mrmoshe

Just noticed this article on a futuristic craft which is powered by biodiesel that's attempting a record for circumnavigating the globe. Interesting looking boat eh? LONDON - A New Zealand-built boat that runs exclusively on biodiesel is set to kick off an attempt to break the world speed record for circumventing the globe in a motorboat next year, its captain says. The 24 metre Earthrace, skippered by New Zealander Pete Bethune, will set off from Valencia, Spain, on March 1 and traverse the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans as well as the Panama and Suez canals in its more than 24,000-nautical-mile journey. Bethune will be attempting to break the current world record of 74 days, 20 hours and 58 minutes, established by the Cable and Wireless Adventurer boat in 1998, and said at a London press conference that he believed his trip could help promote biodiesel as a viable alternative to petroleum diesel. "I wanted to do a positive project run on biodiesel and take it round the world," he explained, noting that some 165,000 litres of biodiesel would be necessary for the trip, which will have a net carbon footprint of zero. "Politicians in Western Europe must be prepared to stand up to the oil industry and be more supportive of the biofuels industry to make sure the production of biofuels is sustainable." Along with its green fuel source, the Earthrace also has other ecologically-friendly characteristics, such as non-toxic paint. It was constructed in Auckland in 14 months at a cost of around $A3.5 million, which Bethune helped fund by selling his house and possessions. He also made a symbolic gesture towards the project, undergoing liposuction with two other volunteers, which produced 10 litres of human fat -- enough to power the boat for 15 kilometres. One attribute of the Earthrace boat is that it has the ability to "submarine" through waves, going up to seven metres underwater, enabling it to maintain a higher average speed through big seas, the expedition website says. The powerboat Earthrace at sea. The wave piercer boat, also dubbed the fastest eco boat on the planet, will attempt to set a new speed record for a powerboat to circumnavigate the globe running 100% biodiesel.

Beautiful fish there and a big to the site. Way to go for a first post. Cheers, Pete.

Good on you boys and well done on the bream. What a top couple of lads to offer a tow....It's generous offers of help in times of need that make fishos some of the nicest people you could meet. Hope you earbashed 'em to join Fishraider Stewy They sound like good blokes. Cheers, Pete.

Snap! Dangled by ankles to shoot shark A New Zealand man has risked life and limb by dangling upside-down in the sea to take close-up pictures of a circling great white shark. Builder Gary Porter said he asked friends to hold him by the ankles from their small boat as he dunked his upper body in the water to snap the four-metre predator less than two metres away. "I just wanted to get some photos of this amazing creature," Mr Porter told Radio New Zealand. "I've got a few regrets about not hopping in with it and having a good swim with it." Mr Porter was on a diving expedition with three friends near Kapiti Island, near Wellington, on Saturday when they first spotted the huge shark as they were about to enter the water. The shark circled their 6.5 metre boat continuously, apparently attracted by the outboard motor. "He'd go around the back of the boat and then circle it, and come right up to the side of the boat. You could touch him if you wanted to," Porter said. Emboldened by the shark's apparent lack of aggression, Mr Porter dipped his arm in the sea to take underwater photos with a waterproof digital camera, but could not get a good shot. So his friends grabbed him by the ankles as he dunked the top of his body in the water to get the shots he wanted. The shark was less than two metres away as Mr Porter snapped away, and luckily there was no snapping back by the great white. "We threw him a fish, but he wasn't really interested in it. He was a pretty docile shark," he said. National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research shark expert Malcolm Francis said the shark was definitely a great white and probably female. "They have a very distinctive smile. It's a very nice-looking shark." It was about four metres long - "around the size when they make the transition from eating fish to feeding on warm blooded mammals like seals". That meant the shark could be dangerous to humans, though most great white attacks were believed to be cases of mistaken identity. "They will spot something on the surface that looks like a seal, like a surfer or a swimmer," Dr Francis said. Gary Porter's shot of the shark.

Very well done Roberta & Cam Some very nice fish there today, despite the smelly hands and air conditioning You can see why drummer have so much power...just look at the hefty tail compared to the blackies...Geez they go!! The blackie population must be trembling in their boots (or scales) when they see you two heading their way. Great to see siblings fishing together and having loads of fun. Keep those reports coming...making us all down south very envious indeed. Cheers, Pete.

No worries Tan..Just didn't want others to think that it was a good idea to take matters into their own hands. It's amazing what the effect of a camera pointed at the offender may do. Cheers, Pete.

Eating large fish can poison young children PARENTS have been warned against feeding large fish species such as swordfish, marlin and shark to young children because of the danger of mercury poisoning. High levels of mercury - linked to developmental delay and brain problems - have been found in three children in Sydney. Health officials said yesterday the children, aged 15 months to two years, had eaten fives times the recommended amount of fish. In all three cases, details of which were published in the Medical Journal of Australia, they were fed congee - a rice and fish porridge used in Asian communities as a weaning food. Health experts yesterday said that "small children should eat small fish". NSW Health Minister Reba Meagher said too much of certain types of fish could be "detrimental to children's health". "Incorporating two to three serves of fish per week into kids' diets is a good thing, but some parents may be overdoing it with certain species known to be high in mercury," she said. Study co-author Stephen Corbett, of the Sydney South West Area Health Service, said children should still have fish in their diets. "Including fish in an infant's diet has many health benefits including building a strong heart and nervous system," Dr Corbett said. "But some fish may also contain mercury which is not good for young, developing children. "It is important to be aware how children can enjoy the many important benefits of seafood while reducing exposure to mercury." Acting Minister for Primary Industries Linda Burney said: "An easy rule ... is that when whole the fish should be the size of an average plate." Chief Scientist with the NSW Food Authority Lisa Szabo said most fish were low in mercury but longer-living predatory fish built up mercury levels. "These fish such as shark or flake, swordfish, marlin and broadbill should not be included in the diet of small children," Dr Szabo said. "If they are eaten they should be limited to one serve per fortnight with no other fish eaten that fortnight. "Examples of low mercury fish commonly available are rainbow trout, ocean trout, flathead, kingfish and whiting - canned tuna and salmon are also good low mercury options." Processed fish products such as fish fingers, patties, cakes, balls and bakes are made from a variety of fish including species low in mercury such as hoki and hake.

Here you go Louis: David Lockwood's Column Good on you mate. Cheers, Pete.

That's a shovel with eyes Wonderful capture and I'm sure he's tickled pink with having it mounted. Hope the bragging rights have a use by date though. Cheers, Pete

Yes Ray...PWC (jetski) operators must keep a minimum of 30 metres from shore and other powered craft if travelling over 10 knots. http://www.maritime.nsw.gov.au/pwc.html#keepyourdistance (The relevent bit below) Keep Your Distance When driving a PWC at 10 knots or more, you must keep 60 metres away from: * a person in the water; and * small, non-powered vessels such as surf skis, canoes, vessels 4 metres or less in length without mechanical propulsion. A PWC being operated at 10 knots or more must be kept 30 metres from: * any power driven vessel (including other PWC); * any river bank or shore and structures such as jetties or moorings; and * non-powered vessels over 4 metres in length. Riders and passengers should also beware the 'jet stream' from the engine. At close range this jet stream can be harmful to a person. Cheers, Pete ps: Another PWC rule is: NOTE: PWC may not be ridden on Sydney Harbour even though signs may not be in evidence. Penalties exist for breaches of PWC exclusion zones.

Be very careful Tan...Actions like that could get YOU arrested! It is classed as a weapon. While we all have our pet hates with inconsiderate people..there are legal ways of dealing with them...like taking their rego number and reporting them to Waterways...better still... take their picture, then report them. Never,never take things into your own hands as it may be YOU having to answer charges. Cheers, Pete.

Geez Grant..Looks like more pain to come up your way. Better move everything to high ground again. This is in this morning's Australian. More rain to fall in natural disaster zones HEAVY rain is expected to continue falling in flooded areas of northern NSW, with some parts already declared natural disaster zones. Showers will hit towns in the Northern Rivers area for the next few days and may cause localised flooding, but the brunt of the weather front is starting to weaken as it moves south. NSW Emergency Services Minister Nathan Rees declared the Tweed and Kyogle local government areas natural disaster zones on a visit to the region yesterday, and he is considering natural disaster declarations for the Richmond valley and Lismore if more rain falls in those areas. The Bureau of Meteorology has issued flood warnings for the Tweed, Richmond, Wilsons, Bellinger, Orara, Bogan, Warrego and Paroo rivers. Kyogle was hit the hardest when the Richmond River peaked at a major flood level of 18.1m - the second highest ever recorded for the area. Widespread flooding forced the evacuation of hundreds of people to higher ground on Friday night, but river levels are now falling. A peak of 6.8m this afternoon will cause major flooding at Coraki and this evening at Bungawalbyn Junction. Further south, heavy rains caused minor flooding at Glenreagh yesterday, with similar conditions expected to hit Grafton by this afternoon. West of Coffs Harbour, the Bellinger River rose to minor flood levels of 4.3m at Thora, with further rainfall threatening to cause more damage. The wet weather has cut CountryLink train services between Brisbane and Sydney, requiring northbound passengers to board buses at Grafton and southbound passengers taking buses to the mid-north coast. The State Emergency Service is keeping watch on floodwaters and will be ready if flash flooding occurs. The storms will move south but bring little rain to the Central Coast and Sydney this week. Surf conditions peaked yesterday with waves up to 4m from the north coast to Sydney. The huge swell will begin to ease today but rough beach conditions will remain.

Keep at it mate..it seems to me to be a day to day proposition as I found out last week. It may be worth trapping a few poddies and try live baiting those as they are often the gun bait for Narra flatties. The SPs work, just gotta see which one they take a fancy to on the day. Don't give up though as the fish are definitely there in abundance. Cheers, Pete.

Tuna sells for record $63,400 in Japan A HONG KONG sushi restaurant owner has paid a record $US55,700 ($63,400) for a massive bluefin tuna in the first auction of the year at the world's largest fish market in Tokyo, an official and media reports said. The 276kg bluefin tuna - caught off Japan's northern region of Aomori - sold for 6.07 million yen ($63,428) or 22,000 yen per kilo, an official at the Tsukiji fish market said. The final price was a record for Japan and nearly two million yen more than the previous year, he added. A Hong Kong-based sushi restaurant chain owner made the highest bid, local media reported although the fish market official was unable to confirm details about the buyer. Prices of tuna caught overseas were on average 20 to 30 per cent higher than the previous year as imports of cultured tuna from Mediterranean countries including Croatia and Spain have dropped sharply, Kyodo News said. The record prices come amid a decline in tuna supply due to tighter international controls on the catch for bluefin tuna. Japan, which eats a quarter of the world's tuna, is moving towards limiting bluefin tuna fishing in its own waters in a bid to help protect the species from extinction. The Tsukiji market sold a total of 2904 bluefin tuna or 176.6 tonnes today, down from 3268 or 178.6 tonnes at last year's opening auction. Japan reached an agreement in January 2007 with the European Union to slash its tuna quotas by more than 20 per cent. This was in line with a decision by an international commission in November 2006 to cut the total hunt of bluefin tuna in the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean by 20 per cent by 2010. The 43-member International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna approved a quota of 28,500 tonnes for 2008 and 25,500 by 2010 but failed to set national quotas. Environmentalists have warned that tuna face eventual extinction if fishing continues at current rates to feed a worldwide fad for Japanese food such as sushi.

Glad you are all safe Grant and the house was fine..There sure was a lot of water down the Tweed as I saw on TV tonight. Also being declared a Natural Disaster area will help the hip pocket to replace all that is lost hopefully. Good luck with the heartbreaking cleanup..It must be horrible to see everything you own covered in silt and gunk. In a few months, things will be back to normal and you can enjoy God's country again. Take care mate. Cheers, Pete.

Puffer fish kills dolphin WO dolphins have died in South Australia from unusual causes in as many weeks. The first, found near Dublin on Christmas Eve, is thought to have died after becoming entangled in a fishing net. When another adult male of the same species was discovered near Port Clinton, Project Dolphin Safe was called into action. Today, the state's Dolphin Trauma Group conducted a post-mortem examination of the second dolphin to determine the actual cause of death. After a three-hour autopsy, group leader Dr Catherine Kemper, from the SA Museum, said the dolphin died because it had a very large puffer fish stuck in its throat. "All species make mistakes, just like humans," she said. "For some reason this adult male, at least 15 years old, was doing silly things. He'd eaten other ones. There were other, smaller puffer fish spines in the stomach. But he met a sticky – or spiny – end by taking one that was too big." Dr Kemper said the death of the dolphin was initially thought to be a case of entanglement in fishing nets because it had "the most incredible bruising, with distinct line marks". It looked as if the dolphin's head had been caught in a net. Project Dolphin Safe president Aaron Machado said it showed how important it was to do a thorough investigation and urged people to report cases of injured or entangled wildlife. Acting director of fisheries Martin Smallridge said commercial fishers were required to report net entanglements to SA Research and Development Institute and must return trapped dolphins to the water. Mr Smallridge urged people to report any fishing offences to the freecall 24-hour hotline FISHWATCH, on 1800 065 522, for investigation.

Definitely headed south now. http://www.bom.gov.au/cgi-bin/nmoc/latest_...30&number=4 Could get rather nasty. Pete.

Severe weather warning for NSW coast A SEVERE weather warning has been issued for much of the NSW north coast, as the town of Lismore remains on flood alert. Huge swells are expected to force the closure of many NSW beaches this weekend as a low pressure system moves down from Queensland. The Bureau of Meteorology is warning residents in the northern rivers and mid-north coast of heavy rain, damaging winds and surf, and flash flooding. The Wilson River is expected to peak between 6pm and 9pm (AEDT) tonight, with minor to moderate flooding predicted for Lismore. An average of 200mm of rain has fallen in the catchment area in the past 24 hours. Lismore received 100mm, Byron Bay 149mm, Ballina 139mm, and Mullumbimby 137mm, and a whopping 177mm fell at Upper Main Arm. A State Emergency Service (SES) spokesman said about 86 requests for assistance had been received. He said about 30 people had been evacuated from a low-lying caravan park in Lismore, and another two parks in the area were on evacuation alert. He said the SES was monitoring a family at nearby Kyogle, where 87mm of rain fell in 24 hours, after their house was damaged in a mudslide. The family of four had moved into a back shed after the incident, but they couldn't be evacuated because flood waters had closed a local road and conditions were too dangerous for a helicopter to fly, he said. "We have minor flooding in Lismore with the river rising," the spokesman said. "There are lots of rural road closures." People were rescued from flooded vehicles in three separate incidents at Mullumbimby, and one car was swept away in flood waters. A Surf Life Saving Australia (SLSA) spokesman said five-metre swells were expected to close most NSW beaches through the weekend. He said wild conditions had already forced the cancellation of a surf carnival in Sydney. "We're expecting most beaches in NSW will be closed as swells pick up over the weekend," he said. The system is expected to continue moving south overnight.

Yaaaayy Good stuff mate. Glad you managed a couple of lizards. The wind was very fickle today..blowin' in all directions at one stage. Wish I could have joinned you but domestic bliss put paid to my fishing today. Good result in the end and well done. Cheers, Pete.

Lost stud turns up in fish IT is a tale some would say smells a bit fishy, but Kristy Brittain swears it is true. Last Friday she was kneeboarding behind a boat off Slopen Main on the Tasman Peninsula, east of Hobart, when she was tossed from her board in rough conditions. In the fall she lost a nose stud from a piercing she had done only a week before Christmas. Miss Brittain, 25, of Magra, never expected to see the tiny stud again. Enter a hungry flathead. The stud turned up in a fish caught by her fiance Darren Triffett when fishing with his friend Tim Hall three days later, Hobart's Mercury has reported. Mr Triffett and Mr Hall were in roughly the same area where the stud was lost on Monday. When filleting one flathead they found a tiny nail-like object inside. "They thought it was a little tack or nail," Miss Brittain said. "I was standing near them talking to them and realised it was the nose stud I had lost in the ocean. "How could it have ended in the fish? I suppose it would have sparkled and they (flathead) eat pretty much anything. "But you think how many fish are in the sea . . . and to catch this one." It is no surprise that Miss Brittain regards the stud as lucky. And it won't be lost again. "I have put it in a sachet so I don't lose it again," she said. "I will go and buy a Tattslotto ticket and put this on it." Retrieved ... Kristy Brittain holds the nose stud returned to her by a thoughtful flathead / Picture: The Mercury

G'day PT, I tried that method yesterday as well with the shrimp, as I did some experimenting in the shallows where I could see the action. It was very twitchy, just like a live prawn with little jumps. Actually tried that on each SP before casting to see which action gave the most realistic movement, but alas...the fish either just weren't where I was, or they just were not interested. The left hand/right hand thing will take some more work though as being a "righty"..the old hand swap is a hard habit to break. Might give it a shot next outing though just to see if my brain can handle a change like that LOL. Thanks for the tip though as it's a great learning curve this SP thang. Cheers, Pete.

G'day Millsy, I reckon you would be best to try dawn or dusk, especially for flatties. They seem to be more active (hungry) at these times, but anytime is good at most times. Are you landbased or boat? Cheers, Pete.

Good stuff Peter..You did better than me. The back end of the lake looked very "fishy" today and I was surprised no one was home. Perhaps the wind put them off. The weed at Billarong reserve is a bit of a problem land based. I saw a few boats up the back of the lake today and no one seemed to be getting much at all. The Manly Daily today had an article on priorities of the 3 peninsular councils and one of Warringah's is to dredge Narra Lake....hmmm Cheers, Pete.

Very generous offer Slinky and to the forums. I'm sure there will be plenty of boatless members who will jump at the offer. Good on you. Cheers, Pete.

G'day Kirks, Jamieson Park is just off The Esplanade, which runs off Mactier Street Narrabeen. You will see a loop road on the map inside Jamieson Park and the boat ramp is a simple, no frills concrete ramp used by the local sailing club there. You can use it pretty much all the time but it gets busy on weekends when the sailing club are using it. Here's a screenshot of the map. There is also a good article in the "Articles" section of the forums with some excellent info on Narra Lake and the different areas to fish. Narrabeen Lake Article Parking in Jamieson Park is controlled by Warringah Council and is a pay and display ticket system. Hope this helps, Cheers, Pete.