AllanF

Who was that great photographer LOL Good report Al. I recon you've called the first hookup too early though. I remember shortly after saying that I thought the turn of the tide was about 6:30, so I recon first hookup prolly about 6:15. Why would you need a Gym membership? You look damned relaxed in the photo, a little too relaxed!!!... I think it was shortly after this I pollitely asked you if you wouldn't mind having a wind on the reel (as I shoved Alladen into reverse "Wind you B@#%ard"). No 6 certainly put a different perspective on the day.... at 5.5.0 I wasn't a happy chappy!!! I had a go at Barlo for tag shot being too low. It doesn't look as bad in the pic. I recon the smile will come off Barlo's face before the end of the month though....

A number of years ago in my old Yalta I had a whale and her calf swim under us three times. (wide on East Reef north of Broken Bay). I found it quite an amazing experience, but my mate told me that the rules are that you must keep 100 metres away, and why didn't someone come and tell the rules to the B#$@dy whale! On the first pass, we didn't even know she swum under us till she came up beside the boat and showed us the underside of her huge tail as she swam away from us, however by the third pass my mate had settled a little as he realised she knew exactly where we were, and if anything, she was more interested in us than we were in her. It was a fantastic experience, however didn't have a camera with me to record it. On another occasion, only a couple of miles wide of Box Head, we were watching a group of Humpbacks (we were drifting and they moved to within about 30 metres of us), when a Fairy Penguin swam past the transom of the boat. We decided that we'd seen the big and the small of it that day, and headed in after a few snaps were taken. During last winter we had a pod of about 40 Dolphins swim with us for nearly an hour. At one stage my Mrs reconned she could pat one of the Dolphins on the head, but was too scared to try. The Ocean is a wonderful place, make sure you get out and enjoy it (says he, stuck on a job site in country Victoria!) Cheers, AF

Thanks, Pedro & Blood Knot, but I'm not new to the site, just quiet! I've been away almost 3 months, 2 months in PNG with more Croc hunting than fishing, but that's a long story!

I never had a 'list' of things to do when launching a boat, but the way I never forgot anything was by counting the number of operations required to launch the boat. ie 1 take off the strap, 2 insert the bungs, etc. As I did everything I simply counted the operations and if the total wasn't right a check was required. Another thing, any stuff in the car that you want to take with you, put it in the boat when you're prepping the boat away from the ramp. Don't make another 'operation' other than remove keys and lock up the car once the trailer is parked (other than set up the winch rope if you don't drive the boat onto your trailer). Happy boating!