Steve S

Great report Charlie, yes it was a good craic. I'll be back! Nice coalfish Dave, a rare sight 😀

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-guernsey-61317775 This is typical Alderney, nothing happens until it's a crisis. There's a lot of old people on the island, I doubt one GP can cope. One of the homes has a 106 year old in it. I know of one person of 75 who is suicidally depressive, already tried to take his own life twice, his wife is finding it very hard to get him help. No NHS service...

Sounds great, I would have liked to have joined the group but I'm away

As Alun mentioned Tigerfish can't make it, currently there is no sign of the repaired prop shafts, with it being a bank holiday Monday there is no chance to get the boat ready in time even if they arrived on Tuesday, unlikely by the sound of it so I've had to cancel. Jerry kindly offered me to go with him as he had room for one more. So it seems there are just 2 boats going. I will be looking to take Tigerfish over with the same crew later in the year if possible. Just checked the forecast and it looks good!

At the moment it is far from certain if Tigerfish will be ready in time, I'd give it 50/50, waiting on the prop shafts to be ceramic coated and refitted. If it is not ready that will 3 of us unable to go. Personally speaking I'd be happy to be crew on another boat if there was room.

Thanks so much for all your help and ideas. The sleeve, idea is a good one for one of the shafts, the other unfortunately is very slightly wider at a different point on the shaft (not enough to stop the oil and water seals sliding over it). I've found a company that will grind and build them up using using a ceramic, this appears to be the modern way of metalise or spray weld additional material onto shaft. I'm told the company has a regular stream of Volvo propshafts to treat... Once I get them back and if they seem ok and they don't muck me around I'll post the details. If you have an old style DPH drive this is going to happen to you if you knock up enough hours... Jerry's outdrives being newer will have a modified design where the problem has been largely overcome by having a much longer area to position the new seals. My starboard drive had the lower leg replaced and has the new design.

Some great ideas, thanks Guys, I'll investigate these possible solutions and let you know the outcome. Any other ideas welcome.

The propeller shafts of the port side DPH outdrive of Tigerfish, have let in water into the outdrive this year. The cause is the oil seals wearing a groove in the prop shaft, this happened before at 400 hours when I got the boat, the new seal were moved a little, this time they have gone at 1500 hours, I've been told they can't be moved a third time. Options are: Replace the prop shafts - expensive, lower gears will need time spent reshimming so not 'just' a shaft cost. Replace the lower leg - even more expensive Get the shafts ceramic coated - Sounds like it could be a lowest cost as the shafts are otherwise good. This is where I'd like your help guys, have you any ideas which companies might take on the work of ceramic coating the shafts?

I received the safety warning from Lymington Harbour Commission today, I'm sharing it as I think everyone that uses a dehumidifier in their boat should be aware IMPORTANT SAFETY MESSAGE CONCERNING DEHUMIDIFIERS It has come to our attention that the cause of a fire in a vessel moored in the Berthon Marina last summer was an owner supplied domestic dehumidifier which had been modified to drain permanently into the bilge. It was not designed to be used on a boat, nor for 24/7 unattended use. Subsequent investigation identified further owner supplied domestic dehumidifiers with scorch marks from overheating. Wider research has revealed that these were by no means isolated incidents with a number of serious fires having previously been highlighted in boating press. The purpose of this communication is to bring this issue to your attention and to request that if you are using a dehumidifier on your boat when on a LHC berth, you only use a dehumidifier that has been designed to run unattended 24/7 and at low temperatures. We understand that insurers are now increasingly incorporating a requirement for dehumidifiers to be rated for marine use as a condition of cover. Further precautions: - 1. Avoid compressor dehumidifiers as temperatures below 18°C (65°C) can cause the coil to get too cold and freeze up. A frozen coil is a known cause of compressor overheating. A Desiccant dehumidifier that has been designed to run unattended 24/7 and at low temperatures is recommended for use on boats moored in the UK where cooler temperatures can prevail. 2. Ensure that the unit is operated and maintained in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions. Most units will have a requirement that they are only used on a level flat surface and are well ventilated. 3. Be aware that in strong winds boats will heal over and that certain designs of dehumidifier will be more prone to toppling over which in itself creates a fire risk, particularly if ventilation becomes obstructed as a result. Consider fixing to prevent. The link below gives an example of a Desiccant dehumidifier which has been specifically designed for boat use. https://www.justfans.co.uk/dryboat-db1200-inox-litre-desiccant-dehumidifier-p-2064.html 4. Before plugging in to a pontoon electricity supply, please check that the dehumidifier is upright and well ventilated, particularly if you have been to sea or been lifted for a scrub/dry storage etc.

Nice one Chris, phew what a catch up, stats overload!

Tigerfish: Alun, Graham, Steve

Thistle Parking update, a correction and checking the app and documentation on the fine: I arrived at 13:26:05, left at 15:36:59, a total time of 02:10:54 seconds, I paid for 2 hours with a leaving time stated as 15:37 Based on the booking my leaving time was 15:37 i thought i was fine... (sorry), I left 1 second inside the stated leaving time. The 10:53 seconds was driving in the car park, faffing around downloading the PayByPhone app, setting it up for the car, paying which i did before leaving the car park. So was 53 seconds outside the 10 minute grace period. I didn't think I would certainly win an appeal even though I left before the stated leaving time expired and that's the point of this sorry tail. It's not a case of leaving before the stated leaving time you must deduct from that time the time in the car park before you actually paid! I made many attempts to speak to ParkingEye about it but I found it impossible to contact them, your only action appears to be pay or appeal, which is just how they want it. I won't be using the Thistle car park again, I'm not going to hand over any more money to them.

Beware the Thistle car park and I speak from experience. Do not over stay even for a second, you will be charged £60 minimum and the appeals process is unlikely to succeed unless you have a cast iron case. You can't call them to discuss, the phone number they give is for automated payment only. Time starts from when you enter the car park until you leave, all vehicles are photographed. What happened to me is: I entered the car park, downloaded the app, paid on the app (this took 6 minutes), I checked the leaving time and left just before the leaving time. I was fined! I hadn't taken into account all the faffing around downloading the app. Thus I had over stayed based on total time in the car park, I should have deducted from the leaving time the time between entering the car park and confirmation of paying on the app. I would suggest an easy thing to do.

Tigerfish will be out in the afternoon

Yes folks, it's time to discuss going to Alderney again. Looking for small tides the best dates are between Friday the 6th May and Tuesday 10th May, unfortunately the early May bank holiday is smack in the springs.. The next lot of neaps are around 2 weeks later but they are not very small at all so very much a backup. Last year we went in July, the flattie fishing was 'ok', best fish was a Brill of 8-6, there was at least 1 low double Turbot from Reel Magic (I think). Earlier in the season we have found the fishing to be better, but it's not all about the fishing by any means! We caught quite well on a wreck on the return trip with at least 1 cod and some pollock around double figures plus some smaller ones. Tigerfish is up for going, Alun is keen. Anyone else?

I'm aiming to stick my nose out on Tuesday, all being well going well offshore with the small tide and all. Forecast says it might be ok. With the last trip being the 16th Dec I'm pretty keen, all being well I'll be out again before the week is out.

As I write this, all the days look rubbish but with the forecasts changing a lot and a lot of disparity between the different forecasting models there is still hope, probably will be a late decision. Whether the comp should be run if turns out for instance it was only ok on the morning of one of days and only a couple of boats made it out is a different question. Oh and Happy Christmas and New Year everyone [emoji2], weather wise it can only improve surely...

Tigerfish is aiming to give it a go with Steve and Alun on board, no idea of the date as yet

For whiting size to take home, I put any possible takers in the livewell and then decide which ones to keep at the end of day. That way if I get quite a lot of big ones the smaller ones which on another day I might have kept get returned. There is only so many whiting you need IMO.

There have been some small trawlers around locally, I heard from one of the charter skippers they have had some cod in the nets so some are around.

Sunrise over Dan Bran pontoon, Lymington

Good one Trev. Try it with just holes first or make it a big pipe or it will block! On mine I just have holes on both sides that drain out over back of the gunnels onto the swim platform. A quick hose down along with the rest of boat does the job (except on an oxidised cover over a manual bilge pump that stains). I've never had a problem with blow back onto the deck.

Oh boo