Lesson 1:Always set the anchor drift alarm
Lesson 2:Always securely close all hatches
Lesson 3: Always Don't trust the weather bureau
More on the lessons later but 4 now, We made it 2 the reef we caught a few fisch, we ate sum good food, we all slept really well, from 6.30pm UNTIL 2am!
Once we arrived at Broadhurst reef we set about learning how 2 catch fisch on the Gr8 Barrier, itz a little different 2 normal with us finally working out that if we motored up 2 the very edge of the exposed reef then drifted away we soon found ledges that held good coral trout as well as various other edible species such as sweetlip, mackeral, job fish ,grunter and morwong.
We had a really good day chasing fish in the shallows with both Dad and Mark catching sum nice ones. I might have caught a few as well. It was surprisingly hard work as you drifted off the edges very quickly and I was constantly having 2 reposition the Yot back into the shallows so we could start fishing again. Sleep deprivation (wkoa) had alot to do with my level of enthusiasm. But it wasn't long B4 the kill tub had 2 be emptied and fish needed 2B filleted,Bagged and put into the freezer.Some nice Coral Trout came aboard along with several dozen small sweetlip B4 I caught a really nice one about 4kg.
We had a mixed salad 4 lunch with a little of everything going into the bowl covered with a layer of Japanese mayo. Quite tasty but it got in the way of fishing so it was soon back 2 the rods for some more!
The tide then really began to rip in and we decided that drift fishing was impossible, so we set the reef anchor up and settled down for the afternoon.
I put a floating bait out the back in the current while Mark and I prepared dinner, Scotch fillet steak, fresh asparagus with balsamic and butter,cauliflower cheese and hot chips.
Also as we needed 2 make sum room in the freezer we crumbed sum pineapple fritters to eat with the now displaced icecream. YUMMO!During all this food prep the fishing rod screamed off a couple of thymez with big spanish mackeral and what we suspect were giant trevally.
Needless 2 say by nightfall we were all pretty spent. After hot showers everyone hit the sack 4 sum much needed shut eye. However around 2am the dinghy started banging into the side of the Yot waking me from my slumber. The wind began 2 increase and B4 long the anchor had broken loose from from the bottom sending us drifting north towards yet another reef.After a few hours of restlessness it was decided to pull the pick and move the boat 2 a safer area.
Everything went steadily downhill from there! The wind increased the waves increased, the gps's all gave us different readings, then to top everything off the steering cable broke.
Still we made it clear of the reef then settled in for an extremely rough 11 hour trip back towards Townsville.
It got rougher still, to the stage lifejackets were readied just in case. Then we copped a green wave right over the top of the Yot This flooded the rear deck area's and water poured through all the "waterproof" solar vents into the sleeping cabins. Wet bedding! Not nice!
Back to Lessons 2 B learnt.
The anchor alarm must B set every time I anchor the Yot regardless of how calm it seems.
An escape route must be plotted B4 going to sleep.
The manual cable steering system needs to be replaced with a more reliable hydraulic style.
And judge the weather as I see it not by the forecast.
Either way we all made it back safely with fish in the freezer and we've now got a few days 2 reflect on our adventure while recooperating B4 the V8's arrive on Friday.
More 2 follow over the next few days but that's it for now.
Captain Felix
