my formula 233

[OPTI]

well its proably time to share my 233 with you,for those of you that dont know me ,im a marine mechanic by trade ,owned boats all my life raced off shore boats ,and even built a couple of boats .my wife and i are mad fisherman so after much searching for a boat to suit our needs ,we settled on a edencraft formula 233.
im pretty hard on my boats ,so i wanted something built really tuff,trailable and capable of the odd overnighting trip.
being a custom boat builder edencraft were able to build me what i wanted ,something hard to find in the fiberglass boat industry,my boat differs from the standard build in many ways so id thought id share some of my thoughts and changes ,
the standard lay up was changed ,instead of polyester resign we used vynel ester resign,its got 30 % more addhesion properties than poly,which means stronger ,no timber was used ,instead divinicel foam 20mm 60 density ,the entire hull was foam filled including the keel section,i opted not to have the foward under floor storage area ,instead having a v berth set up,note i had pvc pipe run through the stringer for the controls and wiring,this makes things a lot neater .i dont know why it wasnt standard.i opted for a 600 lt fuel tank instead of the 400 lt and no under floor rear kill tank,im going to use a big esky as a kill tank so its lift out and no mess left in the hull[i hate smelly boats],im planing to do a lot of marlin fishing and thought i might need a game chair,i wont be able to mount one later with a foam floor ,so a bought a 37 kg chair and a 10 mm aluminium plate was glassed under the floor between the stringers.the trim tabs also had to be bought and fitted before the floor was down [to aid in easier instillation]

[ozscott]

Mate - that is some overkill set up! I love it. Cant wait to see the shots of it flying off 2m swell at 60 miles an hour.

[OPTI]

these are the tabs i bought,they are dana billets ,after breaking lenco and bennet tabs on previous boats these were the only solution ,if i had my time again id proably go for qls,note the morse cables are for the mechanical guages,a little old school but very accurate and reliable

[Angla]

Thanks for the pic's. It certainly looks like the mechanic knows his way around fibreglassing too. Good luck with the build and I'm sure the follow up pics will be awaited with longing to see the end result. What sort of power will you be giving it and what sort of area will it be fishing?

Cheers
Chris

[TJ Bear]

Opti is that foam panel floor screwed to the longitudinals?

[OPTI]

just screwed in place while the divelette [glue] went off.its pre glassed and then another 6 oz on the top.the screws were removed of cause

[OPTI]

ok im cutting to the chase [so to speak] but ask away ,any questions.
im putting a pair of 225 merc opti max outboards ,i know everyone is thinking why not 4 /,i know these motors have all the service tools for them and really just luv them ,but they have caused me problems in the fitting up department.
i designed and made the plug for the transom for edencraft ,so i got what i wanted ,i designed the sides of the bait tank to be able to fit built in tackle lockers,so i lost a little cockpit as a trade off.
i thought i had a lot of room ? but quickly found out it was going to be tight.
i have one pump each side for the trim tabs ,an oil bottle each side for the motors [2/ i know]had to get the smaller oil bottles @ 600 [not happy]power steering pump stb side,i had the bait tank made shallower to fit the pumps under neith ,just as well ,i have a jabsco cyclone and a shore flow under there.[no where for the batteries?oh and i havnt cabled tied it all up yet so it looks a little untidy.

[Hell Boy]

going to be one tuff boat once its finshed:D

just a queston regarding the hull and keel foam, in some of your pictures there are loose bits of foam in some of the cavities. is this your foam hull?

i don't know much about fulling a boat full of foam, but I'm guessing the tighter the better to reduce the amount of water in the hull. I'm not having a dig at you, I'm just interested in the whole process of putting foam in a boat to give it basic floatation.

looking forwards to seeing the boat completed.

Cheers,

Bryn

[OPTI]

the engine well is rigged and ready for the engines ,just waiting for the transom plates to come back from anodising,ive had to put the engines at 22.5 inch centres to allow for tab clearance ,i prefer the motors in tight anyway ,steering in seastar pro helm ,pro power assist pump and twin pro bull horn rams with tie bar,the fuel fills are for the oil bottles,the rigging kits are from rex marine as are the billet fuel fillers etc

[OPTI]

going to be one tuff boat once its finshed:D

just a queston regarding the hull and keel foam, in some of your pictures there are loose bits of foam in some of the cavities. is this your foam hull?

i don't know much about fulling a boat full of foam, but I'm guessing the tighter
Cheers,

Bryn
they put those left over bits in before the floor ,once the floor is layed they poor in the pouring foam through holes and it fills the void soild.

[ozscott]

What to those cables on the tabs do mate...and how did you break bennetts etc.

Interesting about the optimax...a bloke I trust a lot Brian at Wondall Road marine swears by the later year Optis.

Cheers

PS. The only down side to the Optis is that as I understand things, they cannot be run without appropriate battery power (ie they cannot be pull started and run independently)

[OPTI]

tab cables are for the mechanical guages,ive bent the tabs and broken the plastic rams on the bennets and lencos
up the pointy end ive installed a stress free [the biggest one]so dropping the pick on the 50;s is no problem now,i made a custom bow sprit and bollard

[ozscott]

I guessed the plastic rams, interesting though about the plates - but how did you break them - are you saying it was such severe pounding in bad seas, or did you back into something?

Cheers

[OPTI]

just pounded them to death ,surprisingly easy.
back to the other end ,ive fitted 2,3000 gpr bilge pumps with float switch and manual switch,the deck isnt self draining so everything gets pumped out,these pumps will remove 250 ltr in 30 seconds.i ran the hoses and wiring through flush mount kits through the floor just to keep it all neat.i ran -16 earls braided hose and fittings for the main salt water feed,seeing the boat floats on this hose i figured the expense is worth the piece of mind when im out trolling lures on the shelf.it has a stailness shut off valve at the hull

[Wahoo]

Very nice Opti, that will be a sweet set up , just had a look at the new 21 Formula, Enough to give me a woody

Daz

[OPTI]

as i ended up with no more room in the rear compartments ,i ended up making a side pocket on the port side and mounted the fuel system there ,after the first 2 hours il ditch the merc filters and run the racor with water bowl,the efi filters are .5 micron ,i had one of these units on my dyno for 10 years and never changed the element,the primer bulbs are under the coming.the panel needs a hatch and then trimming,i replaced the breather lines with aeroquip and all the fuel lines with no joins as it should be.

[TJ Bear]

Why did they bond the floor with divellete? Divellete isn't a glue its a core bedding compound, you trowl it down before installing end grain balsa or scarffed foam. The reason I asked about the screws is we install an infused foam pannel floor in a 58 ft boat and never use screws as it breaches the core on the underside of the laminate that is impossible to repair. When Im installing a foam composite laminate as a floor or sole I use a methacrilate like plexus or Weldon, put the plexus down then install the floor with weights on top untill it goes off then glass over. Even cool to use sika to bond flooor down, but Divellete?

[OPTI]

yeah i think it was plexis now you mention it .it was as directed by nupol [brian stick]dont think the screw holes will be a problem

[TJ Bear]

If Sticky was involved it would be done right. The only isuues we have had with composite panels have been when laminates are not tied together ie someone in engineering puts a bloody whole saw through the floor and doesn't glass the 2 skins together. Looks like a nice boat opti

[DAZMC1]

hey OPTI . I think thats my 565 next to yours in the first pic. 2008 ?

[OPTI]

now the main reason this project has taken 18 months so far [apart for the lack of funds]is ive made a new dash and side pocket so i can flush mount all my electronics and get the controlls in a good position,let me tell you making plugs and moulds is a painfull time consuming exercise .luckily ive been able to hire some very skilled help[julian ]ex edencraft employee on the weekends ,and without his help id wouldnt be this far.so its all at the helm at the moment should have it in with in a few weeks and then its just trim and the hard top.all the wiring is run ,4mm double insulated marine cable and 6mm double insulated marine cable,the battery cable used is 2 b and s and all conduted ,the batteries are going on the cabin floor ,3 *920 cca dry cell batteries have been selected for the job and a bep battery cluster for control with bep circuit breaker panel.more pics to come

[julian1]

Opti it looks very well fitted out, but surely your are not going to use that old Gal anchor ?? i am assuming a stainless one will take place on that bowsprit !!!

[OPTI]

Opti it looks very well fitted out, but surely your are not going to use that old Gal anchor ?? i am assuming a stainless one will take place on that bowsprit !!!
yeah ,that was just an old 28lb i had lying around,proably go a polished manson supreme.;)

[OPTI]

hey OPTI . I think thats my 565 next to yours in the first pic. 2008 ?
na mate mines a 07,luv your boat ,definatly the best looking 565 ever made.
pulled it out of the shed today [first time in 18 months ]took some pics after i washed the dust off.sat the hard top on but it didnt look right,[really pissed]so going with plan b which will be similar to a cruise craft set up,all the trim is going in this week[i hope]then off to black marlin for the rest of the stainless work.

[littlemac]

thats one horny piece of boat.

please keep us updated.
cheers

brett

[cammobull]

Hi mate, any finished photos? Any reason you didn't go the pod version??

[OPTI]

i wish it was finnished ,i started a project at home and the budget blew out by 60 grand:o so that ate up the boat money,so not much has happened .
the dash is all finished and glassed in,friggin lot of work let me tell you,the esky in the bottom has 20mm foam insulation and should hold 2 cartons of coronas and lunch ,water proof glove box above.side compartment for filters.

[OPTI]

the cabin is all trimed ,another 2 week job that took 2 months,but im happy how its turned out.the hatch isnt installed that covers the dunny.
i went padded vinel all round in cream and coffee macro sweade with dual density foam cusions for comfort,i do intend to do a few weekend trips .
led rope lighting will be fitted under the shelves,[its hanging in the photos] and led down lights for the roof.the hatch for dash access was a full weekend job by itself,middle door holds the bep circuit board and opens for dash access,i figure ive got a week in there to finish the wiring,im waiting for some cool weather,its been 45 in my shed lately.i had another hold up with the t top,black marlin will be doing it at the end of this month he tells me[he keeps putting me off cause people keep throwing large chunks of cash at him to build towers],anyway that where its at,il keep saving and hopefully the dollar will keep getting stronger.cheers dave

[OPTI]

Hi mate, any finished photos? Any reason you didn't go the pod version??
long story ,and everyone has thier own opinion,but basically the pod upsets the balance of the boat,and i dont mean when its stationary,thats my opinion.;)

[siegfried]

Its gunna be the meanest 233 to hit the ghetto that fulla.

[Midnight]

Nice job mate, it will all be worth it in the end.

Haines, or even better Eden 233, the only trailer boat I would ever own.

Cheers,
Myles

[Jarrah Jack]

Wonderful reading experience there OPTI its funny but I guessed at the start that you would be putting one or two opti's on the back.

There can come a point in time when a boat can become more an expression of our quest for perfection than a lot else.

Very well done and I hope you get a lot of enjoyment out it.

[OPTI]

thanks for the comments guys ,means a lot.still heaps to do,but after the stainless work at the end of the month ,and i have the boat back home il start fitting the electronics etc,im keeping the furuno 1100l sounder[still the best fishfinder] and im going raymarine wide screen plotter [15 inch] with hd radar and auto pilot.then its the teak floor ,and hopefully mid year il import a pair of 225 optis from the us and an aluminium trailer.
its amazing how long it takes to get all the little things ,still waiting for the custom switch panel from the states which i ordered last year and a couple of billet bits.anyway im patient its been 2 years now.::)

[scottishguy]

I'm picking up some great ideas from this thread mate.

What have you decided to do with the canopy? Hardtop?

I want to get a custom canopy for my Seaswirl along the lines of the Cruiscraft with the slide out canopy extensions but I can't find someone to do this work with the right quality/finish.

cheers

[OPTI]

paul at black marlin towers on the goldcoast is doing my top [any week now ]his work is the best ive seen.

[siegfried]

We Need More Photos

[OPTI]

still waiting on black marlin for the t top ,im gettin mates rates and he knows im in no hurry as i dont have the money together for engines yet,and work is real slow atm,so slowly slowly been into the wiring getting the dash sorted,takes ages soldering everthing etc trying to make it look neat,im going overkill on everything ,in case you havnt noticed yet,lol.
as to the question someone asked as to how this could owe me 100k without engines,the hull was 60 k bare with my extras.
trimming so far 3k,
stress free winck 3k
trim tabs 2.5k
furuno 1100l sounder 4k
1and 2 kw tranducers 2k
bow rail 1.1k
hand rail 600.
live well pump 600
engine pre rig kits ,dts 3k
wiring and all electrical accessories so far 5 k
steering system 5k
game chair 4k
rod holders 1k
stainless gunnel 1k
vessel view system 1k
those down lights in the cabin were 100 each ,i didnt actually check the price till after i ordered them ,6 for the cabin ,they have a blue mood light mode feature,sure hope it works on the wife or im really goin to be pissed
not counting labor for install and making dash and side pocket etc,starts adding up real quick and theres stuff ive forgotten about along the way ,not to worry im patient and i know it will turn out a great rig.but the cost can sure get away easy

[OPTI]

i really hate plastic so i got this switch panel custom made by dana marine ,laser engraved etc,gives the dash that old skool look and military rocker switches which are easily replaced if need be ,it took 4 months to arrive from ordering but worth the wait.

[Spaniard_King]

Dave I hope you never sell her, you would only ever want to do all this once I recon.

She sure looks good!

[OPTI]

yeah im hearing you garry ,its hard justifying it when i see all these bigger flasher imports,im setting this up as my last boat unless my numbers come up,so the plan is its become part of the family so to speak ,you know once youve got an edencraft etc !!!!!!!!!!!!:P you never let it go

[Homer_Jay]

Mate, I have an old Haines V19C and the only upgrade for me will be a 233 (apart from a 23 ft Sharkcat!)..... Love the old school Haines. Ok Ok, it might not be an official Haines Hunter, but its the only thing thats better than the real thing!

Keep the pics coming.....

[OPTI]

cock pit photos ,padded comings in ,tackle lockers fitted,i designed the transom to fit these tackle lockers ,however i dont think any other owner has fitted them :o dont look at the floor im going to have it teak layed last of all.

[OPTI]

tested the led lights today ,im really impressed with these puppys

[OPTI]

bit of an update for those interested,i finally got the boat down to black marlin towers ,he made up the t top this week.its anodised aluminium so light and strong ,he made the main arch with 60 mm tube to support my radar [30 kg],rod holders are billet 130 lb rated.it will also have a 1meter slide out extension when finished.
im changing the bow rail to 38 mm and split front with reef pick holder,stainless steel wave breaker for the screen,im sheeting the dive door in stainless also to make it imune to damage,and custom gaff holders etc.
teak by design are doing the floor and rear deck later this month when black marlin are finished ,then get the trimmer to finish the t top with black sumbrella and vibac clears.
getting closer nearly ready to order engines ,so hopefully il get it wet soon.:P

[DAZMC1]

She sure is looking good!

[peterbo3]

G'Day OPTI,
That is a great job all round. Looks very sharp.:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:
Do you mind telling me what bilge pump you used. I am planning to upgrade my system soon.

[OPTI]

i used tmc 3000 gph bilge pumps from bla ,they work quite well .
i have the auto pilot installed ,i ended up using raymarine ,x30 core pack with a st70 control head and type 2 pump,going e 140 wide screen mfd with hd radar.
should start coming to gether quickly now.

[captain rednut]

hey opti yours is looking a treat, ive just started the 5th refit of my hull since 1969 shes in the shed and going to get the modern makeover, my choice of power this time will be a 300hp yamaha v6, im going to put a alloy hardtop on it, have you ever seen one with a hardtop and have you got any photos??
cheers jim

[OPTI]

hi jim,i have a couple of pics ,i was going to have a hard top but the one i made just didnt look right on the boat ,so in frustration i went the t top route.
i sold the dash and side pocket moulds to edencraft ,im sure he would make them for you if you wanted them .
300 yamaha,big weight for the power ,these motors are already superseeded in the usa.:-?
there are more pics on the 233 registry .com,cheers dave

[Jarrah Jack]

hi jim,i have a couple of pics ,i was going to have a hard top but the one i made just didnt look right on the boat ,so in frustration i went the t top route.


Gee..... You don't do things by halves OPTI. Are you still importing the motors?

I really like the transom setup with the tank and the tackle boxes. In so many boats that area isn't used well for a fisherman. I despair when I look at those useless seats in my old HH.

[nickstock]

Opti,

That is one of the best trailer boats that I have seen. That would have to be my perfect boat mate.

Very very envious mate!

Keep us updated,

Nick Stock

[OPTI]

Gee..... You don't do things by halves OPTI. Are you still importing the motors?

I really like the transom setup with the tank and the tackle boxes. In so many boats that area isn't used well for a fisherman. I despair when I look at those useless seats in my old HH.
cheers boys ,yes still going to import motors ,10 grand cheaper.
when the teak goes in i think it will finish it off really good.
i put a tv dvd in the cabin ,for 300 bucks off kogan i thought il give it a go ,will be interesting to see if it survives the first seaway crossing:o

[northsboy]

Perfect timing for the import as well with the dollar so strong! Boat looks amazing mate! Very jealous,as most people would be haha! Good work!

[deckie]

Beautiful work to be proud of...a one off masterpiece that is practical as well.

That new stainless labyrinth is a fabricators wet dream..any idea of the weight and is it 2 as well as 1 1/2 inch ? What covering goes over it or u gonna wear a hat and keep it how it is to show it off ;D. Must weigh a ton.
Agree the bow rail is looking a bit puny now by comparison and would look more aggressive upsized. You've already had the bowrail made up during the build tho yeah ? sheeesh.

I'd like to put in my request for a limited edition 1mX3m glossy poster for my garage wall...tx for posting the updates.

[FishHunter]

My trousers are now soiled in the front.

[OPTI]

Beautiful work to be proud of...a one off masterpiece that is practical as well.

That new stainless labyrinth is a fabricators wet dream..any idea of the weight and is it 2 as well as 1 1/2 inch ? What covering goes over it or u gonna wear a hat and keep it how it is to show it off ;D. Must weigh a ton.
Agree the bow rail is looking a bit puny now by comparison and would look more aggressive upsized. You've already had the bowrail made up during the build tho yeah ? sheeesh.

I'd like to put in my request for a limited edition 1mX3m glossy poster for my garage wall...tx for posting the updates.


Top weighs 40 kg,its aluminium,the big tubes are 2 1/2 inch,im going to put a black sumbrella top on it similar to cruise craft .
yes the bow rail is getting changed,from 32mm to 38mm,i carnt have it lookin whimpy now.lol

[littlemac]

that very nice opti, i can see why the bow rails look small.

beautiful work

thanks

cheers

brett

[OPTI]

was back at black marlin towers today to check on progress ,and make sure i was happy with everthing before its all welded up.
new bow rail is made,just needs final welding,slide out made for t top.my reelax junior 600 fit perfectally ,we made the t top to suit them ,with the rigger at the same angle as the t top arch the poles are level with the transom [luv it when a plan comes together],im going to ask george at reelax if he can make me a custom set of 600 rigger bases with the maxi 60mm tube instead of the 44mm which is standard ,which will look much better next to my 60 mm t top tubes and also allow me to run the stiff 6.5 meter poles [tow big bait] etc.
upgraded the hand rail to 38mm as well ,wave breaker is finished,dive door sheeted ,just needs welding and polishing ,the teak is underway and should look something like in the picture,slowly coming together.
few more pics

[OPTI]

small update ,finally got the boat back home yesterday ,im really happy with the work black marlin towers did on the stainless and anodised t top ,and arron and the boys from timber by design did an awesome job with the teak,so lots of things to do now,not sure where to start ,lots of things to fit now,il up date pics as she progresses.

[Spaniard_King]

Looks Good Dave, certainly going to be an eye catcher

[OPTI]

cheers gary ,i just hope the marlin like it.
i fitted the rod holders today .one of the problems i encountered in pre fit up was the side coamings wernt wide enough to fit the large 37kg heavy duty rod holders ,originally i made spacers out of starboard but it just didnt look rite,so the 20mm teak inlay on the coamings fixed the problem and gave me plenty of flat surface for the rod holders to mount to.i have to admit i was a little nervous drilling into a 4 thousand dollar piece of wood,anyway 6 hours later 6 rod holders fitted ,through bolted with 1/4 ss bolts and nyloc nuts and large od washers.
because the teak is 20mm and the edencraft deck is 15mm thick,i had to drill a 2,1/8 hole and then chanfer the angle with a die grinder to get holder clearence,the two rear rod holders face straight back and the foward two are 90 degrees to the boat,george from reelax gave me the tip on there placement ,if you mount them on a 45 degree angle when a marlin strikes it pulles the line off the tip rollers and the line breaks,so at 90 degree it lays the rod over but keeps it facing aft and the line over the roller.[something i didnt know].the rear four are spaced as far apart as possible to help with line clearance.
i sealed them with silacone ,as they will need to be removed periodiacally for maintenance,instead of sika.
i had drain tubes welded on the rear 4 so i can fit pvc tubes to them and drain them into the bilge instead of water draining on the 6 pumps and electrics mounted under neath them.
another pic of my gaff rack ,i had the side pocket deleted on the build of the boat ,i wanted the cockpit clean and uncluttered .also allows for the chair to swing all the way around.
takes a lot of time and thought to do the simple things sometimes:-?

[Spaniard_King]

Dave, it certainly will be hard for the average boaty to understand/comprehend the time involved in your boat.... please keep it for a looong time :)

[OPTI]

im hearing you gary ,il never sell it unless i can afford a 56 viking ,then it wont matter how much i lose on it .i look at all the boats in the usa atm and think i could get a really nice 30 plus foot boat for what this will end up owing me,but nothing has what i want ,so id end up spending a lot on a second hand import and still lose a lot of money when i sell it .:o
i couldnt add up the hours ive put into to this fit up so far ,the last 7 weeks have been crazy ,but i can nearly see the light at the end of the tunnel now,and im at the good part where im fitting up bits for the final time and i can finally see progress for my efforts,starting to get a little excited ,just a little;D

[oldie]

yeah OPTI this is a real love from man for his machine and i appreciate being able to see the blood sweat and tears you are putting in. the 233 can be trailed right? this i feel is a better option than the Mooring job, how many times i have seen a trailer boat win a game event over a bunch of flybridge cruiser, i remember staying on a mates 45" Mariner at D'boro marina in Nelson bay during a game event and looking across to the weigh in and seeing a 6.4m plate hard top boat (maroon colour) with a real nice Marlin strapped up the port side, not sure whether they won the event but the Gold Lure in Port Mac many a Trailer boat has walked away with the title. Some thing about big fish in a small boat they gives you a cave man type feel!! hahah looking forward to photo of the rig complete with a couple of DI Mercs she will haul ass. Cheers for the thread Opti

[OPTI]

yes the 233 is 2.5 beam so legally trailable in aus:) ,my dream is to stick a tag in a grander on ribbon 10.if i ever go bigger it will be at least 40 ft,as the maintence cost between 30 to 50 ft is negligable ,only running costs.

[siegfried]

Amazing ,makes mine look a bit poxy, credit to you mate, well done

[OPTI]

well im still fitting up components ,just lovin it .
first up is the bait tank shower i had made up ,im running a jabsco cyclone pump as the main volume pump for the bait tank ,its pumps 110 litres per minute,so i had the shower rail made to try and stop turbelence ,as slimies dont like being spa bathed,the tube has a washer welded in the end for extra restriction,this will be trial and error ,i might need more holes in the tube ,i also have the hipressure deck wash pump [sure flow] pumping the airater head,im hoping this combination will work out ok with out having to resorting to oxygen feed.i copied this of an american boat i saw .
a couple of pics of the polished dive door ,i capped the bottom to make it bullet proof [so to speak] and then o got carried away and capped the ends and then the ends of the dive door [wanky] i know ,just have to silocone wipe the edges and addd non skid tape .
fitted the rear coaming pad ,its got the 50 ft game boat look now,but is also really comfortable and just the right height.
stainless rub rail and stainless end caps ,keeping the trend [nofukinplastic]on my boat.

[oldie]

hey OPTI dive door looks the treat near a teaser for Marlin on its own should shoot some sun rays down thats for sure and he you can work on ya tan if no fish!!

nice looking rig thats for sure mate, even thoughtful enough to offer your live bait a shower or spa bath haha

enjoy

[Jarrah Jack]

Those slimies will be living it up in luxury...Till the call for duty happens..

[Tangles]

absolute credit to you,

mike

[OPTI]

cheers for the comments guys .
i have slimy tubes in the engine well,so ready for quick dispatch.im still try to get my head around plumbing them ,might run another diverter switch off the main pump.

[OPTI]

I got my new outrigger bases off reelax this week ,i thought the junior 600 looked a bit whimpy next to the 60 mm tube on the t top ,so i asked george at reelax if he could make me up a set of mini 650,s. a true heavy tackle base only 650mm long using the 51mm tube,no problem he said,although he did ask wether it was a trailer boat ::)
this also allows me to run the stiff 6.5 meter poles .something that is required if chasing blue marlin .
something worth noting ,if your building a t top and going to run bases like these ,check your rigger angle [pole tip position ] and get the arch to line up with the riggers ,we fluked it this time [thank god] but i think it would look out of place having your outriggers on a different angle to you t top arch.
i was also lucky with the cleat placement ,these were fitted at the factory ,before t top and outriggers were thought of ,cheers dave:P

[oldie]

well thought out Opti they really do look the treat and blend in with the rest of the SST perfectly

[Argle]

Yep well worth getting the bigger rigger bases they look horn! Matches in really nice - it would be a shame to half do anything on this boat now because up till now its been nothing but a masterclass on boat fitout - Im very impressed with the way its coming together for you, I can only imagine the satisfaction you must be gaining seeing it all come together so well. Keep the updates coming!!!
PS I love the Teak - really classy!

Cheers
Scott

[OPTI]

back after a month off [thanks mods].
ok well motors are on thier way ,mercury decided in thier wisdom to stop selling the opimax range with dts controls in 2011,and here i was thinking they might offer it on all models including the 300s,so major panic set in when i found out as i had already bought the dts prerig kits and installed them ,even if i went to verados200s i would of had to swap harnesses and remove oil bottles etc,major drama.anyway luckily i have some good contacts in mercury and i was able to source a pair of 225 dts optis ,should be here in 3 weeks.
i ended up sending the stress free winch back to stress free and having the upgrade it to the ng series which has free fall ,i figured it better to do it all now than later ,first class service from them had the winch there and back in less than 2 weeks.so back in it went ,i weighed it 35kg plus rope 8kg and chain 10kg and 15kg anchor,thats a lot of weight on the nose of any boat [i have my concerns] anyway others are running them in thier 233s so hopefully it wont effect the balance and ride too much[or its gone].just got to teach myself how to splice the 8mm spectra rope.stainless channel around the hatch to keep the water off the winch motor.
ive done heaps but have little to show for it ,the t top trimming is almost done [this week],ive come up with some neat little tricks il show you once the clears are on .
stereo is in ,and sounder ,just waiting for the rest of my electronics to turn up [this week ] i hope.
got the rear cleats fitted ,added drain tubes to them ,i didnt realise they needed them till i went to refit them ,another simple job that took ages ,because of the 20mm teak deck the studs on the cleats wernt long enough ,so i bought some longer ss bolts and had them welded on ,when i went to fit them the thread was different to the original studs so i had to go out and get new nyloc nuts[sending me nuts ]anyway all good ,have a look how thick the deck is where the cleat mounts ,these edencraft are ice breakers i tell you thats 40mm of glass.
transom lights are in ,i went with ocean led amphibians pro a12 in blue.
had to mount the auto pliot core pack in the side pocket as i have no more room behind the dash,having room to mount this stuff is the biggest challange ive had in this fit up.
should have some more interesting pics pics for you soon

[Skusto]

what sort of top speed would it have 60knots?

[OPTI]

i think realistically with the 225s it will see 50 knts at wot,if it does 24knt under 3000 rpm il be happy.if im happy with this boat il put 300 optis on it pretty quickly,the reason i got the 225s was for the dts,it was too expensive to buy all the dts components and put them on a 300.this way il convert the 225s to standard shift and adapt the dts to the 300s.il bet it gets near 60 knt with the 300s and better fuel economy than the 225s,time will tell .atm il just be happy when its on the water.6 weeks is the plan::)

[julian1]

looking very nice, i hope you never actually add all of these extra's up !!!!

[pilchardjones]

opti that is an amazing fitout job you are doing. pure class and obviously you are loving it. i can't wait to see the on water pics. thanks for sharing this great project.
steve

[chop duster]

getting there opti! been a long time coming....

how do these drum type winches go at self leveling the rope? havn't used one myself?

What props are you gonna try first? I reckon a couple of Brovo 1's or maybe tempest +'s. 21-23 pitch?

[OPTI]

im going to start with 21p rev 4's and go from there.
the winches self level quite well ,hope fully i have enough distance from the winch to hose pipe,might need a little fine tuning,have to wait and see.
yeah nearly 4 years,been along time with out a boat [that goes]

[chop duster]

Rev 4 hey. Yer you will get the some good bite, thats for sure, will give good transom lift too.

That was my next question with the winch. Anyways im sure you'll get it sorted.

God damn that first trip is gonna be sweet!!!

[Jarrah Jack]

looking very nice, i hope you never actually add all of these extra's up !!!!

I hope for your sake that the boss never adds them up either.;D

[OPTI]

I hope for your sake that the boss never adds them up either.;D
apart from the cost of the teak ,she has been happy with everything::) thankfully my wife is a keener fisho than me ,to me it just finishes off the boat and makes it better to use ,i look at all the nice 40ft+ game boats that ive been on ,and they all have the teak floor good rod holders etc and it just makes a great boat better.
the difference with this boat to my previous boats is that i havnt borrowed money for it ,instead ive just waited till ive had it so its going to be no stress if work goes quiet etc..
just waiting on the mail man atm ,my new steering wheel turned up this week ,while the dollars is so good i bought a edson stainless with power knob,the BLA tiwanese copy just wasnt doing it for me.
and that hole in the dash above it is about to get a whole lot bigger:P

[O-3]

Such a beautiful boat opti, can't wait to see it finished.

You will surely have to install mercmonitor for those motors?

[OPTI]

mercmoniter?
i have vessel view if thats what you mean?

[O-3]

Check out the thread on THT

http://www.thehulltruth.com/marine-electronics-forum/247060-new-merc-nmea-2000-install-first-looks.html

[OPTI]

bugger me ,youve cost me another grand::) i actually havnt seen that guage before,i was going to have a look at the mercury accesory book and see whats available i have a bit of dash space for guages next to the vessel view ,i just didnt want to double up on guages as the vessel view is pretty comprhensive,but that merc moniter looks pretty cool,il check it out,thanks:)

[O-3]

Might be worth selling the vessel view to pay for the merc monitor, it's pretty much redundant when you compare the two.

Also worth noting, on some sounders/plotters you can use 'overlays' which enables displaying speed/fuel/range etc etc at the bottom of your normal navigation or sounding screens, A very handy feature IMO.

For your beast you need the multi engine kit (USD$956) and a network starter kit which is roughly $75 from memory.

I'll let you know how it works when I finally get my boat back in a couple of weeks!

[Jarrah Jack]

Opti I notice you've got a cat in your avatar but you've gone to a mono hull for this venture. Some of the cat boys say you never go back to mono. I'm interested to know why you've gone with the 233 which I think is a superb hull BTW..

[Skusto]

opti that is an amazing fitout job you are doing. pure class and obviously you are loving it. i can't wait to see the on water pics. thanks for sharing this great project.
steve

should be the name of the boat " Pure Class"

[OPTI]

Opti I notice you've got a cat in your avatar but you've gone to a mono hull for this venture. Some of the cat boys say you never go back to mono. I'm interested to know why you've gone with the 233 which I think is a superb hull BTW..
thats another storey::) ,but the cat i had had a pretty low tunnel,that slapped uncomfortably hard whilst trolling,to a point that you wouldnt troll baits as it was too painfull.secondly it had narrow sponsons and was tender in a following sea,and it scared the crap out of my wife,but man it ate up moreton bay 1m chop at 60 knts the deep v is better suited for game fishing and thats what i mainly want to do now.

[OPTI]

should be the name of the boat " Pure Class"
i dont think so ,that name would be more suited to a dyna or sunseker [wank boat],although i take your suggestion as a compliment,this is a fishing/working mans boat,although a bit flash in some parts its all durable and low maintence and most importantly functional.i havnt thought of a name yet ,the first word will be REEL,just havnt got a definate on the second,come up with mental ,formula,pain etc,if you come up with somthin post it up .
ive had an editer from trailer boat contact me ,going to do a storey on the boat,he actually asked what i thought the title should be,honestly i dont know. if i was doing it all again from now with the dollar so good id be importing a 30 ft for less money,if only i had that crystal ball,so maybe im just crazy,reel crazy.but i would of never saved all the money in one hit,id get distracted and spend it on something else,so this way i spose it kept my focus on the project.proably why ive gone so far as it wasnt all in one big hit,just lots of small ones.
eta for engines and electronics is 2 weeks.and i just ordered the mecmoniter .;D

[deckie]

i dont think so ,that name would be more suited to a dyna or sunseker [wank boat],although i take your suggestion as a compliment,this is a fishing/working mans boat,although a bit flash in some parts its all durable and low maintence and most importantly functional.i havnt thought of a name yet ,the first word will be REEL,just havnt got a definate on the second,come up with mental ,formula,pain etc,if you come up with somthin post it up .

How about just

"Reel Sweet" or "Reel Nice Rig with slimey tubes i'll probably never use but seemed like a great idea at the time " ;D

Looking Magggggggggnificent

[Scott nthQld]

how bout Reel Exxy? or Reel Boat? or REEEELLL Long time coming.

look great, needless to say i wish i had ot only the dollars, but the patience and expertise to undertake such a mammoth task

[Lancair]

What about "ReelSkool"
Phonetic spelling of school, like this is how its done.

[Dreaming FNQ]

"The Reel Formula"

[captain rednut]

hey opti
ive just stripped mine to a bare hull its now at the fibreglassers filling all the holes and then to the paint shop and then its fit out time. i wish mine was to your quality but ill do the best i can considering its a 30 year old hull. ill post a couple of photos. i would like to see yours one day. maybe at a game comp somewhere??
cheers jim

[OPTI]

sounds good jim ,i plan on doing lots of tournaments once i get it sorted.
deckie your a crack up;D
yes reel formula is in the top ten at this stage ,im kinda liking reel deal also ,but names right now are the least of my worries ,but keep them coming please.
spent all weekend on it,mainly wiring ,a good friend of mine that fits electronics for a living suggested that i install the rudder sensor that came with the auto pilot ,[it states optional in the manual]anyway easier to fit it now than later ,i really need a bigger boat to fit all this gear into ,anyway adapt cut and modify is my motto.lol.i came up with a good solution. give me a few weeks and il have lots to show ,and then a video on how to get too the 50,s in under 20mins;D

[Bull]

Opti
it looks unreal when do you hope to have her in the water
bull

[Smithy]

Bull 1 said it, how about Unreel?

[PADDLES]

how about "Fine Form". lovely boat mate, that's as good a trailer fishing boat as i have ever seen.

[OPTI]

Opti
it looks unreal when do you hope to have her in the water
bull
motors are due in 2 weeks,and so are the rest of the electronics so im hoping for mid may for the maiden.
i like unreel ,good one.:)

[STUIE63]

what about "Optimus Prime" or "Optimax Prime" from the transformers . because this boat has definately been transformed
Stuie

[OPTI]

i had some goodies arrive today,e 140 wide mfd and hd radar .:P this week end is goin to be busy .

[captain rednut]

hey opti i would suggest you fit the rudder feedback unit as it makes perfect operation, i wont have another one with out it. they are useless without it.
cheers jim

[OPTI]

thanks jim,my mate said the same thing ,ive mounted it in the side pocket and will use a morse cable to attatch it to the engine,i didnt want in in the engine well

[julian1]

you will have to pinch yourself the first day that you actually put this thing in water to believe its true !!!! then you will be bored with no project

[OPTI]

ha ha,hope to tow it down to portland someday so you can show me all the hot tuna spots,thats if i can keep up with your cat:P

[Jarrah Jack]

ha ha,hope to tow it down to portland someday so you can show me all the hot tuna spots,thats if i can keep up with your cat:P

Better add a heater then.;)

[julian1]

ha ha,hope to tow it down to portland someday so you can show me all the hot tuna spots,thats if i can keep up with your cat:P

i'm only running 175's so i'm sure your twin 225's will keep up ;)

plenty of EC233's down this way in the height of tuna season, and in true Vicco style plenty of HP on them ::)

[OPTI]

thought id show you what i come up with for my clears and canopy,this is the first time ive had this done ,but im pretty sure it will work well .as most of you know i made a hard top for this boat but i wasnt happy with the look of it or the weight ,so i went the old t top route[again]the reason i wanted a hard top was its so much easier to seal them up [clears to roof ].i really hate going out the seaway at the crack of dawn in winter and cop some spray on the clears that ends up on my face and electronics,it either comes up the windscreen and under the clears or the t top roof opens up with wind and creats a gap that the water gets through>:( so this time around ive put on the wave breaker on the top of the screen [i stole this idea from the victorians]its not so much for breaking waves but keeping air pressure off the clears and stopping water running up the windscreen and under the clears,it also has made the windscreen very strong,i sika flexed it to the top of the windscreen frame it takes the original frame self tappers and then ive through bolted it to the hand rail,then the clears press studs are through bolted to the wave breaker .i think a much better way than just siloconing the clears to the window [like kevla cat do],so hopefully that will fix the lower leak.now to fix the top i had the trimmer add a piece of material to rap around the second pole on the t top where the clears will go onto.this will stop the roof parachuting and making a gap,its held with press studs ,then the clears get pressed studded over the top of that piece [not done yet] and there is a second flap [in pic] that has velcro sewin into it that will stick to the outside of the clears making it pretty hard for any water to track through.ive used strata glass for the clears ,its quite thick so hopefully wont stretch too much,il give it the hose test ,but im pretty confident it will be good.
got the radar mounted ,they give you washers to use as spacers to angle the radar,which looks crap,i know you can buy angled mounts,but i wasnt sure what i needed, anyway il get a piece of nylon machined up and make a propper spacer for it.
i know there are some really nice 233's down there julian ,hopefully il blend in with the locals.

[OPTI]

well not much of an update im affraid :( ive had a delay with shipping ,motors will now arrive on the 9th of may,i was hoping for last week so i might get it wet for easter ,but not to be .:'(
all the clears are on ,and look great ,i think the strata glass is worth the extra dollars ,very thick .
i got the radar mount sorted out ,edson make a wedge kit for the mount so just had to order some extra bits ,the gps aerial and all about light mount of the radar mount as well wich makes it all look neat [wont fit on in the shed]
i wasnt impressed with the stereo output with the standard head unit so i added a amp and 4 6/9 speeakers and mounted them in boxes that fit on the cabin shelves ,i seriously have no room to mount them in the cockpit so this was the best option ,100 watt rms ,should crank pretty hard .
fitted the merc moniter guage ,and just sorting out the nmea connections .
i fitted a cannon down rigger to the port corner ,its a digitroll v1 electric.
so next update will be some engines on her ,ive sika flexed the transom plates on ,10mm aluminium ,anodised plates inside and out .
plumbed the slimy tubes ,the well fitting has a gate valve for on off and it runs directly off the live well pump.will also plug into the bait board when fitted.
finally finished the dive door

[captain rednut]

mate im still jealous its awesome.
cant wait to see her in the water, ive just started the hardtop on mine and then off to get the hull gelcoated.
cheers cr

[Jarrah Jack]

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/haines-formula-233-boat-1968-/230609366396?pt=AU_Boats&hash=item35b163ad7c

You've got one as well Rednut can we see some pics, here's another. Very origional.


Opti..Looks like that long spending trail is nearly over. The last one for the fuel should have you smiling, neverlone that first run.:):) You certainly deserve it.

[HH565L]

I've been watching this thread from the very start. IMO, this would have to be the best fit out of a Formula in Australia.

You've done an awesome job here Opti. It's a credit to you mate.

As far as American Formulas go, I don't think there's anything better than Aronow's #16 F233 race boat. Boat number 3 out of the mold and still the most beautiful example of a 233.

http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z14/HH565L/Formula233Cigarette006Small.jpg

http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z14/HH565L/Formula233Cigarette004Small.jpg

http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z14/HH565L/Formula233Cigarette003Small.jpg

http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z14/HH565L/Formula233Cigarette002Small.jpg

http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z14/HH565L/ph-2008-06-004.jpg

[OPTI]

more final fit stuff today ,proably the only real compromise ive had with this boat was cabin access with the new dash ,as i had to loose the access hatch to the cabin in order to flush mount my sounder and still keep the dash low enough to comfortably see over and the second compromise was having to mount the batteries in the cabin.
im happy to mount the batteries in the centre line of the hull as it helps with stability at rest ,something that wouldnt of been possible if mounted aft,and as low as possible so thats two pluses ,i had to have a battery box made and a checker plate lid that sort of acts as a step into the cabin ,i had it powder coated satin black,im using 3 /920cca dry cell batteries one for each engine and one house all controlled by a bep cluster vsr switch panel also mounted in the cabin.
theres a total of 66 kg in those batteries so im hoping my balance calculations are correct,i had the fuel tank moved back to the original haines hunter/formula position starting at the cabin bulkhead [edencraft have it another meter foward of the bulkhead].so fingers crossed im on the money.
i ended up using a morse cable ss bulkhead fitting to run the wiring harness for the down rigger through the engine well ,it comes with a water proof plug for removing the down rigger,which il have to do as im keeping the boat at the marina.the harness has really thick insulation so i drilled out the bulkhead fitting making a snug fit ,the pic also shows the little gate valve running to the slimy tubes ,i would of prefered something in stainless but the stainless ball valve was to big and ugly by the time i added the elbows to it,i wanted it mounted at easy reach so its no hassel to adjust the flow rate.
tested everything i could now the batteries are in ,the stereo cranks now i might add a sub down the track ,you can see the front speakers on the shelf,blue mode lights in the cabin they are a dual function light,pretty cool,and the merc moniter is in just need some engines to plug in as see what happens.
and a pic of the nmea wiring ,i could get a job at telecom i rekon::)
thanks for that comment spiro , i know youve see plenty of formulas down there so thats a big comment to me,il have to take it down to maltona when i get a trailer and a new tow rig and see what the locals say:D

[ScottB]

Hi OPTI,

First things first, I just have to say WOW!!! That is some seriously impressive fitout work!!

Any chance of a couple of more details on the plumbing of the slimey tubes?? Particularly the fitting that you have used to go through the well? I am about to put the same tubes on my boat and will have to go through the transom. I've been looking at a way to do it in stainless but the fitting that you have used looks like it would do the job (not to mention be significantly cheaper!!!!).

Keep up the great work, I look forward to seeing your updates.

Thanks


Scott

[OPTI]

cheers scott,that fitting is a through deck hose fitting BLA part number 138800 page 208 on thier catalogue,and i just added a right angle elbow and hose connect fitting.
if i could of found a stainless fitting that was compact i would have it

[HH565L]

thanks for that comment spiro , i know youve see plenty of formulas down there so thats a big comment to me,il have to take it down to maltona when i get a trailer and a new tow rig and see what the locals say:D


Yes mate, seen a lot of Formula's but nothing like this.

Shoot me a pm when you intend to head to Maltona. I'd love to see this boat in the flesh 8-)

PS: And it would be good to meet you too. ;D

[PB]

Opti, I have to say this would be one of the best fitouts Ive seen on a trailer boat, the attention to detail looks second to none. Ive shown this thread to a few people now and they all say the same thing "WOW". Its an absolute credit to your self and those who have worked on it. Have you got any idea on a total weight with all the little extras? & I have to ask what trailer you will you be putting under it?

Fantastic job mate.

Cheere Pelagic Boats.

[OPTI]

thanks for the comments guys ,the hull was 1650 kg bare ,i estimate another 400 kg of extras so far,so aroung 2000 kg for round figures ,plus 460 kg for engines, plus fuel .
im going to get an origin custom alloy trailer at aroung 600 kg in weight ,so should be under 3.5 ton with light fuel load.closer to 4 ton fully loaded up.

[OPTI]

well finally got the engines hanging off the back,hopefully 3 weeks to the water .
just a couple of pics ,i ve just hung the engines off the top bolts today ,still need to couple up controls etc,everything fits nice and tight,and the motors dont hit the tabs on full lock::) .
a couple of small details ,i had to have angled spacers machined up for the top bolts to compensate the well angle.
also had to machine the top of the transom plate to clear the deck.im not a fan on the chopping board transom plate as ive seen a few transoms ruined with them especially with v6 engines,large 10mm well plate spreads the load ,not that i think this transom is going to crack anytime soon.just dont like engine load hanging on a washer.
engines are at 22 1/2 inch centres.tie bar will be here tomorrow.

[oldie]

Opti your a legend mate, the Black Bettys look nice hanging of the back, should go like a scolded cat!! cant wait to see full on water shots buddy

[grammel]

Take a bow Opti! and thankyou for sharing.

[Jarrah Jack]

Nearly there finally Opti. Plenty of horsies there. Love to see your face on the first trip especially when you give it heaps.:o What are those rods doing there..Getting practice??

[OPTI]

cheers boys ,yes the final chapter on this scessil b d'mill production is is almost over,been a long project thats for sure.
a couple of pics of the anchor ,i was going to get a polished stainless manson supreme untill i found out they were 1800 dollars ,i had to pull up on that and go the cheap plough,the winch works perfect in the shed,200m of 8mm spectra 10m of 8mm ss chain ,two swivels on each end of the chain

[captain rednut]

thats looking awsome, what top speed do you reckon??
cheers jim

[Greg P]

Bad ass !!!!

That boat is a credit to you - total quality

[Spaniard_King]

What Props are you starting with Dave??

[OPTI]

im going to run 21p rev 4,s 14 5/8 dia,if i can turn them il be doing 60 mph,this is a really heavy boat and 600ltr of fuel etc so fingers crossed ,i spent the last 3 weekends blueprinting the bottum of the hull so im giving it everything i can.im hoping 30 mph at 3000 rpm,40 mph at 4000rpm ,50 mph at 5000 rpm ,should be close to those numbers

[NTMID8]

Excuse my ignorance but what is "blueprinting" when referring to the hull? Ive rebuilt a fair few motors which ive blueprinted meaning getting the absolute lowest tolerance

[OPTI]

my 233 came out of the original mould ,the mould was quite porous,so it left the hull feeling like 240 grit sand paper,instead of smooth glass,so i had to sand it with 800 and buff it ,i also cleaned up a few other imperfections while i was at it ,something you really shouldnt have to do to a new hull,,not long after my boat was made edencraft finally made a new 233 mould to rectify this problem.

[Bull]

WOW

The Boat and motors look fantastic Im amazed how great the whole package has come up . I cant wait to hear and see some pics of her on the water.

[matt fraser]

You must be starting to get a little bit excited now! you're on the home-straight with the finishing line in sight.

That is some serious horsepower there! and all looking solid, classic, and awesome!

After you get her sorted out, I reckon you need to have an open day on the Goldy so we can all come and check her out.

Cheers,

Matt

[business class]

If you hurry up you may even be able to Christen it with a blue as there are still the odd one around out wide..... looks unreal mate very nice job.....

[Argle]

After you get her sorted out, I reckon you need to have an open day on the Goldy so we can all come and check her out.



Second that! Its not like anyone will be able to keep up with you when its running!

Congrats on a magnificent job - its a stunner

Cheers
Scott

[OPTI]

If you hurry up you may even be able to Christen it with a blue as there are still the odd one around out wide..... looks unreal mate very nice job.....
yes i know ,george from reelax is one of my crew for next season ,he has been keeping me up to date,would love to christen it with a blue[my dream]
cheers for the comments lads,the boat will be kept at the gold coast city marina fork lift facility so if your down there keep a look out,should be easy to spot.cheers dave

[ozbee]

lencos have plastic pin and pivot point so they break if you hit bottom with the tabs down which i assume you have broken in a sea which must take some effort as i have only broken in shallow water. i have bashed every bolt and screw in the patriot and still haven't bent a tab which brings me to ask the question i hope you are not taking any hull strength by bonding the outer to the inner like a lot of american boats do . while they initially make a hull stronger in the long term in australian waters they pound a lot harder than american seas and tend to develop soft spots in the long term, great hull and many still running around up here , quite a few have extended the arse to 26 feet which makes a far better boat.

[OPTI]

edencraft are australian made ,all built too survey standard layup,from the holes ive drilled in my hull ,the hull is 20mm thick and the deck is 15mm thick,everything is hand layed glassed no bonding,no internal moulds.this boat is total over kill in construction,i seriously doubt il be able to put a stress crack in it.but thanks for your concern.
first pic is the 20mm hull ,second pic is actually 30mm deck they added extra galss for the cleat ,third pic is more boat porn,fourth shows engine hight from the boat,fith tie bar installed ,the tie bar is for setting engine toe,im starting at 10mm,just a note ,if your installing twin mercs like this you have to use a merc tie bar ,both types of sea star tie bars wont fit.;)
just waiting on the trimmer to make the all over cover now and she is ready ,just a little tidying up to do.

[Vitamin Sea]

Spectacular

Great job

Cheers

Bill

[MyWay]

cheers boys ,yes the final chapter on this scessil b d'mill production is is almost over,been a long project thats for sure.
a couple of pics of the anchor ,i was going to get a polished stainless manson supreme untill i found out they were 1800 dollars ,i had to pull up on that and go the cheap plough,the winch works perfect in the shed,200m of 8mm spectra 10m of 8mm ss chain ,two swivels on each end of the chain

opti,
your boat looks awsame.
when it does look this good inside the shed, i can just imagine what will it look once it hits the water.

are you going to putt something inside the anchor bow roller so that stainless does not get schretched and bashed? that is how it is on my anchor.
mine is just terrible comparing to yours :-[

[OPTI]

i havnt really thought about the anchor to be honest,il proably just wait and see how it goes,the bollard was custom made and holds the anchor very snug,the anchor just stayed on the rollers when i tested it in the shed,il keep an eye on it,cheers dave

[surveyor]

Mate WOW you have raised the bar to new level great attention to detail youve obviously thouhgt this one out .You wont have to wait around with those optis they are very highly underated and sound cool . I hope you enjoy it on the water as much as the build its a credit to ya;D

[OPTI]

just a side note,i had to make new battery cables as my batteries are in the cabin and the ones supplied with the engines were way too short,so i had already run 2b&s size cables down to the back ready to cut to length to the engine connections.
two forum members spaniard king and finga put me on to some new products that made my life so much easier.
the first was the hydraulic crimping tool spaniard king put me onto ,best 80 bucks i spent gary thanks heaps for that.
the other was a electric solder pot that finga put me on to ,came from china for 25 bucks ,its a ripper,and perfect for doing battery cables.
a couple of pics of the process.
first pic the crimping tool in action
second pic the electric solder pot,obviously i couldnt photograph me dipping the lug into the solder ,but thats the next step.
third pic ,the finished artical,with heat shrink applied.
fourth pic ,on the engine better than factory.thats how to do battery cables;)

[deckie]

Beeeewdiful. Tx for keep putting the pics up. Extreme boat porn for some of us, your work is legendary. What's really great is your forward planning.

Two little questions. I'm the practical type...have you tried climbing over your new transom from inside to access the props or take a cowling off ? Handy to have somewhere safe/practical to plonk a size 10 or a small rail to hang onto so you can lean out and have a gander. I think places like Dana marine do small billet ones that might even match those sweet trim tabs. I;d be thinking about sitting on that teak with feet over the back into the motor well too. Looks like a nice place to park your bum whilst out there. Maybe there's room for your boot on the transom cap next to the donks i dunno.

Just fantastic work on the motor bolts and mounting...whats the material you mounted through ?

Keep em coming when u get time, cant wait to see some pics of launch day. Stunning work.

[OPTI]

cheers deckie,i actually had to sit on the teak to fit the rigging to the port engine,plenty of room in the well for my feet ,cowls off would be easy ,prop change from the boat would be pretty hard ,might have to get wet for that one.il wait and see about a handle ,[easy to add later]untill my bait board is mounted with snapper racks etc,i actually have a spare gold handle ,there is one on the dash on the passanger side,at least you can stand on those dana tabs if need be.
the transom plates are 10mm aluminium and i had them anodised to stop corrosion and look good,i think a better option than powder coating for the same cost.

[Jarrah Jack]

[easy to add later]untill my bait board is mounted with snapper racks etc,

Snapper racks ............. Are you moving to Maltona?

They would love your boat there....:o

[Jabba_]

Hi opti. Who on the coast did you anodizing.. Great idea that transom plate. Think I'll make one for the seafarer.

[FishHunter]

Opti please I am begging you, delete this thread and never mention it again.

It makes me sick to my stomach with jealousy when I see what you are doing :)

[captain red beard]

Nice one OPTI, it is a awesome boat. Super jealous.http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/217133_202922459742763_100000750318558_593985_1067 688_n.jpg
First boat I ever ohttp://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/221817_202922313076111_100000750318558_593979_5407 942_n.jpgwned was a formiehttp://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/216538_202922349742774_100000750318558_593981_3810 801_n.jpg

[captain red beard]

Thought I would show you all a few photos of a mates mate boat in WA.
My first ever boat was a formie, nothing like yours but Opti. Really wish I still had it.
Good luck with the finishing touches.
Cheers Red Beard

[deckie]

Snapper racks ............. Are you moving to Maltona?

They would love your boat there....:o

hey jack..gotta admit i went a bit :-[ when i read snapper racks. I guess we've seen this great rig taking shape for so long we kinda think what WE would be doing next.

Nooooo ..dont do it..nooooooooooo ;D How about some removeable gold anodised Cisco racks or triple trees instead ?

[OPTI]

Hi opti. Who on the coast did you anodizing.. Great idea that transom plate. Think I'll make one for the seafarer.
a grade anodising at ormeau,cost 50 dollars for the transom plates ,thats the minium charge.

[OPTI]

hey jack..gotta admit i went a bit :-[ when i read snapper racks. I guess we've seen this great rig taking shape for so long we kinda think what WE would be doing next.

Nooooo ..dont do it..nooooooooooo ;D How about some removeable gold anodised Cisco racks or triple trees instead ?
wait and see;D i have a haines patriot bait board on its way ,the problem, with the big rod holders is they dont hold snapper rods very well ,i know the fishing up here is different to down there with depth etc,but i mainly fish with my wife and daughter and they tend to leave thier rods in the holder instead of holding them all the time unless the fish are on the chew,what i have in mind will fit into the big rod holders and pull out when not required.not a permanent mounting.
im calling it the maltona pack::)
well the rear end is all finished now ,steering is blead,pumps bolted in ,wiring cable tied etc ,its pretty hard to make the rear look neat ,its very cramped for room ,running steering hoses etc ,mainly becase of the tackle lockers needing room.im going to get some 20 mm teak surronds made for the tackle lockers just to help with room etc.
first two pic are the stb side ,trim tab pump on the transom,powersteering pump in front of that ,etc
third and fourth pic is the port side ,trim tab pump rear ,auto pilot pump in front of that ,the rest is bait tank plumbing.
if anyone is going to run a power steering pump with a auto pilot ,sea star now make a powersteering pump with an inbuilt autopilot pump,which would of made my life a lot easier and cheaper.
last pic is the golight ,bla now carry these ,the best thing about them is the remote control is wireless ,so you only need to run power cables to it.it will do untill i can afford a flir.;)

[wirlybird]

Hi opti if it’s not to rude to ask what did black marlin sting you for the t top? I’m looking at something similar for my formula but not as big in diameter pipe as yours I would think.

You Have inspired me to make my 233 top notch as well but i dont think i will go as far as you. stuff that has the word boat in it just attracts extra $$$$$$

[OPTI]

the t top like mine with the big tube and gold rod holders and slide out was 7500 off memory,smaller tube and silver rod holders would be around 6k.
i havnt posted anything lately as ive had more delays,firstly the engines wouldnt talk to the dts and vessel view ,kept getting faults ,turned out my control moduals were superseeded so i needed new moduals and harnesses,took 2 weeks to work that out and another 2k[not happy]>:(the trimmer has just finished my all over cover and a few other bits ,so tomorrow its coming out of the shed ,got the boys coming around at 12.30::) to help lift of the t top and put back on ,then just got to wire up the t top and finish the dash wiring and im good to go ,some time next week [for reel ]this time.;D
only new pics is of the chair wich i trial fitted now the engines are on checked rod clearance etc ,all good,had the tackle locker doors replaced with teak ,the king board doors looked too cheap.
i also got a haines hunter bait board from nautek marine in melbourne,im very happy to have it ,it will be mounted next week ready for snapper season:P

[Jarrah Jack]

Those teak doors look good OPTI. Gee I'd be too scared to go fishing on a boat like that. Imagine scratching it with the gaff or something. Did you say snapper season...Then don't forget the snapper racks.;D

[OPTI]

a little more boat porn for you ,sign guy got the rego wrong ,should be 233Q

[OPTI]

im going to redo the name as well ,just doesnt look right ,to big wrong font.
heres a rear shot,bloody hard putting the big poles in the outrigger bases::)

[Bull]

She looks fantastic you've done a great job! When is her first water test?

I really like the name to Unreel.

Cheers Bull

[OPTI]

hopefully this week mate ,and you were the one that came up with that name ,so thank you

[Bull]

You are more than welcome. There are plenty of guys on Ausfish who can't wait to see her on the water. well done.

Cheers Bull.

[STUIE63]

she is a credit to your skills and dreams Opti

[Jarrah Jack]

I think Opti may have had his shake up cruise this weekend. Will be waiting for a report and pics.

[OPTI]

dts was back to front on port engine ,so it went no where

[business class]

If ya dont mind me asking what did your Top cost you??? Thats one awesome bit of machinery mate you must be hapy with the outcome. Job well done mate, now i look forward to seeing you out wide backing down on a leaping blue......

[OPTI]

the t top was around 7k from memory ,ive lost track of the dollars lol::).but that t top is big tube, gold rod holders lets spend as much as we can 8-).well not really but i didnt want front support poles to the deck and it needed to be strong enough for the radar etc .
ive sat on it [120kg]it doesnt even flex.
turns out my shift problem was the shift cam in the gear box was installed 180 degree out,so working back to front,just my luck.
anyway im getting the cabin door made and bait board mounted ,and a few other bits sorted,and hopefully have another crack next week ,the forcast is crap this weekend,and im just a little over this project atm,just taking a little breather and work is really busy atm which helps pay for these dramas:-?.
il get some on water pics up soon

[Daisy Burnett]

Opti
I have been watching this thread for quite while now and the result you have atained is nothing short of fantastic the attention to detail is beautiful to see. I have been in awe of your patience in the outfitting of your boat. Absolutly great effort. I really hope you finally get the thing wet in the very near future. I will be in the Gold Coast next week and if I am very lucky and spend some time in the marina I may get lucky and see your Formula 233.

Cheers
Daisy

[OPTI]

it will be there daisy .got the gear box sorted and back on so
i ran it to today ,just for an hour ,just up to the pin and back with 500lt of fuel and 3 adults,hit 59 mph top speed ,with a bit more trim left in it ,its got a realy economical cruise at 24 kn at 2700 rpm ,with a little bit of tab its really nice .its very resonsive to trim and hold its nose very high ,infact if i didnt have the big tabs id proably put wedges on the engines ,so all in all i very pleased ,got more sorting out to do ,il get some better pics this weekend ,here a a couple i took with my phone today

[pilchardjones]

so so nice. just beautiful.
steve

[matt fraser]

Congrats on getting her on the water OPTI!!!!!

Its been a long haul, and these last few months must have really dragged on for you. 59Mph crikey! thats poking along ok.......Awesome mate, looking forward to more pics and then fishing reports!

Cheers,

Matt

[death_ship]

nice job, i bet your sick of working on it but! u will have to put a lambswool cover on the marlin's bill so they dont scratch the gel coat. great to see it in the water. the pressure is on capt rednut now to get his formula up to standard

[business class]

Death ship has a great point there Opti..... what ya going to do when you have a blue going nuts boatside or worse a black???? can you buy bill ropes with a hull protector :D hahahaha....

Absolute perfection mate cant wait to see it on the water.... thats if i dont blink and miss it at that pace :o LOL

[Camhawk88]

Its funny how small it looks in the water compared to the boats behind it. That said anyone who has followed this thread would take yours over any of the other boats in those photos- I know I would.

[OPTI]

im not that worried about the black sides ,if they start looking shabby il just get them 2 paked as needed,no big deal.
yes it does look small when every other boat around you is 30 plus ft ,its turning heads though ,getting lots of comments ,im just glad it goes good ,i changed the original positions of the fuel tank etc and although this is really the first edencraft transom mount,i had to make a few calculated decisions at the start where to put the weight,edencraft had the fuel tank another meter foward than mine altough only 400 ltr compared to my 600ltr,and my batterys are foward where they put them aft ,so i was still a bit nervous untill i ran her,its a lot easier to make the bow sit down than try to make it sit up on a boat so to speak ,this girl sits up like a race boat ,even with the 60kg anchor set up,im thinking i might make a new transom plate with built in wedges ,just to give me more trim range,but il wait till i do some offshore miles to fully evaluate the set up.
il get a video and better photos on sunday hopefully weather permitting,cheers for the postive comments

[ozscott]

...
il get a video and better photos on sunday hopefully weather permitting,cheers for the postive comments


What...so anything over 60knot winds and we expect to see no video? :)

[fisho8]

I have 3 words for this boat OUT ####IN STANDING I really cannot say too much else I am too gobsmacked awsome job Opti that thing is insane. Time + Effort= success and you have definatly succeeded in building an awsome fishing rig mate I hope it repays you with very many good memories on the water. Well Done.

[Pazz01]

Every time I re-read this thread I nearly make a mess on my keyboard. Unreal job and unreal boat. My dream boat essientially. Top work mate.

Pazz

[captain rednut]

yeah good one death ship mine wont match anything close to optis, that's a work of art and very well done. great to see it on the water and look forward to the aerial shots of those black anchors parasailing lol (only joking) cheers cr

[OPTI]

thanks jim,well the black anchors have already let me down with the counter gear box,so ive had a quiet whisper to them as to how il treat them if anything else happens.
on a more serious note it will be interesting to compare fuel figures between our rigs, i think im going to be real close to 1 nm per litre at 24knts around 2600 rpm.i think my engines need to come up one hole,still need to get some hours on it [bloody rain].
hope youve got big trim tabs on yours your goin to need them.

[OPTI]

a couple of videos from today ,a little rough out the front,lol::)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IGie-QgItY

[OPTI]

http://youtu.be/WxGfS6O4IBY
cruising up the broadwater at 30 knts at 3500 rpm ,this rig weighs 3.4 ton on the forklift scales with approx 400 ltr of fuel.so no light weight :P

[Smithy]

How'd the clears go keeping the water out?

[OPTI]

quite good,i got nothing from the screen,the wave breaker did its job ,i got a few drips up the top ,and a bit tracked in just around the bottom corners where the wave breaker finished,but pretty good seeing how much water was being flown around,heading out was really nasty ,i thought it might get better the further i got out but it didnt,it was when i was heading in and i turned around and saw the walls of water behind the boat that i suggested that we video it,the video doesnt really show the size of it,but you can see the spray blowing off the wash etc,the tv still works,lol

[Bull]

Opti,
Congratulations on getting her on the water you must be rapt. Those motors sure hum along together nice dont they.

I liked the video of you comming in it was a bit lumpy.
Cheers Bull

[OPTI]

thanks bull,yes it was rougher than id ever usually go out in,but felt very safe all the same.
my fuel usage data so far with the 4 blade props is
24knts @2750 using 28ltr per hour combined
26knts@3000 rpm using 32 ltr per hour combined
34 knts@4000 rpm using 55ltr combined
note engines are still going through break in so running rich atm ,ive got some 3 blade mirage plus props on the way so i think they will give me better figures all round ,i think the 4 bladers are giving me too much bow lift .i think it will get pretty close to 1 nm per litre @24knts cruising speed,who said you need small 4 strokes to get good economy::)

[MyWay]

Opti
I got Mirage plus on my Optimax 150
And it is awesome on fuel
I can do 4000 rpm and using 1.8 to 1.9 Km/L
If you can get some Mirage props definitely worth to the try.
Cheers

[Daisy Burnett]

Opti
Just got back from having a good drool over your boat. Dont worry I wiped up the drool marks. The pictures do not do the girl justice. Absolutely beautiful, something you can be very proud of. Congratulations. Thanks for letting me know where it would be I appreciate it.

Cheers
Daisy

[fisho8]

Love the sound of a Merc V6 2 sounds even better but haha good stuff OPTI.

[OPTI]

no worries mate ,the boys at timber by design are craftsman ,they made me a beautiful solid teak cabin door with flush ss lock ,and smick as marine is redoing all of my bodgy sika wipes,actually i got him redoing every join on the boat,hes been on it two days ,but looking great ,its back to black marlin towers tonight and tomorrow we are mounting my haines hunter bait board,then a quick clean and im taking the wife fishing on sunday, some where i can find a calm spot so i can spend a afternoon playing with all my electronic gizmos while she fishes.then im putting all the fish in se qld on notice,be afraid be very afraid.8-)

[HH565L]

Hope it's not too rough for you Opti. Don't want to hear any more stories about you not being able to get out to where the 445's play :)

[captain rednut]

hey opti great to see her on the water and she looks great, its a credit to you for your perfection finish and eye for detail i wish i could get mine looking that good??? im not far from the same feeling, im launching late September so i can feel the formula feeling too.
cheers Jim

[OPTI]

we will have to catch up jim when yours is in the water,i must admit im not a big yammie fan ,but last week at the marina there was a new centre consol [import]with a 300 v8 on the back,i had to turn my engines off when the owner started talking to me and then after our conversation i realised his engine was running the whole time,i could hardly hear it,made my optis sound like chaft cutters[lol].though i do like the opti hum at 4000rpm.

[Leonida]

do yamaha make a 300 V8. i thought they only made a v8 350.

[OPTI]

do yamaha make a 300 V8. i thought they only made a v8 350.
they must ,thats what the stickers said.lol
ran mine again today ,according to the eco guage my most economical speed is 3500 rpm which is 37mph using 1.9 ltr per nm,the guage actually reads 2.1 nm per gallon.its a pretty comfortable cruise speed,it was still 2nm per gallon at 4000rpm 42 mph.im expecting better with the 3 blade props,still pretty good for the speed its doing.

[Spaniard_King]

They did have a V8 300 and 350 but couldnt sell the 300 all that well. They now have a 4.2L V6 300

[krazyfisher]

Opti

I have just been waiting for you to finish so I could make a comment....
This would have to be the best finished build I have seen, well thought out and truely a credit to you.

thanks for sharing

[OPTI]

thanks mate ,its nearly 100% finished,ive had a few little things to sort out ,the thru hull pick up was leaking water ,factory fitted no silocon??removed and fixed with sika,the cabin roof panel fell down yesterday when i went through a 60ft riv wash,i questioned the trimmer at the time weather the 3m dura lok would hold them up,anyway il be screwing them up today.my live well pump wont self prime:(so im not sure which way il go to fix that,may be a pump on the gate valve or a big self priming pump if i can find one.the furuno sounder needs setting up ,i carnt make it work ive got a furuno guy coming this week to get it sorted.my anchor chain gets caught on the howes pipe,i had a small shackle on the rope to chain connection ,it works fine on land but with anchor weight pulling it it fouls,so getting a custom shackle made .so far everthing else is good.
smik as marine re did all my silocon wipes and finally got the cabin door on and bait board mounted.

[True Grit]

Hi Opti
I picked up your thread firstly on the formy registry ... what can i say top job i admire the passion and practicle common sense you have demonstrated during your build, thanks for putting this up on Ausfish.. now excuse me while i ring the bank.
regards. Tim

[OPTI]

mate ive stopped adding up what this owes me,lets just say i could by a second hand 36 luhrs and have some change.:o
i had extra rod holders mounted to the bait board,im still undecided about the snapper rack idea,il just use it and see how it works out for the moment ,ive had to fit a scoop to the bait tank pick up to stop it draining whilst under way ,this week end weather is looking great so hopefully il get some fish in her.
a couple of pic of the bait board set up ,ive got led lights on the inside to light up the chopping board and a led light bar on the rear to light up the reels,on a 3 position switch,the board just pulls out of the rod holder mounts when not needed.

[HH565L]

Dave, sent you an email via the registry. Lot's of disappointed people in Melbourne tonight. I hope to hear back from you mate.

[True Grit]

Hey mate
hows the fishing

[BM]

Unfortunately, from an observers perspective, although Dave's boat is a fine example of a 233, Karma is taking hold and she is a bit like Calypso in the strength of her fury......

[True Grit]

whats a karma calypso.

[Smithy]

You wouldn't be seen dead in a Luhrs. They are the Hyundai brand as far as game boats go.

All you will need for snapper fishing in Qld are a few of the Reelax Rodriggers. I'd have to fish one of the big bays down there to see how the Vics get away with running so many rods out of their snapper racks but half the time up here you are wind against current and fishing back on your anchor rope so only one side of the boat is in play anyway. We are fishing a lot more depth than them too and our fish like floaters so I can't see how how many more than say two a side would work up here. Your rod holders on the bait board look ace and a great spot to clear to quickly to get them out of the way or rig up compared to clearing to the rocket launcher.

[OPTI]

Hey mate
hows the fishing
i went out 2 weekends ago ,i followed a mate out to his secret kingie mark,bloody long way out let me tell you ,i managed a king and a amberjack in the boat but i got seriously out gunned in the tackle department,man i lost some gear ,all to livies.was proably the best fishing session ive ever had ,ran out of livies at 1 pm.
i was getting taken to the reef on 80lb braid,honestly my leader set up was the main culprit,i pulled the leader out of the double 3 times,ive gone wind on now and 130 lb braid on 3 out fits ,my mate boated a 37kg king ,so there were some big ones amongst them.
my sounder wasnt working so i was just following the plotter .
i did 9 hrs on the engines that day for around 300ltr of fuel
ive only just got the sounder sorted this week ,i have to go on a sea trial on friday just to configure the auto pilot and tune the sounder and its all fully sorted.just need some decent weekend weather.

[wirlybird]

9 hrs and 300 lts of fuel with those big donks isn't bad going. i will bet you fed it to it a few times;)

[OPTI]

heres a few quick videos of that day ,this first video is heading out to the 50,s ne,it was about a meter of swell with 10 knt se on it ,i was following a 680 haines with a 250 suzuki ,it was too slow for my boat to be really comfortable ,i was boardering on falling off the plane ,had to run a fair amount of trim tabs,but the video gives you an idea how the 233 runs in some shitty conditions.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqPgVpd3MyQ

[OPTI]

this second video is coming home about 2 oclock,once i got back to the 42;s the sea flattened out ,this was cruising home @37 mph 3500 rpm,my wife and i were both seated the whole way ,very comfortable for the speed .
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_k_l7OxXYoo

[OPTI]

this 3rd video is the foward shot
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzVcHwiuJXQ

[hilta1]

Hey opti, did you use the tinted clears? if so how do you find them? Regards Hilta

[OPTI]

4th video foward shot ,the 233 is very quick in a following sea ,were doing 37 mph with ease.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6Z3wNc00_s

[OPTI]

Hey opti, did you use the tinted clears? if so how do you find them? Regards Hilta
no mate the clears a strata glass.

[OPTI]

5th video coming back through the seaway ,it was pretty flat ,i did manage to get the props out just be fore the end of the clip,had to take it easy on my lovely wife,didnt want to scare the crap out of her on our first fishing trip in the new boat;D
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FW61tklosE

[OPTI]

coomera north arm @ 40 knts .the 233 loves tight turns
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kgbgcqWzF0o

[fisho8]

Love those Opti's at full noise said before and I will say it again Outstanding.

[OPTI]

Love those Opti's at full noise said before and I will say it again Outstanding.
thanks mate ,they wernt full noise in the last clip ,they were around 4300 rpm.
ive also bought a gopro camera with mounts so should be able to get some good fishing footage soon:P

[fisho8]

Good Stuff Opti was that only at 4300rpm jeez plenty more to go there they sounded awsome just the same what is the maximum rev range on a 250?? would be about 6000-6500RPM?? will be good to see some fishing footage lets hope the weather is kind and it lets you get some good fishing footage. Look forward to seeing it.

[matt fraser]

Its great to see her in action OPTI, Geez it must hammer at full noise!

Any chance of a video tour of the cockpit/helm/deck of the boat? (at rest)

Just can't get enough of that Teak, chrome, and anodised gold etc......
Cheers,

Matt

[OPTI]

just an update for those interested,done 70 hrs so far ,with some nice fish being caught ,im still struggling with sounder set up ,its a slow learning process,the raymarine gear is pretty easy to use and the auto pilot makes life so easy going to marks and trolling .
had my first day trolling the shelf yesterday for marlin,we managed to raise one fish but he threw the hooks after a minute,but at least we raised one ,i was happy with that to be honest,couple of pics i took with the phone,also got a new teak tackle station[couldnt help my self]make the rest of the boat look dull now,lol
the optis were doing 1700 rpm @8 knts using 18lph combined,so i was pretty happy with that,considering they are thirsty 2 strokes

[Vitamin Sea]

Hey Opti,
17L an hr for 8kts, you gotta be happy with that! The tackle station looks great, my young fella is on me about putting some teak around the 635, wonder where he got that from?

No doubt you will get a marlin to the boat in the coming months.8-)

Cheers

Bill

[Jarrah Jack]

The expectation...first Marlin in the boat...nothing like playing with the big boys. How will she handle backing down Opti ?

[FishHunter]

Thanks Opti I was just admiring my boat and thinking of more improvements I can do and then I see this. Now I just feel sick :)

[frankgrimes]

also got a new teak tackle station[couldnt help my self]make the rest of the boat look dull now

VERY nice mate....actually too nice to use ;)

Mick

[Bull]

Its great to see your out there useing her after all the work that you have done. youve racked up 70 hours pretty quick.
She still looks the goods.
Cheers Bull

[OPTI]

The expectation...first Marlin in the boat...nothing like playing with the big boys. How will she handle backing down Opti ?
the plan is to fight the fish off the drivers side corner and only back down if required to get the tag in,with the motors trimmed up a bit she backs up quite well .,and the engine well is deep enough to handle the water.
as for playing with the big boys ,i was followed out by lucky strike[36 black watch] to the riv grounds ,it was nasty sea ,1.5 to 2m swell with 3 ft chop coming at different angles ,we had to punch into it all the way out ,20 knts had the props getting plenty of air,so back to 16knts with the tabs down and just punched through ,we got smashed ,and im sore today,but the black watch didnt pass us.
we were 200m off lucky strike at jims mountain when they hooked up to a 800lb blue,oh what could of been.untill next week .

[captain rednut]

hey dave that looks like george in those photos?? are you going to fish mooloolaba comp?? im not going to be launched before that like planned ill be on the week after, you know how many delays there are near the completion stage of fit outs.
cheers jim

[OPTI]

yeah jim thats george ,all round top bloke and not a bad marlin deckie to boot.;D
im iffy at moolooaba atm really weather dependant as il have to come up via water.il let you know ,i save a spot for you if i do.
take your time with your boat ,the last little things always take the most time,sure will be worth it ,its looking awesome.;)

[Cootac]

What I love about this boat , It looks mean looks like a show boat , but olso puts food on the table which is great to see.

And well done on the build looks fantastic .
Mark.

[OPTI]

just got the boat fuelled up and ready for a full day of trolling tomorrow.i went out on a full tank [600lt] last saturday ,the boat ran 12hrs that day,we went from coomera marina to riv grounds ,trolled for 9 hrs all the way to jims mountain and back ,then from riv grounds back to home.for a total fuel usage of 360 ltrs.8-).i just wanted to fill it back up to check the accuracy of the vessel view ,its with in 3 ltrs.im pretty happy with those numbers considering the hours it did and the distance it travelled with 2 thirsty 225 optis.;D

[wirlybird]

those numbers makes me worry what my one will chew with the 454 horizon in her

You would have been giving it some curry to raise some fish wouldn't you OPTI?

[OPTI]

in the broadwater i sit on 4200rpm which is 40 mph ,in the ocean i go as fast as conditions allow,last saturday 20 mph was max speed going out ,8 knts trolling lures is 1700 rpm ,we came back in at 28 mph @ around 3000 rpm.im very happy with the total used for the time and distance travelled.
yes your 454 will be thirsty,will be interesting to see your numbers

[OPTI]

christened the new boat with its first blue marlin yesterday ,first for me as well.:P

[Chimo]

Nice! May need a bigger net than that in pic 2

The boat is exceeding expectations, which is great.

Cheers
Chimo

[OPTI]

thats not a net mate its the tension bungie on the out rigger

[wirlybird]

it looks like a great day allround

[Jabba_]

That looks great Opti, perfect weather too.... Where did you hook up the blue? Riviera grounds?

I get my boat back on Friday, so if you want to go out over the weekend and get some pics, I'm up for it..

[matt fraser]

Congratulations Opti, well done! a great and memorable capture I'm sure. Great to see you out there making the most of your fantastic boat.

Looks like a fair size, how big do you reckon?

Cheers,

Matt

[OPTI]

thanks lads ,i thinks its around 150kg or 330 lb it was around 2m short length.
sounds good jabb il talk later in the week.
got the fish on the riv grounds

[Midnight]

Well done Dave! You are in the sh1t now though, nothing like the Blues! It will be all you want to fish for.

Glad you got the Blue so early in the new boats time on the water. Congrats.

Cheers,
Myles

P.s what lure did it eat?

[wirlybird]

Last weekend i got a chance to have a look at Dave's boat while the fork operator was busy putting boats in the water. i can tell you firsthand the photos don't do it any justice its a bloody work of ART every detail is spot on. Much like the black marlin towers dave's team makes. It would seem your a bloke who has great tastes in some fine machinery your shed is like a freakin shrine to some awesome machines.

PS
sorry about the drool on your boat :)

[OPTI]

a quick fuel consumption up date ,last two trips out 12hrs each trip to jims mountain and back,trolling all day total usage was 260lt both trips.i contribute the 100ltrs less than the previous trip to better conditions so got out there a lot quicker and im trolling now at 6.8 knts @1350 rpm which only burns 11lt per hour.so thats pretty good i reckon.
gont new gas suspension seat pedastals going in and new helm chairs ,not that happy with the comfort level of the ones ive got.
we went 2/1/0 on sunday so she is raising the fish ok .

[Chimo]

Do you alternate motors when trolling, ie only use one at a time?

Cheers
Chimo

[OPTI]

no mate im running both when trolling ,i run one when drift botttom bashing.

[Jabba_]

6.8kn @ 1350 rpm is unreal, let alone only using 11lt/hr out off a set off twin engines

[OPTI]

yes jabba its a point ive proven a few times now ,big engines not working hard will use less fuel than smaller engines that are working harder to achieve the same speed.
in comparison the game club president has a 26ft striper with a new 300 yamaha on it and it uses 12 lt per hr at trolling.

[Jabba_]

I use between 10-12lt hr at 1700-1800 at 6-7kn rpm trolling.. The extra prop pushing the boat while trolling is a big advantage.. I'm blowen away that you can get such a great speed at such a low rpm...

[Midnight]

I did tests in my B25 rpm/speed for trolling. 6,6.5,7,7.5,8kts. I just noted the rpm required for each, and the additional speed vs the rpm increase to find the sweet spot. It was just above the theoretical hull speed.
1450rpm was 6.9kts, but it took 1850rpm to do 8kts. A lot more noise, which was only from A lot more fuel! The bow started to lift and the wake got a lot bigger with more white water, and you could tell it was just plain inefficient at the higher speed.
I never found any need to troll any faster than 7kts.
260L was what I used to burn for 50nm each way and 10hrs of trolling, but that was at 18kts cruise, so you are doing very well at that sort of burn for the day Dave. Very affordable Marlin fishing there.

Good luck out there!

Cheers,
Myles

[captain rednut]

HEY DAVE im jealous listening to you getting out on your boat chasing blues whilst im still stuck on land fitting my boat out!! (That's not fair) im nearly there and cant wait to get to fish a comp with you, it would be great to see a few formula/edencrafts around as its such a rare sight these days. hey Dave maybe we could go down a fish with Myles one weekend and ITS Myles shout, LOL
cheers Jim