Mal Thomas

Mal and Trevor Thomas entering Sunday

Happy anniversary of your birthday😄

We were pleasantly surprised with the weather also, we had a reasonable day with Blondes, Undulates, Conger and Stuie caught a couple of Red Gurnard for a bit of colour on the day besides our very red faces from the strong sunshine we did not expect. Stuie had a couple of battles with some sizeable congers as well as the opening Blonde Ray of the day. He's a bit photo shy.😃 Chris had a couple of sausage rolls, Ginsters pastie a couple of bakewell tarts and a few cups of tea😂 , unfortunately Stuie and I stole all the fish. I think my best Undulate was 11.5lb best blonde 12.8lb so no cigar but we had a good day. Stuie enjoyed a full on day out and was treated like the gent he is by Chris and Myself. Stuie captained us back ashore and then rushed off to get the beers in what a star. So much fun to have some candid banter with the Guy's, what did you have questions followed by silence till someone says their best was x, usually the bloke who knows he has'nt done enough. Cracking day wish more members attended, may be next time when they see the reports and fish.

Saturday weather slightly improved and most are entering for Saturday so the comp will go ahead. Tight lines.

Weather watch for Ray Comp. As Graham has pointed out the wind is rising Sunday. Perhaps doable on the secret Ray mark on a SW but no further out. Saturday when most seem to be fishing is looking reasonable but does not what to increase from the forecast.

yes of course, did not see stuies

Chris and I discussed this months ago and knew the ships anchors would be scouring the sea bed. Recent surveys of Weymouth Bay have shown massive damaged to the sea bed. Add in the trawlers and it must be a ploughed sea bed out there

Please beware of the high speed Zap cats and Off shore speed boats on both Saturday and Sunday 12.30 -5.00pm around the Poole bay, starting off the piers and doing circular laps crossing the Poole patch and Ballard areas. Any small boats make yourself easily seen with a flag or black buoy at anchor. Good luck all.

Y Knot will be out and about.

Average wind strength around the 20mph currently, unfortunately uncomfortable and too strong.

Happy Birthday Tony have a good day.

Stuie, there's a trip or two with your name on from Christchurch on Y knot👍

Happy birthday Jacob

Happy Birthday Derek

The members as usual are showing what a thoughtful lot you all are. I am pleased to say that our memory / condolence card to Dave gave him a great satisfaction and conveyed our feelings whilst he was still able to enjoy it. I was lucky to meet Dave by chance along the Stour just a couple of months ago. One of his happy places whilst taking photographs. He was still hunting down that great shot even whilst he was in great pain. Always good at what ever he set out to do, he leaves quite a void. I truly hope you rest in blissful peace, goodbye to a member who will be greatly missed.

Hi Pete Nice to see you and your partner recently, did you weigh it it looks very weighty.

Happy birthday guys.

Happy Birthday Rob

Y knot is venturing out with Nigel on board, Our plan is cod or Bass, will be listening out on ch 6

Happy birthday Timmy and Crossy. Thanks for all the good wishes much appreciated. I will see what I can do for some good weather for the Comp.

Did you see how I dropped the SBS in to keep us all safe😊

Thanks for your kind words, I think. Someone in the mirror is beginning to look it Charlie

The weather looks very blowy at the moment, even in the Harbour, launching and retrieving can become difficult in such conditions. I believe it would be prudent to be very cautious. Force 4 being the best I can see at the moment.

I agree with Steve and would add, rope with a twisted strand always needs to be coiled in the same way to provide a memory, bit like stowing a hose, it goes away better if the hose goes away with the same twist or same handed person doing the retrieving. Discipline when putting the rope back in the locker is the key, whenever I have put it away badly in a choppy sea I nearly always have a loop that forms under the deck when releasing. Time consuming and tiresome but necessary. If the rope is stowed correctly it should look like a polo mint from above, then the chain can drop in the middle. Most boats up to 7.5 mtr boats with vee lockers are not suited to the deep anchoring we do, therefore the rope does not have enough drop to coil itself as it comes in off the gypsy, hence we hand stow, especially a horizontal gypsy which the majority are. The vertically dropping rope off a vertical gypsy stows better in small lockers. I fitted one on my last boat it was much better and the motor is not in the way either. I coil the rope in the same way Steve does, where the rope is tied off to the bollard that is always slightly troublesome as it has been twisted. Plait has less memory and therefore better, but some gypsies do not like plait because it reduces in width as it stretches so gripping it can be an issues at full load, make sure it is compatible with your gypsy before purchase. I use nylon 3 strand and it is fine, poly is a poorer quality generally and used by commercial fisherman on pots etc and not as good for our type of use. I was listening to your troubles out at sea, seems like you were very unlucky, a string of loose pots or nets maybe to have drifted so far, it would not matter if you had tripped your anchor with cable ties in that situation. I tend to turn my rope around after a couple of years to give it even wear. I am sure you know all this Ben, the answer is for those members reading and taking on advice. The next choice is what type or pattern of anchor and how much chain.