Unfortunately, Im running out of puff, ie energy, as I get older. 8 years ago, when I started fishing off Whangaparaoa, I stayed out for 5-6 hours. Now, I stay 3 hours and generally feel very tired at the end. 

By the way, I'm 81.

letsgetem wrote: By the way, I'm 81.

Find a semi retired fisher person,they can do the winching,its all in trailer set up,smooth rollers etc

I guess I'm a spring chicken at 58. I can easily launch and retrieve the 6m hardtop by myself - especially if there's a pontoon by the ramp.  And for beach launching Shelly has got pretty good at driving the boat while I get the trailer etc. and retrieval gota lot easier once I put guide poles on the trailer.

Despite this I have relatively recently gone up in size to a Rayglass 4000 (40 ft launch) and we are loving the walk on /walk off aspect as well as using it as a floating bach when the weather is good (i.e. go away for impromptu overnight trips round Kawau, Waiheke etc. and we spent 5 days based in Tutukaka early Feb).  The bigger boat costs more to run but it means we go out in a broader range of weather, stay out longer and are a lot less fatigued at the end of the day.  The "logic" is that I'm spending on diesel rather than accomodation and we can make impromptu calls to go out overnight etc.  And it means I can occasionally take more people out - e.g. last Saturday I took 6 of my coastguard volunteer crew out for the day (didn't catch much - Flat Rock was quiet, fished a few workups too).  I had never had 6 fishing off the boat before but the cockpit and duckboard worked well (sea was so calm we fired the BBQ up while out at Flat Rock).

I'll keep doing the launch thing until I decide it's too expensive ... and then maybe downsize again.

It's got Kraken outriggers fitted already ...  

Similar problem here (71).  Mainly because i have some genetic insistence to go out before dawn and I cant sleep properly the night before. Solo on tinny, 4-5 hours fishing max, get back, ask wife to clean boat, told to f**k off, clean up, fillet normally next day (all iced nicely), fall asleep by 7pm.  Need a day to recover. Better than farting round at home though

One option if you are having trouble with little buggers stealing your bait all the time is to use a moderate sized piece of octopus on a recurve hook, snapper like occy. The little buggers can't get it off the hook, and eventually a bigger fish comes along and take it, there are always bigger snapper amongst the little ones,  Just leave the rod in the holder in gear and let the fish hook themselves. Your rod tip will be bouncing away all the time with the little buggers picking on it, but that attracts bigger fish in itself. It works a treat.

I put the boat in the water, parked the trailer, climbed aboard, and bugger - the battery was flat. I had left a switch on by mistake, and it would have flattened it. Retrieved the boat, went home, tried to charge the battery. The Ctek smart charger, told me that it wouldnt hold a charge, ie stuffed. Ive bought a new battery and fitted. Whew, at my age, its hard work. Lifting the old one out and the new one in is just about too much for me (with a bad back). I suppose I should have paid the agent to put it in. I tend to do things and later regret it.