What Do You Realy Need?

[Coddy]

Hi all

 

To recover from jet lag I took Monday off

 

After waking at 12pm I brought Sammy back home to give a good clean down inside and get rid of some of the smells

 

After unloading everything off the boat I started to wonder why do I carry all this gear!

 

Fuel, yes but do I really need 16 gall of petrol?

Anchor and warp, yes but do I need another 2 anchors with chain and warp?

Lifting Alderney buoy plus 2 other smaller buoys?

Tool box of various leads?

Loads of smaller items all sitting in a fish box?

 

Forget the safety items which must be carried, I must have loads of excess weight which is not required or slows me down AND costs more fuel to carry.

 

What do you carry on your boat?

 

Boat smells sweet again but I loaded everything back on "just in case"

 

Be interested in what and why you carry what you do.

 

Can I loose my excess lead box? (never been used yet)

 

Your thoughts will be interesting.

 

Coddy

 

ps did my back in lifting the anchor and warp tub off/on the boat perhaps it is worth a few days off

[Adam F]

Good thread Dave - Im sure all of us are guilty of this!

 

If I emptied BW from full after a fishing trip, this is what I would have. I have looked at the long and hard - and only take what I consider a balance between essential and handy. The Warriors ahve a fair bit of space, but not loads and I have managed to optimise this by fitting most of this kit into lockers or corners.

 

1 x anchor and warp, 2 x mooring warps - both stored in the front anchor well.

1 x throw line, 1 x bailer, 1 x diving knife, 2 x 1st Aid Kits, cable ties, wd40, basic tool kit in a tool roll (takes us less space) spares (fuses, bulbs, wire, tape etc) 1 pair of H/D rigger gloves - this all fits in the front locker under the port berth.

 

Spare battery, butt pad, tbars, big scissors, cap, glasses, suncream, Admiralty charts in tube, grab bag with offshore flares - all go in instrument locker.

 

Electronics, cooker, gas, lifejackets and spare clothing go in a holdall on the starboard berth bench. As does a cool box with food and cooking implements.

 

I carry 2 x 5 gallon tanks both of which sit neatly in the bilge well - on long trips I have another same sized tank which sits under the starboard transom, but in 2 years of owning the boat I have only done this twice - on the Ripps trip. 50 ltrs gives me about 60 miles range.

 

I carry a round fish box which sits on the deck - inside this is another tub holding my adlerney buoy, spare chopping board. On the top of the fish box is a round ply lid - my cutting board, table and seat!

 

Net, gaff, boat hook and deck brush all store on a rack on the port gunwhale.

 

Leads - I keep at home and have 3 buckets - 1 with uptide grip leads, 1 with 2-10oz leads and another with 12-2lb leads. Depending on where/what Im fishing I chop and change to keep the weight down.

 

Fenders - I only take when I need to moor the boat after launching - ie. Weymouth.

 

Fianlly I now have a transom rail with 4 rod holders to keep spare rods off the deck.

 

Quite a bit of gear also - but takes up very little room, and seldom do I wish for anything extra whilst alfloat.

 

AF

 

 

[alun j.]

Adam,

 

What a well-kitted boat you have. I noted with curiosity the 'cooker, gas and cooking equipment'! When do you get time to cook on board?? My expeience says it's usually too bumpy to do anything with hot liquids and naked flames .

 

Usually fishing is so busy....... there's hardly time for a tea/ coffee before something needs seeing to......... and ........ when you do open the sandwiches....... that's the time you'll get the big bite that makes you drop it on the deck![ or gets it knocked over!].

 

Just envious of BW.

 

Alun.

[Adam F]

Slack tide on Sunday - hot fresh tea and bacon rolls! Mmmm!!

 

Got the idea from Martin. I have a gas cooker with a big footprint that stops it falling over - its ideal in anything but a really angry sea - then you have to hold the kettle on the stove!

[alun j.]

Oh....... to have the room!

 

Envious again of BW.

 

Will make plans soon............. when is the Soton Boat Show??

 

Alun.

[Maverick Martin]

Details of soton boat show here

 

Martin

[jack]

Slightly different thread, but same theme,Excess weight in the campervan. I decided,[ after a struggle to climb dinas Mawdi [mountain pass in wales],admittedly towing a car with a boat and engine and allied gear ,in it ] To have a good rock bottom clearout, For her part my wife removed 9 [yes 9 ] carrier bags of tinned food!!.This was her "stand-by" supply!.God knows how many pots;pans;woks.etc. 16 bottles of wine,secreted in various hidey-holes, [at most we only get through 2 bottles per week.enough spare sweaters;trousers and other "just in case" outfits to supply a third world country,over 20 p/back and hardback books. For my part I could only lose ;2 boxes and 3 canvas rolls of tools { the most I have ever used in the last 5 years = 1 pr pliers ,1 screwdriver,that includes use on the boat too ] 4 spare hammers including a 5lb lump hammer; 2 forks;1 spade [i am banned from bait digging these days.] 1 pr chest and 1 thigh waders. 1 spare BBQ. ....anyway you get the drift,so it pays to have a bit of a turn out,especially if you haven't done so in a year at least.....jack

[Newboy]

I adjust the inventory list according to what I am doing. The safety equipments plus any of these: elec kettle, tea makings, pot noodles, spare clothing, a toilet, a gas cooker, kettle, frying pan, lead bucket, gaff, ropes,......

[Paul D]

Inventory List on Neo :-

 

Battery/ Battery

Tubing

Small toolkit for engine

Spare warp

2 Stroke oil

Funnel

Torch x2

Fog Horn

First Aid Kit

Glove ( for conger )

Towel

25 litre fuel tank + 12 litre spare up front

landing net ( for keeping mackeral alive whilst drifting )

Orange squash drinks ( for emergency )

Gaff

Boat Hook

Radio

GPS

Hand warmers

Water container

Bucket of lead

Anchor

Spare anchor

Fillet knife

Spare penknife ( clipped in accessible place in case of emergency )

bilge pump

Bait tank

Fish box ( ha ha ha ! ) - lid used as chopping board

Tackle box

Little bucket for bailing out.

Big bucket for bailing out in emergency , or in Portland Race !

Lifejackets

Flares

Fire Extinguisher

Boarding Ladder

Flag

 

No wonder the boat goes slow !

 

 

 

[great white]

Hi All

 

An interesting thread Dave

 

I am sure we all carry to much gear most of the time, but its nice to know that you have what you need onboard and not back at home.

 

Adam

Your boat sounds very well organised, I am a little surprised that you only carry 1 anchor though.

 

We carry Safety equipment, tools, flares, mooring lines, fenders spare anchor and a couple of long spare warps that would make a shaollow anchor line at a push.

the draws onboard hold an assortment of rod rests, charts, spare bulbs, engine spares paperwork, pens etc and a variety of maintenance sprays and cleaning gear.

 

I try not to load the boat to much we carry just two pans and minimal other cooking tools plates cups etc. But compared to the assorted weights in the buckets the weight of such gear is very minimal.

 

I have three buckets of weights, that are arranged by size, a big bucket with large weights, inside that a smaller bucket of weights to 12 ounces and uptide grips and inside that a small bucket of very small weights.

 

I try and stow away as much gear as possible when we are out but we still seem to get it well spread out by the end of the day.

 

As I said earlier I could cut down a lot but I like the comfort of having tools and some spares onboard if I have a problem.

No good being a fully trained Marine Engineer if when you have an engine problem at sea all your tools are at home.

 

Charlie

 

 

[overdraft]

The list on Overdraft is much the same im always saying we carry too much gear then when I go to tidy and sort it I always think I may need that one day!!! one thing I don,t carry and keep meaning to put on the boat is some different size spare hoses, does anybody else carry them as no one has mentioned them? Still we all seem to be well equipped between us,which a good think if any of us get caught out.

[Adam F]

Should I carry a spare anchor?? - probably. To be honest it is the one thing that I couldnt store away, is big and bulky and heavy.

 

I have an emergancy anchor which came with the boat - it has about 50 feet of rope a small amount of chain and a small bottle anchor - my guess is that this wouldnt do too much to hold BW anyway, so I never carry it.

 

I have only been close to loosing my anchor once in 2 years (touch wood) and if I had have done - would have just come in - or drift fished the rest of the day. I suppose if I lost my engine useage, then lost my anchor it would be helpful - but you would have to be extremely unlucky and where does one draw the line? Ideally, space and weight permitting I would carry an exact replacement for the main gear, but until this time arrises I personally feel that my stance on this is OK?

 

I am probably wrong and would be interested to hear others comments though!

[overdraft]

Adam, I do carry a spare but a light wieght one at that, just in case, but where do we stop!! I'll need to tow a dingy soon with all the kit in!!! :

[Newboy]

.

.

2 Stroke oil

.

.

Why are you carrying 2troke oil?

[overdraft]

I just remembered Debbie bought a dingy at the start of the summer so the kids could muck about in and I could drift about off the stern when the weather was nice! do you think she trying to tell me something?

[Coddy]

Thanks guys

 

A nice read and from it I think I carry too much fuel so I can save weight here

 

However, nobody has mentioned an auxilary engine.

 

Do you all bring it with you on every trip?

Does everyone have one?

 

Mine still sits in the shed along with the bracket to which it is suposed to sit on!

That of course means another fuel can but how much fuel?

 

Hmmm ........ off we go again.

 

Like your idea of differant leads in differant sized buckets all in one bucket Charlie, might take that idea up.

 

Square plastic tubs take up too much space so might get some of those felxi type tubs.

 

Adam I think I will have to have a look around your boat to get some more ideas as I seem to run out of space too easily.

 

As for tools, I can not see how I would ever change a plug on the outboard in anything more than a calm sea! So I can get rid of the tool box and get a tool roll.

 

Thanks again guys

 

Coddy

 

 

[Paul D]

Carry 2 stroke oil for the auxilary which I never take with me anymore as I cant get the damn thing to start now

Still useful when others need some 2stroke oil.

[alun j.]

I lost my anchor once, a few years ago............. but didn't want to go in;

 

so I beach the boat on Mudeford Sandbank, found a good sized flat rock and tied it to some spare rope and added to remains of anchor warp,,,,,,,, and it did the trick in lightish tide............. and jetisoned it at the end!

 

Necessity being the mother of invention!

 

Alun.

[Seamouse]

Should I carry a spare anchor?? - probably. To be honest it is the one thing that I couldnt store away, is big and bulky and heavy.

I am probably wrong and would be interested to hear others comments though!

Hi Adam,

Agreed that an extra anchor is a swine to store, and an extra full sized warp would be a nightmare. I run a compromise - I carry a Bruce as main anchor and a home-made grapnel. This will fit in a fish-box so isn't TOO intrusive. I use the grapnel on heavy reef, with a weak link between chain and grapnel. If the trip fails to free it, I can pull for a break and get my warp and chain back.

One thing no-one seems to have mentioned is a spare set of clothing? I carry trousers, shirt and jumper sealed in a poly bag. If I get a wetting at launch in winter, I am NOT spending the rest of the day half frozen

 

Dave,

Re the auxiliary - I always cart mine around, have never needed it so far, it probably couldn't do more than hold me in the tide at best anyway and the two times I've tried to use it for trolling the little swine wouldn't start even though it behaves perfectly in a barrel at home. You have to wonder.....

 

Steve

[Sam]

adam i must be unlucky then because my engine fell off the back of my dinghy and i had just put the anchor in the boat thank god for the oars.

 

sam

[duncan]

personally I see a proper sapare anchor on a par with the auxillary engine. Whilst as fishermen we tend to view the anchor as a means of keeping us on a mark it is a vital piece of safety equipment in it's own right.

 

as an example I would return to te Kimmeredge scenario of last year (with apologies to those who have put it out of their mind ). Returning to a launch site which has become impractical to utilise, low on fuel for an alternate and having lost the anchor on retrieval (OK that's an embelishment but not unrealistic in that area at all! - Shelia's Promise had her's stuck there Sunday, and I took 40 mins to recover mine too that day) anchoring in the best available spot and waiting out a tide (or 2 or 3) would have been a better option that attempting to get to Weymouth (or Swanage) on an auxillary!

 

yes it's big, ugly, heavy etc but...........

[Adam F]

Spare clothes - I always take a few items in my stuff bag for the day, having had pervious experinaces like Steve - I am now covered...usually just a spare jumper and a set of salopettes. Even on a hot day I have the watreproofs in the cabin.

 

Aux. Engine: I have a brand new, never used 4hp Mariner....in the garage! When I had the old unreliable (eventually exploding) engine - I wouldnt venture out without it. Nowadays with the new lump which starts at the turn of the key it hardly ever gets used. If I do a trip on my own or at night I tend to take it.

 

Spare Anchor - I may review this. A spare warp causes no problems - I could easily take another 100 mtrs in the locker and still have plenty of room. The anchor is the issue - but maybe a 3-5kg folding bottle would do the trick?

 

Finally, I tend to gauge what I need by the situation. Going out alone, at night, bad weather, long way offshore - I take more gear. The opposite I tend to review this, ie. a tow by a buddy boat, borrow fuel or share a spare anchor.

[Newboy]

I think the folding grapnel has less holding power than most other anchors. You will probably need a heavier one, over 5-7kg to be of any use.

[jack]

What a good run we have had on this subject !...can I make one other suggestion,I feel a second anchor is a must....BUT. [from experience,this ] Stow it so that it does not rest against any GRP surface on your boat. You won't use it much,it will almost certainly be buried out of sight so it won't get checked. There is nothing half so good in a fast,slamming speed machine,for wearing a hole in time. { I know !! ] ..jack

[Afishionado]

Anchors????

 

We 'WANT' three really .......

 

A proper anchor for 90% of our needs

 

A 'lunch hook' for family picnics and short stops in shallow waters

 

A 'can afford to loose it' re-bar grapnel for rocky areas and wrecks.

 

To balance that we have what we NEED.....

 

Personaly I use a 5kg bruce and chain to nylon warp for my main and a 5lb fisherman to nylon rope for a 'lunch hook' in the harbour. The fisherman stows nice and flat in the anchore stowage well that the Samurai has. The Bruce it's chain and warp together with the Alderny set up are in a box that slides under the transom when not in use. I leave it permantly rigged to the bow roller and front cleat and leave enough slack for it to be stowed aft.

 

Currently the tackle box is a problem as it takes up too much floor space if you have it by your feet when fishing and is a pain to scrabble about in when kept in the cuddy. So I am going to make a tray to hold a medium sized flat box which will have swivels, booms, hooks , some leads, trace line etc in compartments. this tray will be 'loaded' from the main box to suit the sort of fishing being done on each particular trip. And idealy I will sort out some sort of mounting arrangement so the whole thing can be fixed at hand hight whilst actualy fishing.

 

 

Mad Mike