Sou'easter at Christmas

Grape Escape, Elaine Bay 

Elaine Bay, Christmas Eve

The trip home, Christmas Day

Capsize Point

Comfortable spot, unfazed

Later, aboard Grape Escape

A SE wind at Christmas is not the forecast anyone wants, but hey... when the going gets tough, the tough get going. We were tucked up in about the one place you can really get out of it, Take-in Bay South on the Kenepuru. Then Erin messaged Sue and said they were headed to Tennyson Inlet and we set off to find them. So, Christmas Eve we were in Elaine Bay. We were kind-of sheltered, but there was no escaping the gusts and the lop. Christmas morning dawned shut in with wind and rain. Sue was spotted in her towel when Grape Escape came alongside and said they were heading in. We too headed in and joined them for drinks and eats back in Havelock. Total of 65 miles.

Three somethings wine

Orion at Richmond Bay

Sue and Sandy

Kahawai

At Richmond Sandy caught a beautiful Kahawai, a great specimen. Her tackle was a Shimano Kid Stix 341 (lime green) with a 3/0 jig head and plastic squid skirt. We were careful to bleed the fish. Next day, at Yncyca, we cooked it whole in the oven. We stuffed the cavity with herbs, especially with mint, and put late harvest wine and an orange and some fish stock all in foil around the fish. Cooked for 25 minutes at mark 9. It was very nice to eat, and an easy way to deal with the bones.

It's hard not to catch cod, and of course they have to go back until December 20th. We extract the hook as gently as we can and return them to the water with the net and mostly they swim away fine.

Heard goats at Stafford, but didn't see them. Saw a black billy goat at Richmond.

Stafford the first night, then Richmond the second. Yncyca was a lunchtime stop on the third day. Very hot weather with light winds and a sea breeze in the afternoons. A total of 51.3 miles.