Mike Fox

Good call, as a club I agree we have to encourage members to participate in favourable conditions for all club vessels. Mike

2. Feisty Fox, Mike and Carol. Saturday.

I'm sat in Cherbourg currently Adam. The severe gales have abated here, but am still waiting for the F6 winds to die away, along with the sea state. It's an improving forecast through this weekend, then getting lighter and turning north then north East next week. Best of luck whatever you decide. Mike

At 10 tonnes, I might be slightly underpowered at 54 bhp....

I have several metres of replacement pipeline, in case it's needed. It will be a pig of a job, as everything is cable-tied in inaccessible places of course. The short length of pipeline from tank to filter I have replaced, and there was no evidence of delamination. Mike

Sea trials were successful

Rob, technically, it pushes a column of water of water out one side of the tube, action/reaction pushes the bow of the boat the opposite way. Having a central keel, the boat actually pivots round the keel. Sustained use will turn the boat 180 degrees in its own length. So, no benefits when turbot huting.

Thanks folks, I went Max Power in the end, with a 80kg thruster, around 7HP, which is needed to bulldoze over 10 tons sideways against any stiff breeze. It needed a 185mm tube glassing in, cutting to length, then fairing in. The motor fitted under the double berth forward, and was heavily braced (having experienced the Alderney Race in a F6 last year). A separate battery forward has an isolator switch, and charging from both shore power and the alternator. Heavy cables take a massive load from the battery. The initial 250 amp maxifuse melted, and manufacturers now recommend 400 Amps, which is fitted. Some installations take more, and I have a 500 Amp fuse as a spare. I have a little joystick next to the wheel to activate the unit. Apparently commercial vessels are used to moving the joystick to the side they want the thrust to appear. Leisure users (the gameboy generation) prefer to move the joystick the way they expect the boat to turn.... I ended up with the latter, as I'm keen to avoid mistakes in crowded places! Extensive sea-trials have now proven its value, and confined spaces and berthing are no longer quite as terrifying. I've used the wait for bridge lifts to tie up, and practice leaving sideways - turn the rudder as if to motor into the pontoon - move ahead gently bringing the stern out - use the bow thruster to keep the boat parallel to the pontoon - and keep going, No-one told me you could do that!!! If you've not tried it, have fun

Ewwwww Kev Many thanks Rob and Adam...great to have a safety net. Pickup on Feisty had a light brown slime, no marmite evidenced. Biocide added. Managed to get the revs to change from 3,000 rpm to 2500, while tied to the pontoon. Breather removed, no change, pipes were not compressed, so had to be filter. Removed primary filter from bulkhead and replaced all seals and the filter, reassembling carefully.tested ok on pontoon at 3000 rpm, so sea trials again tomorrow

I'm now getting nervous. The tank with issues is 200 litres. There's probably 150 left in there. Cleaning the fuel needs lots of containers and filtering, or a professional fuel polishing service. The tank will then probably need cleaning out of any residual sludge before filling up again, and that primary filter will have to be replaced again. I'd be stupid not to do the other tank at the same time - another 200 litres. Has anyone done this, and have any ideas of cost? Thanks

Well, it's failed again folks...any suggestions? I've had 3 engine failures on my Yanmar 4JH3 in 3 weeks, every time on Tank 2 (of 2). Tanks have separate primary filters. Both last filled at Cobbs. It's been the first use of Tank 2 since the engine was serviced in October. Failure 1: Running at 2,000 rpm for 2 hours, then increased to 3,000 rpm. Engine died, investigations showed air in system, Changed to Tank 1, bled air out, returned to marina, tightened all jubilee clips, bled Tank 2 filter, and successfully tested at 3,000 rpm in gear in the marina. Failure 2: Was running steadily at 2,750 rpm for 30 minutes, when the revs suddenly died, while using Tank 2. I reduced the revs quickly, and the engine picked up. Unhappy risking a further failure. Changed to Tank 1, returned to marina, replaced Tank 2 filter, and successfully tested at 3,000 rpm in gear in the marina. Failure 3: Checked tank breathers were clear (in case a blockage here was causing partial vacuum). Deliberately tried to prove Tank 2 was good. Ran at 3,000 for 3 minutes before revs died. Again, I reduced revs, and the engine kept running successfully at 2,000 rpm. Changed to Tank 1 and ran for over 10 minutes at 3,000 rpm with no issues, proving common components were all fine. Am running out of ideas. Should I next replace the full filter unit on Tank 2, replace all fuel lines for Tank 2, both or something different?

Sea trials will be tomorrow. Not keen on a smaller margin for error with today's strong wind warning, and trying to force a failure Might see if the rays and bream are playing...

On our way back from the Isle of Wight last week, the engine died, shortly after increasing the revs. Feisty fortunately has twin tanks, and separate filters, so I moved from Tank 2 to Tank 1, bled a little air from the fuel line, and the engine fired again quickly. It was a good job we were a few miles offshore in open water, and it was calm. Close quarters or a rough day it might have been a bit dodgy. Back on the pontoon, I discovered jubilee clips that weren't done up fully, and one fuel pipe that wasn't properly aligned, corrected it all, and when I tested the boat while lashed to the pontoon, I could pull high revs under load, with no fuel issues on Tank 2. Took friends out for a day trip yesterday, and going down through the harbour, the engine revs died again, but this time I popped it into neutral, and kept it running. While running, I switched back to Tank 1, and carried on with the day trip with no problems, but I was annoyed and needed to find why. Spent a little time this morning stripping apart the fuel filter from Tank 2, checked all of the seals and seating positions carefully, and tried to work out what had happened. I found a large bit of grit between the glass bowl and it's associated seal, and I'm pretty sure it would have lifted the seal enough to pull in a little air while under load. Nothing else seemed to be wrong. I reassembled with a new filter, and new seals, taking great care all surfaces were clean, then used the lift pump to bleed the air from the system. It took a long time, but finally I got clean air-free diesel. Again, I ran the engine in gear at full load in the marina, and couldn't cause any hiccups. Will need yet another sea trial to prove it, so will try to get out this weekend, and wait until I'm in open waters before trying to induce a failure. I really need to trust this engine in all conditions! Mike PS Have now bought 4 more primary filters, so could potentially do two more changes while out and about if needed PPS If anyone has a diesel engine and can't change a filter at sea, and bleed the air out, can I recommend getting training, and trying it out in the security of a marina? It's not a fun thing to have to do, but it could make a real difference if it's ever really needed!

I know a spot on Poole Patch where they can probably find 100lb of lead weights per square yard...

Divers probably collect it, and melt it down for belt weights

14. Feisty Fox, club comp only, Mike and Carol

North-easterlies for a while chaps...maybe the next 8-9 days. Braye would be untenable for me in that. I'm watching it like a hawk too! Mike

Freya had 5: Ballan Wrasse Corkwing Wrasse Baillon's Wrasse Goldsinny Wrasse Poor Cod Carol had 7: Corkwing Wrasse Pollack Pouting Baillon's Wrasse Goldsinny Wrasse Goby Cookoo Wrasse George had 7: Ballan Wrasse Corkwing Wrasse Pouting Goldsinny Wrasse Goby Tub gurnard Poor Cod Mike had 9: Ballan Wrasse Corkwing Wrasse Pollack Baillon's Wrasse Goldsinny Wrasse Goby Cookoo Wrasse Plaice Tompot Blenny 3 new ones for the 2017 species list

1) Sea Dream - with Neal & Stuie - Monday 17th April 2) Fisheagle - crew to confirm. Probably Sun or Monday. To confirm 3) alfresco- Friday 14th- Sam, Charlie and will 4) Kingfisher - Chris W, Mal T, Dave Wilson - Sunday 16th 5) Feisty Fox - Mike, Carol, George, Freya - currently targeting Monday 17th 6) Boblin. - Colin & Pete Russel Snr. Saturday 7) Joint Venture - Adam, Ruben, Olivia, Rob - today Friday Sent from my Moto G (4) using Tapatalk

1) Sea Dream - with Neal & Stuie - Monday 17th April 2) Fisheagle - crew to confirm. Probably Sun or Monday. To confirm 3) alfresco- Friday 14th- Sam, Charlie and will 4) Kingfisher - Chris W, Mal T, Dave Wilson - Sunday 16th 5) Feisty Fox - Mike, Carol, George, Freya - currently targeting Sunday 16th

I'd go for a 7-8' Ugly Stik spin lite....something he'd never grow out of, and something he'd love for decades to come. Great for most of our small and medium stuff. I've had conger to 40lb on mine, tope to 25lb, bass to over 14lb and even turbo-charged smoothhound to 13lb. Most versatile rod I've ever had. Mike

I am but a simple man, but lets be honest here, I'd like to see: - 200 miles territorial waters back... - New Fisheries patrol boat building programme...to maintain a 24 hour service, 365 days per year... - Vessels to be equipped with capability of sinking illegally fishing vessels, when crew arrested... - More employment for ex-naval officers, support services, engineering, suppliers etc... - Revoke all old licenses, and start again with a clean slate... - Total ban on all nets within 6 miles of shore... - Careful monitoring and control of licensed fleets, with sales into UK ports only... - Strict management of stocks, with the UK controlling quotas based on science, not political influence... - Ban of discards, everything to be landed, above-quota catches to be sold with income going to the UK, not the fishing vessel... - Additional job creation opportunities associated with fish sales... - Sell catch overseas from controlled outlets only, to increase GDP... Oh and by the way, the angling will miraculously improve, and coastal towns and tackle-related industries will be rejuvenated. Phew! Mike

Ahh, could be Martin, thanks!

I have one fitted on Feisty, and was advised to use in hotter climates to aid with cooling. That feels like an absolute load of garbage - the liquid cooling has to be much more effective! Seems the US Coastguard require them to disperse fumes, and reduce risk of explosions: http://www.boatus.com/boatTECH/articles/bilge-blowers.asp Interesting what it says about 4 minutes only needed....

Just placed an order too. Sad times Mike