There seemed to be some non-fishy bits being posted so I thought I’d better redress the imbalance with news of our last trip to Shark Bay. The trip was planned as a shake-down cruise for the new trailer sailer Sandpiper (a Court 750). We spent 9 days cruising the wonderful waters of Shark Bay and several days soaking up the sunshine on land parked at the Denham Seaside Caravan Park.
Actually, the first 4 days of cruising was spent holed up in Big Lagoon, seeking shelter from persistent gale force Southerly winds. Some excellent yellow-fin whiting provided both a distraction and frequent feeds but four days is a long time to spend at anchor in the confines of Big Lagoon.
We sailed South past Useless Loop, spending a night in Boat Haven Loop and several great days exploring the many islands Freycinet Estuary. A narrow strip of shallow reef off Cararrang Station was home to a school of 60 to 70 cm pink snapper. They provided an exciting hour of catch and release fishing on light gear.
Sandpiper performed beyond expectations and was a pleasure to sail. Even so, we came back with healthy list of things to modify, which after all, is half the fun of boat ownership.
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