I Feel.............

[MeMe]

I've emptied my email box (I'm so popular) and asked JK to look at my account as I have no PM's (so unpopular). Please try my email again. G.

[Ian]

MeMe, Phil 'Diehard' Davies has to drive to Germany today! As he couldn't be bothered to make the '7' hour trip for the weekend, maybe he's just stayed in bed today as it's a long way to Germany isn't it and we wouldn't want him getting in any traffic jams with all those nasty Merc's and BMW's now would we. Best he stays in the warmth and keeps dry so he can come to Wales next summer when the sun is shining, the sky is blue and the water is glassy.
It was great to meet the Jakeen's and Wavehumper who had made such a great effort to join us, travelling up from Southampton with Wave leaving Saturday morning for the journey up and the Jakeen's taking an overnighter!
That's dedication for you.

[MeMe]

Not one of them complained about the cost of fuel, the cost of having to stop for breakfast or having to cope with conjested roads, road works and "weekend drivers". That said with one less "slow rib pulling, fuel guage watching, homemade sandwich eating Southern Woosse" to contend with I'm sure their journey was a breeze.

Neither did we hear DM complain about the worry of his "straps coming loose" or his "Engine dropping" nor even hear a whimper when he tasted the cheap and nasty tea bags Jono provided us with upon our arrival - now that really is dedication.

Oh well Ian, I suppose we may as well write Phil off for the December Cruise as already the long range forecast advises of a freshening breeze, busy roads and according to the AA,the Little Chef group are putting up the cost of a full English by 1p.

[Ian]

Should just say a big thanks to MeMe, Dave, John and Phil for allowing me to ride their ribs. Oops, sorry Phil (I'll be there whatever) Davies wasn't there. But thanks to the others anyway.

[The Jackeens]

Hello NW Ribsters,
What a fantastic bunch you all are...thanks so much for taking it easy on us wusses...I know if we hadn't been there ye would've been out on them huge Hawaiian rollers off the point...

We had a brilliant time. Thanks DM for putting us up/putting up with us and taking us out on Sunday as well. Kind Man!!!It was such a treat seeing the seals.

The coffee was amazing Meme (must remember the recipe!!!).
And it was great to gatecrash Amy's birthday Jahno!!!

Hi to Debs & Ian, John & Alan too.

Hope to see all of you again soon. Hope we didn't forget anyone.
Anytime ye fancy a trip down here, please let us know!!!
The Solent Wavelets can be quite slippery at times!!!

Wavehumper & we are all home safe now with some brill memories,

Thanks again for being so friendly & welcoming,

Jackeens (Kathleen & Paul)

(jackeen will post a photo or two later...our battery charger didn't work too well)

[Jono Garton]

Originally posted by MeMe
cheap and nasty tea bags Jono provided us with upon our arrival

MEME

Ill put the tea on the same bill as your boat recovery lesson. Also the reversing lessons.

Meme's Bill For Saturday

Reversing Lessons £199
Recovery Lessons £199
Tea £0.15

Pork Pie -£1.99
Brown Sauce -£0.99
Chocolate fingers (8 of) -£1.50
Ride in your rib £0.05

Whats your address again


Thanks for a great day everyone, sorry about the "cheap and Nasty" northern tea bags (yorkshire tea) and not having anymilk back at the ranch.

[MeMe]

Chocolate fingers (8 of) -£1.50
[/B][/QUOTE]

8 - my arse, more like 8 in your mouth, 8 in your hand and 8 in your pocket whilst no one was looking, so lets call it quits

Yea, great day.........

[MeMe]

.

[Phil Davies]

I have just returned home from an exhausting 650 mile drive from Hanover, during which incidentally I encountered not a single traffic jam, signed onto Ribnet only to be met with a veritable torrent of abuse from certain well known members of the NW Ribsters. To put this into perspective I thought it pertinent to point out the following:

No. of North West Ribster cruises attended by Philip Davies during the last six months : 3.
Costs incurred - 3 X Little Chef Olympic breakfast with cafetiere : £26.94
Total mileage: 2,100
Estimated fuel costs: £300.00
Vehicle Depreciation costs: Volvo V70 - £500.00
Range Rover 4.4V8 - let's not even go there.
Accommodation: At girlfriend's but cost me 3 x meals out: £60.00


No. of cruises outside North Wales attended by Ian and MeMe: 0, yes you read it correctly, ZERO.

Costs incurred:
Ian, Peugeot 405 diesel - fuel costs negligible, scrap handling charge £25.00.

MeMe, Golf Gti - estimated fuel costs £75.00, speeding ticket £60, loss of street cred incurred by driving a Golf Gti at the age of 37 - inestimable.

THAT's dedication for you

[Ian]

Mr Davies, I suggest until you know us better you refrain from making such rash statements. First of all, even though it may have sounded rough, the 405 was infact petrol and FYI it was taken away this morning for 'No Charge'.
Secondly, my cruising in a rib has included the North Sea in the Aberdeen and Stonehaven areas in NE Scotland. I have also cruised in the North Sea Oilfields off the Shetlands.
For six months in my younger days I cruised around Lighthouse Beach, Lagos in Nigeria EVERY weekend with far more exotic companions than you! And much cooler drinks than coffee and Baileys.
MeMe, I am sure, has cruising memories he can also share with you which will make Cardigan Bay and the Crouch seem very plain.

Arrange something instead of just following. I suggest you post a Cruise thread for the South East 2004 and see who from the NWR turns up. I'll be there for sure....

....just to prove a point!

[Rogue Wave]

Originally posted by Ian
For six months in my younger days I cruised around Lighthouse Beach, Lagos in Nigeria EVERY weekend with far more exotic companions than you!

MeMe, I am sure, has cruising memories he can also share with you which will make Cardigan Bay and the Couch seem very plain.

[Phil Davies]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Ian

For six months in my younger days I cruised around Lighthouse Beach, Lagos in Nigeria EVERY weekend with far more exotic companions than you


I don't really think Ribnet is the place to discuss your sordid past, Ian.

[Ian]

Mr Davies, why not inform us of your trip out yesterday in the f6 you text advised you were in. Where are the photo's and who were you with.
Sorry I couldn't make it as woke up to cramp in little finger and didn't want to slow you down.

[MeMe]

a month or so ago I left work at 14:00 from Manchester (North) and drove 6 hours to Swanage Nr Poole arriving in the dark at 20:00. I looked at a boat, bought it, hitched it on the back of my car (Crappy GTi - free - free fuel - tax - insurance - wear & tear)etc and drove 7 hours 30 minutes home. So - don't come the "I've just driven 650 miles" aren't I a hero bulls**t with me.

As for your expences re N.W Ribsters, you shouldn't be such a greedy git ordering the "Olympic" when in fact an "All Day Breakfast" is £1.25 cheaper and you get a free coffee / tea. Although, oh - I am sorry, you Southerners only drink from Cafitierres (see - us Northerners can't even spell it).

I would say that the reason you didn't turn up last week was due to the fact that Jono, God bless him, could only provide Yorkshire Tea in chipped mugs !

Further and this sums you up "QUOTE" "Staying with the girlfriend 3 x meals = £60.00"

What sort of cheap skate Southern Whoos are you, £60.00, what did you do, take her for fish'n'chips ? You Southern nancies think you can come up here and steal or women, you better hope we N.W Ribsters never get to meet her, we'll put her straight.

Now, Ians idea of a Essex Cruise appeals to me, yes we'll be there - I can't wait, I've never had cucumber sandwiches.

"Ian, we'll take my car" ...... I must agree with PD, I thought the 405 was a diesel as well !!!!

Anyway, we missed you really - just as it was getting dark we needed your brilliant white teeth to show us the way !

G.

[Phil Davies]

Yes, not so much a cruise as an endurance event, but great experience all the same. Only two of us out yesterday, myself in the 4m Searider and Bilge Rat in his 4.7m Searider. I trailered round to Herne Bay in Kent and we launched at 9.15. The slipway there has to be seen to be believed and is wide enough to accommodate the recovery of about four boats side by side! Strangely, the car park was completely bereft of the usual array of day fishing launches, although the reason why soon became apparent.

We'd been lulled into a false sense of security by the forecast which told of 10mph winds and fair skies. Well we had the fair skies alright but the wind was certainly a tad fresher than expected.

We nevertheless forged a course towards the Second World War forts some seven miles offshore as the waves in the North Sea got bigger and bigger, forcing us to significantly moderate the speed of our little ribs. The swell was such that as we reached the trough of each wave we couldn't actually see over the next one which in small ribs like ours certainly flexes the sphincter muscles! We finally reached the forts and closed formation to compare notes when an enormous wave launched Bilge's Searider with some force into the back of mine and we were lucky not to have had a more serious incident on our hands.

We then motored west in a large following sea towards what we hoped would be the calmer waters of the Swale, but not before I managed to surf too quickly off the crest of one wave and stuff the nose into the wave in front which filled the entire Rib to a depth of about six inches and frightened the hell out of me in the process. We finally moored up in the Swale for some coffee and respite from the pounding we'd both endured for the last hour or so where we heard a fishing boat on the VHF telling his mates he was coming back into harbour because he couldn't see for the spray!

We then set off for a leisurely potter up Faversham creek prior to the return leg to Herne Bay. Again the extent of the head sea restricted swifter progress and it was Bilge who stuffed his nose this time with such force as to bend the bow back on itself, which even for someone as experienced as him was an unpleasant moment.

With some relief we got back into Herne Bay at 1400 and realised we'd only covered about 20 miles. We both agreed we probably wouldn't have bothered going out if we'd known it was going to be quite so gruelling but were actually quite pleased with ourselves for sticking it out. The real stars of the day, however, were the little Seariders whose abilities in rough weather continue to be a pure revelation to me. A bigger Rib would be a damn sight more comfortable that's for sure, but I have to say you get a hell of a lot of fun for the size with these 'baby' Avons.

[Bilge Rat]

Great day out surfing and flying and some rough weather handling thrown in as well, have to add that the Northan rib gang would have been pround of us southern nancies yesterday, and yes Phil was very right those waves were pretty big and the going quite slow but a testermony to the obvious supperior build quality of the Avons, at one point i managed to fold my bow tube right back whilst getting stuffed into a big hole that appeared from knowhere, all good fun and well within our capabilities of course.

Richard

[Daniel]

I was out yesterday too, and i must say the sea was HUGE - well done the sub 5m boys!

Being a real 'southern fairy' i decided it was not rough enough off Ramsgate and ventuted off towards the North Foreland, where the waves were quite possiable the biggest i have even been out in.

I was heading for Herne Bay but the prospect of coming back through the North Foreland in the dark was quite uninviting. It turns out this was a good choice because although i had been able to make 20knts getting back through the real monsters took about 1/2 hour alone.

Ramsgate marina was a welcome sight!

Anyway, "top banana" seams to be going very well, 6.5 hours now! My only critisim would be that she seams a very wet ride, although the conditions did not make for a veyr fair test.

[The Jackeens]

Daniel did you have any company this time


Paul

[Phil Davies]

Hi Daniel

Didn't realise you were just down in Margate! Now Bilge Rat has introduced me to the delights of the North Kent coast, we must all get together for the next event, hopefully in Jan or Feb next year if you're up for it.

[MeMe]

you're not so nancy'ish after all.