Reptile on the ramp
Posted: Mon Apr 14, 2014 7:47 pm
Fished the lower Ord late into the night Saturday. Got back to the Mambi ramp close to 11.00pm. The lump of cement that constitutes the ramp is still under water so you launch and retrieve on the flats above it. The only option is to use the track as it’s compacted, either side is just too boggy. Because it’s so flat you can’t pull up to the shore, more a matter of grounding the craft and wading to the bank. If you want to get your trailer rollers under water you end up out nearly 20 metres.
I pulled into the ramp and noted there’s half a tonne of reptile perched on the exposed bank on the ramp’s left shoulder. I drove past it a couple of times playing both the boat's headlight and spottie on it, it just looked at me a bit but didn’t move. Retrieving away from the ramp wasn’t an option, I’d would have needed at least 4 straps, they were all home anyway. The thought of shooing the thing away didn’t cut it, at least I knew where it was if it stayed put so idled the boat up onto the right shoulder of the ramp, grabbed the anchor rope and stepped into the water with boat between the beast and me. I kept the spottie played on it and started to wade ashore. As soon as it heard me in the water it arced up, lifting its head straight up and turning in one motion. I could see the belly scales and its underside in the lift as it bolted into the water. At least we were moving rapidly in the opposite direction to each other.
You tend to get a bit blasé about crocs the size of the boat when you’re on the plane or at least in deep water and moving. With the boat grounded and me stepping out within 10 metres of the bl..dy thing it doubled in size straight away. Keeping the spottie aimed at it kept me reasonably secure but I’d have preferred not to have had to take those steps.
Getting the boat on the trailer was still an issue as I still had to try and work to the ramp and there was a tree that stopped a straight pull of the boat up away from the water. Ended up having to wind it on a next to the water (that was as black as) by wedging the stern into the mud and driving the trailer back under the boat a little at a time. Old mate was still lurking I picked it up a few times in the light just off shore watching what I was doing.
On a brighter note the 40k trip up the river in the moonlight buzzing crocs and big mullet was as always pretty cool. Pity about the no fish thing, not even a shark and I had some nice bony bream as an offering.
I pulled into the ramp and noted there’s half a tonne of reptile perched on the exposed bank on the ramp’s left shoulder. I drove past it a couple of times playing both the boat's headlight and spottie on it, it just looked at me a bit but didn’t move. Retrieving away from the ramp wasn’t an option, I’d would have needed at least 4 straps, they were all home anyway. The thought of shooing the thing away didn’t cut it, at least I knew where it was if it stayed put so idled the boat up onto the right shoulder of the ramp, grabbed the anchor rope and stepped into the water with boat between the beast and me. I kept the spottie played on it and started to wade ashore. As soon as it heard me in the water it arced up, lifting its head straight up and turning in one motion. I could see the belly scales and its underside in the lift as it bolted into the water. At least we were moving rapidly in the opposite direction to each other.
You tend to get a bit blasé about crocs the size of the boat when you’re on the plane or at least in deep water and moving. With the boat grounded and me stepping out within 10 metres of the bl..dy thing it doubled in size straight away. Keeping the spottie aimed at it kept me reasonably secure but I’d have preferred not to have had to take those steps.
Getting the boat on the trailer was still an issue as I still had to try and work to the ramp and there was a tree that stopped a straight pull of the boat up away from the water. Ended up having to wind it on a next to the water (that was as black as) by wedging the stern into the mud and driving the trailer back under the boat a little at a time. Old mate was still lurking I picked it up a few times in the light just off shore watching what I was doing.
On a brighter note the 40k trip up the river in the moonlight buzzing crocs and big mullet was as always pretty cool. Pity about the no fish thing, not even a shark and I had some nice bony bream as an offering.
