Old boats can look as good as the work you put into them, When I bought mine it was in a bit of a state, the gelcoat looked like it had been left in a field for a couple of years or sprayed with matt paint, I was given some advice last year about bringing the gelcoat back to gleaming condition by using some Aquabuff rubbing compound & using a good industrial type, variable speed polisher, So I set about buying the polisher & two tubs of Aquabuff, a 1000 grade & a 2000 grade. Over this weekend I set about doing something about my dull gelcoat & out came the gear, firstly I set about polishing the whole boat with the 1000 grade aquabuff & found that with very little work the gelcoat came up mirrorlike fashion, I was well pleased, after that I changed the lambs wool pad on the polisher for a clean one & went over the boat again with the 2000 grade & what a difference!! It looks fantastic, I thought it would be one hell of a job to get the boat looking a bit better but the Aquabuff proved to be very easy to use & did a fantastic job. I would certainly recomend Aquabuff to others whos boats are looking a bit tired & dull, it really is worth the effort & adds a bit of value to your boat.

I`m a very simple man & I look at life in a very simple way, I see no need to complicate matters & that works for me, I believe in honesty, Decency & manners, Things that nowadays seem to be out of fashion. Look at the fiasco I had with the Engineers at Bluewater horizons, All they were interested in was lying & ripping me off for every penny they could get & then leaving me with a total mess to deal with, Even now I still have an exhaust bellows that was never fitted properly & keeps coming apart as soon as I lift the leg on my boat.
It really annoys me when people show a total disregard for others, It annoys me even more when I see people like those who don`t seem to realise that if they treat you that way you really won`t be going back. A bit stupid really, they are only losing business & gaining a bad rep.
I recently contacted a company Called Propellor Solutions, from Sturminster Marshal in Dorset, They were recomended to me by a member of our club who had bought a 4 blade prop & had a good experience with it, So I wrote to them about these props as I really could do with a new one & if it gained me some extra performance all the better. I wrote to them THREE times, & not just a small note, in depth descriptions of my boat, size, shape, Hull design, Performance, Engine & leg type, Prop make & design along with the numbers stamped on the prop which show its size & pitch etc. etc. & I included various photos of everything they needed to see. Now props are, as with all things boaty, not a cheap item, especially when they are stainless steel, performance, with no welds etc. So one would think that a company like that would welcome the custom. But in the end I had to write to them & tell them that thier total pig ignorance & bad manners was disgusting & I would never recomend them to anyone. After writing to them three times I never recieved an answer either by email or phone though thier enquiry form uses astrixes to say you must provide your phone number & email address. Personally I would not have been so bothered if they had contacted me & said they couldn`t help, at least that would have been some recognition that they had at least read your email, But No, I recieved nothing, To me that is just down to pure ignorance, bad manners & maybe a little snobbery because my boat was a little older than the nice new ones they provide props for, All in all a bad experience which I would not wish to repeat & I will certainly be taking my custom elsewhere.
I suppose as we go through this boating life we are going to meet lots of undesirable tradesmen the same as we do in our home lives & all we can do really is pass on our experiences to others who enjoy the same pastime in the hope that they can avoid the same experiences.

Well ! Finally the boat hit the water, I had friends visiting for a week in April & we decided that other than the obligatory shopping, meals out, Days on the Xbox etc. we would have a trip out on the boat, It was nothing to do with fishing you understand (erm! erm!) it was a social sort of ride for the wives, "mind you! I have to admit that there was 3 or 4 rods aboard, a whole box of tackle and a few quids worth of bait!! Anyhow, it was arranged & we decided that on the day we would leave early in the morning & make a day of it. On the morning, my mates wife decided that she wanted to go into town for some new shoes, so while the ladies were gone we quickly (cos you know when women go shoe shopping they won`t be long!) got everything onboard the boat & made sure that she was secure on the trailer, she was then hitched up & towed out to the green at the front of the bungalow, we then sat & had a cuppa, some sandwiches & were watching Jeremy Kyle on TV, it never entered our minds that the women were taking a little longer than we thought they would (Do you believe that?) When they finally arrived home we were out of the door like a shot & heading for the boatyard & slip. We arrived at Davis`s and parked up then went to the office to pay our slipping fee, we were then told that we wouldn`t be getting out for a while as there wasn`t any water on the slip, It was at this point that both myself & Richard were thinking of all the places we could shove a new pair of shoes!! We reversed the boat onto the slip in the hope that as the incoming tide rose it would lift the boat off the trailer, 3 hours later & with a lot of swearing, attempts to bump it off etc it was finally heaved off the trailer & into the shallow water. I parked the car & trailer & made my way back to the pontoon where the women were stood looking at the gently swaying, tied up boat as if it was a wild stallion, ignoring their obvious iffy looks at my baby I jumped aboard & started the engine, After months of standing on the trailer in the yard, the engine fired after two turns, I was well pleased & turned round smiling at the women who still looked like they were going to bolt for the car. After I had made sure everything was stowed safely & the engine had been given time to warm up I said "C`mon then, get in" the women gingerly stepped over the rails & very quickly settled themselves in the wheelhouse, Richard took care of the lines & I eased the boat away from the pontoon and headed her down the narrow channel & around towards cobbs quay & the boat channel that would take us out into Poole harbour proper. We had not gone that far, in fact, we hadn`t even reached the main channel or even the town bridge before I had one women in tears & another screaming because the boat actually rolled & bobbed a bit instead of holding solid to the water like a car did to the road, in all the confusion & trying to calm the women I sort of strayed a bit so I wasn`t at the right hand side of the channel, I was outside it, & as the water was still a bit shallow "Yes you`ve guessed it" "BANG!!!" What the hell was that ! I exclaimed no more than slightly annoyed, Even though I knew I would never know what was the culprit that caused the bang & shuddered the boat, I knew that whatever it was, was very hard & very unkind to my prop. After a few quick manouvers & checks for incoming water we were satisfied that there wasn`t any real damage & carried on (mind you! it did make the women go quiet LOL) We went under the town bridge and finally hit the main shipping channel which I crossed quickly and settled the boat on a course that would take us down the boat channel that runs just outside the main channel buoys, The women had, by now & with a lot of reassuring that we were not going to capsize & all go to a watery grave, quietened down a bit & were starting to take notice of the places we passed such as Brownsea island, It was when we passed the chain ferry & cleared the mouth of the harbour that the screaming started again & as we passed the hook sands the women decided that the moderate conditions were more akin to the perfect storm & even though I didn`t look like George clooney I was going to be going the same place he was in the film & I was taking them with me. (WOMEN!!!!) After a split second of visions passing through my mind of me hurling them overboard and laughing with glee at their shocked faces disapearing downwards in the murky water, it was decided to spin the boat around & head back into the harbour. We re-entered the harbour & as we were passing the island myself & richard decided that we would anchor up & wet a line, We did just that, we also ignored the complaints of the women that every boat that passed was making waves and rocking the boat too much, we also didn`t catch any whackers, in fact we didn`t have a bite. So after an hour & a half or so of dangling our bits over the side & laughing at the women in payment for the shoe shop fiasco we decided that it was time to up anchor & head back to the slip as the gates were to be closed at 5 o`clock. When we got back to the slip we realised that even though it was now high water there still wasn`t an awful lot of depth on the slip & so after we dropped the women off on the pontoon I left Richard to drive the boat onto the trailer & I went to get the car & trailer & backed it down the slip. It was not an easy job getting the bu%#er back on the trailer but after a couple of attempts then one almighty rush at the trailer by Richard we finally got her back onto the bunks, pulled her up the slip & started to secure her to the trailer, It was then that we seen the result of the "BANG!!" I had one blade on the prop that was chewed along the edge & another that had a good inch & a half bent over at 90 degree, What a fiasco!! & certainly a day that had some lessons in it about what not to do. Wether it was the excitment of getting the boat into the water after owning her for nearly a year or just plain stupidness I had made lots of mistakes that I really should have known better about, I didn`t check the tides, or the weather, I didn`t check out the slip, I didn`t check all my instruments, I didnt do a radio check, I didn`t inform anyone of our departure or numbers onboard, I didn`t even keep my eye on my GPS which would have clearly shown I was outside the channel when I damaged my prop, & I didn`t wear my life jacket or see to it that anyone else onboard wore thiers, One good thing that came out of this trip was that I will certainly remember it & my mistakes & in remembering I won`t make the same ones again & the next time I go out I`l make sure that a lot of prep goes on before I leave home.

Once you have your boat & you have spent a great deal of time & money on getting it just right, & you are sure that you have everything ready, what do you do? At this point it would be very tempting to just get it to the nearest slipway & hit the water, But if you stop & think about it you`l realise that there is still more to do to ensure you & your passengers are as safe as you possibly can be.

Have you taken a RYA VHF radio course? If you have one on board other than it being a legal requirement its also a damn good idea to get yourself trained in the proper use of such equipment.
Make sure you carry a back up radio i.e. a handheld VHF & a mobile phone, you may also find it handy to have a second VHF antenna fitted in case of damage or loss of the main one.

Have you got a First Aid kit & would you know what to do with it in an emergency? If you have no basic training in first aid, do something about it, get yourself enrolled on a first aid course. Things can happen fast out at sea & you may be the only person who can help.

Have you got life jackets for all on board, are they in good condition & does everyone know how to use them, If someone falls overboard do you have the means to retrieve them i.e. throwing line, lifebuoy, boat hook, A boarding ladder! A wet person in heavy wet clothing can be a bit awkward & heavy to drag over the gunnel's of a bobbing boat.

I carry clean, warm, dry towels & clothing sealed in bags to change into in the case of having been overboard, I also carry a number of foil survival blankets to wrap a person in. You never know when you will be the nearest person to someone in distress & in the water.

Flares, Bailers, Manual & auto bilge pumps, hand bearing compass, ships compass & charts, Plotter & dividers etc, There is a multitude of safety gear you should have on board not just for you & your crew but also for anyone you find yourself in a position to help, Never get too complacent & think your electronics are the be all & end all, if you lose your electrics your safety will depend on wither you can get to grips with your position & old style charts, plotters & compasses.

There is such a lot to think of before you slip your boat in the water, besides having everything on your boat to make your time out safe, there are other things to consider like letting someone know what time your going out, where you are expecting to be & what time you are coming back, There is also a thing called the CG66 this is a very useful service in which you fill in a couple of forms on line with all the information about your vessel i.e. size, type, colour, what equipment, what safety gear, distinguishing features, how many normally on board, etc.
All this information is kept by the coastguard and can be used to find & help you in an emergency
http://www.mcga.gov.uk/c4mca/mcga07-home/emergencyresponse/mcga-searchandrescue/mcga-hmcgsar-sarsystem/mcga-hmcg-cg66.htm
This is the link to the HM Coastguard CG66 website, Its free & could help save your life.

Another link you will find useful will be the RNLI as they do a free sea safety check on your boat & equipment, They take you through what you have, what you should have & give you very good advice on numerous things you may not have thought of, all aimed at you & your friends & family enjoying a safe boating experience. You even get a bit of paper & a sticker for the boat to say you have undergone the RNLI sea safety check.
You should look to doing this at least every two years. The link is http://www.rnli.org.uk/what_we_do/sea_and_beach_safety

One thing you really should do is make sure that you can handle your boat
adequately, responsibly & safely, The best way of doing this is to book yourself onto a RYA powerboat course where you will learn everything you need to know & earn yourself a certificate of competence. Join your local boat angling club, its a good way of getting out with others so you will not be venturing out on your own to start with (safety in numbers) & the clubs & their members have a wealth of information & experience & are extremely helpful especially to newcomers to the sport.

I have already done my VHF DSC course, Had the RNLI sea safety check, Filled in my CG66, I was trained as a medic in the RAMC so definitely know my way around a first aid kit & emergency situations, Although I have a little knowledge of Navigation with charts & compass I could do with some more in depth training & I will certainly be booking my Powerboat level 2 course in the very near future.
I joined two clubs, Poole Bay Small Boat Angling Club & Weymouth Angling Society, It was a great move socially and I have found the people in the clubs to be patient & extremely helpful wither it be just asking a few questions on the club site or having a friendly member come over to my home to help with some wiring work on the boat.

A boat is a bit of a money pit, a lot of work & can be down right frustrating at times but it is really worth it when you look at the enjoyment you get from it in so many ways & with so many really great people.
Be safe & Tight lines.

Mike.

People say you learn by your mistakes, I have certainly learnt a valuable lesson since I bought the boat, "There are a lot of rip off artists out there who see you coming & abuse you goodstyle!"

My boat was in Bluewater Horizons engineering workshop for 6 months, Just for a simple service & a bit od a wiring job. Now, whilste I was believing everything I was told by these cowboys I was getting turned over royally, Here`s just a few things that made me think they wern`t what they were supposed to be, They took £90 worth of petrol out of my tank by ripping off the fule sensor switch plate, then charged me to fix the plate, (petrol was probably used in thier cars) They took my stainless propeller & replaced it with a alloy one with the explanation that I "didn`t really need a stainless one, they were more for a speedboat", They broke the inspection hatch over the fuel sensor & had to replace it, They tried to exchange a brand new 110amp battery for an old 75amp, They lost the hatch from my anchor well and had to replace that one, again only after I had a go about it, I had to get another person to finish the wiring work that Bluewater was asked to do but failed to complete, They fitted my new auto bilge pump, but obviously never tested it as it only works if I manually switch it on, They fitted my radar screen bracket to the cabin roof & now I get water running down over the top & down the back of it, They removed brand new navy blue mooring lines from the boat which were never seen again, They have stood on the stainless side rails & bent them.

As one can see, I paid for a job that was not done correctly or finished & I expected a little professionalism in the way the looked after my boat whilst in their care, but they obviously didn`t care, So the one thing I learned other than, never go to these people again, was to check around, ask questions of other boat users & find the right people to do the job at the right price.

What I have to worry about now is the standard of work that was done on the engine? with the experiences I had with these cowboys it doesn`t give one much trust in the engine giving us good service, but I suppose we`l have to wait & see, at least I`l be in the safety of the harbour whilst I test it.

I now have the boat at home & have done quite a bit of work, cosmetically, to her. She has now been fitted out with new seats, steering wheel, Iceytek box, rod holders, etc & is starting to look something like a decent angling boat.

We joined the Poole bay small boat angling club, & the Weymouth angling society & the boat will soon be going onto the boat park at Hamworthy in Poole so that we can fish out from Poole harbour.

As the year progresses I will post reports & pics of how we do in the monthly competitions & on our own trips out along the Dorset coast

Lets hope this year turns out to be better than last, that the hard bit is over & we can get down to some trouble free fishing with some stonkers coming over the side.

Well! The boat is now but a few days from completion, all parts are accounted for, the wiring & fitting out is almost done & Tony the engineer says it will have a good clean after the work is finished. So hopefully, the weather will refrain from the biblical (its rained every day in November & now we`r in December & its still at it!! What are we trying for? the 40 days etc! Good job I bought a boat!) & I can then get down to a bit of restoration on the gelcoat & finish all the add ons such as rocket launcher rod holders, Rail mounted ones, racks, radar reflector, not forgetting a snazzy new steering wheel. There`s a few other bits & bobs ( mostly cosmetic ) But now it all depends on the weather, but once it clears up a bit & I can get things done then I`l post some pics of the finished boat & maybe a small vid of the launch.