Adam F

Porthcawl. - 01656 784866 Mine was

Newboy said he could get the plastic drums??... Ill try it out, just let me know when ready. Where do you plug the bilge in? Does it have a ciggie lighter on one end?

It aint' gunna be nice! - I also have today and fri booked off, but have decided to go to work instead!! The forecast is for 4-6 and sea state moderate....I owuldnt go out if I were you. The harbour will always be OK though - one of the good things about Poole. Plenty of bass, wrasse, pollock and a few flatties just inside the harbour entrance. Try this site for all weather info - its prett accurate: http://www.onlineweather.com/v4/uk/sailing/SF24.html

Jimbo & I popped out to the ledge last night - dispite met office forecasts of cyclonic winds to F8 - it was a mere 2 when we got out there. Mackerel were hard to find in the deeper water we usualy get them from - but back on the ledge we easily filled our bucket. Off to a new mark, we thought we'd try the slightly deeper water. About an hour after starting I hooked a good eel, whilst it was almost light! - unfortunalty it broke my 50lb rubbing leader on the reef below. 1/2 hour later and I'm away again on the flapper rod. This was a real beast - it ha dmy 50lb Abu locke dover solid and was taking line with the lever drag to max. I managed to get him a little way up then my leader knot gave - must learn the Uni or the SIG!! Then Im away again - this time not like a conger fight - a nice huss reaches the surface - 9lb 4oz! New PB for me! - Well impressed with the fight! About 11pm, Im off again - run no.4, got this one in, but a mere baby strap at about 15lb. Jimbo finally hooks up about midnight, but the hook pulls. We called it a night at 1pm, and had a safe run back home in strenghening winds. 'Twas a night of what could have been!

Cheeky Begger!!! Ill go and get you one tonight...Im off congering to the ledge in an hours time...how big would you like it?

http://www.onlineweather.com/v4/uk/sailing/SF24.html

Rich doing his David Bailey impression - quality shot!

Conger

Tope - good piccie Rich!

Just checked online weather and they give 5-7s all day?? Not looking good at all!

Just to add my 2 peneth worth! Was good to finally meet Coddy, what a well kitted out boat 'Sammy' is. Forecast for for WSW 3-5, so we headed out to Swanage Bay to get a few mackies, then plan was off tp the Whitehouse for Ray. Mackies came easily on BW, but Sammy struggled, so we plodded off hoping to get a dew more at the mark. Well, by now it was about 8.30am, and the wind was scarcely a F2, so I made the deciscion to head W over to the Anvil. Big tide running but slack at 12 noon. Macky a-plenty again, so 1/2 an hour and we had enough for Sammy's crew also! Anchor struggled for both boats 1st drop, but we got it right 2nd time. 4 knots of tide meant the first hour was a struggle. As the tide backed off the Tope came on the feed and Rich and I bagged 5 fish all over 20lb within 1 hour. Dead slack and I managed 2 eels to 25lb, then nowt! - strange It was now 2.30pm, and raining so we had a fun ride back in at 23knts sufring the swell all the way! Stopped at the Old Harry race as a single guy in a small blue strikeliner was playing a bass - tried to copy his fishing with live sandeels with our rubber lures - we had 10 drifts and no fish - he had 5 drifts and 4 fish - live sandeels ruled the day! Back home by 5pm. Not a red letter day, but v. enjoyable non-the-less! Cheers

Go for it Kam!, you have to put in the leg work, hard as it may be! - I looked at a few in bloody Carlise!!!! Good luck, let us know how it goes!

Nice report Alun - we must meet up and fish together in the near future?? My 165 weighs in at around 13 - 1400kgs fully loaded with 2 tanks of fuel, 2/3 crew and all the rest of the gear. I think they are 1200kg unlaiden. I pull mine with my little astra, fine on the road, baiter and good, dryish, weed free slips, but struggles at wick on a low tide - we then use James' Frontera.

As for engines, the merry fishers can run with as little as 50hp, so I would suggets possibly 60hp as a minimum, this should get it to plane, but the performance may be a little lack-lustre, I rekon something like a 90hp would give it a decent kick with anything over 100 giving serious power, and also a little in reserve, but then you start climbing up in o/b prices!

Ah! - Almost right! Glad you found it though....where the is the boat being sold? Are you considering it? It looks on par with the smaller merry fishers? At a good price also! Adam

http://www.tameside.co.uk/galeon/pg640.htm

The fun of choosing a boat!, so many needs and wants!. I went through a similar process when looking at my last boat, you really have to decide your main priorities and then look from there. I looked at Merry Fishers, and they were just within my budget, but it was too big to trail and the fishing space was smaller than the Warrior. Have a look at plenty of boats in the flesh, try and test drive a few, and write down a list of your needs from most important to least. BTW - The raider 18's can come with a cabin, they do 3/4 differant designs. The blue boat above looks like a Galia 640 to me. They are quite a new boat on the market and are available from Salterns Marina in Poole. There was a feature a few months back in Sea Angler also. Adam

Martin, Mark B wanted to come out / go out - give him a buzz?

'PBSBAC back the Poole Charter Skippers'

Cracking boat Newboy - makes sense, you could have a lovely package for little dough! Are you going to go for it?

Nice idea Paul! 'See we do back charter skippers!'

Cheers Bob and others, Ill pop down to Aladdins next week and kit myself out. I already have a set of personal flares, will probably get the coastal pack and add a floating orange smoke to it. Adam

Sun suits me fine chaps. I also wouldnt mind being in early-ish. Suggest launch at 7am, back in at 4pm latest? Weather is forecast 3-5 WSW, so it wont be lovely, but should be bearable. Coddy, meet up at the slip at 7am Sun? Adam

Boys, The weather is not looking good for Sat Force 4-6 SW. Any chance we could play Sun instead?, The forecast is for 3's dropping to 1's later in the day? I'm off to Manchester niow, will check again tonight and see what the score is. Adam