Herbs73

Nice fishing!! 💪🏻

Went out today from Brightlingsea for the first session of the summer season and had a cracking day, 
  25 hounds between the 2
of us, 5 flatties only 4 dogfish, 1 small bass and 3 whiting. 
  

No wonder you didn't get much then!!

Went out today from Brightlingsea for the first session of the summer season and had a cracking day, 
  25 hounds between the 2
of us, 5 flatties only 4 dogfish, 1 small bass and 3 whiting. 
  

Went out today from Brightlingsea for the first session of the summer season and had a cracking day, 
  25 hounds between the 2
of us, 5 flatties only 4 dogfish, 1 small bass and 3 whiting. 
  

Ethanol attracts water, which obviously is bad news for any modern high pressure fuel injection system, at least old carby motors can normally be drained and fixed. Water separators are a must on any boat if you use ethanol blends or not. Simply temperature variations can cause condensation in fuel tanks, which is why it's a good idea to keep tanks filled after a day out rather than leave until the next trip.
In regards to additives, the only one recommended to me by a good fishing friend who's an oil and fuel expert who works for many of the worlds largest oil companies has been Castrol fuel doctor. This is more of a water and fungus cleaner. According to him, the fuels we buy from fuel stations already have all the necessary cleaners and lubes needed for vehicle and marine engines, all meeting an industry standard. These big fuel companies invest millions into research and development unlike these small additive products. 

It’ll be fine 🙂 Keep a spare tank with you if you’re worried but once you’ve used say half a tank, top it up and all will be well 🙂 
I’m struggling to get out on mine….. life is getting in the way 😞 

E5 petrol should be good for at lease 2 years.

I'd just get on and use it. I've never had a problem with petrol stored in a boat for a few months over winter. 

Radar is now an integral part of RYA YM…. You need to be able to use and depth to navigate blindly…. (I.e. not with GPS) in simulated “fog” (a coat thrown over your head). 
 
it’s only useful at night to demonstrate to your examiner that the red and white lights are actually a car on land and not a lit buoy that is not charted…. (It’s a long story…) Turns put it was the local dogging spot next to the sea so would explain the flashing lights 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 Needless to say YM examiner was a bit embarrassed when pointed out he was wrong….
Agree on the AIS, you send your mates a catch picture, then you’re surrounded as the buggers have found where you’re fishing! So no catch reports unless I’m back on land 😉 

You’ll be looking at a 4G Simrad radome and most likely an NSS evo 3 9 inch plotter. Alternatively…. 
 
look at this…. 
 
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/404015864285?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=rdvxlzetqn-&sssrc=2349624&ssuid=Iv78hwFDRlC&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY
 
Itll happily run a 3G radar, fully networkable… 12 inch screen. Old be still excellent. Will also take an AIS input on NEMA2k. 
 
or bid quick on this…. It’s the updated version with touch screen. Again fully networkable. Or just buy both and have a networked system 😉 
 
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/275782540945?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=iK05kEIBQUu&sssrc=2349624&ssuid=Iv78hwFDRlC&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY
Garmin boradband radar will be good too, I’ve used the latest Garmin and Raymarine gear, all excellent. As GPS advises I’d steer clear of Lowrance, it’s a lower cost Simrad stuff. 
 
im a Simrad fan so somewhat biased…. But cactus Nav is an excellent place to get electronics from 

I find it’s cheaper than mooring costs but I did get a dodgy look off some old boy washing down his caravan when I cast  a 50z uptide. Don’t catch much though 

I find it’s cheaper than mooring costs but I did get a dodgy look off some old boy washing down his caravan when I cast  a 50z uptide. Don’t catch much though 

Hmmm..............
Unless you are regularly going to venture out in conditions of poor visibility, then radar is just an expensive toy, and this comment applies to the majority of small fishing boats for recreational use. Personally, I don't go out if the visibility is less than 1nm, or forecast to be 1nm or less, I am recreational, I don't need the hassle, it can wait until a better day. If you understand weather forecasting, then you will never get caught in fog or sea mist. FFS, the CG gives regular weather forecasts on ch63 (usually) and imminent means within 6 hours, so you have plenty of time to feck'off home.
Those on here that have said it is good for night navigation are not going to pass any advanced RYA seamanship practical exam's by using radar. Navigation on a night passage must be done by understanding ALL lights and their meanings / identification. Most skippers fail miserably in the identification of various types of vessel and their orientation 🙄. Also, no pleasure boat skipper who understands 'responsibility', would not purposely venture out on a night passage of poor visibility.
Also, it is worth noting that AIS has its downsides, in that the GC can see your location and ask you to assist another boat by calling you using DSC. It has happened to me 4 or 5 times in the last 4 years.
AIS also gives your fishing position away, unless you have a transit inhibit switch fitted. I can set AIS transmit to 'off' but still receive all AIS traffic at the flick of a switch.
AIS is also good for when you are at anchor. It clearly transmits your MMSI and the relevant info, i.e. speed =0,  Course=0, update time every 6 or 8 minutes,
An upside of AIS is that unlike radar, it can effectively 'see' around corners, I use this to good advantage when steaming close inshore past areas like Berry Head, where there could be hidden traffic coming out to sea on my port side from Brixham, however, all these 'aids' are exactly that and a focussed lookout watch must be maintained at all times.
 
 
 

I find it’s cheaper than mooring costs but I did get a dodgy look off some old boy washing down his caravan when I cast  a 50z uptide. Don’t catch much though 

He could have this for not that much more... https://www.garmin.com/en-GB/p/697228/pn/010-02365-50

Yep, I have Navionics on my phone and tablet as well as the plotter. I can also mirror the plotter on the iPad although the resolution isn’t as good I get a bigger screen. I can control the plotter from the iPad as well 
 
 

I’ve got both, both have their uses. Radar is great for navigation, collision avoidance in daylight and fog. If you e lost your GPS signal I can tell you’ll be glad to have radar on board!
I’ve got Emtek AIS transponder and a separate splitter. I take the NEMA2k output and it goes into my SIMNET backbone which is also NEMA2k just a different connector….
If you’re going Radar route, learn how to use it…. Learn how to use it in good conditions and when fog comes down you know what to do… 
Things like a variable range marker is invaluable for me as worh high level of commercial traffic in Milford Haven I can set a marker as the as to how close to get to vessel. One glance at the screen and I can tell if helmsman/helmswoman is getting too close…. 
 
It’s also useful for secondary navigation, I can take a bearing off a cardinal marker and a range, and cross check on my GPS… useful for then your GPS packs up (I lost my puck signal twice so yes it can happen….)
AIS is easier to use, there is a little boat icon on your screen, keep clear of it 🤣 but everyone can see where your fishing….
If if were me, I’d go Radar and then AIS but not my cash….

My last boat had both AIS and Radar.  The most useful is definitely the Radar.  Yes if you're offshore commercial shipping will show up on AIS but both commercial and private boats will show up on the radar.  My current boat has Radar only, I have it on most days when travelling just to keep used to using it, also I think if you have navigational aids you are supposed to use them.  I don't go out in fog intentionally however I have been caught out with near nil or very close visibility mid channel the piece of kit I would rather have is yep you guessed it Radar as it will see you safe from well offshore to inshore where most small craft don't have AIS.  Don't get me wrong AIS is brilliant and I have been called up by name by commercial shipping asking my intentions so from that perspective it is useful just not as useful as Radar.  If you can afford both then have both if not radar is the thing to have
Get radar do a course and use it, learn how to adjust manually without relying on auto settings which are ok but just not as good as using the correct settings.

So far no I’ve not gone out out much in fog or travelled at night, this has been due mainly to me staying within my comfort zone, however I am planning on going out further and want to be as safe as I can be.  I am based in brightlingsea so have traffic in the Thames estuary to contend with and I’ve promised the wife some weekends away in the boat ( this was a proviso on buying the boat 5 years ago which hasn’t really happened) 
. Im also wanting to all round improve my seamanship in general to get the most out of my boat and improving the electronics  I think is a part of that process.  But yes my plan is ais first and then radar maybe next season 

Yes, that's exactly right. Move the lever all the way back towards you - there's usually a notch you can feel that indicates when the reel is in free spool.

@Herbs73 I think it depends on what type of fishing you do as to whether you need lever drag or not. I fish with both lever and star, I don't really see too much advantage to a lever if I'm honest. A star drag is just as easy to adjust, very rarely do you need to lock up a reel with the lever. 
@Andy135 likes them because of the fight some of his bullhuss give! But for most normal fishing (tope included) a decent make of star drag is fine. 

Morning gents,
havnt posted in a while.  I went out yesterday in my mates new Orkney 20  for the first time since surgery in early September. 
   Left Brightlingsea at 7.15  and fished to 2. Lost count of the whiting, 2 decent codling which was nice, half a Dozen dogfish and 1 small bass. The wind was bitter on the flood but it dropped off after high tide.   After 7 months of no fishing it was just lovely to be out on the water despite my fingers going numb. 

Where’s your spot ? 

Morning gents,
havnt posted in a while.  I went out yesterday in my mates new Orkney 20  for the first time since surgery in early September. 
   Left Brightlingsea at 7.15  and fished to 2. Lost count of the whiting, 2 decent codling which was nice, half a Dozen dogfish and 1 small bass. The wind was bitter on the flood but it dropped off after high tide.   After 7 months of no fishing it was just lovely to be out on the water despite my fingers going numb.