frankS

Just welded up 6 metres of chain ( 2 metre lengths x 3 ) to use as a deterrent for my boat seems as how it is now out on the road, welded up the chain thought I would let the welds cool naturally and started wrapping the chain around a telegraph pole and through the frame of the trailer, where does the fool grab the chain with bare hands ?, you guessed it right on the last link welded. 6 metres and I have to grab the link that is still red hot, 3rd degree burns to the hand, the chain is fine !!! . I might just go out to the shed and see what other damage I can do to myself OR machinery. Frank

Found a earth lead that was loose, don't know if this was the cause but it wouldn't have helped. Frank

Nick My boat isn't going properly at the moment so can't take you. It's not what you wanted anyhow . I'm surprised there wasn't a few on here that would offer you a chance to do some beach fishing. As I explained in the first place I am not a beach fisher and not into sharks, sorry things haven't worked out for you. Frank

I'm sure I must have killed a Chinaman or 2 as the saying goes. Got up bright and early this morning, battled the traffic down to the ramp, there was a guy trying to start his motor and he asked me did I know anything about outboards, well after a few checks I found it had no spark so told him the bad news, he looked at me as if to say ("well ain't you gonna fix it ?) I left him to sort it out and launched my boat, parked the car and started the old Merc went like charm. Put it into gear and splutter splutter cough splutter, checked to make sure the air valve on tank was open, put into neutral and revs slowly built up, put it back in gear and splutter splutter. Didn't have any tools with me ( bad mistake ) so decided to put boat back on trailer, by this time I was a couple hundred yards from ramp so at least the lecky got to be used. I will now get new plugs, clean out carby and filters and see what happens. Next round I will let you all know what happens. Frank

36 OR 42 ' Steber moored at Bermagui OR even a old Howard 26-32' . Had a few large boats moored and didn't use them much but now in my receeding years I imagine myself out in my 36 ' er eating prawns and sipping coffee with a gentle sea breeze just pushing along with the tide. Frank

At this stage I will be giving the bay another chance on Thursday coming up, another mate at this stage says he will be free. Winds are forecast light in morning leading up to blowie in the afternoon, so a few hours in the morning and hopefully some fish in the boat. Boat at this stage all wrapped up and put to bed. Cheap $40 cover to keep things away from eyes.

Well done Derek. Neil was pleased to pick up his first King. His Wife is not well and Neil had to head home this morning. Hope she recovers and all will end up OK. Frank

Nice outfit and well decked out. I wouldn't trust myself in a yak would have it upside down more than the right way round. As for the spare tyre I just keep it in the back of my wagon, a spare bolted onto the trailer is thief bait even if it's locked . Frank

Neil needs to head off home on Monday. Such a short window of opportunity and alas we missed the boat. I will now do the few minor adjustments to the boat and wait till my mate John ( Snatcher ) comes out from England. Hope we have better luck then, he is here for 3 months so should get some fair weather in that time. Frank

Well I guess you have to take the bad with the good, this morning unfortunately was pretty well all bad. got up 4am looked at the satellite and there was a deep band of bad weather heading our way, I figured there was about 1 hour of bad and then I thought it would clear up and settle down, how wrong can one be !!. Got down to cooks ramp and it was drizzly and about 20 knots but thought with a bit of time it would settle, waited a while then waited another while, at least it stopped raining so made the decision to launch boat and head out and have a look, got to the end of the runway and was getting thrown around like a midget wrestler, not good so turned around and put the boat back on the trailer. We though we will go to Foreshore ramp at least we can see the conditions IF they get better and closer for a quick run. Well the wind got nastier and the chop got a lot worse, so had a coffee and a sandwich and the wind was just about blowing us over so decided to call it a day. Heartbreak for poor Neil as he has come a long way just to be faced with impossible conditions. Doesn't matter for me but I do feel really sorry for Neil. Hope I can make it up to him some other time. On the way home I thought Geeze we should have gone to The Hacking but too late now as I am back home with boat unloaded. Better luck next time. Frank

Got away without any emergency, Report will explain it all. Boat went ok with just a couple of minor adjustments needed. Frank

Thanks guys I'm sure things at least safety wise will be up to scratch, fish wise is anyones guess but I will do what I can to put Neil onto something worth while. " Going Fishing " I have been fishing the bay since I was a kid ( now 72 ) but thanks for the advise it's always good to see people looking after your best interest and there's always something to learn no matter how long you have been doing something. I remember Molly before the place was built out, used to be a top fish reef and it's where I caught my first Hairtail back in about 1964, the bay has changed heaps in my time and most of it not for the better. Frank

I am taking my Brooker 14'er out on Botany bay tomorrow. Big Neil is coming up for a few days and I wanted to take him for a fish. The boat has been a long time in the making and it's nowhere near finished yet, outside looks like a complete pile of junk but I have been doing some work on the interior and getting a few toys in place, a couple of things need to be re-done as I just bodgied them to get on the water for this trip, the wiring throughout will need re-doing and the carpet over the bait tank and fuel tank will need to be done again (ran out of ply and carpet so just used what I had to do a makeshift job ). I trust that it won't leak but I have the bilge pump working incase and have a bucket. Hope I can put Neil onto some decent fish and he wants a Kingie of any size so wish us luck. Maybe some photos to come. Frank

You done well Neil, must have felt good to finally be able to get the boat back in the water. Nice photos and thanks for sharing with us. See you Thursday. Frank

Nans tarps in Lidcombe do a excellent job, they are a bit pricey but the quality of their work is worth the expense. Frank

Neil. My boat is all done, just need someone to assist me to get it to the water and test it out. Frank

My better half bought 2 kg of imported cooked prawns for my Birthday dinner ( early ) . They are from Tailand or somewhere similar. Now I'm not the fastest prawn sheller in the world but also not the slowest, It took me over an hour to shell the 2 kg, the shells are so soft it's hard to tell shell from skin, dead set the hardest prawns I ever had to shell in my life. However the taste was nice and sweet and worth the hard work. A bit off topic I know but has anyone else experienced these prawns. It's like they were going through a molting process and the shell hadn't hardened yet. Frank

That is outstanding!! I am not into dancing and things like that , but that really got my juices flowing, thanks for sharing with us. Amazing. Frank

Straps front, Straps back, what does it matter!!!. Just a small tip whatever the strap situation it is annoying when they get that constant shatter from the wind, well put a single twist in the strap and this will stop the shatter. I have 2 used biminis down hidden in the shed somewhere and one brand new 4 poster one still in it's box, don't know why I have these just do. Frank

Slimy's are excellent on the table, any pommy recipe book with mackerel will be referring to the Slimy . I sometimes target them for the table. But don't tell anyone or they might become hard to catch. Frank

Mutt. You done well and the smiles are great, thanks for sharing your day with us, plenty more to come so get amongst them. Frank

Excellent report and a big congratulations on your first Marlin. I lost 3 before I finally got one on board and it was a baby at 110lb , in those days it was quiet exceptable to keep them, I have caught 7 all up and that was enough for me . Haven't fished for them now for the past 12 years, and got one solo which was something that I never wanted to repeat. As Rick said keep the fish moving with the boat as you hold the fish firmly by the bill and a mate removes the hook and lure, the lure generally slides up the line a bit so is easy to get hold of. Now go and get another. Frank

Nick. good to hear from you. Have you got in touch with Alex ? He is expensive but good. I think I can still take you out in Botany bay in my small boat, It's only a 14 footer and the best you might expect to catch are Flathead with a chance at rat Kingies and with a lot of luck maybe a Gummy shark, but no guarantees on anything, it's just an offer in case you don't get any other offers. There are a lot of Raiders that could offer a lot more than I have, just a matter of someone coming to the party. It may be a big ask for someone to take all three of you at once. Frank

Oh well at least it's a good clean cut and should heal pretty quickly, I assume you are a lefty ?. Get back into it, I like to see what you are up to. Frank

They were all the rage with the Port Phillip bay Snapper brigade a few years ago, if you wasn't using them you just weren't cool. Haven't heard anything about them in the past few years. Frank