Mike Fox

1. Gordon - Fugazi - crew Paul D 2. Brian - MegaByte, crew = Mark (non-member) 3. Martin & Dean on "AWOL" 4. John - Rosie One - Crew Dave 5. Dave Wight Magic - crew TBA 6.Nigel-Wishin-crewTBA 7. Tony - Serenity Crew TBA or will crew for someone else 8. Alfresco Charlie and Dan space for two crew 9. Frisky Fox - with Mike, Carol and George

Frisky has 2 x 110Ah domestic batteries, and an inverter to run a 240v shaver point in the heads. This gives me no excuse, hence me being clean shaven in the summer. Wouldn't risk running anything else off it! Still, nearly winter! Mike

Glad JV escaped unscathed. Good fishing Adam, think it was 12.5 oz under George's record.... Mike

Can imagine the gesture....with finger and thumb slightly apart....with the immortal words..."It was THIS cold!" Mike

Scary stuff, and rogue waves are a lot more common than people think. I'm not sure how many club boats would have coped with the 3m wave that hit Frisky this summer (and caused damage), but the general conditions that day weren't too bad, and many club boats would have been out in worse. Happy to say we were all wearing lifejackets. Mike

Might be a silly question, but how do you get rid of 50 litres of petrol safely, if you don't have a petrol mower (or a m8 with one)? Burning it would hazardous, and oil collection points wouldn't touch it. Would the RAC or AA be able to find someone to shift it? People put wrong fuel in their cars, and am sure there's an "extract and clean" service they could put you in touch with? Mike

I'd agree anchovy Alun. I'd also go as far to say as they're relatively common in our waters! I've had sprats from the boats on Poole Quay a number of times that have anchovies mixed in with them...I guess they're similar sized and if the shoals merge, how can they separate? They're great eating, better than sprats, and not at all salty - that's how anchovies are normally preserved. Great catch !!!! Mike

well that's me cancelled with that wind and direction. Looks like Frisky isn't going out all weekend now. Here's to an improving Autumn....and a few cod! Mike

Secret with cuttlefish is to retrieive slowly (and if they fall off drop down again a few yards, because they will grab hold). When they get to the surface slip a landing net under them before they break the surface. Then bounce them in the landing net, when they will drop the bait. Might sound a bit cruel, but this spooks them, and they discharge their ink in the water, and not all over you and your boat. Yes, have taken them on squid jigs, but they love holding on to small fish such as sandeels or pout, and cut a v-shaped notch in their backs using their parrot-like beaks. Mike

Am hoping Frisky and crew will be out Charlie, but I doubt out as far as you. Rumours on a.n.other site suggest the first of the codling are already here, and squid are inshore again. Wouldn't mind a spot of codling, and George has tried (and come close) to boating a squid several times! Also, running out of chance for some of those summer species, so perhaps there's chance of a little of everything this time of year? Good luck whatever you do ! Mike

Thanks Charlie, Whitehouse Grounds might be a possibility, as we plan to be in the area. Have tried it several times on the drift, and a couple of times at anchor with little success. Have plotted the shallows and deeps, but haven't spotted anything really congery there. Might have a better look at one of the deep bits ! Shame about the huss! Mike

Hi, It's an early afternoon low tide and neaps on Saturday, so am thinking about trying some deepish water for conger, huss, or blonde rays (species !!!) Haven't tried 100' deep locally since July - so am not in touch with what's where, but was thinking about finding somewhere an hour's travel or so from the chain ferry (7 miles for me with tide), and a few hours on the mark, before getting tide back home again. Was wondering about banks, reefs or holes off Ballard Down, or maybe a little further afield...if there's anything there. Any suggestions folks, or is anyone else planning to be out that vague direction fancying a buddy boat in the area? Mike

Have used my Ugly Stik Spin 8' for years, and it has the sensitivity to feel the gentlest of bites. It's got the power in reserrve too - I've boated conger to 40lb, tope to 25lb, bass to 14lb as well as blonde and thornback rays. Bought one for George too now! They get my vote! Mike

1) Will Sumerell 4lb 8oz 2) Stuart Sumerell 4lb 3) Charlie Chapman 5lb 4) Rob Francis 7lb 5) Charlie Annear 8lb 6oz 6) Craig White 5 lb 7) Pete Russell 3lb 14oz Bass Returned if different from above: 1) Charlie Chapman 3lb 2) Rob Francis 1lb 6oz 3) Mike Fox 2lb 5oz 4) Carol Fox 12oz

Well done Charlie and Rob - some great fishing there !!!! Carol and I had a latish start, ignored 8 boats drifting in a row within Poole Harbour, and we popped outside to try a few marks we've had fish previously. Working on the theory that huge bass are relatively scavengers, I used frozen mackerel baits in the tidal "lee" of a few lumps of rock we've recorded. Three bass were boated, with the best going 2lb 5oz to me. Carol had the other two which were under the pound. Not great, but we hit target species I guess. We also had a couple of plump gurnard, as well as other bits and pieces. No new species for our tally however. Mike

1) Adam - JV - Ben & Craig crewing 2) TW - Otter - Crew Allan McAvoy, Rupert Morrall - full 3) Tomo + Tubby- Just Purfick- Full 4) Wight Magic [but need crew] 5] Charlie -Alfresco + Crew TBC [rude not to at least try] No serious threat to the bass stocks. 6] Imagine - Paul F borrowing AlunJ's bass marks, but not his luck 7) Colin and Bobi (we are refitting our kitchen but will sneak out if we can) 8. Serenity - Tony & Lorraine 9) Frisky Fox - confirmed...Carol and Mike 10) JoJo - Rob & CharlieA 11/ lady jane- andy & dave[non member]

Well, a big thank you to Hurn Plastics, of Airfield Way. We talked, someone came out, and repaired the tank in situ this morning. The material is apparently Polyethylene, and when I described the repair, the chap said it was the best that could probably be done, but he bet it hadn't stuck properly. Before he came to the boat this morning, I cleared the locker, and removed the "patch" I'd applied, and he was right. The gaffer tape was lifting and bubbling, and the "stick to absolutely anything" sikaflex just rolled off with my thumb. Apparently, no glues work, nor epoxy resins. The only cure is a plastic weld, but the material is great for diesel. He explained the tank was made of standard 9mm sheet, and heat welded together on the edges of the sheets. The tank had been further reinforced by cutting a v-shaped groove half way down into the weld, and inserting a jointing v-shaped piece, which had been melted in a hot-air gun to over 300 degrees C. This gives a secure molecular bond. He cut out the damaged section of old v-shaped strip plus 4-6" either side. Then he inserted a hot blade to weld the two sheets together. The removed section was then replaced with a new v-shaped strip, to make it as per new. He then cut further shallow grooves above and below the first v-piece for the whole length of that side, and inserted two further v-shaped strips, flattening and reinforcing the whole edge for extra strength. Well, job now jobbed, very sensible costs, and a happy customer. I'm happy to recommend Hurn Plastics to club members. Mike

Great clarification chaps - good stuff ! Mike

Am hoping the Frisky Fox will make it, but family commitments might prevent. Out of interest, and in keeping with club traditions of conservation, will all bass caught be in nursery areas be ineligible? Perhaps a little late to raise this, but I haven't seen anything stated. Mike

Thanks for all of the advice chaps. The repair did hold, despite the heavy weather, and I now have confidence it will be ok until I get a permanent fix done. The picture is from the outside of the port locker in the cockpit. The tank is black, with red webbing ratchet straps holding it, and a simple sighting guage to show fuel level, with ball valves top and bottom. Inlet and breather tubes are back left. The orange cable is our caravan style mains supply to the battery charger and 240v ring main. The repair is on the top front edge, and as you might be able to tell, it's almost impossible to check for other potential seam openings without removing the whole tank. I'm now almost certain that was the only one ! Mike

We got back yesterday, in similar conditions, trying to beat Sunday's forecast F7s. Conditions within 5 miles from Poole in the lee of St.Aldheims head seemed just about fishable, but I think the harbour and approaches will see most action today in the Open! Mike

Hi Alan, It does sound like a shaft anode come loose, and working up/down the shaft depending on water flow and direction of shaft rotation. Option 1: Davis's boatyard next door; Option 2: Tie boat alongside the top of Cobb's slipway 1 hour after 2nd high, nudge in till just touching, lean inwards slightly using main halyard lots of fenders and warps....and look underneath from the dinghy as the tide falls. You'll be there a good few hours, and should float off on next first high. Option 3: Local yacht club - PooleYC is closest, then Parkstone - keep the revs down to minimise the risk of damage! Good luck! Mike

Thanks Adam and Charlie, Have since moved twice, 8 miles to St.Cast then around 40 further miles to Lezardrieux. The repair seems to have held, and motorsailing has reduced the level to about two-thirds of a tank. Am increasingly confident of the repair, and think keeping fuel relatively low will get us back ok. Thinking ahead to a more permanent repair, I think popping the tongue and groove back together should be possible with "an appropriate application of gentle persuasion", which I should be able to do back in Poole. Anyone know an ultra-strong epoxy glue that is stronger than the original, that I could use to execute a more permanent join ? Thanks, Mike

When sailing from Granville to St Malo this week, into a NW4-5, we encountered an area of uncharted overfalls off Concale, and we were "stopped" by a 3m plus slamming wave that made the whole boat shudder. No harm seemed to be done, and we continued in to harbour, motoring when head to wind, to try to get over the tidal sill. When I did engine checks after tying up I was horrified to find diesel in the engine drip-tray, and it all seemed to mixed in with mud and sand. I used the engine sump pump to remove 3-4 litres into used coke bottles, and could see no water mixed in with it. I then used kitchen roll to wipe clean everything, and track back to check lift pump, pipes, water cooling system, seacock, and concluded it wasn't engine related. The bilges had a little more, which was removed the same way. We had an old 5 gallon jerry can in the main cockpit locker, and we hoped it had leaked at the extreme angles of heel we had experienced, but it was all dry. After this, we checked the engine and bilges again, and all remained dry. Only one place left to check, and we found the main fuel tank had ruptured. It's a polyeurythane tank I had fitted about 7 years ago, after the mild steel tank fitted from new had developed rusty holes! The diesel had sloshed around the cockpit locker, and washed al the sand and grit we had accumulated over 7 years down to the engine tray. The tank is a 120 litres box, with welded seams, and it was the lid that had popped, presumably when hit by a wave. There seemed no way of putting it securely together, so I visited the local boatyard shop that specialised in plastic repairs, and explained the problem. I left with coarse sandpaper, acetone and sikaflex, with instructions on the best way to seal it. I had to wait 6 hours for it to cure, then covered it in 3 layers of gaffer tape. I don't plan to endure too many degrees of heel on the way home, and will keep the tank 75% full instead of close to the top! We motored the 8-9 miles to St. Cast, and all was well. I can't think what else to do, other than check it regularly, motor instead of sail, avoid heavy weather, go through the Alderney Race on slack and hope I can get back to Poole before it leaks further. Any other suggestions? Mike

8 knots eh? Mike