G'day

Hi all,

Made the big step from a trailer boat (4.4m side console aluminium) to 35' Riviera flybridge (pic below) about a month ago. Not really a trawler I know - hope you'll overlook that and give me the benefit of the doubt anyway I've been trailer-boating all my life and bumming rides off mates 'big boats' for about 20yrs now.

Have been reading posts here for a week or so and it is obviously a great resource and community. Glad to be a part of it. Looking forward to participating and [hopefully] even being able to help along the way.

<raises glass> Cheers!

Welcome Aboard. I hope you enjoy the forum and benefit from the exchange of information.

Speaking of information, are you from the Ginger Beer site?

Marty

Hi MArty,

Yes, it is the same Budaberg as the Ginger Beer. Probably better known (in Australia anyway) for our Bundaberg Rum. Between the ginger beer, rum and my own business (single malt whisky) I'm pretty right for a drink here.

Sounds like my kind of place.

Marty

Greetings,
Welcome aboard.

Sounds like my kind of place.

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It's not too bad - deep water access out to Hervey Bay, 40nm south to The Great Sandy Straits and 50nm north to the start of the Barrier reef - it was a pretty simple decision to sea-change up to here (from Brisbane) 4 yrs ago. Still have to pinch myself each day to make sure I'm awake.

Welcome aboard Shufti.

Post a few pics when you have a chance, blue seas and sunshine helps us get through until spring, my home port is already frozen over and it's snowing!!!

Welcome shufti,
Always good to get another Aussie on board.
I don't really have a trawler either, but everyone here seems fairly forgiving.
Everyone likes pics too, so feel free to show off your boat and your beautiful part of the world.

Welcome Shufti,
Good to have another Queenslander on board.
Have not been into Bundy for a couple of years , where are you tied up, Bundaberg Port Marina or Uptown.
Great part of the world and nice and close to Lady Musgrave Is. and Fitzroy Reef.
Cheers
Benn

Congratulations!! Welcome aboard. Nice ride.

Welcome Shufti, I think yours is the second of the popular Oz designed and built Rivieras to join TF.
Is yours a "Bluewater"? Some pics would be good. I`m sure you`ll enjoy your time on TF.

Thanks for the warm welcome, all.

Tidahapa - we have her berthed at the port mariner. The uptown marina is all gone now after the flood this year. The old fuel wharf from it is still on the rocks at the river mouth. You;d be amazed at the state of the town reach if you haven;t been here in a few years. The proximity of Musgrave definitely contributed to the decision to go a boat that size.

BruceK - to be honest after 6 months of researching all things Riviera I still cannot find a referance as to what actually defines a 'blue water' model. Ours is a 1988 vintage and I'm told it has the later (improved) keel shape. Apparently modifed for better handling in a following sea. Ours is a soft top but all the 'blue water' models I saw advertised had hard tops, but apart from that I couldn't make out any difference. As i said I can;t find any specifications for that vintage Riv (or reviews, or really any specific info at all). Perhaps fuel/water tank size as well distinguish the 'blue water' models. No idea. In any case it wasn't sold as a 'blue water'.

If you ( or anyone) has any past articles/review or any good links for vintage riviera specs I'd love to see them.


I'll endeavour to post some more pics this evening.

Shufti, I did a quick search. Nothing definitive from Riviera, but the only one for sale that I looked at, there are several, at Empire Boat Sales (Bobbin Head Sydney) has the two words "Blue Water" under "Riviera 35" at the aft end of the cabin. Whether Riv put them there, or the owner, we don`t know. It has twin 330hp engines. I also saw reference to a Bluewater38.

shufti said:

Hi MArty,

Between the ginger beer, rum and my own business (single malt whisky) I'm pretty right for a drink here.

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Single malts? pray do tell.

Oh, and by the way, of course welcome.

Must admit that had me wondering.
In the land of Bundy who the hell would be drinkin Whisky.
This is Queenslander country, Cane Cutters Cordial etc
Please tell me more and justify yourself.
Cheers
Benn

G'day mate. Sorry for the late Welcome to TF. Heaps of great people on here. Cheers.

Hi Shufti, and welcome aboard. I'm at Horizon Shores Marina down near Jacobs Well, just South of Brisbane, and there are two Riviera 35s just along from me, and they are about the vintage of yours, and neither has Bluewater attached anywhere. They are very popular in these parts.
I think they might be able to be made out in this pic here…possibly..anyway, this is where Lotus lives…
Yeah, now I see the close-up, they are the next two boats along to the right, out of pic...sorry…
Tell you what, next time I'm down, once Lotus is back in the water, (see getting nervous thread), I'll take a couple of pics of them and post them.

...Welcome Shufti

have fun

Portuguese

Welcome! I visited Bundaberg quite a few times when I worked in the Sugar Industry.
I never got out in a boat there but did get to enjoy some Bundaberg Rum.
Congrats on the Riviera

Thanks for all the kind words of welcome.

My reference to single malt whisky - I am a partner in a little niche import business that deals in malt whisky. Not a bad gig to be honest. Has its perks.

All good mate,
I am of Scottish heritage and spend a few weeks at a time at my cousins pubs in Scotland but not a Scotch drinker much to his chagrin.

But I do luv me Bundy. As my old man used to say ( an ex POW and Burma Railway Worker), Any pri*k that won't fight on Bundy is a real coward"

Do you get out to the reef much? such a great place and so close for you guys up there.

Cheers
Benn

I've got a pretty soft spot for the Bundy m'self, don't you worry. Best partof living in BUnday may well be that Bundy Royal Liquer is easy as a stop off at the distillery on the way into/out of town. Makes the best Moreton Bay Mud ever. Pretty much drank Bundy exlcusively until doing some backpacking around Europe as a ~25yo. Got introduced to single malt whisky on the shores of LochNess (just down the road form Urquhart Castle in fact). And that was the beginning of a new addiction/love affair with single malt whisky.

As for getting out to the reef - well the whole point of getting the Riv was to gain the legs to get the family out there. Until now I've just done heaps of reef fishing in Hervey Bay in my 4.4m side console. So yes and no - I've sort of been to the reef -a lot - but not in the way you were meaning, if you know what I mean. We're in the process of doing a few 'familiarisation' cruises over to Fraser at present before we venture to Musgrave etc. In fact, the weather is looking bloody marvelous this weekend so we're going to shoot off Friday lunchtime (fingers crossed).

And yes - the proximity to the reef, plus the Sandy Straits (which is bloody nice in it's own right) plus living 2 minuites away form the marina here PLUS the 3 kids enthusiasm for all things boating/fishing all played big parts in our decision to make such a big jump from the SeaJay.

Shufti, can I respectfully just mention one thing about Riv 35s, especially as you are coming out of a trailer boat. They are definitely semi-planing boats, and at such speeds toss up a HUGE wake. I know all to well about this because we have quite a few in our marina and elsewhere, as they are popular, so we are passed by them often. And often the owners are sitting up like Jacky in the flybridge clearly thinking, "wake…what wake..we don't make much wake." Or so it appears, by how close they pass, and how tricky it is in an area of rather narrow channels, to actually avoid taking the wake wave beam on, because coming from behind, all you can do if there is room is bear away and slow down, and hope, as there is usually no time to turn into it, as they come from abaft the beam…and if there is no room…'nuff said…

Having said that, I just know you will the most considerate boatie out there, so ENJOY..!

And oh yes, I will post those pics of the fellow Rivs asap. It was too dark down there tonight after we moved Lotus back from the travel-lift jetty to her berth.

Hey guys, guess what. That lovely new stainless and hideously expensive sea-cock and strainer I had to have installed at the surveys insistence…well, I couldn't close the seacock before I left, no matter what I tried. Hows that? Do I need a manual, or what..?

As a [until now] lifetime trailer boater - with 1000's of hours in Moreton Bay and Jumpinpin, I'm only too well aware of the wash put out by idiots in 35 Rivs and the like in confined waterways. Your point is taken well.

As for the Rivs at Hope Island - one of the first we looked at was 'Sugarbean' there. While we knew that particular boat wasnlt the one we were looking for, it was probably where we were first taken by the Rivs [brilliant IMHO] internal layout.

Tidahapah said:

All good mate,
I am of Scottish heritage and spend a few weeks at a time at my cousins pubs in Scotland but not a Scotch drinker much to his chagrin.

But I do luv me Bundy. As my old man used to say ( an ex POW and Burma Railway Worker), Any pri*k that won't fight on Bundy is a real coward"


Cheers
Benn

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Dad was up in that part of the world in Borneo, Tarikan, during WW2, they kept him there till 48' being a MO, but he was definitely a scotch man. So much so I had to learn the bagpipes for six years. Notice I said learnt not played, I really felt sorry for our neighbours.

Still, his favourite triple was Laphroiag, a renowned smokey scotch.I felt duty bound to continue the family tradition.

Greetings,
Good golly Mr. G...bagpipes! Put three cats and a nasty dog into a burlap sack and stand back. Ughh!

Hello and welcome! Jill and I are hoping to vacation in your part of the world next year, perhaps we will meet up.

Cheers,
Bob and Jill

Riviera35s like Shufti's

Ok, Shufti, as promised, here the the Rivs that keep my Lotus company down here at Horizon Shores…

Peter I don't want to point out the bleeding obvious but it doesn't have one of those slide locks on the handle does it.
Cheers
and a Merry Xmas
Benn

Bob,
If you are coming down our way next year don't forget to let us all know we may be able to meet up.
Cheers
Benn