Wind 15 – 20 knts sunny with 90% chance of rain

We have woken up to another windy day, yet its time to head out to the reef so Mick and Roz can get a sail and a fish in before their holiday ends. It was 9:30 by the time we cast off the mooring lines and headed out into a fresh breeze of 17 knts. Across the shallow water through the channel markers the swell was about 1 metre and lumpy but settled down a bit when we got more depth under us.

We hauled up the main and jib and headed due east towards Arlington Reef where we hoped to stop near Oyster Cay for a fish somewhere out of the green zone.

The sailing in this direction was excellent reaching along between 6 and 8 knts. We didnt want to go any faster as both lures were out the back trying to tempt fish to have a go. A storm appeared on the horizon so we dropped the main and sailed on the jib.

As we neared Arlington Reef we got lucky and hooked a very nice size Yellow finned Tuna. Mick reeled it in while the jib was furled and the other line brought in so it didn’t tangle with the fish. John gaffed the fish, brought it on board and filleted it colouring the white transom with crimson blood.

By the time John had cleaned and filleted the fish we were almost in the buoyed channel marking the way into Arlington Reef. Another squall arrived reducing visibility to almost nothing as we searched for a place to drop anchor somewhere away from the reef. The anchor was dropped in 9 metres of water just off Oyster Cay and the bait lines went in while Roz and I prepared lunch.

John caught a variety of smallish fish, coral cod, fusileer and sweetlip but nothing large enough for the barbeque. ( we only keep the really big ones these days.).

With lunch over we upped anchor and headed for Michaelmass Cay, distance of 2 nm arriving just as another squall swept in with a vengeance.

Mick and I were up the front trying to pick up the tether on the mooring buoy but the strong storm winds kept blowing Ovive past the buoy just as Mick and I were in reach of grabbing it. The horizontal rain pelted Mick and I as we struggled to grab the rope and pull the heavy mooring line up over the front roller. Eventually after several attempts and a lot of cursing from John we managed and all was secure just as the storm passed. Morgan and Roz had dived for cover when John started cussing and weathered out the storm inside. The three of us were cold and soaked to the skin so we enjoyed a lovely warm shower. ( not together).

We berlied scrap pieces of bread and tuna and once again were delighted by the large bat fish that came up to the transom . They have such gentle looking faces and a rather trusting nature that enabled me to touch them.

 

We were awed by the dark coloured Amberjack and Giant Trevally that fought for scraps and disappointed that we couldnt put a line in and catch the extra large sweetlip that jostled for food. Morgan just loves this place and spends her time whining and wanting to lick the fish.

Happy hour started a little early at 4:00 followed by a game of Black Bitch and Nominations.

A simple meal of steak and steamed vegies was quickly cooked up after dark as we had pigged out earlier on happy hour food.

At high tide there was little protection from the swell so we had a rolly night on the mooring buoy.