G'day to all ,I have been thinking for a while about buying a cartopper to take when we go caravanning but I am unsure if it worth the hassle as I have seen that many stay on the roof even when they are near water..I already have a small outboard and spare fuel tanks and all the safety gear required so thats not a problem ..Also the cost of the boat roof racks is fairly expensive plus a fold up trailer if you get one, a pretty expensive toy to take along if you do not make good use of it ..Maybe people leave them on the roof as it is too much of a hassle for a days fishing ,loading and unloading the boat outboard and such ,a fair bit of work ..What effect does the boat on your roof have on your fuel consumption as it is extra weight plus all the other stuff you need to take to make it all work.I know there are porta-boats and inflatibles but I think I would feel much safer in a tinny that has a bit of stability and strength to it ...Cheers ..BoB...

They are ok if you stay at the one location for a week or so, good fishing and catching mud crabs ect, but they can be a pain as well, it's a pity we can't have a tow ball behind the caravan so we can tow a small tinnie, it would be like a small b-double .

Cheers

Bob & Rosalie,

Had thought seriously about a tinnie myself but recon the work and expense involved is not worth it.
You do see a lot of tinnies on rooftops that dont seem to be used in places where you would think they would be.
You can hire a tinnie in a lot of places, if you really really want to.
I just fish off the bank or beach and usually get a couple every now and then.

I suppose if your a mad fisher then its probably worth the effort etc.


Jeff.

The guy who publishes the "Cape Yorker" Mag. has a unit on top of his vehicle that loads and unloads the tinny. Not sure how exy, but I'm sure one of you guys will know where to go to find out about it.

Cheers,
xina.

It comes down to personal choice. As set out in another thread started by 'Old man White' currently running in 'General', we always carry either a Tinny or our Kayaks. We usually only use the tinny if we're staying in the one spot for more than a few days.
The extra weight of the Tinny, motor etc. etc. is little more than the same as an extra person and, believe it or not, fuel consumption is unchanged and, often with a headwind, is actually better...a result of the upside- down tinny on the roof being somewhat aero-dynamic and acting as a 'nose cone' for our caravan which is extremely un-aero-dynamic.
My advice- if you've already got half the gear and can afford it...get a tinny..It's another way of having more fun....You only get one shot at it!
Jock

Totally agree with jock. We have a 3.75 m tinnie on top and don't take it off unless we stay for a few days at least. We did a trip to the Eyre Peninsular and planed for a week at the well known fishing spots and didn't worry about it most other times. I just mostly take it wherever we go whether I get it down or not and don't worry if I use it in a whole trip or not. As jock said I have checked fuel economy with and without the boat trailer, roofrack, outboard and related gear and it doesn't seem to change, surprisingly.Having said all this I am basicly lazy and sometimes it all feels like a bit of a pain. But you see the beautiful water or the great looking fishing conditions or someone walks past with a bucket full of fish or crabs and I can't get it in the water quick enough.I wouldn't be without it on 99% of our trips.

My thoughts anyway,
all the best

Rumbo.

Hi Labrat, Imo, the Porta Bote would be stronger than a light weight aluminium car topper, they are made from the same stuff as bullet proof vests. As for stability, standing up in my 12ft tinnie is definitely a NO NO!.The porta bote is much more stable and you don't need a trailer because you can assemble the boat at the waters edge.
But go for it, as they say, "lifes better with a boat" & the fish are bigger!
Keep on fishing
greg

Our vote definitely goes to having a tinnie and car-topper. As a rule of thumb, if there is water close by and we are in one spot for a week or more, the tinnie comes off. No hassles at all as we have an electric motor and taking the tinnie down is as easy as pie. Invested in a Custom Boat Loader which suits our 100 Series LC and 3.75 tinnie. The outboard is stowed in the back of the LC when travelling and we have a folding boat trailer which is on the back of the caravan.

Stayed for over 3 months in Mission Beach this year and absolutely loved it with good fishing to be had. My advice is if you enjoy fishing, go for it!