Adam F

I wont be at the pub tonight. Ive decided to reserve the brownie points. As the idea was the plan the trip over, which looks iffy, I'll stick to here and the phone. Like others I'm prepared to go at the last minute if this forecast does change, but plan B for me at the moment is leaving Sun, back Weds (or earlier if the forecast changes) my only proviso is getting a buddy boat - so who else is flexible?

With the current forecast I'm looking at leaving next Sunday and returning Weds provided the low winds hold, it's still a way off - as Charlie says it's gunna be a last minute thing I guess. Thurs not looking too bad, but I dont like the look of Fri and Sat... F5's out in the channel aint my idea of fun!

Looks great fun. I looked at one of these a few years back - it had a big petrol inboard though. The two big outboards look fine... it's not as though petrol is expensive at the moment... .... I'd fit a sail

Really not liking the way the forecast is shaping up... it's changing, but seems to be bordering on the windier side of OK.. Sun is looking ok - so might look at leaving Sun and coming back Weds...

Looking good!

Agree Duncan. Looking at Mike's model we it seems that we are dependant on that High out to the West pushing SE...

Wouldnt even bother with metcheck. I'm using: http://www.windfinder.com/forecast/alderney http://www.windguru.cz/int/index.php?sc=35647 http://www.xcweather.co.uk/ Who seem to broadly agree at the moment, that the wind will peak on Tues/Weds and then drop back but still been well into the teens over Thurs and Fri. The best solution isnt to turn the computer on until Sun - it's enough to drive you mad! The pub is 7pm at the Bakers Arms, but if the forecast stays this windy, then maybe best to postpone that too??

I agree - Poole side looks borderline, Alderney looks too windy at present. Saying that we dont get a full picture of Thurs to Sunday until the end of the weekend, so I'll just keep frustrated by checking the weather every hour until then! I'm flexible enough to leave later - up to Friday and return Weds, so that will be plans b,c and d for me. Also - every previous year we have been this coming weekend - wouldnt have gone this year! I'm sure Alun will be along soon with some PMA to cheer us up!

Go away wind.....

Looks good - lets hope we get there!

It is getting close - can hardly concerntrate at work now! Even my fathful Windguru is now showing Thurs..... looking breezly though! I'll be staying onboard, and will be taking a small honda outboard over, but dont have a tender - will probably share and moor alongside Wight Magic again as we did last year (Dave - I'll PM you) The banks are always tough.... but we have other plans - besides, there's alot more to the trip that the turbos... altough they are rather nice!

I just wish this settled weather would naff off!! Come back in two weeks please, lets have the wind and rain now please!!

Well you wrote it! All true of course.... did I ever tell you about my 20lb+ turbot that I let Dan wind in??

Very, very, very slow.... not a sniff of a bream. LSD's and a few ray saved the day. Nice to be out though - glourious tucked out of the wind and in the sun.

Last minute I know, but I'm out today with a space? Leaving PBM at 8.30, heading west for bream?

Surely it's the birth of kitten.... not a cat?!! Names? Pussygalore... Aquapussy...

Another shout for Vetus. Go for the full S/S versions. As good as they are, they are in probably the worst place to put an electrical item on a boat!

Monday it is then. 7pm at the Bakers Arms. http://www.vintageinn.co.uk/thebakersarmspoole/ Mackeral for bait could be an issue this year - they are always tough in May, but this year everything is so much later.

Lets agree to meet for a beer on either the 3rd (Bank Holiday Monday) or the 4th - Tues at the Bakers Arms at the top of the Upton Bypass then? As lasty year we can run through weather, passage plans, buddy boats and other questions etc?

Oooo! I cant wait!! As always hinges on the weather. JV has been out, all serviced and clean, a few new toys added and she's ready to go. We are having a test run out on Thurs, and then the JV Alderney crew are on annual hols abroad until May, when we get back - off we go! Alderney Angling has just started to report a few small flatties on the banks. Do we want / need to meet up for a pint and a chat at the bakers arms again like last year, or have we all got to know the ropes well enough now to just go? Also - shall we start looking at buddy boats and leaving times etc?

Looking really nice... it's great when you see them 'then right way up' for the first time. Trouble is, still many hundreds of hours of work left on her... buts thats all part of the fun! Shout if you want any help / advice. Adam

I'll just second what others have said, but without the technical info. The radar on JV doesnt get used often as 70% of our fishing is relatively close inshore and during the day... ... however for the other 30% of the time we are offshore, mid channel or out at night - then I find the radar invaluable. Put it this way, leaving Alderney last June with 70 miles to run across the channel in thick pea soup fog, the radar turned the situation from a constant worry to a minor inconvienance - 'seeing' the tankers on the radar was hugely helpful - without it, it woudl have been a very slow, long and dangerous trip back over.

Alan, It's perfect for a rag and stick! I'll take it to the next meeting on Thurs.

Ive a red A5 ships logbook here, brand new never written in. It's free to the first to shout. You'll have to collect from the next meeting, as I cant be bothered to post it. It's the pre-printed type and very detailed. I never used it as a balnk pad seems to work better on a bounching power boat at 20 knots!

Might be a bit late Graham... but if not, some advice from someone who has been through a few dive computers... Just get a Sunnto Gecko or Vyper - not expensive, bullet proof and the BIG plus point is that 90% of the divers you'll dive with will use one - the benefit? You'll all be diving off the same deco algorthim - in my experiance the Aladin's are pretty generous, so you'll oftenm have 5 mins no stop time left wilst others are heading up. The PC function to most is a gimick IMO, all you really need is depth, no stop time, maybe temp and total dive time. Unless you are deco diving, or using mixed gases the Tec 2G is an over kill. I use one, for the tec diving I do - as it suits what I need, but the buttons are small and fiddly, the screen scratches easily and the battery life poor - not like the chunky Suunto. Just my 5p worth. Adam