Your inventions...

[wayno60]

Guys,
just been playing with an old 4.5m glass hull and got me thinking while its in this condition what little creature comforts or things i could knock up in the shed (instead of paying top $$$$) you have added to your boats.

cheers

[mod5]

Going to sticky this for a while. We should get some good ideas for people.

[finga]

You cannot go wrong putting storage in a boat.
A place for everything and everything in it's place type of thing.
Makes things easy to find and prevents a lot of damages.

One thing I put in the tiny tinny is an ashtray.
I hate the bloody butts and minty wrappers etc on the floor. They're a pain in the proverbial to clean out so it's easier to put an ashtray in.
I'll get a picture later

[dreemon]

Has anyone got a unique idea for a bin in the boat?,

having kids with lollie wrappers, chip bags and all the other things that can get sucked outa the boat gives me the shite's , (I allways turn around and net what has flown out)

not as bad in the cudcab as it was in the tinny, I was using a largish plastic bottle with a big screw cap but lost the cap, would be great to have something conveinent and obvious for all to use. Cheers

I might have an idea. . . . .

[Jono_SS]

Maritime Safety Queensland were giving out some fantastic yellow buckets at the boat shows. They have flip top lids and are perfect for rubbish.

Just remember to empty them when you get back, not when you get the boat ready a week later and remember where you stowed the prawn packets.

Prior to the MSQ bin, I used an old 4 litre oil bottle, with a hole in the side. The bottle fitted very neatly in the side pocket of the tinny.

[moater]

Haven't done it yet but I reckon a basic plastic battery box could be converted into a very good storage area for all sorts of gear.Would be great to protect (wrapped) reels for example.Could also be quickly removed and carried to your car rather than leave it in the boat for thieves to acquire.

[wayno60]

Im making a live bait tank out of one of the rear seats.
there's only ever two ppl in the boat at any one time
and its a waist of space.

[Benben86]

Stubbie holders!!! Necessity

[gr hilly]

emty cans are a top ash tray.

[wayno60]

[matt fraser]

Here is my Ironing board cleaning table. Great height for cleaning fish, and packs away neatly.

Cheers,

Matt

[crozz001]

I refused to pay big bucks for rod holders so made my own out of two old bimini frames, I cut them to the desired height and screwed them to the gunnels with the original saddles.

I stiffened them with a few of the tube offcuts and stainless allthread then attached slotted timber rod holders to the top surface.

They hold the rods at a good angle to the water and have never let me down, I was later given a teflon bait board that clips over the rails.

All up the costs were kept under $25.

[Feral]

I reckon the simplest things are the ones that do it for me, and its not an invention, but handy.

My Favourite is when I have the kids on board, I have an adjustable beach umbrella I put in a rod holder to give them shade. Just tie it off at the right angle and it doesn't matter what time of day it is the kids are in the shade. Not like a useless bimini that only gives you shade from 11:30 to 12:30 and is always in the way!

The other one is my "portable" sounder, where my transducer is screwed to a length of old packing case, which in turn is "G clamped" to the transom of which ever boat I want to use the sounder in!

The other good one is using an old tent pole with a drop down base for your all round light. Easily makes it over the required 1m above your nav lights (or boat structure if your mexican), slides down compact and folds down out of the way.

I also have an old plastic dinner plate which fits on that light just below the globe that stops any light shining in the boat or on the water around the boat.

What is my most desired invention that is not available yet?
When someone puts the autopilot switch for a bowmount on to the remote! I'll be queueing up at midnight like ya missus queueing for Tom Jones tickets to get my hands on one of those!

[finga]

Here is my Ironing board cleaning table. Great height for cleaning fish, and packs away neatly.

Cheers,

Matt

I got a fold down aluminium ambulance gerni to do the same job.
Nice and big and stable and won't rust

Here's a few things I've done to the tiny tinny.
Storage is a must so the first is the battery box and tool box (because you never know when you'll need it)
The second is the front hatches where the fuel tank is.
Each side also opens up and where the anchor is and where the old towels and bait buckets etc are.
The front is where all the jackets and spare rope etc is kept.
The third is a set of steps I put on the back. Amasing how often I use these to get myself off sand banks and pushing out after launching.
The third is where the VHF and sounders and gps are. There's storage for the first aid kit, Alvey tackle box and maps.
Under the seat is a draw (just below the donger) with the emergency gear like fish id books and size and bag limit guides (because I can't remeber them all now seeing they change every week) compass, flares and blowhorn etc.
The landing net has it's home and there are a couple of knife holders on the other side where the pliers and sidecutters are also placed.
Everything can come out to make the cleaning easy.
And the final result...

And the last one is a bait board I made up for a mate.
It has a good drain in the front and a knife slot/pocket at the back so the knives literally don't go out the back

[wayno60]

This is really the business end of the boat. nice!!