spNOam

Thingies are what you are looking for when tou can't remember the proper name - similar to a wotsit only bigger

Thanks Paul, I was quite upset to lose wxtide when my hard drive crashed, great to have it back.

Getting the hang of this at last! remembering to 'sign in & stuff' looking forward to the new season with loads of new ideas...anyone tried mussels & cockles as bait for bream?

I've got a Mariner 75 horse two stroke & a Mariner 4 horse four stroke, neither give me any trouble & perform well, both engines are serviced professionally & winterised at the end of each season. If anyone wants some info I have the seloc manual for all the Merc mariner range.

Anyone have any idea what this is about?

Thanks for the link...how far will 10kg of oxalic crystals go? (how many kg's to a boat?)

Fladen have great tackle bags....http://www.bestfishingtackle.co.uk/acatalog/Loaded_Bags.html

All fittings are of the same material, I am tempted to find a small anode to attach between the fuel tank & the battery earth cable just to see if any erosion is taking place. Is this a good idea?

I have 34 boats that I can experiment on. octolic acid seems to be a good substitute for Y10 (& cheaper) I'll have to see if I can get my hands on some...........

Thats the plan.

My boat usually goes into the harbour around the end of March, comes out around the end of October. The harbour is in the Glaslyn estuary http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/119759 so contains fresh/brackish/salt water depending on the state of the tide, barnacles are not a problem as they do not seem to survive in these water conditions, green slime as you say is fairly easy to wash off provided its done before the stuff dries, longish stringy growth appears for about a month July/August ish so planned removals from the harbour will be before & after this period. I am trying to find the path of least effort & what is best for the boat - regular cleaning e.g. quick jet wash & soft brush approach or wash & scrub, rub down & antifoul. That Miami boat stuff does look interesting though.

All the antifoulings I have used in the past have worked OK...no one has replied with any that really out performs another....As an experiment I think I shall go without any antifouling this season & develop some sort of cleaning system (no fresh water nor electricity at the harbour) so that I can get the boat out of the water, cleaned & put back in one tide.....unless anyone has other ideas.....

The site is currently under construction but this outfit is probably worth a ring if it's just third party liability insurance you are after, I have been using them for a number of years. http://www.basic-boat.com/

I made one from an 'industrial' chopping board & the base of a rod holder...I also added a rod holder to the side of the board to keep things together. Picture available on request. Geoff

Tank is earthed to the battery, battery is connected to the engine, engine is connected to the anodes, anodes should therefore do the eroding not the fuel tank, (I think) Fuel gauge is made of metal (stainless steel cover, brass connector, anodised steel float rod, I presume the enclosed unit contains copper windings & carbon brush rheostat type assembly) I just want the best for my tank to ensure its longevity. Geoff

Thanks for your replies, I have two anodes on the outboard, one at the bottom of the transom bracket which is permanently immersed & one on the leg, I take it that I should/need not have anything attached to the alloy fuel tank?

Hi Tom, I have an alloy fuel tank, what would you do to prevent elecrolysis in this area....it has a fuel gauge which is connected to the battery....any advice gratefully received. Geoff

How much do you think she'll charge......

What I am trying to achieve is less work & cost saving (long term) The boat can be trailered & cleaned on a monthly (or so) basis (most of the growth occurs during late July - early August) with little trouble, I have had boats with all sorts of eroding & hard antifoul (however not the copper bottom stuff) all have needed cleaning prior to any re-application. My thoughts are If I am cleaning the boat anyway, why should I be re antifouling as well? Technology is striding ahead so is there a long lasting antifouling/polish/silicone or teflon type coating/or something on the market that I am missing? I am suspicious of the Miami stuff as it seems too good to be true (& expensive) I have yet to come accross anyone who (admits?) to have tried it.

Is there a substitute for antifouling? Besides keep the boat on a trailer! Its getting close to that time of year again........ Anyone tried this stuff? http://www.miamiboat.co.uk/products.asp#Below

Thanks, had a look at the site, no catches, tried ebay, they have some, however only in packs of six (I need two) and the postage cost is ridiculous - there must be someone who markets these in the UK......

Have been looking for locking catches for my hatches to try & nail down some of the rattles, plus improve the security, Very little choice here, anyone know of a UK supplier?

I have been using Rapala 10/0 circes for a number of years which I brought back from the states (Bass Pro Shops) they are immensely strong, I use them for Tope and they do tend to lip hook fish more often than 'standard' hooks. The average weight for a Tope in this area is approx 30lb (some go over 60lb) I de-barb the hook and not wishing to bring a fish this size on to the boat use a 't' bar for easy removal. If you don't de-barb the hook they can be the very devil to remove.

Many thanks to you all for your help (& patience) I shall look forward to visiting this site & reading about your exploits.

Decided to call her 'Morwen'