About three am it started raining and then the wind began again,Ralph saw a gust of 40 knots on the gauge.As a guess there would have been at least an inch of rain.As dawn broke we were anchored under Mt Strzelecki but you could not see the beach let alone the mountain.The wind was gusting and the rain pouring down.Angus,Jocks brother would be pleased but as he was in Dubai on holiday he would not find out for a while.I suggested he send him a text but was told he is so mean he would probably not answer it because it would cost him something.Ah this Scot's blood,he must spend sometimes as he has over 1000 cattle up here.Had to pull the bung out of the dinghy as it had four inches of water in the bottom.
Had a bit of a lay in as we were not going anywhere for a while.The forecast said the wind would abate and so it did but only slowly.We decided to go and get the pots after morning tea,needed something to do after sitting around for hours.
The wind still gusting every now and then but on the whole moderated quite a bit.
We motored out to them and just as we hooked up the first one it freshened up again,the tide was the opposite way to the wind so the line went under the boat and the pot was snagged on the bottom.
My pot hauler is hydraulic and not often it stalls but it was this morning.Once you are hooked up there is not much you can do but try to keep pulling and pray the line does not get fouled under the boat or break.So here we were a snagged pot and the wind blowing 25 knots and raining again.
Eventually the pot came loose and we pulled it up.I saw some colour as we lifted into the cockpit,wow a beauty!
Tidied up the lines and waited a bit before trying the other one .Bugger the same thing pot snagged but even worse the buoys were hooked under the rudder on the port side and now raining quite hard,I did not have a coat on so was getting soaked .We tried to unhook the grappling iron and let the buoys go again but they were firmly around the rudder so we hooked the trailing line and managed to get onto the pot hauler but this pot was snagged as well,yesterday was Friday the thirteenth not today!
Eventually Trap and I pulled on the rope as well to aid the pot hauler and got a bit of rope each time,the rain was pissing down and the wind blowing,I could not use the engine because of the snagged buoys.What a farmers act.Just keep pulling Trap,then he noticed just coming out of the water one strand of the three strand rope had parted,might loose my pot here I thought.Serves me right ,I found a cut off pot and line off Cape Queen Elizabeth probably ten years ago and it is well past it's prime by now.
Well eventually we got the pot back but empty now.We cut the line and We were headed back in to calmer water on the other engine when the buoys came loose so we picked them up.
We set a course for the outside of East Kangaroo Island as I decided against the inside route in the conditions we had ,rain and wind squalls with poor visibility, lots of nasty rocks in there but navigable if you are carefull.Steamed up to Settlement Point and anchored off for lunch.
We had a good look at the cray and took photos all round,the boys will be dining out on this one Simmo,probably a little bigger than yours at Three Hummock.
Do not know yet how we will cook it ,probably in two halves as we don't have Duncan's big boiler this time and he is still down in the Shouten Passage.
Had a troll around inside Wybalenna Island as Trap said the elusive Kingfish hang out here.Might be a legend as we only caught a Snook.I think he is desperate to catch one to reclaim some ground on Jock in the fishing comp.Managed to keep well away from Nivana's rock.
We arrived at Royden Island at afternoon tea time as the weather was trying to come right.There had been a light Westerly all the afternoon but still light rain showers every now and then.
We anchored under the island and after a while Doc Garnham showed up.They are heading for Deal Island I believe.
We baited the pots and went out through the passage to find some bottom,the same deal up here we have looked around inside the islands before and not found any potting bottom.You talk to locals and the say divers get big ones up there!We can't even find bottom.
We did find a couple of spots with some weed on so will see tomorrow.
Returned to the anchorage for dinner and watched the cricket,only just a match.Trap informs me there is 48 to go! madness.
Turned in early in a flat calm.About half an hour later a strong SE breeze sprang up.Out of bed again to give out more chain to be sure and put the snubber on.Bloody Wind.
Fortunately if only lasted a while and eased up considerably.Quite a quiet night after.
The forecast is for better condition tomorrow.
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