THE PROJECT OF MATES RATES by Scott “scooter” Gregory

After looking on the market for a tinnie, whilst having beers with the neighbour one weekend, I find out his mate has a tinnie for sale. So we organised to have a look the next afternoon. We turned up to find a 4.35 Apache Allycraft  with a 40 hp Yamaha 4 stroke on a dunbier trailer. Rick had the Apache fully stripped bare sitting on the trailer. After having a good look and talk about it I decided to go home and have a little think about it all and did a little research. As I was looking for a small project boat to fit out the way I wanted it, this seemed perfect.

After a little negotiating, I got the boat for a good price, as it was plus all the goodies. The next weekend it all started, over a couple of beers, we decided how we would do this project and in what order it had to be done. And then it began.

Bruce brought home some 19mm aluminium box with lots of brackets and stainless steel screws. All this was for the frame work  for the forward and rear casting decks. Once we completed the framing, it was onto all the ply work for these decks. We then used the old rotted floor ply as a pattern for the new ply main floor, which we also raised a little.

After completing the decks and floor, it was time to think about paint. I have always liked the Quintrex lime green, so after speaking with some paint shops, we come up with my own colour. Barry, the neighbour, just happened to be a wizard on the spray gun, so between him and I we got it all painted. It was now starting to look like a boat.

The next afternoon, it was time to start doing some of the fit out with the electrics. Thanks to Bruce and Barry’s son, Brad, we had it under control. Next step, fitting the motor then it was time for a road trip to get the carpet and seats fitted. After a week with Nath, I picked it up and dropped into see Marty from Keoghs Marine. Marty supplied me with a new battery and a 55 pound I-Pilot Minn Kota. Once home and all fitted it was finally time for a water test.

I know, not smart doing a water test before fitting everything, but I had faith and it all worked out perfect as still to this day it still doesn’t leak 1 drop. So in the end, I have a perfect little fishing boat that worked out rather cheap and only took 2 months to build.

I called her “MATES RATES”, this is because everything I bought for it was from people I know in the industry, so I got mates rates with the pricing. I have to give a big thanks to Bruce, Nathan and Tam for helping me do all the work getting her where she is now. Also like to give a big plug to Nathan Brown from Coastal Marine Trimming at Horizon Shores Marine, Marty Burling from Keoghs Marine and once again Bruce from Kakadu Annexes for all the aluminium.

So if your in the hunt for a small fishing boat, before you buy, weigh up the options of a project boat, you will thoroughly enjoy the experience as I did.