Steve S

You could fit a windlass Mike. Using one can take a fair bit of power from the battery so you should have the engine running to recharge. I would suggest a separate battery fitted near the windlass to avoid issues with your current setup. Also the cables need not be so heavy duty then.

For my boat (Targa 31) a high power windlass is brilliant as it has a walk round deck, there are no safety issues being on the bow. 4 mins to retrieve 100m, I free the clutch to allow the anchor to drop at a fast but controlled rate. Looking at the photo of a Parker 770 I'm not sure I would want to be walking up to the bow if it cut up rough while at anchor or indeed freeing the clutch for a manual release while dropping anchor. As Dave says using the winch to drop the anchor is very slow, too slow IMO for precision anchoring at the sort of depth's we get round here. I think you would be better off on safety grounds staying in the stern of the boat and use a high power side mounted capstan (if possible), or Alderney ring with a rode run channel to a good quality roller on the bow.

I think multiplat is better as it beds down well in the anchor locker and does not twist up. You just need to be sure the windlass supports it check on the manufacturers brochure. Mine does and it works great.

I suggest you have a stock of leads up to 1 1/2 lb. That should sort you out for round here. Some places are still unfishable at anchor with 1 1/2 lb at certain tides but IMO using any more is just no fun so I just don't fish them when the tide is really pushing.

Interesting report Chris seem like a fair few were lost, maybe they were biting a bit short.

Hope you had a good one Paul

After a good fight this one got off while trolling off the IoW...

I might have made a boob with my career choice [emoji53]

Hope you are having a good one Nigel.

Nice one Steve, great pics as usual. Love the toothy huss shot

The way I heard it is these email threats / promises of riches are intended to snare stupid people and only stupid people the bad grammer and spelling excetra is not spotted by them it is a filtering system to select the easily fooled. Not so dumb! So the good news you're all not stupid [emoji2]

I have not heard much in the way of whiting coming out, seems a couple of months too early. There were half a dozen boats or so fishing the car park last weekend don't know if any nodders were caught. Often a few lunkers are caught early in the season. Good luck.

Sam what were you thinking doing that! That's a great spec boat [emoji1] nice. I was there last week. I took a look at the Targa's and there was Sweet Chariot looking as good as new. Very nice Oli first time I've seen it. Had a right old nosy round. They have done a fantastic valeting job for you [emoji2]

I think it is dead in the water unless they can push them further out or use lower turbines. Pity.

The other one hasn't! That's a cracker...

It's undo like [emoji1]

Take a bow Rob, magnifique [emoji1] [emoji471]

That's great, that's a massive improvement, well done. I'm sure your fuel consumption will be a fair bit lower now the engine is able to push the hull along properly.

I am planning to go out Monday assuming the weather holds, probably to give it a go for bass on some banks or rough ground south of the island. If any members fancy coming along let me know. Good luck for your trip home Tony.

Thanks Guy's. I'm in the UK this time so no interesting photo's this time. Spent some of day fitting a more powerful deck wash to the boat using a par max 5 pump, it kicks out a more than decent flow A par max 3 plus filter in good working order is available if anyone is interested. I did manage a decent meal and trip to the cinema. At the restaurant I was offered catch of the day, Brill £40 for 2!! felt like asking how much would it be if I provided my own Brill.

Thanks ok I will fit a dedicated antenna.

I am thinking of fitting an AIS class B transponder with GPS built in to Tigerfish. A birthday present from the wife, only I have to choose and buy it! It will need to interface to: Standard Horizon GX2000 VHF radio (it supports an AIS input) and feed the radio with my boat position from the AIS Raymarine E120 (and E80) on a Seatalk network which currently has GPS provided by a ST6001 autopilot Can fit a dedicated AIS antenna if required. I'd also like to future proof somewhat by supporting WiFi or USB I know that being a transponder I will be giving away my position but at least other ships can see and contact me and they have a silent switch for those secret marks... I found these which may be suitable Digital Yacht AIT2000 http://www.digitalyachtamerica.com/index.php/en/products/ais-systems/ais-transponders/product/32-ait2000-class-b-transponder Vesper Marine XB-8000 http://www.vespermarine.com/xb8000-ais-transponder.html/ It's a bit of a technical minefield with the connectivity options and I don't how how well AIS units work relative to each other, If any members have suggestions or recommendations I'd be pleased to hear.

Thanks for posting these Rob, very interesting and thought provoking. Re the missed turbo it seems to me that it was moving off with the bait after you let the line go slack. Then when the camera stopped the line there was a bolt rig effect that spooked it and off it shot shaking off the hook hold as it did so . So maybe the camera cost you the fish....

Good report Pete. Nice Turbo, best of the 3 boats. How on earth did we miss you at the Thai? only thing I can think is we ate upstairs.

1 50lb class rod for me please. I would have said 1 tld 20 except Rob got in before me. Cheers Adam