Afishionado

Made by M J Fry in Poole at a factory just behind the Citroen dealer at Hamworthy. I think they designated the boat as a 21ft Seaworker....... I have changed boats names in the past and apart from being hit by the drop tank off a high flying U2 and getting 5hit on by seagulls every time I leave the house I have had no bad luck at all Simply Red is OK as long as your name is Mick Hucknell and you've got ginger hair! If not I have some Deed Poll forms to change the name and a trip to the hair dresser should do for the hair. Mad Mike

quote.........someone who actually knows how to catch them, That's it then!! I coulda shot down a blooming albatross and got less of a minus jinx factor!!!! Fishless I will remainfor all my days Goin orf to mutter dire mutterings in a dark corner Madder than usual Mike

quote.........Am hoping for the odd trip midweek (avoiding the weekend gales) in the next couple of months - anyone need crew on a pollack/cod/whiting trip ? If I can't find my yellow yachting wellies can I still come? Mike I might be up for a mid week session if you'll have me aboard Usualy I can do short notice as well. My only prob is my back and lack of flexibility, so I need to be able to get aboard fairly easily, but if this is not a prob for you and your esteemed craft gissus a shout. Mad Mike PS this is the second time I have written this. The last time, half an hour ago one of the bloody dogs sat on the surge isolator switch and turned every bloody thing off and I to re-boot and then get rid of several glitches! Bah Humbug

Quote........but why is it easier to steal a boat under 16 feet than over? After all, they are both tied up with a bit of string. It's nowt to do with theft Rich. It's to do with the individual underwriters view of the chance of damage whilst in the water during the winter period of bad weather. Some of these guys are totally out of touch with reality and are not even boat owners or users. What they do is look at past statistics. Therefore if the incidents of damage on boats under 16ft during the winter they simply exclude that category without reasoning why. In fact they might have only insured 1000 boats through the winter and only 1 was under 16ft but had a claim, and the rest of the claims came to a total of 3 of various sizes. then their stupid statistics would show that 100% of boats under 16ft made claims. Other marine insurance companies insist that their marine underwriters ar boat owners and users, therefore it is these companies who have a far more informed attitude to the insurance of small boats. Mad Mike

Went out from Cobbs at about 10 and had a nice blat round to Holton Mere where full of expectation we thought we would try for an early flounder. Two hours later expectation had died and the wind had become chill and stronger so we decided to go back down the harbour and try somewhere else. I had been thinking of a couple of markes that I know down near the castle. On the way down there we spotted several fishing boats drifting near the RoRo berths so we thought we couldn't do much worse so we would give it a try. I havent fished in that area for maybe 30 years when it was a good flounder drift in about 15ft. I was astonished to find it now regestered 36ft. So we tried a drift and were into red gurnard, tiny checkers and bigger bass up to about 3lb. Each drift produced a fish or two so it did bring some fun back into what turned out to be a grey misty wind blasted cold day. We saw Gazzer and Kieth in their respective boats out on the same mark, easy to see the club pennant, and I am pleased to say IMO we caught considerably more fish than they did Mad Mike

I'll be going out Sat' in the harbour to try and snag a flatty or two on the basis that it's going to be a nice sunny day anyway and I would rather be out in the fresh air than stuck at home. Now to disapear into the workshop with some old soup spoons and a hack saw!! Mad Mike

Baited Spoon fishing for flat fish goes way back to just before the war (WW2) I used to have a book written by the origionator of the method (Sea Fishing with a Baited Spoon by J P Garrad). The book was first published in 1960. Any way there are two points of immediate interest to the current situation that the book relates to. A FLOUNDER spoon revolving on a bar will only catch flounders but not plaice. A spoon mounted top and bottom to the trace line to hook link will catch most anything including plaice. Flounder spoons work well in the summer months and early autumn however at some point in the autumn the flounders 'go down' and feed entirely on the bottom. This time was most often identified as being after the first frost of the year. In the spring the flounder 'comes up' and will feed 18" or so up from the bottom. In the 70's I found these rules infalable and my friends and I made huge catches of flounder. However with the much milder winters and other factors the flounder catch would appear to be greatly deminished. Oh by the way the recommended method to fish either type of spoon is to row/drift in the same direction as the current with a gain of about 1 or 2 knots on the current. So one needs wind with tide to do this. Mad Mike

Sex with a propeler is not only illegal but could lead to debilitating injuries and muck up the paintwork Mad Mike

Yes and you could get it in that wood grain effect for a more natural look Mad Mike

Each type and make of antifoul have a couple of 'windows' between which things must be done. Firstly the 'overcoating' window....... This is the time between each coat of antifoul. Too short and the previous coats volatile thinners will not have evapourated and the whole lot becomes a droopy sticky mess. Too long and the previous coat will have dried out completely and you will need to make a mechanical key by a rub down with wet& dry 180 grit used wet. In the same way the relaunch time has a 'window' in which it should be completed. eg Launch after 1 week and before 3 months sort of thing Each manufacturer will have labled each type of antifoul on the tin and to quote a phrase THEY DO WHAT THEY SAY ON THE TIN. International Paints do a very good (free) leaflet as do Blakes. Follow the instructions on the tin of the stuff you buy and you can't go far wrong. Mad Mike

Best wishes to the little chap, and get well soon. Mad MIke

But then again size isn't everything Mad Mike

Bees wax ........Blimey yes indeed it will do, the candle wax is realy a substitute for bees wax and only used because of the dificulty most folk would have in getting bees wax. I prefere this method as it uses natural materials that leave no chemical taint in the wood. By the way the same method is used to season any wooden work top or chopping board with the substitutionof olive oil for the boiled linseed. MAD MIKE PS boiled linseed will 'set' dry. Pure linseed will remain tacky.

If you want to do it the Scandinavian way (steady chaps! ) Melt some candle wax and pour it over the wood rubbing it in hard with wire wool particularly the end grain. When set scrape the excess off with a flat edge. Then treat several times with boiled linseed oil rubbing it in well with a rough cloth. Mad Mike

A nice colourfull site and great pictures too. Welcome to the club Mad Mike

HAVE A LOOK AT......... http://motors.search.ebay.co.uk/wilson-fly...pZ1QQsacatZ1293 Mad Mike

Happy birthday Mr Dore, and many of them Mad Mike

Quote.......Used to be a safety odd bod when at school all those many years ago Birch bark and sinew in them days eh Kimosabe? Mad Mike

Really? Could you PM me with more details please. Apple was one of the companies on our current short list. Mike

Fine, thanks. I will have detailed plans and quantities soon. When I have them I am happy to ask for them to quote for the supply of what is needed. Mad Mike

Thanks Kieth, if you do straight forward plumbing and heating I would be happy for you to quote. I will have detailed plans soon and if it is the sort of thing you do I will give you a call....... Mad Mike

What you say is so true Kam. We will be project managing the build ourselve and will be asking builders to quote on a labour only basis. All materials we will purchase ourselves and delivered to the labour contractor on site.. Payment wise, we will pay CASH in hand on satisfactory completion of the work quoted for in stages as the build progresses. Thanks for the offer of trade prices on building plastics but wouldn't distance be a prob for suppliers down your way? Mad Mike

Any builders and any one in the conservatory business in the club? I will be building a new 3 bed house and adding a large conservatory to an existing house in the spring. As I am now looking for interested contractors to quote, the thought occured to me that there might be someone in the club that I could offer the chance of doing some business with me. PM me if so Mad Mike

7 Danforths !! I feel a competition coming on........ What possible reason would one have to use 7 Danforths Hot air ballon Bass fishing? Once a mark is discovered and the GPS set, seven anchors are catapulted out at precise vectors thus holding the baloon in place? 7 noisy bratish kids left floating in life belts anchored in line. A fast Commando style recovery is used on the return from a peaceful day out? Mad Mike

Your all getting far too good at taking the pi55 Goin' off in a sulk now Mad Mike