Seamouse

Cheers Mike, that'll do me. I'll have a play over the next few trips if I get chance. Brand new engine so tab erosion certainly isn't the issue. Steve

Hi Mike, I was thinking that was the next path to go down, since the trim tabs didn't seem to be at fault. Question is, if the boat seems to want to drop to port, do I turn the cavitation trim tab to point to port or to starboard?? Steve

Hi Paul, If you've got the older prop design, you can't get it any more (I'm told) so you'd be looking at changing design as well as pitch. Can't miss them visually, the old design has a narrow, pointed blade and the new ones have a broad, open blade similar to a Bigfoot prop. They only appeared on e-tecs early this year. I'm not an expert at all, but 5000rpm is slap in the middle of the recommended range and 29 knots from 60hp would be good for a Warrior-weight boat. I'd say your prop is already pretty damn near perfect?? Even if a 15" allows you to max on revs, it wouldn't necessarily increase top speed? Steve

Hi folks, Managed to get SeaMouse onto a local lake for an hour to test out some prop options. Interesting, not least because the lake was short enough to give us maybe 20 seconds at best at full chat before it was time to hit the brakes. Not good when you are watching the rev counter rather than the fast-approaching bank Anyway, the reason to be there was that the Pro Angler won't rev out, either because of the new design prop Evinrude have saddled it with, the possibility that I'd been issued with over-strength trim tabs or the extra weight of the new hull design. It wasn't the tabs. First run with them tied up out of the way and the standard prop gave us same top end of 4200rpm, against the desired target of 4500-5500rpm. Switching from the 'new' Evinrude 17 pitch prop to the original racier 17 pitch saw 4800rpm and that answered the whole question. The old design is way narrower in design, just a shame I can't lay hands on one as direct replacement. However, those rpm are exactly the same as that prop achieves on my friend's e-tec powered 150. He currently uses a 15 pitch Solex(?) prop that gives him 5200rpm and is still available, so I guess that's going to be my next little purchase. The other issue I had was a tendency to list to port under power across a sea. That wasn't the tabs either (innocent, M'Lud) as even on a flat lake it was a little port-biased, most noticeable oddly enough when you killed the throttle. Torque steer?? Anyway, I'm a much happier bunny now as I can reinstate the tabs, purchase a prop with confidence and hopefully get out there and do some fishing! Steve Reinstatement of the trim tabs at this point may have trimmed 50-100rpm of the top end at best but I wasn't really able to study the instruments that carefully

Hi Charlie, I seem to have hijacked Onslow's thread here. Aplogies mate WOT reading is indeed way too low, previous runs only gave 4000rpm and 26 knots!! The tale from Warrior is that the new Evinrude 17 pitch prop design is just too inefficient. The alternative they've sourced ought, at 19 pitch, to give even less rpm but a better profile allows it to get 4500rpm (I'm told). That's probably the prop I'll end up with, but there are other options available for me to play with without buying them first and that's what I want to look at. Fuel consumption is also an issue. The e-tec is 'supposed' to give me 6mpg but with this prop I'm getting nearer 4mpg, comparable with my old 60hp Bigfoot. As you say, changing to a better matched prop ought to pay dividends there. Steve

Have to agree with Martin, whilst it is neither sensible nor comfortable to run max rpm you need to know whether the set-up is correct. I'd say Onslow's isn't, my old 165 would pull 28 knots from a 60hp Bigfoot. Try a bigger pitch prop? The Pro Angler is a different matter. Evinrude have changed their prop design and the new 17 pitch one is pants, plus I might, or might not, have been given 80lb trim tabs. I'm getting 28 knots from a 75hp but since it is only managing 4200rpm, with a recommended WOT of 4500-5500rpm, I'd guess it is probably only delivering around 60hp. I'm told Warrior have tested a 19 pitch(!) alternative which gives 4500rpm on a brand new e-tec, so should go better after the oiling period finishes. Added to the prop woes, SeaMouse handles oddly. I've got the trim tabs set on minimum angle and power and she planes easily at almost no speed. Whether she needs them at all is questionable, since even trimming right out can barely get the bows to lift. What's really bugging me though is the handling. On a flat day she runs true and level, in a head sea she's great but a sea on the port quarter is hell. The bows drop off each crest as we cross it so she needs constant course correction and the whole boat constantly lists to port, even moving the crew to stand behind the skipper doesn't completely over-ride it. Any thoughts, anyone? All I can think of is that the starboard trim tab is jamming somehow. Meanwhile, I've got access to a 15 pitch prop, plus a 17 pitch of the old design, so that aspect can be sorted as soon as I get a flat enough day to play around. I've tied the trim tabs out of the way for now and I'll see what difference that makes. Just wish I lived on the coast instead of 2 hours away!! Steve

Hi Tom, Shark expert I'm not, but I thought that the drifting trail was predominantly a blue/thresher technique. Are porgies not supposed to be more territorial and hang around tide races, headlands, structures etc that hold bait fish? Back of the Island at St Cath's springs to mind, or even Portland since Quest II is moored down there? Then again, when did I qualify to comment?? Steve

The article also reckons bull sharks have been seen in Cornwall. I missed that one! Steve

More to the point, why are 72 people looking for him? Maybe we should warn him Steve

Hi folks, We had a run out in gloriously flat weather to a mark north of utopia for the last of the early ebb. I went on the drift initially and picked up just a couple of small pack tope. Once I decided the tide had turned enough to be worth anchoring, I called for lines up and got a bit of a surprise when a near 13lb tope monstered my mackerel head right under the hull! Sets the heart racing, that does. Nothing much came on the flood so with the tide roaring through we retired inshore to play with the bream. They obliged, although the average size was a bit small with the best going just over 2lb. Back out to Utopia when the flood eased and this time the tope were there in numbers. We had runs every few minutes, just small pack fish to a tad over 10lb but huge fun for my crew, who were well impressed. Notable this year that we've been getting a few on the mackerel feathers. Sunday was no exception, although this one managed to bite off the snood before we got him in. It does make you wonder whether a pirk might not do the business though? Back in to a very crowded slip (my loathing for jetski owners gets stronger every time I have to recover) after a day you just couldn't fault. Flat seas, warm breeze and a gentle overcast. Steve p.s. milling around off the slip in a strong cross-current, we had two Warriors waiting for a chance to put in on the beach (lined with bl**dy jetskis), several ribs and speedboats, two small gin palaces, the Hayling ferry, an inbound Southcat (Valkyrie) and half a dozen jetskis ear-holing around between everyone at full bore chucking waves up all over the place. We had a small sail catamaran beach-launch and sail straight between an inbound gin palace and its trailer, causing it to hastily abort and go round again, then on directly at us causing US to back off and turn away. As he went by on his straight line (happily aft of Valkyrie) I noticed he was head down in the ropes and presumably had no idea at all of the chaos he'd just caused. Meanwhile the jetskis continued to thrash around going airborne through their own wakes just yards away and through the midst of it all, who should go by but the Harbourmaster in his rib. This all happening, needless to say, in a 'strictly enforced' 10 knot speed limit. I hate sundays!!!!

I'm working away later that week, don't think Mrs M would take kindly to me going fishing beforehand, especially not leaving her a stinky boat and instructions to have it clean, polished and fuelled up ready to go when I get back No worries, I'll check in with you next time I'm out, although this will be the last reliable date for tope and bream. Steve

Tom, you still want a run on SeaMouse? I'm out from Hayling on Sunday. There'll be three aboard though, not the most comfortable but do-able. We'll not be on utopia , but will be splitting the day between tope/hounds and bream. On the other hand, it IS Father's Day and a local bream comp for you guys. Steve

Southsea are about 200 per year and a 100 introductory charge, if I remember right. Very friendly club though, they always say hello. I can put you in touch with a member if you want. Steep slip, often covered in gravel these days but the club's got a powered winch AND a dumper truck. Waiting list used to be 6-9months but by the frequent invitations to join, I'd guess that's maybe less the case these days? Tom,

You can have ours. West London is heaving with parakeets, flocks of up to twenty at a time. Noisy brutes too. Steve

Trust me, I'm a doctor I'll rip it apart at some point and see if I can mislay enough bits to justify sending it off for a proper repair Steve

Mine didn't!!!! To be fair, it belonged to a mate whose Dad had 'fettled' it for him and I suspect there were a few bits missing. Went to the reel doctor in the end and came back with an impressive list of new parts. While we're on the subject, I've just retired a GT320 because the level wind is jumping the worm gear at one end. Can't see any obvious fault on the gear so I suspect it is the line guide thingy that's worn. Is that normally the case and does anyone have a cheap source for Penn parts? Otherwise it is more trade for the Reel Doctor Steve

Penn GTi's please. They come apart OK but don't go back together quite so well Steve

Yup, much appreciated and RIP Lookfar Steve

Hi folks, I was with Coddy at last weekend's IAC bash off Selsey and we had pretty much the same sort of returns. Saturday saw utopia swamped in boats and all of them hauling tope and a few hounds. On SeaMouse, we were having a few problems with leader knots failing, dropped runs etc but still managed 4 tope to 11lb and three hounds to the same despite the hounds being unusually picky and stripping baits without hooking up all day. Moving into Boulder saw it on great form for bream but being in a comp, we banged out our quota of four each and moved on. Medmery blanked for rays and we wrapped up with a drift across Brake for pollack and pout to up our score. Sunday was completely different. Mirror calm, to start with. We tried the hole rather than utopia but the tope were nursing sore heads. We got just one of 11lb and a lovely 10lb undulate that'd not actually been hooked, it just wouldn't let go of the line. It spat out my circle hook in disgust when I went to 'unhook' it. A shift inshore saw a couple of small tope on the drift across slack then anchors in for another small tope and a serious run of hounds. We had 4 from 8-10lbs but Moby was going great guns beside us, with a double hook-up of 12lb starries at one point. Finished the day on Brake Ledge gathering more points among the bream and pollack. Interesting weekend, both the tope and bream fishing best I've seen it. Last time I take a competition seriously though, I was upping anchor and leaving shoals of feeding bream. Life's too short for that! Very happy with SeaMouse, although there's still trim and handling issues to iron out. Guess i'd better change my forum name. Martin, if you read this, would you do that please? Otherwise I'll PM. Steve

Sam highlights something I've just been chatting about offline with someone. You are at anchor and a tanker is spotted bows-on to you. Obviously you get the engine running, lines up and prepare to slip the warp but does anyone attempt to contact the tanker? I've done it with the Royal Navy before now, via channel 16, and to be fair they altered course instantly. Would you use channel 13 (bridge to bridge) or ch16?? Steve

Trev, Do you still want my tatty old life-ring for Otter? I'm seeing Coddy at the weekend and can send it down with him. Steve

Cheers Tom, I'll give that a go. Going to tie the trim tabs up at some point to take them out of the equation but it'll have to wait until I can fabricate a decent solid lock bracket. Can't risk just one side one coming free at speed, I think the effect might be quite dramatic! Steve

Hi Dave, I'll hold off until I've used her a bit, then send you a report. I have at last got her afloat. Mrs M came down to Eastney with me on saturday despite a less than ideal forecast. It wasn't so bad out at sea for travelling but I'd not have bet on breakfast staying down if we'd stopped and drifted for any time. I backed the trim tabs off to minimum settings to try and get a feel for how the Pro Angler differs to the 165, but maybe I'll have to tie them up completely. Basically, its just not the same boat at all. Completely, utterly, different handling. Almost no bow lift at all as you come up onto the plane, she just sort of slides her rear end up. Not very tilt sensitive, the bows just stayed down though I was running at no more than 15 knots into a head sea most of the time. Much less slamming, which you'd expect, but again I was being very gentle. All good so far, a staggering improvement. Coming back, I was running along and across some reasonably large rollers. Lookfar would alway misbehave a little on a beam sea as she dropped off the crest but the Pro Angler was downright twitchy, it felt like the stern was stepping out and sliding. Time will tell, that might be the trim tabs or just the conditions on the day. I'm trying to get down for about 5pm on friday and we'll be heading out for mackerel for saturday's chum bucket. You're welcome to come out and have a run in her if we've time after the serious business of the mackerel-collecting. Steve

Next time Mike, give her your finest leer and suggest you start with the bedroom. It's got me summarily evicted to the garden before now Steve