great white

Well Done both of you Some nice fish to start the season on your favorite bank and a couple more species for the boats list Charlie

They did last week, but only small fish compared to at Christmas. Charlie

Good luck with that Graham will free up some more funds for visits to Peters shop. Charlie

Go to the dolphin bank area, its usually loaded with them , he should get enough for the whole class. Charlie

Its a bit of personal choice really I use the 10.4" lowrance combo unit. Which has since been replaced by the HD unit. Easy to use as I had lowrance before and I like the extra features a combo unit gives like recordable sonar info. I also like the navionics gold chartography that is uses. I have always had seperate units before and thought it would only be time before I found budget to add a seperate fish finder, but after 4 years and a lot of fishing I still have not had to. One downside is it is not easy to turn the transducer off when drift fishing in shallower water. Charlie

I have just copied this from another Forum and would like to wish Dave luck with this project. The Club has enjoyed good press with the BFM over the years I am sure many of us would like to say congratulations to Dave Barham. Good luck Boat Fishing Monthly magazine ANNOUNCEMENT! Hi everyone. It's been a bit quiet on here and the BFM website for while now. There's a good reason for this - I had been in talks with the owners of BFM about taking the magazine on as my own business. Well, I've just taken a call from my solicitor to inform me that we have exchanged contracts and I am now the owner of Boat Fishing Monthly magazine. It's going to take a few weeks, but as soon as I'm back up to speed there will be regular updates on this page and the BFM website. Thanks for all your support - I intend to make BFM an even bigger and better publication!

I believe that 7 and 9 may be the same My crew will be Dan, Gordon and Nigle, which will fill us up nicely, but leave a space in reserve for Sam, should the Navy change his ships program at the last minute to let him join us. Bring it on [Oh and some nice calm weather] Charlie

Nearly opened youself up to a mean comment or two there Nigle. But would not like to kick a mate when he is down.

found out yesterday afternoon that the yard had not done my trim tab anodes as requested. grabbed new before the shop shut and went to do them this morning, stainless bolts into aluminum anodes which had corroded solid - to the point that you could not get the allen key in! half an hour to find some electrikery then half an hour upside down with angle grinder, safety glasses misted up, in wind and rain down the back of the neck to get the old ones off, 2 mins to get the new on, cut em off and replace. boats who would have em! good luck and hope it goes better than the above I'm confused - it is normal to use stainless bolts to secure anodes (aluminium or zinc) to steel; do I take it your trim tabs are aluminium (which would make sense re the bolts but less with regard to the anodes ) Fairy normal to fit hull anodes with mild steel fixings , but Stainless ones are available. All the shaft anodes I have used, have had stainless machine screws. The ones on my volvo leg are a right mixture, they use stainless bolts passing throgh the moulded zinc anode [which probably has a stainless plate moulded inside] these bolts then go into the Alluminium sterndrive unit. Just add salt water [hard not to when afloat most of the year] and this combination ensures that the sacrificial anodes need replacing often, I wonder if that is why they are made this way. Charlie

Graham All of my planning boats had Car radio's in them and they seemed fine, after all the boats only get moderate seas before needing to be slowed to suit the weather. It is the fitted CD players that seem to pack up quickly due to the damp. Alfresco's only survived about 18months. I think just a radio with a connection to an ipod or smart phone is better than a CD/radio Charlie

Some of the more well off Yachties at work use it, they report good results It sure adds a shine to their boat hulls, but I am not sure how it compares with others Charlie

Well done stu keep on racking up the species and enjoyng your fishing Charlie

Martyn I never leave my warp on the front when recovering with my alderney ring, I leave it attached to the side cleat and release it from the bollard and bow roller, the boat drifts away and turns away [At slack water I motor backwards to achieve this] from the warp and then I drive around it, then into tide to recover. I know that not all boats have the cleats to do this [mine was built strong in this area for this use], and I would not use that method on a small boat, but on bigger boats it works without fear of damaging the bow fitting or running over the warp. The only time it can go wrong is if you are very close to another boat or rocks and do not have manoevering room. As I did once at Alderney 4 years ago and last summer when we anchored a wreck with another Club boat and I got it very wrong. As Dan says you could use a combination of a strong fixing and alderney ring to get the gear to the surface then the windlas to put the gear away. I believe Dave uses that method on white magic, I use one of my big sons muscles its faster But Dave does not get moaned at by his windlass every time he has to re-anchor as the wind changes Charlie

Hi Andrew I am in the same position as Tony I have quite a powerful windlass rigged to a rope and chain arrangement, the chain is 10 mtrs long and the rope 100m, It is a good setup that can be operated from three positions, but the rope needs to be helped back into the locker so we do not use it on most trips. Lowering is simple, we de clutch the gypsy[winch handle on the top] and let the anchor drop by gravity. I must admit that I am considering lengthening the chain so it could be used more, but do not really want to add the weight. In my deck locker I carry a coil 220m of 12mm warp, which I have attached to 12m of 8mm chain and a 15kg Bruce copy. This is the rig we usually use when fishing, as we want the boat to stay put. It is lifted on the alderney ring and large buoy, but still needs effort to recover with all that chain. So basically we carry both, but use the alderney ring method at least 90% of the time. However I would not get rid of the windlass for the summer shallow water and social gatherings. Charlie

I had the same with mine It was the diaphragm gasket and non return arrangement, a few parts from Jabso and a fairly simple fix Charlie

When the weather warms up and you get the urge give me a call Charlie

Well done mate Hope the new owner enjoys her. Charlie

Jim Cut the spare off of them with a Stanley Knife, you will not leave that sharp tag end. Charlie

Now have Nigle and Mike joining Dan and I on Sunday. we will be staying in fairly shallow water [for us] and hope its not as cold as last week. Listening channel 6 Charlie

I am impressed on how well you are taking this mate. Looking forward to seeing what kit you arrive with on Sunday , your B choice is probably still very good. I am sure if you ask for PM's you will get some of your mark's back. As we fished very close to you only a few days after you had the 30lb cod, I can let you have that one back if I entered it on my plotter Charlie

The boat should be sent out, scuttled and added to the list of wrecks that fine is a joke Charlie

After our chat this morning Nigel you know my thoughts on this I hope the twats get caught and the book thrown at them. Good job you have a bit of spare kit at home so that you can still join me on Sunday. Charlie

Is anyone going out this weekend The tides are big so probably would not go far or in deep water. But I may have spaces, you know the drill get in touch Charlie

Well done for getting out That wind sure had a bite to it today Charlie

You have to wonder why they have red and flashing red , when both mean that you can not go through. and surely if it is green with the [Fairly obvious] bridge down you would proceed with caution. You have to wonder how long it took PHC to come up with this rubbish