Whatupuke Island (Hen & Chickens)

Yesterday evening was fairly normal except for being invited over to Emily Grace to share desert with them. Kim had baked a pumpkin pie which wasn’t a pumpkin pie but tasted like one. We hung around for about an hour before returning back to Dignity as we were feeling a little tired.

This morning we moved to Whatupuke Island, part of the Hen & Chickens group. The wind was light initially so we motored half way before being able to sail downwind with just the job out. It was foggy most of the way and it was a little nerve wracking coming through the nearby pass with such little visibility. But we made it ok.

We soon had the fishing rod and handline out and not long after were reeling in the snapper. Ben looked up the legal size limit and although the fish were not exactly huge, they were certainly bigger than the number Ben quoted. We caught fourteen in all putting four back as they really were just too small. Five I filleted leaving all the guts intact (giving us five ‘fish frames’ for our crayfish trap) and five I disembowelled so they could be cooked whole. Ben and I then hung the five frames from the roof of the crayfish trap and, now in the rain, dinghied out to set the trap. I then double checked the minimum size limit and came up with a different interpretation to Ben. We may have to use some relavistic style argument to ensure all the fish we kept were above the minimum limit.

The trap with five fish frames looked irresistible. Our hopes are high. We have whole fish and some filets to cook and, no doubt, we’ll be bringing in the crayfish tomorrow morning.

If the current weather forecasts remain as they are we’ll have to hightail it out of here tomorrow as the winds are expect to become strong from the east making this anchorage untenable towards the evening. We’ll be heading west for shelter at the same time getting closer to Whangarei where we’ll spend Xmas. It looks likely that we’ll have Sam’s Godfather / old friend / of Helen and myself and his family over on Xmas day so we’re looking forward to that. They’re over here on vacation and the timing works out perfectly for a visit to the boat.