First boating weekend of the season...

[RFNK]

You have feral crays?

[Paul G.]

Are those red, or the new invaders?

Packhorses, Flat Island circa 1970. I have dived there and its spectacular with ginormous boulders caves and cracks for them giants to hide in.

[John B]

You have feral crays?

I know they get pretty feral when you grab them. Not that its something high on my list to do. I hooked out a few of the painted cray on minerva, something which is possible to do whilst breathing good clean uncompressed air.

[John B]

Packhorses, Flat Island circa 1970. I have dived there and its spectacular with ginormous boulders caves and cracks for them giants to hide in.

You were scuba diving at age 8 then? Awesome.
O wait, I get it.

[John B]

The nose knows..
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The Dukes nose, of course.

[John B]

Cavalli islands day anchorage..
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And around the corner for the night, past the cluster of 10 or 15 boats snuggled up in the 'best' anchorage.
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2 other ketches have come in since so it's bi poler bay now.

[RFNK]

Yep, more than a poler could bear.

[John B]

We chose the spot, they followed.
It's very agnawing.

[RFNK]

Life has its ups and downs!

Beautiful spot - you're lucky to be able to access those areas so easily!

[John B]

Life has its ups and downs!

Beautiful spot - you're lucky to be able to access those areas so easily!

When K and I returned from our overseas trip in 1990 we planned to settle in the Bay of Islands. Life intervened and we stayed in Auckland for business etc. It took nearly 30 years to get here. Don't anyone accuse me of moving fast.
It's taking a while to get used to, the sailing I mean. In Auckland we'd go about 9 miles to a Friday night anchorage and perhaps 20 to 30 for a long weekend.
Now it's 9 miles to the centre of the Bay of Islands. 20 to here in the Cavallis, 30 to Whangaroa. Friday night could be 2 miles if we wanted.(our friends do that a lot)
Very different, and the coast is more open here, so bigger ocean swells and more exposure to a weather change in a way. Fun, something different for us.

[RFNK]

Yep, Pt Stephens is lovely too but it's an overnighter to anywhere else and Sydney's harbours are a lot busier than here. Otherwise, it's a long way north or south to anywhere else and, apart from the benefits of change, they offer no real advantages over this area. Nevertheless, once Ms T's mum is no longer with us, we'll do some real trips.

[John B]

I didn't realise that, I need to look at your harbour on g e.

An interesting boat. I think I detected some assymetry in the hulls which would lean me Drua rather than Tongan in type.
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Farr 1104 mainsail. Which is a 70s 36 ft sloop

[John B]

Two long holiday weekends, many people planned to expand and take the extra 4 days in between to get themselves a solid 9 or 10 days on the water.
Unfortunately the weather has not cooperated. We did get out for Sat and the night last week, took some fortitude to do it against the 20 knots. Rolled home in more on sunday before the 30 or 35 knots arrived. Fun night, short trip.
But this weekend is just not nice. Windy, some rain, overcast, threatening forecast.
We pulled the pin, launched the panga and went sightseeing in the inlet instead.
A new boat to the inlet, one I know from Auckland.
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She started life as a keel yacht but was converted to a slippery little motor launch by a friend.
The Pink Panther. Yeah, makes me just laugh out loud.
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[Andrew Craig-Bennett]

My last boating weekend of the season

https://youtube.com/shorts/uDSkGd8KJts?feature=share

[Hugh MacD]

Nice! I envy your early start on the season

[John B]

Vid eo no less, raising the game there Andrew.

[John B]

Fi berrr glussin around island style yesterday....
This little shell beach is line of sight about 500 metres from our house , although it's a kilometre maybe around an island and some reefs by boat. No one goes there, no access from land. Not much beach at high either.
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I've been there once before, quite the hidden in plain sight little gem.

[Robbie 2]

Fi berrr glussin around island style yesterday....
This little shell beach is line of sight about 500 metres from our house , although it's a kilometre maybe around an island and some reefs by boat. No one goes there, no access from land. No much beach at high either.
20220205_140851.jpg
I've been there once before, quite the hidden in plain sight little gem.

If it's the beach I am thinking of.......there are lots of Cockles and/or Pippies to be found there.
it is sometimes closed for gathering shellfish to eat due to toxins in Summer.
However: they still make extremely good bait for catching fish.
Freeze the shellfish overnight, they will die and open.
Next morning remove the meat and put in a container with a good dose of salt.
This will harden them and they will stay on the hook better.
2 or 3 on a hook straylined with a tiny or no sinker floated off the back of the boat.
Tarakihi and Snapper will go crazy to jump on your hook....they love shellfish.

I know how much you love to catch fish

[John B]

If it's the beach I am thinking of.......there are lots of Cockles and/or Pippies to be found there.
it is sometimes closed for gathering shellfish to eat due to toxins in Summer.
However: they still make extremely good bait for catching fish.
Freeze the shellfish overnight, they will die and open.
Next morning remove the meat and put in a container with a good dose of salt.
This will harden them and they will stay on the hook better.
2 or 3 on a hook straylined with a tiny or no sinker floated off the back of the boat.
Tarakihi and Snapper will go crazy to jump on your hook....they love shellfish.

I know how much you love to catch fish

It's between Aroha and Blacksmiths, Robbie. It does look like a good place for shellfish, thanks for the tip. There's a ban on now, I don't know if it's just for taking or taking for consumption.

[Robbie 2]

I think you will find it is for consumption.
As we get warmer the Summertime toxic algae outbreaks seem to get more frequent.