Motorboats
We have four aluminium runabouts (tinnies) with 5hp outboard motors which are suitable for up to four adults (children up to 12 years old count as half an adult). They do not have canopies so a hat and sunscreen is recommended. A NSW boat licence is not required unless you are under 18 or you manage somehow to make it go faster than 10 knots.
A "tinny" for four
Hire Rates – Launch Fee is $20 – each half-hour or part thereof is $12.
Hire fee includes fuel, Personal Flotation Devices, oars/paddles and an anchor. A $50 deposit is payable on hiring, and is fully refundable if the boat is returned on time, intact and with all equipment as supplied. Boats returned in an unhireable condition (ie full of mud, sand, water, fish hooks, bait, etc will incur a cleaning charge of not less than $10).
Fishing supplies, including tackle, bait and licences, can be purchased at the Boatshop and we do have some rods for rent for a nominal charge.
We take VISA and Mastercard as well as cash for the hire fee, but it is preferable if the deposit is cash as 90% of all deposits are returned intact and supplementary payments tend to be small (in EFTPOS terms).
Conditions
Downriver limit is the Georges River, identified by Como Rail Bridge and a lot of water. If you need to pop under the bridge to Como Marina for fuel, coffee or a comfort break, that’s OK .
Location and Hire Limits
Upriver limit is when you run out of water; please remember the prop generally notices this before the boat does and unless you want to row all the way back it’s a good idea to be kind to the motor.
Impacting a rock whilst in gear can break the shear pin which drives the propellor. If the engine revs whilst in gear but no thrust is obtained, then a broken shear pin is the most likely cause. Be grateful, as the shear pin is designed to protect the gearbox and the prop from greater damage and, as listed in the terms and conditions of hire, the hirer is responsible for all damage, the cost of which is not limited to the deposit.
Another common cause of problems is driving through shallow water. The boat floats, there may be no rocks, but the engine cooling intake picks up sand and debris which blocks the impeller and the engine overheats and eventually stops. This is usually the first symptom, but an earlier indication is given by the lack of cooling water being pumped from the back of the engine. Your boatshed deckhand will have pointed this out when handing the boat over and it is a good idea to check it regularly, especially if you suspect you have just driven over a sandbank.
If the boat meets a sandbank, you will feel the change in acceleration as the motor tries to push the boat on. If a child is standing up or sitting right at the front, this can be enough to throw him or her over the front of the boat. Being lighter, the boat now floats higher so the engine can keep pushing forwards, right over the child. Always keep an eye out for shallow water and listen to the advice from the deckhand about the safe channel in Forbes Creek. The water level will almost certainly be different when you come in than it was when you left.
If the weight in the stern is too great, not only does the driver have difficulty seeing the water in front but the propellor is more likely to churn up sand in shallow water. Since the decelerating effect of hitting a sandbank with the prop is less than when the boat hull hits first, the initial reaction is to open the throttle and try to churn through it. Not good for the prop, the cooling system or the gearbox. Although you may get home (after stopping the engine, lifting it and using an oar to pole yourself into deep water, of course) the next hirer may discover your damage the hard way.
Remember, safe boating is no accident. Please listen to the instructions and advice from the deckhand and if in doubt, ask. We would much rather explain something a second or third time than spend an hour driving down the river just to restart your motor or to tow you back. If no technical fault is found (or it is due to misuse) then a call-out fee is chargeable which is at least equal to the deposit.
Last updated on May 12, 2010