Ahoy sailor boy !

[Snatcher]

This was going to be a totally new experience for me - going out fishing in a yacht and I was so looking forward to it. My dad started taking me out boat fishing from the age of eight so thats over half a century of fishing trips but always in boats powered by engines.

 

My mate John Colmans yacht has been berthed in Stranraer Marina for the year but he decided to sail it around to Drummore harbour and leave it there for a while. I turned up as prearranged down at Drummore harbour at 13.30 and John was already getting her ready to sail. Drummore harbour is only navigatable about two hours either side of high water and even then there is a problem with the entrance silting up so great care has to be taken when leaving and entering the harbour !!!!

 

This was the view from inside the harbour looking towards the harbour entrance.

 

 

John switched on the small 10hp engine he uses to navigate in harbours and off we went,aiming for the centre of the channel.

 

 

That was us now safely out into Luce Bay

 

 

As soon as we were safely out of the harbour John asked me to take the tiller whilst he hoisted the sails. What a great feeling it was being under sail for the first time. I then headed us out,under Johns direction,to the fishing mark he had in mind to try.

 

 

First mate Snatcher at the tiller.

 

 

John was after some mackerel for his lobster pot so we set up our gear with a team of mackerel lures on. John dropped the sails and we slowly drifted on the breeze,trying to tease some fish in.

 

I was first in with a small gurnard.

 

 

After a quick photograph it was carefully released again. It seemed like ages before we touched another fish,it was a mackerel to John.

 

 

After that mackerel it went totally dead so John took us further out into deeper water. We started picking up mackerel again but just one at a time. I think the final count was 6 mackerel each

 

In this picture you can make out the Mull of Galloway,Scotlands most southern point and on the hoizon the Isle of Man.

 

 

With a dozen mackerel in the bucket John decided to call it a day and I had the pleasure of taking the tiller again and heading us back towards Drummore. Just before the harbour John dropped the sails and negotiated the entrance using his small engine. What a great day it had been out on a lovely 2.5 ton yacht. Thanks for that skipper.

 

John

[John S]

Sounds like a great day out, nice report