Since I got 'Sorcerer' some nine months ago already and have been 'living with it', I am adding a couple of things. I got my builder, 'Blue water boats' in Plymouth to make some seat boxes which were retro fitted behind the wheelhouse. Once again they did an excellent job and look like they were always there but also provide additional storage space.
I also want to add a couple more cleats on the side deck as the pontoon finger centre cleat is too far forward, so the only rope that stops my boat hitting the walkway is the spring that goes from the centre cleat on my boat to the cleat on the far end of the finger.
I expect to be adding another combi plotter/sounder soon too!
Sorcerer is looking great! How many hours have you got on her now? Interested to hear you are going to fit a second sounder/plotter. I am not happy with my current Furuno ''video colour sounder'' I think it was nicked off the Ark when it was scrapped. I have read that 2 sounders in the same frequency can interfere with each other. As I was going to add the 80/200khz unit to my current plotter (cheapest option) I didn't know if I would be able to replace the stand alone sounder/fishfinder as well as. Any ideas how you can overcome the problem if it is true.
thanks for the compliment....I am quite pleased with Sorcerer!
My intention is to possibly add another Simrad nse 12 as I like this system. They will be linked as I want to be able to share the info and use my current 1kw in hull transducer but will probably add another aeriel so I believe it can be used as a stand alone too. I am currently trying to find out from Blue water boats in plymouth what parts etc, I will need and if this is feasible, as they are pretty knowledgeable and I am not!
When I fish I like to see the sounder and if the plotter is on the same view/split screen, it makes it a little too small to see from the back of the wheelhouse.
I think you had some experience with the Olex 3D system?? What did you think of it? Quite fancy that if funds allow when I sell my Rib, but that may be a bit extravagant and flash!!
Have'nt got many hours on her yet, between 70 and 90, the electronic gauges are on different readings but should'nt be. I thought that the hours had changed when I started the engines last time so I am now writing the hours down when I shut down and checking when I switch the ignition on again. might be another call to Volvo!!
Sorcerer is looking great Dave! You have made an exceptional job of her. Really like the look of them seat boxes! Wouldn't mind a pair of them on our own boat! We have had terrible weather up here lately, havent managed out much at all. Hoping for another settled spell of weather before the clocks change!
Olex is a great system but to get the best from it you need to use it a lot. The boat I work on in winter has Olex and we try and pass a particular point on our way out and again back in. What it does is re-draw the sea bed with information gained from the transducer. This doesn't sound that spectacular but we have found that the sea bed can vary dramatically from the surveyed chart. One particular pinnacle has about 20 passes now all quite close to each other and the resulting picture is amazing in 3d and would be perfect for diving or fishing. From a charter skippers point of view it is worth building these pictures of structures up but for recreational use probably by the time you have a decent picture - I don't know. I think the system out right starts at about £3k it's a lot of dosh to me. I quite enjoy the excitement of trying new marks and finding out how they fish, it is part of the fun.
Hi Robbie. Thank you for the kind words and although things were built to how I wanted the credit must go to Blue water boats in Plymouth for making such a good job of everything!
The seat boxes are so useful and the space they take up is no use for anything else really.
Been a little foggy down here recently but pretty calm and hot once the fog burns off and looking really good for sunday!!
thanks for the info about the Olex. I think you are right though about it not being much use to me, as I would'nt use it over the same ground/wreck, enough to build up a decent picture.
Simrad do the structure scan which looks good but not sure if this will be any use either in 60+ metres of water with the sidescan imaging but I will ask some questions about it.
I forgot to mention that you can add side scan to the Olex system, I think it adds another £20k on the price tho' The owner of the boat I work on occasionally was trying to get the people who organize the surveys to stump up for it but they weren't playing ball. I am not sure though if you can look at it ''real time''. The other boat I have done a bit on has had a contract to re-survey the Firth of Lorne. That machine scans the sea bed and you get a coloured line to show the width of the scan, obviously it varies according to the depth, displayed on a computer monitor, but to view the picture the machine has to process the data before it shows the structure etc. and it takes ages so we were always on our way home before we could see what we had surveyed. OK for the hydrographic office which ordered the survey but useless if you are out to catch a few pollack for the freezer.
I have been trying to get to a boat show so I can see what is currently on the market and what bits work together properly - one day!!!
think i am just going to add another combi for the moment. The Olex would be great if I was using it every day, but it is mega money!!
Ref your mention of trying to get to a boatshow to see whats on the market. Perhaps we should try and organise a 'jolly' to one of them and meet up with some other Lochin owners??
perhaps we can get accommodation thrown in as well while we are at it??
I went to the Excel boat show in 2009 and that was where I made up my mind to have the Simrad equipment.
I will be using my current transducer so there won't be any problems there and have been informed that I don't need another aeriel as I could use the AIS one if I had to. So its just the combi plus some leads that I need. I have to say its all a little over my head so I leave it to the one's in the know!!
Just wondered if we can have food with the accommodation??
Nice one, as probably you are the most recent purchaser of one of these fine vessels I am sure you are the man to ask. When and where is the Excel show at?
As I said before I just leave it to the ones in the know otherwise I would probably have bought another aeriel and transducer too, so at least they saved me some money!!
The Excel boat show is in january usually, in London Docklands area, Royal victoria dock. I flew up to London city airport quite cheaply last time, then had a short taxi ride, but I wont be able to do that again as the local plymouth airport is/has closed. Plenty of stands to see and try out the gear there and it was extremely quiet the day I went. There are a lot of 'Gin palace' type boats there though!
Cheers.
Dave.
-- Edited by fingers crossed on Friday 7th of October 2011 06:31:13 PM
, but that may be a bit extravagant and flash!!
