matt654

Ok guys,just thought I'd share a story, hang with me tho , its a long one but worth sharing for many reasons:part 1 of the story starts close on a year ago, got an excited phone call from a good mate and fishing partner, “mate, I think I have found the bargain of the year”Goes on to tell me that he has been givin the heads up on a 23ft Huntsman that needs a tidy up for under 2K.I proceeded to discuss it with him with the usual bargains arn’t always bargains specially with boats etc, but if you need a hand with mech/fabrication I’m in.A week later he rings me again, this time in tow of the large Vessel, he is stoked, 23ft of 80’s fishing boat hitched on the back of his landcruiser and heading home.He tells me that trailer is for a 18ft boat, with no brakes and the boat has wiring issues thus the inboard V6 doesn’t go.He made it home OK and parked the thing in his front yard.So within a few weeks, I go up to have a look, nice boat, very sound hull, intact floor, transom, but sitting on a very dodgy trailer that is 1.5m too short and after closer inspection the V6 chev is seized and never goin to go again.Over the next 6months my mate (who is a mechanic) starts the refurbish, strips the V6 out, rips the carpet out and starts to generally tidy up the big “Huntzy” as we begin to call it.The plan is not to restore, but turn it into a boat he can load up with 4 mates and spend a weekend out in it, safely and sensibly fish out wide in it.Upon stripping the carpet out, he confirms the floor is really sound as is the rest of the hull. More research shows that the leg on the back is rated at 300HP+ and originally the big old boat was powered by a 350 chev. Makes the decision easy, it will get re-fitted with a crate 350, fingers crossed the leg is all good, seems fine.For the time being tho, he continues to fish in his 13ft tinnie, a few times alongside my 13ft plastic tub, all is swell, all the time, a few spare pennies get thrown at the “Huntzy”.It slowly comes along, floor re sealed and painted this time, a few excess seats are removed and a spanking new 350 gets installed. New risers etc and generally everything tidied up.It’s the middle of last summer and the deadline for completion gets set , snapper open this year!!, Nice I think.Its late March and havn’t spoken to my mate for a couple weeks, Im at work late on a Monday and get a phone call from another mate watching the 5 oclock news, he is all worried , “mate I just seen B***y, he is on the news, his boat capsized off KI,”” holy s**t, you sure its him”…… “ yeh, they spent the night on the upturned hull, rescued in the morning, boat looks stuffed tho”Im like: “you sure? I didn’t think the “Hunzty” was finished yet?” He replies “it a 2 tone hull , white over blue, big bow rail, it’s the Hunzty man, has to be, B**y was on there, wrapped in the silver blanket”I hang up and start trying to call my mate, his phone is turned off, so I start calling mutal friends, no one knows anything………Part 2 coming in afew hrs, must do some work.

there are some nice sized blueys out there but most of them are undersized.semaphore jetty is a good place for blueys though