Adam F

Father's Day..... I am tempted by an early start means a hangover.... Ill pass, maybe an eve trip next week?

Great news martin - back over next weekend then! But at 30 knost this time! It's always a big relief when the problem gets sorted with a small big... engines can be expensive things and the sinking feeling you get when it starts playing up aint nice....esp 60 miles from home.

ah ha!.... but I am planning to fish this one!

Thanks for the report Martin - a bit of a baptism of fire for your first channek crossing eh? Well done though - I must admit I was envious all weekend of you guys, esp when Duncan cut me short Sat morning to net a turb!! Bad news on the engine, I hope she can be sorted without too much pain....

My first trip for a good few weeks, and boy was it good to be out! A stunning windless morning with a warm sun on our backs as Alun J and I made our way out of the run at 6.30am and pointed the bows south - 26 miles to go.... A smooth easy run all the way out was marred when we hit the 20 mile mark and dense sea mist enveloped us Long story short - fishing was slow, 4 pollock and 2 cod aboard OotB best pollock and cod both 10lb. Water was still quite murkey with May Water which may not have helped, and tides were pretty small - fasted drift was 2 knots all day. A slower more cautious run home saw us back on the slip for 6pm. The new Navman Fuel computer was ace!! We covered 78 miles, used 58 ltrs of fuel - superb, even better than the old boat. I also discovered that the most economical cruise is 20-22 knots - at 3500rpm this gives 15/16 ltrs per hour

Up with the early bird and you'll be OK - b4 7am should be fine, I think he arrives about 8-9am...

Please book me in on OotB. Thanks

HI Alan, Who are you insured with that they wont extend cover? Im with Porthcawl and they didnt even want extra to cover further..... Seems strange to limit you to just 12 nm?

Burnham have their 'Plaice Chase' at Weymouth next w/e, so I'll be in contact with a view to getting them down later in the year. Weather looks good for the w/e though - esp. Sunday!

QW have been as competitive as anywhere in the past for many club members - Rob, make sure you mention to Pete Trew that you are a PBSBAC member - he'll look after you.

I dont fly out until the Monday.....

Absolutely, agree 100%.... although a 50mm tube type reflector over on a 30deg heel shows 0% relfection so doesnt improve safety and therefore isnt worth having. If you think about it, I rekon our small boats spend at least 50% of thier time at 20 degs or more even on a flat day. ...its a good excuse for upgrading to a cat though! The octeheddrals (sp) seem the best perforamnce to value ration - but just look so bloomin ugly...and being a 'boat tart' that just wont do. I wonder if they still perform well enclosed in a platic or grp sheath?

Thanks Pete - very helpful and not too technical. As I suspected - the tube type reflectors are a waste of time and like you if I fit one, it would be the tri lens STD. I wonder what the RNLI's stance would be on reflectors given this report? For a small boat (under 16') I cant see that the bigger reflectors are even an option, hence why the tube type units were/are poplular (plus they are cheap) now is seems a bulky expensive unit is the only viable option??

7lb I heard...

Its a good point Mike and with such a large and varied club water and such a range of boats in the club one could argue that even in a gale, there will be somewhere fishable. A chat with Pete Russel Snr (Whistler) the previous safety officer wouldnt be a bad idea. Personally for my boat, the worst wind is a SW, giving very little shelter at either Poole or Christchurch once a few miles offshore and anything over a F4 would keep me in, SE is similar. Anything with a N in it is slightly better and Xchruch ledge would be OK in a 5. As a ball park Id say a F4 is on the edge and a F4-5 is the max Id run a comp in.

The key issue is that the unit is fitted to be on when the engine is - so wired through the ignition. This way the unit only runs calculations when you are using fuel so no false calculations.

Hi Max, Im sure we can kit you out - you have a PM. Adam

Probably a bit of both in all honesty - arrived today was my new Navman 3100 Fuel Computer - Basically even though I have fitted a new sender to OotB's tank, which works wonderfully, when underway the sender has a tendancy to bounce a little which is reflected on the gauge and also when she comes onto the plane I 'loose' about 1/4 of a tank.... Whilst this is OK for short range trips where I know I have brimmed the tank beforehand, longer range trips where I may be running within 1/4 of a tank on the way back I felt I needed more / better / acurate info. It set me back

http://www.lidl.co.uk/uk/home.nsf/pages/c....ad&ar=6&nf=True From the 10th May - a few real bargins I thought?

Would have usually been delighted Jas, but wedding fever has taken over now until June. Best of luck if you get out. I'll try and bring a few marks along tonight.

Pete, Yes thats exactly why I havent fitted one yet - a small boat will constantly be heeling over, even more than 10degs - and it shows a 0.1m sq reflection what use is that?? The pole idea is OK, but I want a perminant solution that will work underway - I'm not convinced a ochtehedral (sp?) on a pole would like sitting in a flagstaff at 40 knots!! Looks like the Sea Me is the way to go - but as always with decent safety kit it costs an arm and 2 legs...

Sounds a good idea - worth trying. I'm looking for more of a perminant solution that looks half decent as opposed to having broom sticks poking up all over the place though. My idea is to replace my anchor light with a light on a 600mm SS tube, this will then give a mounting place for a tube reflector - and still be in keeping with the lines of the boat. But is it worth it for 2 sq M? Paul - I will be interested in the report, but in reality there are so few reflectors on the market will it really tell us something we dont know?

Thanks Pete, This was one of my largest areas of contention when Mike did my SEA check last week. IMO the tube (MOBRI) type reflector is the only real option for small cuddy boats, they are also the only asthetically realistic - however the small one gives a puny 2m2 - as you say the bigger Echomax style units are not practicle and whilst the Sea Me unit is small, its bloody expensive! I know something is better than nothing....but?????

Have a good one Billy mate - 'appy birfday! Regards Adam

You need a new cooker Gord - on OotB we manged several sets of bacon and egg baps and hot tea in between fish - the old cooker working fine.