Adam F Posted August 13, 2015 Report Share Posted August 13, 2015 Prologue: When I built JV1 the drive was to get her over to Alderney, and an ariel picture of the island on the workshop wall was my inspiration. Fast forward 7 years and I was doing it all again... As has been well documented on here in my other thread, 10 months later and 1000 man hours and JV2 was ready for relaunch after a full refit, and yes, once again the first big run was to be Alderney....... Rob and Ianh87 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam F Posted August 13, 2015 Author Report Share Posted August 13, 2015 Day 1: As is usual with these trips we planned to leave early. The run up to this trip was somewhat unusual in that rather than the standard multiple phone calls and weather watching, the forecast looked great 10 days out and stayed that way, for once the forecasters got it bang on.... Was this Karma for all my hard work? We met at Parkstone at 6am, and after loading the usual mountain of kit into JV, which she swallowed with ease, now having a mountain of stowage onshore, we nudged out of the marina. I didn't say much to Ian, Alun and Rob (crew for the trip) but I was so nervous..... Having had a bad experience with Jv1 a few years back, and embarking on such a big trip with what is basically a new boat that I'd built in my garden, my heart was in my mouth. The sea state was ok, and steadily JV ate up the miles. Our buddy was Tigerfish, but despite numerous tries on the VHF we couldn't raise them, so did the crossing single handled. Clearly the accommodation was up to scratch as Rob and Ian pumped some ZZZZ's The sea state was ok but wasn't smooth, yet she ate the miles up at a super 19 knot cruise and after a short stop mid channel to top up on mackerel, we hit the SW Casquets around 10.30am ready to hit the turbot.... The fishing was a bit below par, but as we are late in the season, was half expected. Again, maybe Karma but I managed 5 flats in the few hours during the afternoon. Lunch today was Yellow Thai curry, rice and nan bread washed down with a cold beer, courtesy of Rob. Into Braye for a drop of fuel and then check in with Mark at Alderney Angling, hot shower and then down to the Maris Hall, for the obligatory pepper steak (bad luck if you don't!!) An extra for this year was the Alderney Week, a week long festival which we had all heard of but never been. What a great spectacle! After dinner we join pretty much every occupant of the island with a 3' flaming torch (yes proper fire!) on a 45 min walk across the island to the main festival site where a stage and band, a beer tent and about a thousand pallets for the bonfire awaited us.... Clearly health and safety on Alderney isn't quite up to English standards! About the best firework display I've ever seen, a great band, several pints of Bailywick Best and a bit of jigging and we were fit to drop after being awake for some 20 hours.... Sleep was easy on Sat night, even Alun's snoring couldn't disturb us...... Stuie, Reel Wizzard, Ianh87 and 6 others 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam F Posted August 13, 2015 Author Report Share Posted August 13, 2015 Day 2: The reports from Mark at AA, were that fishing was thinning out, but a few massive brill were showing, and the flats were still about. Of the 3 banks to choose from the South Bank is one of my least favourite, mainly due to previous catches, although it's closest to the Island and often throws up bass more than the other banks. Mark suggested here was worth a shot, so it was here we headed on Sun morning. JV was running so sweet, and my nervous feelings had started to drift away as confidence built. She is now what I consider the perfect 4 man boat, buckets of room in the wheelhouse and on deck, a great well appointed galley, and my 2 favourite new toys... The Autohelm, and the air suspension Kab seat..... Both making life as a skipper a relaxed as they can be.... You can't put a cost on these two bits of kit. The Raymarine unit in particular deserves particular mention. It wiped the board with industry awards a few years back, but in summary this is an intelligent Autopilot, that after giving it a few basic bits of information, simply gets on with the job and 'learns' as it goes... So the more you use it, the better it gets. And it works. Highly recommended and how I have managed without one to now I'm not sure!? Back to the fishing.... Slow to start, but we kept on and slowly the flatties began to come aboard. We landed enough fish to keep interest but it was far from easy. Today, again, I'm seemed to have the golden balls and racked up 7 flats in total. About mid afternoon I hooked into what felt from a decent fish from the initial hookup, I played it gingerly, knowing how easy these fish fall off, after a few mins colour appeared and it looked as though I had snared a decent turbot, only on surfacing did it appear that it wasn't a turbo, but a bloody massive brill! Just as Mark had suggested..... Banging the scales round to 9lb 8oz this was a fish of a lifetime! Boy was I chuffed! Of also mention is the amount of gurnard this year, we had dozens of them, the best being a cracker of a tub just shy of the club record at 3lb 9oz. Today's lunch was pigeon pitta breads with red onion, lettuce and tomato relish.... Again with a cold beer.... We fished late on the Sunday as we didn't have any food booked so finished off in the time honoured fashion on the Nannels reef, with the wind dropped, the sun shining and setting to the West, the tunes pumping from the stereo, a cold beer in hand and smashing hard fighting pollock on super light spinning rods. Does it get any better? I don't think so...... niggle, Ianh87, Kingfisher 126 and 3 others 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam F Posted August 13, 2015 Author Report Share Posted August 13, 2015 Day 3: By now job roles had been assigned.... rob was Entertainments Officer, and in charge of team clothing... Day 3 plan was to hit the Shoale Bank for the morning and then the South a bank in the afternoon. Tigerfish has left us at this point and Redfin had arrived, and joined us in Monday. Again fishing was tough but as we plugged away the box filled. We also returned a good number of fish, a lot more than usual, again, fishing to the voluntary increased 45cm limit. Monday lunch was a superb fish pie from Al, once we worked out how to stop it sliding out of the oven! I think something like 17 flats onboard for the day. Dinner Mon was at the Georgian House, with Peter and Matt, and was superb. Approx £40 per head for a 3 course meal with cheese and wine. Our last night.... Gone all too fast and tomorrow was home time.... Stuie, rich185 and Reel Wizzard 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam F Posted August 13, 2015 Author Report Share Posted August 13, 2015 Day 4: Last day.... After another fantastic full English at Alderney Angling B&B, a small fortune spent at AA, with now even more rods, reels and tackle coming back over the channel! We missed the tide to fuel up on Tues morning, but one of the advantages of the new boat is the 400l tank which meant no great shakes and we had plenty to return back. We cast away from Braye at 10am, and fished 5 wrecks across the channel with conditions improving each mile travelled. Strangely the wrecks improved the nearer we got to Poole, with the last 2 wrecks the best.... As the ebb died we found bass high up in the water upside of the wreck but only snared a couple before the tide fell slack. Just in time for the last hot lunch of the trip, hot meat ball and 3 bean stew from Ian, with, if you haven't yet guessed, a cold beer! The last wreck produced cod every drift until at 5pm, after 3 'one last drift' we called it a day and smashed back home at 22 knots, a big grin on all outer faces, and another superb Alderney trip under our belt. What a trip...... Great fishing, great boat, great weather and great memories. Reel Wizzard, Stuie, Ianh87 and 5 others 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Posted August 13, 2015 Report Share Posted August 13, 2015 Great food onboard and on land!!! Nice facilities onboard to rustle up some lovely grub, that oven is a dream. It was such a pleasure to be part of the first big adventure after the re-launch. Especially after spending many long days and some uncomfortable hours under the deck of her!!!! JV didn't miss a beat and that is/was something to be proud of! Another note on the auto pilot was the ability to over ride it and turn the wheel to swerve around something in the water. The let go of the wheel and it tracks back on course! The radar plotter overlay was cool too!!!! I'll try the Kab seat another day when you aren't glued to it!!! Thanks for the company and the invite Ad & Ian!! Redfin catching some air: Sidewinders doing the business: Dream Drifter spotted on out return in the swash: Reel Wizzard, Stuie, rich185 and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Posted August 13, 2015 Report Share Posted August 13, 2015 Great report Adam, rather sickingly I'm fairly sure I t barred off a club record tub gurnard looking at the pictures above compared to what I let go:( Have to say the new jvis a great piece of kit and a five minute cruise across Bray's harbour left me with a want list! (I would have liked the auto pilot for the crossing back as well!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
niggle Posted August 14, 2015 Report Share Posted August 14, 2015 Great report,really pleased your trip payed you back for all your hard work Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reel Wizzard Posted August 14, 2015 Report Share Posted August 14, 2015 Great report, I can not beleive how clean the boat looks in all the pictures. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Posted August 14, 2015 Report Share Posted August 14, 2015 Clean as you go Dave! Saves an hour + back at the marina, plus, looks good for photos! Saying that though, white team t-shirts wasn't my best idea! Mine has orange marks on it from the dye of my braid. Reel Wizzard 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maverick Martin Posted August 14, 2015 Report Share Posted August 14, 2015 Great report Adam, I'm pleased all worked as it should have on a trip you so deserved Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Posted August 14, 2015 Report Share Posted August 14, 2015 Clean as you go Dave! Saves an hour + back at the marina, plus, looks good for photos! Saying that though, white team t-shirts wasn't my best idea! Mine has orange marks on it from the dye of my braid. that's why ours are blue Reel Wizzard 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Posted August 14, 2015 Report Share Posted August 14, 2015 But JV isn't blue, so Ad no doubt would not have allowed them! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Posted August 14, 2015 Report Share Posted August 14, 2015 last time I checked neither is alfresco,lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Posted August 14, 2015 Report Share Posted August 14, 2015 Adam F and Jim 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian.Jones Posted August 14, 2015 Report Share Posted August 14, 2015 As everyone can read, a great trip in great company - and a well deserved reward for all Adam's hard work. Even the weather Gods kept smiling. What Adam omitted was that we believe his Brill was a new club record..............such modesty! The Alderney Week festivities were something else. Alun and I shared a beer with the Fire and Safety Officer for the event (on loan from Guernsey) while the fireworks were in full swing. I asked him if they had had any safety issues with the event - his reply was simple - he said that considering that two thousand drunks and kids were carrying flaming torches through the streets, then throwing them over the heads of spectators to try to reach the bonfire - plus add a huge firework display that is set up before they know which way the wind is blowing - plus add large quantities of alcohol and no lighting - his view was that considering all that it was quite safe! How refreshing. He mentioned there are two fringe events held at the same time. A bunker party for young teenagers, held in a WW2 German bunker that goes on until 2.00am. And a quarry party for the "grown ups", held in a disused quarry to avoid disturbance, that goes on until dawn...... As we headed out to JV the following morning, we met up with the harbour master in his launch, who had just fished two revellers out of the harbour who had capsized en route to their boat. He said he gave them another ten minutes or so before they would have been a tragic statistic. Any members planning a trip next year will enjoy the extra fun of Alderney week if they can work the dates. But the place is rammed so bookings for everything are essential. Alun did a great job of sorting rooms and restaraunts, and Steve on Tigerfish managed to reserve a mooring for us both with his dinghy, albeit we still had to fend off an interloper in a small yacht. niggle, rich185, Jim and 2 others 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neal Posted August 14, 2015 Report Share Posted August 14, 2015 Fantastic trip - please put some of the memorable fish in the catch reports This will (should!) automatically update any club records ...... Cheers Neal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
great white Posted August 14, 2015 Report Share Posted August 14, 2015 Well done all It looks and sounds like you all enjoyed a great trip, much deserved after your winter/spring efforts We wish that we could have come with you. we have missed two years now so we are looking forward to joining the trip Alderney 2016. Adam F 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fisherman1055 Posted August 14, 2015 Report Share Posted August 14, 2015 Great report Adam Well deserved after all your hard work rebuilding her Lucky with the Brill as well, great eating Hopefully next years weather will be kind to us Tony Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newboy Posted August 14, 2015 Report Share Posted August 14, 2015 It's report like this that I want to go and buy another boat . Well done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Posted August 15, 2015 Report Share Posted August 15, 2015 Fantastic ! Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuie Posted August 15, 2015 Report Share Posted August 15, 2015 All the superlatives have already been used - reasonable to assume that the planning for this trip started many, many months ago.... and it acted as a goal to spur you on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve S Posted August 15, 2015 Report Share Posted August 15, 2015 It was a good trip abet harder fishing than the May trip. The mooring incident was quite amusing and annoying at the same time. In the time honored fashion I left my dinghy complete the O/B on a mooring. On our return a small yacht was beside it. In which the captain just stood and stared at us as we proceeded to come alongside. Keeping my temper in check I expressed the view that he should not have moored up on the mooring. He was very unapologetic saying you can't reserve visitors moorings (we had paid for it yesterday). Graham sorted out the ropes and we rafted alongside. Tigerfish was a fair bit bigger than the yacht so not a good match to raft. Next, on to the radio to JV. Told Adam the situation, we had rafted up the night before and awaited events to unfold. JV arrived. Ian told them JV had been sharing the mooring and was going to share it again.... At this point the captain decided he finally would move his Yacht. They ended up rafting up against another yacht which in my view they should have done from the start. I was rather T'd off as they were completely unapologetic about it. Also possibly rather inexperienced. IMO if you decide to take a mooring with a dingy belonging to a boat of unknown size and shape you are asking for trouble, double trouble in this case. niggle, sparky and Stuie 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rich185 Posted August 17, 2015 Report Share Posted August 17, 2015 Great report guys, glad you had a good trip, and JV2 looks great. rich. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duncan Posted August 30, 2015 Report Share Posted August 30, 2015 Sitting under an umbrella on the Oxford canal in the rain this thread made an excellent escape as I continue to catch up on here. Great write up Adam, and glad to hear the boat is delivering for the effort. Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk Adam F 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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