Simply Messing About in Boats

Let me start with a quote to preface these images;

"There is nothing, absolutely nothing, half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats. In or out of 'em, it doesn't matter. Nothing seems really to matter, that's the charm of it. Whether you get away, or whether you don't. Whether you arrive at your destination or whether you reach somewhere else or whether you never get anywhere at all, you're always busy, and you never do anything in particular and when you've done it there's always something else to do, and you can do it if you like, but you'd much better not."

Spoken by Ratty to Mole in Wind in the Willows a children's book by Kenneth Grahame (1859-1932).

This is the first of probably many posts regarding Project 'Maccullochella' that will hopefully develop a basic 3.75 metre tinny into a fishing platform for targeting freshwater species like Murray Cod, Yellow Belly, Redfin and other freshwater sports fish.

The beast of Project Maccullochella

Nikon D300, Tokina 11-16 f2.8 @ ISO 200, 11mm f8, 1/40 sec

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Item 1 and 2 of a list that will certainly grow.

Screen capture for Apple Numbers (like but superior to, Microsoft Excel)

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Winch . . .

Nikon D300, Nikkor 35mm f2 @ ISO 200, 35mm f2, 1/250 sec

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Lets go! . . . . . . .

Nikon D300, Nikkor 35mm f2 @ ISO 200, 35mm f8, 1/40 sec

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Nikon D300, Nikkor 35mm f2 @ ISO 200, 35mm f8, 1/40 sec

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Compliance plate, the boat itself only weighs 70Kg.

Nikon D300, Nikkor 35mm f2 @ ISO 200, 35mm f2, 1/640 sec

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Nikon D300, Nikkor 35mm f2 @ ISO 200, 35mm f8, 1/15 sec

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Nikon D300, Nikkor 35mm f2 @ ISO 200, 35mm f2, 1/250 sec

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Hmm what to build in here, a platform to fish from certainly.

Nikon D300, Nikkor 35mm f2 @ ISO 200, 35mm f8, 1/60 sec

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And a floor panel down here.

Nikon D300, Nikkor 35mm f2 @ ISO 200, 35mm f8, 1/80 sec

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Fuel, Battery under another platform? . . .

Nikon D300, Nikkor 35mm f2 @ ISO 200, 35mm f8, 1/80 sec

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2 skids and 3 centre rollers . . .

Nikon D300, Nikkor 35mm f2 @ ISO 200, 35mm f8, 1/20 sec

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The walking steps on each side of the trailer are wide and strong.

Nikon D300, Nikkor 35mm f2 @ ISO 200, 35mm f8, 1/40 sec

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Cover.

Nikon D300, Nikkor 35mm f2 @ ISO 200, 35mm f8, 1/40 sec

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Water and Waste

Cairn Curran Reservoir currently at 95.7% of its 147,130 Mega litre capacity after being all but dry for most of the last decade, located on the Loddon River, about 10 km west of Maldon Victoria. Cairn Curran Reservoir was constructed between 1947 and 1956 submerging 1,943 hectares to supply water for irrigation, domestic and stock use along the Loddon River. A 2 MW Hydro Electric power station generates electricity when irrigation and flood releases are being made. A fishing oppertunity only a short drive from Bendigo, I caught a small Redfin on a first cast here on a plastic lure. There were lots of small fish so maybe I'll go back when they are grown a bit.

Nikon D300, Nikkor 70-200mm f2.8 @ ISO 200, 70mm f8, 1/500 sec

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Nikon D300, Nikkor 70-200mm f2.8 @ ISO 200, 70mm f8, 1/200 sec

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Nikon D300, Nikkor 70-200mm f2.8 @ ISO 200, 200mm f8, 1/500 sec

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Located at Porcupine Flat, an area of the Maldon goldfields is an abandoned dredge and dragline that represents that phase of gold mining in Maldon when technology enabled relatively large scale reworking of earlier deposits which had first been worked by thousands of individual prospectors in the rush of the 1850s. Operations ceased in 1984, after moderate success. The dragline standing on the bank of the dam was brought from the Yalourn Coal Mine in Eastern Victoria to assist in creating the initial dam and removing trees for the ongoing operation. It apparently proved to be of little value for this and was abandoned in it's present position early in the operation.

Nikon D300, Tokina 11-16 f2.8 @ ISO 200, 11.5mm f2.8, 1/640 sec

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Nikon D300, Tokina 11-16 f2.8 @ ISO 200, 11.5mm f8, 1/320 sec

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Nikon D300, Tokina 11-16 f2.8 @ ISO 200, 11mm f8, 1/125 sec

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Nikon D300, Tokina 11-16 f2.8 @ ISO 200, 11mm f5.6, 1/250 sec

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Nikon D300, Tokina 11-16 f2.8 @ ISO 200, 11mm f22, 1/6 sec

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Nikon D300, Tokina 11-16 f2.8 @ ISO 200, 11mm f8, 1/80 sec

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Tahbilk Winery and Vineyard

Tahbilk is the oldest family owned winery in Victoria established in 1860. It is situated 120 km north of Melbourne in the Nagambie Lakes region of central Victoria, near the town of Nagambie. The name Tahbilk originated from the wineries location, Tabilk. The aboriginal people first referred to the site as "tabilk-tabilk" meaning "place of many waterholes". The large grape blocks are set alongside a wetlands area was created with the raising of the water level when the Goulburn Weir was built. The wetlands are an open ended or self flushing wetlands being joined to the Goulburn at both ends. Flagship wine varieties are Marsanne, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Viognier.

Nikon D300, Nikkor 50mm f1.4D @ ISO 200, 50mm f8, 1/400 sec

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Nikon D300, Nikkor 35mm f2 @ ISO 200, 35mm f8, 1/320 sec

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Nikon D300, Nikkor 70-200mm f2.8 @ ISO 200, 200mm f8, 1/160 sec

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Nikon D300, Nikkor 70-200mm f2.8 @ ISO 200, 200mm f2.8, 1/1600 sec

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Nikon D300, Nikkor 35mm f2 @ ISO 200, 35mm f8, 1/80 sec

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Nikon D300, Nikkor 35mm f2 @ ISO 200, 35mm f2, 1/800 sec

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Nikon D300, Nikkor 70-200mm f2.8 @ ISO 200, 70mm f8, 1/100 sec

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Nikon D300, Nikkor 50mm f1.4D @ ISO 200, 50mm f1.4, 1/50 sec

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Nikon D300, Nikkor 50mm f1.4D @ ISO 200, 50mm f1.4, 1/50 sec

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Nikon D300, Nikkor 50mm f1.4D @ ISO 200, 50mm f1.4, 1/15 sec

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Nikon D300, Nikkor 50mm f1.4D @ ISO 200, 50mm f8, 1/200 sec

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Nikon D300, Nikkor 70-200mm f2.8 @ ISO 200, 70mm f2.8, 1/500 sec

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Nikon D300, Nikkor 70-200mm f2.8 @ ISO 200, 70mm f2.8, 1/400 sec

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Nikon D300, Nikkor 70-200mm f2.8 @ ISO 200, 95mm f2.8, 1/50 sec

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Nikon D300, Nikkor 35mm f2 @ ISO 200, 35mm f8, 1/125 sec

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Nikon D300, Nikkor 35mm f2 @ ISO 200, 35mm f8, 1/250 sec

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