Came home today, best parts were what I learnt.
1) On a 5 hour trip home, you need to find the right radio station and enjoy your trip ( may have to change your channels a bit), and don’t get too pissed with guys (idiots) using passing lanes in what is an obvious traffic jam. Took us 5 hours from bland bay back to ECB in Auckland towing a boat.
2) always be prepared to help others, got some heavy jumper leads for xmas (still unused). But heard a guy on radio on 30th looking for assistance on a fish… ( we had just lost a marlin on a strike and were hoping for another) but when he made call he had seen us (we are small craft and he even smaller in a big swell) we looked for him and found him, and helped land fish I think was fish of lifetime and I have seen a 78kg Yellow fin weighed… and believe this was bigger.
Anyway who cares the fish was cut up and none wasted. And I would of run out of fuel and so would of he running down to Tuts in rough conditions to weigh it, let alone getting back to home base. Angler was not a club member and wasn’t concerned about not weighing it, other than getting his big fish home and on ice. And I really respect that.. real stuff goes on on the water and this guy is an awesome angler and boatman.
3) forgive and forget when beach launching … always remember to explain your truck has a manual hand brake if someone launching your trailer is more familiar with a push button hand brakes on modern cars … explain that your truck has a manual hand operation lever before launch or retrieve. Even if when they eventually find it, they almost run you over with your own trailer.
4) offer to help bring in or move bigger boats than your own that are moored or anchored when is a big weather system about to roll in, but don’t be too critical of those (friends or family) trying to bring their own boat to a trailer in cross wind and not quite driving on, even if you have better skills based on years of practise.
5) make sure most ranch sliders are left open on New Year’s Eve so people (like your wife) doesn’t their break nose.
…. Lastly try to be modest if you catch the biggest snapper in inner harbour while on holiday and use it as a mitigation for other transgressions like not being first on doing dishes.