rich

Paul, Many thanks for your offer. Had I been launching at Baiter as I have been in the past, I would have willingly accepted your offer to crew and would have had no problem about getting back early to enable you to be involved at the weigh in. As it is, I have recently put Warren on a pontoon berth and would need some assistance in loading / unloading her before and after the comp. Thanks again for your offer. If you fancy a trip out from Poole at another time please give me a call. Rich

Fishing competition virgin, male late 50's, seeks understanding partner to crew on Warren during the forthcoming PBSBAC competition on December 2nd. Successful applicant must want to win but must be prepared not to, must be a member of PBSBAC and have a GSOH. The latter to be seriously tested throughout the day. NS prefered but not essential. As I anticipate flounder fishing in the harbour the adventurous need not apply. The lucky candidate (and their anonymity can be preserved for a price) must be prepared to sing my praises for putting the boat on the right "mark" in the unlikely event that a prize is claimed, but should shoulder full responsibility should we blank. Funniest reply (if more than one) gets the ticket. Rich (S)

A very interesting day out with another club member who knows how fish think. I am picking up tips, techniques and ideas each time I go out. What surprised me most this time was how little distance you need to move in order to get into the fish. After the last couple of outings I can now definitely tick Wrasse of the species to get list. Thanks for a great day out Alun, the drinks are on me Thursday. Rich (S)

Whilst I should be taking "Warren" out and gaining more boat handling experience, out, I found Alun's offer to good to turn down. So I am now sorted for Friday. Rich (S)

Any club member (preferably experienced in fishing and boating ) fancy fishing on "Warren" this coming Friday? Weather forecast is cloudy, 11 degrees with 1knot winds with full spring tides. Would be going out from Poole and need to be back by about 1500hrs. Please let me know by midday Thursday ( PM or phone) so that I can make necessary arrangements. Rich (S)

I only phoned Mike Fox on the Friday evening to ask for advice about some tackle and the next thing I know is that I am sat on Frisky Fox Saturday morning sipping coffee waiting for the 10.30 bridge lift. Despite being chilly, the sea was flat and we anticipated fishing a couple of marks in the harbour and then motoring / sailing across to the Southbourne area. After a couple of unproductive drifts in the harbour we headed out towards the Haven and the weather deteriorated. Almost all the powerboats that had left us rolling in their wake were now gingerly creeping back into the harbour. Mike stuck the nose outside the Haven but after a few moments we both decided that pleasure was preferable to punishment and Mike set Frisky Fox up for a couple of drifts before returning to the relitive calm of the harbour. I did have a wry smile as people always needed a second look in order to confirm what they had seen... a 30 foot sailing boat in a deliberate drift with a couple of rods over the side. Fishing was quiet and this was confirmed by the other boats we questioned. We landed a few Wrasse between us ( my first attempt with braid and my knots held ) and a gurnard for Mike, but the most important thing for me throughout the day was the amount of information I received. Tackle tips, fishing marks and bait presentation techniques ... by the end of the day my brain was in overload. Another thing that stuck in my mind was the skill in which Mike handled such a large boat in reasonably crowded waters and how he docked Frisky Fox into a berth 6" narrower than the boat I shall never know! If ever you get the opportunity to crew for Mike on Frisky Fox then grab it with both hands because I can guarantee you are going to learn something. Thanks Mike. Rich (S)

Some time back when I had finished washing the boat down after a day out I noticed that the fuel tank vent was shut. I asked the crew if they had closed it when we packed the boat up, but no. I know the vent had been open as I had been running the engine for a couple of hours and it would'nt have run for anywhere near that time if the vent had'nt been opened in the first place. At the time I put it down to one of those things. A couple of weeks later I returned to Baiter after a day out, went to turn the vent off and found the vent shut and the fuel tank partially collapsed. I know I had opened the vent before I went out. On previous fuel tanks I have always undone the vent two or three turns, never completely undone and never had a problem. I happened to be talking to Allan Green ( Leicester Fisheagle ) and he had experienced the same problem. We both use the 25 litre Yamaha tanks supplied with the Orkney 520. I now undo the vent fully untill it is tight against the stop and have experienced no further trouble. It would appear that the vent was vibrating shut after several hours running. Not what you need as you navigate the Haven or the run at Christchurch! Rich (S)

This was the gist of a conversation between my wife Anita and myself just prior to my birthday. Anita: What would you like for your birthday? Rich: I would like a new fishing reel. Anita: You could really do with some new clothes. Rich : Yes, but I would really like a new reel. Anita: We'll see. Needless to say I got the clothes. Why do they bother to ask? If anyone has got a sensibly priced secondhand multiplier that would be OK for a novice to use for general fishing duties then have a chat with me at the next club meeting. Rich (S)

Mike, You were more than welcome on board. It's great that the experienced members in the club put so much time and effort into helping us "Rookies". When you said we were going out to get 7 species on Friday afternoon I did have a wry smile. When the first plaice came aboard after about two minutes into the first drift the smile vanished. By the time the next plaice came aboard after about two minutes into the second drift my jaw had dropped. Most impressive. I probably learnt more in that afternoon than reading a years supply of all the fishing mags put together. We did'nt get the seven species you aimed for, but five out of seven ain't bad. Must try harder next time. Thanks again Mike. A great afternoon! Rich

Mike, More than OK. Welcome aboard. I shall see you at the meeting tonight to sort out details. Rich

If any club member, (preferably with boating and fishing experience but not essential) fancies coming out on "Warren" on Friday for a days fishing and is prepared to pass on some tips to a novice, then please get in contact. I shall be launching from Baiter (sorry) and can even arrange for free car parking nearby. I promise to wear a blindfold if I can be taken to a good fishing mark. I shall be at the meeting on Thursday. Rich S

Allan, Next version is going to have removable foot plates. These could be made to any diameter required. Not sure what size foot you would need for firm sand / mud. I would guess start at 250mm. The sand could'nt be to soft or the trailer tyres would sink in anyway. I shall keep you posted of developments. Rich (S)

I cannot imagine that I am the only person who has experienced difficulty in getting a 520 back onto the standard Orkney trailer when you are on your own at a shallow slip such as Baiter. Looking at the antics of others at Baiter with different boat / trailer combinations, it doesnt appear to be unique to just Orkneys. I found that as soon as I started to winch the boat onto the trailer the weight of the boat would cause the trailer to tip up. This could cause serious damage to the gel coat at the rear of the keel ( besides transducers ect.) if allowed to bottom out on the slip. The only way I could stop it tipping was to stand on the trailer arm and use my body weight to hold it down. Needless to say that trying to winch a 520 onto the trailer whilst in this position, was to say the least very unsafe and also very difficult. I came up with a simple fix ( probably already been done but I hav'nt seen it anywhere. ) Before putting the trailer back in the water I now remove the two trailer board arms that push into the trailer box section. I replace them with two right angle pipes I have fabricated. One end of the pipe slides into the box section and is clamped into position with the existing trailer board clamp. The other end of the new metalwork sits about 50mm (2") above the ground. Simply push the trailer into the water, hook up the winch strap, line the boat up and start winching whilst both feet are firmly planted on the slipway. The trailer tips up a few degrees but can go no further because the legs prevent it tipping. Winching the boat onto the trailer has never been easier. Now the prototype has proved successful I am getting an adjustable stainless steel set made. If there is a better idea that I am not aware of, or that these bits of kit are available off the shelf, please let me know before any metal gets cut and welded. Rich (S)

Not sure if this is the correct place to put this article but here goes anyway. At last after what seemed like an age "Warren" is ready to go fishing. Perhaps on hindsight I should have bought the boat fitted out and ready to go but at the time of the initial purchase the funds were stretched to almost breaking point. Besides, fitting the boat out yourself makes it a bit more personal. It also ensures that you get jobs done exactly as you would like. It also gives you a good insight as to what could go wrong with various installations and a better idea on how they could be improved upon. I must be a bit sad, but I really enjoyed fitting the boat out with the toys as and when the money became available for them. A Sea Safety Check carried out by Mike Fox soon after the initial purchase highlighted a few issues so these were the first things to be addressed. A couple of nice seats from Towsure at Southampton were followed by fire extinquishers, nav. lights and a spare fuel tank. A long coil of anchor warp followed. This actually turned into the biggest set back of the project. As I was measuring out a couple of 100 metre lengths in the garden the rope got stuck. I gave a gentle tug only to find that the 220 metre roll had fallen from the workbench, turned inside out and ended up looking like the aftermath of a boy scouts knotting contest. The biggest birds nest you are ever likely to see! A buget priced GPS was eventually purchased from Force 4 after much deliberation. I was initially going to buy an all singing and dancing unit but I couldn't bring myself to spend about

Mikey, You say that the owners manual states that it is not necessary to run the motor with the hose pipe attachment fitted to the side of the motor. In my handbook it states in bold letters " CAUTION Do not perform this procedure while the engine is running. The water pump may be damaged and severe damage from overheating can result" I believe the only way you can run the engine whilst flushing is to either have the leg standing in a barrel of water with the level of water above the cavitation plate, or by using a set of ear muffs as I have been doing. Try giving BHG a call and ask to speak to Steve in the workshop. I am sure he can advise. Please let us know the results as there are several members with Yamaha motors who I am sure are interested in the correct procedure, Rich (S)

P.S. If anyone is looking to install additional instruments in their facia, I may have the correct size hole cutter you require. 52 mm dia. included. May save you buying one to use just once, or save drilling loads of holes and filing to suit. PM me if you ever need one. Rich (S)

Mikey, Useful information for those of us with Yamahas and 520's. Something I am considering fitting. How much did the kit cost? The temperature gauge should give an indication if the water inlet gets blocked by a plastic bag or similar or if the pump impeller is getting worn. Is it visual only or does it sound an alarm? Despite having the gauge fitted I would still recommend you keep your eye on the water discharge at regular intervals as a matter of habit. If no cooling water is present it can take a while for a temperature sender to respond as there will be no heat transfer medium (water) between the block and the sender. Interested to read your comments about the build up of salt crystals around the thermostat. How are you flushing the engine? In the handbook they tell you to connect a garden hose to a connection below the cowling and flush for 15 minutes without the engine running. This would not open the thermostat. Personally I use "ear muffs" over the water inlet on the outboard leg. I can then run the engine up to temperature which in turn opens the thermostat and this should clear away any salt crystals the other side of the thermostat. My engine has done very few hours, but I shall make a point of removing the bung you talk about after a few more hours and see if my engine has a similar build up. Rich (S)

Paul, I've got mine insured through Bishop Skinner Marine (RYA / RNLI Offshore Members Scheme) Actual insurer is AXA When I checked out several other companies many of them were using AXA but were either more expensive or they had deleted some conditions from the policy. Worth giving Bishop Skinner a call. They do say ...up to a distance of 12 miles offshore. However you can travel between two points in the UK by the most direct route even though this might take you outside the 12 mile limit, but thats not going to help you much. Rich (S)

Many thanks to Paul D for a great day out (despite his headache) The weather was perfect, we had a fly past by a Lancaster bomber, I caught my first bream and was kept busy all day with fish of one description or another. As Paul said earlier we would have done well in a species comp. The sight of the deer swimming across to Hengisbury head was quite spectacular. (Would'nt have been any good trying to catch it though as Paul had ommitted to pack a landing net.) Thanks again. Rich

Perhaps it would be useful to discover a bit more about the thefts of small fishing boats in our locality. For example :- Was the boat on a pontoon berth or on a trailer in a driveway? Was the boat secured and how? How determined were the theives? If this information can be made available, then it might enable us all to take even more relevant precautions. Rich

Had you worried..... I live in Poole! Rich

I am getting conflicting advice about anchor warp. Which is best / most practicle? Is it Nylon or Polyester? I am under the impression that nylon floats which loses it some points. Comments please. Rich.

I,ve recently taken delivery of a new 520 and have been out a couple of times. Needless to say I'm very pleased with it. A big difference from the 440. What I am looking for is the help of an experienced club member who could spend a couple of hours with me, giving me some tips and advice about launching and retrieving the boat. I need to be able to launch it single handed and unfortunatly I am having to launch at Baiter. When the boat is in the water, perhaps the "volunteer" would also be prepared to point out some of the hazards that I am likley to face in and around the Poole Bay area. With the exception of Monday and Wednesday mornings I am pretty flexible with times. The only incentives I can offer would be the mandatory pint and the promise of some fishing trips! If you fancy wading around in icy water, then please feel free to contact me. Thanks in anticipation Rich (S)

Launched the 440 at Baiter on Friday about 0930 with a friend who's only been fishing a couple of times in his life. Sea flat calm and the sun is shining. Great. Bear in mind he's using my rods rigs and bait and I even had to help him thread the worms on the hook; ah you've guessed it... he proceeds to pull in a couple of beaut's. Two flounders weighing (on his kitchen scales) 2lb 4oz and 2lb 8oz respectively. Needless to say I blanked again! It got worse. I arrive home to discover the wife paddling about in the kitchen as a result of a broken pipe. All I can think is that I must have done something really terrible in a previous life! Rich.

I believe there is a gauge (white board) on the bridge pillar to the south when approaching upstream that shows clearance in metres. It looks as if it's had a bash so might be worth checking it's accuracy before relying on it. I presume this would be lowest clearance as you can squeeze between the girders and get another .5 metre or so. Failing that you can call Port Control who should be able to tell you the air height under the bridge. Rich.