Geoff

Todays update......
Today we got the fibre glass floor panel out and started trimming the tab back to the sides ready for grinding.......
 
 
Just when you think things couldn'y have been any worse, you get that dawning realisation.......
 
None of the bearers are bonded to the hull!!, they are so flimsy it's ridiculous, and to add to that, the floor was about and inch above the supports!!! And the amount of GRP that was bone dry of resin............
 
To be honest, I'm kinda glad I never moved this on, just not fit for purpose, the hull basically had no bracing from the back forwards. Despite it havong been indoors for several weeks now, still finding little pockets of water, so along with everything else, not only does it leak, but doesn't drain either.....
Should be a big enough project I think
 

No fishing due to lockdown so got back in the kitchen 🙂 
Fruit loaf 
brownies
Honey roast gammon 
now for a few beers and watch the rugby 😬😬😬

be part of it all. we dont bite

Get down there with your truck at night and tow it away Jon.

Born and bred in the essex area (Rochford hospital, Shoeburyness, Southend, Leigh, Westcliffe and Rayleigh). Pier fishing was free so spent many hours on the pier, I never managed to catch anything, but still enjoyed it. I joined the Sea scouts at Leigh and the Sea cadets at Westcliffe. I always enjoyed the seaside and during the summer holidays had a job on one of the pleasure trip boats at Southend, great holiday job for a young lad. In the early sixties my parents bought a wooden speed boat with  a white 20 or 25hp Mercury and trailer. Their car was a two tone Vauxhall Cresta (cavern green over shark yellow), but had no towbar, so I removed the rear bumper and cut up an old bedframe for the angle iron (very twisty) drilled holes, fitted a tow ball and mounted the "towbar" directly onto the bumper brackets (home made number plate, but no lighting set) and we set off for Stone where they had a caravan (river Blackwater). Then came the embarrassing bit, but that's for another day. Anyway the following year they ordered a brand new Microplus at Earlscourt boat show, with a new mercury 35HP? outboard and trailer. I went with them to Mitchum? to collect the rig (a wheel came off the trailer in London - new trailer - wheel nuts just done by hand, but at slow speed in traffic, wheel nuts were found so no damage done). This boat was taken to Stone, water ski's and tow rope were bought and that is where I started to water ski. I married Joyce in 1965 and I managed to get a well paid job as a labour only sub contractor in Germany. Back to blighty and we visited the Earlscourt boat show in 1967 and bought a Loftus Bennet 19' hull and superstructure  for home completion with a Snipe trailer. Yes Neil - it did get finished - and we took that to Bavaria, Germany, using it as a caravan for eating and sleeping en route. That is how/why we got into boating. Geoff.☺️

Born and bred in the essex area (Rochford hospital, Shoeburyness, Southend, Leigh, Westcliffe and Rayleigh). Pier fishing was free so spent many hours on the pier, I never managed to catch anything, but still enjoyed it. I joined the Sea scouts at Leigh and the Sea cadets at Westcliffe. I always enjoyed the seaside and during the summer holidays had a job on one of the pleasure trip boats at Southend, great holiday job for a young lad. In the early sixties my parents bought a wooden speed boat with  a white 20 or 25hp Mercury and trailer. Their car was a two tone Vauxhall Cresta (cavern green over shark yellow), but had no towbar, so I removed the rear bumper and cut up an old bedframe for the angle iron (very twisty) drilled holes, fitted a tow ball and mounted the "towbar" directly onto the bumper brackets (home made number plate, but no lighting set) and we set off for Stone where they had a caravan (river Blackwater). Then came the embarrassing bit, but that's for another day. Anyway the following year they ordered a brand new Microplus at Earlscourt boat show, with a new mercury 35HP? outboard and trailer. I went with them to Mitchum? to collect the rig (a wheel came off the trailer in London - new trailer - wheel nuts just done by hand, but at slow speed in traffic, wheel nuts were found so no damage done). This boat was taken to Stone, water ski's and tow rope were bought and that is where I started to water ski. I married Joyce in 1965 and I managed to get a well paid job as a labour only sub contractor in Germany. Back to blighty and we visited the Earlscourt boat show in 1967 and bought a Loftus Bennet 19' hull and superstructure  for home completion with a Snipe trailer. Yes Neil - it did get finished - and we took that to Bavaria, Germany, using it as a caravan for eating and sleeping en route. That is how/why we got into boating. Geoff.☺️

Born and bred in the essex area (Rochford hospital, Shoeburyness, Southend, Leigh, Westcliffe and Rayleigh). Pier fishing was free so spent many hours on the pier, I never managed to catch anything, but still enjoyed it. I joined the Sea scouts at Leigh and the Sea cadets at Westcliffe. I always enjoyed the seaside and during the summer holidays had a job on one of the pleasure trip boats at Southend, great holiday job for a young lad. In the early sixties my parents bought a wooden speed boat with  a white 20 or 25hp Mercury and trailer. Their car was a two tone Vauxhall Cresta (cavern green over shark yellow), but had no towbar, so I removed the rear bumper and cut up an old bedframe for the angle iron (very twisty) drilled holes, fitted a tow ball and mounted the "towbar" directly onto the bumper brackets (home made number plate, but no lighting set) and we set off for Stone where they had a caravan (river Blackwater). Then came the embarrassing bit, but that's for another day. Anyway the following year they ordered a brand new Microplus at Earlscourt boat show, with a new mercury 35HP? outboard and trailer. I went with them to Mitchum? to collect the rig (a wheel came off the trailer in London - new trailer - wheel nuts just done by hand, but at slow speed in traffic, wheel nuts were found so no damage done). This boat was taken to Stone, water ski's and tow rope were bought and that is where I started to water ski. I married Joyce in 1965 and I managed to get a well paid job as a labour only sub contractor in Germany. Back to blighty and we visited the Earlscourt boat show in 1967 and bought a Loftus Bennet 19' hull and superstructure  for home completion with a Snipe trailer. Yes Neil - it did get finished - and we took that to Bavaria, Germany, using it as a caravan for eating and sleeping en route. That is how/why we got into boating. Geoff.☺️

Born and bred in the essex area (Rochford hospital, Shoeburyness, Southend, Leigh, Westcliffe and Rayleigh). Pier fishing was free so spent many hours on the pier, I never managed to catch anything, but still enjoyed it. I joined the Sea scouts at Leigh and the Sea cadets at Westcliffe. I always enjoyed the seaside and during the summer holidays had a job on one of the pleasure trip boats at Southend, great holiday job for a young lad. In the early sixties my parents bought a wooden speed boat with  a white 20 or 25hp Mercury and trailer. Their car was a two tone Vauxhall Cresta (cavern green over shark yellow), but had no towbar, so I removed the rear bumper and cut up an old bedframe for the angle iron (very twisty) drilled holes, fitted a tow ball and mounted the "towbar" directly onto the bumper brackets (home made number plate, but no lighting set) and we set off for Stone where they had a caravan (river Blackwater). Then came the embarrassing bit, but that's for another day. Anyway the following year they ordered a brand new Microplus at Earlscourt boat show, with a new mercury 35HP? outboard and trailer. I went with them to Mitchum? to collect the rig (a wheel came off the trailer in London - new trailer - wheel nuts just done by hand, but at slow speed in traffic, wheel nuts were found so no damage done). This boat was taken to Stone, water ski's and tow rope were bought and that is where I started to water ski. I married Joyce in 1965 and I managed to get a well paid job as a labour only sub contractor in Germany. Back to blighty and we visited the Earlscourt boat show in 1967 and bought a Loftus Bennet 19' hull and superstructure  for home completion with a Snipe trailer. Yes Neil - it did get finished - and we took that to Bavaria, Germany, using it as a caravan for eating and sleeping en route. That is how/why we got into boating. Geoff.☺️

I went through so many because most were rotten!!!..bit like many of the rust bucket cars I owned when I lived there. None were what I would now call decent boats. Thinking back on how my parents left me with people they barely new, even left me in a tent for two days when I was 4 at the IOW pop festival!!!!...Now the shoe is on the other foot and Ive abandoned them !!! 
That search for a great little boat that ticks all the boxes is an addictive one, I'm already looking at different boats having only owned my current one a few months. A boat that fits for towing long distances, handles offshore conditions and can still be used on shallow sheltered waters is hard to find. I also want something fast that won't use much fuel but most importantly have room to fish with JonC one day 🙃

At the age of around 10 I’d heard of this bloke called Jon from the IOW. He was a nut for boats and had had a few.  That was my inspiration. To own more boats than JonD. Not sure if I’m quite there yet but will keep trading. 
Oh and I used to go boating with my dad who sent me to sailing school at 11 where I sailed single handed to the IOW after my second lesson. My dad had a mirror dingy which we used to sail in the bay that my home looks out over now. He would be mad for it and go sailing in hurricanes and thunder storms. It was fun tbh. After that he had a 5m inflatable, not a rib but a big old heavy black rubber thing. Used to stink, but we caught some big fat flounders from it. 
That was it, I was hooked. And I’ve been wasting money on boats ever since. If I totalled up how much I’ve spent I could probably retire tomorrow. But where’s the fun in that ? I’d much rather be working for the next 20 years and have boats along the way 👍🏻

I was about 4 when I started fishing with my dad.  He built a small boat similar to the Poole Canoe which is a flat bottom boat.  There was a seagull 2or3hp outboard on it to start with he then upgraded to a seagull silver century 5hp with clutch and recoil starter OOOOH I here you say but in those day that was a major upgrade.  We generally only ever fished Poole Harbour but as a kid I had a blast. I have been fishing ever since and since the age of 18ish I have hardly ever been without a boat of some description as follows:
18' cornish sports boat, 10' With, 17 Pilot, 18' Poole Canoe, Hardy 17' Fisherman, Warrior 195, Karnic 2460 and now my current boat Rodman 870, it took me about 45 years to get through all those boats but apparently Neil got through that many in a month 

Safe to say it wasn't Pete's!!

With a total lockdown due to start at 6pm on Friday 23rd (and the barrage closing except for emergencies) work was put on the back burner and bait was ordered
Got in the 7.30am lock and were out in open water heading East by 7.45
Arrived at Ladye Bay, Clevedon around 30/40 mins later and the pick was dug in, then it slipped, then it dug in again
Fresh blacks and rag on the uptiders, whole squid on the downtider, kettle on the gas
3 cups of tetleys finest for me and my 2 crew (Shuff and Nipper) and a Tunnocks teacake to get the sugar levels up ready for the boat full of cod we were going to land
My downtide rod was first to twitch and when I struck into it, showed all the classic traits of a nice sized cod, stayed deep with the odd solid thud
Then unbelievably, the double figure cod got off and was replaced with a 6-8lb Thornback, which started kiting in the tide and making a nuisance of herself
Quick pic then returned to dupe someone else
Nipper then had a near carbon copy of my first fish (although his definitely knew it was a Ray and acted accordingly)
Pulled the pin and moved a bit further out on slack water to the bank of a channel that (when they are in) always produces cod
Apparently, cod weren't made aware of this rule and stayed away allowing us to bring in some nice-ish congers (if ever there were anything nice about them) to around 10-12lb and a few dogs
The ebb got too strong and with wind against tide we pulled anchor and headed back down the channel for a mark on the coral
A real snotty ride back with the tide and against a much stronger than forecast wind gave the roof and deck a good swill off though 
Dropped anchor toward the top end of the armada that were already there and in the hour that we were there I had one pin whiting, with nothing else showing interest in any of our baits
Upped anchor for the last time and made the 10 min journey into the 4.15 lock, talking to a charter skipper and all he had heard caught was a few small codling and one around 6lb near him
Very hit and miss at the moment, with some nice doubles coming out, but not in abundance.............yet
Barrage shut until Nov 9th 😭
 

Andy loosing branded weights would be no more difficult than loosing any others!!! I know that pouring leads would be very simple, but depending on size I would expect to cast up to about 8 weights per spin which would take about 1 minute at a guess. I could include a line hole through, or a SS loop with the ends cast in at 90 degrees or whatever. Geoff. ☺️

Thanks Andy - you had better make that four please. Geoff.

Its a Haines signature. They are the biggest and most awarded boat company here in Oz and come from an offshore blue water racing heritage. The company split from the Haines hunter side about 30 years ago and the standard of the hunter series fell in many peoples opinions. There's an interesting video if you enjoy boating stuff, which is in a couple of parts showing the factory and build. There are numerous signature models both big and small, with mine being in that small to mid size. The boat in the video with a 4x4 parked onto of it is a 4.85m very light weight boat which will probably be my next boat as these are so light and run very economically on 70-90 4 strokes (around 4km per litre). 
 

Lovely looking rig. Geoff.☺️

These guys had a lucky escape, makes me glad I carry a liferaft 
 
https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/royal-navy-rescues-two-fishermen-from-capsized-vessel?fbclid=IwAR2JHYeAC5FmVMtWRcgrDLWCWNCL4x59Rjt9EUHxiTLGQE1cbeoQntGXBD0

I'm tempted, but I haven't any room to mount them. Besides, she'd kill me if I added two more. 😃

Jersey Girl had her engine serviced today,

and after having been given a clean bill of health @Saintly Fish and I took her for her first run out on the Solent. Wind was 8-9mph from the NE, so not flat calm but plenty flat enough for a play.
We took a couple of mackerel rods with us, more out of hope than expectation...

But after a couple of fruitless drifts we decided to move further up the Solent.
Upon finding a patch of smooth water it would have been rude not to see what she could do, so we opened her up and watched the plotter as the knots climbed.
After making north of 30kts we hit a rough patch and for a moment Neil gets airborne, floating like an astronaut in zero gravity 🤣. After coming back down to earth I give him the helm and we try another run - we make 35kts with rpms to spare but we run out of smooth water so back off the throttle. 
Neil then has a play with the helm and turns her into a series of tight turns...
...at 25kts! She grips the water all the way round, and round, and round! Here's a pic of our trail.

Eventually we head back into the marina, stopping to fill up at the fuel jetty. A few little jobs identified (volts could be higher so need to check the House is receiving a charge, need to figure out the best place for the new rod holders, need to tweak the angle of the Active Imaging transducer as it was losing bottom above 10kts) but all in all not a bad way to spend a Friday! Massive thanks to Neil for being my wingman today and for generously buying lunch and celebratory beverages 👍👍 Cheers!

Here's what I did on my Saturday afternoon... 😁


#smuglittleginge

getting yoused to thissite now, its very handy having andy about, when in dobt mesae andy😀
 

Hello Jon D, good to have you aboard, but please don't go making us too jealous! Geoff.☺️