Graham Nash

Unfortunately I didn't, and I've just seen what the specimen weight is 🤔 !! Lesson learned i suppose!

We made our way to the 6 mile banks and found congers, dogs, gurnard and a solitary toothy one of 13lb. I lost a heavy ray at the boat. The water was mirror flat!

Im looking at getting out tomorrow. Im expecting to be somewhere around the Dolphin sands area. Is anyone else about?

I carried an aux a few times, but (like you) i couldnt see how Id steer it easily if needed. I purchased a tiller extension, but it all seemed a bit of a faff, so it now sits in the garage and i pay seastart instead.

I must be honest, I put my boat in the water today just after low water and pulled it back in with the new winch. That would have been almost impossible with the old one, but it was no major issue using the new manual winch. Having said that, it looks like Im getting my old finger berth back again if i want it so the trailer will be used once or twice a year again after that.

ha! While I was at the boat yard this afternoon looking to swap over to the the electric winch, they came over to me and told me my old pontoon berth was likely to be free again in a couple of weeks!

How do/did you ensure the winch wound on evenly? There's no "level wind" so i imagined a big mound of rope in the middle of the spool. Thats why i ended up opting for another manual one.

seeing these comments about the electric winches, i might revert back to that plan and keep this as a back up.

The strap runs between the rollers. it doesnt actually touch them.

Im with Seastart. Its better to have it and not use it, than to need it and not have it.

I think I could be doing with some of that stuff on my elbows and shoulders!

As my years increase, so does the effort needed to get my boat on its trailer at Ridge Wharfe marina. The slip is about 15ft long and about 30deg angle! Anyway, I walked around the trailers last week and noticed that without exception, every one else's was bigger than mine! My boat (590tt) is very nearly 600kg, engine is best part of 100kg, anchor, fuel etc probably 20kg+ and my winch was 630kg (with a freyed strap). I decided that an upgrade was required so I played about with a warrior elecric winch that ive had fir a few years but in the end I decided on a new 1450kg dual speed and strap. I fitted it this morning before work and am looking forward to trying it out.

It was a great trip and I did get a bit of stick for getting the smallest fish of the trip

Unfortunately the closest we could get to a "shark" was a dogfish!