She's nearly ready . . .

[Guest CJS2]

Well, well . . . . a little applicatiobn a few deep breaths and her she is at last. 13 tones of plastic, wood and steel, needs the black anti foul and red line, but thats the last job befor lift back. Room for 4 to fish in cumfort, fully self contained so that 24/48 hour trips are no problem, carries enough fuel to stay at sea for 10 day! Hazel my partner comes most trips, as does Oliver our 'lesser spotted doggie, he's a great ships masquot. Hazel keeps the tea and bacon sarnies and hot pies coming.

 

Spent all Sunday with the polish/buff machine, realy looking the part now. Next weekend, will see everything done ready for relaunch in the week? Watch out you cod, if the weather plays ball, may slip in a couple of late September/October 'big solitary bass' hunts. Got a few marks on the chart that were supplied by an old hand from the haydays in the seventies and eighties.

CJS2

[Guest CJS2]

Yea, Dave.W, go very frustrated, but,step back, take a couple of breaths and go again. Another triumph for 'old farts'?

CJS2

[bigdunny]

Nice bathtub CJ hope you have many good trips in her m8

[Guest CJS2]

The 'bathtub' is luxury, cumfort, econmy and safty, on the fishing front. A Weekend retreat, mobile holiday home and entertainment center all rolled into one. I have a hobby interest in restoring her, cant fish all the time, which will take two or three seasons with the end result of a craft worth, including restoration cost, 30% more than I paid, thats not a bad retun on cash invested, thats if I wanted to sell.

 

CJS2

[Newt]

Nice boat and a great picture.

 

How old are you anyway? We have a few with some years on them.

 

Newt - born 1945 so a relative spring chicken

Vagabond - born 1936 I think

Leon Roskilly - present at the signing of the Magna Carta from what I'm told

[thurso angler]

Great boat you have there CJS2 a proper distance fishing boat how far offshore do you intend to go??

[ColinW]

I could live on that

 

[ 23. August 2005, 09:23 AM: Message edited by: ColinW ]

[RichardB]

You could get my house on it

 

Fantastic, wish you many happy trips on her.

 

[ 23. August 2005, 12:49 PM: Message edited by: RichardB ]

[Guest CJS2]

I'ey chaps, one of the ideas was distance. As you have gathered I'm not in my first flush of youth, I think I was the result of me' Fathers demob celibrations? Speed is not an issue, been there done that back in the eighties with an Alaska 500, still prepared to admit, nothing like the exzilaration of 20 or 30 knots on water in a small boat, but to much on the down side?

 

The fact is I have learned to savour the journy to and from fishing marks. Drink tea, knosh bacon sarni, chat over the tacktics with any mates on board and take note of the ground passed over. I have many areas I will visit having noted them on previous sorties, how many watch the sounder with half an eye on the out/return trip, even slow down/stop and have closer look?

 

Distance is relative, however, in the winter, on a good day 500yds to 12 miles, it depends. The summer is diferent, we have banks off Felixstowe and down to the main Thames Estuary that could be up to 30 miles distant in an ark NE through E to SSE. They all come into the crusing range of 24/36/48hr trips on KT.

 

Thats how it was back in the 70's and 80's, the hey-day of summer bassing and the development of uptide fishing, 3 hours steam 4/6 hours fishing and then 3 hours back, often longer and over night. The difference was they did not have the cumfort of a large cabin, often, little more than a small dog house wheel shelter.

 

Listening to the VHF, talking to skippers this season, 'listen' hard, points can be picked up. The fish are there, not in quantity, so they need serching out, but they are there. Thats where a steady old tub like 'KT' comes in. Shes not so dependent on weather windows. Take your time, I believe half the pleasure is finding the fish, otherwise its like we were kids again, no patience, instant quantity was the order?, never mind the size, 6" was a monster!

 

The one concession I make to modern developments is the electronics, Auto Pilot, GPS/plotter and a top quality Sonar/FF. No point in searching blind, have had the best of these as they developed since 1997, make no appologies, for my comercial quality Koden FF and trusty Garmin Colour GPS plotter, they are the bees knees.

 

Sorry for the sermon chaps, if I'm boar you, just say so, wont be offended, just keep my opinions to my self in future LOL.

CJS

 

[ 23. August 2005, 05:54 PM: Message edited by: CJS2 ]

[spasor]

I`m with you, Cliff. Comfort before speed.

Better to have a laugh with your mates, there `n back. Than to hang on for grim death.