great white

No problem Dave The oil should never touch water so salt or fresh is not the point really, You can easily check the specs to see oil capacity for a gearbox, if you can not find out let me know. Unfortunatly I am struggling to find my old manuals marine gearbox oil is commonly available, in plastic tubes so it can be squeezed in using the method descibed earlier. If you can not find out how much the box holds and do not want to buy more than required, drain it first and measure how much came out,using an old milk container or simular. Hope that helps Charlie

The gearbox bullet is the gear casing Two large screw heads One at the top, usually thought to be a filler but is the vent Bottom one is a drain/filler open that one first and oil will only seep out, open the top one lets air in to allow flow of oil out of the lower one. if a full drain required, leave both out to drain the oil into container. Filling again is through the lower one to let air escape from the top [A lot easier with a proper pump but just possible with oil in a tube] when oildl comes out top hole gearbox full and no air trapped. Replace top fitting tight, then when filler tube removed replace the lower one. Simples But if you have found emulsified [Cloudy] oil, it has water in and the problem needs to be found before refilling box/using engine. Charlie

We try to fit them in even when the fishing is good But sometimes its easier than others Bring on a day when the fishing is so good we take all the food home Charlie

I Hope to have crew and take part yet to check with my usual team, but the boys are keen. Does anyone have the details to hand ref book in and weigh in? Thanks Charlie

I spoke with Gary yesterday aparently a good fish won it [3lb 5 seems to ring a bell] he had a few fish on the boat and took 9th place with one of I think he said was 2lb 5 I believe all 4 on his boat had fish, but not all weighed in. Charlie

Well done Paul on the Cod, they are being a bit ellusive at the moment. Alun its not like you to let others take the table fish mate. Rich as you say its worth having the kit on the boat to get you home in the fog, but its also important to know how to use it. I had a call yesterday from a mate concerened about the fog, because his chart plotter is in for repair. he has a second GPS, but does not know how to use its inbuilt [un mapped] plotter. When I suggested using his radar he did not know how. We have an origo meths cooker on the committee boat at work, if they remember to put the evaperation covers on its fuel lasts, but several have been damaged by replacing while hot, and to be honest it takes so long to boil a kettle most Members do not bother. Charlie

Take her with you early Sat, walk up to the market nice day in lymo, supper in Pub, sleep on boat. early Sun Dean drives to lymo in your van or mums car, kick Veronica off to drive home, while you and your lad go fishing Simples Charlie

Looks like the end of the cold spell has really confused the fish Catch reports on here and on WSF have really shown a slow down in catches over the past week or so I hope the cod have not gone early Charlie

Hi Dave I may have a manual here somewhere for your engine I will try and locate it. The good news is that those engines are old now, but are good In an earlier job I looked after quite a few, and apart from the usual faults the two cylinder 40's were good. But Royal Marines sure were good at snapping the start ropes Charlie

Tight lines guys I am decorating in the hope that next weeks comp will go ahead Charlie

Hi Alun I think we will put that one down as one to forget. There was a lot of talk on my boat yesterday, about a trip for the eels next time, if the Cod are thinning out. So you may be in the harbour and we may venture offshore for some long grey beasts. But I bet we both get a little more action. Tight lines Charlie

Well done Adam for posting after a day like that. But it was not just you. We had a very keen crew and great expectations, we even had a large stock of Sam Coles squid. But as you say the weather was far from the calm day forecasted. It was funny watching Sam's mate John trying to stand up without holding a rail. We endured a sloppy slow day, even with three moves we could not find any good fish, while we caught the same three species as last time, it was a struggle best fish a few 2lb whiting. caught by Sams mate John so he was happy. The company and the excellent lasagne for lunch nearly made up for the fishing. As you say Adam a few days like today make the goods days better, although I could still live without them. Still we had plenty of time to discuss Alderney in May Charlie

Happy birthday Dave, have a good one Charlie

Jim can you let me have his conatct details please , I will talk to him Cheers Charlie

Anyone else going out Thursday? we will be 08.30 to dark Charlie

That shows the other consideration the cost is OK as an investment if you keep the boat for enough years A coat is about equivilent in cost, to a coat of AF, but you need 5 instead of one or two. the boat needs washing and abrading at least annually so no saving in haul out costs ,just AF costs and application in real terms its three or four seasons cost initially, so be sure you are keeping the boat, or you will be doing it for someone else. It will only enhance the price if the buyer likes copper coating. Charlie

Hi Jim I would be surprised if the area rep was not from Navico, and my dealings with them have been very good. The problem comes when emailing Lowrance themselves in teh states. I get a reply but not a helpfull one. Ie, recently read on a forum that you can use the emulator from Lowrance website and an MMC reader connected to a PC to view chart info and set waypoints etc on Mapcreate. I have all the required components so thought I would ask Lowrance, explaining that all I wanted to do was have more Master Map detail at home when passage planning. A very cival response, that said it can not be done. When asked why in UK we do not have background detail on Mapcreate [as they do in the states], again no interest from Lowrance. Its usable but could be better. Charlie

I have found Navico useful like that, they gave me an SD update card at one of the boatshow for my Lowrance. It worked a treat but reset the unit to factory settings, so all the custom settings I use had to be done again. I did not check until my next trip, and thought the unit had packed up initially. then had to reset a few things underway They are much more useful than Lowrance themselves, who I have contacted about the differances to using the sets in USA to using them in europe. ie background maps and the Mapcreate software. They do not seem bothered at all. Charlie

Happy Birthday Peter Have a good day Charlie

Hi again guys we coppercoat new RIBS at work when they arrive, as we can lift them and blast them as often as we like. But one of them reacted badly to the treatment and developed osmosis or simular just out of warrenty. Some yachts have it done to prevent the need for annual antifouling. With to be fair mixed results, as you still get slime on the hulls, that has to be cleaned off. I thought of using it on Alfresco when new, but decided to epoxy and antifoul instead. we have done loads of tests over my 12 years at the Club, but with continued weakening of mixtures its hard to tell which is best now, although 1 thing does seem to stay constant "Black is Best" Perhaps Owen in the boat shop at Christchurch would know what works best down there. Charlie

Hi Trev The only wet blaster I would recomend [we have used a few] is LLoyd Cordell of uniprep Not cheap but is good [Ask Mike F he used him] if you want his No let me know I will get it at work in teh morning. I would then finish with a fine grit, prime with Primacon and then antifoul I have used International interspeed which was good but if used in Christchurch there are others that work better in brackish water. Charlie

Hi Tom Some of the stored dinghies departed at the weekend, the area they left is full of great lumps of ice [must have been on the covers] You would not want to hit one of these with a GRP hull, if it was floating in the harbour I expect Parkstone Bay marina was also fairly iced up last weekend, I hope you have good antifreeze in that new engine mate. Charlie

Trying to get Sam and a mate out on the boat this week, while he is on leave I hope that the weather plays ball as Gordon and Will may join us on Thursday, is anyone else trying to get out? I am presuming Alun will be Charlie

You would think cutting all those holes in the ice would be a worry but I expect its damn thick. We have some at work that's about 3" thick now Charlie

This one was passed to me last year from the owner of Mainbrace on Braye harbour Alderney. From: Ingrid Murdoch [mailto:ingridmurdoch@hotmail.com] My Guest House has one twin bedded room with seperate private bathroom One double ensuite with extra bed One family ensuite with double + 2 singles Both the double and family can be booked just for 2 people Regards Ingrid Murdoch St Anne's Guest House Alderney My phone number is 01481 823145 mobile 07781 122319