No Sign of the Mackerel Yet

[Kev1n]

When I saw the weather forecast last night I had to take today off and try the first trip of the season. Setting off from the marina was delayed by needing to clear all the frost off the windows until they were clear enough to see out of. Luckily the water only had the thinnest layer of ice in places and shouldn’t have hammered the antifoul too much on the way out. Later, when I came back to the marina, the frost still hadn’t cleared from the shaded areas.
From the river the sea looked lumpy but it was a comfortably lazy, long swell that settled through the day.
First I blanked on a couple of close in wrecks before heading out about four miles to achieve equal success. Unusually I switched the engine off during that short drift, and was met with the dead man’s click when I tried to restart it; almost a brown trouser moment and the most interesting part of the day by far. Switching batteries solved that and the engine was left on for the rest of the day. There's another job for the weekend.
I caught nothing but rocks over the rough ground by the yellow can at StMary’s and after an hour drifting there and freezing my nuts off in the cold sunshine I’d had enough.

Not a good start to the fishing but still a great day to be out.

 

[Norman]

haha nice one kevin, I know exactly the feeling ... I turned the key one time and .... click ! unfortunately after switching the battery over I turned the key again and .... still click .... ... that was a few years ago, solved it by my crew at the time pushing on the solenoid which had simply broken thus pushed back instead of making a contact (instant start with the aid of pressure) ... suffice to say the engine never got turned off for the rest of the trip and the old solenoid went in the bin to be replaced by new ...... all in a lifes boating experience ...

norm

 

[northeast1]

At least you made it out, 9 weeks and counting for my first trip, thats if the winter has done no damage when she gets her bits back on.

Also aids in Jasons question of fishing the Tyne in winter.

 

[white water]

at least ya gave it ago

 

[The Jester]

Looked nice out there today , could see it from the roof on the site we're on up Newbiggen.

 

[Falcone]

It might be worth investing in a Battery booster i had a similar problem and now i never leave port without mine, they are relatively inexpensive and they offer piece of mind.
I bought mine from machine mart for around 50 quid.

Clarke Jumpstart 900 12 volt Rechargeable Power Supply and boost starter Jump Start 900 £43.95

 

[big_sean]

Also aids in Jasons question of fishing the Tyne in winter.

Yes 4 miles out and all the rivers throwing rubbish out to sea

I think if you were to have success at this time of year you would have to venture further afield maybe 20+ miles


Sean

 

[canman]

Good try Ken1n, Know what you mean about the brown trouser moment. Same with the outboard motor lever, when left in gear, turn the key........nothin, then you remember, phew! Think I saw you out there while I was digging at Whitley, looked nice, almost tempted, but like you say, to bloody cold.

 

[kingcod deano]

think most of us have had them brown trouser moments mine happened in the shipping lane tried to turn the key but nothing was there started to panic when i saw the amsterdam ferry on its way out tried turning the key a few more times untill i realised i must have knocked the throttle lever by mistake atleast ya gave it a go beats sitting in the house

 

[Kev1n]

It might be worth investing in a Battery booster I had a similar problem and now i never leave port without mine, they are relatively inexpensive and they offer piece of mind.[/url]

A booster would have been handy, I was please to have a two battery set-up which I run independently; it got me out of bother this time. Both batteries were new last season so they should be OK, the charging system was working on the way out but for some reason the starting battery didn’t pick up any charge. I think there is a problem with a poor connection or resistance in the terminal. Too much grease on them to keep the corrosion away could have insulated it as well I’ll pull the wiring to bits this weekend and get it sorted.

think most of us have had them brown trouser moments mine happened in the shipping lane tried to turn the key but nothing was there started to panic.

I had another BTM a couple of years ago. It was my first season and I was out alone in a 15ft seahog. That boat was a flying machine with a 60hp on the back and after building a little confidence over the summer I headed out about 4 miles offshore for the first timme. That was by far the furthest I’d been out and looked an intimidating distance. The wind picked up so I turned tail and was happily planing back in at about 25knots when without warning, the engine died. It turned over OK but refused to fire. I’d just tested the aux outboard that day and it fired up first time and sat steering from the tiller, looking forward into the cuddy. That’s when it dawned on me that the main engine key was in place but the kill switch was dangling free, I must have pulled it out without realising or it dropped when the boat bounced over a wave. Clipping the kill switch into place fixed the problem. Another lesson learned and the only time the auxiliary engine has ever moved a boat.

 

[codseeker]

some broon trooser moments there lads hope yas all get the boats sorted and ready and stay safe for the season ahead and looking forward to many more hauls of fish