Andy135

SOLD   2009 Warrior 165. One owner from new. Suzuki DF70A 193 hours . Suzuki 5hp Aux. Standard Horizon DSC VHF. Lowrance HDS5 Gen 2 Plotter/Fishfinder. Lowrance Elite 7X HDI Fishfinder. Furuno 1622 Radar. Twin batteries with Blue Sea split charge system. Trailing cover and Half cover. SBS 1300 trailer new in 2019. 3 Fuel tanks. Stainless rod holders. Bait table. Coastal flare pack. 2 Throw lines. Life belt. Auto lifejackets. Fire extinguisher Auto Bilge pump Anti-fouled. Fenders. Anchor. Alderney Ring. Cuddy lights Deck lights Under Gunnel lights Serviced, antifouled, ready to go. Poole, Dorset. £15,000 ono.  
 

Well done Pete, nice to see a report from you !! 

I've setup my 4x4, both my daughters 4x4 and my son Hiace van to run permanently off grid without needing to run any of from the alternator. However they all can charge off the alternator. 

Three vehicles are running renogy 175w solar panels which produce around 13amp in good sunlight. Obviously output varies depending where you live. One vehicle uses two different setups, a dcdc controller from alternator and a seperate 120w companion solar blanket. The reason this one has just 120w blanketr is they also carry another seperate Dometic plb40 battery which has connections for usb's anderson plugs and cig etc. That battery can be taken away from the vehicle to run their 35lt fridge freezer and led lighting when camping away from the vehicle. That system can only use a max of 10amp solar, hence the smaller 120w blanket, which still keeps the battery capacity charged to full after an hour or two of good sunlight.

Our other vehicle setups are solar and alternator into a bcdc charger controller which provides more than enough sunlight than we ever need to keep our 90ah lithium batteries full within 1hr of sun. All three of these vehicles run at least 1 x 45lt fridge freezer, mine runs a 45 and a 12lt, sometimes my daughter will run one fridge and two small 60 and 80lt freezers when travelling with her fishing buddies.

My 15ft boat has an engine starting battery which runs to a dcdc charger which powers the house battery. Again this dcdc charger controls solar as well, however this battery also has a BMS which can take direct power from solar without a dcdc charger. When I head to remote islands, I take a Victron solar controller, a 160w solar blanket and the house battery from my boat, which I leave on what ever island Im based at. I can freeze bottles of water into ice to take on day trips in the boat. 
I could also power the boat battery without a dcdc charger by just using the Victron solar regulator and what ever solar panel i chose. 

If funds allow for it, you could look at a quality flexible panel with a built in regulator from Solbian sun power, this would be the way I would head for something permanent in a boat and as simply as sticking or tying down and joining tow wires to the battery.

Just to add my victron solar controller as has functions to allow for timers to turn certain things on and off, a great idea if you wanted security lights to turn on etc. Obviously bilge pumps can be set as auto functioning with float switches.

Some solar panels work better than others in shade, so perhaps look at the likes of the Renogy cigs for cloud and poor light performance. 

Having a battery constantly monitored and topped up will also extend the life of the battery.  
https://www.solbian.eu/en/24-allinone-solution?_gl=1*1s3r0wv*_up*MQ..*_ga*MTc5NTY0MzIxNi4xNzIxOTk2NDE2*_ga_FWBBRBJNZX*MTcyMTk5NjQxNS4xLjAuMTcyMTk5NjQxNS4wLjAuMA..

Thank you so much that is all so very helpful cheers!

I was left doing duties helping out transport for old people I somehow ended up volunteering for 😐
While once again my daughter headed off in search of some more tuna for smoking. I bet the wind will blow its bum off when I get chance to head offshore. Hopefully some big tuna heading up the coast behind the first run of smaller ones. 

 


 

A quick dry brine mix of 1 part salt 2 parts soft brown sugar. Slice the tuna and cover in the mix and leave in the fridge for 30-40 mins. 
 



 


Rince off the mix and pat dry with paper towelling and leave in the fridge for another 30+ mins to form a dry sticky surface. If the surface isn’t tacky it won’t form a decent coating and rather steam in the smoker. Grind some black pepper on some for those who like that. 
Start the bbq charcoal, I  use an electric fire starter, which has the charcoal burning well in about 1 min. 
close the lid and get the temp under control for a 90-100’c smoke. Place a couple of chunks of apple or cherry wood among the charcoals ( not coals ).


 
I use diffusing filters very much like pizza stones over the flame and have the tune placed on a wire rack higher in the bbq. 
leave for around 35mins then remove and allow to cool. I find vacuum sealing a few steaks seems to increase the flavour. 
Only issue was I didn’t have enough tuna, so need to head out and get more.

Couple of pics from last few trips, usual stuff, pollack, sharks, wrasse etc 🙂 Numbers improving all the time. I’ll keep adding to this thread as I often can’t remember who caught what when but will keep it a rolling update…
Numbers of scad around at the moment is insane… make a good bait so not all bad 🙂 
Back out on sharks this weekend, then a weekend off followed by an empty boat for the weekend (17th and 18th August) if you fancy getting in on the action drop a line, nice tides for SPJ and sharking else I’ll just have to have a practice run for the tuna…
 

Sounds like you'd need a jig wallet then, rather than a box with compartments.

Hi Juan, welcome to Offshore Outlaws. Are you the owner of www.doradosportfishing.es?

Box of parts landed today. Was hoping to get them fitted tomorrow but more likely will be wiring instead....

You can get lure boxes that open topside and underneath that store lures separately like this
https://www.snowbee.co.uk/fly-fishing/fly-boxes/lure-boxes.html

Another busy day in the heat, but, apart from a couple of niggles the wiring is all done!! 😁👍
Everything powers up, I need to swap the wires round for the bilge pump, but that runs so much better now. I have to get the right fuses for it and I need to replace the rocker switches as they are a bit intermittent as to whether they are going to work or not.
I am very happy with the results. Obviously still have to sort the motor electrics but that should be straight forward.
Couple of days off now to recover from all the aches and pains and scorchio weather. Later in the week, I will cut a couple of bits of cockpit floor so we can get it draining properly. I will also drag the motor down and make a list of parts to order as well as set about mounting the control box. I also have to find/make/buy a mounting bracket for the HDS5M unit acquired from our very own Andy, and also need to find the navionics card acquired from our very own Neal. Onwards and upwards....
'Will try and get video edited and up tonight for anyone wanting a look see

When the boat was built in 2019, Ribcraft sea trialled it and found the 3 blade prop supplied by Mercury made it 'under propped'.
Ribcraft normally supply Suzuki engines, but I had specified a mercury 150, and, Mercury (Barrus in the Uk) were keen to do more business with Ribcraft so they sent down an engineer to the sea trials, and he suggested 19 pitch 4 blade Revolution, which they fitted and found it to be OK. As you know, it is basically a racing prop with exhaust vents that can be opened or closed to fine tune it.
I have found the grip the prop gives to be outstanding, with no noticeable slip on a 30kt 'J' turn, and the hole shot is very impressive.
The best thing of all, is the prop cost me no extra on the package, however, I tend to look after it as it would be around £800 to replace.
The only change I have had to make is I had to upgrade the prop hub to an almost solid hub (I believe it is bushed but has titanium rods running through it) as I was getting some 'prop rattle' (due to its weight and grip) at idle and low revs, the new hub was £150 ish

Went out on the boat today, a morning trip out to the 20mile wrecks.

Launched a 7:30am and couldn't see across the harbour, yet the met office were giving the visibility as medium. Once out of the nav channel the visibility was probably a little over half a mile, which I was happy with, however, I decided if it got worse I would head back in. I stopped and checked my AIS was working ok, so ships could at least detect my presence. A steady 24kts soon had me out on the chosen wreck, where I was expecting to catch bass.

Each drift kept me busy with Pout, Scad and smallish bass, The stamp of the bass were proper schoolies and I struggled to find one over 50cm, most were around 42cm. However, the scad were monsters.

At about 11:00am the mist cleared as the sun burnt through and the wreck was busy, with me and 2 commercials. At 12:00 midday I decided to come back in, but the day had been fruitful, nothing large, but 17 Pout, 9 Scad, and 8 Bass, with 2 keepers at 49 / 50cm.

The sea was flat, so 30knts cruising. At 14miles out I just caught a glimpse of something green floating below the surface off my starboard bow, I immediately throttled back, but too late, I heard the noise of the prop and the engine suddenly slow, and I was prop wrapped. I shut down and tilted the engine, the culprit was an old-discarded commercial net. I would think it had been probably snagged on the bottom and broke free. To reach the prop you have to climb on the outboard leg, or use a safety rope off the A frame, however, I was on my own so didn't want the risk of going in the drink. The easy solution was to ty-wrap my rope cutting knife to the boat hook, and I soon cut the net away. My prop hub wasn't damaged, as I use an almost solid hub due to the weight of the 4 blade Mercury Revolution prop. Once free, I had an uneventful trip back in.

Now for the next issue. It has been hot today, and I left the boat cleaning until the evening, When I went to clean the boat, I found the starboard side stern tube well deflated (not flat, just well deflated). My initial reaction was a puncture, but the tubes have over pressure valves and close inspection has suggested the valve opened when the tube got hot in the sun (24C here) and didn't close properly, I have cleaned the valve, and reinflated the tube, so will just keep an eye on it. 
Well, the tube has been fine for the last 24hrs, so I am going with an overpressure valve issue. If it happens again, they are easy enough to get replaced.

The scad were big beggars

Here is a bit of the net I cut from the prop

TIM KNOWS WHERE THE FISH ARE 

I don't believe you're that pretty in real life! 

Had a free afternoon before the Euros finals and it was lovely so i took pugwash out solo to see what was about. Just a simple potter about with some feathers. 
not much action - just 1 Small tub gurnard - 

lovely afternoon to be out though!

 

Out on Tims boat with his son Jamie, aim was for fresh mackerel at the entrances and then onto the Shambles to fish for flatties, then try for bass in the building race off of Portland Bill.
Mackerel were hard to come by - but we managed 4 decent ones and a scad.  
we were soon off to drift the shambles - first couple of drifts nothing - but we were getting pushed more by the wind than tide so we repositioned and i hook a lovely turbot. 

not long before Tim lands a lovely Brill. 

fishing was slow so we moved closer to the Bill and tried with Lures - i thought Tim had snagged the bottom until he said get the net...... and up comes a monster 6.2lb Wrasse! his PB and well over specimen size.

His son then bags a lovely PB bass at last knockings!

Not many fish, but all special fish, and fresh turbot for me for tea!! 
 

Our local wrecks are small and mostly well broken and scattered and the ling mostly small so we rarely need a hefty rig like this, once you get to Hartlepool and Whitby its a different story. I think its a bit sad about taking the fish but they were blown but I'm sure that my mate's dogs will enjoy the pout and that also compounds the lack of 20+ ling. However we have some good marks for pollock, which I love catching, that are in 20-40ft at HW so I feel better that we can release double figure fish after a fight all the way to the boat knowing it will be fine after release. 
We have an area which may need that kind of gear but it's a long way out and is earmarked for a full day out but we plan to have several boats go out together for safety reasons and as ever the North Sea has to be reasonably calm which is a big factor. 

A good weather window and we headed out in my friends boat to some wrecks off the mouth of the Tyne, first stop was a little bit further off the piers than normal due to the amount of fresh water coming out of the river for mackerel. I had 3 weever and the smallest whiting I have ever seen, about the length of my little finger! However the weever count for the species competition and my mate managed a few monster mackerel for bait. Pretty fish but nasty stings, and strangely well up in the water column.

First wreck was pretty quiet but it was a small tide and early in the ebb. Next was better as we were getting bites on baited muppets etc. The idea was to get the easiest species for this time of year so we don't struggle later when they are offshore, I needed pollock and ling and my friend, ling, pout and haddock. 
He got 3 decent pout, best about a pound and half possibly a bit more and then a good bend in his rod had me grabbing the net, I was sure that it was a ling but a Cod of 7+ ended up on deck.

Shortly after I had a savage take on my baited muppets and a few pumps had it away from the wreck and could reel more steadily. Turned out to be a nice eating sized ling around 6lb and another tick in the species competition box!

Looking forward to tomorrow's tea!

Needs a bit doing to it but working my way through the jobs 👌

All setup for new adventures. 
 

 

2nd step, shrink the butt heat shrink

3rd step, cover with glued heat shrink.....
Final step, heatshrink again over whole joint
As this is a 3 wire pump and couldn't find any suitable 3 core, I had to run another wire, so taped them together leaving enough spare to remake if needs be.

Today will be back at it, hoping to get everything wired to bus bars and fuse box. I also have to make some short wires from busbars to switches as well, need to run negatives for switches to illuminate and positive feeds to the fuse box. Hoping to have the wiring nailed today. Then next task will be concentrating on drainage.
Still not received the tyres yet, so no point doing the trailer yet, may well be a next weekend job, then can arrange getting the boat on to it......