DOWN SOUTH WEEKEND
My son Jay had been preparing for a solo swim in the Rottnest Island Event last weekend, but he came back from overseas a little unwell and had to withdraw from the qualifying swim event a few weeks ago. So, to ease the disappointment and seeing as it was his birthday, we hatched a plan for a down south weekend with a group of his best friends, putting them up at our semi rural block near Gracetown as the base for a weekend of fun and frivolity.
In the lead up Jay texted that there had been 300 invites go out on facebook, but fortunately he was just stirring me up, knowing I would be just a little anxious about numbers and large crowds. I need not have worried because the group of about twelve guys and girls who did turn up were an absolute delight to have around and it was like enjoying a weekend with my own friends, only they were 30 years younger. They turned up with crayfish, food, drinks, cleaned up after themselves at every opportunity, always polite, keen to be involved in anything planned and of course, there was plenty planned.
The first two guys to arrive tracked me down at the North Point lookout on sunset, immediately offered a beer to me and Simon James, so they certainly started on the right foot. By 8pm they had all arrived, a large pasta was served and we settled into one of the old historic sheds on the block for a few red wines to plan the next days’ activities, with everyone in bed at a civilised ten pm. Three of the lads were keen to come out on the boat early the next morning, so while Jay headed off for a surf at Karate’s, we motored out to South Point to try and catch a feed of herring. Last Saturday had to be the best day all summer as the winds were light, two metre swell and no seabreeze until very late in the day. One of the lads had little fishing experience, but the herring were boiling and when he landed three on one rig, it was game on. We caught our twenty four in about half an hour, the fish were scaled, filleted and boned in no time, so it was fresh fish on toast for brekky. Soon after we loaded up Jay’s Hilux and my truck for a trip to Joey’s Nose. The place was humming and after a session of body surfing, surfing, cricket and kite flying, it was back to the house to cook up crayfish and breaksea cod medallions in a light tempura batter.
Being an ex phys ed teacher, I had then organised the Inaugural Jay Baddock Cow Bay Challenge. Teams of two were drawn out of a hat and rostered in ten minute challenges in events such as basketball shooting, mini tennis, coits, boche, or pool. The rivalry was fierce with plenty of cheating and bribes offered and all were accepted. After the finals series a winner was supposed to be crowned, but it never occurred as we had another appointment which was all on board for a short four wheel drive truck tour to catch the sunset at secret Spot X. By the time the BBQ was cranked up and another few drinks were had, it was time to call it a day. There were many other highlights such snorkelling at Castle Rock and lunching at Cheeky Monkey on their way back to Perth, but basically it was fantastic to share some of the down south life with a wonderful group of my son’s friends!
To answer to last week’s question, the ‘draft’ of a vessel is the vertical distance that the vessel extends below the waterline. This week’s question is, what is an ‘Ultraskiff’?”
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