Andy135

Only one way to find out!

I like where you're going with that question though. I would consider installing a bung, but for the fact that the majority of the bilge seems to be lower than the lowest point on the transom that I could install a bung in, so water would still pool in the transom up to a point.

No bung.

I'm contemplating this, but what happens when it's flat, and how would it get recharged? As a fit and forget solution a solar panel charger with controller hooked up to the House battery seems to be the most practical solution.

Let me ask them...

Good plan Batman... 🤦‍♂️

Well done Jon. Knew he could rely on you.

The thing about slugs though is that they dissolve if you pour salt on them - they literally turn into a snotty mess - put a ring of salt around your veg patch and it helps to keep the slugs away. So if you try slugs as hook bait in saltwater you'll end up fishing with a bare hook before long.

@KennyPowers, so who did you go with in the end?

So the basket goes over the stern and acts like a second rudder to catch the tide?

@Jon cook I've lost track. Where are we with your search? Are you seeing a Raider or did I make that up?

Because my deck drains into the bilge. The boat has no scuppers. So all the rainwater that falls on the deck collects in the bilge and has to be pumped out.

I went down to the boat earlier this week and found the House battery flat and the bilge almost full of rainwater. Guess the auto-bilge pump had been doing overtime and had drained the battery. At least on the drystack I never need to worry about her sinking. What solar panel type chargers can the Outlaws recommend to keep my House battery topped up and my bilge dry?

Here's a Friday playlist for you all...

I wouldn't have thought so - these are lures, not meant to be fished statically I'm guessing so you'd have to rig them on a jig head or some other weighted hook so that you can cast and retrieve them, or maybe suspend them under a float.

I'm guessing like a regular prawn bait - through the tail?

Were it not for the weight it would almost be worth going all chain, just to eliminate the issues with the rope not self-coiling. Presumably the anchoring power of all chain is better than chain and rope, so less could be carried?

Agreed. There's an Abondance of good humour here, but old Scrooge isn't having any of it...

That's a gouda idea.

Looks about right to me. Don't forget a handful of cable ties or an anchor trip device (https://www.ebay.co.uk/i/184398715054?chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=710-134428-41853-0&mkcid=2&itemid=184398715054&targetid=1002021776313&device=c&mktype=pla&googleloc=1006570&poi=&campaignid=10195651178&mkgroupid=107296207892&rlsatarget=pla-1002021776313&abcId=1145987&merchantid=6995734&gclid=Cj0KCQiAw_H-BRD-ARIsALQE_2NvGIMVxTctXNb38WvubeAv0n5Y7y_af2Al5zBnMhNU3csI7hJb3akaAmhaEALw_wcB)

I find it quite hallouminating to see you all working this vein of stinking humour...

Avoid blue poly like the plague. It floats and is therefore much more at risk of wrapping round your prop when recovering your anchor using the Alderney method, plus it's abrasive on your hands and doesn't coil nicely when stowing. Seriously, use nylon - either 3 or 8 strand. If you buy in bulk you should have enough rope for your main and your spare set-ups. 220m coil for £110. Link below. https://www.ropesandtwines.com/proddetail.php?prod=10mm_nylon_rope

Hi Adam, as Neil says above, 3-4x your regular depth is about right. In the east Wight area (the area south of Hayling Island) it rarely gets deeper than 30-35m, so if you aim for around 120m of rope you'll be fine. On my 165 I used 12mm 3 strand - generally the larger the diameter, the easier on the hands if you have to haul manually. Do you plan to use the Alderney method of anchor retrieval? If so, you can reduce your rope diameter to 10mm. As for an anchor, I recommend you keep the grapnel for a spare and use a Bruce anchor for your main. Better holding power than the grapnel and they're not too expensive. Don't forget to trip your anchor in case of snags. Shout if you need help with how to rig an anchor to trip. For your boat a 5 or 6kg anchor would be ok. I used a 5kg on mine. For chain the general rule of thumb is to use chain that is 1.5x the length of the boat. On my 165 I used 1x the length of chain, but went up a grade and used 8mm chain instead of 6, and this worked fine. In fact, I have this chain going spare if you want it. 5m of 8mm galvanised chain. Free of charge but you'll probably want to pick it up in person as I imagine the postage might be quite steep. From memory you were planning to use your boat in the Reading area as well as on the coast? I'm between Reading and Newbury.

They are good looking boats aren't they? If I were ever to purchase a family weekender type boat, the Starfishers would be high on my list. @Saintly Fish, take note of what a proper Starfisher helm looks like 😉

You're gonna need a bigger chimney...