Pulled up the anchor and got the Cray Pot.One starfish.
Anchored in Spiers Nook for breakfast,quite a bit quieter .There is almost always a swell up around here,what was a reasonably anchorage when you anchor can be uncomfortable when the tide changes.
Solquest motored past and Rod said going to show Garth some anchorages,what is the plan?
I said we should work our way down to the bottom of Hunter Island for lunch ready to go out between the islands to meet the chopper at 2.
Good oh we will push off then.A bit later I heard a couple of muttonbirders on the radio,one said it was raining in Smithton.Did look a bit black over there.
By the time we were under way and traveling down towards Stack island the weather had closed in ,blowing 25 knots and raining,visibility about five hundred meters.The wind being side on made the conditions uncomfortable coupled with the water depth only four meters we were getting a wild ride,the current was setting us towards Hunter Island but with the plotter and radar on we were ok.Do not know how they did it in the old days without the navigation aids we have.The short answer is they probably had many close shaves and the amount of shipwrecks in my new books prove that.
As we approached Stack I could see Solquest on the radar and called them up "which side of the island are you going"inside was the answer.As the channel is narrow I elected to go outside and as the water was deeper the seas had eased a bit.I will go around the bottom and see if I can find some shelter, said I .
Well there was not much on the bottom corner,the tide was running about four knots to the south and we were now subject to the about five meter SW swell left over from evidently a monster one the night before!
What is it like at the bottom of Stack I called.Not bad here Rod said.Better have your lunch there then.We moved further along the bottom of Hunter looking for calmer water inside Bird Island.A bit better but not anywhere to anchor so just idled along for a while then pulled Masterpiece out of gear and drifted with the tide,only took a few minutes to get back to the end of our chosen run of about half a mile.
Time to renew our plan.No where to go but Ann Bay still quite a few hours away and the visibility making the chopper shoot at Cape Grim very doubtful.
Thanks to good phone reception Josh got on to the helicopter pilot still on the ground for his opinion.I will consult the weather man and call you back.
I asked anyone earwiging on Chanel 21 for advice on the conditions in Ann Bay.Mary from Smithton radio came up and said call Selena Rose up she is there.
I called her up.
A voice came back he is pulling gear .
Ok thanks I said
You are not going inside the islands he said are you.
No I said out through the Hunter Passage.
Good he said be ok there,just look out for the shallow bits will probably be breaking,you will see.
Ann Bay should be ok.
Thanks.
What I always suspected the fishermen always know where each other are,never say on the radio.When they report to Mary they just say the name of their vessel and some just say thanks Mrs Kay.She also knows.
I was using Chanel 21 on purpose,I knew they all would be listening.Later on a boat called his mate and had a yack.Lost three pots this morning,put them out deep cause I knew something was coming.I didn't expect what we got ,a real big lift.(sounded he was really surprised by the size of the swell)
About ten got stuck and I thought the bottom there would be ok.It just snapped the line off on three.Turned out to be Travis on Selina Rose in Ann Bay.Radio does not work when the engine is going.
Josh got a call from the pilot to say the weather should clear up a bit by 2 so I called Garth and as the current had eased up a bit he left to come around to us.
Talk about luck the Essential Media weather god had struck again! Do not know how it works but so far we have not missed a deadline on the call sheet.Time and again the forward weather looks dodgy to come right on cue.Must get caught out eventually.
Garth arrived and we decided if he was to be off Cape Grim by 2 we needed to get going.The Hunter passage out through the islands is a bit longer but relatively wide so we sat off.There were reefs breaking where I had not seen before but as we were to leeward and going towards them quite easy to see.
About half way out it is a bit shallower and the waves there must have been six meters at least but quite long ,a lot of water in those.A couple looked like they were thinking about breaking on the top but did not and were quite easy to get over.Missed a cameras shot there. You could only see Solquests spreaders from where I was sitting.
Well out we went and worked out a bit to the fisherman's advice,a bit shallow off Trefoil he said ,breaks there.He was spot on but quite a long way in from where we were.
We hung around for a while while Josh filmed,a bit of a task as the boat was moving around a bit.Garth unrolled some of his genoa and Solquest took off.
We decided to take off for Ann Bay,had enough rolling about.Up to 18 knots .It never seems to amaze me how Masterpiece handles a big sea on the beam .We were quite comfortable a bit rolly but ok.Josh saw the chopper in the distance,I hope they get some good shots.Cape Grim must have looked exactly like the day it was named by Mathew Flinders.No wind farms on it then though.
We arrived quite early but late for lunch so had a bite to eat.Got a call on the radio,watch out for my pots,it's ok we are looking out,must have been Travis.Did not want to loose any more today.
There is a bloke in Ann Bay who is the unofficial radio.He must sit up there and watch what is happening .He offers advice on where to anchor etc.
Where is the quietest spot?up at Mt Cameron he said.Thanks,you making a film or something?choppers an all.Yes I said making the next Gourmet Farmer Series.
So it was out there was probably ten or so people getting entertained by the afternoons 21 radio show.Travis can tell you where to get the big ones,I do not think Travis was impressed.
A
Go inside me and find a bit of sand you will be right,was good here before the NE came in,sea is going back,be good tomorrow for your trip to Strahan.
Solquest arrived about an hour and a half later after a good sail,when the chopper left the wind dropped down to about 16 knots and they were able to sail with main and jib.
They said they would have a meal and turn in,leaving at midnight for Macquarie Harbour.
We had dinner,I thought Ben was o bit game making Mexican after Josh had just finished a series there,but a bit of friendly advice and it turned out well.No tele here so a bit of conversation,or cabin life as the Goose used to call it,only the subjects quite different!
Turned in about 9.30.
.
Plenty of big Albies here,they love the stormy weather.Three sitting out of the back waiting for a feed,bad luck we have no bait .They do not like avocado peels though.
Solquest off Trefoil island .Photos never capture the large waves.
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