Steve's Tropic 14 Update

 

It was great to receive an email today from Steve down at Bundaberg (QLD - Australia) and the latest adventures with his Tropic 14.

He writes:

Hello Mark. 

I was recently checking out the website and I saw an update from Michael with his Tropic 14, and seeing as our builds were running parallel, I thought I would pass on an update for my Tropic 14. 

I am in full retirement mode and using the Topic for local Estuary crabbing and fishing. Usually doing this solo or with first mate Pooch. Still loving the boat and the way it is holding up. It is carrying some minor war wounds from concrete ramps exposed to tidal run and wind, but I repair these when I can. 

This time of year I poke out the front of Burnett Heads and chase the Diver Whiting. 

Living the dream with my Tropic.

Regards Steve

Michael's Tropic 14 (Australia)

Great to hear from Michael again and his Tropic 14 adventures.

He writes:
Nearly 5 years on and HOLDFAST is still going strong. I love this boat, super stable and great for bait fishing and even better for checking lures. My 7yr old son hayden is mad keen into fishing now so I seldom go alone

Steve’s Tropic 14 (Australia)

Its great to see yet another Tropic 14 launched.  This time from from Steve from Bundaberg (Qld).

He writes:

SPLASHED at last.

Launched at the ramp only 5 mins from home. It was a bit windy but not too bad and as the motor is running in I couldn't open the throttle anyway.

All went well, everything worked as they should( bait tank, sounder ,bilge pump). Got up on the plane in no time, but was a little bow up with only one on board ( as to be expected with all the weight aft).

Travelled along nicely with my fishing mate on board and we could both stand on on side with very little tipping of the boat.

Experienced a bit of cavitation on a tight turn but otherwise motor and boat were well behaved.

Sorry for the quality of some of the photos, but my mate had limited time and forgot his glasses.

Top job Steve. She looks awesome mate !!!

Cheers to Mark and all the forum members, who have helped my along the way and to all those builds I trolled through getting answers and ideas

Regards

Steve

Michael, His Tropic 14 and His Cape York Adventure (Australia)

WOW, The last few months have been very hectic busy finishing the boat, prepping for the big trip to the Cape, working, studying... the list goes on, but I have returned alive (ha ha).

I named the tropic HOLDFAST, .as a tribute to my old army engineer Corp, holdfast is their radio codeword. I also read that this term was used in old maritime days to warn people to take a firm grip if a rogue wave was about to hit.

The trip was absolutely awesome. The very first fish caught in the boat was a barramundi just a few minutes and casts into its maiden fishing voyage. My mates first fish on a lure and first ever barramundi! He was wrapped with the 59cm model, only just legal, so we returned the fish to the water as a little sacrifice to the fishing and boating gods.

The trip was full of fish and fun times with mates, some laughable incidents, including not having a working camera at the time of me catching my best salt water Barra at 71cm and the moment I washed one of the fillets off it over the side of the boat and watching it sink straight to the bottom of the deep blue.

I hit (yes hit) not one, but TWO BIG CROCODILES while in less than a meter of muddy water, without even knoing they were there. The boat took it like a champ. I'm just grateful the big bastards didnt have a go at us, as the bigger model was easily bigger than my 4.3m boat and over a meter wide.  Scary to see the raw power of one of those push a wall of water in a huge bow wave as it took off in a hurry.

Such a great trip. HOLDFAST'S first of many!!!

CAPE YORK - PRINCESS CHARLOTTE BAY

CAPE MELVILLE AND SURROUNDING ISLANDS

I've got heaps of good stories to tell you both good and funny kind of bad.

The boat handled exceptionally.

Made it across 1000 kilometres of corrugations and hard 4wding tracks without any dramas. 

Also, the little trailer ate it up with no problems as well. !!

The pics dont really do the poor weather justice.

It was absolutely howling winds up there. We initially went to Cape Melville, but 4 days straight of 50k/hr winds made us relocate to Bathurst heads. It's only about 100k drive, but a lot of 4wding involved, so took us a full day to get there.

We did do a small trip across to Blackwood Island, but the close range choppy metre swell, 3 guys and another 200kg of gear put me off going further to the main islands. Even with all that gear and blokes aboard, we did'nt have any waves crash over the bow, thank God, but we literally had to just idle across. I thought the wind alone was going to flip us over, it was pretty nasty.

For that reason we spent most of our time up the rivers and small creeks which is exactly what I built it for.

Man, this boat is a weapon. It's so stable.

I walked the plank the whole time I was up there fishing from the side decks a lot of the time, just to get the best position for that pin point cast. The boat barely moves !!

For more information about the Tropic 14,please click HERE

Michael’s Tropic 14 (Australia)

 

Its great to see yet another launching, this time from Michael from the Gold Coast (QLD)

and his Tropic 14 getting a quick splash.

He's got a few more small things to go on (all the toys etc), but .. went for a quick blat and he reckons it flies.

Anyway, here's his boat. Very nice

He writes:

I wont go as far as saying she is officially splashed, but I did take the tropic down and dunk her in the water to see how she sat.

It was both the most exciting and terrifying thing I have done for many many years haha. I snuck down to the boat ramp after registering it and launched it solo in secrecy, partly because I couldnt promise anyone it would actually float and partly because I wasnt sure if it would be sitting perfectly level with the weight distribution.

It was such a relief and a great feeling to see it on the water and give it a quick blat. the 40hp 4 stroke shot her up on to the plane and no porpoising. I pulled up to a quiet beach and took a few photos, as i sat there and looked at it, I was just full or pride and happiness, I see myself and my boys having so many good adventures in this little boat and I just cannot wait to start already. I cant thank Mark enough for all the support along the way to make this dream a reality. 

Still have quite few little things to fit still, all the electronics, the seadek foam flooring on the casting decks and other things.

Regards

Michael

We look forward to hearing more from Michael in the coming months, as he takes his family and

their Tropic 14 up to Cape York on a 4x4 fishing adventure holiday, chasing Barramundi, Threadies and more

 

For more information about the Tropic 14, Please click HERE

Brian's Tropic 14 (Australia)

 

Its great to see yet another Tropic 14 launched today, this time from Brian in NSW.

He writes:

Hi all.

SPLASHED the Tropic today. 

Thank you for a great little boat Mark and a BIG thank you for all the support given to me throughout the entire build, without that support I think I might have built the Titanic not that I've hit an iceberg yet. Lol. I can't be any happier with the support given and this great forum with its invaluable information and member support.

A BIG THANK YOU TO ALL.

Regards

Brian

For more information about the Tropic 14, please click HERE

Darren's Tropic 14 (Australia)

 

Great to see another launching this week, this time from Darren in North Qld and his Tropic 14 !!

What a TOP JOB !!

He writes:

G'day Mark,

A few photos of a trip to "xxxx" creek last week in the awesome tropic.

(I can't say where it was..secret)

It’s the first chance I’ve had to actually fish for a solid week with it. We got a shit load of flathead

and a heap of big grunter around the 650mm biggest 680mm .I didnt take any pics till the last day .

Mate, this little boat is an awesome Barra boat. So bloody stable for luring and crabbing... absolutely love it  and ... the comments I get from people is amazing

Regards

Darren

To see more of this design, please click HERE