Seems to be all the go, so here are a few pics of my boat Surprise Surprise. Its a Ramco Patrol 680 (or should I say THE Ramco Patrol 680 because there aren't any others)

Its a pontoon boat with 25 degrees deadrise. Heavy, v. deep V so needs a big engine (NOT a good waterskiing boat) and so it has a Yamaha 200HPDI bolted to the transom.

This is the view I spend hours looking at.

And this is what it is supposed to look like back at the ramp - this is Houhora.

obald

Wow i like that Obald, very tidy out fit, i wish i had painted mine now but at the time it was the cost, i noticed the trim tabs, it is a problem with tinnys and hard tops leaning into the wind, but they sure fix the problem and make for a comfortable ride.... well done Obald great looking boat........

Cheers Lethal

Barrie, its very overnightable - 2 'V' berths that are comfortable for people even not built along the lines of garden gnomes like myself. Cockpit is shown in this pic with regular fishing mate Paul at the helm. The port side has a similar fiddled flat area in front of the windscreen that you can lay a full sized paper chart folded in half out on - great

Electronics are a Lowrance LCX-15MT sounder/plotter, a Sitex VHF, and a marine radio/casette. Also has a Anchorlift chain/rope windlass (thats the switch just to port of the wheel). Don't do much live baiting but I have a carry on tank that I can feed from one of two seawater pumps, one a through hull electric Jabsco ( I forget the gph) which powers the washdown hose and another 500gph bilge pump mounted on the starboard trim tab.

Lethal, you've got to sell the cat and get some trim tabs. Best things since lace up shoes for the reasons you mention and they also mean you can trim the boat for differing sea states, into sea, following sea etc. etc and also get the boat planing much quicker and at lower revs. With the amount of V I've got I shudder to think how the boat would handle without them. I had them fitted to a previous aluminium hull with only 17 degree deadrise and they transformed that as well. I reckon any boat over 6 metres would benefit from tabs.

obald

obald i just noticed the hull change, they have now got it running back to the pod what a great idea more stubility i would say, but they still left enough room to get your trim tabs underneath awesume, someones beening doing a bit of thinking for a change....

Cheers Lethal

Obald, really nice boat and I really like how you have managed to tap into the local councils street lighting for your cockpit flood light. Must have a really long cable.

Didn't know Ramco made pontoon boats?

Cheers

Mr Squid P. Weighs about 2200kg all up so I have to have all the trailer brake drama - electric over hydraulic with adjustable in-cab sensor etc. Thought it was a load of BS at first but very glad it is there now. Brakes packed up slowly over this season and I have just virtually rebuilt the calipers - I was amazed at what I had slowly been deprived of. Tow it with a VX Landcruiser.

Mr Naki. Thats the sun and the council lets me have a bit for free on occasions. Ramco don't make a production pontoon boat. Bill Mackrell built this one for himself 2 seasons ago and I bought it off him direct. He had a 200 Optimax on it which I managed to persuade him to change to a brand new grey Japanese motor. There is a 6m version around owned by Peter Stubbs which I think spends the bulk of its time on Lake Taupo. Its a very unusual design. The deadrise is 25 degree which is carried way forward. This makes it the softest riding ally boat I've ever been in. BUT it is very slow 'out of the hole' and not easy to keep on the plane in a big following sea - but like all boats you get used to it. I reckon it would be undrivable without trim tabs (especially down hill) which you use all the time along with big variations in throttle to keep it riding right. I found this hard to learn but now don't think about it. Its also very stable at anchor like all pontoon boats.

Mr Kerren. This boat has to do me for another four seasons - then its BW time. Will need a brains trust of like minded people to set that one up - stick around. Meanwhile you're welcome on board anytime.

obald

Hi Bushie,

Yes and no, sort of almostish...

I'm going for 16ft Kilwell Longreach poles but they need three point mountings. As you know there are two styles of these. There's the style put out by Chatfield, Lee etc and there are the 'A' frame style - Pakula makes a small boat version of these. Now the season is drawing to a close there is no real rush. I'm going to have a good look around the Boat Show.

Another option is a bit of local S/S fabrication. There are 3 of us in the same market - Mr Rigby, John vdH and myself - so that might be the way to go. No hurry.

obald