OUT OF THE LOCKER

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 876, 21 January 1930, Page 14

OUT OF THE LOCKER

NEWS FROM MANY PLACES “We got eight schnapper this weekend after much trying. That works out at about 18 ‘•bob’* each. It is cheaper to buy them in town, sadly remarked one reflective launch owner yesterday, when asked, “How are they biting now?” That sympatheic query that one fisherman has always £,eady for another. It seems to be the luck of all boatmen not to catch fish. Another group, after trying for hours from a boat, had to go ashore on the rocks to get a dozen schnapper. * * * A number of launchmen who cruise every February hay© been anxiously waiting to hear that the big game fish have “struck New Zealand.” So far they have been scarce. * * * An exception to the “wet skin—no fish” tales which have been gloomily told during the Christmas holidays, is reported from the launch Hanene. A party of members of the Takapuna Boating Club found a good patch of hapuka off Shearer Rock during the week-end. and 11 of the big fellows were landed in addition to a number of schnapper. A fair member of the party also landed a very large kingfish. * * * The Manukau Yacht Club gives its annual excursion to patrons and the givers of prizes next week-end. The club's annual picnic is fixed for February 2. * * * A newcomer on the Manukau is the 16-footer Wild Wave* built by the veteran, Jeffs. The boat made a start in racing last Saturday with a handicap of 15min in the Cruising Club race to Cornwallis. % * * Delville, now called Kotuku, was cruising to Oneroa and about the islands this week-end. * * * A general meeting of the Devonport Yacht Club was held last evening to finalise accounts for the erection of dinghy skids and lockers and to authorise some minor improvements to the club’s property. * o * Mr. J. Slattery, of Judge’s Bay, has a new 30-foot launch nearly completed for Mr. S. Keen, of Parnell. The new craft is a fine-looking boat, flushdecked, and with plenty of headroom. She has two cabins, one forward of the engine. The power-plant is a 30 horsepower Kelvin. She is to take the water this week. Mr. Keen intends leaving on a cruise early in February. The E class keeler May Belle, after taking part in the combined cruising race to Surfdale on Saturday, in which she came second, visited Matiatia and Church Bay, Waiheke. * * * The mullet-boat Huia and the launch Nyria visited Ostend at the week-end. •* * •* The launch Kenya spent the weekend at Whangaparaoa. The usual weekly dance of the Akarana Yacht Club will be held in the clubhouse, Mechanics Bay, tomorrow night. A free bus will run from Endean’s Building. The combined meeting of the Victoria, Ponsonby and Richmond Cruising Clubs produced good yachting under ideal conditions. A feature was the record time in which all the harbour events were cleared up, all boats finishing earlier than 4.30 p.m. The reason was that the sou’-west breeze enabled the boats to lay *the marks right round the course. The racing was also notable in that three boats, Spray, Manu and Fay, each notched three wins. The fixture could not have been better conducted, there being no hitch whatever.