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Maputo to Pomene by sea…there and back

Captain Sean A. Lange at the helm in Maputo to Pomene mission

Maputo to Pomene by sea…there and back

Yeboooo, we managed to get in a cool job from a secret organisation, late last year, to take a huge landing craft Maputo to Pomene…there and back.

The secrecy of the mission still is of international importance, so all we can do is show and narrate the trip to you, with this short movie.

The Sardine Charters and Chandling have been pulling off clandestine missions like this aplenty over the last few decades, in Mozambique and around Southern Africa. We put together highly trained and disciplined crews to take all sorts of crazy missions, involving long duration at sea, and being flung into hard-core survival threatening conditions, as we were on our return trip.

Click here to read all about that tragic evening…40 lives lost in Maputo, many of them drowned at sea. We did what we could to help, but with an exhausted crew and pitch darkness to work in, it wasn’t much.

But as you can see from the video, most of it is just plain sailing at full speed alongside huge 4 to 5 metre swells, often times breaking on our outside, we had to weave our way through sandbanks and huge waves. The twin turbo, duo prop Volvo Pentas gave us 660 hp to throw the 16.5m semi-displacement aluminium hull around. It’s as maneuvrable as a ski-boat and the acceleration is immense, to the point of being dangerous. The landing craft can take 90 people with their equipment.

For more information on The Sardine Charters and Chandling operations and availability, pls contact Sean on umzimkulu@gmail.com or call +27 79 326 9671, or click here.

 

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KZN Spearfishing Report

KZN Spearfishing report filled with hardcore spearfishing imagery and compiled by Jason Heyne

KZN Spearfishing Report

KZN Spearfishing Report by Jason Heyne.

This informative and entertaining spearfishing report is really high on the WOW factor. Each week Jason and co-spearos compile a montage of really amazing spearfishing action photos. Thank you Jason!

“The diving conditions this week have been average with strong current and low viz in most areas. The conditions did improve dramatically today (Friday) with a moderate southwest blowing all day. Saturday morning a light northeast blows picking up speed during the day with the swell running at 1.2m. Sunday the northeast gets on it early morning picking up steadily during the day with the swell starting small and increasing in size through the day. So it looks like Saturday morning is the best bet for a dive. The snoek are on the north coast and rumour has it that one or two king mackerel have come out already. Brusher and grunter are thick in the shallows. As always dive safe and straight spears”

Jason Heyne

 

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Wahoo! Spearfishing report KZN

Wahoo! Spearfishing report KZN by Jason Heyne

Check out all the wahoo featuring in this weeks spearfishing report by the ever reliable Jason Heyne… – Shonalanga

The sea conditions at the start of the week were great then a big north east pushed through on Wednesday which churned the sea up. Thursday and Friday the south west blew cleaning up the south coast. Saturday the swell drops to 1.5m with a light north blowing switching to a moderate north east later in the day. Sunday looks tops with light variable wind all day and a 1.4m swell running. There are big king mackerel patrolling the south coast with garrick and daga salmon starting to make an appearance. Big Natal snoek are back on the north coast. Sunday looks to be the best day for a dive. As always dive safe and straight spears.

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Sardine run 2016 preparations with Offshore Africa

Sardine run 2016 preparations with Offshore Africa

Sardine run 2016 preparations with Offshore Africa have begun already as everybody looks forward to that bumper sardine run we all deserve.

Offshore Africa in Port St. Johns take divers right into the sardine bait ball action where every kind of marine perdator can be seen hard at work. Gorging the shoals of hapless sardines, they compete and work together – their common goal – the obliteration of bait balls, one by one.

Rob Nettleton and Debbie Smith, who for a decade now have operated boats and dive expeditions in The Transkei, arrange accommodation and meals for punters, and then take them to sea on one of their custom designed and rigged inflatables. The surf launch through the Umzimvubu River mouth warms the adrenalin valve up nice, and by the time you reach the action, you will be well into a state of flow. And that is the way you will stay as you get to jump in with sharks and whales and fish and dolphins and gannets…sensory overload is part of the menu.

Port St. Johns is far enough south and Offshore are normally the first to encounter the huge shoals. Other attractions include great fishing in the river and off the shore, incredible hikes through forests and over mountains – some that drop straight into the ocean, wide open beaches, a quaint settlers town to explore…the list is long.

At this time of the year, bookings with Offshore Africa for the 2016 sardine run, start to fill up fast. But, because of last years fantastic run, Rob and Debbie have extended their Sardine Run 2016 experience availability, adding a week or two on either side of their last years schedule.

Click on over to Offshore Africa Port St. Johns for more information and to make a booking.

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Hammerhead shark at The Block

Hammerhead Shark at The Block

Enjoy the video…Pooven Naicker wowed the crowds with this punchy hammerhead shark at The Block, this morning…

The fish was taken on a live mullet and screamed off on it’s first run, steam train style. The outsized wintery waves proved to be a true challenge as some were breaking right over Pooven – as he had to stand and just take it on the head, whilst he negotiated a truce with the grumpy shark. A crowd had gathered by now and support was being shouted in from all sides – world cup fever spilling over…

When Pooven put the fish on the rocks, the crowd errupted with applause and Pooven’s smile got even bigger.

Pooven was not targeting sharks, no, rather he was after the Garrick which are running nicely. This time of the year is when the garrick go absolutely wild for a few days, having spent their energies on spawning – they need to replenish for their long swim back to The Cape.

 

 

The Umzimkulu Marina and Shonalanga Fishing Adventures have teamed up to offer the following mid week, or weekend fishing packages:

Umzimkulu Estuary Fishing (pp)

https://thesardine.co.za/product/umzimkulu-ambush-5-days/

Or contact us and we will put something together especially to match your requirements.

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