Roof Topper Tips

Sssshh..but I think I have just what you want...if you have not already teed one up , and depending on where in SA you are and if you actually want it / them...I am not very far away and the price will be reasonable...bruce350atripperdotcomdotau.....flat bottom 10ft very light weight..very, very good condition and very good motor....have not decided yet which one is to go...6hp johno or 7.5hp evinrude..but probably the johnson...cheers

Gday,
I wouldnt get anything under 12" with a 15hp.
If a croc wants to get into a 16'' he will, but the bigger the boat the better your chance. The trick is not to put yourself in a position where one wants to. But 10"...not me!
As for motors...It depends on what you want to do.....Putter around in a couple of esturies, you might get away with a 4hp.
But 2 people and a bit of gear with the tide running against you and a head wind.......Id rather my chances in a canoe !

While in Kalbari recently they were hireing little tinnies with about 4hp's on them.....4 people in the boat, no wind, bugger all tide movement and my daughter and I where overtaking them in our canoe!

Try hiring a couple first and see what you think.

Cheers

Hi
Just bought a 3.75 Mako Craft Topper Tracker, will be using it with a 15hp. As said,with strong tides get a 15hp.

If it was me I would not use anything under 60'. This is the only way I would know that there are no crocs in the water bigger than the boat! Those little suckers haven't survived all these years by ignoring every opportunity for a feed!!


Regards

Barnsey, a 12 footer is fine, but I wouldn't go much smaller in croc country. Our first rooftopper was a 3.5m (about 12 foot) Stacer Seasprite. Big enough to be comfortable, high enough sides to feel safe and deep enough V to handle a bit of chop.

I would not go for a flat bottom punt. Although they are nice and stable at rest, they typically have low sides and you will get very wet and uncomfortable if there is any chop in esturies or bigger lakes.

I also recommend a 15 HP outboard. The Mercury weighs 35 KG and the Yamaha 36 KG from memory, so not too heavy. With a 15 HP on a 12 foot boat, you can get on the plane quickly with 2 people and gear on board. A smaller motor might struggle to do that. We have never had trouble with crocs, but it is nice to know you can 'get the hell out of Dodge' if you want to.

My wife was real worried about crocs at first, but while still cautious (highly recommended) she is now quite comfortable in the boat when they are around.

With a 12 footer, loading by hand is not difficult if you put rollers on your rear bars right at the back of the vehicle. I used to load and unload the Stacer by myself.

Set your bars up (possibly add a 3rd if you don't have one), so you can carry a basket under the boat. You can carry all your light, but bulky stuff in thier like fuel tank, seats (recommended) life jackets, crab and red claw pots, etc). I load the boat, then lift one side and prop it up to pack the stuff underneath.

We have now upgraded to a 3.75m Quintrex and 20 HP motor, but we spend a lot of time in the boat and cover a lot of water in some places, so I went for a bit more speed and comfort.

If you have not done so, check out the Roof Toppers article on this site.

Norm C