Seamouse

To be legally covered, if you actively interact with children through your sport then you or one of the adults present needs to have been police-checked. I had to do this as a club instructor in a different discipline, can't remember the name of the check but its the same as done for teachers etc. The form is short and simple as it basically a means for the Government to make money. You pay them about

This 'barren ground' thing really bugs me. I know the mark Coddy is referring to and I have been given and used one or two others like it. You steam up and down looking for any kind of feature and there's just nothing, yet they do produce the goods. Can only assume it is a general food holding area, maybe a quirk like a convergence of tide streams or even a transit route for fish? I still prefer to find feature if I can, even if it's only a small bump. As for seeing fish, my cheapy set can spot dirty great shoals of herring or mackerel but that's about it. I'd like to see a dolphin go under the boat some day. I'd guess two lungs full of air would give you the mother of all signals "Jeez, what's that on the sounder?" "I dunno, but I think we should go home. NOW!!" Steve

The 60hp 4 strokes are popular but they are on the edge power-wise for getting a fully loaded 165 out of the hole. The Suzuki is said to be best of the bunch in that respect. If you are not taking three plus people it is not an issue. Watch for clearance of 4 stroke 60's, the Hondas and maybe some others can foul the transom on full tilt and new hoods are expensive. The Mariner 60 Bigfoot 2 stroke was a very popular fitment. Lighter, more torquey, mine will go straight on the plane even four-up. Downside is they're noisy (but nice sound) and thirsty, I get 4mpg against Coddy's 5mpg plus with a Mariner 60 4 stroke. Ideal compromise is the e-tec but they're probably not yet widely available on used rigs. Steve

That's about to become a bit tricky for many of us. Hosepipe bans left, right and centre. I shudder to think what an unwashed boat is going to smell like after all those dead rag, squid and crab pieces scattered through the bilge have had a week of summer sunshine Steve

Yup, some time in late April/early May if all goes well. Should be interesting to see whether the improvements outweigh the loss of deck space Steve

One of the BFM back issues ran an article on salting mackerel for pot/winter bait IIRC. I can't remember though whether the fish were left in the resultant liquor or whether they were hauled out and resalted or dried. I've a nasty feeling it was the former. Barrel with a lid, add mackerel plus salt until full, seal lid, send someone else to remove bait as and when needed. Probably using tongs and protective gear I'll see if I can find the article. Steve

Hi Tom, I confess to usually running slightly too much trimmed out but even fully trimmed in, on a flat sea or a very long swell the 165 seems to want to porpoise at or above 25 knots. It isn't a bad problem, just a gentle rise and fall. Does tend to unsettle the innards after a few miles though. Doelfins cure it (on a 150) though I'd rather avoid them if I can. Seems to be a common finding with both 2 stroke and 4 stroke fitments. As I said, for my chaotic style of multirod knitting, any extra gubbins around the stern are just one more thing to get a line under or around and any sharp edges will play havoc. However, the press and Warrior themselves are being very positive about the benefits of trim tabs so it'll be interesting to hear whether they transform Blue Warrior. Launching ain't a problem for us Langstone softies with our steep slip and all-tide deepwater access, half of the time there's not even much real need to lift the outboard leg during recovery . Steve

Hi Adam, Only reservation I've got on trim tabs is that they heavily clutter up the back of the boat. I get enough grief from the odd lively fish wrapping the line around the Z step. Add a pair of stainless tea trays into the equation and you could spend quite some time knitting. That said, I'll be very interested to see how you get on with them. If my new boat shares the 165's tendency to porpoise at full speed then trim tabs might be a good move... Steve

Another cheap and effective drag weight is a section of land drain pipe, lay some chain through it then fill it with concrete. Or simply drag the anchor without trips, from the headstock. Steve

Cheers Paul. Maplins will have one for me by Wednesday.

Cheers Alan, 50ohm it is. I'll raid Maplins tomorrow, with any luck I can get the beast tested and away to Warrior by Monday Steve

Hi folks, I need to add a BNC connector to the end of a Garmin GA29 antenna. Problem is, they're available from Maplins as 50ohm and 75ohm and Garmin helpfully note in their FAQs section that the unit is always supplied one piece (ie they don't specify or supply a connector). All this is just fluffy-cloudsville to me. Any electronics wizards out there tell me if it matters? Otherwise I'm going to Plan B - pick the one that looks most like the one fitted to my existing aerial Steve the Electrical Numpty

They'd just blunt the blades in your mincer

Whoops! You just took a Mad Mike Special Statement seriously, Kam Steve

Adam, When I did my keel band, I found I could get access to the full length of the keel whilst on the trailer simply by removing the central keel rollers as required. Drilling and screwing holes was trickier as the boat had to be moved back several feet to get drill access for some holes. Make sure you hitch it to the car first, helps keep the nose down A useful tip when using sikaflex inboard for securing wiring channel or hardwood fixings - glue gun. Dollop the Sikaflex over the item to be glued down but leave two small patches clear. Fill these with a dab of hot melt from a glue gun, position the item and press firmly for a minute or so until the hot melt hardens. It'll then hold the whole plot in place overnight while the Sikaflex cures. Much easier than trying to hold items in place with props, or cobwebs of duct tape. Steve

Science fiction is way ahead of you guys. Arthur C Clarke was writing about whale farming (think it was called 'The Deep Range'?) back in the 60's or 70's. Steve

Thanks Tony, Alan sorted me out with an antenna but if I can't get it up and running I'll get back to you. Steve

The articles reporting the fine also raise the question of whether it will be paid. There seems to be a prior assumption that France will simply ignore it Steve

Kam, Don't forget the Warrior 150. Ones from the late 90's are getting (relatively) cheap to buy, it's light to tow, easy launch and does everything a 165 will. Steve

I have the same bit of kit sitting waiting to be turned into an inkpot-style crab pot! Steve

Alan, you have a PM Steve

It's the things small kids say that are the worst. From my youngest, at the swimming pool, in that little piping voice small girls have that carries clear as a bell "Mummy, why is that lady so fat???". Even worse, in the local shoe shop. "That doggie has a willy just like Daddy's". Mercifully I wasn't there, but poor Sue had to leg it out the door with half the shop in tears In my own defense, it WAS an alsation. NOT a yorkshire terrier as some have suggested Steve