Cape York Tinny?

[Watty2975]

Looking for people’s thoughts on taking a tinny to the Cape.

We have a Campomatic with boat loader and a 3.7m tinny. 20hp is on a slide. Set up is pretty easy.

Just wondering how much people have used their tinny’s afte taking them to the Cape?

We are a family of 5, kids really like exploring and boating, more so than fishing.

I thought we we get good use at Tinaroo, Daintree, Punsand Bay.

Interested to hear from people who have taken tinnys us there and what sort of use you got for the effort of getting it there.

We have had several trips to the Cape, thought this might add a new dimension.

[Redback]

Every second car has a tinny on it up there as you would have noticed, only the size varies, would be pretty pointless dragging a tinny all the way up to the Cape and not use it.

[Craig Tomkinson]

Hi Watty, I could not go up the Cape without a tinny, and a 3,7m with a 20 hp is just perfect size, I have done many trips up there with that size boat, We had a ball crossing rivers and walking along beaches, going crabbing and fishing, just looking around you will see some big crocs, Thess days I take up a 5m tinny so I can go a lot further, and check out more places, and fish offshore further, Craig

[Pete79]

Agree with Craig, a tinny is a must on any cape trip for me.

I took a 3.5m with 18hp Tohatsu to fish Temple Bay for almost 3 weeks and a few days at Princess Charlotte Bay on the way home.
Had no dramas in the open water going around the headland to get to the outer creeks at Temple and did the long runs through the creek out to the mouth for big grunter at Princess Charlotte.

Just had to be careful with the resident snapping handbag when launching and retrieving off the beach. 

[speewa158]

l wouldn't set foot anywhere near a  boat ramp/river edge / or swamp land . Thats just me  , l have watched a 5.5M  Crock swim up a river in the NT  , lf you want to put 5 bods in a 10Ft Tinnie Up North


                                             Good Luck .


                              Buts That's Just Me                                               

[Craig Tomkinson]

3,7m is a good size for two or 3 people

[avotrol]

A tinny adds a whole new dimension to the Cape experience. From catching great fish to exploring isolated islands, seeing turtles, spanish macs jumping and more.

When launching, have a good look around for any signs of crocs and keep the boat between you and the water at all times. Don't EVER wade into the water or just hang around the waters edge.

When on the water, always keep a look out and use your commonsense and avoid doing anything not smart like standing up (making it unstable) and dangling arms and legs overboard. Watch out for the afternoon wind chop around Punsand as it can get quite strong swinging in from the SE.

Your probably in more danger of having a car accident on the PDR etc than of being harassed by a croc, so watch out for that as well, as some people drive like lunatics up there!

And most importantly, have a great time!

  Avo

[Craig Tomkinson]

Good places to use your tinny will depend on what time of the year you are going up the cape, , as from April through to August right along the east coast it blows for days with 25knot trade winds, but every now and it drops off, I have seen 90% of the Cape over the last 37 years of going up there, What I do now is go to one place for 3 to 4 weeks on the west coast were I can fish and explore every day as the wind is not as bad, places like Pennefather river, Mapoon, Janie creek, Skarden river , Colman river, Karumba, Batava landing at red knob, Weipa, and on the east coast Bathurst head, but they do not open the road out there till late in the season, Craig