Milford Sound

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9^thJune



Dublin to Milford Sound -103nm



Did some washing, and a few other things around boat this am and then departed at 1500 after taking on fuel. Very cheap here!! Didn't have as good a trip this time. Had to motor for most of the way and there were so many fish traps. We were very fortuate with one, as we were both up watching and on approach suddenly saw that there was a very long floating rope that we were nearly going to run over. Phil managed to turn the boat around just in time. We've never seen a trap before with such a long (at least 60m) rope. We figured that maybe it had come unattached from the trap below or something. However, on the next trap, it was exactly the same, but this time we didn't see the rope in time and although Phil stopped and turned, we were carried onto the rope by the current. And of course we got tangled up in it. Phil had turned off the motor so we didn't think it was caught in the prop, but we couldn't get it free. We had to end up cutting the rope and then we drifted off. I still had the excess rope in my hand and pulled it on board. Now we had a heap of stinking fish trap rope on board, but at least we were free!! From then on were very cautious, but didn't come across another trap with such long rope. It must have been a new guy putting out a few traps with too much rope as all the others are pulled tight and go straight down from their floats. So pleased that all this happened in the day. Had lots of other traffic to contend with that night as well. Then, when I was on the midnight watch, I heard a Pan Pan across the radio. A 33ft yacht had called up the coastguard as they were stuck in what they believed were Gill nets. They couldn't move and couldn't get free. I couldn't hear the yacht, but could hear the coastguard. It took all my watch and some of Phil's before they were free and the Pan Pan was cancelled. Their position was only about 18nm SSW of us, so that made us even more worried about sailing at night!! Fortuately it's not dark for too long here, so by 4am, its getting light once more.



Pulled into Dale onto a pontoon out in the harbour where we can stay for free. Bit tired, so had a snooze in the afternoon. That night Ari from Hestia and Phil and Lynn came for Sundowners and stayed till after midnight. Great chatting with other cruisers once more. So much to chat about, and so little time!!

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