Afishionado

Rich regales us with.... What the hell would they do when they catch mikey dispatching a colobus purely to stuff a ope down the soggy end of its wrist? Nice one Rich LOL! So far though, no one has mentioned having a large shaggy Labrador type dog that swims the line ashore through the breakers as they do in Newfoundland As a topical note the Newfoundland breed originated in Poole back in the 17th Century when Large boats used to leave Poole bound for Newfoundland and the NE coast of America. The big salting down vessels carried stacks of flat bottomed, flat sided rowing boats stacked one inside the other. These were used by a crew of 2 or 3 to row out and lay the long lines. The design of these small craft can be seen today in the Poole Canoe. The dogs by the way were used to swim a man and a line ashore through the breakers so the smaller boats could be pulled rapidly ashore. Mad Mike

Ooow Mr Shmarty pants dats veery fujni Mad Mike

I never touched that tractor tyre Guv! It wernt me I was fitted up 'onest ossifer. A TRACTOR TYRE???? By the way what sort of car was the exhaust sytem for? If the water was not too deep it might have been a Ford Mad Mike

I agree with Coddy, I often fish an area twix Ballard Down and Peverel bouy about 1 1/2 miles out. It is a constant 60ft with nothing showing in the way of features. I uptide, and whoever is with me downtides and we have never blanked Rays, smoothounds, tope, bass (sizable ones too), mackerel and LSD of course. I didn't fish it much last year as I felt with the new boat I ought to try new places. Well more fool me, this year I'll stick to where I know there are usually fish. I would value others opinion as to why an area that seems to be a flat shingle small rock bottom, that only fishes when the tide is running is so regularly productive. The mark is not even specific the whole area fishes the same. Mad Mike

Oh. Mr Newton, I see........ 18th Century Scientist the 'father of physics' Discovered gravity with an apple and a tree, oh and the ground the apple fell on. 3rd law 'Every action has an equal and oposite reaction' This is illustrated graphically when a person tries to jump from a dinghy to a dock. The dinghy goes backward as far as the jump forward thus doubling the distance to jump. Consequences inevitable and wet. Mad Mike

Oh no one specifically, but sitting on the side of the slip at Cobbs is worth the money for that alone Or even better the fuel barg on a breezy summers day with wind over tide. I s'pose I must have a cruel sence of humour Mad Mike (hanging head in deep shame )

One of the greatest pleasures in boating is sitting watching the efforts, gyrations and sheer lunacy of the inexperianced coming into or going out from a slip or dock. These characters usualy have a large, powerful craft and seem oblivious of the fact that a boat does not behave like a car, and also Newtons third law of motion. Infact the Newtons third law bit can be REALY funny. Mad Mike

Quote.......Mike, is there really a need for a Monkey head or a Turks fist or anything when throwing a rope?? Oh yes indeedy. I always aim for the head. The site of 15m of 10mm unsnaking as it hurtles at 50mph straight towards their eyes does wonders in concentrating the shore side crew mind. Which reminds me of a story........ About 27 years ago when Carol and I had just got together and she was new to boats, we were being led by a boat yard owner to the new drying moorings we had just rented. He was in a little launch and we were in our new yacht, as we reached the end of the creek in Chicester Harbour he indicated the bouy we were to pick up. We glided towards the bouy and I cut the engine but I realised my drift forward would be a tad short so I said to Carol nip up forward and grab the bouy with the boat hook please. Off she shot and gracefully tripping over a deck fitting she fell forward hurling the boat hook straight at Mr Wilson the yard owner who was sitting in his dinghy waiting to take us back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Not a word was said by him or I, he just rowed the dighy back to me and handed me the boat hook which had landed at his feet. We did make it on the second attempt Mad Mike

Shouting is deliberate.... WHAT A BLOODY GOOD IDEA! Could I sugest that it would make an ideal subject page for our web site. Paul what are the chances of doing that? Mad Mike

First off to Duncan.......Yer what Charlie said, so there! Second to Tom ........ Oh Bl00dy dock lines eh!! Pontoon Berths!! You'll be talking about your paid crew next and summers in St Trop' Third.... Quote.. it could be argued that you shouldn't actually make a line off to shore but run it back to the boat to be slipped on departure............. COULD BE ARGUED!!!!!! My fishing partner Mark drives me mad (and I sure he does it on purposely to wind me up now!) by tieing the boat up to to the fuel pontoon at Cobbs where I can get on easily with my gammy back, with 86 turns round the dock bollard topped with 43 granny knots!!! I prefer a turn round the bollard then back to a midships cleat on the boat. This can be undone from the helm seat and as one motors slowly off one just picks up the return end off the bollard. Mad Mike

loop should be of a reasonably long length - around 10/12 inches should do - and will be passed throught the base of the cleat and back over the top to secure. As indeed mine are, but a lot of cleats have a solid base so I recommend a loop that is a tight fit over the horns. If the cleat has a slotted base then it still works the way you and I fit them anyway. Mad Mike

Quote......Before anyone else says it, if the bow rope shouldn't reach the o/b, then by the same logic the stern rope must be very short! Oh didn't I say ..When using the stern rope, move the engine to the bow Actualy you made a very good point, on my own boat I coil the stearn rope and in a final turn it is locked in this hank and I hook the working end inboard so it cant be left loose when not in use. However this is one of the skipper/helmsmans duties. To look around before moving off from anywhere (dock, drift whatever) to see that no rope is trailing. Also a pet hate of mine which is motoring with a bunch of fenders hanging round the boat. Euk! Mad Mike

Idealy one that when placed over your deck cleats does not fall off of it's own accord. The loop should be a tight fit over the cleat in question. Mad Mike

What ropes do I need? The minimum would be A bow rope (what the Yanks call a dock rope) this should not be longer than the distance between the bow fixing point and the O/B. The thinking behind this is, if it falls over board and trails in the water there is no danger of it fouling the prop. I usualy have this rope fixed at the bow and then the working end brought round the cockpit and dropped in next to the helmsman seat where it can be picked up instantly A stern rope the same length which should be kept coiled inside the boat ready for instant use. Next a couple of longer ropes about 12M long with a Turks head (or monkeyfist) on one end These will be your 'Heaving Ropes' which could be used say to heave over to another boat to pull it alongside. The Monkey fist is a knot tied around a lump of lead which is the end you throw. These ropes can be also used as 'springs' which are used if mooring up at a quay or pontoon for a length of time. IMO all these need to be about 10mm diameter I also favour a light 6mm or 8mm rope about 18m long tied directly to a small folding anchor. I call this 'The Lunch Hook' it is ideal to use on a family day for short term anchoring in relativly shallow water. It's also good for dropping off the stern if you are running ashore for a picnic. Drop it pay the rope out and if you have judged it properly the nose will be just ashore with a nice little anchor astern ready to pull you off when it's time to go.

OUCH!! Mad Mike

Quote........Instead of blocking up your engine with salt crystals it will be pubic hairs! ROTFLMAO Brilliant. Mad Mike PS Can you imagin taking the O/B into for service and them telling you what they found in the impeller casing!

I have just thought of an answer that might help some if there is a hose pipe ban in Dorset. Way back in the 70's when we last had them, it was recommended by the authorities that one did not waste the bath water down the drain, but use ones hose pipe as a syphon and thus allow its use on the garden. Those with bathrooms at the front of the house can easily run a pipe from the bath water to the O/B muffs and flush the engine that way. For those in bungalows... Find a friend who lives in a house and washes a lot! Mad Mike

Quote......Hosepipe bans left, right and centre A very interesting point, and well raised. It is something that I had not thought of. Mad Mike

So it'll be you doing the demo then? If we bring our own rope will you whip us into shape? Please don't attempt any answer that pleads that you are all tied up with a knotty problem, or that you have lost the thread of what you are doing, let alone saying that you are in a-ccord with the idea. Mind you there'll be some here who wont resist roping in others with bad rope puns. Mad Mike

Mike...........you are bloody clever Mmm yes I am rather I have looked for but can't find a 'smiley' of a smug ba***rd but will happily wear it if one can be found My pleasure mate! It's a result of a brain that can hang onto totaly irrelavent bits of information but remain totaly useless at the important things in life like fishing. Mad Mike

Quote....PS: Mystified why you would thing they would induce porpoising Mike ( all the claims made indicate the reverse ) If you want them Paul you get them mate, far be it for me to put you off. But in answer to your question........ Your and all the other Orkneys of that hull design as well as many similar hulls developed over hundreds of years for their carrying capacity and sea keeping carry their main buoyancy a'midships. This midships section is the fulcrum of the boats for and aft rotation. In other words there is less bouyancy at the bow and the stern, (note, less not none), The Orkney is a modified version to allow semi displacement and low end planeing speed. With the Warrior and similar hulls are on the other hand more of an oblong box with a sharp entry, their main bouyancy is spread throughout the hull except for the entry point at the bow. Therfore they have less 'rocker' and the fulcrum of their fore and aft rotation is spread over virtualy 100% of the wetted area. Thus if one adds lift to the stern of a craft with a fuller beam a'midships there is a tendancy as this craft moves through the water and waves for the craft to rotate back and forth around its fulcrum (Porpoising). This does not happen on the Warrior and other 'rectangulaly' shaped wetted area as there is little or no fulcrum. Any one wanting a demonstration and can spare a day or two please meet me at The National Phisical Laboratories in Teddington. Mad Mike

He's right too, most modern cars windscreens are glued in with products very similar to Sikaflex. Also this guy is right about acetone in this case. As it acts as a solvent to the uncured product it tends to allow more goo to be drawn out as one wipes the excess off. Mask off the surrounding area accurately and then when the Sikaflex has dries run a craft knife blade down the edge and then peel it off using the masking tape. Mad Mike

I think it may be a Capri Pilot 15, they also made a 17ft version which naturaly they called a Capri Pilot 17. Many similar designs from almost identical moulds were made in the 80's/90's and probably still today . As you say they are an ideal single handed launch and with their shallow draft and cathederal hull they are a stable go anywhere boat. Mad Mike

DIVE OFF CLAXON!!! Close hatches and watertight doors!!!

Justaletyou know....... The Romans used to put sardines into large earthenwear jugs, together with certain herbs and guts from other fish . Bung a cork in it and bury in the ground for months, untill after 6 months or so the contents had turned into a black oily goo. Not for fishing you understand, the sauce was a favourite table condiment and cooking ingredient. Now notalotapeopleknowthat Mad Mike