Adam F

@ Tom - Good news mate! @ Greg - Yep - the latter! You can sleep you you get home! After going over best part of a dozen times I NEVER got bored of this trip and am already so excited! BTW - who is planning on staying onboard? As beds on the island are tight I'm toying with the idea of staying onboard..

I'll be sneaking out midweek if anyone wants to come.

Hehe - same here Charlie - JV is sat gleaming ready for a run out, but the big tides will keep here in for another week. You fancy wrecking the week after? Would be good to buddy each other - neither of us have been out since engine work?

8 WEEKS TO GO!! Peter - we usually try to meet a week before the trip at a pub in Poole to discuss voyage plans, so dont worry we will sort something that mean's youre in company. PS - how about towing the boat down to Poole the day before?

The Lazy Line is superb - for the small boat / cuddy boat user it cant be beaten for saftey. Take up the offer of boing shown - it's hard to explain but easy peasy to do!

Unless you want to add a good few extra miles to your crossing, Charlie's suggestion of the Hurd Deeps isnt far off... your direct route over from Portland takes in quite a different route over the channel. The other option is to come down to Poole the night before?

Tomo - wont the new cat be ready in time? Peter - as others have said - it's less of a formally organised trip more of safety and more fun in numbers. You'll need to arrange your own accomidation. I expect we will meet at the Baker's Arms one Sun eve early May to arrange passage plans etc Ive not informed Braye yet - I'll drop them a line shortly just to give them the heads-up. Although as Martin said - most of us just radio in on ch16 and advise of arrival on the day. Adam

Where's Rob going to sleep then Al??! I'll stay on the boat if beds are an issue.

Continuing from Graham's theme - JV has had a well earned Spring clean and overhall the last few weeks. She had a through going over from the warrenty manager at Sunseeker on Thurs - who gave her the full works on the hull - every single nick, ding and dull was polished out of the hull and then waxed - christ she looks better than when she came out of the mould! The hull was like a mirror when he finished! Engine & leg serviced (I can throughly recommend James Haws!) 2nd seacock added, deck fillers for bait tank and deck wash relocated, engine lid refurbed (taken a hammering the past 2 years) cutting board and mount added (youve GOT to see this one... it's awesome!) Every scrap of stainless has been re-polished and all the gel has had the same - she looks great! Roll on the spring and our shakedown trip for Alderney!

She looks well kitted out now Graham! Nice one...

Mike - Dont forget we will be in Alderney in a few weeks and can bring anything you buy back??

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