• Home
    • Recent
    • Calendar
    • Register
    • Login
    Iron Heart Forum
    Iron Heart Forum

    Iron Heart Fall/Winter 2025 Collection Preview - Now Live

    Giles and Paula's Great Retirement Adventure

    Iron Heart Meet Ups & Travel
    84
    1.6k
    389.8k
    Loading More Posts
    • Oldest to Newest
    • Newest to Oldest
    • Most Votes
    Reply
    • Reply as topic
    Log in to reply
    This topic has been deleted. Only users with topic management privileges can see it.
    • GilesG
      Giles
      IHUK Crew
      Joined:

      IMG_3290.jpeg

      "OK face up to it - you're useless but generally pretty honest and straightforward . . . it's a rare combination of qualities that I have come to admire in you" - Geo 2011

      last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 6
      • GilesG
        Giles
        IHUK Crew
        Joined:

        IMG_3291.jpeg

        "OK face up to it - you're useless but generally pretty honest and straightforward . . . it's a rare combination of qualities that I have come to admire in you" - Geo 2011

        last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 9
        • GilesG
          Giles
          IHUK Crew
          Joined:

          Got to the Islands, which was epic. Took 3 hours to averaged about 30kph, topping out at about 55kph. Took one very large wave, which slammed the 3 of our back in our seats, the volume of water that came onto the boat was unreal. But the boat took it in its stead.

          Yesterday we had Mahi Mahi, Giant Trevally, Black Tip Trevally, Bonito and Queenfish. Szymon got best fish honours with this nice GT of about 30-40kg...

          IMG_3345.JPG

          "OK face up to it - you're useless but generally pretty honest and straightforward . . . it's a rare combination of qualities that I have come to admire in you" - Geo 2011

          last edited by steelworkerS jordanscollectedJ SourPowerS 3 Replies Last reply Reply Quote 11
          • steelworkerS
            steelworker
            見習いボス
            @Giles
            Joined:

            @Giles oh my !

            Those are my principles, and if you don't like them…
            Well, I have others.

            last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
            • jordanscollectedJ
              jordanscollected
              啓蒙家
              @Giles
              Joined:

              @Giles Great catch Szymon! Does your fishing trip support locals like trips past, or is this just sport fishing?

              Have you gotten to/had to fish off shore too or has the weather allowed you to use the boat?

              world tours:
              888 Fat guy chocolate WT
              Mad Red x2
              Wabidashery

              last edited by GilesG 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
              • SourPowerS
                SourPower
                Haraki san Expert
                @Giles
                Joined:

                @Giles Ho Lee Scheiße 😮

                Excess In Moderation

                last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                • GilesG
                  Giles
                  IHUK Crew
                  @jordanscollected
                  Joined:

                  @jordanscollected said in Giles and Paula's Great Retirement Adventure:

                  @Giles Great catch Szymon! Does your fishing trip support locals like trips past, or is this just sport fishing?

                  Have you gotten to/had to fish off shore too or has the weather allowed you to use the boat?

                  Not in the same way as Morocco, but Omanis don't really work, at least not in menial jobs (which includes hospitality, guiding etc etc), but we are helping give lots of people from Sri Lanka, India, Bangladesh, Tunisia etc paiod employment.

                  Not fished from the shore yet, out on the boat. The wind gets up as the week progresses, so may get some shore time in.

                  "OK face up to it - you're useless but generally pretty honest and straightforward . . . it's a rare combination of qualities that I have come to admire in you" - Geo 2011

                  last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                  • GilesG
                    Giles
                    IHUK Crew
                    Joined:

                    Today. Too many Mahi Mahi and Bonito to count (I had a 12 pound Bonito), and a few Queenies, all on light tackle. Mahi Mahi for dinner.

                    Raised 12 GT's on one drift, but they were coming up short, so made contact with none 🙂

                    "OK face up to it - you're useless but generally pretty honest and straightforward . . . it's a rare combination of qualities that I have come to admire in you" - Geo 2011

                    last edited by jordanscollectedJ 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 3
                    • jordanscollectedJ
                      jordanscollected
                      啓蒙家
                      @Giles
                      Joined:

                      @Giles do you guys drift socks to slow down or is it better to just roll with the waves?

                      world tours:
                      888 Fat guy chocolate WT
                      Mad Red x2
                      Wabidashery

                      last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                      • GilesG
                        Giles
                        IHUK Crew
                        Joined:

                        We just roll with it, when you are playing a GT, you often have to back the boat up to bulldoze a large fish out of a reef, and more often than not a a large fish will drag you 360 around the boat, a rope hanging out of the back would be a recipe for a lost fish.

                        "OK face up to it - you're useless but generally pretty honest and straightforward . . . it's a rare combination of qualities that I have come to admire in you" - Geo 2011

                        last edited by Giles 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                        • GilesG
                          Giles
                          IHUK Crew
                          Joined:

                          So, it has been tough fishing. The GT’s (primary target species), were just not playing ball. We had a few hits between us (probably about 30), but the fish were very nervous and coming up short, the only one of us to land a few was Szymon.

                          We had amazing sport on light tackle and caught lots and lots of lots of different species.

                          Have booked for next year, a month earlier when the weather will be more settled.

                          "OK face up to it - you're useless but generally pretty honest and straightforward . . . it's a rare combination of qualities that I have come to admire in you" - Geo 2011

                          last edited by Tago MagoT 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 2
                          • Tago MagoT
                            Tago Mago
                            Mod Squad
                            @Giles
                            Joined:

                            @Giles Did you get to see any of Oman or was that not part of the plan?

                            last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                            • GilesG
                              Giles
                              IHUK Crew
                              Joined:

                              Saw a lot of Halanyat, it’s a brutal place. Hot, arid and barren. Lots of civil engineering going on, it’s mainly government and military as they try and get on top of people, gun and drug smuggling, Yemen and Somalia being the active in all 3.

                              Most peoples idea of a desert island will not be this 😂

                              IMG_3371.jpeg

                              "OK face up to it - you're useless but generally pretty honest and straightforward . . . it's a rare combination of qualities that I have come to admire in you" - Geo 2011

                              last edited by Giles 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                              • GilesG
                                Giles
                                IHUK Crew
                                Joined:

                                We have a 4 hour drive to Salalah tomorrow, but the scenery will be mostly, hot arid and brutal 😀

                                "OK face up to it - you're useless but generally pretty honest and straightforward . . . it's a rare combination of qualities that I have come to admire in you" - Geo 2011

                                last edited by Tago MagoT 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                                • Tago MagoT
                                  Tago Mago
                                  Mod Squad
                                  @Giles
                                  Joined:

                                  @Giles you make it sound so appealing

                                  last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                  • GilesG
                                    Giles
                                    IHUK Crew
                                    Joined:

                                    I like it like this 😀

                                    "OK face up to it - you're useless but generally pretty honest and straightforward . . . it's a rare combination of qualities that I have come to admire in you" - Geo 2011

                                    last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                    • GilesG
                                      Giles
                                      IHUK Crew
                                      Joined:

                                      came back to mainland Oman yesterday. 10km from home, we saw birds working the water, so we diverted to take a look. The sea was a mass of sardines and busting fish, we pulled a load out, then finished the journey....

                                      Mahi Mahi for dinner.

                                      f6b20f1a-36af-420d-bd48-b05ed59eaecf.JPG

                                      "OK face up to it - you're useless but generally pretty honest and straightforward . . . it's a rare combination of qualities that I have come to admire in you" - Geo 2011

                                      last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 12
                                      • GilesG
                                        Giles
                                        IHUK Crew
                                        Joined:

                                        I thought I may be able to get away without antifouling UKIYO, just dive her a couple of times a year and get the growth of with an abrasive sponge.

                                        WRONG

                                        The weed growth is ridiculous.

                                        So I pulled her out today and started the ultra-shit job of wet and drying the hull, then applying primer and antfoul.

                                        I managed one coat of primer today before my body said - fuck that.

                                        As I said to @goosehd earlier, funny that today, I suddenly had no friends 🙂

                                        IMG_3505.JPG

                                        IMG_3509.JPG

                                        IMG_3513.JPG

                                        IMG_3514.JPG

                                        I also got the "2 MESSY" logo off, so I can apply the UKIYO one.

                                        "OK face up to it - you're useless but generally pretty honest and straightforward . . . it's a rare combination of qualities that I have come to admire in you" - Geo 2011

                                        last edited by Giles 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 6
                                        • MattM
                                          Matt
                                          見習いボス
                                          Joined:

                                          I would have helped you. She looks great.

                                          last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                                          • GilesG
                                            Giles
                                            IHUK Crew
                                            Joined:

                                            Up at Sparrow's and got a 2nd coat of primer on early doors. Then managed do 2 coats of antifoul, weather was complicit. Will lift her off the blocks tomorrow morning and touch up the bits that I could not get to (where the blocks and jacks are holding her upright), then back into the water in time to catch a flight to Hamburg (for Bremen) on Thursday.

                                            I am very pleased, but ache like crap from groveling around in gravel for 2 days 🙂

                                            IMG_3520.JPG

                                            And the 2Messy decal has been removed, will try and get UKIYO decal applied before she gets put back in the water.

                                            "OK face up to it - you're useless but generally pretty honest and straightforward . . . it's a rare combination of qualities that I have come to admire in you" - Geo 2011

                                            last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 6
                                            • First post
                                              Last post
                                            Copyright Iron Heart 2025.