Adam F

Can I bring the new axle back? I'm in Essex for the next two days, and Mersea trailers are only 5 mins from my depot in Colchester? Let me know ASAP.

Awesome! What an experience, and well done George.

And how it looks after a few hours ripping out.. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

Its going to get worse before it gets better.... The list of shocking things I find grows by the minute. This boat really was built by a blind guy in a rush! Take a look at the pics.... Cardboard used as a gap filler, shoddy electrical connections, the metals strip used to hold the whole cooker in place, steaming lights attached to bits of broom stick with silicone, the throttle control with m8 bolts on m6 studs..... I won't go on! Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

No going back now! Hats off to Percy at Elvey Transport, he earnt his money today. JV was huge on the back of his 8 wheeler, but the narrow lanes of Dorset were only the start. Reversing into my lane with only 2" to spare between buildings was the next stage, and then craning it over a grade II listed building and wall into the drive. Anyway, she's back and work has begun in earnest! I only had a few hours on her this afternoon, but managed to strip out the galley,fridge, helm and roof lining. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

Awesome! Good skills buddy.

Try hydrofoils? Works for Manta?! :-)

As you've seen very much down to personal preference. I've had a wooden Martini, great knife, but I was gutted when it bounced over the side... £40 gone. My fav has been the Storm yellow handled ones but they aren't made any longer. For me it's not always about how sharp but how they feel. Al like them long and bendy, il like them short and stiff, more like a boning knife. I know have a collection in my box and use all of them. Buy a selection and don't spend a fortune would be my advise. Btw. My 'kitchen' filleting knife is a storm knife... I sharpen it with one of those pull through worlds best sharpener type jobbies.

So haulage date set for 4th Oct. Then it all ready kicks off! Finished the CAD design for the refit to give me a reference last night. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I know bigger is usually better... But these screen shots came off the sub £100 units currently on JV I'm tempted to go with these 600w unit and upgrade if needed? Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

This is what Garmin recommend for the new package on JV, however at close to £1k I'm wondering how much better it will be over a 600w unit for a tenth of the price? Any of you guys running a 1kw transducer?

Thanks mate, in no rush.

I'm after a small amount of scaffolding fittings to borrow for a few months when JV comes home. Ive got a stock of poles but the fittings and brackets I had all rusted. Does anyone have a small selection I can loan? Thanks

I need to organise some half sleepers, 12x12" etc for when JV comes home in a few weeks so that I can choc her up. I'll need to borrow them for about 5/6 months max (I hope!) Does anyone have a stash I can borrow?

Another day, another mould! This time is grp battery boxes. We have big 210ah units x2 on JV so off the shelf ones won't do. These are just basic boxes but 2 moulds are needed as the lid needs to be slightly bigger than the base to over fit. I'm also learning as this project goes on and this time I'm using melamine board for the mould as it will give a better finish than mdf. I'm also doing the corner fillets properly with plasticine this time, and wondering why I haven't used it before, easy to use and give a super finish. Haulage contractor coming tomorrow to work out how we get JV into my driveway. Looking at bringing her home mid oct, when the major works will start. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Loads on eBay. Just keep an eye on there and you'll have a deal. I picked up an as new Seago one 2.4m for £210 a few weeks back.

Finished the swim platform and cockpit mould today. Swim platform has been flow coated underneath and had the 2" rubber fender added. This gets an Ali plate inside it to ensure it stays flat when bolted and doesn't kink. The cockpit mould will get bolted from inside above the door in the cockpit and houses a 8" sonar to watch wrecks and banks whilst fishing. Next job is to sort the engine box and build new GRP battery boxes. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

Rob Francis looks after the distribution of them, you have to take the whole lot, not just a mould or two at a time. Ive got the cannon balls at the moment and I'm away until the weekend. I can try and get them back to Poole over the weekend?

Went past you twice during the day waving both times... You just stared at us! grumpy gut we all thought! :-))) not sure if you recognised the new boat?

Done

Same here, a massive well done to Sam, it's about time we had a junior section, and I love the way it's been done to not make it too competitive or pressured, lots of prizes etc.... Just what is needed to get them off the computers and out out fishing. Was gutted that we ran out of time and couldn't make the BBQ yesterday, little Reuben's face when I showed him the picture Sam text me of his prizes... Well it was fantastic. When I asked him if he wanted to do the same again next year.... Yes! Was the answer... 'But next time I'll win' LOL! So much for not being too competitive!

More progress again this week in the evenings. I've laid up the mould for the deck mounted sonar, and popped it out on Thurs. A quick buff up and polish and it's ready to go. Now just need to template the complex bulkhead it's going to fit to, scribe and cut to fit and fabricate some hidden brackets so it fits flush and secure. A few new toys also arrived this week, and give clarity to the electronics package. We are going for a full Garmin set up using the Garmin Marine Network, which is an Ethernet based package and will allow full integration of the 3 screens and auto pilot. The main helm will get a pair of 12" units, the deck gets a 8" touch screen. The GMR18 HD radar arrived today. Just a transducer, black box and the autopilot to source now. I've also decided to bring JV home for the main winter fit out. I will save so much time not having to commute 50 mins to do the work and have a fully kitted, heated workshop at home which will speed things up immensely! Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

http://news.sky.com/story/1320251/man-rescued-trying-to-sail-to-us-in-300-dinghy Oh dear.....

Sobering indeed. Whilst a slightly older boat, I think she was a 33' Lochin, so more than sea capable. So it was either exceptionally rough or another fault caused her to wallow? One of the older dive charters I used to use out of Plymouth, sunk in a similar way a few years back. A corroded sea cock caused water ingress and the bilge pump and alarm had failed... All happened on a rough day, loaded with divers, not he way back she rolled more than normal, took on a wave and sunk within minutes. The crew couldn't even make the liferaft... Luckily most onboard were divers dressed in dry suits.

Bit more progress again this week, the 8" touch screen for the deck mounted sonar and plotter arrived so I've been busy building the mould for it, will start laying it up over the weekend.