great white

Happy Birthday Trevor Have a good one Charlie

exactly and that is the reason to ensure a good length and weight of chain is used. That is also the reason we pull the warp in steadily as we drift or motor back towards the buoy. if you pull hard and keep the warp and chain tight the weight of the anchor may overcome the weight of the chain and it will start to drop again. Dan the method works even if the anchor has to be tripped, We always rig ours to trip Charlie

1) Adam F - JV 2) Alun J - JV 3) Paul F - JV 4) Tom B - Mrs Sea 5) Greg C - Mrs Sea 6) Terry B - Mrs Sea 7) Martin - AWOL 8) Dean - AWOL 9) Dave- Wight Magic 10) John W - Rosie One 11) Allan Green- Kind of Magic 12} Charlie Alfresco 13) Sam Alfresco 14) Graham Alfresco 15] Will TBC Alfresco

Graham Weather permitting you are crewing with us for the 48 hr and we will no doubt be anchoring I will talk you through it as we do it now and as I have done it on both of my previous boats. It can be done safely single handed, its important to know where the anchor buoy is at all times. but we can all get it wrong. My first attempt at anchoring speedy rock in 2008 we did exactly as the boat in the video did. But with more hands available, we took the weight off of the line by tying off to a bollard, then un jammed the alderney ring. Nervous moments indeed in that area, with all of the rocks about. If single handed the bait knife may have been used, but only if I was 100% sure I could free the prop by cutting the warp. Drifting with no engine would have been a bad option in that area. but maybe a better option than swamping on the anchor warp due to waves coming onboard. Good call to get the RNLI out in this case Charlie

Easy mistake to make, and really to sort out. But I expect that it was a lesson learnt the hard way. Goes to show that a practical demonstration of how to use an Alderney ring is probably the best way to learn. Charlie

4 small craft heading into Cherbourg, one CG vessel - which one get's stopped? Mine probably, because my french is so bad All part of the fun though. Charlie

I forgot to add that we buy our line from Alderney Angling at

Graham All good advice and I think very fair. I will add my two penneth as usual. We tend to load our reels with 300m of braid as even in shallow water we tend to lose some line and unfortunatey at times that can be cut or broken at the surface losing quite a lot of line. As Kam suggests losing 40 out of 300 is OK, but 40 0ut of 150 is getting a bit short. Do that twice and you will not have enough What I now do to all my reels from new is, buy the chosen braid [we also use whiplash] load all of it on to the spool from empty. then attach a good mono of the same breaking strain to the braid and wind it on as backing and fill the reel to the full level. then the tedious part, using other reels [over the top of existing] I wind the backing on to one and then the braid on to another. Now the reel is again empty you can add the backing mono, tie a very good braid /mono knot [Double Grinner is now my choice] and add the braid. The reel is now full and ready for the running leader. when I think the diameter has dropped to much [and money is tight] I sometimes remove the braid and add more backing then put the braid back. But using this method when I next want to fill the reel with new braid I have the backing already set up. I just ditch the old braid [or put on small fixed spool for breaming in shallows] and ditch the second length of backing Unless you are using tiny reels, all would take 300m and still need a fair bit of backing. its amazing how thin that whiplash is, because of that the weakest I use is 25lb Last weak I did this to my new avetSX and was amazed hom much mono backing went on such a small reel. Hope that helps Charlie

Well Trev they started it didn't they enough said

That sounds Tres Bon. It just means making sure the preperations are right and the correct paperwork is onboard, no spare drums of red diesel and out of date flares etc. Oh and I must add the SSR No on the cabin sides. and borrow Craig's french translation book Alll nous avons besoin d'une certaine conditions m

We eat very well on the boat, but have to draw a line somewhere Is the general opinion swinging to staying around the islands or are some still interested in going to Cherbourg? Of course its all down to this Cr## weather blowing itself out Charlie

I caught a Slipper Limpet on Star Turn - is that allowed? Didn't put up mcuh of a fight, though it a strong tide they can pull like a 1oz bomb! Sometimes they gang up and all pull together! You can put your 6lb Kenzaki away if that's the case!!!! Rob You need to go fishing Rob, land fever is setting in

We are looking to go early Friday 10th and Back late Sunday12th. Charlie

Thanks Nige

Hi All Does anyone have in their cupboard a kidney or shoulder harness that we could loan for the 48 hr comp. Preferably the kidney harness, as the intention is to protect Sam's weak shoulder after he has disllocated it several times in a year. Downside is we would need to use bigger gear than we usually use, but the TLD 20 and 25 have lugs. We had discussed buying one but they are not stocked by many outlets. Cheers Charlie

Sam You boys always have first shout and are always on the list if available. Graham Very happy to take you mate So It looks like we have a crew

Alfresco would rather be going a bit quicker and not at displacement speeds. We used 375ltr a bit more than we usually do on both channel crossings. Charlie

Nice one mate I wondered why I had not seen Paul Yesterday Love the pictures, the starter looks nice Charlie

Alfresco will be going if the weather plays ball and if I can get crew probably with the plan discussed on here so plenty of variety leave Poole early Friday , return late Sunday at the moment I have at least one space available It will mean sleeping ashore Friday in Alderney and Sat in Cherbourg anyone interested you know the drill call, PM or add to this thread Charlie

Nice report and pictures Dave Thanks

Peter it was great to meet you and Matt It was nice to get to know you a bit over the trip, over the odd pint. and do not worry about getting close mate , in those conditions it was no problem. Your boat is an impressive bit of kit with excellent sea keeping qualities for her size Glad you got back OK I expect like us you may be tempted back over in a few weeks if the weather is better. Charlie

I have booked the time off this afternoon And also had a look at the tides that seem as you say a tad smaller than last weekend. I will have to firm up on the crew I too will not go twice in one summer on that forecast are we thinking the same? early start Fri, stop only for bait, then to schole via races [tide changes at noon] up for fuel speedy time is about 1645 [comp start time] Sat after breakfast East to wrecks/reefs en route tide would be against. but if we leave early we get a push past C de le Hague Slack is 0730 If you fish banks for the morning Sat the tide goes back in our favour to head west at 1330 Sat, [could fish en route] Sun Slack off Cherbourg about 0830 I would like to anchor a lump at slack that is about 20 miles out on the way home then go drifting It all looks like hard fishing and some early starts only possible on a good forecast Craig love the french mate For Members like me In google translate they read "Poole is my world, so no need now for a passport, if the time arises when I want to go further a field, can I apply for a passport, but thank you Adam" "Neil Bristol people should not need a passport to visit any country in our place and for the bridge, it depends on your side of town, our should I say the head of planning." "Craig just get a passport and stop being stupid you will need to follow your buddy boat Wight Magic everywhere in France!" "Craig, As a Boy Scout, always be prepared"

Duncan The water taxi was great mate, they simply charged

Well done guys Great report, nice pictures and good angling chaps, you certainly did fish ard. We were a little subdued for various reasons this trip, so you can Borrow "first out last in", which is normally our tag. Windy Weather aside it was all very enjoyable, and we are already discussing what we can do in one months time. With hopefully a fully fit crew Thanks for your company Charlie