Adam F

Nice one Fred! Brightened my day! BTW: Jimbob had a crazy light experinace last year when we saw flashinglights in the sky off Christchurh ledge and he hadnt been smoking!

Yep.

....indeed - during my DSC VHF course last year this is what you are taught - a passage plan must be used for each and every journey. I feel however it is a bit like when you are taught to 'check' your car each trip when you do your driving licence - how many of us check the tire wear for instance. I feel once again common sense previals. My passage plan only ever involves letting the CG know my boat name, time of leaving, rough idea of what I am doing (ie fishing in Poole Bay) and an ETA. They are ALWAYS grateful for this as it is there job to do so and is likey to save alot of time and money should an emergancy situaton involving you every occur. Adam

Martin, Sometime in the next month (feb) would be a good idea - its about the quietest month of the year all round. It was a great success and both new and current members will learn alot. Running with the current theme - even in a large 25' + boat using the stern cleat really isnt nessasasry if you use the correct procedure and rig the anchor correctly - when stuck in the wreck a few weeks ago it was scary how quick the tide whipped BW around when the warp tightened - like a big elastic band. Maybe we can firm a date at next weeks meeting? Adam

.....What banner?......

Seen this also today. It seems that the new Raider business, keen to increase sales, market postion etc are now importing these from Poland. Correct me if I'm wrong - but these are basically a Quicksilver 640 that has been fitted out slightly differently and re-badged. Looks OK, if thats your bag - a small business set up not 5 miles from my house in Parley about 6 months ago - Texas boats distributer, on the site of an old Texaco station - spend thousands on fancy premesis etc - 5 months later they were gone not surprisingly. I had a look around them one day and the build quailty was not quite what I would expect - OK, but a little shabby and they had the feel of a 'production line' boat. Why? You fancy downgrading Duncan!

'Do you think we need to get a ticket if we park here?'

....just to add to Gordons advice - once you have swung on the slack, you will now be anchored away from the wreck, BUT when you come to retreave the anchor you will have to steam TOWARDS the wreck to get it out - risking dragging it into the steel. Adam

Jack to Andy - 'Did you say you had a shower this morning?'

Tom, This happens on BW - when the engine is trimmed tight the noise is very pronounced - as you said the mearest touch moves it way and the noise goes - I do this as goo practise anyway as it gives the engine a 'buffer' zone. Adam

Sorry Duncan - of course you would have been made more than welcome - its not that I like them to myself, more that 1.) the wreck was small - only 100' in length making dual anchoring tricky 2.) We we anchored slap bang in the middle and 3.) He didnt even have the courtesy to radio me on 16 and ask if I minded or what my intentions were. Yes, the bar was v. shallow - going out I advise to keep you waders AND a lifejacket on - this way you can hop over the side and pull the boat without too much trouble, but beware the strongly ebbing tide - hence the lifejacket. Coming in, we had the rollers to, but I kept up a decent speed - 10 knots + and tilted the engine at the last minute, our momentum carried us in easily and stopped the waves brouching BW.

needs to be smaller - reduce it to 80x80 pixels and it will work. adam

Low tide was 9.30am at Mudeford this morning, so we figured that a nice early 7.30am launch would put us through the entrance before the bar got too shallow. On arriving though this seemed way out, as the LW rollers broke over the sandbank - with the only other option waiting until lunch time we went for it and hurryed to launch BW and Splash-Out. Everyone seemed surprised, and when Paul D rung with events over at Emsworth it seemed the tide had caught not just us. The bar was mega shallow and even at 1 knot with the prop dipping in and out we crunched the bottom several times - BW's keel taking a battering again.... Once out though a gorgeous sunny crisp winters morning greeted us on our long steam South the find new lumps of wreckage. The first wreck was not at the numbers we were given, but a 10 minute grid search unviled the beast of the deep. I must admit to anchoring a little far uptide this time after the events of the previosu week - this left us a little too far from the wreck with a dying tide - and after only a couple of weak bites we tucked into bacon and egg chiabattas. A MK1 Mitchell turned up and proceed to try and fish the same wreck - he even waved! Cheeky b***std. I would have been more annoyed but it wasnt fishing and we were moving anyway, so we shot of to the next target. Again we had to search this one out, but once we did a lovely big beast of a wreck loomed. Once anchored it was apparent we were too close, so take 2 - perfect, and eels from the off, but each one became snagged on debris off the bow of the wreck, so third time lucky and a good 400 yards up tide we settled again. Eels were plentiful, but getting them out of the steel almost impossible so after loosing over 20lb of lead we gave up and came back 5 miles closer. This time much better and in under 2 hours Gordon and I had over 20 eels - all peas in the proverbial pod at 20-30lb but good fun and saved the day! A great run back at 20 knots with the sea off the stern and back on the slip for 4pm - phew! Knackered now!! It seems others faired OK??..... Adam

Kam, You need an Almanac of the area - the Bill is unique in that as you correctly state it sticks out so far and you have two converging tide flows from each side. The Almanac will show you the tide flow, direction and strength - if you apply this to the tides in the harbour you should get somewhere handy - however..... I have tried many times and now as long as I have an idea I just go with the flow - last year whilst drifting for bass, we were drifting at 5 knots whilst less than 100 yards away in an eddy our buddy boat was stationary!! The local's and skippers will have it sussed and may be able to help - but the almanac is your best bet. Adam

Hi Reg - we have been out today - 15 miles offshore in 150' - tides were small and we needed 2.5lb of lead in the middle of the tide - if this gives you an indication, as Charlie says on a big tide you have no chance. If you fancy a crack at the Bass, maybe I could organise a small trail-away (I am the club's trailer commadore) to Weymouth - 30 mins up the road (west) the bassing is good here and the members love it. we drift the Portland Race, not for th feint hearted as big overfalls and lots and lots of tide - fishing live joey mackerel or sandeels... Of not we could escort you over to the Isle of Wight where the bassing is also similar. Nearer the time we can speak on the phone and sort out some firm plans. Adam

Nice one Paul - 20 knots here you come!!! I will be v. interested in the Etec's as I will consider one on the replacement boat this year. Would have to dissagree - BW's Mariner has had 2 serviecs now by Select Marine, 1 each year....the 1st was

Whilst on this subject - I needed to replace BW's anchor as it got left in a big lump of steel 15 miles south of Hengistbury head a few weeks ago...... Xchurch boat shop had them on offer when I called up last week - 19.99 - bargin methinks....but they soon as well be bl***dy FREE if they arnt in stock as I told the bloke! Cherries Chandlers in Moordown (next nearest to me) had them....

Jimbob runs a 70hp Susi and IMO runs like silk, I havent used it myself enough to establish whether it has thisor not - however as jimbob runs it WOT 100% of the time I wouldnt know!! Seriosuly, my 60hp Mariner on my 165 has this about 4500rpm, it doesnt vibrate as much but the engine pitch goes noticebly louder - a slight reduction either up or down cures it. If it were me I would post on the World Sea Fishing Forum - a couple of the guys have 165's with 70hp susi's. Failing this - go back to Warrior - it doesnt sound right to me. Adam

Jack - I probably shouldnt say this, but we have never had a problem in 4 years anchoring xchurch ledge. If your anhor is tripped properly then it shoudl always turn and ping out - therefore I use my best anchor on the ledge. The only trouble I have ever had in either getting the hook caught in pots / pot lines or like last weekend in a wreck (like we did!) Adam

Re. cheap anchor: - 1' - 1.5' of scaffold tube. - Drill a hole in one end and attach a 'D' shackle for your chain/rope - The other end drill two holes at right angles through both sides - so you have 4 holes in total. - buy 2 lengths of threaded bar from a ironmongers or builders merchant - insert the two bars into the holes to make a 'cross' - secure then each side with a pair of nuts - bend at 45 degs (ish) - voila - a cheap disposable anchor costing no more than

Mad Miller

Nope - it's John C's boat, but I dont know the name....Ill have a look....

Paul, Cod picture uploaded - size and date is in the file name. Good feature - do they just appear on the list or do they popluate another page? Adam

Its becoming an almost daily occurnace this!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY ! Jack Have a good'un! Adam

Jack - It is when you turn your PC on, and come to this site - it appears logged on straight away, so ou dont have to enter you name and pass word each time, just a little feature that makes life easier...if you follow BB drivers advice above yours will do too! Adam