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Old 19-06-2008, 23:55   #61
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Alan's way (F.V. Genesis)
Yes I know Genesis and the Fishburn family. Beautiful Boat.

Mana, which is Seafox's home is the Wellington one. He sails across very frequently, winter and summer.
Seeing as you cray fished, you may know the area I was refering to. Wards Beach and the Burkett boys owened the boat I was taken off the beach on. Mate, those lads earn their keep. They're nuts. I went on a calm (to them) day and it was an "experience" to say the least.
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Old 19-06-2008, 23:56   #62
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I wouldn't want to put cruisers off coming to Oz, but on the East coast we have quite a few notorious bar crossings.mostly in New South Wales, As mentioned the Wide Bay Bar is I believe Queenslands only notorious one, being long and shallow.Starts miles out to sea. I have traversed most of these over the years in monos and a 10.5 mtr cat. To handle these situations the cat was far better for as the following wave came up behind, the transoms would lift and surf we would but having control of where I was going while the monos would want to trip over their keels and lay sideways, Heart in mouth stuff. Had a friend die/drown on Ballina Bar a few years back. There are some lessons to be learnt before hand if you are going to cruise this beautiful part of the world.
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Old 20-06-2008, 00:00   #63
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After visiting New Zealand With Sailing in mind as always I have to admire the NZers courage in their conditions. Not only are the bars bad and dangerous but the waters b'freezing!
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Old 20-06-2008, 00:08   #64
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but the waters b'freezing!
Yeah I have to say that is a major downer. The warmest I see it here in the Summer is about 20 deg.C . It's about 9deg.C in the inner sound at the mo. It gets warmer up North and is warmer on our West coast. We have quite a cold current that flows up the East coast.
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Old 20-06-2008, 02:30   #65
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Yes I know Genesis... Beautiful Boat.
Yes she is nice. Not surprised that she crack frames, she's a bit heavy up front with the raised foc'sl & wheelhouse (have seen her on the slip @ Carey's).

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Mate, those lads earn their keep. They're nuts.
Mate, we're all nuts (we don't admit it often in public due to family, insurance concerns etc). Have done many nutty things while fishing, but one of the top would be walking out on the mid water trawler bags during hoki season (after the bags surfaced from hauling on the winches) on a calm night in the Straits while the sharks are hanging around waiting for a feeding frenzy. Then again, the paua divers in South Australia actually swim with the sharks

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Wards Beach
You mean SE of Blenheim? The area's I referenced to are SE of the North Island. Haven't worked off the beach but have visited them many times & gone for a ride. While offshore, we use to steam to these small villages & launch our inflatable (on nice day) to surf in & restock on supplies (milk, bread, tobacco etc) from the locals (in water proof bins), it was far cheaper than steaming all the distance to a main port. Having said that, we got fully soaked (in the inflatable) trying to get off the beach back to the boat

All of our craying was done up off Taranaki (3 months p/a). We were one of the first larger boats to go up there (along with the "Tempest" (replaced by the "Tranquil Image") from Nelson). The smaller local boats weren't to happy with us, then again, they weren't happy with each other. Have heard stories of them feuding by cutting each other's floats & the shotgun's being fired across each other's bow's (sounds a bit like the red-sea pirates ).


Mt Egmont (Taranaki)
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Big crays
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Old 20-06-2008, 03:05   #66
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Wide Bay Bar
G'day,

How much rip comes out of there during a spring tide? I do know that down Westport/Greymouth way it does get very choppy (tide building in front, waves behind) towards the entrance. Not saying that a cat couldn't do it, but do wonder how it would handle that (i.e. would it start digging in its bow etc).
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Old 20-06-2008, 13:53   #67
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Have heard stories of them feuding by cutting each other's floats & the shotgun's being fired across each other's bow's (sounds a bit like the red-sea pirates ).
Yes I know John very well. Really nice guy and he realizes it was a mistake now. He now has a large and very lucrative quota area along the Kaikoura Coast now. Great guys all those fellows, but they were bread tuff to handle the job and so played tuff when the chips were down as well. Didn't tolerate fools easily.

Actually one commercial guy had a Shark Cat(I think it was around 30ft'ish) for Cray work off the Ward beach. They make good stable work platforms, but are truly dangerous in the surf. Sadly just a week before I was there, two guys drowned as the Shark Cat was rolled onto the beach in the big surf. The boat was still there upside down on the shingle beach when I was there.
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Old 20-06-2008, 20:13   #68
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Kaikoura Coast

Have been down there bottom trawling, it can get a bit blowy at times with the wind coming off the Mountains. A few whales down there too that can put on a bit of a show.

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Didn't tolerate fools easily

Yeah, you gotta be really careful about the newbies, idiots & mutinies.

Newbies & idiots you have to keep an eye on, otherwise they'll get you or themselves killed. Have been injured a couple of times because of some screw-up that should have never happened. Sometimes its better just to get a smaller yet more experienced crew, less hassles to deal with. Have heard of one guy really stressed out with land based issues & jumping into the sea (suicide) from a trawler.

Have witness two mutinies (had a knife drawn on me in one). Ironically the first one worked in my favour It was on the first steel beam trawler I served on as a fish freezer (25 ton hold) boy (age 15) during the hoki season in the Cook Strait.

I hadn't been on her more than 4 weeks when we were heading out into a blow (consistent 30kts to 40kts gusts), the 3 crew (all tough boys (the type covered with tatts & riding Harley's etc) from Nelson) weren't too keen on the lumpy sea's once we got around to begin our approach to exit the inner heads (WGTN). There was a major argument[1] onboard b/w the crew & skipper, given there's multiple firearms & tuna bombs (underwater explosives) onboard, I hid in the freezer & shoveled ice to keep warm, I figured that would be the safest place if the situation really got out of hand.

The skipper turned the boat around & signed the crew their final cheque & sent them off. He asked me if I wanted to also leave, I told him that I wanted to work (keep fishing), he said to me “right, you're now the first mate”. After a few hours he had found a newbie to come aboard for the trip. So off we sailed again (in darkness) & sure enough she was kicking a real stinker in the heads & the Straits. After about a day of bouncing around out there & setting the mid-water net 3 times, we had filled up with hoki & were on our way back.

The skipper was a really hard man, the type that yells, screams, swears, shakes his fists, smashes things, throws fish at you etc (even when whatever has gone wrong is not your fault because you're at the other end of the vessel ) but he was a fair man & paid me very well. He taught me a lot in regards to seamanship, including putting me on watch & teaching me the night time approaches through the heads & how to handle (get the feeling of) the vessel when hand steering through the surf, judging the distance & height of following waves & when to put the hammer down (full throttle) during a decent blow.

[1] beam (vs stern) trawlers can be very dangerous in rough sea's when lifting bags (end of trawl net tied off) of fish aboard from over the side (given they can weight several tons), one wrong move & the vessel can capsize.

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The boat was still there upside down on the shingle beach when I was there.
Yep, the graveyards. Have seen similar scenes myself when capsized boats from the Westport bar end up on the beach. Very uncomfortable feeling indeed.


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You might recognise the above vessel, she's the “Kahurangi” (62' Carey) fishing off the east coast. She's owned & opearted (or was) by some Maori brothers (“Jeff” & I think “Steve”?, can't remember their last names) in Picton. She's the sister ship to the “Rights of Man” (from Picton) that burnt to the waterline (very quickly) in the Sounds. From memory, talking with the owner “Scott” (can't remember his last name), it was suspected that the engine room fire was caused by a very slow fuel leak after a servicing from a certified mechanic. The “Kahurangi” was the first Carey to be fitted with Co2 fire extinguishers piped through into the engine room.


30' crayer off Mt Egmont (Taranaki)

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Old 20-06-2008, 21:34   #69
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Speaking of bars, have you seen my photo's in the gallery of Bill Orchards boat broaching on the Greymouth Bar?
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Old 20-06-2008, 21:43   #70
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Speaking of bars, have you seen my photo's in the gallery of Bill Orchards boat broaching on the Greymouth Bar?
That name rings a bell. Didn't he build his own hull in Carey's & then complete the wheelhouse/fitout himself (has a name that starts with "O")? I think he also has a brother called "Richard" who's fishes from a 45'+ troller (has a Maori name that starts with "K")
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have you seen my photo's in the gallery
No. Will go take a look through your pic's now.

PS. Talk about small world huh?
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Old 20-06-2008, 22:11   #71
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Speaking of bars, have you seen my photo's in the gallery of Bill Orchards boat broaching on the Greymouth Bar?
I think this is the "Kauri" (or something like that). It's the one that his brother "Richard" use to fish from. I have a funny feeling that I've seen this pic before (years ago), but I could be wrong.

The other boat that Bill built (55' ish) I think had a name like "Omega" (or something like that).

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Old 20-06-2008, 22:13   #72
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Yes he did build his own boat. Bill died a few years back now. There are several brothers and a sister. The Sister has also died. They seem to go young in that family for some reason. I have heard of Richard and possibly meet him, but I do know the other Brother Gary quite well. He has a Fishing charter operation. I have used his mooring on the odd time.
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Old 20-06-2008, 22:19   #73
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Bill died a few years back now.
So sad to hear that.

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know the other Brother Gary quite well
The name rings a bell but I can't put a face to it (unlike I can with Bill & Richard).
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Old 20-06-2008, 22:22   #74
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You most likely would have seen the photo. It was published in one of the fishing mags. I have a series of them. They were taken by some stranger standing on the breakwater at Greymouth as Bill and Alan Cairns(brother to Lance Cairns the Cricketer) came in. Bill was sent the photos and I got copies from him. Here's the interesting thing. We are looking at these photos, and someone says, look at that log! and Bill say's, what log? In one of the shots, a very large log quite possibly capable of sinking them was right in their line of entry. If it wasn't for the fact of the boat broaching, they would have steamed right into the thing. Neither of the two (Bill and Alan) knew there was a log there until they saw the photo's. It was a bit spooky. I worked with Alans Wife Cheryl by the way.
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Old 20-06-2008, 22:44   #75
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You most likely would have seen the photo. It was published in one of the fishing mags.
Yep, that's sounds about right. (didn't take my mags to West Island, too much weight )

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I have a series of them.
You weren't a fisherman at one time by any chance?

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look at that log! and Bill say's, what log? In one of the shots
Yep, I see it. And it's also the first time its been pointed out to me too
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