duncan

trinity house used to get very upset when Dave and his mates used to do this with EC1 overnight - rather than motor back in! (accepting that this is a legal issue associated with navigation marks!) personally I can't see why people expect the trawlers to be excluded - they seem capable to trawl meter perfect on the channel wrecks! OTOH it's not a trawling ground anyway. I'm sure the fish will move in very fast, once construction finishes - but then again there will be an entire eco-system to develop. No doubt the studland sea-horses will decide to move as well

thank you all for your kind wishes - I will do my best to enjoy it!

Whilst I am all for appropriate change and development, I have to say I am surprised given the obvious impact on the World Heritage Site (Jurassic Coast) and Needles. I guess the good news is that it just about guarantees that there will be long calm days in the future (once built and running.........) OTOH it really really is a huge waste of money when there are plenty of perfectly suited land sights available in the windiest places in the UK

now that I see a map - I'm sure I saw a seahorse last time I dived that area..............

The RYA have condemned plans for a new windfarm off Dorset as being 'poorly' located. Eneco have identified the most suitable place to locate the wind park as being an area of 76 square miles approximately 8.2 miles from Peveril Point in Swanage, 10.2 miles from Bournemouth and 8.4 miles south west of The Needles and the Isle of Wight. "Eneco's announcement confirms that they have identified their preferred development area within the West of Wight Round 3 Zone. At this stage, however, Eneco has not produced any detailed plans as to how many turbines are proposed or how they might be laid out within this area", commented Caroline Price, RYA Planning and Environmental Advisor. The RYA met with Eneco last May to discuss concerns about the West of Wight zone, and explained the importance of the area for recreational boating and emphasised how busy this area is for both recreational and commercial vessel traffic. "Navigation through operational windfarms should not create significant additional risks for recreational boaters, however we are concerned that the preferred development area as confirmed by Eneco is poorly located from a wider navigational perspective" continued Caroline. Eneco is keen to engage directly with clubs and training centres in the local area and the RYA would therefore encourage interested groups to attend the information days being held by Eneco around the Solent and to register their individual concerns and comments directly with Eneco. Public information days to hear more about the planning process and the location of the wind park will be held on the following days:

a manual or instructions ...... basically there is a ton of online instruction (free) and the same again for a fee - this included Adobe's own support. it would take most of what's left of the Amazon rain forest to print 1%! Rob highlights some excellent alternatives - and then there are older versions of Lightroom, Elements etc There are also good reasons not to use the older versions (due to support for input files) so the question "What for?" has to be asked.

you could always change it to

I would suggest that if a correctly set up transom mounted transducer isn't working well at 'higher speeds' you aren't likely to get better performance from one shooting through the hull. I have 3 shooting though the hull at various places, stuck with various materials - and one on the transom. The latter wins all the time. Reasons for shoot thru are - no suitable transom, lots of in water hazards (twigs weed etc) in crusing area, no easy access to transom, not a lot of space on transom (twin engines/trim tabs etc) I agree that having a thru hull installed on a trailer boat anywhere near beds or rollers isn't sensible.

once upon a time it was just difficult to keep up to date with the fishing arrangements - we are all going to need a little 'card' reminding us where we are supposed to be and when! no doubt someone will turn up at the Moorings with their tope gear - at about the same time someone else arrives at Speedy Rock - freshly showered and shaved

I think Adam was giving an indicative total trip mileage, so that you could appreciate the full fuel logistics. Each day on the banks can be about the same as a crossing day - obviously depending on what you actually do! Your estimates look sound, and there is no doubt that your craft has the capability in a range of conditions. I am not as committed to the absolute contribution of LOA to sea safety - there are a huge number of factors that come into it! As an example you can take 2 ostensibly similar hulls and engines and yet one will be 'great seakeeping' and the other a dog! Equally you may have one that is fantastic into a head sea, but close to dangerous in a following sea - horses for courses. eg ... take one well found 5m rib.... Back to fuel. As Mike points out there are other fuel options - but unfortunately they don't help the underlying issue because by the time you have gone and got fuel at these, and returned, you will need fuel again! Of that list only Cherbourg is 24hr fuel, with Boatworks (St PP) being both tidal and 'shop hours' combined. If you can arrange to be able to pick up fuel when you get into Braye each evening you will be as well placed as boats with bigger ranges - there's just the 'if' to resolve. If you can't you will find your days being tied to fueling, rather than tides and fish - and can be extremely frustrating. The most 'pain' I have ever heard on the radio over there was a skipper having fueling issues when the sun was out, wind on holiday and fish biting (for everybody else!).

As you suggest Brian - the implications to the whole harbor are huge from such a development. However, change isn't a bad thing in itself. Don't know about flounders but the only gilt head bream mark I know in Poole will go!

3 times a year!!!!!!!!!!! none of my gear get's used that hard..... I have just stripped and rebuilt my 975LD - only to realise I haven't used it since I did it last

I live with a number of leaks - fortunately it's a boat so gets on with water reasonably well More constructively (I hope) 1. beware that the leak and the transport system can be quite different - for example you may have a lot of water getting into the anchor locker (normal but hopefully not too much hitting the windlass unless you wash it off with fresh each time); but this water then wickes it's way down the cables and finally drips off an appropriate bend 2. all and any screws or bolts into the fibreglass are suspect. If they weren't screwed into calk/mastic then they will be a source of a leak. Only takes one and the best test (assuming you can get to the inside) is to put a ring of coloured talc around the inside of every one. 3. as Tom highlights, the hull/deck is normally stapled together with SS staples (big!) with calk and then a covering/strake. This can leak but is less common than might be initially suspected. 4. deck drains can leak 2 ways - the seal between the deck and drain, and the drain outlet and it's attached pipe. If the latter the liquid will run along the pipe (sometimes a long way!) before dripping off. 5. Hatches - obviously 6. Windscreen - this can lead anywhere - with a built in headlining it's easy for the water to run a long way. 7. Windscreen washer system? Fresh water can become salty through flowing over salty fittings or a build up of salt anywhere - but in one sense it doesn't matter if you are only getting it when running in some sort of sea (although if you are NOT getting it sitting still in heavy rain it probably rules out a lot of the above. My money would be on the cable runs from an anchor windlass - just about everything else will leak from heavy rain. Sealing around the anchor beak underside as well. Obviously all this assumes it's not from hull skin fittings. Good luck

That is such an over-specified boat Tom! Seriously, for someone, or another group, that want's a 'good to go' package I can't think of many more appropriate for the area etc understand completely where you are coming from - Phaeton's on a final warning for this year as well!

that's a pretty short list for 15 weeks Charlie.....sort of thing I have had with 15 days; and Martin's been at 15 hours with similar from memory I am really hoping for some settled weather through May and June - co-incidentally I have just cleaned up the Cobb BBQ which I plan to bring (and use) this time! I don't have a boat list - yet...

logically, given the battery power you would need to reliably start such an engine, you might as well go the whole hog and fit an electric motor and battery.

Tom, Whilst the additional efficiency of duo props will certainly deliver some advantage to a shaft configured boat you, of all people, should appreciate that hull and drive system need to be match to translate this to speed. Further you aren't going to see the full engine power to drive relationship that is enjoyed by DP OD systems because this includes the gain from maintaining a constant thrust angle through various hull trims - without involving the drag associated with trim tabs. Finally OD's generally have less stern gear drag than skeg, p-bracket - rudder arrangements. So, I would expect to see a significant fuel consumption advantage over your existing single prop - but not to the extent of a DP or other, more advanced, drive systems. Without seeing the schematics and understanding any oil seals and pressures involved it's hard to comment on the potential impact of fishing line etc. Obviously it's easier to check such things from time to time with an OD system. DPs will chop smaller/weaker line where it would otherwise wind and constrict on a single prop system (shaft or drive), but it doesn't work wonders and a shaft + cutter is the better solution all round. I'm sure it will be an interesting development.

know how you feel - I really hate taking working stuff to the tip. realities of modern life

not new(s) but always worth reminding people as well as informing those heading over for the first time. as to your 'conclusion' - I don't think they turn you away at the harbour if you aren't insured!

The reason the diagram I put up showed the batteries like that is: My boat came with an 85Ah Leisure battery and I happened to have a brand new 105Ah starting battery so rather than wasting money, I used what I had. I didn't bother with isolating switches etc, as the boat lives at home in my driveway, I decided to keep things simple (less to go wrong). Brian I hadn't realised that you had 'created' that particular diagram - my comment was based more on a generalisation. I have also noticed that we tend to have 'bigger' starter batteries because starting the engine is important! The reality however is that a good condition high CCA battery for the starter, and high Ah (possibly low CCA) for auxiliaries. I will also admit that I used to designate the larger battery as 'starter' for years before I thought a little more about it - both are high CCA units. This habit was partially fed by such diagrams.

am I the only one who thinks that such 'solutions' are a sledgehammer to crack a nut for our usage profiles? with the exception of just after starting the engine, if it's running I have over 14v in the circuit ie alternator output voltage so what would such a VSR do for me? going the whole hog to a smartcharging system is a different matter, and I understand the relationship between charged state and usable charge - and it's importance in cruising boats! while I'm at it I always find it amusing that these diagrams show the engine battery at a higher Ah than the ancillaries...but that's another thing entirely.

Lowrance do both HD and Broadband Radar - and have detailed explanations on their website of the two. From memory the 7200C is a Global Map unit that uses NMEA 2000 networking protocols. It should be compatible with the Lowrance LRA-1800 - HD Radar and might be compatible with their BB radar (it gets a little confusing) Whether you will need a networking hub or can connect the radome direct to the head unit will depend on what you have plugged in at the moment - ie the raydome acts as a powered network device in the same way that your GPS antennae currently does. You may need a red to blue connector or vice versa as well. Can't remember which is which. I really haven't kept up with all this over the last few years so might be way off line. What I have found is that emailing Lowrance support in the US with your question used to be a good route to clear answers. The 7200C is now discontinued and replaced with the HDS head units - but I think they retain the networking even if the plugs have changed (again!!!) Hope this helps

completely agree Chris - cost aside BB radar is a no-brainer for our type of use. btw I wasn't advocating drift fishing in fog amongst the shipping lanes (although 2 of us did wreck hop back across the channel one year starting in very poor vis but not in the main lanes!). We have had 20ft vis on the Schole more than once, and radar was great at navigating back up the drifts amongst the 20 or so boats present in the area! For some reason everyone was fishing the shallower areas generally avoided by all transiting craft!

Chris, the two technologies are so far apart that I really don't see how such comparisons are meaningful. The power consumption characteristics are a bit mis-leading - one of the key advantages is that digital radar doesn't have a Magnetron so can be powered up instantly. This is very useful in good vis if you want to check CPA of something. The other thing is that Magnetron in a small RADAR doesn't use that much of the total power consumed. The array will use a fair bit and the processing will probably use the most but the two technologies are totally different. Digital is normally more efficient but pulse is better at longer ranges. They (the digital units) will use less power overall - but it's not a factor of 10. I don't have the manual for my old JRC to hand but even at 40-50w I consider that a big drain on a small boats batteries; but insignificant relative to a powered craft with engine running. FWIW I have 300Ah total - but only 170x60%=100 free for electronics etc. As this includes the beer fridge it's guarded carefully!