TomBettle

Hi Phil I can echo Terry in his comments. I have fished from Weymouth for about 15 years with reasonable success (some of the local technicques are still beyond me), but I am the first to admit I still have tonnes to learn. When I moved to Poole back in the Summer I was persuaded to join the club by a couple of the guys that boat and work at the marina. Around the time I joined I moved my boat round to Poole for a few weeks that I had off work and the club helped me immensley in enjoying the fishing. The first few days out were poor, but as I listened and picked up tips I had some very successful trips out. Listen, ask questions, join in the debate and you will become to really find the whole experience fulfilling. You may well even find that someone in the club asks a question and through your own experience you are the only one with the answer. That is when the whole thing begins to makes sense. ..The club is about sharing knowledge and experience with like minded friends. Take it from me, it is one of the best bunch of guys you could want to get to know. We are all different, with different ways of life and opinions, but we all share a common objective. Tom

Congratulations on the new boat Mark. I am sue you re going to love her! All the best Tom

Don't try and colour the gel coat. Orkney will be able to supply the original gelcoat without any problems at all. Make sure you get any loose and damaged gel out of the scratches by scraping them clean with an appropriate tool (screwdriver does a good job). Don't worry about making the scratches look worse, the end result will be a much better finish. Build up the gel coat in thinnish layers until it is just proud of the original gel and then rub down with progressively finer and finer sandpaper until a smooth finish is achieved. Very fine paper will produce a smooth, but dull finish and this can be polished up as good as new with decent boat polish. I am sure that Pete (Shytalk) or Charlie (Greatwhite) will be able to give more detailed instructions, but definitely try and get new gel from Orkney directly. Tom

It was 8lb 6oz 14 dr caught in 1989 Bloody big whichever way you look at it, but not 12lb

....Still keeping my fingers crossed I get my freebies! Amount of money I spend with them and all! DO THEY KNOW WHO I AM! Tom

Martin has called "Shotgun" and has grabed the front seat of my L200, I can take more if you don't mind squeezing in the back. Tom

Happy Birthday Duncan!!!! All the best Tom

Straight from the NFSA Record Fish List Plaice B 10 3 8 4 635 1974 H Gardiner (Aged 16), Longa Sound, Scotland S 8 6 14 3 822 1989 R Moore, Southbourne Beach, Bournemouth

I NEVER Drink and Drive. ....That is what the autopilot is for!

Yep, admittedly they are very pricey, but when kitted out Quest II I didn't know where to get the blue barrels and I also wanted something that would look smart on the boat and not "home made". But

I am completely with Adam here. On a 16 foot boat you want to keep weight as minimal as possible. 30 gallons would be somewhere in the region of 130Kg. Sat at the back, front, side, wherever this would upset the balance of the boat comsiderably. 60 litres is about 12.5ish gallons and spot on for a boat that size. I carry a 20 gallon Tek Tank "Keep Alive" baitwell and that is way big enough on my boat which has 23 foot hull length. Tom

30 gallons is a HUUUUUGGGGGGE Tank Check out the tek tank website. All on there. No plumbing or fiddling around, various sizes, plug in the pump and off you go, http://www.tek-tanks.com/standard/standard_bait.html

Cruised back at 30kts, central heating on, auto pilot on sitting in the hot tub, smoking a big cuban, whilst laughing at the sleet and snow and waving angry fists at stupid WAFI (Wind Assisted Ucking Idiot) yachtsmen who refused to get out of my way.

Got back half an hour ago and a very nice run to! Stereo on, heating on and 30 knots all the way back on the 34 peering thorugh the sleety snow. Best go and sell a boat now! Tom

Really pleased you are appy with the new boat Alan. Just for info, you can get off the shelf live tanks from Tek Tank. Not as cheap, but all ready built. Tom

Well I am off for an early night, so if anyone fancies a short 60 mile round trip please be at Salterns tomorrow at 09:00. Sorry for the short notice, open to all. Tom

Hi Guys I face a bumpy ride tomorrow to take a Merry Fisher 695 from Salterns back to our Southampton office, collect a customers Prestige 34 and bring it back to Salterns. Leaving at 09:00 and planning on being back by late lunchtime. All on my lonesome so was wondering if anyone was free and fancied a ride and maybe handle some of the driving. It could be lumpy so definite arrival back time cannot be guaranteed. Your only requirement will be a hot flask of coffee for me to share with you. Life jackets and safety gear are on both boats. ...just fancied some company if you are free. Not sure what the response will be like at such short notice and a schoold day too, but if a lot of you want to it will be the first two. Tom

Phill You have a PM

Hi Phill 100% better than your last choice, but having looked at one on the web and knowing what you have, I am not sure what if anything you will be gaining? I think the predator will do a grand job inshore fishing in sensible conditions and as an all up package (Tohatsu?) is as cheap as chips. I am sure it will be solid and do everything it says on the tin, but the wobbly / ripply gel coat in the "Brand New" one I saw pictures of kinda lets you know that you do get what you pay for. All IMHO Tom

Mark I can get you a berth at Salterns Marina without too much hassel, but the price is about as high as it gets. Their prices go from <5.0m, <7.6m, <8.0m, <10m If you are willing to spend the wonga let me know and I can get the paperwork out to you. What boat are you hoping to get? Tom

Thanks Mike!!!! I was starting to worry that I had my mucking fords wuddled for a minute, but your explanation is (I think) the technical explanation of what I was trying to say. Cheers! Tom

Hi Kam I really wish one of the guys witha more scientific understanding would join in here as I starting to get out of my depth and run the risk of providing missinformation. The document I put on is a very simple advice sheet saying keep an eye on your anodes as a

Geoff from what you have written and my basic understanding that is correct and your tank should be safe and sound(!), but change your anodes once they are worn. Tom

Hi Kam That s why I need one of the guys with more expert knowledge of why it happens rather then me, but no it doesn't have to be in contact with the water itself. My very limited understanding (I have seen the effects) of electrolysis is that it isn't actually "rust" in the normal sense of the word, but an electrolytic current (posh word, not sure exactly what it means) that runs through the water and when it makes contact with a metal surface will begin to corrode it. If that metal surface is itself in contact with something else metal then the effect will in time pass on t that and then on to the next bit and so on. Again sorry for the limited understanding, but most boats have wiring througout them. For example an outboard is wired to throttle controls and ignition switches and so on and so the effect can pass through the whole boat in time. Soft zinc anodes help prevent the effects of electrolysis as the corrosion effects the softest metal surface on the boat first (the zinc anode). The anodes must be connected into the whole boats system for this to work, if they are simply bolted to the boat without being connected in they will corrode slowly (more slowly), but the electrolysis will be effecting the rest of the boat at the same time. You can slow down the effects by not plugging in to shore power needlessly and by turning off your batteries when you leave the boat, however the effects are speeded up by poor marina wiring, boats on shorepower all around you and metal in the water such as marina piles etc. Is that any clearer? Like I said, I am a layman and that is my basic understanding. I am hoping one of the more expert members of the club, may be able to contribute Tom