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Saturday morning I wuz gunna go yak fishing. I didn't know the disaster about to befall me. Me missus says, "I wanna go to the beach too but first I need help in the morning with the lad's room." Uh oh!
Saturday morning: No fishing. After putting the first coat of floor varnish on, I read the instructions. Put another coat on in 6 -8 hrs.
Saturday arvo: No fishing as I put on the 2nd coat.
Sunday arvo: At last, missus and I arrived at Tanby Point launch site with 15-20 km/hr NE breeze, white caps everywhere. Not much time left, it was 4 pm. She went for a walk along the beach. I launched into stiff chop and headed out. Didn't troll as very lumpy. Not smooth waves but coming from everywhere with the main ones coming from NE. Five minutes out I put my sunglasses away as too much spray on it and I could hardly see. Easy enough, but very slow, heading up and along the beach as far as tackling the waves went as basically heading into em.
In a quieter patch in the 'shadow' behind some rocky shoals coming out of the water, I put out the Nilsmaster but got nothing. Too windy and water very murky.
Headed back to the launch site. Waves coming from behind and to the left. Every now and then, the yak would suddenly surge forward and foam would wash over the back into the cockpit. Those whitecaps got me heart beating. Some waves were quite big, blocking out the horizon. Awesome fun.
Landed, pulled yak up on beach. Looked around but no missus. She had the car keys. I was wet and in the wind, cold. Still no missus. Pulled yak up further. Still no missus.
After ages, I carried my gear up to the car. Then I carried the yak up. Usually I bring the car down to 1 metre of my gear. Still no missus. Sun had gone down and beach was getting dark.
I put my yak on its cradle on the car and put all my gear in it. A casual passerby would not think of looking up and reaching up for my gear, so I hoped.
Back down the beach I went looking for my missus. Couldn't see her anywhere along the stretch of sand going to the point. Now I was really worrried. Then I saw her not far away, so I breathed a sigh of relief and went back to the car.
When she was back, she said she had climbed up a high spot on the beach and had a wonderful relaxing time watching the view. The full moon was coming up over the silver sea. I asked for the keys and put my gear away and tied down my yak.
About 45 minutes later when I had just got home and was hosing my gear, I noticed something missing. My PFD! My heart sank. I reckoned it must have been down so low in my yak that when I was reaching up and over the edge to grab my gear, I missed it. And then, it would have simply jumped out when the going was too fast for it to hold on.
Back down the beach I went, burning the edges of the road with my spotties. Me missus came with me as she didn't trust me to find it. I didn't find it, niether did she. The beach looked beautiful with the moon light and under different circumstances I would have liked to park a while with me missus, but . . . We kept searching. Nothing.
Monday morning: I crawled into work trying not to think about my lost PDF and the $150 I would need to replace it (fat chance this time of year with Chrissy expenses coming up!). I tried to ignore my workmates who told me how beautiful the sea was on Saturday and Sunday morning but aweful on Sunday arvo.
Not to worry, I got to experience wilder water than I have ever been on, yippee, and me missus enjoyed two trips to the beach. Nothing like yak fishing to bring a couple closer together I reckon.
Saturday morning: No fishing. After putting the first coat of floor varnish on, I read the instructions. Put another coat on in 6 -8 hrs.
Saturday arvo: No fishing as I put on the 2nd coat.
Sunday arvo: At last, missus and I arrived at Tanby Point launch site with 15-20 km/hr NE breeze, white caps everywhere. Not much time left, it was 4 pm. She went for a walk along the beach. I launched into stiff chop and headed out. Didn't troll as very lumpy. Not smooth waves but coming from everywhere with the main ones coming from NE. Five minutes out I put my sunglasses away as too much spray on it and I could hardly see. Easy enough, but very slow, heading up and along the beach as far as tackling the waves went as basically heading into em.
In a quieter patch in the 'shadow' behind some rocky shoals coming out of the water, I put out the Nilsmaster but got nothing. Too windy and water very murky.
Headed back to the launch site. Waves coming from behind and to the left. Every now and then, the yak would suddenly surge forward and foam would wash over the back into the cockpit. Those whitecaps got me heart beating. Some waves were quite big, blocking out the horizon. Awesome fun.
Landed, pulled yak up on beach. Looked around but no missus. She had the car keys. I was wet and in the wind, cold. Still no missus. Pulled yak up further. Still no missus.
After ages, I carried my gear up to the car. Then I carried the yak up. Usually I bring the car down to 1 metre of my gear. Still no missus. Sun had gone down and beach was getting dark.
I put my yak on its cradle on the car and put all my gear in it. A casual passerby would not think of looking up and reaching up for my gear, so I hoped.
Back down the beach I went looking for my missus. Couldn't see her anywhere along the stretch of sand going to the point. Now I was really worrried. Then I saw her not far away, so I breathed a sigh of relief and went back to the car.
When she was back, she said she had climbed up a high spot on the beach and had a wonderful relaxing time watching the view. The full moon was coming up over the silver sea. I asked for the keys and put my gear away and tied down my yak.
About 45 minutes later when I had just got home and was hosing my gear, I noticed something missing. My PFD! My heart sank. I reckoned it must have been down so low in my yak that when I was reaching up and over the edge to grab my gear, I missed it. And then, it would have simply jumped out when the going was too fast for it to hold on.
Back down the beach I went, burning the edges of the road with my spotties. Me missus came with me as she didn't trust me to find it. I didn't find it, niether did she. The beach looked beautiful with the moon light and under different circumstances I would have liked to park a while with me missus, but . . . We kept searching. Nothing.
Monday morning: I crawled into work trying not to think about my lost PDF and the $150 I would need to replace it (fat chance this time of year with Chrissy expenses coming up!). I tried to ignore my workmates who told me how beautiful the sea was on Saturday and Sunday morning but aweful on Sunday arvo.
Not to worry, I got to experience wilder water than I have ever been on, yippee, and me missus enjoyed two trips to the beach. Nothing like yak fishing to bring a couple closer together I reckon.
