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Thread: New boat coming- Caribbean Reef Runner 6.4

  1. #46
    Ausfish Platinum Member
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    Mar 2015
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    Kalbarri, WA
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    Re: New boat coming- Caribbean Reef Runner 6.4

    Gave it the first real run/fishing trip yesterday. Forecast was for a fresh Nor'easter ( blows off the land over here dropping off at lunchtime. So I did my usual of heading up the shallows staying out of worst of the wind. The 14.5x17P Enertia was back on, as the dealer ended saying it was the best after a ringaround. Quartering into a 20 gusting to 30 knot wind and low chop, fully fueled , I settled in and did an average for the 40 minute run to my starting fishing point. Below is what the VVM mobile app told me for that section of the trip. I had played with trim and tabs a bit, and settled on 3450 and just over 20 knots.



    The wind was strong enough to have be using a tab to level it.

    The wind dropped off just before midday so I headed out wide and bottom bashed for a while. Drew a big zero out there, nothing but blue-lines, so we headed in about 2.45 , with an afternoon sou'wester, just enough to raise whitecaps, low chop. I pushed the revs up a little more and let it run for a while before doing another average. Averaged over 21 at 3600.



    Also ran it for ten minutes at a higher speed, 3700. Ride was exactly the same in the chop, fuel consumption went up so I was dropping just under 1nm per litre, observed.



    tried 4000 rpm for a while, fuel dropped a little more and the speed averaged over 26knots. So this will be a good one if you are in a hurry--not enough extra fuel to break the bank.
    Overall for the day, the trip log told me I had done exactly 64 nm (118.5 km)back at the ramp , for just on 67 litres of fuel. I hadn't shut down all day, even while drifting, so that could have made it look a little worse than it actually was.Can't really complain about that, for a 150 pushing a fair-sized boat. The sweet spot of fuel vs distance covered, the only true consideration for a boat like this, looks to be 3400-3600 rpm.

    A bit more work has been done since my last post. Water bladder and pump mostly installed, just need some 38mm filler hose I can't get locally and a fitting to connect a 1/4bsp female shower hose to a 12mm barb. Six hole internal rod holder has been mounted on the port side, low on the kickboard , with 10mm gap below so it can be washed under, but not high enough to jam bare toes in. You can see it behind in the pic.



    I find these necessary for quick stowage of rods when you are clearing the deck after a billfish hook-up, my main deckie can't reach most rocket launchers And rods up to 6ft can live in there travelling, clear of everything. I've made a start on reinforcing the forward bulkhead for the anchor winch, glassing the marine ply in today. I should have the winch mounted tomorrow.

  2. #47
    Ausfish Platinum Member
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    Mar 2015
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    Kalbarri, WA
    Thread Starter

    Re: New boat coming- Caribbean Reef Runner 6.4

    Winch mounted today. Yesterday I glassed in a piece of 12mm marine ply to reinforce the front bulkhead. The stock set up looks pretty strong to me with longitudinal fillets between the bulkhead and the forward rake of the hull. I thought someone had been careless in placing them until I realised it was off-centred to allow for the motor on a drum winch.



    So I cut a piece of 12mm marine ply to fit and glassed one side. After it was touch dry , I laid a full size piece of mat on the other side, then screwed it to the bulkhead , after first wetting the ground -off flocoat finish. Tabbed around the edges, and a coat of flocoat when it was firm. these are a heavy winch( Tuffwinch 240HC), virtually identical in size to a Lonestar GX3. There was no way I could hold it in place and accurately mark the mounting holes, so the backing plate came to the rescue. I only had to hold the winch at the right height, mark the top edge, then use the backing plate to mark the holes. The holes were drilled 1mm oversize and internally sealed with epoxy. While waiting for that to set, I got into re-arranging the foredeck. The bollard and chain guide had to go, obviously, and were replaced with large horn cleats and a fairlead for hanging off a mooring. A piece of starboard was shaped up and bullnosed before being screwed down. The old holes were plugged with epoxy and wooden dowel--the deck appears to be very thick glass with a foam coring, but I sealed it all anyway. My approach to fastening anything on this boat has been based on whether i think it is likely to need removing--some has been wet-bonded, ie, line the hole with epoxy then smear epoxy on the thread before tightening it down. if it is possible it will be needed to remove it, I line the hole with epoxy then smear anti-sieze on the threads--this will allow it to be undone without heat if required.



    I used a Lonestar convex roller to (hopefully ) get the line laying on without bunching up too much in the centre.

    After the epoxy in the mounting holes had set, i put the winch into place with some sika behind it, and cut off the ecess bolt length inside. I have a nice Caribbean embroidered pad to fit over that, courtesy of one Mansfield had left over from a previous build.







    Tomorrow I'll get it wired up and get 150 metres of rope on it

  3. #48
    Ausfish Gold Member 552Evo's Avatar
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    Jul 2016
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    Melbourne

    Re: New boat coming- Caribbean Reef Runner 6.4

    looking great, and good work.
    Are you going to modify the hatch to allow the rope lay (side to side) as it winds onto the winch ?


    Saltwater fishing, boat mad but has a job that gets in the way.

  4. #49
    Ausfish Platinum Member
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    Mar 2015
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    Re: New boat coming- Caribbean Reef Runner 6.4

    Yes, that'll have to happen after I get the rope on and figure out just how much I need to remove. I'll have it overwinding to keep it clear of the front lip of the well, just need to work on the lid.

  5. #50
    Ausfish Gold Member 552Evo's Avatar
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    Re: New boat coming- Caribbean Reef Runner 6.4

    Sounds good - re the hatch.
    So with the Reef Runner what style anchor do you use ?
    That split section design on the nose of the bow sprit is nothing I’ve ever noticed anywhere before ?


    Saltwater fishing, boat mad but has a job that gets in the way.

  6. #51
    Ausfish Platinum Member
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    Mar 2015
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    Kalbarri, WA
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    Re: New boat coming- Caribbean Reef Runner 6.4

    That style of bowsprit is common to all Caribbeans , up to the 2700, at least--I didn't think it was an uncommon design for larger glass boats? The split is deep enough for it to work well with a power winch, apparently.
    I'll likely be using a #2 Sarca I have here already . I also have the 20lb plough that came with it, plus a 15lb plough, and a 16lb heavy -pronged Grapnel--I'll have to see how the Sarca goes, it may require a #3. I'll likely fab up a dogbone to go in front of whatever I use to make sure it comes up the right way every time.

  7. #52

    Re: New boat coming- Caribbean Reef Runner 6.4

    Depending on what sort of seas you are likely to anchor in it might be worth thinking about a hoop at the front too. I found the rope had a tendency to jump out of the roller when it was rough

  8. #53
    Ausfish Platinum Member
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    Mar 2015
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    Kalbarri, WA
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    Re: New boat coming- Caribbean Reef Runner 6.4

    Yes, I was thinking about that. The bowsprit design will make that an easy installation if necessary.

  9. #54

    Re: New boat coming- Caribbean Reef Runner 6.4

    how do you find the tuffwinch? about to buy one myself...

  10. #55
    Ausfish Platinum Member
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    Mar 2015
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    Kalbarri, WA
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    Re: New boat coming- Caribbean Reef Runner 6.4

    Well, I haven't had a chance to use it yet, so can't really comment. Certainly a heavy piece of kit, at least in the bigger version I bought. I've since added a hoop to the bowsprit to keep the rope in the general vicinity of the roller, as below.




    ran the rope on--100m of 8mm double braid nylon, which was supplied in the kit, plus 30m of 6mm dyneema, then 20 m of 12mm silver rope on top, for abrasion resistance. And 9 m of 6mm chain. It should go on a bit better, moving across that tapered roller, with weight on it, I was just applying a bit of friction with gloves. Need to run it all out at sea .


  11. #56
    Ausfish Platinum Member
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    Mar 2015
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    Kalbarri, WA
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    Re: New boat coming- Caribbean Reef Runner 6.4

    I've done a bit more lately. Installed a power outlet/USB charger over by the passenger seat.



    And finally got around to fitting the outriggers. The Rupp Top Guns were my biggest single indulgence on this boat--I'd avoided outriggers for years, but after seeing how easy a good top mount could be on a hardtop, bit the bullet. Once the telescopics are out , you don't need to adjust anything, if you get the attachment point for the halyard right. it will just swing back and forward, keeping the same tension.









    I changed the rigging slightly since I took that last pic--the clip was a little high, so I pulled the Hal-lock through that eye, rather than clipping it on, and clipped it lower down, so the clip is within easy reach.

  12. #57
    Ausfish Gold Member 552Evo's Avatar
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    Jul 2016
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    Melbourne

    Re: New boat coming- Caribbean Reef Runner 6.4

    Just a small tid bit of info regarding your USB charger, I installed one very similar.
    I left a lightning cable for the iPhone on the boat, I ventured on the water maybe 3 times in a few weeks then found the plug end of the cable rusted, it was only a cheapie cable but I did keep it under the helm. The sea air obviously got to it.
    I don’t know if expensive cables are any better but I gave the last one a squirt of lanex or whatever it’s called. So far so good.


    Saltwater fishing, boat mad but has a job that gets in the way.

  13. #58

    Re: New boat coming- Caribbean Reef Runner 6.4

    I turn power off to accessories outlets when not in use. I think with power applied in a misty salt environment you get accelerated corrosion.

  14. #59
    Ausfish Platinum Member
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    Mar 2015
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    Kalbarri, WA
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    Re: New boat coming- Caribbean Reef Runner 6.4

    Finally thought to get some photos of the trailer with the boat off. Dropped it at the local ramp and took the trailer home for a check over. note to self--drop the gain on the brake controller right back with the boat off, as a dab on the brakes results in a blue-smoking trailer lockup when unloaded
    The standard trailer supplied with the base price is a 2200/1999 kg job, overide brakes. Whih is fine for towing it around suburbia without loading it up. But I do some long runs, with bits of it on atrocious roads/tracks, heavily loaded, so i went up to 2900/2700, electric over hydraulic. Drives on well, although my local ramp is not cnducive to this as the base of the ramp is mud/sand, and I can't see the point in filling up the cooling passages with sediment just before I shut it down. I have a Boatlatch to fit, may get around to it, may not.








    The whole thing is channel or angle, with the exception of the actual drawbar.

  15. #60

    Re: New boat coming- Caribbean Reef Runner 6.4

    Nice trailer Ranmar you sure do have a lovely BMT package a few people have tried talking me out of building a all welded alloy trailer but i see businesses selling them so surely it can't be that bad?

    i towed a brake trailer 2.5-3 hours home the other night in the pissing down rain i never gave the latch on the coupling a thought i did flip it over and off so the brakes would work can u imagine how many times the wheels would have locked up in the rain lol i must have looked like a total idiot haha

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