MBA Marine

Avoid dealers yes, but i would be very warey of ebay, boat items tend to make alot of money on ebay and you can never be to sure what your getting, make sure you see it running. put a wanted ad on the forum, and look in boats and outboards.

You will get alot more petrol outboard for your £250 than you would buyin electric outboard, batteries, shore lead and charger. plus if thats a peminant electrcal system, you need battery isoators, battery cableing and a Boat Safety certificate!

Ignor my post their website says 35 Tons.

They can lift 35 tonnes (check the spelling thats and old english tonne not the ton that we use today!) but can they get the lorry in and down to the crane?

I know a couple wide enough but not with enough length to get the lorry in. You best lookin to the south broads they are more suited to big boats i know the north far more.

Charging on shore power is only a good idea if your going to stay there for hours. You cannot fast charge a lead acid (wet) battery you just boil the acid, warp the plate and kill the battery! you could use a gel battery it would stand the abuse but go and price one i dare you! Back to main prob your under powered to weight, and you have just added a charger and shore lead. imagine, your in motion and you come across the wind assisted ot tacking side ti side, what can you do, can you engage reverse to stop then punch fwd to take your chance? i doubt it and if you think they will just get of your way......THEY WONT!!!!!! Next prob, you go out with wind/tide or both in your favour alls well but you might not have power to get back yes you could wait till tide changesbut the wind might not change! Does electric work, yes it does but you need a large battery bank and a large inboard motor. or small tender/dingy with little weight, one battery for shot trips.

Get the lorry to back it down a slipway! not helpfull i know but it would be bloody funny to watch.

It does get very tight for space headin up towards Dilham, its a shame not to see it though its on of my favourite stretches, It would be vert tight for Enigma up there especially if it turned a corner to be face to face with one of Ricco's finest! Do you have a tender that you can use for a afternoon trips out to more remote locations?

A decsent solar panel will help the issue a little as you can be topping up the battery as you fish, but this will only help and not fix the range prob. however it doesnt change the fact that for the weight the origional poster wants to push through the water is going to be a bit much for an electric outboard. Do those that love electric over petrol suggest that he clamps two on the back and only goes 10mins up the river?

I have no real idea as to wich outboard would suit you best, but i would advise if you have room to, have more than one battery and have them switched seperatly, then if you flatten one on way out you can always make your return trip.

Loads of places offer that service, I recommed every two years. some people do every year, and alot of people leave up to 5 years (some never lift out!) Private msg me and i will give you an idea of pricing, but its worth shopping round as im sure yards like clive's who do there own lifts can be very competitive. Clive has recently posted Ricco's prices on another thread.

Shame it looks a good facility

climb up ladder with boat hook in hand, when up push the ladder back against transom, leave hook neatly tucked behind your boat on key heading. when you return if tide is still down pick up hook and pull ladder over. As for the fenders, this might be a bit of a long winded method but how about, taking some flat stainless plate and either bolting it trough the tube on platform or nicer to use a 'u' or horse shoe bolt and clamp round the tube. To the flat plate you could bolt on straight bump stop style fenders (like the 'L' shaped things you see on transom corners but straight ones!) Theres always a way!

Both fairly bullitproof engines, and all parts are easy to get. Freemans in general are nice boats, but like all it depends on the life its had.

when you moor up and tide is low could you not use a little alloy ladder? as long as you dont tie to platform and keyheading you shouldnt have any probs with the tide rising whilst moored

But if you cant get under bridges that doesnt help! Unless you really like spending money i would avoid brundall bay, brundall gardens do have some nice hard standing and lifting gear, I have only worked on peoples boats down there never had dealings with the yard, it is very shelterd though and just of the A47 makes it one of the easier places to get to.

I use Peter and Thelma at Neatisthead marina for most of my boat lifting, Near Wayford bridge but not under it. Cant remebmer the name of the yard but you could also try the yard at the end of Chapplefields in Stalham.

Bolt on a small bathing platform either side of the outboard, strap a fender to each one and either leave them on or put them on before mooring, if you have chosen suitable platforms you should be able to protect the outboard and have a platform to get on and off from.

I will try pike again one day, as you say it depends where it lived, I shall try one from a river as the one i tried many moons ago was from a fishing lake, and that wasnt so good!!! I will wait for the numbers to pick up though first,!

Question? were you not asking about a mud weight? if so what boat do you have? reason for asking is that in my experience for anything more than a little dingy a electric outboard is as much use as trying to mix concrete with a kitchen wisk! i would rather hang a petrol strimmer off the back!

I have eaten pigeon many times, but you need a couple to make a good pie, should think its the same for squirrels. But is it such a crazy idea, very few people are willing to prepare there meat from a gutted carcase, but if those who like to trap and shoot took the likes of squirrel, pigoen, rabbit maybe even rat to a local willing butcher to be prepped and diced as stew, pie or cassarole mix. If the person who catches the animal is either doing it for fun/sport or is getting paid as pest control/game keeper then the animal could be given to the butcher for free, then the butcher could sell an affordable food to people who cant afford prime cuts. My Mrs has just bought a joint of beef for us at the cost £5 by the time its cooked and carved for two adults and two children the portions will not be very generous, i hope there is alot of veg!

well done, hope you get the whole lot next time.

What does otter taste like? perhaps we could eat a few of those, Im all for killing for the table as long as its within the ballence of nature, just like the Monkjack (sorry if thants not the correct spelling), They are not indigionus and are now regarded as a pest as they rapidly spread across the county, decimating the vegitation, so why is there not more hitting the high street (plenty hitting car bumpers round here!) Im sure it makes a good pie!

I ate Pike once! What can i say..... well trout its definatly not.

I have not really fished for 10-15 years, but when i did a few local fishing lakes liked the pick removed when caught, i seem to remember that Felmingham mill had/still have a pick pit, a separate pond where the pick were put. I suppose if if the fish are dieing through an ecological inbalence then this wouldnt help, but if numbers are down due to thw fishermen then how about the fishermen go and catch from the fishing lakes and put them in the broads?