Mike Fox

Good luck with that! Will be interested on how lures do for the bream especially. Frisky will be out that way too, maybe Spoils or 50-50s if flat, else Ballard or Swanage Bay. Anyone else that way? Mike

If it helps, the approach I use is to use the information sources trusted by Coastguards, with checks evening before and just before a crossing : Overall for the whole trip across: http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/marine/shipping_forecast.html#All~Portland UK side to 12 miles out: http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/marine/inshore_forecast.html#SelseyBilltoLymeRegis Mid channel actuals: http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/station_page.php?station=62103 Channel Islands to 12 miles out: http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/marine/inshore_forecast.html#ChannelIslands With the southerly expected, I'd also plan to avoid the wider Alderney Race area during the middle of the ebb. Good luck with making the right decisions! Mike

So many fish beating my personal best - well done Team Alfresco! Mike

The long range sites are suggesting a Plan 'C' might be needed.... Mike

1) Court Jester - Neal, Stuie, Ian Simpson 2) Marlin - Greg and Vic 3) Alfresco - Charlie and crew TBC 4) Kingfisher - Chris, Mal, Nigel & Chris A (Non member) 5) Awol - Martin, Dean (probably) 5) Frisky Fox - Mike, Carol

http://www.beaucettemarina.com/ One of the most spectacular and narrow entrances of any marina I've ever been to (inside a flooded quarry). It's a nice area at the tip of the island for exploring or shore fishing, but there's not a lot else there. Think captive market. When I last visited I couldn't find any alternative place to eat. I think the usual marina residents (and people live there with broadband wired to their boats) don't mind the restaurant prices (find dinner menu). Might be a good place to eat your brill and turbot on board? Mike PS Not sure if petrol is available.

I generally use St Pete as a transit stopover on the way to and from N. Brittany. However I have to pass a fishy lump - about 20 miles to the SW is the Plateau de Roches Douvres, with magnetic anomalies, uncharted reefs, a towering lighthouse, and a handful of keen French bass fishermen occasionally making the 20 mile trip from their shores. I've seen a large number of 7-8lb bass when they've returned, and their rods rigged with artificials. The place is evil in moderate weather, with massive and rotating tides, fog from nowhere, Atlantic swells, and rocks coming from 150' depth right up to the surface. Sounds ideal if bass is your thing, but skirting the edges of the uncharted area, and having a quick 30 minute drop with plastic eels or shads (while on a tight schedule) hasn't proven productive for me. The only other place I've seen a collection of boats is at the lower end of the Little Russel, where there is the Great Bank, just a few miles from St. Pete down to the SW tip. They definitely go there to collect bait, but what else is there I have no experience, but there's steep cutoffs and 25-40m of water off the Southern end. Fair shelter from Guernsey and Herme, but big tides! The SW entrance to the Little Russel has 30-40m of water within casting distance of shore, with many reefs, underwater towers and gulleys. If I had time when down there, I'd have a stab for Red and Couch's bream, plus pollack, with good shelter from the North, and some from the West. Might be suitable if the wind makes the banks untenable? There's also massive reefs to the North of Jersey, some of which dry, and appear to be no further from St. Pete than the Schole Bank. I've seen film of Jersey boats doing well chasing bass shoals there. It's not a lot to go on, but am sure websites might give more of a hint! Mike

I've stayed in both St. Pete and Braye, and agree with the comments above. We never "lock in" to the inner marina now at St. Pete, as it prevents you leaving from half-tide downwards. The outer pontoons are quite sheltered, have water available, and as above, are a short row or water taxi to the shore. The facilities are good, with showers included in the mooring fee. Forecasts are readily available. Fuel (plus bait and tackle) is available when Boatworks is open, and this might be a restriction if you want to arrive late and depart early. There's good food to be had for most tastes and pockets, with a rather good Indian restaurant along the front a few hundred yards North, that we generally use after eating French food for a couple of weeks For those with passports, a smattering of French, and the ability to sleep aboard, Dielette is a viable alternative to fish the Schole. It has 24 x 7 access to the outer marina with walkashore berths, unlimited moules frites for about 10 Euros per head, and serve yourself fuel (petrol and diesel) available via credit card. Mike PS Beaucette marina on NE tip of Guernsey is also viable for some and isn't as far as St Pete, but the last time I visited it had poor facilities, no real choice of eateries, but could offer secure shelter.

The crew of Frisky are keen to be out, and agree Sat/Sun is better than Monday. No firm plans as yet, but a few banks for turbot, brill and rays might be fun. Catch you on 6 or 16. Mike

Hope you both have a great day! Mike

Long range weather information here: http://www.wetterzentrale.de/pics/avnpanel1.html and Jet Stream information here: http://www.netweather.tv/index.cgi?action=jetstream;sess= Both seem to be telling the same story at the moment. Mike

Hope you're up and mobile soon Graham. Take it steady, Mike

Blundered into this, and thought I'd share... http://customs.hmrc.gov.uk/channelsPortalWebApp/channelsPortalWebApp.portal?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=pageVAT_ShowContent&id=HMCE_CL_000289&propertyType=document#P44_4960 3.1 Do I need to fly the yellow ‘Q’ flag?If you are arriving directly from another EU Member State there is no need to fly the ‘Q’ flag. If you are arriving from outside the EU (and this includes the Channel Islands) you must fly the ‘Q’ flag, where it can readily be seen, as soon as you enter UK waters (the 12 mile limit). Do not take down the flag until you have finished reporting to the customs authorities, as described in sub-section 3.2 Failure to comply will make you liable to a penalty.