Adam F

Anyone know a good source for cheap Rapala lures? I use them hardly ever, but need to get a few, and begrudge paying

Bought BFM and Sea Angler today. Was looking forward to the new look SA - as I have found it dull, and a waste of money the past 6 months - this month was to be the last chance. I found it worse than ever! A cheap tacky rig wallet (how many of these have I had in the past year??!!) A bigger mag - yes, but just hundreds more bl&^dy adverts! Apart from the Mike Ladle interview - total tosh....wont be buying it again. BFM - good as usual! - What about the 100lb + eagle ray! - WOW, what a catch, just a shame the guy had to kill it for the sake of fame?...

Personally I see the VHF as one of the main pieces of safety kit on your vessel. Really it is the ONLY contact you have back to land. Some days it is rather comforting to hear other users, the coastguard and the met office weather over the radio - it reminds me that help is only a button away. Bob F has an old, dodgy unit and has terible problems transmitting (sorry bob!) IMHO I would try and make the cost saving elsewhere and buy a new, UK, legal, fully functioning unit. The Navman DSC can now be found for under

Kam, I should be able to make next Tues if you want a hand?

Blinkin' 'orrible!!!! Just got back from Bognor Regis this morning, and popped into Hayling Island on the way home. Wind was savage, and sea v. rough! Id think carefully before launching tomorrow. If it helps, Im free Friday either to help or tag along - was going to take BW out. Forecast is for winds at least until Weds / Thurs.

Thanks Alan - Just coming to the end of one now - so Ill get driling!

They dont list Poole or Christchurch then????

Cant find any info on the UK???...all USA?

Cheers mike - Ill drop em round with the trailer board and the silicone. Ill PM you later in the week.

Last year I splashed out and bought a REALLY expensive set of chefs knives for the kitchen. When I bought them they were like razor blades - but after 6 months they are blunt as anything. I have tried a steel (both steel and ceramic) an oil stone, and my bench grinder (softlly) but still cannot get a proper sharp edge... Any ideas?

Duncan, If you have contacts in Burnham - maybe I could organise a verses match? PBSBAC go to Bristol and fish again them, and then the return leg in Poole / Weymouth? Have you got any contact details you could let me have?

Thanks for the advice Duncan. I think ill just keep my eyes open and see what is available for a while. Food for thought though!...

BW's old engine, was on carbs and suffred the same problem. This is just a standard trait with 4 stroke carbed engines - and is nothing to worry about.

Nice one Duncan! The Bramber's are quality and you wont be dissapointed. Just need the boat now! - Have you decided yet?

Is it worth me looking at one for me 60?

Its great fun innit!!! Most of us went through a very similar process, asking as many opinions as possible to satisfy the niggling doubts in your mind! Go with what YOU think is best. The explorer is a great boat, the predator looks good also, but is a good price. Make a list of what you really want from a boat and see how they all compare. .....(playing devils advocate!)....how about a Raider 16'

WOW!!!! Whipped the new prop off this morning, and bolted the old 13" jobbie on. Anyway, sat in the office workign with it lashing with wind and rain outside, and curiosity got the better of me (impatient more like) so in a rash decision, BW was soon hooked up and Im off to Wick to test her out. What a difference!! So much snappier on the throttle, she now surges at even the slightest touch of the throttle, snappy hole shot - AND.......I stopped at 27 knots, as I scared myself! The harbour in xchurch was deserted due to the F6 SW and rain, even so it was pretty damn choppy. I opened her up to about 5250 RPM, and at normal tilt (down) she hit 27 knots. I reckon 30 will be a possibility with 6000 rpm and the engine tilted! This was also the 1st time Ive been to sea completely alone. I wore a jacket of course and took the aux engine - but its a strange feeling being out at sea all alone! There was a huge swell running and it wasnt too nice - hengistbury head gave a little bit of shelter, so I only stayed out for 1/2 an hour playing in the waves!!! Anyway im deleriously happy with the new engine and the way she performs!!

No I havent weighed BW. The spec sheet from Warrior gives the 165 at 1200kgs. I carry quite a bit of kit on mine, but try not to overload it, so I reckon on BW being between 1200 and 1400kgs. Duncan, have you tried looking through the trailer section on boats and outboards?

The Explorer is a 165 equivelent - they dont do a 150 type boat. I think the package weight of a 165 is about 1200kg.

Duncan, Detective??....maybe!, saw the Laguna in the drive, saw it was Bristol, saw it was a 15' fishing boat...with no engine, and saw the engine was a Suzuki!! On the trailer front: As the Explorer is basically a Warrior - you MUST make sure you get a 32 roller trailer. Warrior WILL ONLY guarentee their boats on these. This is because a trailed boat takes a lot of strain whilst on the road, the 16 extra supports cradle the boat far better and spread the load - but have a word with Explorer and see if they echo this. This would then be the indespension roller coaster - about 1200 quid methinks. Also, the whole package will weigh more than 750kgs - the legal weight for an unbreaked trailer - so you MUST go braked. Also using the Laguna, you wont feel the boat when trailering with a braked set-up. Crayside have a trailer sales section, sometimes roller coasters crop up here. Hope this helps? Adam

I like to use : http://www.onlineweather.com/v4/uk/sailing/SF24.html It is always a little over pesimistic, and I reckon about 90% accurate (pretty good for a weather site!) anyway, as they usually err on the side of caution if it looks good enough on here, it is usually good enough at sea. As MM said wind direction is paramount. Living a reasonable distnace from the sea myself, I only go when I KNOW I can get out!!

Interesting!!!! I have a 48 73138 A40 14P on the new engine which according to the link you posted is a 10 1/4 x 14 pitch. The prop form the old 50hp is the same as the one you have, so I have 1" extra pitch on the new prop....the plot thickens. I can get about 5250 Rpm at the moment on the engine which has done 3 hours, so I rekon that the smaller prop would give me WOT 6000 rpm... I think Ill whip the new prop off and try the old one - if it works, when Tony comes back Ill exchange the new prop for a 13 pitch, and then Ill have 2, 1 as a spare.

I have one of these : http://www.icpsolar.com/specifications.php3?id_article=10 Fitted into a slot on the Tonneau cover on BW. It plugs into the ciggie port and just drip feeds the 2 x batts while not in use. Does it work?....well I always have full battery power when I go out!

Duncan, Only you know what you really want - if you have done the groundwork - go with your instinct. Explorer have been around for at least a few years now, they get good press and are almost identical to the 165. If the boat is a few weeks late, then its not too big a deal......go for it!! and good luck! BTW - is this yours by any chance??... http://www.boatsandoutboards.co.uk/view/F45778/

I think I have to agree with Maverick - all the symptoms I mentioned yesterday are the same..... Tony is on holiday now for 3 weeks - will I be able to run the engine easy until then without any problems?? Coddy what prop do you have?? The engine comes with a free 20 hour service. The engine, gearbox and hydrolic oil is all changed and the engine is plugged into the computer via the ECU to check its performance. If I go to Tom, what will a nw prop cost me? If I wait until Tony comes back wil he change the prop FOC??