Adam F

Belated happy returns Dean (my turn in 3 weeks! )

Very good news, if it did take a while in coming! Congrats Pat & Lyle.

How many boats have you had now mark?!! That doesnt look like the last one I saw? Lovely fish - well done!

I'm planning a run down to the Shambles as a shake-down for Alderney. When? I'll keep an eye on Deepsea before I make a call - but I suspect early / mid April. March? If a period of high pressure co-incides with a small tide - I'll go wrecking for Conger.

Can you ask him if he can have all this scaffolding back that is sat here in my garden!! Would be good to have you back Rich.

Agree with Graham above. Lets be sensible with this - catching, selling and eating fish isnt wrong - provided it's done sustainablly, which IMO Les does. Have you had any applicants Les? If you can provide a company car, private healthcare, 25 days full paid holiday a decent bonus scheme and match my current salary... I'll gladly take the job!

Glad the business is going well Les. I'm sure you'll find someone - especially in this market?

once upon a time it was just difficult to keep up to date with the fishing arrangements - we are all going to need a little 'card' reminding us where we are supposed to be and when! no doubt someone will turn up at the Moorings with their tope gear - at about the same time someone else arrives at Speedy Rock - freshly showered and shaved I also predict the usual suspects (JV and Wight Magic) pushing our luck for a last gasp pollock on the nannels at 7.10pm when dinner is booked for 7.30pm!

Good work Terry. Just to let you know Ive booked the weather today - Ive gone for F2 most of the trip with a spot of F1 mixed in - sunshine and blue skys. Hope this is OK for everyone?

Plenty of info here: http://www.harbourguides.com/harbours.php/Cherbourg/marinas

The wreck cant be that deep - the divers arent kitted out for anything much deeper than 40m. Edit: Just looked, a mate of mine has dived it - 40m to the wreck, 57m to the sea bed, sits 5 miles out of Cherbourg.

There is now!! My main dilema is how balance out fish in the hold vs. wine and beer from France!

Going with a charter is great - it's a proper holiday - chill out, relax, fish - let the skipper and crew do the hard work. Going with a charter enables you to glean alot of info, esp. from someone like Rob - get a feel for the island and the fishing from a big fast, stable boat - leanr about the tides, races, dangerous areas, best times and tactics etc... Going solo - is also superb - a real sense of adventure, a real challange - your on your toes for 4 days - you need to think all the time about the tides, weather, timings and tactics. It is VERY tiring - very... in fact I always book the day after we get back off work - I'm shattered! So - both have merits it depnds on what you want out of it. As CC says - the weather will probably make the call for you - but of course you need to make your gamble before the weather does!

Thanks everyone. Hope this is now right: 1st Alfie - 25lb 8oz 2nd Colin F - 22lb 3rd Mike 02380 - 18lb 1oz 4th Alun J - 18lb 4th Dave Evans - 18lb 6th Live Baiter - 12lb 8oz 7th Pete Russell - 8lb 5oz 8th Nige - 6lb 3oz 9th James P - 3lb

1) Colin Francis - 22lb 2) Mike 02380 - 18lb 1oz 3) Dave Evans - 18lb 4) Toby Randle - 12lb 8oz 5) Pete Russel 8lb 5oz 6) Nigel Allen - 6lb 3oz 7) James parker - 3lb Is that better? I'm just doing the trophies and npticed I hadnt summarised the results for this comp. If your not on here - you didnt book your cod in!

Final Results for the records. 1) Toby Randle - 12lb 8oz 2) Mike 02380 - 18lb 1oz 3) Nigel Allen - 6lb 3oz 4) James parker - 3lb 5) Pete Russel 8lb 5oz 6) Colin Francis - 22lb 7) Dave Evans - 18lb

Booking ahead is actually a really good idea - should be nominate Terry as the offical food booking officer? This saves the usual (and it's usually me!) chat and confusion on the 2nd day afternoon on Ch6 whilst drifing the banks trying to organise where we are eating, who is eating and then trying to ring and book! Shall we then book both the Maris and the Moorings before we go?

One of my fav moments of each trip is the 1st night in the Maris... It's not the best place on the island - it's smokey and dark and cramped - but it adds to the experiance! Each time it reminds me of the first time in there back in 2007 - the food is pretty good and it's great when we all get crammed in there with the fire on after a long day crossing the channel... the first pint doesnt touch the sides, the second quenches the thirst and by the 3rd dinner is ready... and after a monsterous bowl of fishermans soup, followed by a well hung pepper steak (and several more beers!) bed seems like heaven..... ....until the next morning when we get up and do it all again! Can you tell I cant wait!

Re. food and drink - on the last trip we broke the tradition of going to the Maris Hall for the 1st night.... crap fishing then ensued for 3 days... I wont be making that mistake again! Maris Hall all the way for the first night - well hung pepper stakes, fishermans soup and mountains of Guiness all the way!

Sorry Kev - cant resist!.... will you be able to climb out of Braye Harbour with your dodgy hips?!?! We'll look after you mate!

Interested in no.10 - planer thicknesser. Not even sure what they cost new. I'll PM you re. a price. Adam

Whilst it is possible (anything is possible!) this is a BIG trip for an 18' Raider. Tom is right - the sea mid channel isnt worse than the bay... often - in fact the sea is different - less choppy like the coastal waters can be, bigger longer seas. The sea conditions around the island are usually dictated by the tide anyway. Regardless of sea conditions - the saltly old sea dogs always state you cant beat LOA (length overall) when at sea for good sea keeping. It is a 4 hour crossing in a single run assuming you can cruise at 15 knots - often you cant... coming back on the 2nd trip last year it was a lovely day but the tide put up a nasty sea and we had 2 hours of 10-12 knots MAX... not fun! Ive also come back in a F5/6 westerly... not fun! Saying that Ive also run back over at 25 knots on a sheet of glass!! My point it this is very variable! Fuel is an issue for the outboard boats - there is no marina in Alderney, you moor on swinging moorings - no fuel in the harbour - you need to walk or taxi into town to the petrol station. Tomo did it last year - so it's possible but another consideration. Hope this doesnt sound like nagging - but have a good think before you take an 18' Raider on a 350 mile round trip across the channel. Give me a call if you want more info. Adam

Harbour lights booking form Terry B Martin B Dean B Adam F Rob F Alun J

U should have shouted up in any other business at the end of the meeting! That is cheap money for that set-up!

Ah - but if you skive off for a few hours they all can see where you are!! I'm just lucky Ive got 'customers' in the area!!