plaicemat

A useful little tip that probably everyone else knows. I just called my outboard engineer regarding a new impeller for my Mariner as the tell-tale is down to a dribble. He said that, as he had only serviced it relatively recently, it was probably down to an obstruction in the elbow en-route to the tell-tale outlet exacerbated by lack of use (bl@@dy weather). Try blowing down it with a high pressure air line. As I happen to have a compressor, I tried it immediately and, lo, a healthy stream of water again. That's saved myself about

Depending, I would have thought, on how far one lives from the slipway! I have also considered, though, introducing some Salt-X into the system through a simple reservoir which would help things no end. Terry.

O/k, thanks again, chaps, brake sprinkler system fitter and working. Hopefully the expense will be repaid by a serious reduction in brake replacement costs. For anyone else interested, I think it is an excellent system, relatively easy to fit and only spoilt by the price (

Thanks for all that, chaps, it is just what I wanted to hear. Now I can do my own brakes in future. Terry.

I had a Microplus 501 before the Warrior and it gave great service; a good little sea boat and pretty quick with the 50hp on the back. In fact, much to my wife's annoyance, it's still parked on the drive! Terry.

Thanks for that, Mike; from being unable to find an obvious 'engineered' solution, I had rather come to that conclusion. However, I really wanted it confirming by someone in the know before I commenced the usual techniques of dealing with a (sometimes) very interference fit. The plus point is that the brakes were virtually rebuilt recently so everything has been apart. By the by, how are you fixed for a day's bassing. When I've finished this job and one or two others to the boat, a tester day would be good. Terry.

O/k all you trailer experts, advice needed. I have purchased a hub flush kit in an effort to avoid the large bills I have had recently. This has to be fitted through the backplate of the hub assembly so as to enable irrigation of the brake assembly. The trailer is an Indespension Hallmark and to remove the hub assembly, one has to remove a shiny tube (bearing protector?) to get at the hub nut. Question, how is this tube removed? I can't see an obvious way so assume there is a sneeky technique known to everyone but me. I would probably put money on someone saying, 'hit it with a hammer until it comes loose'. I tried Indespension but was told if I didn't know how to do it, I should take it to a main dealer. Yeah, right, and part with vast sums of money again! Come on, be a Scout and do your good deed for the day. Terry.

Er, I think the clue's in the title, Tom. 19lb undulate ray? Still not a bad guestimate, though. Terry.

I would love to play. I am doing some work on Stingray at present and am not 100% sure she will be ready so may need a crew berth. Do we have any indication of how many Burnham have coming? Terry.

Council tax re-valuers want to charge us more if we live in a nice area. That ought to mean discounts for those who live in rough areas. We know friends who have a huge council house in their street. The extended family is run by a grumpy old woman with a pack of fierce dogs. Her car isn't taxed or insured and doesn't even have a number plate, but the police still do nothing. Her bad tempered old man is famous for upsetting foreigners with racist comments. A shopkeeper blames him for ordering the murder of his son and his son's girlfriend, but nothing has been proved yet. All their kids have broken marriages except the youngest who everyone thought was gay. Two grandsons are meant to be in the Army but are always seen out in nightclubs. The family's odd antics are always in the papers. They are out of control. .......... Honestly - who'd live near Windsor Castle? Terry.

I hope you lot are enjoying yourselves and making the most of it. What am I doing? Laying a wood floor in the dining room. And what have I to look forward to? Skirting boards and door architraves and new doors - until Wednesday. Then it's off to Bavaria and Austria for 3 or 4 weeks where I shall be trying to tempt some of the wild trout from the mountain streams. Terry.

Congrats, Alun, I know you've been fighting hard for this for a long time. Mind, I hate to see these kids giving up so early. It'll be nice to have somebody to play with midweek though. See you after the holidays. Terry.

If I had crew, I think I'd be very tempted. Terry.

Stand back and feel the emotion........ Terry.

Then comes the actual launch....... Is that the launch manager clinging to the stern companionway? Terry

How does it feel to be standing on the quayside watching the launch of your

Well done all you lot, I'm very jealous. I really wish I could have got down but I don't trust the back yet for launching and recovery and my crew is on holiday. Perhaps the weather will give me a decent day before I disappear for 3 or 4 weeks. Terry.

Yes, thank you, eye get it. Don't try to browbeat me, you're contributions are getting cornea. Terry.

A man is dining in a fancy restaurant and there is a gorgeous redhead sitting at the next table. He has been checking her out since he sat down, but lacks the nerve to talk with her. Suddenly she sneezes, and her glass eye comes flying out of its socket toward the man. He reflexively reaches out, grabs it out of the air, and hands it back. "Oh my, I am so sorry," the woman says as she pops her eye back in place. "Let me buy your dinner to make it up to you, "she says. They enjoy a wonderful dinner together, and afterwords they go to the theater followed by drinks. They talk, they laugh, she shares her deepest dreams and he shares his. She listens. After paying for everything, she asks him if he would like to come to her place for a nightcap and stay for breakfast. They had a wonderful, wonderful time. The next morning, she cooks a gourmet meal with all the trimmings. The guy is amazed. Everything had been SO incredible! "You know," he said, "you are the perfect woman. Are you this nice to every guy you meet?" "No," she replies. . . Here it comes, and I did warn you it was bad, "You just happened to catch my eye." Terry.

Can't really think of a better place for it. Terry.

..........but don't be so common as to do both at the same time! Happy birthday, Dan, and many of them. Terry.

Car parking? Terry.

Won't be long before the Iranians have one, courtesy of their assorted fleet of Shetlands and Fletchers. Terry.

If you use a good quarantine kennels, they can even organise the whole package for you. Terry.

Ah, yes but, unless it's a very good swimmer, you can't go fishing on it. Try to find quarantine kennels locally to yourself; this makes visiting much easier. Yellow pages should help. I know 2 or 3 here that I have used in the past for clients but that's a long'ish way from you. Terry.