G'day All,
Afta a full on week of "failure", I've taken leave of the land for a refresher trip.
Zero planning just untie the Yot and go for a sail.
The early hydraulic success of last week has come to a grinding halt, the microwave repairs like wise and the "mast-cam" is also having technivikal issues. VERY FRUSTR8ING!!!
Answer "GO AWAY AND RECHARGE"Also Noah (crazy Cananadian) has to leave the country on Monday to renew his Visa, so itz kind of a going away sail?
Even if the wind won't co-operate!
Saturday Morning I rang Torsten and his Brother Chris as well as Noah and suggested we all BUGGER OFF for a couple of days and just a few short hours later we were on our way.
Some of the best trips happen like this "don't they Ash".
We had a minor issue leaving the shore as "Some Genius" had hooked the new hydraulic steering lines up in REVERSE!
That genius: would be Me!
So after learning to drive a boat all over again we headed out to sea.
It was humbling to know "I'm not smarter than a hydraulic ram. Repairs were easy once we were in the open ocean as it was as flat as a pancake!
No sailing Today. So we motored!
Decision made!, we'd head to Radical bay on the bottom corner of Magnetic island.
This bay is very similar to Butterfly Bay and is normally far too wind swept to sail into, but with conditions like this we decided to take full advantage.
2 hours later we pulled up to a beach in your "classic tropical bay"!
Sandy beach, rocks either side, crystal clear water and palm tree's everywhere.
Once on the beach we met up with Candice and Chantel from Canada (coincidence?- I think Not).
So we swam, ate lunch, fed the resident fishes, snorkeled , had a few drinks and generally relaxed.
I've decided the Yot is as ready as itz ever going to get and to stop stressing about it.
As such, I'm thinking a trip out to the reef next weekend could be on the agenda.
I feel the need to catch some "real fish".
I will have the Auto pilot running by the thyme we leave for Cairns in 3 weeks. Finga's crossed!
The mast upgrades are an amazing success, with nearly everything a 100% improvement.
Somethymes no network can be a good thing. But when it comes to weather forecasts and safety, having Internet coverage gives me the ability to get and receive messages without the phone working. I'm not overly sure but as I'm using a long range router that takes a 'sim" card I think I should be able to hook up the fone if I really had to. But with the electronic problems of this week itz not sumthin I'll be trying soon.
The new lighting works a treat for both night sailing and anchoring.
The radar is also fantastic for finding objects in the darkness, rite down to marker poles and buoys.
We re supplied with drinks and ice in Horseshoe Bay before heading off for a twilight sail / drive.
Then an unexpected thunderstorm brewed up over the land giving us the most amazing light show on dusk and into the evening. This activity only increased as it was finally thyme to hoist the sails using the approaching storms wind energy.
"Sailing", at last and a free light show to boot
"Life's tuff!"
Dinner was a fantastic fresh herb, tomato penne pasta with the motar and pestal being put to good use grinding the basil,thyme and garlic along with chilli and parmasean oil.
Great Feed! and a great thyme was had by all.
The approaching storm had us moving dishes and loose objects to more secure confines as the wind and waves increased.
Noah took the controls and we were soon under full sail in the moon and lightning glow.
Not bad,
Safely back in Horseshoe bay we bid farewell to 2 of our Canadian Stow- aways and settled down in the middle of the bay for a little music, drinks and lightning!
Even this became too uncomfortable around 3 am so we re-positioned close to the Northern shore.
A Lazy Sunday breakfast around 11am before a swim and lure casting session.
Thyme to head back to REALITY!
More to follow!
Greetings, CF.
ReplyDeleteSounds like you've now managed to achieve, at least in part, the second element in your new-life plan i.e. to slow down a bit. Maybe life generally is meant to be some busy times interspersed with no window-faced envelopes and slow times. A good balance of the two would seem like a realistic existence.
We've spent the weekend cutting and tying reinforcing mesh to all the reo rods at 21 - shades of 30 all over again. Brickies are back today and should finish all the 'below ground'( areas to be reinforced) work in about 3-4 days, then the concrete truck will come in and fill the cavities - NOT like we did here, mixing all the cement by hand!!!!! It then has to sit for about a week to cure before earthworks to backfill, compact and then pour the main slab. With luck, and the weather gods permitting, we should get the slab done just before we come to Townsvlle. Things generally seem to be progressing quite well, which is good.
I started rehearsals last week for the next G&S show - a biography of Gilbert and Sullivan, with snippets of each of their works. I have to sing the Police Chief from "Pirates", Fairy Queen from "Iolanthe" and a small bit sung in "Ida" by a boy disguised as a girl - a rether strange mix of roles!!!! Should be good fun though, and my first principal roles after years of being a 'chorus girl'!!!!
must away - things to do and places to see - unlike some who can just float around from tropical isle to tropical isle !!!!
Take care, and see you soon.
Mum xo