is useful if the shit hits the fan and you’re calling for help - you can provide your location without having to learn where to find the lat/long when shit is going sideways.


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On that note, making sure your GPS outputs your position format in marine speak (Deg, Min.decimal) as shown on marine charts rather than what people who have experience of land maps and NZGD do which is use the land-based system that shows a numerical reference. Makes it easier and quicker for the peoples trying to find you if you are all speaking the same language...

A couple of useful suggestions. Ran with the standard options of a GME GX750B VHF and Garmin Echomap 95sv GPS/Chartplotter. Both look pretty intuitive to use but some time on the lake will get us started on their use.

Enrolling in both, the Day Skippers and VHF online courses. My wife and I will sit in on each other’s so will get a double dose of lessons which should get us up to speed a bit quicker and reinforce what’s learnt.

A Coastguard membership is a good idea.