Geoff

Hi Andy, I would guess that your boat is polyester resin and not epoxy. Best to repair with polyester (also less expensive). T would also guess that the core material you refer to is Nidapalst (possibly 15mm not12mm to give your 25mm build thickness). PM or phone me if you wish for more details and the best way to go about it. What size holes, access 1 or 2 sides etc. Geoff,

Those speeds are very respectable. In practice, 20kts seems to be about right for comfortable cruising.
Yes, those consumption figures could be improved on with a newer engine, but it would take literally forever to make the cost of the new engine back in fuel savings so upgrading probably isn't an economically sensible move, unless there are other motivating factors e.g. reliability or terminal failure of your current engine. But if neither are an issue then I'd say stick with what you have 👍

Geoff,
 
Yes I replace the old trailer with the one pictured in 2010 and sold the old one on to a nice chap in Devon
The tow vehicle has also been changer to an Isuzu Rodeo Denver which pull like a dream.
I normally fish out of Littlehampton but also visit Herne Bay, Chichester harbour, exmouth and Brixham.

Hi and welcome. That boat looks really nice, and in super condition for something born in 1987 - it is a credit to you the way you have kept it. The trailer does look a lot newer than that. Do you do a lot of trail to different venues? Geoff.

Greetings all.
Just signed up to this forum as things have become a bit tedious and stodgy on some other sites.
Just a quick post to introduce myself and boat. I am far too close to 60 for comfort and have been fishing since the age of 4.
I have boated all my life and have owned my Icelander 18 from new since 1987.
Touching wood she is still going strong and though a little basic and old fashioned internally still puts me safely over plenty of fish.
If you see me out from Littlehampton, Chichester or Herne bay then give me a shout, loudly, as the hearing is as old as i am!
Tight line, Moonlighter

Wishing Joyce the best possible outcome, and thinking of you too Geoff. It can be hard going as the "other half". 

Best of luck, hope it don't get cancelled now too...
 

Hope all goes well for your good lady Geoff. Please send Joyce our collective best wishes. 

Probably a cushion. Geoff.☺️

Probably a cushion. Geoff.☺️

Probably a cushion. Geoff.☺️

Good luck with the sea trial Neil

Dad joke alert! FFS... 🙄

They’re not moonwalking, they’re all doing the conga !!!!!!! 🤣🤣😆

Copycat! Geoff.☺️

"Bob Cox is the second cousin of which relatively unknown Essex dangler with a penchant for KFC?"

Sharks, coz it’s a waiting game. When that ratchet goes is it a monster or a tiddker, gets that adrelelin going. 
 
After that, Mr Cod, you get that slack liner on your uotider, wind like hell and get that lovely nodding feeling on the end. Goes well with chips too 🤣🤣🤣🤣

Personaly I would still stay bellow 6m. Boats in that range are far more adaptable to all kinds of fishing and able to be towed to most locations. Working through the hull extreme bar conditions often means small boats can get offshore when the bigger even high powered boats can't. There's also a big advantage keeping a smaller boat at home in your garage over a large vessel kept on a mooring. 
When it comes to handling fish, especially bigger game species, a small boat is hands down the easiest way to speed up any catch and release.
If money were simply no object then I would simply privately charter any boat and let the owner be responsible for its upkeep, apart from that Ive already owned the boats I like, with the smallest travelling the furthest distances and catching the most variety of fish.

A 8-10m cat with twin diesel inboards
Fished of a twin outboard powered cat and wasn't keen, not a nice ride as it felt too light on the bow
And as money is no object, Id have a few of these, Milford Haven, Cardiff, somewhere in Cornwall (maybe Falmouth) Weymouth and maybe one a bit further east
I'd also have a 40ft Princess (or similar) down on the south coast, with another in Tenerife and possibly Barcelona
Pissed off now reality has set back in, who started this poxy thread 😭

Small cod use worm baits with squid. 
 
However, on a number of occasions I have caught more cod than other boats and most on the boat using a bit of bluey as well. This works especially well when the sprats are in the channel. The 4 doubles I caught last year were all on worm/Squid/bluey.
 
for the big girls, nothing beats a live whiting. Fish it on a sleeper rod downtiding, especially over slack water

A Tramp goes into a bar and orders a beer.  The barman is a little concerned and asks if he can pay.  The Tramp replies "If I show you the most amazing thing you've ever seen, will you let me have a pint for free?"
The barman says, "Show me and I'll consider it."
So the Tramp reaches into his bag and pulls a hamster. The hamster run down the bar, hops onto a bar stool, then the floor and over to the piano. The hamster opens the lid and starts playing. The hamster plays Chopin, ragtime, and Gilbert and Sullivan. 
The barman says, "I am impressed" and brings the Tramp a pint of best bitter. 
After a while the Tramp asks for another beer. The barman says "We agreed to one beer" 
So the Tramp replies "If I show you something more amazing, will you give me another beer?"
The barman says, "Okay, but you be will hard to beat the hamster". Meanwhile the hamster continues to play.
The Tramp reaches into his bag again and pulls out a frog. The frog hops down to join the hamster. The frog grabs the microphone and begins to sing along with the hamster who is still playing the piano.
The Tramp is given his second pint. 
A customer at the end of the bar has been watching the performance. He walks over to the Tramp and says, "I work in the theater and I'd like to buy that frog. Will you sell the frog for £50?" The Tramp says no so the man raises it to £100. The Tramp agrees and hands over the frog. 
As the man is leaving, the barman says to the Tramp "Why did you sell the frog,  it must be worth more than £100!"
The Tramp replies, "Not at all, the hamster is also a ventriloquist."

A woman brings eight-year-old Johnny home and tells his mother that he was caught playing doctors and nurses with Mary, her eight-year-old daughter. Johnny's mother says, "Let's not be too harsh on them... they are bound to be curious about sex at that age." "Curious about sex?" replies Mary's mother. "He's taken her fucking appendix out!"

You should have a really sharp knife, ideally one edge serrated and one edge razor sharp ............. this knife should be located near the transom just in case you pick up a pot rope in the prop .............. being anchored from the stern is a very quick way to sink a boat in any type of tide flow, and you certainly  don't want to be hunting around for a knife !
I keep one on the transom and another in my Lifejacket .......................