Bryan’s to Wineglass

Up at 7 with renewed hope to pull the pots,first one a blank,only a shark,they must be in plague proportions!
Steamed across the channel to the Island side and pulled the second one,I have never fished here before ,a better result one size cray and another shark.

Anchored in Passage beach for breakfast.Mucked about for the day and went up towards the famous bay. I did not know any spots there so set the pots around the Lemon Rock on some reasonable bottom.
Wind now NE fairly strong,went into the bay,did not count the boats but recon at least thirty there,all the quiet southern end spots taken up and the middle of the bay a bit rolly. Had a look up under the north shore out towards the point but the bottom all hard there ,would be too growley on the anchor chain.
Anchored off the beach at the north end ,not too bad,put out plenty of chain as remember the holding only ordinary here.

Bruce put the roast on and I attempted the blog ,annoyed again as not enough bars to connect and still have not worked out how to save one if not connected,programme made for city folks I presume.
Four or five more boats trickled in before dark.

There was a small motor boat anchored in the bottom end called Folly 111 I saw at the wooden boat festival ,built for river cruising in NSW,doing it tough I recon.With no weather window in sight to get across the paddock I saw him on the AIS in St Helens.I hope he has plenty of time to get home.
I would imagine not many facilities for extended cruising on board.

Just to make things more interesting the Coral Explorer arrived at about 5 am and anchored off ,along with the Coles Bay cruise later in the morning things were getting to the ridiculous stage ,fairly quiet early but later all the walkers would show up.The tourism people have done a good job of buggering it up I believe.,
Up anchored to pull the pots ,really blowing hard at the rock,go the crew as a well oiled machine now as it is not easy picking them up is a blow,the Masterpiece skippes around if the wind is gusty.Dont want a line around the prop.Pulled them ok,nothing again.The pros would be laughing,they have caught the East Cost quota and have stopped fishing.The amateurs have it to themselves but they seem have gone off.

Went up to Sleepy Bay for breakfast,beautiful in there,flat calm,laughing at the mob in Wineglass rocking and rolling.
Bruce got some bacon and eggs on and the first walkers arrived across the other side of the bay and had a skinny dip,beautiful red granite rocks there.They would remember their morning I believe.
A few more arrive and pottered around over there.
Up anchored and went Flathead fishing,got a good haul ,wind now NW.Drifted at the right speed.
Cleaned the fish and anchored for the night but before dark while having a sundowner the wind swung SE right in there so upanchored and joined the masses in Wineglass.

Planed to move up the coast in the morning,put the pots off the Nuggets.

Around Shouten Passage and Wineglass.

Up anchored to pull the pots about 7 am,had a cuppa on the way. Very disappointing result,two blanks apart for the sand sharks.
Motored around to Chain Locker Bay
on the outside of the Island,quite a strong SW berries blowing,put the pots in for a day shot to get them off the deck,got ridiculed for doing so from the crew,they turned out to be right.
Fished for the morning on some Stripie spots I thing Fuggles once told me about,looked to be good bottom but only red faces.Not bad bait.

Back to the Passage after a pleasant lunch in Chainlocker,don’t recon any of the Circ boats would even know about this spot.They were all intent on getting to Wineglass Bay.
Went back through the Passage for another Flathead session got a few.
Baited the pots and set one closer inshore on the mainland side and one on the Island side.

Returned to Bryan’s corner for the night,only one Circ. boat there,Island Star came in just before dark.Just in the bunk and the wind swung to the SE causing a small joggle to remind us as to who was boss.Considered doing the Shouten shuffle and moving to Passage beach but decided to tough it out,by dawn the wind had swung back,it has been doing direction changes the whole trip so far.

Maria to Shouten Island
Sorry about the delay folks but I am using my new ubeaut I phone 10 as a hotspot .It is useless until I have three bars and I chewing up my data like you would not believe.
Weather has been ok though just not cooperative,.
Pulled the pots at the boy in the boat and did ok.

Decided to go into Hen and Chicken bay but there was a yacht already there,went fishing off the bottom end as the wind was strong NE,got plenty of Red Faces and a couple of Perch, no Stripies.
Yacht left at lunch time so we anchored for lunch.
Left and got a nice haul of flats off Passage beach.
Set the pots on one of my favorite spots in the Passage.

The first BBQ of the Circ was scheduled for the evening,went off very well in Bryan’s corner
20 plus bouts there.

A day hanging around Maria Island waiting for the wind to change.

The weather was forecast to swing into the south for about 12 hours late today.We would have preferred to have travelled to the Shouten Passage today but if the change was severe there is nowhere to comfortably anchor there.
So we elected to hang around here for the day,most of the fleet are in Chinamans Bay also.

We got under way about 7.30 to pull the pots ,mixed result,total score three,not to be sneezed at.
As the wind was a light NEaster we motored over to Trumpeter Corner on the south side of Maria for breakfast and to cook the crays.

Later in the morning we went out about 1/4 of a mile to fish for Flathead.There were a couple of tinnies trying their luck.
Ralph and Bruce caught a few but the small sharks were a pain.Shifted spots a few times ,Ralph and Ron hooked some large King Flats and Ron a rather large gummy shark which was not easy to un hook and release.

About 1.00 we motored into Haunted Bay for lunch and a snooze,Ron cleaned the fish.
We baited the pots and after steaming around on the bottom south of the Boy in the Boat set them on a couple of promising spots.

Took pity on the cruise Commodore and gave him a cray,he bought a small pot on the last cruise but as yet has not caught a fish I believe,despite many attempts.I may have to give him some lessons.

Steamed up to the Deep Hole in Chinamans to await the Southerly change,now 9.30 and still no wind at all,could be a fizzier.

Most intend to go up to Shouten Passage tomorrow but will have to travel on to Wineglass as a Westerly change is expected soon and a bit of a blow the next day,the weather not being very cooperative.

They have put the TYC dinner back till Sunday because of the forecast,I think Masterpiece will still make the Friday changeover in the Tamar on Friday but only just.

Canoe Creek to Green Bluff ,Maria Island.

Up a bit after seven and put the kettle on for a cuppa.
Steamed around to Monroe’s to pull the pots.
Got a few crays in each along with Port Jackson sharks.
The crays

must have got in first as you usually do not get any once the sharks are there.

Ron sorted them and it hurt to throw some back,the rules state only two per pot on the east coast,bugger.

Decided to motor slowly up the coast to have  breakfast and cook the crays on the go.
Stopped in a few places for a fish with no luck until the bay before Yellow Bluff ,Ralph and Bruce got a few while Ron helped me put some braid line on a couple of reels.

Bruce rustled up a really nice cray lunch with Ron’s sauce and Ralph and I caught a few more Flathead.

Went up to Lagoon bay and anchored,put the net in but only got Gropers.I though we might lay there for the night but the Easterly breeze had set in so motored up to Maria and set the pots out off Cape Peron.
Anchored at Green Bluff for the night.

The photos today are the crays before sorting and the flats.
The programme has been changed since I used it last and I have not figured out how to make the photos larger or put captions on them.You should be able to click or stab them to make bigger ones.

Ladies Bay to Fortescue Bay

Crew up at 7.30 ,blew a bit during the night,New snubber kept the anchorchain quiet.
Cruised around to under the Golf Club to pull the pots ,first one a blank,second one a just size so a taste for lunch.
Steamed down to the bottom end of Safety Cove for breakfast,Bruce cooked up a Bacon and Eggs breakfast.
Got under way at about ten ,Bruce learned what Backwash was going across Haines Bight to the Tasman Island Passage,25 knots of wind and 4 meter seas,arced her up and was running down the waves at 20 plus knots.

Not too bad after getting through the cut.Most of the fleet stayed put in PA.
Had a fish under the seals in Monroe Bight.Caught a variety of fish but no stripes.Eventuall got blown off so steamed up to the head of the bight and anchored,fished off the boat but no luck,only one nice Flathead.The wind now quite fresh coming off the cliffs.

Cooked the cray and had lunch,baited the pots and set them in a favorite spot,noticed a lot less weed on the sounder though.

Went up into Fortescue to see if we could get the cricket station on tv,got every thing but so steamed over to Canoe Creek for the night,still a bit of wind about but sheltered there.
Three other VDL’s there.

Had dinner and turned in early.

VDL Circumnavigation 2019.

First day RYCT to Port Arthur.

Arrived at the club a bit after 10.30,The Crew were chaffing at the bit.
I texted them to go and have a coffee as I was running a bit late.We did the required paper work and I took it into the office.Had a coffee and slipped lines at 11.30.
Only a light breeze in the river,passed a few boats before the Iron Pot lighthouse.
The SW wind gradually picked up with the sea as we approached Cape Raoul,as it does,quite a sea on  before the Cape but was easer when we rounded.

A lot of birds working so we slowed down and put the Tuna lure in,the motion a lot better with the sea behind us.
Not even a bite.
Motored into Safety Cove for lunch at 2.30.
Passed quite a few yachts having a good sail in the conditions although I would think the sea would have produced a few green sailors.

Put the pots in at the north end of Safety Cove,I have not fished there before so not holding out much hope.
Anchored in Ladies Bay for the night with 10 or so other circumnavigators.

Roast Chicken for dinner with veggies,a shortbread tart and ice cream for desert,a pleasant first day.