Mike Fox

Hope the chaps going across had more pleasant conditions, but once out of the lee of Portland, the swell and wave height might have been a bit bigger. Mike

Do we have any results yet???? Mike

and finally lowered into the water to attract fresh barnacles, seasquirts, tube worms, slime, weed and other assorted marine life! The things to do to keep our "stealth" angling boat working eh?

Then gets driven slowly down the yard swaying gently, with a yard hand at each end preventing violent swinging

After a long winter ashore (with the previous 18 months afloat), we had the boat grit blasted to remove 20 years of old toxic antifoul that was flaking and messy. Having scraped our previous 2 boats with a chisel, I didn't want the hassle, the aches or the inhaled dust again! Our insurance company (GJW Direct) also insisted on a full out of water survey before renewing in October 2009, so we booked one before the launch, and all was proclaimed well! Frisky is around 6 tons in weight, and winters ashore in a steel cradle with extra wooden supports, and has to be craned into the water like this. Bet you're all glad you don't have to go through this! Mike PS Thanks Charlie for recommending some names!

It's been a saga Martin, but it's nearly there now. Good luck with the sea trials, running in period, tweaks and adjustments that might be needed. If ever a man deserved a break! Best wishes, Mike

Frisky Fox has now hit the water and between us we managed 5 species. Shame it was 2 or 3 apiece. No threat to the experts, but with a brace of Tub Gurnard and a surprise Turbot from Carol (it was under 2lb and was returned), at least the boat species comp is off to a good start on our first day. Mike

Frisky Fox will be out and about with Carol, George and I having a go. First trip of the year, so utterly out of practice! Mike

Frisky is due to launch Saturday morning, and is in desperate need of a good scrub on deck, after a winter of grit-blasting to remove 20 years of antifoul, and being ashore for 5 months in a dusty boatyard. Insurance survey is now complete and she's fit to go. With a bit of luck, it might be fully rigged and ready late Saturday, but I like to check all systems properly on the water, before sallying forth in earnest. The crew is also revolting. Something about being back to work from Carol and last day to see a certain lady friend from George, so can't commit as yet. Would be tragic if the boat's all ready and the crew don't want to play! Will have to confirm later ...and for comp rules I think I need 2 aboard? Mike

Wonder what a Shetland goes like with a mast and sails Charlie....? I'd like to be out having fun if I had the week off, but I have too much work on (for a few weeks), and the boat is still chocked up awaiting winter works! Mike

Hi Charlie, George would love a trip too ! Thanks. Mike

Alun, Good to see the cod still there!. Silly question, but were you displaying an anchor ball as required in the COLREGs ? Mike

Sounds interesting Charlie, if there's still space, could you add me to the list please? Thanks, Mike

Congrats Mark - will be catching up too this year! Mike

I also like to use light tackle. My weapon of choice is an 8' Ugly Stick Spin (2oz casting weight) combined with a 7000 loaded with 30lb braid. It's tamed big bass, blondes, tope and conger to 40lb. Oh, and a diver estimated at 180lb (catch and release). Oh, and PJ's Dory. A soft rod with good line and a slow pumping action seems to have the welly for most things. It just isn't right to use it with big leads, and 5oz is my limit. When the tide picks up I do as Adam suggests, and break out something more suitable for big leads. My "heavy" gear is 20/30lb class, with TLD15 and again 30lb braid. The funny thing is, I can't claim to have had anything decent on the heavier gear, and the couple of biggies I have hooked on this have got away. One was too fast for me and too fast for most reels (Martin might remember), and the other seemed to wrap itself in the line and chafed the braid above the leader. Light is good! Mike

Have used standalone autopilots for years. Good Points: - They can hold a better course than I can, and don't wander. - Superb for long trips, so long as there's no headlands etc in the way. - Great for a couple of minutes free from the helm at low speed in more crowded waters to do something essential. Bad Points: - They can't see other boats, rocks, pot markers or buoys. - They're less effective in heavier seas than an experienced helmsman, and can get confused by being thrown off course, and then over-steer. - An interfaced system can "go to" a waypoint - but standalone ones just hold a course, and do not allow for tide or leeway. Ours is called "Uncle George". They have to be named. It's in the unwritten rules somewhere. Good luck ! Mike

Alan, Last of the whiting, chance of a cod, plus the perennial doggies, pout and poor cod. As Gordon showed last weekend, a few ray seem to stay in residence, as do conger. February is the time most "round" fish spawn, so they're pretty well preoccupied - or elsewhere. Conger just spawn the once in a lifetime, so they're resident - and probably hungry. Am told that in Feb the flounder start to move to sea for spawning, and you find less in the upper reaches, and more near the deeper marks nearer to the entrance...but have no personal evidence for this. There's probably a good reason most commercial anglers pack it in during Feb for annual boat maintenance etc. Good luck both if you decide to go... Mike

Don't forget it should also give the lat/long of every commercial angling boat, and progressively give you all of their most popular fishing marks.... Not that I'm contemplating this.... Mike

We were boarded by 3 armed French Customs officers 2 summers ago in Cherbourg, and saw them in several different ports that summer. The asked to see original bills of sale, insurance, SSR, passports, and any other certificates I had. They are entitled to search the boat from end to end (but didn't). While on the subject of insurance, do look for the phrase "reckless endangerment", which can mean almost anything the insurance company thinks might be appropriate to contributing to an accident, in the event of a claim. Have mentioned this before, but do check. Think RCD category and conditions/distance off, training/certification, and appropriate safety gear. Mike

I've been up to London on the delayed 6.56 this morning. Approaching Woking they advised everyone to get off and go home, as trains weren't getting through, but as the train got close, it was only 10-12" deep on car roofs, and they said they could make it to Clapham. At Clapham they said Waterloo was not achieveable, and they would try, and we got in just 40 minutes late. Then the underground was mainly closed, oh and no buses. There was no queue for the taxi rank...but no taxis either. I eventually got a delayed/packed tube train in the wrong direction, changed twice more, then walked through about 5" of slush to the client office - only 30 mins late for my meeting. Well, the client offices were empty - people not getting in, and after a couple of hours of the usual garbage, went back to my company offices - to find the place totally empty. Decided to get the 1.05 out of Waterloo home, to beat the scramble and next wave of bad weather, and just over 4 hours later got home. Well done those who bravely stayed home! Mike PS 170 redundancies announced, no names yet, so I was determined to get there!

Have got a couple of old ones... Mike

Ouch Gordon! Hope you get some rest and take it easy. Mike

Well done both on snatching a few hours, and fish. Worth registering the big one Rich ! Mike

Chaps, Don't ignore the opportunity of a berth in Diellette if Alderney isn't wanted/needed every night. Massive harbour walls, all tide access to outer marina, half-tide access to very sheltered inner marina, the best Moules Frites in Normandy, you're South of the Alderney Race already, and bus/taxi to Cherbourg (and ferries) if you get stuffed by weather (remembering that Cap de la Hague can be evil in a blow, and leaving boats in Cherbourg itself might therefore not be possible). Diellette is one of my favourite stopovers, even though the place is small. If you're sleeping aboard in good weather, there's also cheap mooring buoys to the East and West of Sark (choose depending on wind/swell) which can give you other options for early departures or different fishing grounds. See Pilots and Almanacs for details Mike

Nice one Gordon. Happy Birthday - half century and not out Mike