I've been following this thread, and all I can say is good on you guys for having a go at this! Love your sense of adventure! Even if the fishings not red hot, no doubt you'll come home having seen and done things onlu a selext few have before you. That's hard to beat in my mind.
Make sire you take that popping rod Neil! There will be plenty of GTs both out wide and even the Percys. Keep an eye out for current pushing up on the reef edge and/or Fusilier schools. Get that popper in there!!
Considering the weather issue, have any of you considered leaving your boat instorage at Stanage to make coming and going a bit easier? Just a thought.
Best of luck to you all! I'd be there in a flash if I could spare enough time. I'd be happy to do it in my 21 centre console, with a few jerrys for company of course. Re weather, I hope you get 3 days like we had last year when we went Airlie to Cairns via Flinders Reef. You could have water skiied 150 nm offshore! Just awesome!
fruit salad is the new Bacon
In that mountain of gear mate make sure you don't bury that 12 volt fridge lead.
Guys I'm still looking , so tell me how many boats are going vs number of people , thinking that if 5 boats are going but only 12 people you could drop 1 boat out to put more crew in other boats this would help share the cost of the trip out, that is only if the boats have the space I guess.so Neil are those dates locked in ,, will go & have a chat to the she batch & see if I can swing a leave pass. this is what happens when you wake up early on a Sunday morning & start reading fish porn & dreaming
Bill, go and make the Minister for War and Finance a nice breakfast in bed then break the news to her. The dates are set but the trip may be called off by the middle of the week before if the weather is not playing the game. We probably will do a count in a week or so to confirm starters and finally sort crews etc. We don't want to be running 1/2 crewed boats all that way. Its over 800km from say Burpengary just to get to the kickoff point
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"The Rebel Alliance"
Have you thought about a back up plan Neil? If the weather isn't ideal for the swains? I mean for the week you may have 2 0r 3 good days. And it may not be favorable to head that far offshore. Would be nice to be able to commit to the trip on those dates then have a plan B that everyone can still take part in.
Given English is obviously not my first language I cant seem to see the proposed dates......what are they dudes?
We can look at other options. If we get to Clairview then the Percys and various shoals are only 1/2 way to the Swains and offer good protection and plenty of fishing options. Between Brisbane and Clairview we have 1770, Gladstone and Yeppoon as kick off points for a shorter trip
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"The Rebel Alliance"
Do we have a revised list of attendees that are more on the 'yes' side of the fence rather than the 'probably not' side?
And what's everyone's thoughts........stay out at the percys whilst being self sufficient until the weather plays the game or sit it out at Clairview and fish in close while we wait for a good weather opportunity and make the mad dash from mainland to the Swains in one go?
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"The Rebel Alliance"
Still super keen... and have a full crew on mine at the moment.
I am very happy to work with any contingency plans you guys may have if the weather doesnt play the game. We are already up this way so you guys are the ones doing the kms... by the sounds of it a fair few of you have the 1770 area down as a back up and we are from yeppoon area so... Maybe we think about northwest as a back up?? that way you guys can do Gladdy and we can leave from poon?? that way we can work the shelf a bit?? Just a thought....
Swains for me is def first and foremost... talk changes a week out if the weather is not favourable like you have said????
Thats if you are locked into that week and that week only... otherwise we pull it until it is good, which will def happen in the next 3 months, its just when... How much notice do you all need??
I can work with any contingency plan too......1770, northwest, even got a place to stay at Coowonga if needed.
What is the plan with ice? The way i see it 3 days maximum is all we will have. Anyone have an icemaker?