THE ABROLHOS - A HAYWIRE TRIP

April 3, Wednesday.
Pelsaert Island.

First day of acceptable wind, about 10-12kts SE.
All enthused about fishing, but only managed a small snapper.
Changed over the jib sail, as we had shredded the one coming over.
Then got the Zodiac afloat and sorted. Les and I went ashore, about 200-300m away.
Scott from Bunbury and his son and two mates ( who we had met at the marina in Geraldton) were stern into the beach in Brett’s 10m mono-cat. Monohul forward, diverging to a cat hull amidships and to the stern. Retractable keel allows them to stern up right onto the beach. Hydraulically droppable mast and trailerable, it’s a very practical setup. Spacious down below. Scott calls it his floating caravan. 10 m long.
Had a long chat to Scott on all things boating and Abrolhos. He’s been coming here for 40 years.
Les and I went for a walk along the beach on the western side of the island It’s only about a 100m wide here. Entirely consists of old dead broken and bleached coral. We returned along the inshore side which is limestone albeit only a metre or so above sea level, tops. I squatted down to check out some oysters when a sea lion popped up in front of my face! I actually touched him on the nose. Very inquisitive, he and his mate hung around for a few minutes.
Back to Triple X , the mono-cat, and the boys had come back from a morning’s hunting. 8 crays, grabbed by hand wading around the reef about 3nm away and a Spotted Cod that Craig had speared. Promptly filleted, he gave us the wings and we had another superb super fresh fish lunch.
Les and I motored back to the XXX Electra33 in the latter afternoon and joined the boys for a seafood feast. Some crayfish cocktail “nibbles” with a couple of different sauces. Then a sit down dinner. Accompanied by plenty of wash down fluids.
We dined on baked snapper, crayfish mornay, haggis as a side, (as ship’s cook Neil is a Scotsman), mashed potatoes with beans, potato salad and pasta salad, plus a lettuce and avocado salad.
Our contribution was the salads! Awesome meal, and the Boys from Bunbury were great company. Scott Talbot, his son Anthony and two mates, Neil and Craig. Motored back in the Zodiac to the good ship Haywire accompanied by a stunning sunset. A rather memorable evening indeed.Читать далее