HOW TO TAKE THE HELM
Being your own skipper gives you the freedom of the seas, but what does owning a boat entail?
MOST people who own small boats began their boat-fishing lives on larger charter boats, getting hooked on the thrill of fishing afloat before taking the plunge and buying their own vessel. Unlike the relative stability of a 36ftplus charter boat, fishing from a much smaller platform, such as a 16ft Orkney, is a completely different experience. It’s not advisable to cut your boat-fishing teeth on a smaller vessel unless you have previous experience of going to sea on small boats.
The first thing you’ll notice when stepping on board a small boat is the amount of movement. Just a simple thing like walking to one side to see what your mate has caught can make the boat become unstable, especially in a choppy sea. You’ll also discover that the ride out to your fishing grounds is often much bumpier.
Standing upright on a small boat requires using muscles that you never normally use just to keep your balance. Quite often you’ll return from a day’s small-boat fishing aching in places you never thought existed – but that’s all part of the fun.
The main advantage of owning a small boat is the freedom it gives you to go fishing when you want (weather permitting) and, of course, the solitude of just you and a mate being on board to do as you please without having to worry about what the rest of the party or skipper want to do.
It’s this freedom to move and fish where you want that draws so many sea anglers into buying their own boat. Like all forms of fishing, the sense of achievement can be immense when you make a great catch from your own pride and joy.
GO CLUBBING FIRST
Just like charter boat fishing, there are loads of small-boat angling clubs dotted around the UK, and if you’re serious about getting into small-boat fishing, then it’s a good idea to join a club first.
Go and see other boat owners at one of their meets, and ask to step on board a few vessels. You might get invited out for a few days’ fishing too, and that will give you a far better insight into what small-boat fishing is all about.
It’s a good idea to help a few owners launch and retrieve too, to give you a good indication of what’s involved. Make sure you have knowledge of where you’ll be fishing from and how the boats are launched and retrieved there. If it’s from a slipway in a marina, that’s fine, but if it’s from an open beach, then you seriously need to do your homework.
Beach launching is a relatively easy affair, but it can all go wrong in a nanosecond. I’ve seen even the most experienced owners flip their boat in the surf. I’d suggest launching from a slipway if possible to begin with until you are familiar with your boat.
Then, of course, there’s the towing aspect. If you’ve never towed anything before then that’s a skill to be mastered, and trust me, reversing down a tight slipway to launch is not as easy as some folk make it look.
NO LICENCE REQUIRED
Believe it or not the UK is the only country in the EU that doesn’t require you to have any qualifications before you buy yourself a boat and go to sea. Crazy isn’t it?
Anyone can pop down their local boatyard, buy a boat and go straight out to sea that very same day without a care in the world. Thank heavens for the RNLI.
We would advise you to get some form of training before you take to the sea though. A good starting point is the Powerboat Level 2 course offered by the Royal Yachting Association (RYA). This course ends with you obtaining a certificate, which is internationally recognised. The course lasts two days, mostly at sea, covering all aspects of boating from docking to man overboard manoeuvres, engine and throttle control, rope work, basic navigation and loads more essential stuff you need to be safe on the water. The short amount of time you spend on land in the ‘classroom’ is where you’ll learn about the various types of cardinal buoys, marker buoys and how to plan basic navigation – all essential tools if you want to survive at sea.
SAFETY FIRST
Apart from the boat, engine and trailer, there are items you have to buy when you own a small boat, most of which are geared towards safety. Let’s take a look at a few essentials you’ll need before you set off on your first big adventure…
1 LIFEJACKETS
You need to ensure that you carry enough lifejackets for everyone on board. Because it’s a small boat it’s rare that there will be more than two of you. These need not be too elaborate, in fact the best are those you can wear all the time, then you don’t need to scramble about getting them out if a situation arises. You can buy the selfinflating ones for less than £60, which will inflate once in the water and have a tube to blow into for more buoyancy.
2 FLARES
Make sure the flares you have are in date and kept in a waterproof container. They are a failsafe if everything else goes wrong, such as your electrics/radio failing. Flares used to be more important when small-boat owners didn’t have radios and mobiles, but still have their place as a back-up for attracting attention. Make sure you know how to use them, and we don’t mean setting one off so you know how they work. Get in touch with your local RNLI station and ask when they’re next doing a flare-demonstration day – you’ll then be able to see how to set off the flares and what they actually do and look like in operation.
3 VHF RADIOS
Having a decent fixed VHF radio on board is just as important as carrying flares. A radio can guide any help to you, if required. It’s more important to let someone know you are in danger than setting off a flare in the hope that someone sees it.
The quality of modern VHF radios and antennae is excellent and you needn’t spend a fortune on one. Most small boaters carry a fixed VHF unit and/or a good-quality handheld back-up. Don’t forget you’ll need to do your short-range marine radio course to obtain a certificate to use the radio. It’s a good idea to do this anyway because it will teach you marine radio etiquette as well as what to do in an emergency.
4 AUXILIARY ENGINE
If you have space on the transom it will give you a peace of mind to fit a bracket for an auxiliary engine. A small outboard can be carried on the mounting or out of the way in the cabin if needs be. As long as it’s got sufficient power to push your boat along, it could save you from some embarrassing moments and possibly save your life. A 5hp auxiliary engine can cost as little as £400.
5 SPARE ANCHOR
If you’ve had to cut your anchor for any reason, a spare one with rope will keep you in a set position, making it easier for the emergency services to find you, if necessary. It’s not uncommon to lose an anchor in a wreck or on rough ground, and there have been occasions where a ship is bearing down on a small boat, and cutting the anchor is the quickest and safest way of getting out of the way quickly. Which brings us on to sharp knives.
6 SHARP KNIVES
Many small-boat owners keep a sharp knife near the stern in case the outboard tangles with the anchor warp, or even a lobster pot rope. If you find yourself anchored by a rope around the engine in a fair run of tide, you will find it very scary indeed. The boat will quickly flip around in the tide, and because the stern of the boat is not designed to take the waves head on, water will quickly come over the transom. Having a knife to hand can sometimes save the day and prevent you from sinking.
7 SPARE FUEL
The need for carrying spare fuel cannot be emphasised enough. Most breakdowns at sea occur through lack of fuel, as on dry land with cars. Fuel consumption can be affected by the tides, the wind and even decisions to go that little bit further than intended in search of fish. Another consideration to make is if you go to help another boat by towing them in, which uses up masses of fuel and you could both find yourselves in trouble if you haven’t taken some spare with you.
8 EXTRA CLOTHING
Changes in the temperature on seemingly nice days can leave someone suffering from hypothermia quite quickly, especially after an unexpected heavy rain shower. A stiff breeze can chill you to the bone, and it’s a good idea to have some spare clothing tucked away for such an occasion. A windproof jacket is probably best as it takes little room, but keeps off the chill. Hoodies and waterproof trousers are also a good idea. You can store these compacted down tight in a waterproof boat bag.
9 WATER, WATER, EVERYWHERE
If you zip offshore on a balmy windless summer’s day, how much thought would you give to your fluid intake? Carrying excess water over and above what you think you’ll need is the number one rule. If you get into difficulty miles offshore then you’re going to need water to stay hydrated. Think - water, water everywhere, but not a drop to drink. – The types of boat fishing available around the UK. ■