www.iFourWinns.com

Well guys - first day out this season last Saturday - still grinning!! Weather was perfect - 21C, almost no wind. Water was cool at 14C...

Went out from Patterson River - car park upgrades still not finished, but well under way. Will be a big improvement when they are all completed. For anyone else lanching there, don't use ramp 4 until it's upgraded. Its very shallow and muddy just off the end of the ramp.

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Alec

2006 Horizon 190
VP 4.3GL/SX, Sunsport

What time did you go out Alec? I launched from ramp 3 at about 11am. We went up to Cerberus for a picnic and returned at about 2pm against a very short chop from the SW which made the return journey very slow and unpleasant. Bit annoyed as the forecast was supposed to be flat!

JB

_________________
2010 Crownline 180BR
3.0 litre Mercruiser
Onyx black Narrow hull and middle deck band
Bimini/Targa, Bow and Cockpit canvas
2000kg tandem Dunbier trailer

Tow vehicle - Nissan Pathfinder Ti

We went out at around 9:30 JB from ramp 4 - bay was flat so really nice then. Came back in around 1:15 when things chopped up, so must have just missed you. We were fishing and cruising around about 5km offshore between Frankston and Mordialloc. Wife got a couple of tiny flatheads but that was all...

Still it was nice to be out just lazing away and basking in the sun for a change..

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Alec

2006 Horizon 190
VP 4.3GL/SX, Sunsport

Hey guys, we had a great weekend on the bay!

Saturday we took another family with us and we went from Safety beach heading west across the shipping channel to the Fort and the beyond to mud island. We ended up hugging the northern side of the shipping channel as the depths got to only 2m further north than this. I wasn't ready for the wash from the container ships behaving as it did - long rolling 3m high waves that don't break. We hit the first ones at 40kph which was a bit too exciting, after that we took them very slowly. The wave height was around 0.5m. We then returned hugging the south side of the channel and speeded up from Rosebud round back to Safety beach.

Today was even better. Launched at Safety beach again (more about that later) in the company of my friend with his kids and two random young German blonde girls who happened to be among the group of 50 people we were camping with. I figured that the reason I got a boat was to pull blondes - right? H'anyway..... we headed for the South channel fort as the girls wanted to see the seals. The wave height was very flat but once we got to the South channel fort it got quite lumpy - a sharp chop from the south. It wasn't a problem in itself but I was concerned about it getting worse so we rounded the fort and headed back. The sea flattened out again as we followed the coast East. Once we got as far as Rosebud we decided we were going to hang just off the beach and wave to all the other families and kids who were at our campsite. I knew it was pretty shallow there so we took it at tickover speed - good job as the depths went 2.5m...2.3m....1.5m...0.4m ouch! stirred up some sand, trimmed up and headed back out to sea pretty quickly. The sea was dead flat now so at a constant 65kph which is top speed with 4 adults on board we headed back up to Safety beach where we hove to and decided what to do next. Well, the German girls had never seen Mornington before so we wound her back up to 65kph and headed up for Mornington, accidentally going through the middle of a fish farm on the way (oops). We moored up at Mornington for a pee and an ice-cream. Then we returned at top speed once more to Safety Beach.

OK, launching at Safety Beach...rubbish. Saturday I dented the prop as it was so shallow driving off and I hit a lump of concrete. Driving back on was OK though. Sunday I had the prop trimmed so far up it was just under the surface. We pushed the boat back off the trailer and it immediately went aground. I had to go for a swim to walk it over to the courtesy dock. Retrieving we didn't even try to drive it on - we walked it all the way from the dock. I would launch there again but would 100% not start the engine until well down the courtesy dock.

Unfortunately I'm not able to post any pictures as sadly my camera and a number of others were stolen from our campsite on Friday night. One of the German girls did take some pics today so if I get hold of them I'll share them.

JB

_________________
2010 Crownline 180BR
3.0 litre Mercruiser
Onyx black Narrow hull and middle deck band
Bimini/Targa, Bow and Cockpit canvas
2000kg tandem Dunbier trailer

Tow vehicle - Nissan Pathfinder Ti

Sounds like you had a great weekend JB... pity about the camera being stolen though...

I went out at the north end of the bay on Sunday - launched at Newport (the Warmies). Was fabulous until about 11am when it started chopping up, so spent the next few hours cruising up the Yarra River through the centre of Melbourne. Just perfect weather...

I was absolutely stunned at the number of Four Winns boats I saw... would be at least 20 Vistas of various sizes and colours, and a red SS. Would be more than any other single brand.

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Alec

2006 Horizon 190
VP 4.3GL/SX, Sunsport

It turned into an expensive weekend - when the boat went aground at Safety beach ramp and I had to jump out to push it off I had my mobile phone in my pocket.....

JB

_________________
2010 Crownline 180BR
3.0 litre Mercruiser
Onyx black Narrow hull and middle deck band
Bimini/Targa, Bow and Cockpit canvas
2000kg tandem Dunbier trailer

Tow vehicle - Nissan Pathfinder Ti

Bummer about your phone as well as the prop and camera JB - overall an expensive weekend on the boat...

Seems like other than Mornington, the ramps at the south end of the bay are pretty 'ordinary'... I remember looking at the ramp at Rye for example - extremely busy and also very shallow with a narrow channel to get out to the bay. If I recall there is a publication on all of the boat ramps on the bay - I may have to hunt this out and refresh myself on them.

The ramp at the Warmies has been renovated over winter - no change to the ramp itself, but the wharf has gone and is replaced with floating pontoons - much easier and a big improvement. Nice to see something for our taxes.

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Alec

2006 Horizon 190
VP 4.3GL/SX, Sunsport

Have a great Christmas everyone, keep on boating. If you are boating on swollen rivers in this country watch out for floating debris and hidden submerged fences etc

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Ardy
Adelaide South Australia
Red H180 3.0 Merc

Merry Christmas to you too Ardy, and everyone else south of the equator (and everyone else!).

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Mike
2005 Four Winns 230/240
VP 5.7GXi/DP
1998 F-150 XLT
Boat Pic

A Merry Christmas to all....

Looking forward to 2 weeks off and getting out on the bay here in Melbourne. Weather forecasts looking good - not too hot - mid to high 20's (80F to 90F).

Might also get up to Lake Eildon - has the highest water level since 1992 I believe. Have not been there for the last 5 years because the water was so low - the boat ramp was something like 100 metres long before it hit the water!!

Looks like a great summer coming up!!

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Alec

2006 Horizon 190
VP 4.3GL/SX, Sunsport

And to you mate - I'm overseas right now, back 7th Jan so may see you out on the bay 8/9th.

JB

_________________
2010 Crownline 180BR
3.0 litre Mercruiser
Onyx black Narrow hull and middle deck band
Bimini/Targa, Bow and Cockpit canvas
2000kg tandem Dunbier trailer

Tow vehicle - Nissan Pathfinder Ti

Went to Lake Eildon last Thursday - plenty of water there now! Had a great day - water temp 24C. Was pretty busy on the boat ramp and parking was at a premium. Interesting to go on a lake after years on the bay - seems that very few sea boating rules apply on the lake!!

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Alec

2006 Horizon 190
VP 4.3GL/SX, Sunsport

I got out on the bay on Sunday in company with another boat - they were kind enough to shoot a bit of video of our boat "Stimulated" heading in to Patto river -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oe9Z6Y0HJek

JB

_________________
2010 Crownline 180BR
3.0 litre Mercruiser
Onyx black Narrow hull and middle deck band
Bimini/Targa, Bow and Cockpit canvas
2000kg tandem Dunbier trailer

Tow vehicle - Nissan Pathfinder Ti

Nice piece of footage JB!

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Alec

2006 Horizon 190
VP 4.3GL/SX, Sunsport

New islands in the bay? This is an interesting idea and one that I support entirely, I feel the bay would really benefit from more destinations.

What do you think?

http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/artif ... 1a6yh.html

JB

_________________
2010 Crownline 180BR
3.0 litre Mercruiser
Onyx black Narrow hull and middle deck band
Bimini/Targa, Bow and Cockpit canvas
2000kg tandem Dunbier trailer

Tow vehicle - Nissan Pathfinder Ti