Waterline Winter 2018

BOAT | FIS H | WAT E R SP OR T NZ

Darren Woodmass.

W I N TER 2018

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The region’s favourite watersport and boating magazine, Waterline, has re-launched for its 22nd birthday.

Bigger, brighter and with increased circulation, Waterline is making more of a splash in the booming marine market, with a new look and a wider reach.

It’s the flagship of the region’s boating community, embraced by clubs, active boat owners, fishos, divers and watersports enthusiasts.

15 Brooding Beauty not always benign Paddle to the Pub

8-9 10-11

Competitive surfing future beckons

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Saving Gemini Galaxy

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Tidal trickery for AIMs games

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Reviving the Triton

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Fishing firing as water temperatures drop 25 Purse seiners blamed for seabird deaths 27

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Drone fishing in the big smoke

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Reserve trip reward for Chloe

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For all enquiries contact: Kathy Sellars on 07 928 3053 kathy@sunmedia.co.nz

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www.waterline.co.nz waterlinenz Editor: Brian Rogers Advertising: Kathy Sellars and Jo Delicata Graphic Design: SunMedia Ltd

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Waterline is a SunMedia Ltd publication © All material is copyright and may not be reproduced without the written permission of the publisher.

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This is the sort of Brown Trout the Tongariro river can produce.

Early runners Shane French

As we move into winter, the early “runners” will enter all the Taupo Rivers. But I should do a quick recap of autumn.

It has been a fairly quiet autumn this year. We had a really cold spell, as did the whole of New Zealand at the time, but it was not long enough to activate a run of any size. Then the settled weather came in and the trout have, for the most part, stayed out of the rivers.

Night fishing the river mouths has been very good at times, as the groups of trout start to grow and congregate, waiting to run!

The Waitahanui normally gets a decent run of early trout. It used to be Easter when you could stand off the bridge looking up into Delatours and spot trout making their way upstream. From mid-May, trout will run the Nui, especially when a southerly, westerly or south-westerly blows.

I love using a bit of weight to get my nymphs down on the Waitahanui - its short, deep pools require this technique to be truly successful. This river can produce some massive trout,

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but poaching and a lack of patrolling by DOC have left the Waitahanui a shade of its former glory.

The Hinemaiaia is going to get another flogging from all the floggers out there. There are other rivers in Taupo that some of you need to explore more. For those who don’t flog the Hine, but just want a few hours on a great little river, please enjoy and tight lines.

I have found over the past few years that Green works well with nymphs in here. I tie a Nymph called a Green Bead Reaper - you can buy that from my shop, and if you are going to fish the Hinemaiaia, this Nymph will come in handy.

For me, though, I like Glo Bugs in here. I use the ones I sell through my site and although all the Taupo trout like them, they really excel in the Hinemaiaia.

Again extra weight in this river system can greatly increase your chances of success. You are getting down to the fish quickly who are sitting in short, deep pieces of water.

I think we are going to have a very wet winter and the river that is most affected by rain is the Tauranga Taupo.

This river draws on rain to make the trout run. No other stream in the Taupo fishery is more reliant in water volume to move the trout than the TT. If you strike this river at the correct time, then the fishing can be out of this world.

Generally, this is a day or two after heavy rain that has made the water level rise, then start to drop back.

When you strike the Tauranga Taupo like that, there is no better Nymph than the humble Glo Bug. I have, at times, walked up the TT with a single Glo Bug and a piece of Split shot for weight, taking fish after fish.

There is so much water available on the Tauranga Taupo, it can take lots of anglers. Fish anything with depth to it.

The Tongariro has had some massive changes to the lower pools, both by the hand of man and by nature. For me, these lower pools are a mess and I will probably leave them for a few years to bounce back.

The Tongariro has some good brown trout in there at the moment, and these will continue to be caught right through until the end of June. By that stage, hopefully the Rainbows will have started to come through in numbers.

We had some really late runs in the Tongariro last season, which sometimes affects how many trout are in there over the start of the season. This is one system that requires a few extra nymphs in the box, as Glo Bugs are not the be-all and end-all bait on the Tongariro.

The humble Flash Back, or Hairs Ear Nymph, can be killers on the right day. The dull day, dull fly - bright day, bright fly scenario works on the Tongariro.

The start of the season can quite often harvest the biggest trout, so why not earn some brownie points and get down here for a day to suss it all out before the season really kicks in.

In the process you might catch that big one - in which case, take a picture, put it back safely and post it all on social media.

I look forward to bringing you an update on Taupo in a few months’ time. Feel free to visit my website at: www.taupofishing. co.nz and check out the nymphs I use to catch these fish.

Darren Woodmass with his 6 pound Jack caught in a small spring fed stream.

Great conditioned Rainbows like this one run the rivers early.

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The dream drone Developed in New Zealand specifically for drone fishing, the Aerokontiki sets the standard in power and ability for beach fishing.

Former surf caster Phil Evans says he began looking at other options as he got older, and spotted the Aerokontiki on a website.

The manufacturers came down from Auckland “and away we went,” he says.

Three years and many fish later, Phil is the Aerokontiki regional manager for the Bay of Plenty. He takes new customers through the after sales service, teaching the ins and outs of the Aerokontiki and how to fly and look after it.

Unlike other systems, the Aerokontiki is intended from the ground up to be a fishing device, says Phil. It is not an off-theshelf drone with a line release mechanism tacked on.

“It’s an industrial level machine,” says Phil. “You can fly it out to 1000 metres and take up to 25 hooks if you want.

“We have a launcher that takes 16 hooks, which seems to be ample in terms of handling it. It is GPS-based, and when you get there it releases the line. There’s a button on the transmitter, and flick another lever and it flies home and lands where it took off.

“You have got to take off and fly it out there, which is pretty easy, but the rest is automatic.”

It’s also powerful, with the 500 watt motors carrying 25 ounces of weight, a 12 ounce sinker in front and a 12 ounce sinker at the back of the rig. The hooks set up the same as on a torpedo long line rig.

Phil says he normally has a 12 ounce sinker on the front and an eight ounce on the back – depending on how the current is running on the day.

“The leader line sits flat on the bottom like any normal line with the hooks on it,” he says.

The line is normally 1100m of braid and there is a Shimano deep sea electric reel available as part of the package.

“The Aerokontiki handles cross winds off the beach very well,” says Phil.

“Depending on the pilot’s confidence, it will fly in 25 to 30 knot winds. I limit mine to 15 or 20 at the most. If you have a bit of a headwind, it might not quite get out to 1000 metres. You might only get 800-900 metres out, then you might want to drop it and bring it back.”

The drone is back on the ground after five or six minutes.

“Unlike a torpedo, your main investment is back on the ground. It’s not left out at sea.”

There are also a lot of fail safes built-in. If battery power drops to a certain level, it will drop the line and return home automatically. The same applies if it cannot receive a clear signal from the transmitter. The flight envelope is also limited.

Phil with his Aerokontiki.

“There’s an altitude limit of 60 metres, which is about 220 feet above sea level,” says Phil. “It won’t get into the aircraft zone, which is 500ft and above.

“And it has a 15m low altitude shelf. Once it is flying out there you cannot fly it below 15 metres.

“Price-wise, it is a lot more expensive, but it’s in a different league really. From what I’ve seen, the Aerokontiki seems to be the cream of the crop. In the last three years I have seen nothing like it - I’m really impressed with it.”

There are a lot more fish out at 1000m, says Phil, but you can pilot it to drop the rig outside the breakers, if that’s what you want.

“The rig is left out for about 45 minutes, and there’s never any shortage of people to talk to while you wait,” says Phil.

Andrew Campbell

The Shimano electric reel that is part of the package.

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Great snapper caught that morning.

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Brooding Beauty Ross Miller

Lake Taupo - a beautiful body of water backdropped by the central volcanoes - can also be a monster, changing mood rapidly and proving problematic for some who haven’t read the signs or listened to the forecasts.

What many visitors to Lake Taupo do not realise is how quickly the lake can cut up. Being deep, it can produce some decent waves in a good southerly, making it very awkward for canoeists or small boats.

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The distances involved on the lake are also visually deceptive.

What looks like a short trip is often twice the distance. IN fact, the lake is so large that Taupo Coastguard looks after the northern half and Turangi Coastguard the southern half.

Staying alert For the record, it is 616 sq km of freshwater lake and 193 km of shoreline, and with water temperatures averaging from 10-23 degrees, there is plenty of opportunity for things to go wrong.

This is where the Lake Taupo Coastguard comes into their own, patrolling and rescuing those who get into trouble.

Summer holidays are, of course, full alert time for the Coastguard. The town fills up with holidaymakers - many of them intent on enjoying the lake to its fullest.

not always benign Even in the quiet periods, the volunteers mount a three-watch system with six-man crews on a week-on, two week-off roster.

Life is seldom dull for the 2014 Coastguard ‘Unit of the Year’.

President Mike McSherry says the general standard of behaviour is good around the lake, but people - mainly youngsters - do take unnecessary risks.

“A lot of work goes into assisting people who get basic things wrong, like running out of petrol,” says Mike.

“Jet skis are the most prevalent craft to break down.”

day administration and memberships, maintaining buildings and gardens, communications, fundraising and attending community groups to teach good water skills.

Coastguard is always recruiting, so anyone who uses the lake on the regular basis and wants to put something back, is encouraged to give Mike McSherry a call.

Local upskilling The Taupo Coastguard was formed in 1984 and is a 24/7 operation. The commitment includes constant upskilling, and in 2017, the Taupo unit trained for 2290 hours.

In addition, Coastguard takes every opportunity it gets to push water safety at local fairs and community events.

Unfortunately, Coastguard is yet to be taken under the wing of a national emergency body that can fully fund it, so the Taupo volunteers have subscriptions from over 1300 members, sponsorships of various types, and the Coastguard New Zealand annual lottery proceeds are shared around.

Youth life-skills The current crew has over 300 assists to its credit, with 450 people rescued - many of whom may not have made it home without their help.

“Last year was a great year,” says Mike. The Lake Taupo Coastguard Cadet programme is a first for Coastguard, and run by one of the volunteers who is also a high school teacher.

The project is about teaching youth life-skills around boating, water safety and what volunteering in your local community looks like. So far, five students have completed their cadetship with another 15 on track to finish this year.

Coastguard Taupo has 36 volunteers at present - 18 of them fully qualified for water rescue.

The 36 volunteers cover both land and water roles and put in over 70,000 hours per year including being on-call, regular weekly training to stay on top of search and rescue skills, cleaning and repairing equipment, stocking the boat, looking after the day-to-

Barging a broken-down motor cruiser safely back to Taupo.

Exercising with one of the few Catalina flying boats left in the world.

The Catalina is a WWII vintage plane well-known to New Zealand servicemen in the Pacific theatre.

Taupo Coastguard played its part in the recovery of a plane that crashed in the shallows of the lake.

Major parts of it were helicoptered off for examination. waterline Winter 2018

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Paddle to the pub There’s few excursions as relaxing as a cruisy boat trip up a river for lunch and an ale at your favourite pub.

Our region has several sheltered and easy trips for small craft such as dinghies, boards and kayaks that can be planned to take advantage of the tides.

And as long as any drinking is done responsibly and skippers are sober, it’s a safe and enjoyable way to spend an afternoon. Even with the equinox winds doing their best to spoil boating on open waters, the more sheltered upper reaches of harbours and rivers can provide pleasant touring.

We recently re-visited one of our favourite ‘paddle to the pub’ lunch trips, featured in Waterline a few years ago. This summer we decided a sequel was in order, so we rallied some keen boaties into small craft and headed upstream from Whitianga to the Coroglen Tavern.

It was a motley collection of kayaks, Rob and Karen’s Canadian canoe (featured in the Stony Bay story elsewhere in this issue), a double kayak and the gnarly old flat bottomed duck punt as mothership.

Paddling all the way is easy for the experienced paddlers.

Having a motorised ‘opt-out’ mothership is always a good back-up plan if you’re travelling with youngsters or novices who may not be sure of their abilities and stamina.

The best route is to head south towards the mangroves, upstream of the oyster farm. Take a hard turn left just after Wilderlands and Comers Road, easily distinguishable now as the hillside that is recovering from last year’s devastating fire. At the fork in the river take a right. (The left is the Whenuakite River, there is no pub at the end.)

Continue up river around several bends for several miles, taking the right fork to continue up the Waiwawa, not the Kapowai.

From there its plain sailing for another couple of kilometres and another couple of corners, and you’ll see the river water clearing and becoming stony.

A good landing site is on the left, near the old cattle yards site which is now a rest area. Boats can be beached or tied up to the trees on the sandy river bank. It’s a five-minute walk up the road, over the one lane bridge (beware of the odd logging truck) to the Coroglen Pub. Tell them you’ve come up the river cos you read it in Waterline magazine!

The trip is best done on an incoming tide, and return on the outgoing. That way you can be sure of maximum water depth most of the way. The average kayaker should be able to do it in two hours each way, speedsters in under an hour. Small motor boats regularly make the trip.

Larger ones may have draft issues at the top end. Beware of dinging your prop on the rocky river bottom in the last mile or so. It’s a five-knot zone and best to avoid creating wash that could damage the riverbanks.

Remember, any combination of drinking and boating should be done responsibly and in moderation.

Always wear a lifejacket in small craft and look out for each other.

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Brian Rogers

Whitianga is a mecca for sea kayakers, with a fascinating mix of stunning surf coastline and intricate harbour waterways to explore.

One of the most popular trips, especially if conditions are unfavourable outside the harbour, is a trip up-river to the Coroglen Tavern.

It’s an easy couple of hours upstream from Whitianga township and the best plan is to go a bit thirsty, on a rising tide.

Timed right, kayakers get tide assistance both ways, with a beer or two and a great meal at half time.

There’s nothing better than arriving at the Coro around lunchtime for a couple of quenching ales and a plateful of pub lunch to fuel the body for the trip home.

The river route was once a busy waterway for small boats plying trade from the Whitianga township, wharf and mill to the industrious ‘Gumtown’ diggers, farmers and early settlers.

The local Whitianga museum and the Coroglen Tavern display photos from the old days, when the river was a busy highway of steamers, skiffs and scows.

Keeping left The direct route to the Coroglen Tavern from Whitianga means keeping left going up the harbour, through the mooring area and veering left to go through the Waiwawa river mouth.

The harbour narrows at the Kaitoke Reserve. This where Captain Cook whipped out a musket to shoot some shags for lunch. He and Joseph Banks also climbed the hill to get a look ahead at the river headwaters.

They couldn’t see the pub, so didn’t go further. They went back to the Endeavour and broiled their shags.

Worth the trip But intrepid and thirsty kayakers know it’s worth carrying on. The Kaitoke reserve sign is on the left bank, just as the river narrows with mangrove islands on each side. About a kilometre on from here is the first turn to the left. It’s not signposted, although we’ve often been tempted to put up a few ‘pub this way’ arrows along the route. It’s opposite a small bluff on the right bank looking upstream, beside a wooden boat-launching ramp accessed from properties off Comers Road.

Rob and Flo sharing navigation duty.

You can’t really go wrong from there. Just meander up the river, following your nose. As with most rivers, the deepest water is generally on the outside edges of the river bends. Not that it’s really an issue with a nearly full tide. There’s plenty of water under the paddle. As Cook noted while he was shagging around, the river is navigable for about a league. (He must have Googled it to find that’s 5.556km).

Ride the rapids There’s another tributary a couple of kilometres (or half a league) branching to the left, but there’s no pub up there. Just keep going straight with the main river channel till you find the small rapids, just before the bridge on State Highway 25.

There are plenty of pull-out places, probably the easiest being the grassy bank on the left bank. Or if you’re energetic and water levels allow, you can blast up the rapids and take your pick of landing sites, even going beyond the road bridge. But even from the former sale yards site it’s only a 100m or so walk to the pub. Just make sure your boats are high enough above high tide, if it’s still rising behind you.

Smooth afternoon We enjoyed a very pleasant ale or two in the convivial atmosphere of the Coro, with great service and a hearty pub meal.

Around 4pm we’d calculated the tide would have turned, so we sauntered back down the road and over the bridge and back into our kayaks, well-ballasted, to enjoy a smooth afternoon glide back down the river, tide-assisted of course.

It was a beautiful winter’s afternoon, with the sun setting over the stunning Coromandel ranges as we cruised back into town. It’s just as rewarding in the summer, when the cool ales at the Coro are even more welcome.

The harbour offers a labyrinth of side-trips for those wanting some exploration, with impressive stands of ancient mangrove forests, clumped in islands, to discover. And as Cook discovered a couple of centuries ago, if you’re lucky you can get a shag along the way.

Flo and Claire.

Taking a punt for a pint: Scenic trip to the Coroglen Pub.

An easy trip for sea kayaks.

A very sociable excursion up the river. waterline Winter 2018

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Fat snapper jumping out of the water Phil Phish

A pretty good game season is winding down, and there are still acres of skippies out the front for the winter bait freezer stocks to be filled.

There’s also some very good broadbill and blue nose captures for those running wide.

Kaye Joseph at Rabbit Island.

The highlight of the last few months must be Snapper, and big ones at that!

From the boat or from the land, the size of the fish in winter conditioning mode and hard on the chew has been spectacular.

We have not had a session without a fish over 60cm. Hooks straightened, busted off, reefed, burnt thumbs - they are a fantastic sport fish.

The best we know of is a 95cm fish from 140m while live baiting for kingfish, but there have been plenty of fish in close to the coast and around the islands in the 7 and 8kg range.

Whilst big baits have been good, small sections of pillie and the like have accounted for some very nice fish.

Skutes and softbaits have been a reliable lure source as well.

Regular beach fishers are not missing out either, with those dedicated to the late evenings and early mornings achieving limit catches from Waihi to Matata they’re everywhere.

The changeable weather patterns have made it tricky for us weekend warriors, but some accurate trip planning has found the fish. The harbour is still chock full of piper, jack macs and small kahawai, and snapper to 2kg are still being found up in the shallows. Very good trevally are also all over the pipi bed.

The weed is gone, so fishing is way more enjoyable. The best few months of the year are coming up, so get out there.

Tight Lines.

Jackson Brown at Motiti Island.

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Truxton takes third in Anzac Enduro “We detoured to Little Barrier to get some shelter and sort it out,” says Will. “It was a superhuman effort by Iain (Gifford) to get it all sorted.

“It was great to finish in Port Abercrombie, with gusts to 55 knots Truxton at the start on the short-handed sailing race. and williwaws all across the bay. It looked pretty awe-inspiring.”

They were well looked after by the Short Handed Sailing Committee on arrival, with food, hot showers and rum.

While motoring back to Tauranga through the Broken Islands, however, they struck something in the water.

“I thought it was a branch,” says Will, “while Iain thought it was a really fat rope. But it was pretty big.

“We have since discovered it jammed the prop and the shaft kept spinning and it actually unwound the prop. We put a camera down underneath and there is no prop there any more.

“We had to haul it out and the insurance is looking out for that at the moment.

Truxton arrives at The Barrier.

“It snapped the key that holds the propeller in line. It sheared that It was a race of attrition, with many of the off and unwound the propeller. I boats pulling out because of the weather. think they will probably haul the Truxton was among four boats to finish the transmission off and check it. It was long-haul race over a shortened course, which quite a bang.” had its own drama. The northern turnaround They sailed on to Tauranga hitting was changed from The Poor Knights to Sail a new top speed of 21.5 knots for the Rock because of the conditions. current owners, running under A5 Gennaker in 30 knots of wind Short-handed sailing is a crew of one or two racing a yacht, and big seas. normally crewed by four or five people.

“Truxton was surfing, jumping off waves and punching through “Truxton sailed a few more miles than necessary on the way to them totally in its element,” says Will. “The noise was incredible.

Sail Rock,” says skipper Will Horne. Half the main detached in Truxton sailed into Tauranga Harbour and was towed into the 30-50 knots and a messy seaway, while trying to put the third reef Marina by Tauranga Coastguard, with Will admitting he was “really in. From Sail Rock back to the Barrier was a beat into strong winds glad they were there”. that caught a few people out.

Andrew Campbell Truxton managed a third after looking good for long parts of the Shorthanded Sailing Association of New Zealand Anzac Enduro, which was won by Rob and Sally on Coppelia.

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Photo: PhotoCPL

Competitive surfing future beckons A strong showing at two Raglan surfing events has teenage surfer Aimee Brown looking at continuing competitive surfing when she completes her schooling this year.

A student at the Raglan Surf Academy since 2015, Aimee still appears on the Surfing NZ competition lists as a surfer from GB, Great Barrier, where she lived as a child and first learned to ride a wave.

“You can surf on every beach that’s on the East side of the island,” says Aimee.

“I live on Medlands beach and that’s where I learned to surf.

Aimee Brown is looking at a surfing future.

Photo: Surfing NZ.

“When I got better, I surfed the break that’s pretty well known - Okiwi bar.”

The New Zealand surf guide rates both breaks as either powerful and hollow, or punchy and hollow, and best for ‘intermediate to expert’ surfers, while another guide has a warning to watch for rips and sharks at both breaks.

“My dad has always surfed,” she adds. “I had neighbours that are surf coaches, and I kind of got into it when I was about eight.

It pretty much just took off from there.”

The former Epsom College student changed schools and moved to Raglan after she received the International Surfing Association scholarship in 2015.

The scholarship helped with travel costs and accommodation, so she could enter more competitions, and Aimee was also able to buy a new surfboard.

Following five months surfing in Indonesia, she was accepted into the Raglan Surfing Academy, and now surfs every day.

Aimee won both the open women and under-18 women’s divisions in the Backdoor Oceanbridge Manu Bay Pro at Raglan on April 27-29, but was edged out in the semis the following weekend at the Rip Curl Pro pres by Corona – also surfed at Manu Bay. “I live in Raglan during the school year going to the surf academy, so I surf in Manu Bay quite a lot,” says Aimee. “I just felt really confident and comfortable out there, and it just kind of all fell into place.”

The 17-year-old is looking to extend her

competition experience as she leaves school later this year.

“I’m hoping to go tackle a few QS events - qualifying series comps - then lead onto the world tour. I’d like a couple of those, maybe in the next few years, and see where that takes me.”

Most of the Qualifying Series events are overseas, in Australia, America or Indonesia.

“I’m probably going to have to find a couple of sponsors to help me out,” says Aimee, “especially with travel, because that will be the main cost.”

Another major expense is a new board.

Aimee currently rides JS Surfboards, and pays for them herself.

“They are by far my favourite board, and it would be amazing to get sponsored by them,” she says.

“I think they suit the volume that I need. Not many boards provide the shortness of length but with the volume that I need, and JS have been pretty good for me over the last couple of years.

“There’s more buoyancy and thickness, especially for small wave breaks because you need a lot more volume.”

Aimee currently has a clothing sponsorship, from RPM in Mount Maunganui. “Any wetsuit sponsor would have to be a brand that doesn’t do clothing, just so it doesn’t conflict with my sponsorship with RPM.” She’s hoping the surfing side of it all works out, otherwise she might do architecture.

Andrew Campbell waterline Winter 2018

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Saving Gemini Galaxsea from the breakers

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Buying a bargain is a temptation for many a sorrowful boatie who lives to regret a decision made while optimistically balancing the price against the amount of work required.

Mike Welsh is not regretting buying Gemini Galaxsea at auction on Trademe for the reserve price, but says he wouldn’t do it again.

It’s taken more than 10 months to get the yacht to where he could float it from the marina to a mooring in Pilot Bay. But if he didn’t buy it, the steel hulled ketch was going to be broken up. It is the yacht’s second rescue.

Previous owner Graeme Butler picked it up off a beach in New Guinea, before later sailing it to Tahiti as part of the 1995 anti-nuclear protest fleet. The 18m ketch was built in Papua New Guinea in 1979.

“It was pretty bad, but it had potential,” says Mike.

He discovered the boat was rusting from the inside out.

Everything on deck leaked water into the hull.

He started planning to do what was needed to prevent it sinking, and then go and have some fun. But one hole in the hull led to another.

“There were massive holes in the side where we cut everything out,” says Mike. “People were a bit worried. Even the marina was a bit concerned about the size of the holes. They were worried the boat might break in half.”

They patched holes from 50mm square to 1.5m, and over eight months ended up replacing around about 15 per cent of the boat’s steel - six full sheets in pieces in different sizes.

“I was never concerned about my ability to know what I was doing, but some days you would sit there and look around and it was a bit overwhelming,” says Mike.

The marine engineer and former motor home builder had help from friends from time to time. But when working alone he knew that by the end of a day, he could barely notice what he had done.

He modified as he went. Hatches have moved, and access from the saloon to the deck has changed with a new cockpit layout.

Then it was sand blasting and painting - a process that involved months of work both inside and out. Epoxy primers were used with five coats on the interior and Hempel paints rolled on.

Half the interiors were ripped out along with all of the ceilings.

“What we’ve done is pretty much rip everything out that was no good, ugly or finished with,” explains Mike. “I just left the basics. So you’ve got beds and stuff down the back.

“We stripped out the whole front room and put all new flooring in and painted all the steel sides because they were super rusty and super ugly. The stairs are also new.

“Basically we used to carry a bucket of rust out of here every four hours when we were doing the steel work. It’s a work in progress.

“All the drawers and wood stacked up in the forepeak will be recycled back into the boat.

“I’ll put a bed in there and a duchess. That will do for now.

I’d like to go to Fiji this winter, so I’d rather concentrate on the rigging and sorting all that out before I worry about making it look great inside.”

Andrew Campbell

Mike in the pilot house in the earlier stages of the rebuild, with James Rae behind him.

Mike’s brother in law James Rae stepping round the gaps in the deck.

Ready for the water with the weld lines showing some of the patches.

The missing companionway deck showing the cleaned and painted internal hull.

Tropical hardwood drawers and doors await re-purposing. waterline Winter 2018

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Tidal trickery for AIMS Games Organisers of the 2018 AIMS Games Sailing Regatta say young competitors will have to deal with more than just the numbers this year, with the tides set to present a challenge even before they cross the start line.

There is usually a light airs day and a couple of more blustery days during the AIMS Games regatta.

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“We are expecting low and king tides this year,” says coordinator of the event for the Tauranga Yacht and Power Boat Club, Leanne Warren.

“The sailors we are dealing with - entry level Opti - are going to have to pull some really good sailing skills out of the bag to cope with our four knots of tide. If there’s low winds, it’ll be about getting them over the start line, because the tide is going to be against them.”

The sailing side of the event has grown since Yachting NZ approached the club for its support in running the AIMS Games Regatta four years ago. In the first year, about 70 boats gathered at the start line. Last year, there were 94 entries and the fleet was split for the first time.

“We intend, potentially, to do a three-way split if we get more than 90 boats this year,” says Leanne.

Other organisational issues for the Regatta are timing in winter and the age of the competitors.

The Regatta is run under the standards set down by the New Zealand International Optimist Dinghy Association and the international Rules of Racing. All competitors have to belong to a club, and be sailing registered craft.

The rules give organisers a measure of control over who competes. They evaluate the sailors who turn up, gauging their abilities based on where they stack up from other national regattas.

The initial vetting process gives organisers a measure of relative experience for what is a big national competition at a young age.

“They will take the first 20 sailors who have ranking from other regattas and split them to make it even,” says Leanne. “It’s just random split after that, so we have to spread the skills between the fleets.

“Of those top 20 kids, some of them have been sailing for a couple of years and will have quite a lot of experience. They are the sailors who will probably go on to overseas regattas in the next year or two.

“They are quite good. But at the other end of the scale there are the kids who have just started sailing at intermediate level and have only completed one or maybe two regattas.”

It is not a low key entry, says Leanne. Run under the racing rules, the competitors have to be capable of sailing the course. They have to have been participating in club racing, or a couple of national level regattas.

“So they need to have had some prior experience at doing regattas to be able to cope with that,” she adds. “Being a winter regatta, safety needs are paramount because it is cold, so we have to consider that as well.”

The boats that turn up are not measured as they are at a national regatta, but they are scrutineered and the safety requirements are not negotiable. If the assessors don’t believe the boat is seaworthy, they won’t be allowed to sail, says Leanne.

“The main thing for the kids that are sailing in national regattas already, is this is their opportunity to sail for their school and get recognition for sailing as a sport within their school. That is what they enjoy.

“In addition, they can group together to win the overall school prize. Even if they have got a really strong sailor and a less experienced strong sailor, their combined results could actually turn out to be a win.”

The Anchor AIMS Games yachting event is open to students who are in Years 7 and 8 of their schooling, so competitors are typically 11-13 years of age by the time the event is run in early September each year. Students can place overall in the regatta, or by year and gender and also earn points for their school as a team within the overall results.

Andrew Campbell

Opti sailor Tane Herbert taking part in the 2017 AIMS Games.

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Waikawau Beach and Little Bay Brian Rogers

Continuing our ramblings around the region’s coastline...

A couple of gems on the eastern side of the Coromandel, Waikawau Bay and Little Bay are iconic Coromandel beauties.

Best access is via Coromandel town, up through Colville and across to the Port Charles Road, taking a right turn at the intersection south for 4km. There’s also an option of going via Kennedy Bay, which the regulars tell me isn’t quite as easy going as the Port Charles route.

Waikawau is the classic long, sandy beach with perfect surf when the swell’s up. Dotted with little reefs and islets, the fishing is notoriously good and easy for small craft. There’s a beach launching site at the east end, with great facilities and a fish cleaning station.

No freedom camping, but the superb Department of Conservation camp is right next door. It has a beautiful park-like setting (at first glance looks like a golf course) and well set up for Cute but basic families. toilet facility at Little Bay. Just a couple of kilometres further down the road is Little Bay, sheltered from all angles except the north and flanked with baches perched around its steep backdrop. There’s a free motor caravan carpark with enough spaces for about four or five vans, with a two-night maximum stay. For certified self-contained vehicles only. A toilet is available but no water supply.

There’s easy access to the beach for pedestrians and small craft, and the locals have a designated tractor parking area at the east end. Surfcasting is pretty effective straight off the beach at Waikawau and Little Bay. Close in, rock fishing is productive off the reefs at each end and there’s the odd squid to be jigged over the kelp beds.

Easy launching for small craft.

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Reviving the Triton

The Triton in Pilot Bay.

Cameron Hayes spent a summer fishing off the back of a boat in Pilot Bay, and wasted no time in buying a neighbouring vessel when it was on the market.

“I wanted the mooring as well, so I bought both,” says Cameron.

He admits he was more than a little worried about what he was getting himself into at the start, but the more he looked, the better it got.

“We have stripped it back and all the bones are fine,” says Cameron.

Triton is a carvel-planked kauri boat a bit over 30ft, with the interior constructed around the engine, which is in the middle of the boat.

The planking is caulked and shows no interior rot, while the ribs are a dark hardwood. The plan is to strip the paint from the interior to display the timbers.

The engine, however, isn’t original.

Muzza Walker, the project manager, discovered the salt water coolant for the Nissan 2.3 diesel was piped directly through the cast iron head, instead of heating fresh water via a heat exchanger.

The engine coolant was then used to cool the transmission.

“Everything was back to front on it,” says Muzza.

Cameron says he’s unsure who built it or when, but the style and materials point to the 1960s or early 1970s, with red lead paint under the top coat.

The cockpit coaming.

Muzza says there’s a fibreglass strip between the exterior of the superstructure and the deck – and it’s cracked and lifting.

The interior plywood used as decking is also Cameron Hayes intends to strip the forward interior showing red, without a back to bare wood. hint of resin on any of “It’s a serious fishing boat this gentlemen the end grain. had,” says Cameron.

“At the moment we are just in the process of doing the inside, then it will be “Everything worked on it. It’s as messy up on the hardstand in a month’s time to as anything, but you can tell it’s a serious do all the outside,” says Cameron. “Then fishing boat. He knew what he was doing.” it goes back on the water to finish off the An ex-marine surveyor was pumping out interior. the bilge every three months and generally “It’s a beautiful old kauri boat. The guy keeping an eye on the boat. that owned it - a guy called Graham - died Cameron says: “We are going to bring three years ago and it’s been sitting there it back to a really nice finished boat, and for three years without being touched.” feature some of the kauri and the exotic The previous owner had Triton set up Asian hardwood which is the bones of it as a hard core fishing boat. It has down rig up on the bow.” poles for tuna fishing and also houses a live In the back he’s planning to use clear bait tank. coat lacquer to display some of the patina There is a galley with a two burner stove - the layers of paint that have been applied and a toilet, and a hatch above the wheel since Triton first took to the water maybe so the skipper can sit on the deckhouse 50 years ago. roof and steer with his toes.

Andrew Campbell

The diesel engine is in the middle of the boat.

The helm station. waterline Winter 2018

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BOAT OF THE MO

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NTH

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Well spec’d and well maintained Waitanguru

Dave, Radio Operator & Crew, Tauranga Volunteer

www.taurangacoastguard.co.nz

www.waihibeachcoastguard.co.nz supported by

www.maketucoastguard.com

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The hull was built by Allen Williams of Milford Auckland in 1950 on spec. Waitanguru was purchased by Pete Peterson, a farmer at Waitanguru - a farming district out of Pio Pio in the King Country, hence the name.

It was finished off in the Allen Williams yard, and built in the traditional kauri carvel planked construction with ply and solid timber topsides.

Now powered by a 39hp Yanmar diesel, this vessel is ex-survey and game rigged. It has auto anchoring, shore power, an inverter, a solar panel, a smart charger and a six-person life raft. Waitunguru also has an electric toilet with a holding tank, fridge/freezer and a two burner/oven. It sleeps three-to-four people.

Electronics include VHF, SSB, GPS/ Plotter, radar, auto-pilot, fish finder, stereo and TV. Waitunguru is a very well maintained, well spec’d and much admired traditional vessel with great history.

Waitunguru is currently on the market and the owner will sell the 10-metre Sulphur Point marina berth with this vessel if required.

Contact Brian Worthington at Gulf Group Marine Brokers for more information.

Fishing firing as water temperatures drop

Jesse with his 25kg bluenose.

Jesse Gread, Skipper, Te Kuia

A long range forecast for the weekend anticipating fine, calm weather encouraged a group of keen fishos to arrange a remembrance trip for Hugh Ensor.

Boss and skipper at Blue Ocean Charters for the last 31 years, Hugh recently passed away and is sadly missed by his family, friends and loyal customers alike.

The trip started well, with ice and bait loaded early on Saturday morning as a fiery red sunrise burned above the Mount.

We quickly stacked the boat with provisions and steamed towards the open ocean. Along the way we were greeted by some of the ocean’s more playful creatures, the common dolphin. We were frequently escorted by them throughout the two days.

With escorts in tow and pie in hand, we steamed across the 40m deep band. The glassy conditions made it easy to spot disturbances in the water. The sooty shearwaters were feeding, so tuna lures were quickly deployed and it was full steam ahead at Te Kuia’s cruising speed of 8.5 knots.

Kahawai school Within a few minutes all four lines were hooked up in amongst a school of kahawai. Reducing speed, the fish where brought on board. As we continued on our way the rods began to scream more and more often as we hit the skippies around the 60m line.

It made for a slow and enjoyable trip out, but there was no rush as we were out for two days.

Reaching the deep sea fishing grounds around 1100 hrs, fresh strip baits were carefully carved from the freshly caught fish. The vessel settled into a test drift across the reef in several hundred metres. A quick scan of the horizon and we counted at least 12 smaller boats taking advantage of the variable 10 knots that was forecast for the day - and what a day it was to be had.

We brought Te Kuia back up current and deployed four of the seven electric rods/reel combos that we had on the boat, with an easy couple of hapuka and gemfish landed.

We repeated the action, and on the second drop all lines were on. Unfortunately a shark grabbed one of the fish as it was being winched towards the surface causing braid on braid rub, cutting nearly everyone’s lines off.

It was decided to keep pushing to some of our furthest spots. As we came closer towards the mark, the radar indicated the knoll was occupied by three smaller vessels. With the new chirp transducer we had on board, we had no problem picking up some nearby unmarked knolls that were stacked with sign in around 300m.

Away all the lines went, with multiple hook-ups on all kinds

of bait: mullet, squid, kahawai and skippies.

The condition of the fish varied hugely, with similar length fish being up to 5kgs difference in weight. A quick inspection of the guts showed some had spawned while others had yet to. After several drifts, and bins quickly filling, we headed on our way, working back towards Mayor Island, targeting different areas along the way. Some hidden mounds produced tasty little bass, small blue nose and untold amounts of gemfish that were to be bound for the smoker.

As sunset drew near, we tucked in near the western side of Mayor. We found it hard to catch any live bait even though they surrounded the boat. As soon as one was on-board, its tail was clipped and it was sent back to the bottom attached to the line.

Kingies fighting The kingies were waiting and, sometimes within seconds, they were on the hook and the fight was on. We landed plenty around the 15kg mark.

Once everyone on board had caught at least one, we pushed around to the East, where half the crew decided to turn in for the night. The others pulled their limit of 1-4kg snapper out of 80 metres of water. By the time the last person was going to bed, the sun was rising and it was on with the bacon and eggs and back out to the deep grounds.

After having such a flat first day, we had become a bit complacent about where our gear was left around the boat. This quickly changed as we hit the one metre slop and things started falling off the higher parts of the boat. Stashing everything safely, we chugged our way out.

Every bit of sign we could find was plagued by gemfish, and it was a challenge to keep bait down there long enough for the big fish to show up. When they did we had one hell of a time, with bluenose up to 25kg coming across the rails. With bins full, sore arms and low batteries we headed back towards the Mount.

We did it for you Hugh. Rest in peace.

John Passier caught a good bluenose.

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Tightening up beach fishing rules Shore fishing along the Mount Maunganui ocean beach could become a seasonal only event following a re-writing of the Tauranga City Council’s beaches bylaw.

Proposed changes will give councillors the power to limit the use of longlines and kontiki devices. The proposed changes on the city council website state that beach fishing could in future be restricted to specific times or seasons on all or part of the beach.

The stated reason for the move to control recreational fishing, is because longlines have been said to drift into areas where people are swimming or surfing, causing safety issues. The report on the council website states that Council would have the ability to restrict use during busy periods, but it also states the change will not prohibit fishing.

Another proposed change means drones will be excluded from the definition of ‘motorised aircraft’ so that people can fly them off beaches as long as they abide by CAA rules.

According to the existing bylaw, the current reference to ‘motorised aircraft’ not being able to land or take off from beaches unless in case of emergency, may imply that drones cannot take off from, or land on, beaches.

The beaches included in the updated Beaches Bylaw 2018 refers to any beach from and including Mauao, the Mount Maunganui Main Beach and eastward to the Kaituna River.

Fishing apparatus refers to any instrument used for recreational

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Beach fishers are advised to state their case before the council re-writes beach fishing rules.

purposes including kontiki devices and longlines.

ATVs will still be able to be used on the beach for fishing purposes. And that’s just for the purpose of recreational fishing, and provided they use the access between 105 and 107 Karewa Parade.

No person may use a fishing apparatus including a longline or kontiki device within 300m of any flagged lifeguard area.

Craft can be moored secured or anchored on the beach but council may require their removal if they are deemed to be causing a safety or nuisance issue, or impacting on the wider public enjoyment of the beach.

Submissions on the Beaches Bylaw 2018 close 5pm June 15.

Purse seiners blamed for seabird deaths Dead petrels and penguins washed ashore in the summer storms this year are dying because they are starving, says NZ Fishing Council member Graeme Kensington.

The birds were found dead following rough weather, and are generally presumed to have succumbed to the conditions, but Graeme says that’s not so.

The birds die because they are already weakened by starvation and the weather just picks them off, says the 73-year-old, who has been fishing in the Bay of Plenty for most of his life.

Out of balance The seabirds are in poor condition because over the past 50 years, a fishing method called purse seining has put the ocean surface out of balance because their target fish, predators like kahawai, trevally and mackerel, have been severely reduced in numbers, says Graeme.

“These are the fish that keep small fish on, or near the surface for birds to feed on,” says Graeme. “Sure we have a bit of rough weather, but it is sad to think these birds are not in good shape to withstand this.

“To say the dying birds are part of the natural order would be correct if the seas around New Zealand were in balance, but they are certainly not.”

The first time Graeme saw large numbers of sea birds dying of starvation was in 1989-90. The losses were in the hundreds; all species, shearwaters and petrels.

At the time the Department of Conversation did comment but could not give a reason, says Graeme. As time went by it become obvious the birds were being starved to death and the finger was pointed at purse seining.

“We’re part of the New Zealand Sports

Fishing Council, which has been advocating the cause of the problem going on five years now. It’s been a bit of a hard road,” says Graeme.

“I’m pointing out the environmental aspect of this and it is a disaster. If we can’t stop the purse seiners, we won’t have a sport fishing activity.

“We all acknowledge the predator fish are being removed from the oceans at such a rate that there’s nothing to support the birds that naturally feed on them.”

With the predatory fish removed from the food chain, there is nothing to keep the smaller fish on the surface. There are particular birds that feed on the smaller fish that are really vulnerable, says Graeme.

“One old guy down there, Bernard Sladden (noted wildlife ranger historian and naturalist, died 1961), told me one thing. You can tell the health of an ocean beach by how many Caspian terns are on it.

“He told me this when I might have been eight or nine something like that.

“I look at our beaches at Matarangi and we have got one pair. Their fishing area is in the broken water on the ocean beaches or in the little harbours like Whangapoua Harbour in the back.

“And they’ll feed in there just on dusk.

But normally they will feed up and down the breaker line. They are very selective in areas. They are not an ocean bird like a gannet.”

Lack of boil-ups Graeme is also concerned about the lack of boil-ups, where bait fish are brought to the surface by school fish feeding on them.

The phenomenon attracts sea birds that also feed on the bait fish, and can bring in larger predators like game fish, and marine mammals.

“We did the nationals last year and we did just over 1100km in the eight days.

We fished in the back of Cuvier and up into the north around 40 mile out the back of Great Barrier.

“Four, five guys on the boat can verify

Shearwaters are among the dead seabirds found in the Bay of Plenty.

we never saw one bloody work-up the whole time we were there, it was just unbelievable.”

Forest & Bird seabird advocate Karen Baird says there is as yet no evidence to support Graeme’s concerns, but research is underway.

No direct evidence yet “There is no direct evidence yet that this is the case. There’s lots of anecdotal reports, such as by this guy who’s been around a long time so he will have noticed declines in the frequency and size of boil-ups.

“You can’t dismiss anecdotal evidence.

It is frustrating because we don’t have any standardised information about how frequent previous boil-ups were and how big they were.”

There has been a lot of purse seine fishing in the Hauraki Gulf and the Bay of Plenty and it is something both Forest & Bird and the Department of Conservation has been concerned about, says Karen.

“And there is research underway about the linkages between sea birds and boilups, to get an idea about what is the nature of that association and how important it is for sea birds, particularly when they are foraging for their chicks.

“So there is concern, but at the moment we don’t have any direct evidence. You have this gathering storm of all sorts of things that are making it difficult for seabirds and it’s very difficult to separate them out.

“Graeme is right to be concerned and there is research underway. My husband Chris Gaskin is also a seabird person involved in doing some of that research.”

People who have been around for a while do notice changes and it is their observations that lead to people being concerned, says Karen. “So it is important to acknowledge that yes, there probably has been that decline and we are looking into it.”

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Vandals delay ramp payment scheme Destruction of the honesty box at the Purangi boat ramp at Cook’s Beach has delayed the introduction of ramp fees to pay for the recently completed upgrades.

The recreational boat launching/trailer parking permit fee will now take effect from July 1, 2018, after the previous honesty box was destroyed by vandals.

The new box, with signage and a camera to record any return by the vandals, will be installed at the boat ramp and anyone caught vandalising the equipment will be prosecuted, says a statement from the Thames Coromandel District Council.

A new pontoon is also in place at the Matarangi boat ramp, and parking fees will also be implemented there from July 1, 2018.

The fees are $70 for an annual fee or $8 for a day permit.

For a list of where permits can be purchased and more information visit: www.tcdc.govt.nz/boatramps Also in July, the 15-20 pine trees on the south end of the Purangi reserve, close to the playground, toilet block and neighbouring properties, will be removed.

They are getting old and pose a risk to the amenities, says TCDC community facilities manager Derek Thompson.

“In the future all senescent pine trees will be removed as part of the Reserve Management process, taking into consideration coastal erosion, wind, view and the Cook 250 celebrations,” says Derek.

“We would like to re-plant the area with more suitable vegetation, and as part of the upcoming review of the Reserve Management Plans for Mercury Bay we will consider input from the community on future uses of the reserve.”

The council will also seek engineering advice on coastal erosion issues.

Sailability’s rapid growth Sailability’s growing fleet has outgrown the charity’s container.

In two years sailing charity Sailability Tauranga has developed into an organisation giving sailing experiences to 75 registered sailors who are looked after by 50 regular volunteers.

The sailors are from a variety of community organisations that support people with disabilities; Idea Services, The Blind Foundation, The Stroke Foundation, Tauranga Special School, Geneva Health, and many privately enrolled sailors.

Sailability also recently engaged with three secondary school special education units and set up extra sailing days for them. Sailability now has its own container to hold the four sailing dinghies the tender, life jacket rack, buoys.

There is a cupboard on the wall and hooks to hold masts, The cockpit of the Hanse 303, with a joystick instead of tiller steering. flags, hoses. It is now full, preventing Sailability putting its third dinghy to use as there is no onsite storage left, says the Sailability Newsletter.

As part of Sailability Tauranga’s ongoing efforts to keep sailors safe, a dedicated group of volunteers have begun practising rescuing a sailor – dragging a person from the water into the RIB. Practice will continue.

Andrew Campbell

Heavy fines for island bashers Two boaties who crashed a 13m recreational launch into Mabel Island in Picton harbour have been fined a total of $5625 and ordered to pay more than $1000 in costs.

Craig Anthony Burrell and Martin David Peckham, both of Christchurch, were aboard the Carpe Diem when it collided with Mabel Island on April 4, 2017.

The launch then came off the rocks and drifted out of control. The Marlborough Harbourmaster and Police responded to the drifting launch and found two people on board, both intoxicated, the Marlborough District

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Carpe Diem.

Court heard. The skipper, Peckham, permitted his friend, Burrell, to operate the vessel and it was Burrell who had run the launch aground and lost control of it.

The Marlborough District Council charged the two men under the Maritime Transport Act, which prohibits “dangerous activity involving ships or maritime products” (section 65).

“The case sends an important message,” says Maritime NZ Director, Keith Manch. “You know not to drink and drive, it’s the same on a boat. You put yourself and others at risk.

“A launch drifting out of control in Picton harbour is a recipe for disaster. It is at risk of colliding with other vessels in the harbour and it also puts those other vessels at risk if they have to take sudden action to avoid a collision.

“Maritime NZ works with harbourmasters and supports them taking court action when it is required.”

Mabel Island is situated in the middle of the Picton Harbour entrance to Queen Charlotte Sound.

Drone fishing in the big smoke Richard’s first time fishing in the Manukau entrance.

Richard Kitchingman started fishing from boats with his family, but has recently discovered that drone fishing is a good boat substitute for a city-bound angler.

Far from his days of boat fishing in Mercury Bay, Cook’s Beach and the Firth of Thames, Richard is now based in Auckland, and has discovered a drone can get his hooks in places that even a full surf casting rig cannot.

“My family is based near Thames, and I’m based in Auckland,” he says, “so the drone allows a bit of land-based fishing when I can’t get out of the city.

“It came up about a year ago, and I saw it as quite an effective way to fish off land and get a bit deeper.

“Growing up, whenever I tried to fish off rocks here and there, I never really had any success at all.

“So the drone was a good option. It’s an alternative to a boat almost - you just get that bit further out. There’s quite a few places where that extra hundred metres or so is very beneficial.”

Bonus of 6 hooks per rod and being able to cast from the sand instead of waist-deep water.

Google help He’s also learned a few tricks along the way, such as looking at Google Maps instead of marine charts to check the shallows for hook snagging reefs.

“Google maps is good for that,” says Richard. “You can kind of see where the reefs are because you’re not fishing in deep water, so you can generally make them out and fish out over sand as much as possible.

“I don’t really want to lose any gear. I’ve snagged up on kelp once or twice but I have only lost break away sinkers and probably a hook or two from the trace. So far I’ve had no big main line breakages or anything.”

Past the breakers Richard uses the drone to take the line out and drop hooks past the breaker line, flying a string of between four and seven circle hooks on dropper loops 150-300m offshore. He then flies the drone back in, giving time for the baits to sink. With the drone landed he winds the slack out of the line, digging the break-out sinker into the sand. Then it’s just a matter of waiting for the fish to find the baits and hook themselves against the tension from the sinker.

He hasn’t looked at buying a serious surf casting set up, but says setting up a drone on a budget can be done for about $1000 at the cheaper end of the spectrum.

But he currently uses a boat rod to help get the line a bit above breaking waves.

“My main limit is getting it into my car, so it’s nice to have something that is short and transportable,” says Richard, who says he’s fishing for the table.

“I’m not a big fan of catch and release. I’d happily put a real breeder back, but generally I’m just out there to catch a few fish to eat and use a rig and baits which suit this. I’ve very rarely gone home empty-handed, a nice change from my earliest land-based efforts”.

Andrew Campbell

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The lifesaving importance of VHF There are many items that could and should be taken aboard your boat for safety purposes when heading out to sea, but undoubtedly one of the most important is a VHF radio.

Being able to keep in touch with the shore can be a lifesaver.

Indeed, relying on a mobile phone as your primary form of verbal communication has been shown many times to be instrumental - in many cases with dire The boatie’s VHF consequences to people’s survival.

- a lifesaver.

Every vessel should have a working VHF radio on board, and all users should know how to use it properly and what to use it for.

This is simple common sense.

It’s not only there to summon help when needed, but also to file, update and close trip reports, listen out for weather forecasts and other vital navigation and safety information.

Installing a fixed VHF radio, or carrying a portable one, is not an expensive exercise. In reality, it’s not much more expensive than a couple of tanks of fuel.

Legally, any person operating a maritime VHF radio must hold, as a minimum requirement, a Marine VHF Radio Operator Certificate (unless transmitting in an emergency or a distress situation).

Coastguards’ volunteer radio operations are not only ready and waiting 24/7 for your trip report, but they also provide crucial forecasts and safety information. You can also use your radio to communicate between boats.

Tauranga Volunteer Coastguard is keen to assist all boaties to

adopt this valuable piece of safety equipment.

For many years they have run monthly, cost-effective radio courses at their headquarters, but unfortunately these classes ceased at the beginning of 2017 due to the retirement of their tutor and examiner. Since then there have been many enquiries from people wishing to attend a radio course locally.

They are delighted to be able to announce that they have recently secured the services of another local Approved Radio Examiner, who will run the course and issue certificates in line with the requirements set out by New Zealand’s Radio Spectrum Management.

The course being offered is the Maritime Restricted Radio Operators Certificate.

On the course you will cover subjects such as the general features and functions of a maritime VHF radio, correct distress and urgency procedures for ‘Mayday’ and ‘Pan Pan’ calls, pro-words and the phonetic alphabet, trip reports, weather services, callsigns, EPIRBS and other search and rescue equipment. On the second night you will undertake a short test which will, hopefully, land you with your certificate for this international qualification.

The course will run once every two months. It started on the May 16/17 and will continue to run on July 18/19, September 19/20 and November 21/22, starting at 7pm on both nights.

It takes place at Tauranga Volunteer Coastguard, 72 Keith Allen Drive, Sulphur Point, Tauranga.

For more information, and to book or to become a member, call: 07 578 5579 or email: support@taurangacoastguard.co.nz

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Reserve trip reward for Chloe

A combination of initiative and luck has landed 12-year-old Chloe Burn a weekend trip to the Poor Knights Marine Reserve.

The trip was in recognition of her fundraising skills after she collected $2500 for Experiencing Marine Reserves via a talk at her parents’ Stoked Restaurant and Bar in Whitianga.

“I did it because I’m a junior open water diver,” says Chloe. “I really enjoy marine life and I’m trying to get the community and the country to reduce the amount of single use plastics that they use.”

Experiencing Marine Reserves get as many schools as they can involved, says Chloe.

“You get given tasks, to try to make an action project.

Some of my schoolmates handed out flyers, and some did a beach clean-up.”

Fundraiser Chloe held the fundraiser at her parents’ restaurant complete with fact-sheets, posters and a slide show to demonstrate where the marine reserves are.

“I got inspired to do it because most of the people in my class were thinking of doing stuff like it,” Chloe says. “But they didn’t have a chance because their parents didn’t own a restaurant!”

On the night Chloe talked to a full house about how marine conservation affects everyone, why marine reserves are needed in New Zealand and how to reduce the amount of plastic people use.

“Instead of using plastic bags, you could use reusable bags, and instead of single use coffee cups, use reusable ones,” says Chloe.

“We are trying to reduce the amount of plastics that we use and we have been talking about how people simply drop plastic everywhere. Even if it is by accident, it still gets into the ocean and that does real damage.

They also held an auction, with community sponsors donating items.

“We raised $2500 for EMR during the night,” she says.

Chloe also persuaded her parents to use metal straws at the restaurant instead of plastic ones.

Experiencing Marine Reserves is a national programme of learning about marine conservation. EMR’s independence, marine reserves focus and provision of a range of learning styles make it unique within New Zealand.

Empowering communities Introduced in Northland in 2002, EMR has expanded to eight regions, with a team of up to 30 coordinators nationwide.

EMR empowers schools and communities by providing the equipment and expertise for a hands-on learning experience in the ocean. The programme involves investigating marine biodiversity and local marine environments before venturing to a fullyprotected marine reserve.

Chloe’s prize was a trip with her mum to the Poor Knights Marine Reserve, along with 14 other regional winners and parents.

They could choose to either kayak, stand-up paddle board or snorkel, with most choosing to snorkel.

“There were these huge snapper, and since it was a marine reserve there were a lot of fish,” says Chloe.

“There was a lot of seaweed and there was an arch that we could swim through called Blue Mao Mao Arch. Along the side of the walls you could see hundreds of blue mao mao everywhere in the cave.

Chloe Burn at the Poor Knights Marine Reserve.

There were a lot of fish in the marine reserve.

“There were so many fish. It was a lot more than I have seen outside of a marine reserve.”

Chloe takes the ferry across from Whitianga to attend Whenuakite School on SH25, and the daily ferry trip has provided some ideas for the next project.

“Sometimes, after a storm when I’m waiting for the ferry to come across, I can see oil tins and a lot of rubbish that’s been pushed into the wharf,” says Chloe.

“We’ve paired up with Dive Zone at Whitianga. They said we could do a dive clean-up at the wharf. There’s so much plastic in there, so if we go down we could get quite a lot.

“Last time they did it they got a bike, a shopping trolley and a lot of oil tins and plastic. Along with that, we are doing a beach clean-up for those people who don’t have their diver’s licence.”

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New Fishing and Boat Show A new format Tauranga Fishing and Boat show can be added to the recreational water activities and water sports events list this year.

The show, which will be held November 2-4 at Baypark Arena, is planned to encompass all popular water-based activities including fishing, boating, diving, jet skiing, kite surfing, paddle boarding, kayaking, surfing, kayak fishing, swimming, spear fishing, sailing and water skiing.

There will also be an educational focus on water safety, marine ecology, conservation and the Tauranga local marine industry. This will be a show not to be missed.

Branded TFABS, Tauranga Fishing and Boat Show will be an indoor show, with doors open from 10am6pm.

Early-bird tickets will be available online in July from Eventfinder. To encourage early sales, no booking or credit card fees will be applied to the ticket price of $12.00 per adult. Those under the age of 14 will gain free entry. Tickets purchased on show days will be charged at $15.00. Prices include GST and there will be free parking for show visitors and exhibitors.

Early-bird tickets and tickets purchased on show days will also be entered into some fantastic prize draws.

For more details on TFABS 2018, go to: www.tfabs.co.nz or visit the Tauranga Fishing And Boat Show Facebook page.

Three men in a boat breaking all the rules Three men on a sinking boat who couldn’t swim and were not wearing life jackets, probably owe their lives to a vessel of opportunity that was nearby at the time, say Coastguard officials.

The men broke every boating safety rule the coastguard has been repeating for years. Their rescuer says the men were all in the same corner of the small outboard powered runabout, which was already low in the water when he approached.

Mount Maunganui builder Stefan White says he only went near the boat in the first place because he thought he recognised it.

“They were all on the back, in the same corner. The anchor was tied at the stern. A little chop ran up and it went straight down.”

The boat which was near Karewa Island in the Bay of Plenty, sank quickly and turned over, with just the bow above the water. None of the occupants had lifejackets, they couldn’t swim, and were wearing gumboots, says Stefan.

Stefan contacted the Tauranga Volunteer Coastguard but they were stood down as he was able to get all the men on board – which took 15-20 minutes.

The two men on Stefan’s boat threw their own lifejackets to the men in the water but the three were unable to even swim far enough to reach them. Stefan used a gaff to pull them closer. Two were hanging off the back of the boat and another was clinging to a rope hanging from the bow of the sunken boat.

Stefan says the three from the sunken boat seemed very inexperienced. That combined with a lot of weight in the stern of a small boat, plus the anchor being tied at the back, was their downfall.

“And no lifejackets.”

Shewee gives relief to New Zealand women!

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Never again!

Shewee is The Original Urination Device which has changed women’s lives worldwide.

This ergonomically designed high density plastic funnel provides women with a simple, private and hygienic method of urinating while standing. Perfect wee solution both on and off the water.

No more squatting or exposing your bare butt to everyone!

Ban the bucket! Save your dignity and go when you need to go.

www.shewee.co.nz

WIN with Waterline We have two ‘Shewee - She Can Survival Packs’ to give away. To go in the draw simply email win@waterline.co.nz with ‘Shewee’ in the subject line.

Don’t forget to include your name and contact number.

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Changing times Alan Collins

Back in 1956 a small band of trout fishers gathered and formed what is today known as the Whakatane Trout Fishing Club.

Sixty two years ago they were probably all male and would also have been fly fishers. It is told that one of the band used to wear an old tweed jacket from which he would pluck a few fibres and tie a fly while standing on the river bank - this was to match the hatch.

Goodness, how times have changed.

Gone is the image of the older man in rubber waders - now younger men are standing alongside and women too, wearing neoprene or, more often than not, breathable waders. To cap it all, not everyone is fly fishing, some are spinning and, in the case of our club, many members do not even own a fly rod.

Boat fishing is popular too. It is relaxing to be sitting out on the water trolling, harling, jigging or anchored up and casting into the weed beds trying to catch that elusive trout. And this is another thing that has changed over the years. While some

still use the ever-popular “tinnie” or fibreglass dinghy with fish finder and possibly a down-rigger other modes of water transport have become popular especially a boat that doesn’t have to be towed, after all you can’t tow both a caravan and a boat. So now we see members fishing from canoes, kayaks, inflatable dinghies and foldable boats - all able to be thrown up on a car roof rack and we even have one member who fishes from a float tube or belly boat. This last style of craft has long been popular in the United States but has only a small following here in New Zealand. Personally, I’m a bit long in the tooth for sitting with my rear end in the water - even though enclosed in neoprene - so my wife and I have opted for an inflatable, easy to transport and easy to set up.

Joan Collins with her catch at Lake Rerewhakaaitu.

Fraser Marett heading off in his float tube.

On a recent field trip to Lake Okaro one of our members had the thrill of catching 16 fish from his canoe - be assured he certainly didn’t keep them all. Another note of interest is that some of our most successful anglers are female members, illustrating that this is a sport where the ladies are on an even footing with the men. We also have a hard core of members who love to go tramping along rivers for their “fishing fix” so the club caters for all methods of trout fishing.

Anyone who thinks they would like to experience trout fishing is welcome to come along to our meetings, which are held most months in the St. John rooms, Arawa Road, Whakatane.

Along with our monthly field trips we also hold fly tying evenings and should you wish any further information please give me a call on 07 312 4966.

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Club Events Cambridge Yacht & Pow er Boat Club

24 June Club Racing - Fall Series 8 July Club Racing - Fall Series

14 July Race Management Seminars - run

by Tauranga Yacht Club

cambridgeyc@xtra.co.nz

ng

Ngaroto Saili Club

7 July 2018 John Dixon Memorial Winter Regatta

Gordon

Tauranga Anglers Clu

b

Ph 027 370 4608

Ph 07 576 3823

17 June CB Winter Series 3 24 June Keeler/MH Winter Series 4 1 July CB Winter Series 4 Ph 07 578 5502

adio Tauranga R b lu C g Sailin

Whakatane Trout Fishin g Club

philsinc@kinect.co.nz

www.tsfc.co.nz

8 July Keeler/MH Winter Series 5 15 July CB Winter Series 5 22 July Keeler/MH Winter Series 6

29 July CB Winter Series 6

www.yacht.org.nz

Wednesday 1pm until 4pm Scoria Close, The Lakes, Tauriko, Tauranga

Ph 0274 514 240

30 June Barbecue and night fish at Lake Rotoma 13/15 July Tiger Trout Competition Lake Rotoma Alan Collins

a Whangamat s rt o Sp Ocean Club

Ph 07 578 6203

office@yacht.org.nz

21 July Bus tour of lakes Matahina, Aniwhenua and Rerewhakaaitu 24-26 August Trip to Lake Rotoehu

1 August Quiz Night 1-30 September Mount Motorcycle ALBY/PUKA Tournament 5 September Quiz Night

Sailing remote control yachts on Lake Taurikura Saturday 11am until 4pm Graham Roberts

gordon.suzanne@xtra.co.nz

23-30 June The Polaris Big Four Competition 1-31 July Russell Hardie Top Gun Challenge 4 July Quiz Night Courtenay Robinson

Tauranga Ya ch & Power Bo t at Club

23 June Lake Okataina 16 July Club Night - Lyndsay Lyons, NZ President Fish & Game

25-27 May Blue Lake Club Fishing Competition 18 June Club Night - Conder Marine on motor care Phil Sinclair

ort Tauranga Sp b lu C g in Fish (Inc.)

8 September Brass Monkey Centreboard Regatta

nz777gar@gmail.com August Kaingaroa Forest Lakes & Rivers. Date to be advised.

07 312 4966

acjc@kinect.co.nz

May to 31 October Whangamata Ocean Sports Club Winter Fishing Series Phil Keogh

0274 865 520

www.oceansports.co.nz

DOES YOUR CLUB HAVE UPCOMING EVENTS? PROMOTE THEM HERE FOR FREE! email kathy@sunmedia.co.nz with your upcoming events and contact details before 20 August for our Spring Issue

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Classifieds Batteries - Battery Direct NZ www.batterydirect.co.nz sales@batterydirect.co.nz Phone 0800 267 468.

Boat Maintenance - Matamata Motor Trimmers & Upholstery. Boat clear, canvas work, upholstery. Phone 07 571 4421 Cnr Mirrieless & Cross Roads, Tauranga.

For Sale - Lasers for sale - Two to choose from. One classic older beach boat, perfect for cruising around the harbour/lake. $1000. Another highly spec’d Laser, former national champs boat. Been in storage for several years. Heaps of gear, several sails and spares. Also a complete Radial rig and sail, never used. Would suit aspiring racer as this boat has plenty potential. $5000.

No beach trailers. Both Lasers in Tauranga. May deliver in BOP-Coromandel. Ph 027 4 99 6747.

For Sale - Volvo MTR 200 HP x 1 $11,500.

130 HP $4,500 or to be run in. May Trade.

Phone 07 843 392 or 027 620 9712.

For Sale - Steel launch 30ft x 10ft.

Little use. View B46 Tauranga Marina. Ph 07 843 4392 or 027 620 9712.

Mooring for Rent - Whangamata - Good spot, close to Marina channel. $25p/w. Phone 022 132 3671.

Mooring for Rent - Omokoroa - $29 p/w, suit vessel up to 9m. Call Scott 027 557 0400.

Wanted - Volvo 200 or 230. Phone 07 843 4392 or 027 620 9712.

List your classified here! Contact Jo on 07 557 0506 or jo@thesun.co.nz

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PURE FREEDOM

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