great white

Hi Ray That sounds like a great chance to try it out. I would drop a line while there watching the Air Show, we have had fun on light gear over the years [Just to the South of the exclusion zone] Ref the waypoint at every turn, IMHO not required if the plotter shows the deeper channels in the Harbour. Just observe the rules of the road. [international collision regulations] transiting on the stbd side of the channels at the correct speeds. However if the plotter does not show the channels then it would be worth doing. I would use waypoints to mark the position of the East Looe channel buoys, then a couple of points of interest to practice going to, Inner Poole Patch, Lobster Rock etc etc.

Sam's wedding this weekend No Fishing on Alfresco

First set in to your plotter all of the waypoints that you have and are interested in fishing. Plus any points of safety such as the end of the swash channel and East Loue buoys. When going out you need to do a simple passage plan. My recommendations for this would be to tie it up with the key factors that you have no control over, such as Bridge lifts and tides. You may not need the bridge lifts to get out, so avoiding them to keep away from the busy times in a congested area may be a good idea. Tides because of the fishing [some fishing needs slack tide , others need a good drift speed] but also to stop pushing against strong tides, strong tides around reefs and shallows give over falls [waves] that can make a huge difference to the sea state. Sorry this is a bit short, but its only a starter. Best advice would be to go out a couple of times with an experienced skipper or take one as crew. and get them to show you a few pointers. PM me if you have specific questions and I will try to help Charlie

Salterns do Diesel and Petrel but they are not cheap

With a week to go to Sams wedding, with so much to do and uncertain weather we have pulled out of the second round. Tight lines if it gets fished tomorrow

Not at Cobbs but I have done a few trials over the years at Parkstone YC Finding that darker colours work best, but teh makes vary from year to year as to which is best We now use International Interspeed in Black on Alfresco

As Martin says its down to you Jerry It is hard to use finances and logic as justification. Spending the money that we do on our boats tackle and fishing cannot be justified against costs. For the amount of fish we eat, I could dine in Rick Stiens every time I fancied a fish dinner and be much better off. But on a sunny warm day when the weather is calm, family or friends have joined you to play boats or fish who would swap it?? When I fitted out Alfresco I chose a £20K 260 hp Volvo package as opposed to a £13k 230HP mercruiser It gives more speed, better efficiency and reliability. And more fun 10 years on still think its the right choice.

Excellent call Rob having nowhere for the charge to go is the normal cause of a rectifier overheating issue. many times found to be the battery or switch terminals

Nothing wrong with the performance from Prodigy Pete

Plenty of variables to consider and luck required But that said knowledge and water craft also play a huge part. Wrecks fish differantly from day to day and there are no sure fire ways of filling the boat with fish. but knowing where the mark is, then putting the boat in the right place sure helps. I think that is what this post is about. IMHO for the size of our harbour the fishing is poor, but as a learning area and back up when the weather is bad it has a few areas to fish Wych channel by Brownsea Island has fish , but also plenty of tide full of weed. The entrance has a few bass and various bait fish, but also lots of tide, weed and boat traffic and of course the chain ferry The training bank can be a good area to drift for a lot of species when wind and tide allow you to keep away from the structure. and of course the ray fishing on the hook sands has been good at times but can be unfishable because of weed. Knowing a few places to fish to have a few options to change sure helps, but sometimes it needs a few tries to hit on a winning formula to how to improve catches and angling skills. It is not luck that makes certain Anglers better than others, it is usually watercraft, knowledge and ability. Most of which is gained by fishing a lot with other good anglers. One thing for sure it cannot be learnt from reading books in front of a fire. Tips and pointers can be gained that way but it is by getting your line wet often where you learn most. Charlie

Hi Jerry Launched Alfresco after fitting her out ourselves nearly 10 years ago. She is an offshore pro charter 30 and has the D4 260HP which was the biggest D4 Volvo made back then. DPH drive leg with Duo G5 props is a very efficient drive Apart from a few issues that come with this configuration it has proved to be a good choice. Especially as we do our own maintenance and have lots of contacts to help if we need it. I mention the size of my offshore and engine because I question if you would need 300hp Alfresco does 31 knots WOT 3600 RPM and cruises at 20 knots 2500 RPM To be honest the hull design seems to make 20 knots a comfortable and economic speed [1.5 ltrs per mile] the other things to consider is both the layout and balance of the boat after the change. some space is lost ahead of the transom by the engine box and the weight of the diesel engine is more than the outboard and again is in a different place. Gary Austin also fitted out his own Offshore 25. Prodigy is fitted with a Volvo inboard and drive She is a great boat with very similar performance and economy to mine this was achieved with a 230hp. He found that large trim tabs were required and at slow speed the boat became bow heavy If you want to discuss this more or look at Alfresco give me a call.

Sounds like a very good and busy day. Chosing the lighter gear and going for the wreck bream sounds good too

Wow Girl power on Alfresco this year. Christine in Feb and Now Wendy in July. The boys and I had better pull our fingers out . Lol

Pie in the sky scheme IMHO

A few pictures 1lb Red Gurnard A couple of tope And the biggest of many eels

great to hear that others also made the most of alternative plans, sounds like a good session on the bass Steve. Good to hear that Curtis recovered from his sickness to get a PB Paul Just managed to get everything dry and in off of the washing line. As Paul said not quite a 2 day wrecking trip but it was fun.

Plan B Go out today, try to get some fresh bait and work around the weather, forecasts showed dying wind but plenty of rain. [spot on for a change] 0800 just Dan and I onboard we set off to meet Dave. he was stuggling for bait so we went West, no better so off to the spoils and anchor in a few species landed but nothing huge, so we jumped to another spot, weather was still sloppy and the odd shower. A few more species including a Bass and nice Red gurnard. as the tide eased so did the breeze. decided to roll the dice and head out to a wreck That changed the day, a few more mackeral then a busy three hour session Plenty of tope and congers in pouring rain. Let it pour we were having fun. Out of more than 2 dozen eels several congers were around the 40lb mark and one that came close to Dans PB, taking the scales to 56lb By the time we came in the rain had eased and the sea was calm. great run home Great trip, nice to be congering with Dan again

Sorry too Need to work to cover staff holiday

We will not be mid channel, but with a busy August almost upon us and a complete pass we wanted to try to get out, before Dan and Chrissie go overseas.

I believe that may well be plan B Sam

Alfresco Plan now changed Ian is back to earning Brownie points by attending a wedding Dan and I are giving it a go at 0800 Sat to see if we can at least get a line wet and a bit of fishing in while the ladies are away

We are the same Martin looks like a two day trip is looking very doubtful, even a one day is dodgy. Diver is cleaning the Hull today to keep the boat as efficient as possible and keep all of our options open.

Sounds great Lofty Fantastic sport from your kayak

Stocked the Tackle box and the weight bucket But the forecast looks dodgy will not be fueling up and buying ice just yet.

Thanks Kam lets hope that the weather plays ball, will need to change a lot