Mike (MB) arrived at mine a little before ten this morning so after a quick coffee we headed down to the beach for his first paddle in the sea, leaving the rods behind but taking a couple of net traps for some hopeful lobsters/crabs. The sea was pretty flat, the wind was mild and the sun was shining – all in all good conditions for a first paddle. A gentle launch and we headed towards the harbour before heading in and placing the traps down – then out again and at Mike’s suggestion out to a buoy some ways offshore (this was Stanford Buoy, which by the look of the chart is a mile and a half out from shore and the same from the harbour mouth).
Having never bothered going out more than half a mile or so it seemed like a good idea and off we went.
En-route we had a couple of gin palaces come past at a decent lick and had to ride over their wakes and after a while we came up to it.
Now, I like taking pics but for some reason Mike was reluctant to climb onto the buoy to pose for a pic, can’t understand it myself as it was only a 4-5ft straight side and was only a little bit wet and weedy, still my artistic nature wasn’t too put out, but a pic was still called for
I even included Gulliver in the background – as the tallest wind turbine in the UK is now called. It stands on Ness Point, the most easterly point of mainland UK.
Honour satisfied, we headed back in and laughed at the presumed Dutch Navy gunboat sent out to protect their fish stocks from us. Following Mike being ‘Buzzed’ by a bumble bee that mistook him for a daffodil, and the sighting of a harbour porpoise stooging about, we noticed the boat heading straight for us. Imagine our concern at seeing the words painted on its side:
With me frantically requesting Mike dump his biscuits so as not to end up in the ‘joint’ after presumably being ‘grassed’ up by that ‘dope’ Bucketboy on Mike’s thread of yesterday http://anglersafloat.proboards107.com/index.cgi?board=general&action=display&thread=1188059436 Mike began to wonder if he was about to be questioned over his VAT return or fuel receipts…
…but they turned tail and ran for the safety of the harbour in the end, rather than tangle with the kind of madman that would paddle out to a buoy to take pictures in kayaks. Less wash than a gin palace too you know. So we chased it in to check the nets but only had a couple of shore crabs. Check again in the morning.
Well, now there was nothing else for it but to be a complete bastard and get Mike cold and wet. No point going out to sea on a warm day if you aren’t going to practice a deepwater re-entry after a capsize. Of course, this entailed me showing how it was done so the plan backfired somewhat. But he was game and in he went…
…whereupon I decided that I should perhaps not be quite so close.
So much for the blue flag we are all proud of in town – apparently our water tastes horrible.
So, back in through very mild surf and onto the beach. Popped the sail on and out we went again for a little play before heading back for a well-earned chilled beer in the garden. Next time we’ll take the rods. I checked my nets too:
that was this year's PB lobster. Also had this year's PB shrimp:
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