great white

another snap

I have had a bit of rest and now seem to have cracked the edit size problem

Well at last the Boat is afloat after a very busy day with a crane and boat transporter blocking the road outside the house the front garden looks a mess and is now boatless She was transported very safely and with minimal fuss to Salterns Thanks John Weaver cranage and Malcolm Elvey boat transport. The boatyard team from Salterns were excellent and Martin their engineer made short work of a PDI He fitted the loaned duo props [G7's]and corrected a couple of minor faults before getting the engine running smoothly at the back of our new offshore 30. He joined us for Sea trails and off we went down through a very tight marina and out into the harbour [trying to get used to the surge of power from the stern drive as it brings the power on and 4.5 knots in gear at idle revs ] A slow meander down the north channel to allow the engine to reach operating temperature then a brief stop to check for leaks and faults and of we go up the Main channel 3000 RPM has the gps on 28knots over the ground and then up to a limit of 3300 revs and 32 knots I am sure you can all imagine the smiles on the boys faces, flat calm day in the sun and a boat "Doing what it said on the tin" Offshore stated just over 30 knots, we have the full length cabin, galley shower etc and still get over 30 knots NICE. Martin advises a change of props as the RPM is a bit low, so back we go through the narrow route in Salterns and He changes the props to G5's while we are afloat Martin B popped over for a chat and happily held the boat in place while this was done, then out again to continue sea trials This time the rpm reached 3550 and we had lost about a knot at WOT. we have agreed that this is probably the best set of props so have left them on for more tests over the weekend. I would like to say here that the help received from PMS and Salterns about all snags encountered with this complex engine fit has been rapid and excellent. and the whole team at Salterns could not have been more helpfull than they were today. Thanks for all the encouragement recently and through the whole project to all that have ether visited the house or talked about the build at the club meetings on the forums and on PM's and to friends who came down today to wish us luck and have freely given of time expertise and even parts towards this very long and complex project I hope that when I have recovered from the recent long hours {and todays very early 0500 and excited waking up] I can colate enough info and pictures to have an after meeting chat to members about this I also hope to get the rods out very soon so the boys and I can get out doing what we like to do most. SEE YOU AFLOAT Sorry their are no pictures I am struggling to get windows vista to allow me to reduce the size so that they can be added here. Any Tips? Charlie Back on the water again at last PJ you can tell Norman he has a ride for the Open can someone update me on where to fish

Well at last the Boat is afloat after a very busy day with a crane and boat transporter blocking the road outside the house the front garden looks a mess and is now boatless She was transported very safely and with minimal fuss to Salterns Thanks Johnm Weaver cranage and Malcolm Elvey boat transport. The boatyard team from Salterns were excellent and Martin their engineer made short work of a PDI He fitted the loaned duo props [G7's]and a couple of minor faults before getting the engine running smoothly at the back of our new offshore 30. He joined us for Sea trails and off we went down through a very tight marina and out into the harbour A slow meander down the north channel to allow the engine to reach operating temperature then a brief stop to check for leaks and faults and of we go up the Main channel 3000 RPM has the gps on 28knots over the ground and then up to a limit of 3300 revs and 32 knots I am sure you can all imagine the smiles on the boys faces, flat calm day in the sun and a boat "Doing what it said on the tin" Offshore stated just over 30 knots, we have the full length cabin, galley shower etc and still get over 30 knots NICE. Martin advises a change of props as the RPM is a bit low, so back we go through the narrow route in Salterns and He changes the props to G5's while we are afloat Martin B popped over for a chat and happily held the boat in place while this was done, then out again to continue sea trials This time the rpm reached 3550 and we had lost about a knot at WOT. we have agreed that this is probably the best set of props so have left them on for more tests over the weekend. I would like to say here that the help received from PMS and Salterns about all snags encountered with this complex engine fit has been rapid and excellent. and the whole team at Salterns could not have been more helpfull than they were today. Thanks for all the encouragement recently and through the whole project to all that have ether visited the house or talked about the build at the club meetings on the forums and on PM's and to friends who came down today to wish us luck and have freely given of time expertise and even parts towards this very long and complex project I hope that when I have recovered from the recent long hours {and todays very early 0500 and excited waking up] I can colate enough info and pictures to have an after meeting chat to members about this I also hope to get the rods out very soon so the boys and I can get out doing what we like to do most. SEE YOU AFLOAT Sorry their are no pictures I am struggling to get windows vista to allow me to reduce the size so that they can be added here. Any Tips? Charlie Back on the water again at last PJ you can tell Norman he has a ride for the Open can someone update me on where to fish

Glad t went well with the weather and the boats Its a shame that the excellent fish caught were the wrong species But I am sure Tom and Dean are really pleased with PB fish Charlie

Hi Paul No problem, If I can call from the garden we should be in range when afloat If we were not limited to range for sea trails we may have popped over to say hello Tight lines it looks like we both have fair weather Charlie

Hi Neal and the Teams Tight lines to you all for tomorrow Charlie

Nice pair of fish Alun well worth the early start in a cold snap All that effort is paying off again Charlie

Hi Alun She should be launching this Friday as soon as I can get her to Salterns and the engineers to fit the props Crane is due at the house at 08.00 You are welcome if you want to pop down Mark She is an Offshore Pro Charter 30 Alfresco has been made as nice as possible inside but is still intended to be a fishing boat that will get used and then cleaned. That said Wendy has stated that the forward Cabin is a no go in fishing gear The boys and I should not take long before we are allowed to get the rods back out

If you are cleaning the carbs and taking out the adjustable screws the trick is to gently wind them closed from the existing settings and note how many quarter turns that is, before removing them all teh way out. after cleaning you can reverse this process to return to the original settings and you should be sure to have a running engine hope that helps Charlie

Nice fish mate I am sure the family will enjoy them cooked in a variety of interesting ways Charlie

Hi Tom I may need to escape the frustration at Salterns if I have to wait around and Pop along to your office. Of course you are welcome I expect a few may turn up although I doubt I will be cracking beers at 0900. Charlie

Steve what have you done so far? If its nothing start with the simple inexpensive things Check that all the plugs are sparking OK they should be giving a strong spark and check that the leads are on correctly [Take care as they are very high voltage] If they are not change all the plugs If that does not sort it then it may be time to check and clean the carbs, as it could be a sticky float valve. or a blocked jet Charlie

Thanks again guys another day when the shoulder are reminding me of the effort over the weekend Sam has spent most of the weekend cleaning and polishing and is as tired as his Dad. Dan has been using his resistant material schooling to good effect and the recently aquired splicing skills to sort out lines and fenders . Wendy as usual has been supplying tea refreshments and encouragement shopping etc etc Rob the very bare boat was craned into the garden Feb 2006 so its been a long project This shows how she was on arrival, loaded with materials and smaller mouldings for seat etc No idea how many hours have been spent on her since, I never started counting Charlie

Happy Birthday Terry I hope you have a good one and get a few nice socks If you are about on Friday give the boat a call, We should be afloat and on sea trails by lunchtime Charlie

More than welcome mate its been to long since we last chatted and far to long since we fished together Charlie

Thanks Guys Gordon Yes I am glad that the rubbing down is about finished, and I am sure that because I decided to get a wipe clean surface inside the wheelhouse the hours spent sorting that out were a bit over the top. Paul The pennent complete with boat name is in the drawer at home ready [Thanks again mrs Trevor] Duncan Wendy saw a boat at the Southampton show that she liked but I am not brave or Mad enough to mention building another. I am hoping that the weather will be good next weekend. and we can see a few boats afloat. Charlie

Thanks for all the comments chaps Fingers crossed for a better forecast next weekend Duncan Thankfully she is only just over 9 mtres, although Sam who is busy polishing her probably feels she is bigger Paul I no doubt will check everything several times before Friday, and again while she is on the crane. Andy Wendy is already looking at getting a skip in to clear the garden, I do not know who will fill it as the boys and I are going fishing Martin It will be great to be afloat again, but I will have to get to know all the new boats because so many have changed or have joined since I was last out on Great White To say I am looking forward to it would be the biggest under statement ever Charlie

Last one showing a tired boat builder

another of the dash

another

Thanks Paul for putting a couple of shots on the Photo Album I will add a couple here

Hi all I am very pleased to say that the boat has had her survey and got a clean bill of health. The report is good with only a few suggestions for the future maintenance and additional kit like a heating system and Bow Thruster. This weekend will see a few last minute finishing off jobs, then its load her up We are hoping to get everything arranged to lift her out of the garden next Friday, road transport to Salterns, fit props and engine checks then launch quietly into the Harbour for Sea trials She will have to come back out to finish the anti fouling once the waterline is confirmed and probably agrander launch when that is completed. I expect that may be after the Open comp [which may be an extended sea trial} I wonder if I will get any sleep next Thursday Charlie

1 fish in 14 years Blimey, I think that if you start with the smaller easy stuff and work up you will find the sea angling more fun than your Pike fishing Tight lines Charlie

Its such a personal thing its hard to help with I wanted to call mine "The Muts Nuts" but the FPO stopped that I was tempted to nick my mates idea he has one in New Zealand called Sweet Chariot, I have now opted to remember all the lunches in the back garden during over 18 months of fitting her out and she is called "Alfresco" Have fun choosing, and remember at times you have to use it on the VHF so try not to pick a tongue twister. Regards Charlie