Bob F

Thanks for the comments, chaps. Very helpful. Tom, yes I wouldn't mind a costing for the complete set up. Send me a PM when you have the spare time. cheers BF

Are there any Do's and Don'ts to buying a seat Pedestal? What do I need to look for?? Should I get a fixed height or ajustable. Are there different types of seat mountings? Do I need to buy the seats first and then find out what type of seat mounting I'll need? On the Jeanneau boat the bucket seat had a forwards and backwards adjustment. That would be nice, but I guess it is expensive?? Any hints on the best place to purchase the pedestals and seats? cheers BF

Sorry for the delay in replying. Been away. Thanks, I think I understand now. BF

Very nice report Terry. BF

Not sure what you're describing, Gordon. Any chance of a quick sketch? cheers BF

Will do. Thanks Steve BF

Just had a word with Arnie. The deck is 5mm fibre glass with 3/4 marine ply underneath, so he said it will be no problem to install the pedestals. He adviced me to use #12 or #14 3/4" SS screws. Drill only as deep as the fibre glass. You can also drill small pilot holes in the ply if needed. Also suggested laying a bead of sikaflex to seal and secure the mounting.

Ive had another good look at the bunk construction. The wall of the bunk is just a simple sheet of flat solid fibre glass which is pasted to the deck with strips of fibre glass matting. So, it is a fairly simple job to cut along the matting to release the walls of the bunk. The seat of the bunk is an integral part of the upper boat moulding, so I will have to cut part of this out for about 2 feet. There's a strengthening strut just over two foot in, so I will leave that in place. It's all pretty simple, but the tricky bit will be matching it back in again. I also think I've decided to go for pedestals rather than seat boxes. The pedestals will give me greater flexiblility for the positioning of the seats, and gives me more room for my feet to stand infront of the wheel. Fitting a seat box would mean that the box would be just outside the coverage of the canopy (nice spot, Coddy!). Pedestal will also give more usable deck space. To compensate for the reduced storage, I'm going to fit access doors into the seat tops of the bunk. This will give easier access to the storage space under the bunk which I currently don't use much. This will also help keep the weight towards the bow which will help with the trim. My major concern now is whether the deck is able to adequately support screwing in the pedestals. How can I check this??? If the deck needs more support for the pedestal mounting how would I fit this additional support and what would I use (Marine ply??)? I will give Arnie Holt a call and ask him if the deck with be strong enough to mount the pedestals on, but would appreciate any words of advice from the forum. cheers BF

Great to know she's staying in Poole and in good hands. Was very, very tempted myself. BF

That's the best one of the lot, Steve. I'll never eat a hot dog again!!!

Hi Dan, Sorry to hear you're having a problem. If it's speed related it will be the positioning of the transducer, as the others have said. To check that it is not engine interference, rev the engine in neutral and check that the display is ok. BF

Welcome aboard Markee_b.

TCS Chandlery do a posh one for

I assume that a metal fuel tank must be earthed to prevent static build up, which could otherwise be potentially explosive if enough static charge was present to ignite the gas fumes. The earth will be connected to your batteries, which is inturn connected to your outboard and thence to the sacrificial anodes on the outboard. So, I'd say your fuel tank is protected providing you replace the anodes and ensure that the earth connections are in good order. Unlikey that plotters and FF's will turn to rust, but it could cause corrosion on the power terminals inside the units. The 12V Handbook is a good reference for Electrolysis. BF

Yes, bring them in. They will be of interest to the members. Unfortunately, I will not be able to make the next meeting. BF

What about a compromise...we'll screen Jimbob's video instead. That would make a interesting Focus Topic at one of our next meetings. It would be a good laugh at least. What about it JimBob???? I for one would like to see it. BF

Renewed by subscription to BFM last week and today I received the gift. Was expecting to get some sets of mackerel lures, but instead I got a Fladen Rig Wallet (11 leafs) and a pack of Fladden Pike lures. The lure pack consisted of: one Rapala-like 4in lure two flourescent yellow 2in jelly worms two flourescent orange 2in jelly worms two orange tailed 2in jelly worms two black tailed 2in jelly worms Mepps spinner Toby-like lure seven assorted small lead-head hooks three short wire traces with a swivel and link-swivel on the ends. Not a bad little pack for a freebee. Would be ideal for Rich's Pike forays and pretty good for bass, too. Better than the mackerel lures anyway. BF

Hi Coddy, Actually, you've made some very good points here... 1 - I noticed that the box lip was right where you stand when driving or watching and became uncomfortable on the heels This is the same problem I have got, although I thought it was because I was being pushed back onto the box by the wheel. I will have to check that when standing up my heels still do not touch the box. 2 - Boxes were too close for comfort for me, I am 6' 2" and long legged so annoying so say the least. Yes, that's why I want to move it back. 3 - The gap between the boxes was quite small, ok for me but anyone on the larger size might find it difficult and could be a safety hazzard. (just a thought) Will look at that, although the Alaska is slighty beamier than the Warrior. 4 - Advantage of boxes is extra storage but that means more weight carring around and if I had to move them back I would be sitting outside of the fishing cover. Excellent point!! Need to check that I don't move myself outside the canopy. I've taken the canopy off for the time being, so didn't notice that!! 6 - Downside cost of boxes to purchase! Cost is about he same as a Pedastal. Thanks BF

Steve, I think it's also about the leverage that a big fish can use against you. With a long rod a heavy fish can exert more leverage on your arms and back, so it's more tiring for you. BF

Yes, they could be useful for that, Terry. My Navionic XL3 chart covers Burnham, though.

Let us know what you think when you see the charts Terry. I like Navionics Gold, which is one of the reasons I chose Lowrance/Eagle. The detail and colour shading of the detpth contours is important for me. Will also be interested in the detail of the tidal information, including tidal flow. And how quick do the pages redraw (but that's more a function of the processor in the plotter). Good luck BF

Thanks for the comments everyone. Still contemplating pedestal vs box. Box gives tidier storage space. Will be a more secure foundation for the seat. Not sure how good the fixing will be for a pedastal. Pedastal will be give more deck space, but I haven't noticed this as an issue with the existing box. Knowing the way I bash things about I think I prefer the stronger fixing of the box. Pete, yes, I agree, the colour matching and getting a smooth finish will be my biggest challenge for the bunks. I'm pretty certain I want to go ahead with this, and a perfect finish will have to take second place to improved practicality and improved rides for the crew by having proper seating. I did an experiment with a temporary seat and the ride was much softer. Thanks for the offers of help. BF

OK so I got my g's and u's twisted.

Terry, If you do a search on Google for NauticPath (UK only) you will find shops selling it. This gives you details of the coverage. http://www.outboard-engines.co.uk/download/np.pdf and these guys are selling it: http://www.seamarknunn.co.uk/catalog/items/item16939.htm Haven't see it myself yet, so cannot comment on the quality. The Lowrance web site details the models that are compatible so I'm not sure all models can use this software. You'd need to check your model. BF