Got up and got a quick bowl of cereal then headed over to the supermarket to get supplies for our boat trip. Bought plenty of beers and some salad stuff to go with whatever fish we, hopefully, catch. Also got a sandwich each (as back up lol) and a HUGE vanilla slice each that could feed two people.
The marina was only about 15 minutes away so when we got there at about 12.30pm Geoff wasn’t there so we got on board and started to put the stuff we bought into the fridge etc, while Kelly went to fetch some ice from the shop nearby. She also got me some sea legs, just in case as I was ill once on a rough ferry crossing so didn’t want to take any chances.
Once Geoff arrived we set off to Marlborough Sounds where we were going to be mooring up for the night. The water was a bit choppy on the way out but the views were amazing. The sky had really cleared up and you could see for miles out to sea. It’s weird when you are out at sea and the sky meets the sea line starts you thinking about just how big the earth is and it really highlights how its round (a bit deep for me but there you go lol).
On the way we stopped off at a couple of small buoys and we weren’t sure why at first until he pulled the rope up and attached was a holding pot. He’d been diving earlier in the morning and caught some Crayfish. They looked huge compared to what we get at home but Kelly said they were quite small compared to some. Geoff put them in the holding tank onboard the shop and we carried on toward Marlborough Sounds.
Once we got out quite a way, Geoff stopped the boat and we threw down the anchor so we could fish for a bit. Geoff bated up 3 rods for us and we fished at the back of the boat. I couldn’t believe how quickly we caught stuff. No sooner had you dropped your line in with a sinker on it to the bottom and you had a bite. We caught quite a it but had to throw a lot back as they have to be over a certain size to be allowed to keep them and also you are only allowed so man of each kind of fish. We were catching blue cod and you can only fish 3 per person. We got some decent size ones though in a very short space of time. It was a n awesome experience and something I would never really have go to do at home.
As we caught them Geoff put the keepers into the holding tank on the boat. He then got out a big crayfish each and we cooked them in boiling water. They only took 7 minute each, and once they were cold Kelly and Geoff de-shelled the main part and we ate them with some spicy mayo Kelly made by mixing in some wasabi past. This was just a snack to keep hunger at bay until we ate the fish we caught.
We stopped off at Ship Cove to have a quick look around as it was where Captain Cook first discovered the islands. When we got there an old man was on his bought waving to us (in a help way not coo wee kind of way lol). He was having problems getting his anchor up and judging by his age I’m not surprised he looked about 75. He did have 3 women on board though the dirty bugger lol. Geoff told the guy we’d drop anchor and then give him a hand so the guy road over to us in his dingy and Phil and Geoff went back with him to his boat to help. Me and Kelly stayed on board and had a beer (well we couldn’t all fit in the dingy lol).
Once they had sorted out his anchor they came back in the dingy and we went over to a small jetty and tied up for a bit while me and Phil had a look around the front of the island. There was a small bird there that seemed really tame and came up to you as you were walking around. Kelly told me the name of it (but I forget) and it’s apparently known for being inquisitive and friendly.
After having a look around we moved around to the mooring area to where we were going to stop for the night. There was a buoy floating in the water spare for us to attach to. Once we were secure for the night Geoff got the fish out of the tank and filleted them like a pro. Kelly then coated them in seasoned flour and we ate them with salad, potatoes and the wasabi mayo. The food was absolutely gorgeous and you definitely can’t get any fresher. It was such a great experience to catch your own fish and then eat it minutes later, definitely something I will remember for a long time and probably the best experience I’ve had on the trip so far. It will take a hell of a lot to top that though so might be my number one of the trip.
After dinner we had a few beers and watched the sun setting over the sea. It’s easy to take things like this for granted when you are seeing so many different places but I am trying to take everything in and enjoy each experience as they come along.
We went to bed below deck after a few beers as the sun tires you out.
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