Mike Fox

Thanks for all offering advice! Due to the uneven nature of the fibreglass around the anode bolts inside the boat, I decided to chisel it away carefully. There was a nut under the glass matting, that had been painted over. I chiselled the matting away carefully, then removed the nuts, getting down to what looked like bare hull. Remembering advice about big hammer being better than small, the "Gentle Persuader" was used. However it just wouldn't budge it, from above or below. I tried hacksawing a notch in the bottom of one bolt, and using big screwdriver and big adjustable to get extra torque, I leaned into it. All I achieved was twisting the bolt. Lacking an angle grinder and being worried about drilling off centre, I ummed and ahhed, and called in professional help. They fixed the problem in an hour. The bolt had a square mounting plate on it...but it had been fitted internally instead of externally as normal, and had been glassed over as well. When I had removed the glassed-over nuts, I thought I was down to bare hull, but I was wrong. Well, they used an angle grinder to cut away the glass matting around the mounting plate, and then tapped upwards gently, which broke the mastic seal. New anode bolts and an anode have now been now fitted in a more conventional style. Thought I'd let you all know, in case others ever come across something like that! Mike

Thanks Mike, will see if my "Gentle Persuader" used cautiously has the desired effect. Mike

Tom, Wessex Angling should be open, and Poole Angling Centre. Mike

Trust me...it's needed! Mike

The bronze seacocks for the loo etc are through hull, and bonded to the anode. Would rather lose zinc than a seacock! Mike

My fibreglass boat needs a permanent pear-shaped anode, but the anode bolts have now corroded too much to keep them. I've a horrible feeling that they might be original....1989 vintage. The bad news is that the bolts appear to be glassed in. I've removed the nuts (eventually), but the threads below the hull have wasted away. I sheared one of the inside nuts, taking some of the bolt with it. The current ones are now unuseable. The bolts look just like studded mild steel thread, but tapping them firmly with a hammer will not loosen the bolts as fibreglass resin/epoxy was used to bond them in! I can see a number of choices: - Bigger hammer hitting a replaced nut to avoid damaging threads, either from inside or outside (but risks damaging the hull); - Hacksaw them flush, then drill them out (might go off-centre damaging the hull); - Hacksaw them flush, cover over with epoxy filler, hope they don't corrode further till next winter when I can do a permanent fix, and make fresh holes for the new bolts; - Call in a marine engineer/shipwright who would do one of the above and charge me handsomely. Anyone got any sensible suggestions? Thanks, Mike

I once shared my lugworm with the snotty--nosed kid on the beach next to me who then promptly caught a 9.5 lb bass to my blank session. Was that an example of Newton's Third? Mike

It can get fun if you have to "raft out" when mooring up, in places like Yarmouth and Weymouth particularly. You then need bow and stern lines to the inside boat, with fore and aft springs to maintain position. In addition, you will need shore lines to help prevent the whole raft from sliding down tide - ideally fore and aft. I keep a couple of 90' ropes specially for shore lines - but found them too short in Weymouth more than once when on the outside of a dozen or so other boats - average beam of 10' or more. When rafting, it can be entertaining slipping out from the middle, if you want an early morning departure. You have to detach all shore lines outside of you, slip out, then they will then need reconnecting (ideally with someone else on the raft helping). The French technique is less popular... just cast everyone off outside you.... Mike

I once had the misfortune to eat salted herrings in Southern Ireland. Due to the unbelieveable quantity of bones, it was the quietest meal I have ever known. The interesting thing was that once the herring had been removed from the wooden barrel they had been salted in (metal containers corrode apparently), the bottom was full of fish oil. Straining this into small bottles, the locals swore by it as an effective additive for hook baits. Please feel free to put me down for a pint of the finest, if you have too much to cope with! Thanks, Mike

Further information here: http://www.yachtingmonthly.com/auto/newsde...3850ymnews.html Was once caught about 5 miles off St Albans in incredibly heavy overfalls with a SW6, just as the spring ebb tide was increasing. Hate to think what it was like over the weekend with those temperatures. Not a nice place to be in any small boat in those conditions. There but for the grace etc... Mike

No problems Duncan! I actually knew a west country skipper that popped a big bait on his anchor so that he had a chance of getting something for his dinner. It used to upset the paying guests no end when he caught turbot that way. I for one will be trying to slow my drifts down next summer, cos it's quite clear to me that my current 2 knot drifts on springs are too fast! Mike

So when dragging this large fish attractor, that causes puffs of sand (etc) continually, how many of you have half a side of mackerel dragging along just behind it on a 4 foot trace on a 6/0 hook for that marauding turbot....? Just curious.... Mike

If you decide to keep rope and chain separate for any reason, you can splice a stainless (or plastic) eye into the rope, then shackle the eye to the chain. You can get non-rusting monel wire from chandlers to "mouse" an anchor shackle securely. Have used it for years, and never had one come undone, even when the anchor has been dragged and buried. Mike

Would donations be "cratefully" received?

Hi James, It depends what you want to use it for. The more pixels, the bigger the image in terms of Megabytes. The bigger the image, the less pictures you'll get on a memory card. You'll therefore need to buy bigger/more expensive or accept less pictures/ The bigger the image, the more manipulation you'll need to put something of sensible size on this site. The bigger the image, the less you'll get on a backup DVD disk (etc). The bigger the image, you more you might want a better printer to go with it. However, The bigger the image, the better the clarity, and the bigger you can blow a picture up to. You pays your money etc...., but frankly, I'm no David Bailey, and would need to manipulate ALL fish pictures to even make them look vaguely edible! Cheap works for me. Mike

It's the same sort of consistency as silicone sealant. Not sure warming will help much. Unless you intend using it as some form of flexible glue for a patch, I wouldn't personally use this to fix pin-prick holes. My previous dinghy repairs are like the old bicycle inner tube jobs - rubber/hyperlon patch plus suitable glue. Hope this helps, Mike

Also meant to say.... You throw away more than you use, mainly on masking tape, and acetone-soaked cloths; The tube goes "off" in a couple of days after opening, and is then useless; There's never a tube available in a small enough size. By the way, it's brilliant stuff! Mike

Sikaflex also has the unusual property of making an incredible mess.... You get a bit on your finger, and dab it by accident elswehere on the boat. Both blobs somehow spookily remain exactly the same size. You then touch something else, and a further black blob appears - again the same size. It goes on and on like that until you notice...scientists say it can't happen, but I've seen the evidence. For some unusual reason, it NEVER does this when you're watching. It has a mind of it's own. That's why you have to watch really really carefully when using the stuff...and never try to pretend for one minute that it ISN'T watching you.... Mike PS....never, ever, check to see if it is dry. It won't be.

Great picture, looks just like the flounders we used to catch when I was a kid.... just a bit smaller of course! Mike

No truth in the rumour then about other club members being good at sucking at the bar?

A good sustained blow from the South or South-East, during a spring tide period would be ideal. Can't imagine anything else that could do so well. If March is as windy as usual, with a fair bit of luck, it might just clear the bulk of it. It would be more interesting to know : - If the 20mm of silt is an average depth (meaning it could be a lot deeper in some areas - probably the gullies)? - If the silt covers the general stony area around the rocky patches, where I know the female bream can be found? - If the main rocks themselves are engulfed, and if the barnacles, weed, and invertebrates that the bream feed on are no longer available as their food source? - Will the divers check each month? Updates on here would be good! Mike

I tried the "japonica" mini-squid from Wessex Angling (Poole) last summer. Typical angling shop prices, but no waste, and a whole one on a No4 fine wire bumped on the drift seemed to sort out the larger bream nicely. Mike

Whoops...not logged in properly when I left my rant. Mike

Great welcome chaps! Also, it was good to see so many of you at the meeting last night, where I became a fully paid up member. While I didn't get to meet many of you in person, I feel sure our wakes will cross in the near future. If I can reorganise my anchoring arrangements during the winter re-fit I'll try anchoring as a few of you recommended, and we might even end up sharing the odd mark. Just be warned that if I get there first, if anyone wants to join me they're welcome, but I specialise in the fishless snaggy marks, with crabs. Am still not sure if my son's ultra-light spinning rod that works well while drifting (with a half ounce ball weight) is quite man enough for the largest of the blonde rays, conger and tope you described as targets from anchor, but I have a cunning plan. I reckon that if I change his hook from a No 4 fine wire to a 6/0 with a slab of mackerel, the extra weight should make a real difference, and might increase the catch rate. Just hope the boat and he can hold bottom! Mike

Hi All, I found the website and having explored the "free" areas I realise that there really are other people like me out there! Have fished out of Poole since about 1988 without ever joining a club, almost entirely with wife and son (now 11). I specialise in catching spiny, undersized and inedible fish, my wife is legendary for attracting wrasse, and my son invariably out performs us both. I have a few local inshore marks (but no wrecks), which produce very little, and tend to drift fish to keep tackle dimensions light, so all the info about anchoring looks very interesting. In fact the forum comments about catching fish look interesting too! On the plus side, I know a fair bit about boat safety having earned a commercial skippers ticket back in 1976, worked with Vic Evans (of conger fame) from Brixham for about 4 months back in 1981, have put in a fair few sea miles since, and am happy to share the odd yarn, tip or hint, or groanworthy pun. Look forward to meeting you all, ashore and afloat. Best wishes, Mike