2010 Season including The Loiusiades Archipelago trip June to October

Friday, 1st January 2010  -  Big Woody Island to Burrum Heads

Happy New Year … Up at 4.30 am as we are hoping to get Burrum Heads on the high tide to try to find our way in over the bar.  If we get there too late or we can’t find the way in we will continue on to Bundaberg.  Owen, Maryanne and Mia stayed in bed but how they can sleep with the engines on is beyond me.  A beautiful day break, a sight we don’t see to often.  Plus we can say we saw the dawn in on the first day of 2010 even if we didn’t see 2009 out.  Unfortunately we have very light winds right up our bum and a 3 knot current against us.  This does not lead to a fast passage which we were hoping for.  Geoff decided to put up the Spinnaker (Finnaker) but the winds were even too light, really, for this light sail.  Still, it seemed to help a bit.  Oh how I love the Spinnaker but it did behave itself this time and even came down easily.  We trolled for a bit without any luck and arrived at the entrance to Burrum Heads at 10.30 am and assessed it and it looked great so we ventured in. 

The least depth we seemed to have under us was about 3.5 metres at the first marker and mainly depths of 4.5 metres.  Once inside there were no more markers to follow so we had to play it by feel, so to speak.  It was very shallow everywhere and we anchored in about 3 metres of water and had an early lunch.  Owen, Geoff, Mia and myself then ventured ashore leaving Maryanne behind as she had a bit of a ‘dikky’ tummy.  According to Alan Lucas in his book ‘Cruising the Coral Coast’ we were to expect a couple of caravan parks and a kiosk.  Since the book was written in 2004 there are now quite a few caravan parks, heaps of holiday homes plus a fishing tackle shop, hardware store, hairdresser, café, craft shop, butcher, bakery and a general store.  Mia had a lovely run along the beach that faces out to sea but she couldn’t find any crabs to chase.  After an ice cream we made our way back to 2AB and, after a quick rest, moved anchor as the guy in the yacht next to us informed us he had 40 metres of chain out.  It really peeves us when people put out heaps of chain when they don’t need to in a limited and shallow anchorage as they take up so much space as they have a much larger anchor circle. 

  

 

Chicken Kebabs for tea which Geoff didn’t like much as they were made with meat from the thigh of the chicken.  We then conned Owen into playing Mexican Train Dominoes with us, marvels of marvels.  I won for a change…. Note:  Mia nearly fell in tonight when she went up to the front deck.  It was a little bouncy as it was wind against tide. 

 Saturday, 2nd January 2010  -  Burrum Heads to Bundaberg

Up at 7 am and leave the anchorage at 8 am.  Once again the seas were very calm and it was an easy trip out through the heads.  It was so calm that Owen took us out. 

There was no wind to speak of and what there was came from the wrong direction, of course, so we motor sailed the whole way.  Boring!  We got through the leads to the Burnett River just after 2.30 pm after catching a small Spotted Mackerel just before coming in.  We continued up river as it was coming up to low tide.  Being a Spring Tide the water level was at its lowest and even when we stuck religiously to the leads we touched bottom a couple of times so it was with great caution that Geoff wound his way up river. 

(We have been told since by other cruisers that you need to ignore the leads … great … and be more closer to the bank).  Our berth in the marina was still vacant so we inched our way in but didn’t do too great a job on docking as the wind was pushing us away from the dock and it was a small space for us to get into.  Still, there were heaps of people there to grab our ropes and we were soon berthed.  Owen went off in a taxi to pick up his car and Maryanne packed their stuff up and took some of the washing to do back at the caravan park.  We said goodbye and said we would talk to them in the morning.  Lu and Ian from ‘Spirit of Ecstasy’ were there to greet us and seemed to want to talk so we lost an hour so just had a light dinner and unwound. 

Sunday, 3rd January 2010  -  Bundy 

Up early as nature called so I had an early shower as well.  But I was soon hot and sticky again as I sorted out the supply cupboard giving half to Maryanne and Owen (if they want it) as they had helped pay for it.  Maryanne and Owen arrived just after 10 am and Woofy was all excited to see us again.  They picked up their bits and pieces and had brought back the clean bed linen which Maryanne had washed.  We also took up the kayak and loaded it onto the roof rack on the top of Owens car.  We all then headed off to the storage shed where we picked up some of our stuff and Geoff rode the scooter back to the marina.  It was too hot to really be doing too much so it was a bit of a cool off, do a bit, have a bit of a cool off, do a bit etc.  At least we have the boat hosed down and the shade cover on.

A bit of a drama … there is a medium sized power cruiser docked opposite us and they were getting ready to leave.  They had a cute little fluffy dog with them that (1) jumped on our boat  (2) Later fell in the water off their boat  (3) came out looking like a drowned rat and not looking half as cute.  Poor little thing … so Geoff gave it a Smacko. 

In the afternoon I steamed the Catfish that Owen had caught and took the meat off and flaked it.  Cooked mash potato, added fresh Basil etc and made 8 large fish cakes.  We had four of them for dinner and very nice they were too.  Before dinner we went and had a cuppa on the ‘Spirit of Ecstasy’ with Lu and Ian. 

Oh … by the way … the owners of another boat that was near us said they had read my article ‘My Boat’ in the Cruising Helmsman and said they enjoyed it and liked my writing style.  Nice. 

  Monday, 4th January 2010  -  Bundy

It rained all night so I got up and closed the side clears and brought in stuff I thought might get wet. 

Geoff is getting annoyed with his laptop as the hard drive is full and he can’t do things.  When you think about it, his laptop is four years old now so definitely needs upgrading.  It is such a good computer with really good graphics, screen definition and sound card that he really doesn’t want to get rid of it.  It was top of the range and really expensive when he bought it.  Anyway, he went on the web and found a 250 gig hard drive that is compatible at a really good price so he has ordered one.  Plus he has ordered Windows 7 as well as he needs to stay current in his line of work. 

My day was spent cleaning, washing and putting stuff away after the Christmas Cruise. Geoff spent the afternoon replacing the seal in the starboard water pump and then ran the engine.  Hmmm … he thinks he may still have a leak so will keep an eye on it.  I also received a belated Christmas present from Geoff which was a leather bag that was still on route from Hong Kong when we went off sailing.  It is a bag that can be used as a shoulder bag or made into a back pack which is easier for me to manage when I am riding my bike.  We also received a small present from Salpal plus a letter from a friend saying she had health issues in 2009, which we didn’t know about.  Not good at all.  I must drop her a line soon. 

Tuesday, 5th through to Thursday, 7th January 2010  -  Bundy

Tuesday  -  Still raining and back to work.  It was very light on with volunteers with only four of us turning up and they asked me to be in the kitchen.  Geoff went back to Wide Bay Volunteers as well.  On the way back from work I noticed that Rockman’s had their January sales on with 70% off of most things so ended up with three tops and a pair of long shorts.  Played Scrabble and I won. 

Wednesday  - Overcast and some rain.  Work again where I learnt and then helped the members make paper mache bowls.  What ever next?

Thursday  -  More rain and work again.  In the evening I decided, in my wisdom, that we would walk to Sizzler for dinner, in the rain no less.  When we got there the queue was way out into the car park as I had forgot it was school holidays so we turned around and walked back into town and ate at Aromas at the Chinese Buffet for $13.  Owen rang and said they had moved into their house already, 11 days earlier than their contract as it was vacant possession.  They are basically camping there as they don’t want to move in most of their stuff until the re-painting, new tiling and carpet and the new air conditioning system has all been done.  We are going to help them move a minimal amount of stuff on Saturday so they can, at least, have some semblance of comfort. 

Friday, 8th January 2010  - Bundy

It seems to have stopped raining but is still overcast and very muggy.  I decided the boat was looking decidedly grubby after the two weeks away so gave it a clean whilst it was, relatively speaking, still cooler.  Geoff went into the water with his flippers and snorkel to tie chlorine impregnated garbage bags around the propellers to stop things growing on them.  He then had a shower and came back and made a loaf of bread which is proving as I write this up. 

Well … I spoke too soon about the rain as it is now back and bucketing down.  But, at this time, it lasted for no more than a minute or so.  I did manage to get to the hairdresser in between showers and get my wild and woolly and very frizzy hair cut.  The humidity makes it frizzy and I don’t like it when it is like this.  It has become really curly since I have lived in Qld but I have to just put up with it.  I picked up some fresh fruit and veggies on the way back and that was my outing for the day.  How thrilling!

Saturday, 9th January 2010  -  Bundy

Up early as Maryanne was picking us up at 8am (actually she arrived at 7.50 am).  We then met Owen at their storage sheds.  He had hired a self drive truck which we loaded up with the contents of his first storage shed which contained all of their stuff when they moved from the managers unit in the village here.  The other storage shed holds all of their stuff from down near Coffs Harbour.  There was quite a bit of our stuff in there as well.  It was hot work but it was soon all loaded on and we made our way to their new house where we unloaded it all and stacked it in their two large garages.  Once again Mia was excited to see us and carried on like a pork chop.  But lovely.  Once the truck was empty the boys went off to the caravan park where their campervan is and packed up the annex and brought back the fridge.  Once all this was unloaded it was time for a cuppa and a relax.  They dropped us off at the marina where we picked up some more stuff that they were going to store for us and left us and went on to meet up with the guy from ‘Harley Assist’ as Owen’s Harley had a flat battery as it had been sitting in storage for quite a few months. 

Back on the boat and Geoff took off the buckles on my new bag as I don’t like buckles as I think it makes things look cheap.  After lunch it was time for Geoff to clean up some of his tools and I caught up on my journal.  Then it was time for a game of Carcassonne and I got trounced, much to Geoff’s delight. 

Sunday, 10th January 2010  -  Bundy

Replied to some emails after a brekky of Bacon and Eggs.  Geoff is in a lazy mood and a bit down now we are back marina bound again.  But he kept himself busy by sewing up the zip on one of the front clears and then cleaned them.  He also tried to find where the clean oil is coming from in the engine bay and also did some sanding of his new hatch covers. 




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I did an inventory of what supplies we had left, then did those emails and did some cleaning.  During the day Lynne Sibley rang to see if we wanted to go to Sizzler for tea as she was in the area but we were already meeting up with Owen and Maryanne who were treating us to dinner at The Old Bundy Tavern as a thank you for helping them move their stuff.   Never mind, next time.  We met up with Owen and Maryanne at 6pm and had dinner with them.  It still cost us over $30 as Geoff bought a bottle of wine and some pre dinner drinks.  It was a nice night out for a change. 

Monday, 11th January 2010  -  Bundy

A hot day today.  I did the washing, only one load, and hung it out to dry on the back deck again.  I then decided to walk to the Hinkler Centre (why? as it was so hot) but slapped on the 30+ sun screen before I left.  I got there 15 minutes later and it wasn’t too bad at all as  there was a cool breeze blowing most of the way.  Of course, it was nice and cool inside.  Apart from food I needed to buy some more Corelle side plates and a big bowl as they had shattered the day we started our Christmas Cruise.  Normally they are shatter proof as we usually have carpet down in the galley.  We had taken the carpet up as it was getting too stained to clean and we wanted to replace it.  When The plates fell they fell edge on, onto the wooden floor and had no padding so, consequently, broke.  Now we remember why we put the carpet down in the first place.  Geoff took the perishables and heavy stuff and I wandered back with the lighter stuff in my little old ladies wheelie shopper.  I did bump into Jan, who also works at the Gracie Dixon Centre, who offered me a lift back which I declined as the walk is good for me and I don’t get enough exercise.  When I got back Geoff’s hard drive had arrived so he was busy installing it and then he installed Windows 7.  He said “So far so good” but still has quite a few days work ahead of him as he has to find device drivers for a lot of the programs so they will run.  So far we have managed without it but we had the air conditioner on today as it was so hot outside and it seems to cool the boat off about 10º which is not too bad considering the boat has no insulation.  Note:  I washed Geoff’s memory stick again today and it still works as the little plastic sleeve seems to be water tight.  Hardy little thing!

Tuesday, 12th to Thursday 14th January 2010  -  Bundy

Tues … Both off to work again.  Geoff is still loading all his programs and files back on his laptop after installing the new operating system.  It was another hot and humid day today but not as hot as Melbourne where it only got down to 35º overnight.  Wow!  Doesn’t bode well for the bush fire season, does it?

Wed …  Work as usual.  I bought 2 pairs of sandals from Rivers on the way home as they had my favourite comfy ones on at half price.  So I got each pair for $15.00 (about £7 for you Poms) so they were a bargain plus they were in two different colours.  They should last me a while.  In the evening I walked to the PCYC (Police Citizens Youch Club) which took about 30 minutes and Geoff met me there.  We were there to attend a Volunteers meeting on working for the police force.  It was very informative but about 54 people turned up with only 9 positions available.  So you have to apply just like a regular job and go for an interview and I am hoping that my work with Parks Vic will stand me in good stead so am keeping my fingers crossed.  I am finding the work at the Gracie Dixon Centre a bit boring and depressing so thought I would see if I could find something more rewarding. 

Thurs … Worked in the kitchen today and in the afternoon they had a 1¢ sale but I didn’t win anything.  I was given two presents by a couple of my gentlemen members which I donated back to the centre (the Centre needs all the money they can get) once they had left for home.  When I got home there was an email from Denise at Toowoomba who is very unhappy  with Garden Villages hierachy.  She said that since She and Geoff have become an item the company is making it very hard for her.  She is a fighter and will not take it lying down.  Garden Villages was much worse the SCV Group ever was!

Friday, 15th January 2010  -  Bundy

A nice lie in.  Today I decided I had to be a bit more constructive on my days off so this morning I made a strawberry yoghurt, cleaned all the brass work, cleaned the galley and baked a date loaf and it was only 10.30 am when I had finished all that. 

Later in the day there was a bit of a drama unfolding out on the moorings when an unattended moored boat broke free of its mooring and ended up threatening another yacht that was moored in front of it.  Luckily the owners were on board this one and managed to keep it from hitting them until a marina staff member came out in the boat and grabbed the loose rope and towed the yacht back into place and secured it.

 When I went up to check the mail I found that there was a cheque for just over $5,000 from my smaller superannuation fund.  I had applied for it just before Christmas as I thought it would just get eaten away with account keeping fees whilst I was not working.  I asked for a direct debit straight into my back but, for some reason, they sent a cheque so I now have to go up to the bank to deposit it.  At least it means we can live for a few more weeks.  We have both applied for a few jobs but are not holding our breath for a reply.  This seems to be the name of the game these days and it gets very disheartening. 

I had also spent the last couple of days looking for my memory stick as I had a lot of stuff on it that wasn’t backed up.  Tch, tch … I should know better.  I thought I had lost it until I found it in my wheelie shopper where it must have fallen out of my bag when I last used it.  I’m glad I hadn’t lost it. 

After dinner Lu and Ian came round for a game of Mexican Train Dominoes which Lu won, of course.  They came to us because our boat was cooler although their boat has more room. 

Saturday, 16th January 2010  -  Bundy

Geoff has a bad back which he thinks must have happened when he was helping the Wide Bay Volunteers manager, Garry, move a large photo copier on Thursday.  It weighed 52 kgs and the instructions said it was to be moved by at least four people. He is whinging all the time as even a little movement gives him pain.  I know how he feels.  Been there, done that! 

I had a really lazy day as there’s not much to do and it is so hot.  So much for me saying I was going to be more constructive on my days off.  Geoff worked on his laptop all day trying to get programs to work and still downloading drivers for it.  I dread to think what our internet bill is going to be this month.  He says he will still be working on it for days yet. 

Later I rang Antonio who used to be the manager of Glenvale Gardens in Toowoomba as they were now the proud parents of a baby boy after having two girls.  We had a good natter and caught up with all of their news and Antonio is also thinking of leaving Garden Villages as is his brother in law at the SCV village in Capalaba.  He is going to send us some info on becoming an ‘energy smart’ home investigator.  Sounds interesting. 

We were also give five mangoes from a neighbouring boat so we had mango for dessert.  Oh so yum. 

Sunday, 17th January 2010  -  Bundy

Up late as it is cool and quiet when the air conditioner is on as all the hatches are closed.  Geoff’s back is still sore and he has taken some Voltaren to help ease it.  We received a few personal emails which I replied to.   It was another lazy day apart from doing some ironing (stuff for work) and walking up to the local supermarket.  Geoff came with me as he thought a bit of walking might free up his back a bit.  On the way back we bought a couple of bottles of the new McWilliams Inheritance Pink wine to try.  It is more of a sweet Rose type wine so should be nice.  (It was).  It was another boiling day so the air conditioner was on all day. 

Monday, 18th January 2010  -  Bundy

Geoff’s back is easing up a bit, thank goodness.  Guess what?  He is still working on his laptop although he did go out and buy a few things we needed.  It was wash day for me, how boring.  In the afternoon we sewed new curtain rings on the curtains in the bathroom.  A job we had been meaning to do for a very long time.  Then, at 6pm, we wandered up to ‘Rich Aromas, a local café close by and met up with Owen, Maryanne and Mia, of course, for dinner.  Owen has been really busy painting some of the rooms in their new house ready for the new carpet to be laid.  Maryanne had spent the day pulling up the old carpet and was really tired.  They have had the lounge room tiles laid and said they are very happy with them and they look really good.  They have also had the palm trees removed from their front garden and will replace them with shrubs from the nursery.  So they are getting there.  They are also having big trouble with Garden Villages who have decided to dispute his work cover claim and are saying he is putting it all on.  They have sent a huge amount of paperwork through which has also gone to a place called ‘Natural Justice’ which is supposed to be an impartial judge for both parties.  Garden Villages have even cited Geoff and I as long term friends of Maryanne and Owen.  Ok … we met them for two days in May 2008 and then met them again in March 2009 and only met them socially three times before Owen had his break down.  So, how they can state we are long term friends is beyond me.  Garden Villages have also managed to get hold of one of my journals I sent to Maryanne and Owen which they must have inadvertently left on the computer.  They say some of the things in it are slanderous but we are not worried.  Everything I wrote was as I saw it and it was for private viewing anyway and not addressed to them.  It is not as if I published for public viewing.  We will see. 

Tuesday 19th to Thursday 22nd January 2010

Tues … work at Gracie Dixon’s with a singalong in the morning, singing all the old war tunes.  Such as ‘It’s a long way to Tipperary etc.  They really love these singalongs, especially the ones who have dementia in various degrees.  They all remember these songs.  Back to 2AB and then off to Neato, my job provider, and found it was supposed to be a phone interview again.  As I do not seem to be getting the letters I have no way of knowing.  Anyway, at last, Centrelink have got my voluntary work on the system so I will not have to go to Neato much from now on.  It was another hot day but didn’t seem humid so it was quite bearable. 

Wed … Another singalong so now I am feeling quite hoarse.  In the afternoon I, along with other volunteers, went to a Dementia meeting on what happens to a person who has Dementia and how to cope/work/care/treat them.  It was very informative and opened up my eyes a lot.  At least I now know what they are feeling and why they act the way they do.  On the way back I managed to get to the bank and deposit my cheque at last.  It was my fourth try.  The first time I needed my St George account number even though Westpac and St George are the same bank.  The second time I got there at 4.15 pm and they shut at 4 pm.  The third time I got there just after 9 am and they don’t open till 9.30 am.  I mean, what sort of hours are these?  Anyway, it’s done now.  We played Carcassonne in the evening and I got done again.  Not going to play anymore!  Kidding. 

Thurs … Today I worked in the kitchen and then helped members make paper mache bowls in the afternoon.  Geoff spent the day finishing putting Windows 7 and Windows updates on the ten computers in the training room.  Jasen, his young boss, hit his damaged thumb whilst Geoff was there and he nearly fainted with the pain.  He frightened the life out of Geoff. 

When Geoff got back to the boat he replaced some hoses that were leaking on the water system and the accumulator tank is leaking so he has further work to do on it.  We knew it was leaking as the saloon carpet was very wet. 

We decided to go up and get fish’n chips for dinner and Lu drove me.  We ate them on the back of ‘The Spirit of Ecstasy’ as they have more room than us.  It made a lovely change.  I also went on ‘Femme de la Mer’ to have a look around and it is more like a house than a boat.  Well, it is really more like a sea going house boat/motor launch with all mod cons (like a dishwasher would you believe).

Friday, 22nd January 2010  -  Bundy

We both woke up this morning wondering if we had been having a weird dream but it was real alright.  For once, being a light sleeper came in handy.  Around 1.30 am I heard a noise and went out to see what was going on.  I yelled out and a reply came back saying “I’ve fallen in the water and I can’t get out”.  I called out for Geoff and we went around to the other dock trying to follow the voice as it was very dark.  We finally saw him and I rushed back to 2AB to get a torch (why didn’t I take one with me).  By the time I got back Geoff had managed to, almost, get him out of the water.  Ian also turned up with a boat ladder but by this time Geoff had got him back onto his boat.  Poor guy, he was so thankful that someone had heard his calls for help.  Out of all the people living on board in the marina (and some right next to him) only four of us on the opposite dock heard his calls.  This amazes me as we all made a lot of noise getting him out.  What had happened was this … he thought he heard people throwing rocks (as did Lu behind us) and had come out to investigate and had tripped over one of his mooring ropes, became unbalanced and tripped over a second one and ‘splash’.  He said he was 73 years old.  He seemed ok so we left him to have a shower and go back to bed.  But, me being me, I worried about him all night in case shock or something set in.  So I thought I would have to check on him during the day.  So I was very tired this morning and left Geoff in bed until he woke up naturally. 

After brekky and a shower I caught the bus out to Bunnings (a 30 minute trip) where I met Geoff to have a look at some vinyl tiles that we were thinking of putting in the galley.  Nothing jumped out at me and said “buy me” so we came away empty handed.  I then walked over to Aldi and bought a few things.  Aldi still doesn’t impress me as it is so limited in what it has.  Some things are cheap but some things aren’t so you need to know your prices.  Geoff took the full load back to the boat and I wandered around the shopping centre until the bus was due.  This took up most of my day, would you believe.  Geoff is still trying to fix the water leak and has taken the accumulator out and will eventually buy a new one. 

I went round to the guy on Isis to check on him and he was fine although badly shaken up.  He said he was lucky someone had heard him and that he didn’t hit his head when he fell in as that would have been the end of him.  These ‘brain dead’ youth of Bundy don’t realize the consequences when they think they are being funny by throwing stones.  Anyway, all’s well that ends well. 

On the way back I bumped into Steve and Caroline off of ‘Phencara’ who had just come back from their Christmas break in Victoria.  They were just about to take their little dog, Spuggy, for a walk so I accompanied them along the river walk.  They came onto 2AB for some drinks and nibbles and stayed until 7.30 pm.  We had eaten quite a few cheese and biscuits by then so only ate a light tea,

Saturday, 23rd January 2010  -  Bundy

A lazy day and hot again.  I went for a cuppa on Mululu and watched Gerry making a couple of steps down into both of his hulls as Celia was finding it difficult to step down as it was a high step.  He is making a good job of them.  Just after lunch we moved 2AB up in her berth to give Ian more room to maneuver his boat out as they we leaving to head south down to Sydney where he was going to meet up with his son.  Geoff went out with them to the fuel dock to help them dock and refuel.  There is a now empty berth behind us and we shall miss them as there is nobody to play Mexican Train Dominoes with now as it is a better game with more than two people.  I also rang Dion on Unicorn as there is a tropical cyclone (Cyclone Olga) that is due to touch down late Sunday near Port Douglas.  Dion said he was anchored up Celia Creek near Cairns as the marina had given all the boats notice to leave by 5am Sunday morning.  He only had a stern anchor out when we rang as he was expecting a lot more boats to arrive and needed to let them pass.  Once the upper reaches of the creek are full he will then tie off to the banks each side and will then sit it out.  He has tied all of his sails down and has sent Yui and his two kids to stay with someone in Cairns, a wise decision I think.  I will call again later once it is all over and see how he has fared.

Geoff has a dikky stomach at the moment and he thinks it is from the chocolate almonds I bought him.

Denise sent an email saying she has a new job as manager of a boarding house complex.  Good on her and she will be giving in her notice at Garden Villages on Monday and then the fun begins.  She is starting up a class action against GV and there are a lot of managers and ex managers involved so it will be interesting to watch it unfold.

Sunday, 24th January 2010  -  Bundy

No bacon and eggs this morning as Geoff is being careful with his tummy.  He had crumpets instead.  We didn’t have the a/con on overnight as well as it didn't seem so hot.  I found it fine but Geoff said he was a little hot.  We decided to watch one of our movies and chose the one of Italy and it was nice to reminisce.  Gerry popped by with some antenna cable and Geoff will try putting the antenna up the mast.  Geoff and Allan, from Gypystwo, both get really good reception with ordinary antennas right up the mast.  We have a super duper antenna so it should work really well right up the mast.  If it doesn’t I will be really peeved.  

It seems Cyclone Olga touched down near Port Douglas with a whimper.  Hardly any wind but a lot of rain so Dion should be fine and I will ring him later.  They did say that Cyclone Neville looked to be re-forming out at sea so that’s another one we will have to keep an eye on.  I spent most of the day entering my budget onto the laptop and catching up on this journal.  Geoff kept busy with lots of little jobs.  At 3 pm Owen rang and asked if it was ok if they came and picked us up in 30 minutes, which they did, and we went back to their place.  They have done so much work to the house since we were last there.  The tiles in the lounge room look lovely, the carpet has been laid in all of the bedrooms, Owen has painted throughout and the ugly palm trees have gone from the garden.  All they need now is the air conditioning to be installed as the house is quite hot but this will not be ready until February.  But, they are getting there.  Geoff spent over and hour setting up Owen’s set top box so he could receive HD channels and also setting up his stereo etc and it is all now working.  A lovely roast chook dinner with roast veggies and apple berry crumble for dessert.  Yum!

Monday, 25th January 2010  -  Bundy

A mostly overcast day today but still warm and we have a new neighbor behind us this morning but we haven’t met him yet.  The first we saw was him coming into the space behind us at a fast rate of knots but other cruisers had his lines and held him back.  We were still in our PJ’s as we were having a lazy start to the morning.  It was then time for bacon and eggs in lieu of yesterday.

After brekky I got Geoff to scan and print off a copy of my birth certificate as I have to send a copy to the UK Pension Board to see if I am eligible for a part English pension.  I don’t think I am as I think you need to have worked there for 10 years and I only worked for 7 years but I might as well try.  I now have to get a JP or similar to sign off on it.  I also finished our applications to work for the police force on a voluntary basis.  I then walked up to the Police Station to drop them off which was a 20 minute walk each way in really hot conditions.  What do they say “Only mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun” and how true.  I got back just after 1pm after stopping off to pick up a bottle of drinking water on the way.  At least it meant I got some exercise which I am in sorely need of.Still, at least it is done now although I still have to get a JP to sign off on the copy of my birth certificate.  We played Scrabble and I won… well I have to win at something!

Tuesday, 26th January 2010  -  Australia Day

Hot again but a day off as it is Australia Day.  Washing Day and then hang it all  out on the back deck again.  Geoff hoisted our good antenna to the top of the mast to see how the TV channels were and they were so much better.  Now he has to go up there when it is not so hot to take down the bracket and the old TV and see how he can get a bracket made up that will hold the new antenna up there. At 4pm we wandered to the Lions Park on the opposite side of the river to the Australia Day celebrations for just over an hour.  We found it was mainly for the kids with bouncing air castles, clowns and the good old fashioned Punch and Judy show which never seems to go out of vogue.  We sat and listened to a really great Aussie bush band and then, after treating ourselves to a soft serve ice cream, we headed back. 

Wednesday, 27th and Thursday 28th January 2010

Wednesday it was work as normal and today they had carpet bowls which I had a go at. 

Thursday was working in the kitchen so the day went quite quickly.  On the way home I went to the Courthouse to get a JP to sign my copy of my birth certificate.  Then, just before dusk, I winched Geoff up the mast to take down the old aerial and bracket and then I winched him to the top of the mast so he could measure up to get a bracket made.  He was up there a good hour.  Roast lamb loin chops, roast veggies for tea   …  yum. 

Friday, 29th January 2010  -  Bundy

Up late after a very vivid dream (Polly and I were in prison) which meant a very restless night.  After a shower I wondered up to the carpet shop as we wanted to look at vinyl tiles and carpet  for the galley and I met Geoff there.  They couldn’t help us with the vinyl tiles as they were priced by the linear metre and priced for fitting as well but they did have some dark green outdoor carpet which was really old stock so instead of paying $15 a metre we got it for $5 a metre.  So we splashed out and bought 3 metres so we can replace the carpet once more if it gets stained.  This worked out at $7.50 a lay, what a bargain.  As I was now near the Hinkler Centre we went in for a cup of coffee and some supplies from Woollies.  Whilst we were in there we bumped into Sam who is now the cook at Jefferis Gardens who was working there.  Keep in mind it was about 11.45 and lunch is served at noon so we asked how she could cook for the village and still work another job.  She said she had cooked the lunch before she left and that Brett was going to serve it and do all the cleaning up.  Now, managers are not supposed to spend very long in the kitchen.  She said Stuart didn’t know this is what she was doing and I am sure that if he finds out Sam and Brett will be next on his hit list.  We wandered back to 2AB and Geoff was just about to put a colour in my hair when Stephen and Caroline turned up as their outboard had conked out and they needed to borrow screwdrivers. 

Geoff went off and helped them and it was soon going again.  They reckoned it was dirty fuel from The Louisiades.  They left us and then about a couple of hours later we launched our dinghy and made our way over to their boat, moored in the river, to have sundowners.  We left there around 7.30 pm and just ate a light tea.  A good visit.

Saturday, 30th January 2010  -  Bundy

Up reasonably early for a Saturday.  We were quite productive in the morning.  We had a lot of emails go back and forth between us and Denise at Toowoomba.  Garden Villages have treated her very badly, as they do all their managers, and she has resigned.  They gave her four weeks pay in lieu of her having to work them out and, basically, threw her off of the premises.  She sent a copy of her resignation letter, which was quite scathing of the bosses at the head office to the head honcho of the real estate division of ING.  So the fun begins. 

Geoff then cut out the carpet for the galley and put on the press studs and it is now down.  It feels softer than the other one but I think it will show the dirt more but for $7.50 I’m not complaining.  I cleaned the galley, saloon and bathroom and was soon dripping with perspiration.  I also emptied the freezer into a freezer bag which I then wrapped it in a blanket and Geoff defrosted the freezer with his heat gun to speed up the process.  Geoff put the colour in my hair and then in the afternoon we played a game of Carcassonne and guess who won  -  HIM.  At 6.30 pm we wandered up to the Bundy Tavern which was very busy so we ended up with a high table and stools but it was surprisingly comfy.  Owen, Maryanne, Natalie (Maryanne’s daughter) and Ella (Nat’s niece and Maryanne’s grand daughter) soon turned up.  Natalie and Ella had come up from Brisbane for a very quick two day visit.  We had a nice meal and then it was on to Macca’s for a soft serve cone each.  We all then went back to 2AB for after dinner drinks and after about 30 minutes they headed off.  I was soon in bed as I couldn’t keep my eyes open. 

Sunday, 31st January 2010  -  Bundy

Bacon and eggs.  It is raining today and it was a King Tide around 10 am so it was quite a way up the bank.  After brekky we pulled out the umbrellas and wandered up to the Bundaberg Regional Art Gallery as there was a photographic exhibition of the research stations down in Antarctica, mainly Casey Station. We enjoyed the exhibition plus another little exhibition upstairs and it was a nice little free outing. 

Back to2AB via a detour to IGA to pick up some meat for dinner.  By 4pm it was getting quite gnarly outside as the remnants of Cylcone Olga eventually made itself felt down this way.  There is a gale warning to the north of us and a strong wind warning to the south of us as we are right on the edge of two weather areas.  So we could have a bit of both.  I went onto the web to check the weather and it looks like strong winds and heavy rain for the whole of the forecast period.  At least the temperature has dropped and it is nice and cool now and we desperately need the rain.  

Monday, 1st to Thursday 4th February 2010  -  Bundy

Monday  -  Rain with a capital “R” … it is bucketing down and very windy at times.  It didn't stop raining all day.  We dug out the brollies and wandered up to the marina office just to get out but other than that we played/worked on the computer all day.

Tuesday  -   Work at Gracie’s as usual.  Nothing at all to report beyond the normal mundane things.

Wednesday  -  It rained so hard in the morning and just as I was in transit on my way to work and I got caught right in the middle of it.  My brolly was in my bag so took a few seconds to get out and was only a small collapsible one.  By the time I had got the brolly up I was saturated so had to pop into a local store to buy a cheap T shirt to change into when I got to work.  When my original shirt dried I left it in my locker just in case it ever happened again. 

Thursday  -  Still raining and work with nothing to report. 

Friday, 5th February 2010  -  Bundy

More showers and very humid.  Geoff went to work today as an extra day to lock down the ten computers in the training room on which he, and other team members, had installed Windows 7.  This is to stop alterations to files on these computers, bearing in mind they are used by people learning who can make mistakes that could affect the operating system.  I went and had a cuppa with Gerry and Celia to find out who they had used for their boat insurance.  Geoff came home for lunch and then went out in the rain to pick up our new stainless steel TV antenna bracket ($140).  He won’t put it up unless it looks like it is not going to rain. 

Whilst he was out I received a phone call and it was from a company I had applied for a Receptionist job for in early January.  It had been so long that I thought I hadn’t even got past the resume and letter stage.  Anyway, I have an interview next Tuesday morning so will have to go out and buy a skirt/trousers to go with my nice short sleeve jacket and top (the ones I keep just for interviews).

At 4pm Owen picked us up and Geoff got Owen’s computer up and running and gave it a service. Now all Owen has to do is to get on to his ISP to talk him through the internet connection.  We had ‘make your own hamburgers’ and they were huge.  Owen cooked them on the BBQ and we just constructed them with these huge flat rolls.  It was really hard to get your mouth around and they were very filling.  Owen and Mia dropped us off at IGA on the way back and we bought a few supplies that we needed. 

Saturday, 6th February 2010  -  Bundy

The rain has stopped and the sun is out.  At last! 

Today Geoff decided to go up the mast to attached the TV antenna bracket and then the antenna itself.  It was a hot day with an occasional breeze.  He got everything together that he thought he would possibly need before I winched him right to the top of the mast.  Geoff says “Normally when doing a job a man has a table or a work bench handy”.  But he has to stand on two thin strips of aluminium and hold on with the Genoa rope (halyard) and have nowhere flat to put all of his tools.  Everything he needs is in a deep bag hanging from his waist.  It all starts off neat and tidy in there and progressively jumbles up into a real mess.  He goes up the mast wearing a climbing harness as I would not be able to winch up his dead weight.  I tie him off in three places so that if he does fall he will not hit the deck.  The job entailed drilling four ¼” holes in the mast and tapping the holes with threads to accept 5/16” bolts.  The battery drill is attached to the top of the mast with a lanyard so it cannot come crashing down to the deck below and causing his only method of getting down (me) to be comatosed.  Then down goes the line and I attach the antenna bracket which Geoff hauls up and bolts into place.  A request for a bottle of water is the next request and gets hauled up and then the antenna itself.  Everything is difficult, even applying the anti seize compound to the bolts is fiddly and takes time. Once the antenna is located on the bracket a wire hole is drilled in the mast and a mouse line is fed down the inside of the mast to be fished out with a piece of wire by me at the bottom.  This can often be a bugga of a job to fish out but this time I found it straight away.  Geoff secured everything at the top and, after two hours,

I gently lowered him down to the deck where cramp ricocheted around various of his limbs as the circulation returned.  He then had a rest and a cool off and got some high energy sustenance into his body as he was shaky with fatigue as he had been exposed to the hot sun and been in a very cramped position for the last two hours.  After a bit more fiddling we plugged the antenna into the feed wire on the boat and ‘Voila’ were able to tune in all the 21 HD channels available to us.  Even though the picture occasionally broke up it was the best we have had whilst we were in either the river or marina here.  Even the analogue channels were very watchable and later I was able to watch The Bill on ABC1 for the first time since being in Bundy.  (Tony Stamp is about to leave The Bill after all these years so I was able to catch up with all the personnel changes).

About 4pm Caroline, Stephen and Spuggy popped by and stayed for about two and a half hours.  It was lovely to sit, chat and relax with them as they are very good company.

Sunday, 7th February 2010  -  Bundy

Bacon and eggs of course but no hash brown as Geoff says he really shouldn’t eat them as the extra fat is bad for him. We had heavy rain again last night and it looks like it is set in for the day.  Lucky we got the antenna up yesterday.  I got Geoff to connect the printer and I printed off all the forms to try to get the boat Australian Registered.  I then filled in the details, typed up two Statutory Declarations, gazette notice etc.  Now we have to wander up to the Courthouse tomorrow to get everything signed off by a Justice of the Peace.  On one of the forms I needed to fill in the engine numbers which seemed an impossible task as the engines are cramped and dark and the plate the numbers were on were tiny and in an inaccessible place.   Then Geoff came up with the brilliant idea of using his computer microscope which is on a flexible lead and connected to the computer and there on the screen were the numbers in big, bold letters.  Brilliant!  This whole exercise of getting the forms filled out took up to 3.30 pm, would you believe, as it is quite complicated and I still have things to do.  BUT, this is the type of thing I love getting my teeth into as it is very satisfying when you have a daunting task ahead of you and you complete it.  Admin is definitely my ‘forte’.  As we don’t have the complete history of the boat we have to put a notice in the government gazette, which I have got ready, and which will cost us another $198 on top of the registration fee of $799 so there goes $1000 just like that!  They certainly know how to charge.  Is it worth it?  Probably as it will make the boat easier to sell, could possible increase its value and also guarantees our ownership plus, maybe, making it more desirable when we put it on the market. 

After we had done all this we had a game of Carcassonne and my ‘B’ of a husband beat me yet again and is now six games ahead of me.  It doesn’t matter what strategy I play he always has a better one.  It’s a good job I am not the competitive sort, isn’t it, although it does get a bit tiresome when you get beaten all the time.  Thank goodness for Scrabble!

Monday, 8th February 2010  -  Bundy

Rain again and then brilliant sunshine for a while which meant high humidity, of course.

We got a lot achieved today.  I did two loads of washing and hung it out.  Then I went to the shops to see if I could buy a skirt for my interview tomorrow.  I got a navy, or is it black, one as it will go with most colours.  I also bought a top at 50% off.  Geoff then rang the Shipping Register in Canberra to check that we had completed all the forms and Statutory Declarations we needed.  It seems all was in order so we then wandered up to the Courthouse, with the umbrellas as the clouds had come over by then, to see the JP’s and get three Statutory Declarations signed and another 5 or 6 other forms signed and witnessed.  We now have to put a notice in the Govt Gazette which is a $99 lodgement fee and $99 for a page entry.  Our little piece would take up about a quarter of a page but there is only the one fee.  Bumma, so $198 in total.  Then another $799 to lodge the application for Australian Registration which you don’t get back if you get knocked back.  The guy in Canberra said nobody gets knocked back so we shouldn’t be wasting our money.  We won’t send it off until we see what happens with this job interview and also have a good talk and think about it.  I’m really not sure I want this job anyway as I enjoy the voluntary work but it would be nice to get some real money behind us and not rely on the govt allowances.  But then again I don’t really want to be tied down.  It’s a Catch 22 situation.  Anyway, it is all academic as I haven’t been offered it yet.  After we left the Courthouse I left Geoff and went up to Target to buy a few more things.  By this time it was well and truly raining and when I got back about half of the washing was dry with the other half only being slightly damp.  Geoff arrived back and told me that Stan, one of the marina workers, had just won $16,000 on Lotto.  It couldn’t have happened to a nicer bloke and I was really pleased for him.  He said he is going to use it on a deposit for a house.  Then, out of the corner of my eye I saw movement and it was Barnie, Arnie and Karnie who are three dogs (terriers of some sort  -  I must ask Debbie what they are … oh they are Cairn Terriers) who were waiting patiently on the dock by our boat and waiting for their treats.  Geoff says it is cheaper for me to buy treats for all the marina dogs than to own one ourselves.  I often give them treats as they go by for their daily walks and they now stop and wait for me. 

Tues, Wed and Thursday, 9th, 10th and 11th February 2010  -  Bundy

Tuesday  … I left later today as I had my interview at 0945 am.  They said they had received 150 applicants so I am lucky to even get an interview, especially as my age is against me.  Still, it seemed to go well but I’m not holding my breath.  Note:  I had forgotten how hard it is to climb deep steps when you are wearing a skirt.  Work as usual.  I helped make 44 Valentines Day biscuits in the morning.  I met Geoff for lunch as usual and he said there had been a bit of a problem at work as a computer had gone missing as had some RAM memory.  They think they know who may have taken it but it leaves a nasty taste in your mouth as everyone is under suspicion.

Wednesday …  Work with nothing out of the ordinary to report.

Thursday … Worked in the kitchen but nothing to report.  Geoff helped out with computer training today which he likes as it makes a nice change.  Caroline, Stephen and Spuggy popped by late afternoon and stayed for a bit.  We have invited them to dinner on Saturday night and I have promised to make them one of my special Lemon Meringue Pie..

Friday, 12th February 2010  -  Bundy

A girls day out today with a bit of ‘Retail Therapy’ so Maryanne picked me up at 0900 am and we took off for Sugarland Shopping Centre, Spotlight, Sams Warehouse and then the Hinkler Centre.  I bought a slimline knife block at Sams Warehouse and when I got back to the marina I found I had picked up the empty display box.  Only I could do something like that!  I rang them and Maryanne is going to pick it up over the next few days.  We also went to the 1st Choice Liquor Outlet where I saw the McWilliams Heritage wine we like for only $3.91 (£1.80 for you Poms) a bottle if you bought six bottles.  Too cheap to pass up on so I bought nine bottles and left three with Maryanne for when we visit as they have a much drier palette than us.  We didn’t get back till after 2pm and I found Geoff had been busy fixing the tender.  He had fixed the hand holds and the seat bracket and hopes it will be ok.  I cooked him a nice piece of fillet steak for tea and I had a salad.

Saturday, 13th February 2010  -  Chinese New Year

Up early to make the Lemon Meringue Pie and make up the Beef Olives and get them into the crockpot.  Not before knocking the dry gravy mix all over the galley floor.  It was too hard to vacuum it all up so Geoff took it up and washed it on the dock for me.  It was such a hot day that it was soon dry and down again.  Whilst I was getting all of this ready Geoff replaced the anchor chain in the dinghy.  He also filled in the holes in the new doorway to stop, or at least deter, the mozis and sandflies coming in. 

Today was a very hot and burning sort of day.  Stephen, Caroline and Spuggy turned up just around 7 pm and we had the Beef Olives, Scalloped Potatoes, corn, carrots and beans followed by the Lemon Meringue Pie.  The Lemon Meringue Pie was just how Martin down in Victoria likes it (sorry Martin we ate it all).  After dinner we taught them how to play Mexican Train Dominoes and they picked it up very quickly.  I thought Stephen was going to win but in the end I was the winner.  Makes a change from losing all of the time.  As it was Chinese New Year we watched the fireworks near the bridge from the back deck.  Late to bed and I wandered up to the facilities before I retired and heard a load of yahoos up the main street and then a car alarm so was aware that the ‘brain dead’ were out and about again.

Sunday, 14th February 2010  -  Bundy

When Geoff went up to his scooter this morning he found it had been pushed over and was scratched.  So … The Brain Dead have hit again and Geoff was not amused, in fact, he was really P’d off.  He keeps it chained up at the begining of the River Walk.

Another really hot day so it was a lazy day as the heat was draining and we kept inside with the air con on.  About 5pm, when it had cooled down a tad, I winched Geoff right up to the top of the mast again as he wanted to tidy up a few bits from when he installed the new bracket and TV antenna.  He also wanted to change some of the screws for shorter ones.   Luckily, this time, he was only up there for about 30 minutes before he had it all done and I let him slowly down. 

Whilst he was up there Gerry turned up with a reasonably sized Catfish which we accepted as they make good fish cakes.  Geoff put the little portable gas burner out on the back deck and I steamed it ready to make the fish cakes tomorrow.  Once it was cooked and cool I pull all of the meat off making sure that there were no bones left on it. 

It was a light tea as neither of us was too hungry.  We had soup and toast.

 Monday,  15th February 2010  -  Bundy

Once again it was a very warm night so we had the air con on again overnight.  It was washing day again and it was soon done.  I then cooked up the potatoes, got some of Geoff’s fresh mint, basil, coriander and chives from his pot garden and made up the fish cakes.  We both relaxed in the afternoon and I read, played games and did computer work.  I also sent off our notice to the Govt Gazette stating we were going to apply for Australian Registration.  I also prepared out insurance forms but we are waiting for a valuer to come and value the boat so that we can apply for “Agreed Value’ rather than ‘Market Value”.  It will cost about $100 to have it valued. 

Tuesday, 16th February 2010  -  Bundy

Rain and very heavy today.  Both Geoff and I rang work to say we would be late as we were waiting for a lull in the rain and were waiting to make a dash for it.  Last time it really rained I got to work like a drowned rat and had to buy a new T shirt on the way to work.  We eventually had a window of opportunity and I made a dash for it and managed to get under cover when I reached the shop awnings before the next deluge.  Geoff went by on his scooter and got caught in it and was very wet when he got to work. I met him for lunch as usual and he told me that they had found the missing computer in the store room so everyone is pleased about that.  Now they only have to worry about the missing RAM. 

Wednesday, 17th & Thursday 18th, February 2010  -  Bundy

Wednesday … It is still raining but I got to work ok.  It was a normal boring work day with a ‘singalong’ in the morning and a’ reminiscing’ session in the afternoon.  When I got back to the boat Geoff was working on Linda’s laptop (she’s another cruiser in the marina).

Thursday … Still RAINING and work as usual but in the kitchen today.  Irene came in today to catch up on her weekly cake cooking for the morning teas and I helped ice a chocolate cake so she could head off home.  She said the centre had raised enough money from their Valentine’s Day cake raffle to be able to buy her a better mix master.  A great effort by all the members. 

When I got back Geoff had finished fixing Linda’s laptop and was working on getting the winch out on the front deck to give it a service.  As it is always raining he is finding it a pain.

Friday, 19th February 2010  -  Bundy

Geoff managed to get the winch out today as it has almost stopped raining with only the occasional shower.  He has been trying for the last couple of days but has been thwarted due to the rain.  He decided that the winch motor and gearbox may be in need of some attention as it had been over four years since the last service.  Winches can cost anywhere between $2000 and $4000 and his concern level was elevated by the fact that that sort of money would be hard to come by in our current financial situation.  The design of the holding bolts was poor and it took him 2 hours to remove the four holding bolts.  On removal, the gearbox was found to be ok and just needing new shear pins and a re-greasing. 

The motor, although working fine, was in need of some professional servicing to eliminate any possible future failures.  As we are thinking of going to the Louisiades in PNG this year, Geoff was aware of the need for the reliability of this bit of gear in areas where reefs are ever present and circumstances where hauling up the anchor needs to be done as quickly as possible.  The winch was, apparently, Argentinean and in all the years of wandering around marinas looking at other boats we have never seen another one of this make.  It’s probably 20 years old and as it sits in a wet locker (a locker that gets wet from sea water) its deterioration is expected.  Geoff has re-installed the gearbox with bolts he can put a spanner on both ends rather than the previous bolts with counter sunk screw driver slots. 

Maryanne and Owen rang to see if we wanted to go shopping and I said yes but Geoff declined as he wanted to take the motor into an automotive electrical workshop.  Maryanne and Owen arrived with their spare small microwave which JUST fitted in the spot I had in mind.  When we head of we will give it back as we don’t want any extra weight but it will be good to have for a little while.  We then headed off to various shops as Owen was buying stuff to build shelves in his garage/workshop.  We eventually ended up at IGA North where I did my weekly shopping and then we all went back to 2AB.  Taco’s for tea. 

Saturday, 20th February 2010  -  Bundy

No rain overnight and it looked like it was trying very hard to stay fine.  Geoff rang the boat valuer, Lib (Lib is short for Liberal which I found to be a very strange name indeed) and said it was not raining in Bundy.  Lib lives at Bagara, about 30 minutes away, so he said he would come in.  He had previously done a survey and valuation for us before we bought the boat in December 2004 and we had organized it over the phone and had not met him in person.  When he came we got a pleasant surprise as he said Cloud 9 cats hold their price and were a well sought after boat.  He also said we would get a much better price for her if we sold it down near Sydney as it was well suited for the great cruising grounds of Sydney, Pittwater, Brisbane Waters and the Hawkesbury River.  Good advice which we will probably take.  He said that he thought the value of the boat would come out around the $160,000 mark and we should, realistically, get $145,000.  He said she was a credit to us, which was nice. 

Just as he was leaving at midday Stephen, Caroline and Spuggy arrived and we chatted for hours about the Louisiades as they are the boat we are going to tag along with.  At the same time Geoff was having a look at Stephen’s laptop as the screen colours had gone haywire.  It was soon fixed. 

By this time it was 6 pm so we all decided that fish’n chips was in order so Stephen and I went off to get them.  They eventually left about 7.30 pm so had been on board for over 7.5 hours but they are good company and it was an enjoyable afternoon.  It did mean, of course, that we really didn't get anything done.

If you are interested in any information on the Lousiades then put in either of the website addresses below.

http://www.louisiades.net/Friends+of+the+Louisiadeshttp://www.laurig.com/cruisingguide.htmlhttp://www.laurig.com/cruisingguide.html

Sunday, 21st February 2010  -  Bundy

Bacon and eggs for Geoff only today as there is only enough bacon for one.  I had tomatoes on toast instead. 

Geoff went onto Ebay as it counted down the minutes to ensure he won the bid for the ip90 Canon printer he was after.  It was to replace ours that had given up the ghost (this is now our third one  -  2 new and 1 second hand).  We thought we could do without a printer but it was driving us nuts without it.  He has put in a lot of bids on ebay but kept missing out as he got outbid but this time lucky.  They are over $300 new. 

A day of relaxing really with nothing more to report on. 

Monday, 22nd February 2010  -  Bundy

Geoff had a call from the auto electrician today saying the winch motor was ready to be picked up.  It was $209 as they had to replace the bushes and solder up the armature.  Caroline and Stephen popped by for a QUICK cuppa then Geoff went off to get the motor and I did the washing, showered and picked up the mail.  The library book that fell into the marina has been sent back to me with an invoice for $55 to pay for it … bumma … someone was too observant.  I thought it looked ok but they must have thought not.  Ah well, such is life as Ned Kelly is supposed to have said when he went to the gallows.  It was very hot and humid today after all the rain we have had lately.  It is fine at the moment but still looks a bit iffy.  When Geoff came back with the motor he fitted it and tested it and, blow me down, it was going the wrong way and put the chain into the water instead of pulling it up.  He took it back and stayed whilst they changed it, a simple exercise, and came back and fitted it back in and it works perfectly. 

Tues, Wed, Thurs the 23rd, 24th and 25th February 2010  -  Bundy

Now what is there to report over these last three days.  Nothing much.

Tuesday … I worked in the kitchen on Tuesday as Margaret was getting new dentures made and was not game to show up without them. 

Wednesday … work as usual with nothing interesting to report

Thursday … they were supposed to cook a BBQ at the centre today but it rained again.  Plus they were short of volunteers so I cooked the snags up in four batches in an electric frypan and also cooked the onions on four batches in a frypan on the hob.  It took a while and was not an easy task but it was eventually done and cooked to my satisfaction.  Then we did craft work in the afternoon and one of the members, Brian and one of my favourites, took a turn and I had to get a staff member.  Luckily he was fine after some water but we kept an eye on him. 

Geoff was helping to teach Excel today at work.  They are having fun and games at the moment as they have a licence for 25 computers for Windows 7 but the licence doesn’t activate until all 25 computers have Windows 7 installed.  As they have only managed to put it on the training machines and not the office machines a message keeps coming up saying they have an illegal program.  It’s not, of course, but it doesn’t look good when the students see it so a lot of explaining has to be done.  Now they have to get their A’s into gear and get the program on the rest of the office computers. 

What else … oh yes, I have ordered our PNG courtesy flag and am awaiting for it to arrive.  We have been notified that our notice has gone into the Govt Gazette so, once our new printer arrives, we can get it printed off and the Aust registration for the boat sent off.  We have also finalized our boat insurance and have stayed with Oceanic, after some more negotiations to get the price down, as they have served us well since we bought the boat. 

Friday, 26th February 2010  -  Bundy

Maryanne picked us up at 9 am and we headed off to the Hinkler Shopping Centre.  We said we only needed to pick up a bit of supermarket stuff but famous last words.  We couldn’t resist two computer games that were going out at $10 for the two.  They were Indiana Jones and Pirates of the Caribbean.  I bought a good brand shampoo and conditioner that was going out cheap.   Each bottle was 900 ml so they should last me a while.  Even the food shopping was reasonable this week coming in at $95.  Back to the boat by midday and some lunch.  I then baked a packet cake replacing the egg and milk with soft drink.  It said use a can of soft drink and was an American recipe.  It took ages to cook and came out more like a pudding but tasty.  I went on the web and found another recipe that called for 1 packet cake and 10 oz of soft drink (300 ml Aus) so I will try that next time as the can I used was 375 ml.  I used ginger beer and vanilla cake and it had a good taste to it.  The reason for trying all of this out is because we won’t be able to take a lot of eggs and butter with us to the Louisiades as they both need to be refrigerated.   Saying that, I found out from the web that you can freeze eggs (not in their shell) so I have frozen one and will test it to see how it comes out in a few weeks time.  I am also testing out how to carbonate your own drinks without a machine.  The machines and gas cylinders are quite dear so if I can find another method, well and good.  The method I first tried was the brewers yeast method but I think I didn’t put in enough sugar so we will see in 24 hours time.  It is all a matter of experimenting.  The second method is with 2 bottles and a pipe connecting them.  In one bottle you put the fluid you want to carbonate and in the 2nd bottle you put vinegar or citric acid and drop in a parcel of baking powder and get the cap on quick.  You then shake the vinegar solution gently and the other bottle roughly.  The vinegar and baking powder react to make bubbles which gets transferred via the tube to the other bottle carrying the liquid you want fizzy.  Sounds good in theory.  I am waiting to finish up a soft drink bottle (I only have one at the moment) and Geoff will make up the apparatus for me and I will give it a go. 

In the afternoon Caroline and Stephen popped by.  Their boat is out on the moorings but they have to come ashore twice a day to let the dog have a walk and a pee.  This means they often pop by.  We were sitting chatting on the back deck having a cuppa when I heard a splash.  I said “what was that” but nobody took any notice of me so I just thought it was a fish as they jump a lot.  A few minutes later I saw this thing that looked like a broom handle next to one of the yachts further up the marina and, once again, said “what’s that” with the same results so thought nothing of it.  A while later Geoff said he had better put the spinnaker pole away but when he got to the front deck it wasn’t there.  I then put 2 and 2 together and it clicked that the splash I heard was it rolling into the marina and the ‘broom handle’ was the spinnaker pole floating away.  Stephen took Geoff in his tender to have a look for it and, luckily, another cruiser who was moored in the river had picked it up.  Good job as it would have been about $400 to replace.  Phew!  A bit of good luck. 

Saturday, 27th February 2010  -  Bundy

Well .. The ginger beer didn’t fizz so I will have to try again using more sugar.  I tried another soft drink cake using a really cheap 70¢ generic brand cake mix and just lemonade and a bit of cinnamon. The cake mix was ‘best by Aug 2008’ and it was more of a pudding than the other one.  I will try a dearer brand next time.  I checked again on the web and found that most of the people say it comes out the texture of a brownie (fudge like) so this must be how it is.  I will try a chocolate cake, cook it longer and try a metal cake pan next time.  I have been using a silicon cake pan as I can store these easier.  If it is still a bit fudgy in the centre I can melt chocolate over it and cut it into squares and call it chocolate brownies.

Caroline and Stephen popped by again but this time to borrow some tools as his outboard was playing up.  After they left we played Carcassonne and, yes, I was beaten again.  I must try to change my strategy.

After dinner we wandered up to Macca’s for a 50¢ ice cream cone and a read of their papers.  We were decedant and actually had two ice creams.  Mind you they are so small that even two would only be half a normal one.  Back to the boat for a bit of TV.

Sunday, 28th February 2010  -  Bundy

Bacon and eggs for brekky, of course.  Rain, sun, rain, sun, sun, sun.

Up for a shower.  The cleaner had just finished but you would never think so.  She never wipes the toilet cistern top, doesn’t sweep behind the toilets or doors.  She never sweeps but mops, sort of, and leaves all the muck behind.  It is filthy.  It’s a shame as the marina staff are very friendly and helpful.  All the boaties moan about it but nobody says anything to the marina bosses.  Silly, aren’t we.  Geoff went out to the shops to buy a few things and I stayed onboard trying to finalise the last bits to send off to the shipping registrar.  I have found one form we have missed so we will do that one tomorrow.  Unfortunately our printer hasn’t arrived yet as the payment went AWOL and we have only just submitted it again.  I will go to an internet café and print it off and get it done.  Have had some bed news.  A good friend, Kay, from Victoria rang to tell us that another very close friend had bowel cancer.  This shocked us as she is a very healthy eater and it was something you would never expect to happen.  Life doesn’t seem to be fair sometimes as her husband has prostate cancer and had already got over losing a kidney to cancer a few years ago.  We have been very down since hearing the news and can only wish good thoughts and sending then her way. 

Monday, 1st March 2010  -  Bundy

There has been an earthquake in Chile that has sent a tsunami across the Pacific.  This meant that we have a huge (for this part of the coast) tide of 3.5 metres this morning.  I have never seen the water so high since we have been here.  The walkway from the marina to the shore was downwards before going up again and the water is almost up to the car park.  Well, it actually was in the car park near the marina office and chandlery area.   It was raining again so I washed and dried my washing at the laundry this time.  At low tide they brought Defender, the boat in front of us, back in.  They were very good at towing it into place but we were ready with the fenders, just in case. 

I then went to the internet café to print off some more forms to finalise our application for Australian registration.  I met Geoff at the post office where we had some photos taken for the renewal of our passports.  They were $13 each and it was $26 wasted as the photos were terrible so when we got back Geoff took our own and will take them up to the local photography shop and got them printed of for 40¢ each, a fraction of the cost.  Why didn’t we do this in the first place.  On to IGA to pick up a few supplies and Geoff started looking at the Soda Stream machines which resulted in him buying one plus 2 extra bottles and 3 syrup flavours.  Hmmmm!  What happened to just buying a few supplies.  He said he could envisage me blowing up the boat with my carbonation experiments.  Once back on the boat we tested it out and made one raspberry/cranberry, one ginger beer and one lemonade.  Really easy but where am I going to store the machine?  But I soon found a spot for it. 

Geoff left me then and went out and ordered a heavy duty aluminium spinnaker pole for ease of use which will be delivered to the marina tomorrow.  Whilst he was out he got the passport photos printed off but I thought they were a little big so he made them a tad smaller .  They were supposed to be no bigger that 45 mm x 35 mm and his were 50 mm x 40 mm.

Onto the internet where I received an email from my sister Kay saying the bolts she had put in her back hadn’t worked and she has to have another operation and have more bolts put in different places.  This will give her 30% mobility and if that doesn’t work then she has to have a cage built up and I have no idea what they do for this.  This will give her less mobility again but she says she will put up with anything to lessen the pain.  She says she is entitled to a disability pension but does not want to go down that path until she really has to.  At the moment her firm is allowing her to work from home but for how much longer she doesn’t know. 

My other sister, Glynn, has sent me an MMS of a gas heater knob that she has found for us for our water heater.  So well done Glynn! 

 Tuesday, 2nd March 2010  -  Bundy

It is our 42nd wedding anniversary.  We didn’t go out to celebrate as it is not a thing we often do.  Work as usual and nothing of interest to write about.

Wednesday, 3rd March 2010  -  Bundy

I took the computer into work today and showed a couple of people things like Google Earth and Facebook plus a few other things which was a bit different.  We have been to the post office four times to try to get our passports renewed and there is always something wrong.  One time it was the photos were cut dead to size and we were told they like an overlap.  It doesn’t say this on the form though.  Another time the form hadn’t printed out properly and the form needed to be printed out on legal paper, another thing it didn’t tell you on the form or the web.  You can do your renewals online to a certain extent and once you put in your passport number it goes off and finds all of your details and fills it all in for you.  You then print this form off and go to the post office with a couple of photos and get it sent off.  

When I got to the post office and was waiting for Geoff I was intrigued by a guy in his 30’s in a four wheel drive who had stopped at the roundabout.  There were no cars coming and he was just sitting there holding up all the traffic behind him who were blowing their horns and yelling at him.  I stood and watched him for a good three minutes and then he eventually drove round the corner where he stopped at the pedestrian crossing.  There were no pedestrians and he just sat there again.  Once again the traffic was banked up and people were cursing him.  By this time Geoff had met me and was watching too.  I thought he beckoned to me so I went over to his open window and asked if he was ok.  He had his head up as if peering through the bottom of his glasses.  He turned to me and shouted for me to go away, leave him alone as he was alright.  I thought he must have been on drugs so noted down his rego.  Geoff and I then went into the post office and were in there a good five minutes or more.  When we came out the traffic was banked up all along the road and around the roundabout.  I looked down the road and yes, there he was still sitting there.  Someone said that someone should call the police and as I was the one who had taken down his number I did and they were going to try to intercept him.  Very strange and potentially a dangerous situation. 

Thursday, 4th March 2010  -  Bundy

Work as usual but in the kitchen today.

Owen picked us up at 5pm as he had a bad virus on his PC.  Geoff had popped in to see if he could fix it yesterday but it wouldn’t even boot up.  This time he took a bootable disc and his laptop in case he needed to research things on the web.  Owen had a current virus protection programme but his clock was out so it wasn’t checking for viruses before he downloaded his emails.  Geoff took the PC back to a restore point before this all happened and found 21 potentially harmful infections.  All is well now and he has set the machine to check for viruses as soon as Owen boots up the computer.  They had friends, Rob and Margie, staying with them.  

Friday, 5th March 2010  -  Bundy

Got up this morning and found a mess of weed floating down the river which was catching on a lot of the boats.  We had been told by other cruisers that it often happens when there has been flooding up river and it can get so thick you can walk on it.  It is supposed to bring snakes with it so you have to be careful.  We got a lot of it off from around our rudders but have been told we have another 3/4 days of it coming.  It is Water Hyacinth from way up river towards Gayndah. 

 It is very heavy and there is a lot of it under water that you can’t get to.  Debbie from Femme de la Mer, says you have to just keep an eye on it and, when the river stops running so fast, it will just disintegrate and you will be able to get it off easier.  But she also says it smells really badly when it is rotting  so we have that to look forward to.  At least we have some sun today. 

Geoff went up to the office and our printer had arrived.  It was just sent in a jiffy bag without any extra padding so Geoff was not impressed.  He got it back to the boat and tested it and it works fine.

Had an email from S who seems very positive about her problems.  She has her operation on the 19th so we will be thinking of her.

BIG DRAMAS … Earlier in the day a couple of boats had broken their moorings or the actual moorings had come adrift which was probably due to the fast flowing water and the weight of all the weed that was building up at the front/backs of the boats.  Around 4pm Geoff went out on the dock for some reason and looked across the river and said “where have all the moored boats gone?” whereas I replied “where would they have taken them all?”.  He said “they haven’t taken them anywhere they have just gone”.  We then walked to the end of the dock where a few people were standing looking downstream and there they all were in one tangled mess. 

I then noticed that Caroline and Stephen’s Phencara was no longer on their mooring and I could just distinguish it on the edge of the tangle of boats.  What had happened was that one boat broke its mooring and slammed into the next boat and took it out which slammed into the next boat etc etc, just like dominoes.  They all broke their moorings but some were towing the remains of the concrete mooring slab along with them.  We think these bits of concrete caught on a ledge and held the tangled boats in one place on the river.  I rang Caroline and Stephen to come back as I knew they were in town.  Stephen and another boatie headed out to Phencara whilst I held Spuggy (Their Dog) and comforted Caroline and saying that their boat was a heavy steel boat and would probably come out of it ok.  Whilst this was going on another drama was unfolding nearby.  One boat had broken its mooring and drifted back onto another moored boat.  The owner of one of the boats was in his dinghy trying to get them apart when the two boats slammed together trapping him between them.  I wasn’t there when it actually happened but other boaties said his screams were terrible.  Somehow he managed to get himself back up onto his boat and the marina boat took the ambo officers over to him.  Eventually they got him onto a stretcher and took him to the boat ramp on the north side of the river.  Geoff heard on the local news later that night that he had broken his pelvis (I later found he had broken it in four places).  I have included the news item from the web below. 

 A 56-YEAR-old man was rushed to hospital after being crushed between two boats in the Burnett River near Midtown Marinas about 4.30pm yesterday.

About 12 boats collided after they broke free from their moorings in the flooded river yesterday afternoon.

The man was in a dinghy between two vessels trying to separate them, when they crashed together crushing his pelvis and legs.

“He was able to get himself onto one of the boats, and paramedics went across to him in a dinghy,” Queensland Ambulance Service Burnett Coast acting officer-in -Charge Warren Smith said.

Queensland Fire and Rescue officers were ferried across to the yacht to help move the patient, in a boat borrowed from passers-by.

“We put him onto a spine board and strapped him in, then lifted him onto a boat and slowly transferred him to the North Bundaberg boat ramp where we had an ambulance waiting,” Mr Smith said.

“We really appreciated the help from the people who offered their boats to help.”

The man was in a stable condition last night, with a fractured pelvis and cuts to his legs.

Sailor Jim Currier said the boats may have drifted away because of the large amount of hyacinth weed in the river, which was brought down with the floods.

It is believed the weight of the weed caught on one boat’s anchor caused the rope to snap, sending the vessel crashing into others.

“It was like dominoes – they all bumped into each other after that,” Mr Currier said.

All this time we were also wondering what was happening on Phencara.  By this time it was after 5pm but eventually we saw Phencara pulling slowly away from the tangled island of boats and slowly making her way up river where they rafted up to a large and heavy fishing trawler.  They have a few bent rails etc but nothing that is not easily fixed but did have a lot of fibreglass debris on her decks so somewhere in that tangle of boats is one that has come off second best. 

By dark the tangle was still there.  A French family had just flown back in from overseas and were just sitting forlornly whilst some one looked to see where their boat had ended up.  The river is flowing very, very fast and now they are worried that the incoming tide will collide with the fast flowing river and make the river rise above the car park so most people have moved their cars to higher ground.  If the river rises too much we will all be asked to leave but we will not be able to go anywhere as our motors are no match for the river as it is at the moment.  Plus we do not know how much weed is around the propellers.  We have been removing the build up of weed from the rudders but the propellers are much harder to get at.  High tide is at 2.30 am so we are keeping our fingers crossed.  We have been told the river will peak on Sunday so we have some sleepless nights ahead of us.  Thank goodness we have renewed our insurance. 

AND IT CONTINUES …

Saturday, 6th March 2010  -  Bundy

We are sitting here in the saloon at 5.30 am sipping hot milk drinks after being awoken at 3.30 am.  We heard a lot of noise and got up to find that a ketch had come off its mooring and had headed downstream with nobody on it.  It had hit ‘Femme de la Mer’ on its way past.  It has come to rest on a motor boat that is still moored in the river.  The motor boat has an elderly but fit couple on board but no one has a powerful enough motor on their dinghy to go out to help them.  Then a small yacht and a large cat broke their moorings just up river from the marina and they hit a quite a few boats on the outer berths of the marina.  Most of us were up by now and managed to get ropes to them (luckily they had crew on board) and rafted them up to the boats they were nearest to, including Gerry and Celia’s boat.  It is great to see the cruising community all banding together to help each other out.  A baby was passed over to the dock from the small yacht so won’t they have some stories to tell her when she grows up.

We went back to bed just after 5.30 am and slept till 8.30 am when I was awoken by a bang.  I decided to get up and have a look to see what was happening and a large cat had come adrift from another of the moorings just upstream from the marina and had slammed sideways onto an old wooden structure on the end of the dock.  Thank goodness that old wooden structure was there otherwise they may have taken ‘Femme de la Mer’ with them.  The wooden structure is now much the worse for wear. 

It was held there by the river for over 1.5 hours whilst the marina work boats tried to release it.  When it did eventually go, it went sideways down the river at a fast rate of knots, after giving ‘Femme de la Mer’ and glancing blow.  There were now crew on board and, with the aid of the workboats, managed to tie up at the fuel dock. 

Since we went to bed at 5.30 am all but one of the boats moored on the mid stream buoys have disappeared.  They had come adrift and are down river somewhere.  The tangle from yesterday is not so big with only four boats there.  The others have either come lose and are now further downstream or they have been saved by their owners and/or marina staff and are now rafted up to the fishing trawlers.   The police have come down to the marina to ask everyone to watch out for a person in the water.  This idiot had been jet skiing on a weir further upstream and had fallen off and gone over the weir and was now in the fast flowing river somewhere.  His saving grace is that he is wearing a life jacket.  What an idiot! 

All we can do is try to keep the weed free from the rudders.  Geoff has tied our two dinghy oars at the back of the boat to try to deflect the weed as it gets to us.  It seems to be working a bit.  Better something than nothing.  Today is very hot and sunny so the effort of doing all of this takes it out of you and Geoff is now having a lie down as he is knackered. 

Of course, all the photos don’t show it as bad as it is.  If only we could put a bit of movie on this journal.  Maybe I can get Geoff to attach a bit of movie when I send the journal.  Geoff finally removed the oars as the force of the river kept washing them away and there seems to be less Hyacinth coming down the river now.  We have marked the dock posts to see how high the water rises so we can keep an eye on it.  The marina work boats came and towed the two rafted up boats away from the marina this afternoon and have found spots for them somewhere.  They have been working very hard all day.

Sunday, 7th March 2010  -  Bundy

There’s much less weed coming down the river now but the river is still very high and fast flowing.  We haven’t heard any news about the jet skier that was on his way down river.  There are some large logs floating down at times.  It is still raining and we would all dearly like it to stop as it is now a Neap tide and from today the tides will be getting higher as they go towards a Spring tide.  With the level of the river already, it is a worry that the level of the water will get too great and we will all have to leave.  How, I do not know as most boats would have a heap of weed around there rudders and propellers.  We were going to go to the shops today just to get out of the marina for a while but it rained too much.  But, we did get a mooring rope back that was given out in the frantic tie ups of the night before. Caroline and Stephen popped by for a cuppa and said they had managed to rescue a few boats yesterday with friends that had arrived from out of state.  There are still some missing which have probably gone all the way down river.  We know a power cat has been badly damaged.  All the moored boats that came loose have sustained damage of some sort.  Not structural but will take a few dollars to fix up.  Geoff spent the day working on the movie of our Christmas trip as there is not much we can do today.   I worked on this journal & sent off some emails telling people of what’s happening in our life.

Monday, 8th March 2010  -  Bundy

The river flow seems to be easing a tad and the river looks lower and the weed has almost gone, thank goodness.  Now  we just need the rain to stop so it doesn’t cause any more grief.  Many of the inland towns have gone under and the damage bill is going to be really high.  We badly needed the rain but when it does come it can be so destructive. 

After cleaning the galley, head and saloon we wandered up to the Customs & Quarantine office and spent a good 30 minutes with them talking to them about the requirements of clearing out and back in to Australia later this year.  We got a lot of info and they were very helpful and friendly.  We then walked up to the bridge to take a stitched photo of the river showing the lack of moored boats.  You can then see how many of the boats broke their moorings.  Some have stayed on, further down stream, as they were not hit in that domino effect I spoke of earlier. 

Before we left Geoff had made a loaf of bread which we had left to do its second rise and it was well and truly risen so in it went in the oven.  It came out well but the pan we have is really too small so Geoff has ordered a proper one from a hospitality place.  After a bite to eat it was back up to IGA to get in a few supplies and that was it for the day.

Tuesday, 9th March 2010  -  Bundy

The river is still flowing quite fast but it is definitely dropping and the sun is out, hooray.  But now the sun is out it is so very humid and the perspiration is just dripping off me.  Work as usual and they got me to stand up in front of the oldies and tell them all the events that had happened in the marina and river over the last few days.  It shocked most of them as there wasn’t much in the paper or on the news.  The only bit was the guy getting crushed between the boats.  There was so much flooding inland that they must have thought our woes  were not worth reporting. I finished early as I was a little fatigued and made my way back to the boat.  Geoff must have put the A/Con on when he left and I thought goodie but it was set on 28ºC for some reason and it wasn’t working so the boat was as hot as normal when I opened up.  As I got back to 2AB they were carefully towing a small yacht up our arm which they maneuvered between two other boats and tied it off.  It was Ewan and Laura with the baby that had been handed over during the drama of last Saturday early morning.  They were going to do repairs to it as the outboard had been ripped away when it had hit another boat when they came adrift.  When Geoff came back he said he had been interviewed by the Newsmail (local newspaper) as I had emailed them about the dramas on the river.  So ….  I have cut and pasted the cutting below: -

Boats scattered after the flood

Mike Derry | 10th March 2010

Yachts are moored together in the Burnett River near Midtown Marina. About 20 yachts were swept from their moorings by huge clumps of weed being pushed by floodwaters at the weekend. Photo: MIKE KNOTT yac0503a

ABOUT 20 yachts swept from their moorings at Midtown Marina by floodwaters and a wall of waterweeds at the weekend are still scattered along the banks of the Burnett River.

Geoff White and his wife Maz, who live on a boat moored at the marina, said they were woken at about 4am on Saturday by shouts for help as the weeds swept down the river by floodwaters hit the boats.

“It was like dominoes – the first boat came loose and hit the next and so on,” he said.

“I don’t think there’s much that could have been done about it. Some of those clumps of weed would weigh three or four tonnes; you could walk on them.”

Mr White said his boat was on the inside of the mooring, but they still had the inconvenience of clearing weeds off it.

“A string of boats went down the river in one hit,” he said.

“It was a combination of weeds and water, but mostly weeds because, after that had gone, the rest of the boats just stayed at their moorings.”

Midtown Marina owner Ray Foley said their moorings were designed by a naval architect to hold boats up to 50 tonnes.

“But once you get a wall of weed coming down the river in clumps that weigh three or four tonnes there’s not much you can do,” he said.

Mr Foley said he had been expecting a lot of water to come down the river, but he did not think there was so much weed up there.

“The weed caused all the problems and cost us a lot of money, because we lost some moorings that will never be recovered,” he said.

Mr Foley said there had been no warning at all and he and his staff were taken by surprise.

All the boats had been found and tied up securely, and he and his staff were taking them back to the marina.

But boatie Trevor Hunt, whose boat is tied up at a different marina on the north bank of the river, disputed that the marina moorings were designed to hold 50 tonnes. He also believed staff at the marina had ample warning of the flood.

Wednesday, 10th March 2010  -  Bundy

I worked in the kitchen till about 10.30 am then played a new game called Sequence which was quite good.  After lunch they played a DVD on Lake Eyre and the floods which was very good and whiled the time away. 

When I got back to the boat Geoff said the Chris D was coming to visit after all.  She arrived at 5pm and we headed off for dinner at 6.30 pm.  We went to a restaurant called H2O in the local hotel but only had a drink as the menu  was very limited due to a new chef starting that actual night.  We walked to another restaurant at the other end of town but when we got there we found it was closed.  So we walked all the way back into town and looked at another couple which didn’t take our fancy and ended up at 8 pm at The Old Bundy Tavern opposite H2O so were back where we started.  By this time we would have eaten anywhere and Chris wasn’t going to walk any further as she had blisters on her feet from all the traipsing about.  I enjoyed the meal although it wasn’t a patch on the restaurant at Bagara where we ate with Chris the last time she was up.  When we had eaten she ordered a taxi and gratefully slipped into the seat to relax for the journey back to her motel in Bagara.  It was good to catch up and get a bit of exercise although I don’t think Chris would agree with that last statement.  Poor Chris!

Thursday, 11th March 2010  -  Bundy

Work as usual but in the kitchen so the time went quite quickly.  I cooked the BBQ again today as it was raining.  The snags came in already cooked so it was just a matter of putting them in the oven, cooking up the onions and making up the supplied salads.  Piece of cake.  Back to the boat where we rang Salpal but will ring again tomorrow as she was on the road.

Friday, 12th March 2010  -  Bundy

Rained and was very windy.

I sent Geoff out to Woolies to buy some stock of Nescafe coffee as they had it on special.  Now that supermarkets have to put the price per 100 gms/kgs etc it is really easy to compare prices.  The special at IGA worked out at $4.40 per 100 gm and the specials at Woolies worked out at $3.33 per 100 gm so it was quite a saving.  On the way he popped into Kmart and they had the same coffee on at $3.13 per 100 gm.  It just shows it pays to shop around.  He bought 6 x 375 gm tins of coffee.  He saved $4.50 between the Kmart price and the Woollies price but he saved a whopping $28.50 between the IGA and Kmart price.  I had to work this out quite a few times as it seemed too much of a saving but it is definitely correct.  So it just goes to show how much you can save and, if you have the money, to buy in bulk.  We are slowly getting some supplies together for the Louisiades so it is not so much of a big shop when we eventually have to provision. 

Geoff was busy today as he made a vinyl waterproof cover for the companion way hatch which will only be used if we leave the boat for a period of time or if the bimini gets damaged. 

As for me, I sorted out the storage areas under my bunk to see what was stored there and also what food we had in stock and what I needed to use before the ‘best before’ date.  Cooked sweet and sour chicken for tea which made a nice change. 

Saturday,  13th March 2010  -  Bundy

I did a lot of computer work today as I changed our address on line for a lot of places such as Telstra, Qld Transport, HBA etc.  It took quite a bit of my time and I was glad to get it all done. 

Geoff fiddled around making a new system on his extendable fiberglass moorfast pole to allow it to be multifunctional as a Gaf, Moorfast and bimini prop.  He also used the old TV antenna extendable pole to make into a heavy duty boat hook as I use the normal one to ferret  things out from the back of the coffin bunks.  Of course both of these items have to be stowed somewhere convenient and secure so he spent some time setting up a clip system to facilitate their stowage. 

We received an email from Alison and Dave saying they would be here at the end of next week, so that is something to look forward to.  We also rang Sally and Martin to pick their brains for any tips for overseas cruising.  It was great to catch up again.

 At 5.30 pm we wandered up to meet Jan outside Dimmeys back entrance  and she took us back to her place for Dinner followed by Lemon Meringue Pie.  Jan is a volunteer at Gracie Dixon Respite Care, like me.  She showed us photos of her NZ trip and then we showed her our movies of our NZ trip.  Suckers for punishment as they sat through the whole four chapters which took just over an hour.  Her mum, Ena, lives with her and is a member of Gracie Dixon’s and normally hits the sack about 8.30 pm but stayed up until we left at after 10pm.  It was an enjoyable night. 

Sunday, 14th March 2010  -  Bundy

Bacon and eggs this morning but then I broke a tooth eating a crispy piece of bacon.  Bumma … more expense.  Would you believe it is raining, surprise surprise!  Maybe it was because I did two loads of washing.  It is only showers so I might be able to get it all dry. 

Geoff worked on the movie of our Christmas trip in the afternoon and has got it almost done.  Then … DISASTER …when I knocked over my glass of wine and some drops landed on his laptop keyboard.  He wiped it off really quickly but the damage was done and now half of the keys do not work.  How bad did you think I felt?  I am not a very popular person at present, with Geoff and myself.  Not that Geoff has said anything, he hasn’t even whinged but he’s just gone quiet.  He took it out to have a look at it but it is stuffed so now we have to look at buying a new keyboard for it.

Monday, 15th March 2010  -  Bundy

There is a cyclone hovering off the north east coast of Queensland at the moment.  Named Cyclone Ului so we will be keeping an eye on it as they are currently saying it could hit landfall down here. 

Maryanne picked us up at 9.30 am and we went back to their place to sort out the stuff we have stored and list it.  Well, that was the plan but Geoff got sidetracked fixing a lock so, basically, I did it all. After lunch we picked Mia up from the vet as she was having a haircut.  Lick, lick, lick and then it was back to the boat with her as Maryanne was having croquet lessons and Owen had a few chores to do in town.  I went up to IGA and bought a few things plus a few T shirts for trade from the Op Shop.  Back to 2AB to take Mia for a walk.  Checked my emails and saw an email from Sue and Arno and Sue said the ornamental grapevine was red and looking very pretty and we could see it if we went to their webcam.  So I did and there was Arno working in the gardens over at The Lodge and Cottages.  This felt really weird, watching him in real time, so I rang Sue and asked her if he really was there and, yes, he was.  So it was a good excuse to ring and have a natter and catch up on all of their news. 

I then went on the web and found a new keyboard from Hong Kong for the princely sum of $5.99 US.  That’s right, $5.99.  As we wanted it in a real hurry we paid the top premium mail delivery of $40US.  This was still much cheaper than buying it here especially with the strength of the Aussie dollar against the greenback.

In the afternoon Geoff routed some grooves in the wooden spinnaker pole which he will then paint.  He has done this for extra grip when he handles it.  He has decided to keep the wooden one as he is a little unsure of the strength of the aluminium one.  We may give the aluminum pole away to a village in the Louisiades as I’m sure they will be able to make use of it somewhere. 

Later we received an email from Baza (previous owner) saying that the guy he bought 2AB from said the rigging was less than 6 years old but Baza had no proof.  If this is so then it means the rigging is only 11 years but Geoff thinks that at least some of it is original as some have the old NZ turnbuckles. Maybe the rigging that has the new Ronston turnbuckles may be younger.  Still, we will see about replacing it when we get up to Airlie Beach where we know there is a rigging company. 

Tuesday, 16th March 2010  -  Bundy

We are still watching Cyclone Ului as it makes its way SW towards the north of the Qld coast.  At present it is still quite a way out to sea (and it can stay there!).  They are predicting, at this stage, that it may be heading for us here at Bundy and it is currently a Category 4 cyclone.  It would not be good for us (are cyclones ever good for anyone?) as we would have to leave the marina and it would be everybody for themselves.  We all would have to find a spot to anchor in the river and we would take all our sails and covers down and make ourselves as secure as possible.  Then it would be the decision of whether to stay with the boat or leave. Geoff says he would stay which would probably mean I would stay too as I would be more worried about what was happening to Geoff, if I went away.  Still, it might come to nothing and I am worrying for nothing. 

It was work as usual and then it was off to the dentist.  The actual filling was painless but it wasn’t so painless when I went to pay.  $220  -  OUCH!

Wednesday,  17th March 2010  -  Bundy

Still watching Cyclone Ului which is still, very slowly, making its way SW towards the Qld coast.  You will be fed up with me talking about it by the time it makes landfall.  They can’t predict its path but they are saying it might hit between Hervey Bay and Rockhampton with us slap bang in the middle. 

Work as usual with nothing of note to write about.

Geoff has been offered four weeks paid work with the Wide Bay Volunteers running their IT section.  Jason, his young boss, is having a few personal problems and they have given him four weeks leave of absence to try to sort whatever it is out (Geoff doesn’t know what the problem is and doesn’t want to know).  He thinks he is much too young to be in a managerial position as he is really just ’one of the boys’.   Because it is a short term paid position Geoff will still be eligible for a part payment of the Newstart Allowance.  This money should help a tad. 

When I got home Geoff was busy working on the cutlery drawer.  He had made a small compartment at the back which held the small sharp knives and which, in hindsight, should have been in the front of the drawer.  He managed to change it around and it is now so much more ‘user friendly’.  On the way home I purchased a very cheap cooking thermometer as I want to try to make yoghurt from scratch from just using milk powder, water and a tablespoon of plain yoghurt for the base culture.  If it works out it will save me buying so much Easiyo powder yoghurt.  You can also strain the yoghurt through a cheesecloth (or Chux) to make a type of cream/cottage cheese which you can use for the base of dips.  It is supposed to be easy so we shall see.

Allison rang and said that they will be here Thursday afternoon and we are really looking forward to seeing them.

Thursday, 18th March 2010  -  Bundy

We are still watching Cyclone Ului and it now looks like it will make landfall much further north of us, between Townsville and Rockhampton which is a large area so they are hedging their bets.  We may still feel the effect down here with strong winds and rain so we will still have to take care. 

Work as usual and, as usual, nothing to report.

Sent a text message to S wishing her all the best for tomorrow.  Allison and Dave arrived about 4pm and we pointed them in the right direction to find a cabin in a caravan park.  They were only staying one night so decided not to put their camper trailer up.  They were soon back and it was sundowners on the back deck before wandering up to The Old Bundy Tavern for a meal.  The meals were ok but nothing plush but the company was superb and we chatted the night away. 

Friday, 19th March 2010  -  Bundy

It looks like Cyclone Ului is still moving quite slowly and will probably make landfall around the Airlie Beach area during the early hours of Sunday night.  Because it is so slow moving it is allowing people to have plenty of time to put their disaster plans into effect. 

Allison and Dave arrived just after 9.30 and they had made room for me in the vehicle so we headed off to the Hinkler Museum with Geoff on the scooter showing the way.  We spent a couple of hours seeing the Museum, Hinkler House and having a coffee.  They were on limited time as they had to get back Glen Innes so could only give it the quick ‘once over’ and I hope they found it interesting. 

After hugs they were on their merry way as they had to get back as Allison had decided to accept another HR job in Dubai and had heaps of things to organize.  So a new job and a new chapter in their lives.

We checked the mail and the tinned butter had arrived as had the new keyboard for Geoff’s laptop.  How quick was that?  Ordered on Monday and here on the Friday.  You couldn’t get faster service than that.  Whilst Geoff fiddled with the laptop installing the new keyboard I made a yoghurt from scratch using powdered milk and a tablespoon of plain yoghurt as the base culture.  After a few hours I checked it and it had set well and in less time than the packaged base yoghurt.  Now we only have to give it the ‘taste test’.  Sam sent a text and said that S was in recovery and that everything had gone well and she did not need to have a colostomy bag.  S will be so pleased with that result.  I rang Lois and let her know how S was progressing. 

Saturday, 20th March 2010  -  Bundy

The Bureau of Meteorology are now updating the track of Cyclone Ului every three hours and it still looks like Airlie Beach is going to take the brunt of the force early Sunday morning.  There are a lot of boats up that way so let’s hope they don’t get too much damage.  It as been downgraded to a Cat 2 at the moment but they say it will probably intensify to a Cat 3 before it reaches the coast. 

Geoff spent part of the day installing the quiet fan from his bedroom into the saloon and taking down the really noisy and more power hungry one.  He had put a new one in his cabin as the low speed had gone on his old one.  High speed is fine for the saloon so we now have a nicer looking and much quieter one there now.  Caroline and Stephen popped by late afternoon and I offered them the one we had replaced which they gratefully accepted as they said they had a spot in mind for it.  They stayed for a while and had drinks and nibbles and then it was time to take down the rain/sun cover, tie up the sails, secure any loose items, just in case. 

I then rang Sam to get an update on S and she said she had come through everything really well although was feeling a little down at the moment.  Who wouldn’t be?  Sam gave me the phone number and ward number and I shall ring her on Monday to see how she is and catch up on everything. 

We had Prawn Cocktail for tea made with lettuce out of Geoff’s garden (pots) and this was followed by the home made yoghurt and topping.  We both thought it was better than the Easiyo ones and much more creamy. 

Sunday, 21st March 2010  -  Bundy

Bacon and eggs. It was hot (for me) overnight as I had to have my hatch closed as it rained (nothing new) and we didn’t have the rain cover up.  We need to get the rain cover re-stitched anyway so it had to come down at some stage.  We have some blustery wind here but not much so we probably could have got away without taking it down and tying everything off but better safe than sorry, as I said previously.  Half the yachts in the marina secured and tied up their sails and half didn’t. Still, we would rather do it than not!  Cyclone Ului crossed the coast at Airlie Beach as a Cat 3 Cyclone.  We are getting some reports coming in from Mackay saying that the received moderate damage but they are 140 kms south of Airlie where the main cyclone crossed so we shall have to wait and see.  Reports have come in of power off, roads closed, crops destroyed, roofs off, flooding and boats wrecked.  This probably means our boat insurance  will go up next year.  As I said, it is only blustery here but we are about 650 kms away from Airlie Beach. 

  

Geoff spent some of the morning painting the lower wall of his cabin as it was looking a little tired and mouldy.  He wants it to look ok for when Wyn and Ann come in April.  He also did some more painting of the re-vamped Spinnaker Pole.  I cooked up some sultana scones which came out more like rock cakes.  Other than that a bit of a lazy day.

Monday, 22nd March 2010  -  Bundy

A good nights sleep at last as I haven’t been sleeping soundly lately.  Today was wash day and it was soon done.  I made up another yoghurt.  These home made yoghurts are just ‘The Best’ as they are so creamy and you just need a small squirt of the fruit topping to sweeten them.  Much better than the Easiyo mixes or the commercially made stuff and cheaper to boot. 

I rang the Shipping Registry to see how our Australian Registration for the boat was going.  The lady handling it was out but another lady said that a letter had been sent asking for a couple of minor details to be finalized.  I went up to the office but there was no mail for us but Maryanne rang later to say that it had arrived at their place and they would drop it off.  She dropped it off in the afternoon and it was what we had been waiting for and we have retained the name 2Abreast which is great.  Now all we have to do is mark her with her name and home port on the stern and her length overall and official number in the cockpit or saloon.  Once we have done all this, as per the instructions, we sign the form and get a witness to sign saying we have done it all, send it back and it is all done.  By this time the washing was all dry so I sat on the back deck and did a little ironing of the clothes we use for work ‘a woman’s work is never done’.  Geoff finished the top coat of the Spinnaker Pole and fitted on all the stainless steel fittings,.  He then finished off the movie of our Christmas trip for Maryanne and Owen .  Email time and there was one from Denise in Toowoomba saying it looks like ‘her’ Geoff has been underpaid by Garden Villages by 23% and she will let us know how he gets on as the union is looking into it for him and there will be a lot of village managers who will probably be putting in a claim.  Very interesting.  She also said that Robert and Vicky, the managers who took over from me at Glenvale Gardens, are suing Stuart as he will not release some of their possessions that they left at the previous village.  What a cheek that is and I hope they have a win.

Tuesday, 23rd March 2010  -  Bundy

Work as usual.  Geoff started his four weeks paid work which should help a tad.  It was a warm and beautiful Autumn day today.  Just how I like it. 

When we arrived back at the boat after work we looked at all the instructions on how to mark the boat and decided to wander around the marina looking at how other boats had done theirs.  We didn’t get far before we were on a NZ boat drinking coffee and chatting.  After the coffee we continued on around the marina a got some ideas on where we will put the markings. 

Later, as we watched the news, it seems that Cyclone Ului was much more destructive than first thought.  Reports were now coming in from the more remote areas of Mackay and Airlie Beach as they managed to get the word out.  The Eungella Chalet, which we visited with Dad and Chris and Shoo, has been very badly damaged and may, or may not, be fixed up depending on their insurance claim.  I tried and tried to find a photo on the web of the damage but to no avail … sorry.  I did find these though and thought they may be of interest. 

We also received an email from Lindsay and Diane on ‘Fiddler V1’ saying they had been in the marina at Airlie Beach when the cyclone struck and they sent some photos which I have included on the previous page.  If we had known they were there we would have been really worried for them.  But, they rode it out well as they stayed on the boat and made sure it stayed secure and received no damage whatsoever.  Great news. 

 

Wednesday, 23rd March 2010  -  Bundy

It was a client free day at Gracie Dixon’s today so I had the day off.  I met a friend, Jan, at 9.30 am in town and we went for a couple of coffees.  It was nice to have a Girlie morning out for a change.  From there I went onto Centrelink to put in my new and signed Activity Plan, which I didn’t need to do as they already had it on the system.  They really do stuff things up sometime.  Still, I managed to find out when Geoff has to lodge his income report so it wasn’t a complete waste of time.  Went to the Op Shop, picked out a little shopping and back to the boat where I rang up my Superannuation scheme to get some info on getting an income stream set up with my palty amount of superannuation, small as it may be it all helps.  Geoff went out and picked up the sun shade and then had to reinstall all the elastic tie downs and then we put it back up.  Time for a snoozette as he was a bit tired from the stress of getting his head around the new job he has at the Wide Bay Volunteers.

Thursday, 24th March 2010— Bundy

Work as usual and a nice warm, sunny day again.  I met Geoff back at the boat and he says he has another couple of ‘work for the dole’ people starting soon and he wonders what he is going to do with them.  At 5pm Owen and Mia picked us up and took us back to their place.  They had another couple visiting who were new friends, Marg and Don, and who were new to Bundy.  We showed the short Christmas DVD which they kept as Geoff had made it for them and then Geoff quickly looked at Owen’s computer again.  We had a nice tea which was very filling.  We chatted away and it was, as usual, a good evening and we got back to 2AB around 10 pm and we were soon in bed ‘zzzzzing’.

Friday, 26th March 2010  -  Bundy

Caroline and Stephen popped by and had a quick cuppa.  I then went into town and pulled out some money.  We are now on a strict budget and I have money for two weeks and once it has gone we have to wait until the next two weeks start.  We have a tendency to just buy things if we see them and this way it makes you so very aware of where the pennies are going.  I went up and got a few supplies before getting back to the boat to make cheese on toast for lunch.  Geoff was working out how he was going to do the markings on the stern of the boat.  Being as that we were now on a strict budget we  had to use our brain power to keep the cost low without the end results looking amateurish.  Geoff came up with the idea of typing the markings on the computer and printing them off (using two sheets of paper) and using this as a pattern on some heavy duty clear contact .  He carefully cut out the letters to make a ‘stick on’ stencil.  It was quite a fiddly job sticking it to the stern of the boat as there was a very slight curve and it tried to wrinkle.  When we applied the other stencil to the other side (with the word Bundaberg on it) we cut the stencil into three and it was much easier to handle.  He then masked up around it and spray painted it. 

 So… we now have 2Abreast on one side and Bundaberg (now being our home port) on the other and it looks ok.  He is going to order a plaque for the cockpit which will have to have all the other necessary details on it.  Hopefully it won’t cost too much. 

Alan, from Gypseastwo’ wandered by and came onboard for a drink whilst his wife, Lesley, washed all their bed linen as their Siamese cat had decided to have her litter of kittens on it when Lesley was distracted.  This is always the case … you make up a nice whelping box and they sneak of elsewhere.  Sasha did the same thing to us and had her puppies on our bed.  Yuk!  I don’t think I washed our bed linen as I think I put it in the bin. 

Saturday, 27th March 2010  -  Bundy

Today I have made another yoghurt as I am draining the rest of the previous one to make a cheesy dip to see how it comes out.  Geoff decided he needed to put ‘chlorine impregnated’ garbage bags around the propellers again so I helped him with that and then I cooked up the remaining catfish I had in the freezer  and added some tuna to make up 8 fish cakes using some of Geoff’s fresh herbs from his ‘pot’ garden.  It was a 20% Geoff and 80% me joint effort.  The fish cakes always come out well when you use catfish as the flesh is quite dry and the fish cakes stay together better.  So much more yummy than fish cakes from the supermarket.  Geoff went off to have a hair cut and to buy a pair of shoes from Rivers as they were on sale at $18, reduced from $50, as his old ones were showing their age.  A bit of R&R whilst I hade some stale bread soaking to make up a bread pudding.  Whilst I was doing all this Geoff repaired the scratch on the starboard hull from when the marina towed out the boat ‘Defender’ and scratched us.  They said they would fix it up but Geoff got tired of waiting.  After lunch I cooked up the bread pudding and made the dip from the yoghurt cheese and both turned out well.  Geoff did a little bit of surfing on the web later and went into ‘Google Streets’ and had a look at dad’s bungalow and it showed it really well.  There was no car in the drive so the ‘dirty stop out’ was out.  What’s the betting he was over visiting my sister Kay in Hailsham?  Not sure when the photo was taken.

Sunday, 28th March 2010  -  Bundy

After bacon and eggs, of course, we worked quite hard.  I cleaned the oven and scrubbed the racks.  I rummaged about in all the crevices in my cabin looking for cording which we had bought ages ago, to no avail.  This was really hot work and I was glad when I came up for a bit of air.  Where do all these things go that we buy and never see again?  2AB can sometimes be a smaller version of the Bermuda Triangle!  Geoff decided he would paint the walls of the port hull and the port side of the saloon with single pack and also painted part of the saloon ceiling.  I later sat on the back deck and read a book as the paint fumes were starting to give me a headache. 

Monday, 29th March 2010  -  Bundy

Wash day again  -  what a pain  -  but soon done.  It was a nice day and not very humid so it dried very quickly. 

Fair Work Australia rang Geoff and they spoke about whether we have a legitimate work claim against Garden Villages and Sunnycove.  It looks like we have a chance with claiming from Sunnycove but not with Garden Villages as they were incorporated during the time that Howard’s ‘Work Choices' was in situ.  This was when employers could, basically,  pay and do whatever they wanted.  Not good for workers.  This is a pain as it was really Garden Villages that we wanted to put a claim in for but we can still put a claim into Sunnycove as they never paid us for ‘sleep overs’, public holidays and call outs.  It looks like they owe us just over $2000 each so it is nothing to be sneezed at.  We will have to see how Geoff from Toowoomba goes with his work claim against Garden Villages through the union.  Meanwhile I will start to fill in the forms for the claim against SCV. 

Geoff spent the afternoon routing a feature groove into the bathroom/head door.  It was starting to flake anyway and whoever had painted it previously had not put any undercoat on and it started peeling off in one large sheet.  Once he had the feature groove done to his satisfaction he applied the undercoat and let it dry. 

Tuesday, 30th March 2010  -  Bundy

Work as usual then a hair cut on the way home.  Nothing to report apart from the top coat being applied to the head door.

Wednesday, 31st March 2010  -  Bundy

Work as usual.  When we left for work we had new neigbours come in behind us, a posh motor cruiser (stink boat) so now we have lost our view.  Around 5.30 pm Lesley and Alan, from Gypseastwo, came round with nibbles and drinks.  I popped some Yum Cha in the oven and we sat on the back deck and talked, drank and ate for some time.  They had a horrific story to tell of being dismasted on the way back from NZ and it taking 3 months (instead of 7 days) to get back to Oz.  They put out a Pan Pan call on the radio and managed to get  three food drops from passing container ships.  They did not want to abandon the boat as they had two cats onboard and the boat was their home and not insured for international waters so they rigged up a jury rig sail.  The Australian authorities were informed, which is the maritime law when a Pan Pan is transmitted, but no one contacted their family.  This meant that her mother thought they had sunk and died and was very distressed.  She was 88 years old so didn’t know what to do and never contacted the authorities to check either. When they eventually got back to Oz Lesley weighed 42 kgs and is quite a tall person so you can imagine what she was like.  It took her a good 6 months to recover.  Lesley said she would never sail again but now they are going to sail to Canada in a few months time so it shows you how time heals.  It has been a couple of years since this drama happened.  I think she is very  brave!  We then we went inside & taught them Mexican Train Dominoes and Carcassonne.  They like the dominoes but not Carcassonne as Lesley found it too difficult to grasp.  They are real night owls and we had to chuck them out at 11.45 pm as we had to work in the morning but they said they definitely wanted to come back and play dominoes again and come when we didn’t have to work in the morning. 

By the time I got to bed it was midnight and by the time I had read some of my book it was bordering on 1 am so I knew I was going to be a tired bunny in the morning.   

Thursday, 1st April 2010  -  Bundy

When I left for work we had new neighbours berthing in behind us.  A big Motor Cruiser (stink boat) so now we have no views because it is quite high.  Never mind, maybe they are not stopping too long.  Work as usual and working in the kitchen so the morning went quite quickly.  In the afternoon the members played ‘Round Robin’ which was a series of various games which they really enjoy but which knackers us ‘vollies’ as we are kept running all over the place picking up quoits, balls etc.  Back to the boat and wander up to the shops to get a few things in for Easter as they are closed tomorrow and I think it will be murder any of the other days.  When I got back I met up with Stephen and Caroline who were on their way to visit us for a while as the tide was very low which had trapped their dinghy in the dinghy bay and there was not enough depth for them to get out.  This often happens but the marina doesn’t like dinghies parked anywhere else which is dumb as people get trapped for a couple of hours until the tide has risen enough. When we all arrived at 2AB I saw a pair of thongs (flip flops) parked outside our boat so I knew we had a visitor.  It was a Frenchman, Jean Jaques, with a laptop problem which Geoff was looking at.  He had a keyboard problem which Geoff could fix as they were cheap and easy to get but he had two other problems that Geoff said would be difficult to fix so he may have to buy a new one.  His problem is that if he buys a new one he needs the French language loaded.  He didn’t stay long so I put in the rest of the Yum Cha and, once again, we sat on the back deck drinking, eating and chatting.  Caroline and Stephen didn’t come empty handed as they had brought me a bag of children’s clothes for trading with in the islands.  They were a bit grubby so I put them in a tub with a soaker.  Soon the tide had risen enough to allow them to get out so we said our farewells for the time being.

Checked my emails and there was an email from Denise saying ‘her Geoff’ had got the Telstra job so was about to put in his notice with Garden Villages.  Good for him. 

Friday, 2nd April 2010  -  Bundy

Up late, it was after 9am.  Tch, tch!  There were no shops open today but we certainly had a constructive morning.  Geoff finished off painting the head/shower door and re-hung it and it looks a treat.  He had me moving things so that he could paint the other half of the saloon ceiling.  He then got me to paint the letters on the ‘Maz & Geoff’ sign that we had bought at Knotts Berry Farm in Anaheim, California many years ago (1980 I think).  He wasn’t particularly happy with my effort and went over it again.  I was trying to be too careful but he just went over the edges as he said he was going to plane it off anyway.  The letters were black but are now white and look so much better.

Owen popped by later in the afternoon with some mail for us and showed us his new acquisition.  He had traded in his Harley and bought a Honda 100cc scooter instead.  What a change from a Harley and I was very surprised but, as he said, he had hardly ridden the Harley in the last three years and the scooter would be much more useful.  I think he liked Geoff’s when we left it with them when we went sailing. 

After he left Lesley from Gypsyseastwo popped round to give me a couple of recipes and stayed for a quick cuppa. 

Saturday, 3rd April 2010  -  Bundy

So … what did I do today, I’ve forgotten.  I know I made a yoghurt and I also did a lot of computer work as I submitted both our work claims for the SCV Group with the Fair Work Ombudsman.  This took quite a while but it is done and off now so we will wait and see what transpires.  Geoff went off to buy a few things from Bunning’s and the chandlery, such as ornamental cord, glue, paint etc.  When he got back he whipped the ends of the cord and I helped him glue  it to the edges of the saloon walls and ceiling.  We had this cord here before but it had got stained and had come away and needed replacing.  It looks nice again now. 

Roast chook for tea with plenty left over for another day. Yum!

Sunday, 4th April 2010  -  Bundy

Bacon and eggs, which is a given.  I tried out a bread batter recipe which was a disaster as it came out quite sticky.  So that recipe is out of the window but I will use the loaf for bread pudding as I am sure it will be ok for that.  I then helped Geoff glue up the rest of the ornamental cord on the other side of the saloon.  In the afternoon Lesley popped round and had a cuppa or three and stayed for ages.  We just pottered around her and she didn’t mind us carrying on with bits and pieces.  Her boat is a mess as they are doing a major refit so I think she just wanted to get off it for a while. 

Geoff got an attack of the ‘tireds’ so had a quick snoozette. 

Monday, 5th April 2010  -  Bundy

A beautiful autumn day again and it was washing day as usual as I try to do it all on a Tuesday.  Checked my emails and there was one from my sister Kay, Polly in Porepunkah and one from Glenn in Eden who used to own ‘La Bo-heme’ which was nice. 

Geoff spent the morning stripping the old paint off from the sink area, taping it up and applying the undercoat.  Poo … it stinks!  I sent off a few email replies and worked on my journal whilst I waited for the washing to dry. 

A relaxing day and as I wandered up for my shower that evening it was mild and I stopped to talk to the resident possum who was going (for some reason) up a small tree, watched a large water dragon scurry, in alarm at my presence, across in front of me and marvelled at the green tree frog that had suctioned itself on the wall of the amenities.  It is things like this that make my day.

Tuesday, 6th to Thursday 8th April 2010  -  Bundy

Tuesday … Work as usual with nothing to report.  When I got back to the boat Geoff was making up a new switch for the salt water pump in the galley which he will install once he has finished the painting after Thursday.

Wednesday … Work as usual.  We played skittles so I know my back will complain tomorrow morning from all the bending when picking up the ball and replacing the skittles.  Email from Polly saying the zipped files of my journals worked so I sent her some more and told her what we had been up to.

Thursday … Worked in the kitchen in the morning then it was Round Robin again which was exhausting and my back was very sensitive from the Skittles the day before so I was very careful with it.  Geoff was on Gerry’s boat when I got back to the marina so I also popped on for a cold drink.  Then it was time to feed the ducks whilst Geoff made up a new bracket for the new fan in the saloon.  Caroline and Stephen also popped by bearing gifts.  They had brought me a supermarket bag full of good clothes from an Op Shop which they were selling for a dollar a bag.  What a bargain!  After they left Geoff put up the last of our Australian Rego signs to make us all legal (see photo on next page).

At 6.30 pm Lesley came round and we wandered up to the Busy Bee Café to order fish’n chips which we ate out of the paper when we got back .  Yum.  Then we played 3 quick games of Hatches that Lesley and Alan had brought round to teach us.  The game was enjoyable and quick but was not really enthralling enough to keep our attention although a good game if you just wanted to play something sharp and short.  We then played a complete game of Mexican Train Dominoes starting from double twelve and then down to double nought. 

Whilst we played we munched on Lesley’s home made mini muffins and homemade toffee.  The toffee was yum but a real filling puller so I had to be very careful with it and tried to just suck it to death.  We didn’t finish the game of Mexican Train till 11.45 pm and Lesley won, I came 2nd then Geoff and then Alan.  A good night and she left the toffee with us.

Friday, 9th April 2010  -  Bundy

Geoff went off to work today to help Dean out and to learn how to put the computers onto the network, which he said would take a couple of hours.  I walked up to the Hinkler Centre and checked out all the Op Shops on the way.  A lot I had never been to before as I didn’t know they were there and had been told their location by Caroline.  I bought a recorder (as in musical whistle type) which I thought one of the kids in the islands might like and I also picked up three lengths of material which I added thread to, which will be a good trade.  I then kept on to the Hinkler Centre where I picked up ten soaps from Kmart for a good price which will also go in my trading goods.  Time to get my OWN shopping and I, basically, stuck to my list.  It is the impulse buying that brings the bill in over budget.  Although I got it all in the wheelie shopper and my cool bag the cool bag with the meat etc in it was quite heavy so I rang Geoff but he was still working so I thought I would catch the bus.  BUT it came whilst I was waiting to cross the road and there wasn’t another one for an hour so I decided to start walking.  I made it back to the library and very close to where Geoff worked before collapsing on a seat.  I decided to ring Geoff again but he beat me to it and rang first saying he was back at the boat and did I need a hand.  “Yes please” was the answer so he came straight away and took a lot of the heavy stuff on the scooter.  Thank goodness.  When I got back I put most of it away whilst Geoff finished off the painting in the galley around the sink area.  Caroline and Stephen popped round as they had so much stuff to take back to their boat that Caroline stayed with us whilst Stephen ferried it back in the dinghy, doing about three trips.  They have so much trading goods and donations for the Louisiades that she is not sure where she is going to put her food supplies. 

It was a very hot and humid day today and it seems like the heat has come back with a vengeance just when we thought the mild Autumn days had set in. 

Saturday, 10th April 2010  -  Bundy

Well  … we got a good bargain today but Owen got an even better one!  I was sitting on the back deck sorting out my trading goods and putting them into relevant bags when the guy on the motor cruiser behind us came back with a big bag of prawns.  I though he had bought them at the marina but, no, he said he had bought them straight off the trawler that had just come in and they had cost him about $8 a kilo.  Now, I have been in this marina 15 months and have just found out you can buy them straight from the trawler.  I sent Geoff off with $20 and he came back with this large bag of big prawns which weighed in at 2.8 kgs making them just a tad over $7 a kilo.  Nice!  The marina sells them for double that price which is still cheap up against the supermarkets who charge the marina price for imported prawns (Vietnam or Thailand) and double the price again for Aussie prawns.  I have seen Local prawns in the supermarket for over $25 a kilo.  I rang Owen as I knew he and Maryanne loved prawns and he was soon here and wandered down to the trawler wharf with Geoff and handed over his $20.  He came back with a huge bag which I then weighed and they came in at 4.2 kg so his prawns cost just a tad over $5 a kg.  They don’t weigh anything and just scoop up two scoops of prawns and put it in your bag.  So the luck of the draw really, or should I say the luck of the scoop.  Still, I was more than happy with the price we paid.  Geoff and I then spent the next few minutes shelling and de-veining them and they were a good size and very easy to peel.

I then finished repacking my trading goods but kept thinking of the good deal Owen got.  In the end I couldn’t help myself and grabbed another $20 (budget, what budget?) and headed back down to the trawler wharf.  Alas, the trawler was empty so I expect they had finished their sorting and had headed off to the retail fish market.  Another trawler was sorting their catch and I had a ‘sticky beak’ but they had scallops which I am not overly keen on so went back to the boat.  Never mind.  Apparently he is having two days off then will be out again so we will keep an eye out for when he comes back.  Maybe we will have a feast with Wyn and Ann who are coming this Wednesday. 

After lunch Geoff went to ‘Gypseastwo’ to look at a HF transceiver he had for sale but it was very old (1960’s), power hungry and needed an earth plate in the water to make it work so it couldn’t be used whilst we were sailing and had to be set up each time to use it.  We looked on the web and have put a bid in for one on ebay but we have limited funds to play with.  If all else fails we can borrow a receiver only from Stephen or buy a World band radio to, at least, get the weather etc.  Anyway, after thinking about radios, Geoff went onto ebay and found a complete ICOM marine radio at a good price and put in a bid.  After a few ‘outbids’ he eventually won it and the cost of the unit and postage was $560 AUS so, apart from not wanting to spend the money, we are really happy with the price as they are usually around $1000 second hand (this one is used but looks in good nick).  As I said to him, we can always sell it when we get back and probably get the same price for it.  Caroline and Stephen popped round later with prawns for nibbles (it must be prawn day) so we sat on the back deck with a glass of wine or two and shelling prawns and popping them into our mouths.  Even Spuggy liked them and she is one fussy little eater.  They got these prawns at the supermarket for half price as they needed to get rid of them as most supermarkets do not open on a Sunday in regional Queensland.  We ate them with another bread I experimented with that came out more the texture of cake but was, at least, edible.  I am trying to find a ‘no effort’ bread but I am beginning to think there is no such thing and I am doomed to failure and the bread will have to be made the old fashioned way by kneading with a lot of elbow grease.  After Caroline and Stephen left we decided to just have soup for tea as we were not too hungry and saved our prawns for lunch tomorrow. 

Sunday, 11th April 2010  -  Bundy

Bacon and eggs!  Geoff went off to Bunning’s to get some paint etc and I headed up to the laundry with two loads of washing.  When I got back I had to be careful where I hung the washing as Geoff intended to paint some of the back deck areas and needed some space.  He painted one coat on the blue tread part of the transom steps and painted one of the bench seats in the cockpit area.  By this time it was lunch time so I made up two  sandwiches.

Monday, 12th April 2010  -  Bundy

It is nearly 3pm and I am having a rest as it has been quite a constructive day so far.  I started off by making a yoghurt and decanting the yoghurt cream cheese I had draining from the night before.  I then started giving the boat the ‘once over’.  I started by cleaning the galley, then the head and shower.  I was half way through this when Geoff called out to give him a hand.  He was colour re-proofing the bimini and canvas sides and wanted me to do the edging of the side canvas.  It was a really hot day so I smothered on the 30+ sunscreen, plonked on a hat and set to it.  It was soon done so I left him to it and continued cleaning the head area.  Then it was on to the saloon to finish off, at least, the inside areas.  By this time it was lunch time so I made up some cheese on toast and cleaned up whilst Geoff finished off the re-proofing and put a second coat on the treads on the back steps.

Later that afternoon Dion rang in his free time on his phone to say he was now going to the Louisiades after all but he would miss us as he is going in the next couple of weeks.  It is nice to keep in touch.  Linda also popped by to say that Geoff’s photo was in the local paper.  It was a ‘good news’ story about the work they do at the Wide Bay Volunteers and they had been interviewed on the Friday when Geoff had gone in a donated some extra time.  Linda gave us the paper when they had finished with it. 

AND still Geoff keeps on working!  He fitted another seat in the tender and under the original seat as it has storage compartments he can utilize.  He then washed down the back deck and sides and took up the carpet and washed that off on the dock.  He then collapsed in a big heap whilst I cooked tea. 

Tuesday, 13th April 2010  -  Bundy

What a difference one day makes.  It was soooooo hot yesterday and today it is very cold and raining.  Freezing in fact, well to us it felt like it.  I worked in the kitchen today making up some sandwiches ready for a carers meeting in the morning. After lunch I was invited along on a bus mystery tour with nine of the members, all men, and I found it very enjoyable as I don’t get to see much of the Bundy outlying areas.   After work I wandered up to IGA and found Geoff sitting on the seat waiting for me as he had been to 1st Choice Liquor and Centrelink to put in his income payment report.  This was good as he took all the supplies back on the scooter and it saved me lugging them back.

After I had been on the boat a little while I saw Arnie, Barnie and Carnie coming my way with their owner, Debbie.  Oh  -  they looked so cute as they all had individual coloured coats on.  Definite photo material so here it is. 

Not sure which one is which so I shall have to ask Debbie next time she comes by (as you can see, I did).  Geoff had picked up the mail on the way back and I had a letter from the UK Pension Service who said I was not eligible for a UK State Pension as I had only worked in the UK for six years and not the required ten.  They did say I was entitled a Graduated Retirement Benefit of, wait for it, 12p a week which comes to the princely sum of £6.24 a year (about $13).  I don’t know if I can be bothered applying for it but I expect Centrelink will make me apply for it anyway.  So  -  WOW  -  maybe I can retire! 

 Wednesday, 14th April 2010  -  Bundy

I took the morning off as I needed to strip both the beds, get the linen washed and dried and make the beds again.  This all took up to 11am and then I did the final cleaning touches to the boat .  Time for lunch, a quick freshen up, relax and cool down before heading off to work and arriving there at 12.40 pm.  I went straight into the washing up and then it was a game of Scrabble with Cynthia and Karen. Karen is slightly mentally handicapped and Cynthia, on of the members, is very patient with her as she teaches her Scrabble.  When I got back to the boat Geoff was busy doing a few things to make the boat deck cleaner.  He then rang Wyn to see how far away they were and they were still a good hour away so he took the opportunity to pop up to the shops to get a few extra things.  They arrived dead on 5pm and we had a cuppa and bikkies.  I then cooked tea and we all wandered up to Macca’s for a cheap 50¢ ice cream cone each.  A quick wander around town and it was back to 2AB.

Thursday, 15th April 2010  -  Bundy

Geoff was given the day off today … boo hoo for me!  I really felt I had to go in to work as I was in the kitchen today and I don’t know who would replace me, perhaps Jan.  I did manage to leave at 12.15 pm and when I got back to the boat Wyn and Ann were wandering around town.  They, along with Geoff, had done a bit of food shopping but not much as it is too windy to go out sailing at present.  It looks blowy for the foreseeable forecast so we will see.  I will top up when and if we decide to go out. 

At 5.45 pm we wandered up to the Old Bundy Tavern to meet up with Owen and Maryanne where we introduced them to Wyn and Ann and had a nice meal.  Afterwards we wandered towards Macca’s, but this time popping into IGA en route to pick up three Cadbury Flakes.  We wanted the flakes to put in our Macca’s ice creams as they don’t have the ones with flakes anymore.  A bit of good fun and then it was back to 2AB for a coffee. 

Oh ...Owen brought us some mail and it was our Australian Registration for the boat.  A nice certificate with a silver seal.  We hoped it was real silver as it had cost us $799 to even apply for it. 

Friday, 16th April 2010  -  Bundy

Up and at it.  Well not really as it was a lazy start and after brekky we piled into Wyn and Ann’s car and headed off to the Hinkler Museum.  Neither Geoff and I could get in for free this time as you had to have two full paying customers with you and Wyn and Ann are seniors.  We didn’t mind so we went to the 1928 café for a drink and read their papers.  We had only just finished our drinks when Wyn and Ann rang to see where we were.  They had already been in and out as, unbeknown to us, Wyn was a little P’d off because the girl at the counter had not let one of us in for free so he was not in the mood to have a good look around. Silly B as we were really content reading the paper and having a cuppa.  We then wandered around the botanical gardens which are lovely and saw quite a big lizard.  .

We then went on to the Hinkler Centre to finish off the shopping.  The weather is still forecast at 25/30 knot winds so we intend to, at least, go down to Burnett Heads for a few days.  That’s if we can get out of our berth as we are locked tightly in as they have put a large motor cruiser right behind us.  Stan said he will come out with the security boat and tow us out.  Geoff cooked steak on the BBQ for tea which we had with salad then we played Mexican Train Dominoes which Geoff won!

Saturday, 17th April 2010  -  Burnett Heads

Up early as nature called and then had to hurry up to catch up with Ann who had already left for the shower as I couldn’t find the other key (it was in Geoff’s pocket).  After brekky Stan turned up in the marina boat and towed us out of our berth and backwards out of the arm without a hitch.  Gary and Debbie gave us a push off from the dock.  I don’t know how we will go getting back in but that’s another day.  We then motored to the outside dock and tied up for a few minutes as I needed to go up to Crazy Clarks to buy some dish washing liquid plus Ann was up at the marina facilities.  Once both Ann and I had returned we were off down river followed by another small cat called ‘Magic Carpet’.  This was a small 31’ cat that had circumnavigated so it shows it can be done.  Just under a couple of hours later we anchored at Burnett Heads.  There was no sign of ‘Magic Carpet’ so they must have anchored up river somewhere.  Cuppa time, then lunch, then Ann went for a snoozette, Wyn did a crossword on the back deck,

Geoff put in his rod and I wrote up my journal. After dinner we played Mexican Train Dominoes again and Geoff won again!

Sunday, 18th April 2010  -  Burnett Heads

Bacon and eggs today for 4.  Still blowy.  Geoff was intending to go out of the heads today to Cochrane’s Artificial Reef but he decided the weather wasn’t too good so we just up anchored and went into the harbour at Burnett Heads to have a ‘look see’ as we had not been in there before.  We had a look at the little marina area and where it dries out at low tide and we were going to use the public jetty for an hour but the wind was blowing too strongly for us to dock in comfort as Geoff thought we might get blown hard against the dock.  Instead we motored outside and anchored to do some fishing for a while but we caught zilch, zero, nada, nothing.  When it was time to up anchor Geoff thought the anchor was stuck but he eventually got it up and we went back to our original spot near the Port Bundaberg Marina.  Geoff, Ann and I headed ashore for a coffee whilst Wyn stayed onboard to lie flat on his bed as his back was playing up a bit.  When we walked back to the dinghy where we watched a family using a cast net to catch live bait so Geoff decided to take his over to the shore to get in a bit of practice.  He uses the cast net so seldom that he loses the technique.  He wasn’t doing any good so he was given some instructions from the family on shore.  He never caught any so they took pity on him and gave him some tiddlers for bait. 

Once back on board with these all the rods were soon in and Geoff caught a Bream plus a stingray which went back in.  Ann caught a Flathead on Wyn’s line plus she caught a Stingray on her line, which went back in.  It just goes to show that the fish like live bait even though they were dead by this time.  The Bream and the Flathead went into the freezer as there was not enough for four so we had Southern Fried Chicken for tea.  Early to bed for Wyn to rest his weary back.  Oh … the outboard motor is playing up. 

Monday, 19th April 2010  -  Burnett Heads

After a leisurely start to the day Geoff looked at the outboard motor and thought it was going ok so went ashore for some more net throwing practice.  He then came back for Ann and myself and we went ashore to walk into Burnett Heads via the new bridge, not yet open to traffic.  We left Wyn on board doing his crosswords.  The walk into Burnett Heads was about 3 kms each way and we walked with an English yachtie, Al,  from the cat Charlie’s Yarn who knew people we knew at Midtown Marina.  When we got to Burnett Heads we had coffee and cake,  looked at the second hand book shop, chatted to a guy with a new and strange looking three wheel motorbike and then made our way back.

On route back we found that both the public toilet blocks were in a disgusting state.  Ann had to go but I decided to hang on till we got back. 

When we got back to the dinghy we saw that 2AB was not in the same spot we left her and assumed she was dragging.  As we were scrabbling to get into the dinghy my phone rang but I ignored it.  Also a port authority guy arrived to say we couldn’t anchor there as a large ship was due to come in.  I told him that we were dragging and we were about to go out and rectify the problem.  Then, of course, the outboard motor decided to play up again so Geoff coaxed it along till we managed to get to the boat.  As we scrambled on board there was Wyn doing his crossword blithely unaware that we were not where we were originally anchored.  We rushed around, got the dinghy up, clears up, sides up and anchor up and then decided to head further up river for a couple of miles to anchor somewhere else for the night and we really dug the pick in well this time.  SO … The moral of the story is this … Don’t leave someone on board if they are engrossed in a good crossword.  After we had settled down and relaxed we did a touch of fishing and then decided to have some games of darts which ended up as ‘twilight darts’ which we finished off playing in the beam of a torch.  Poor Maz, although throwing well for me, didn’t win a single game and the others won a game each.  After dinner we played Mexican Train again and Wyn ended up in his normal position of last after a good start where he thought his fortune had changed.  Oh … I broke the tip off my rod when we were fishing earlier … Bumma!

Tuesday, 20th April 2010— Burnett River to Midtown Marina

I didn’t sleep very well after taking ages to drop off to sleep.  Geoff made scrambled eggs for brekky which went down well.  We had another fish and Ann caught another Bream. 

 Nothing else jumped on the line.  About 11.30 am we up anchored and made our way upstream in sunshine.  Thirty minutes later and we were buffeted by strong wind and heavy rain, then sun again.  As we got to the marina we were hit by another strong squall so we changed all the ropes and fenders over as we decided to dock in a bigger space on the inner berth as our spot was too tight to get into without help and there was no help forthcoming from the marina staff.  People caught our ropes and we were soon tied off and the kettle was on and lunch was soon served.  Geoff, Wyn and Ann went up for a shower and Geoff came back with the HF marine radio that had arrived whilst we were out.  He then spent some time reading the instructions on how to install it and muttering under his breath at the complexities of getting it right.  Geoff cooked Thai Chilli Prawns for tea and they were delicious as usual … YUM!

 Wednesday, 21st April 2010  -  Bundaberg

Back to work  -  boo hoo!  I got back around 3pm and found the boat had been moved to its normal spot as the big motor cruiser that was behind us had left.  Moving the boat was not without dramas, apparently, as Geoff wondered why one of the engines wouldn’t engage and Ann had to hurry from one side to the other to ward 2AB away from another boat.  Well, it seems that the button for neutral had not come out properly so the engine was idling in neutral.  Well, you can’t get far that way.  Also, another error on Geoff’s part was that he had decided he could move the boat without taking the canvas sides down, a thing I wouldn’t have been happy about, therefore limiting his scope of vision.  Tch, tch  -  Embarrassing and I am glad I wasn’t there to witness it.  It was a bit of an adrenalin moment, I was told.  Beef Olives for tea and then Mexican Train Dominoes (Wyn and Ann have bought a set) which Geoff won, me 2nd, Ann third and Wyn once again in his normal position after a good start yet again.

Thursday, 22nd April 2010  -  Bundy

Work as normal and back again at 3pm.  When I got back I found Wyn and Ann had bought me a new rod  which was very sweet of them (Wyn later rigged it up for me).  Now I shall be annoyed if I break it as it will mean more to me than if I bought it myself.  After a bit of R&R we headed of to Bagara to do the tourist thing.  On the way we visited The Hummock which is the only hill in sight of Bundaberg. 

At Bagara we found the restaurant prices were a bit on the steep side so, after a wander along the beach and bumping into Ewan and Laura from Midtown Marina, we headed back to Bundy and went to The Brothers Club where we had never been before.  We thought the meal might be a bit ordinary but it was quite acceptable when it came, especially as Wyn was treating us.  My fettuccine cabonara was huge so I will get the small size next time.  On the way out we popped upstairs to check out what the $3.95 roast of the day looked like.  The tables and chairs were decent although it was set out canteen style and the meal looked large so we will partake of their free courtesy bus and this cheap meal when next we remember on a Thursday and Sunday.   On the way home we picked up the obligatory soft serve ice cream cone from Macca’s.  Once back I collapsed and rested as I had eaten too much.

Friday, 23rd April 2010  -  Bundy

I didn’t sleep very well again as it was quite warm and Ron from ‘Isis’ had his radio on loud AGAIN as he is quite deaf.  Maybe we shouldn’t have pulled him out of the marina that time … only kidding!  After brekky we wandered up to Dimmey’s as they had a flood sale on.  Well, even though the writing on the window said ‘Flood Sale Now on’ it wasn’t due to start until next week.  Well, at least all the bargains won’t be gone.  Geoff and Wyn went back to pick up the outboard and take it to a Honda dealer whilst Ann and I wandered around town.  The boys then picked us up and we headed off for The Town of 1770 which was about 130 kms to the north of Bundy.  It is a lovely little town with great scenic views and we sat in the local pub having a soft drink and looked at the views and the colourful birds before wandering up to the Conservation Park to look at the rugged coastline. 

As the pub was a bit expensive for lunch we headed back to Agnes Waters where We all had a burger but mine was a fish burger.  And very good burgers they were too!  Back at 2AB we found a heap of medical supplies on the back deck and guessed they were from Caroline and Stephen for us to carry to The Louisiades (yep, I was correct) Then it was fish’n chips for tea and then Mexican Train Dominoes again where poor old Wyn ended up in his usual place of LAST. 

Saturday, 24th April 2010  -  Bundy

Boo hoo … Wyn and Ann packed up today and washed the linen and were on their merry way to Gympie where they were going to stop overnight with a friend.  It was great to catch up with them again and sad to see them leave as Wyn is a good sport and stoically puts up with my fun baiting of him.  After they left I set about cleaning up to put some semblance of order to the boat as I had been very slack whilst they had been with us.  We also made an inventory of all the medical stuff that C and S had left and emailed the list to Sally to see if she could identify the stuff that was going to be useful over in the islands.  I think that if it is mostly surgical stuff we will carry it anyway as C and S have a way to get it to the major hospitals as it is only obsolete (for Oz) stuff and we can’t see any ‘use by’ dates anywhere. 

Maryanne rang and Geoff went on the internet and ordered Windows 7 Pro for them.  Maryanne and Owen are also sending information to the Fair Works Ombudsman about being under paid by SCV so it will be interesting on how we all go. 

We then got an invite to go over to the cat ‘Camille’, Peter and Judith, to play Mexican Train Dominoes tomorrow.  Apparently they used to play with Lu and Ian who introduced us to the game.  All this time Geoff was surfing the net trying to find information and prices for a grounding plate for the HF radio.  More $$$’s.  Geoff says it is a bit of a daunting project and it looks like it will be another $400/500 to get the grounding plate and antenna installed.  The copper grounding plate might need to be installed below the water line and the insulators and wiring cost a bunch too.  Geoff is stressing out a little over it all. 

I spent the afternoon filling out the forms for our PNG visas and Geoff will go and get a money order from the post office and send it all off on Tuesday.

Sunday,  25th April 2010  -  Bundy

Awoken at dawn by the swirl of bagpipes from the dawn Anzac service.  I remember the same thing happening last year.  Washing day, soon done, two weeks worth and a Chinese laundry effect on the back deck again.  Caroline, Stephen and Spuggy popped round after church and Geoff took two more boxes of medical supplies off of them.  I have no idea where Geoff intends to store it all.  One of the missionary yachts that is going to the Louisiades is asking the PNG government if they can waive the entry fees for all the boats that are carrying the donation of the medical goods.  We are not holding or breath but you can at least hope.  After lunch I filled in the forms to pull out the small immediate sum of my superannuation and then we headed over to ‘Camille’ to play a full game of Mexican Train Dominoes with Peter and Judith.  It took about three hours and I actually won.  It was a slow game as we were talking too much and it was interrupted about half way through by a lot of noise and frivolity coming from the dock.  When we looked we found there was a couple of well endowed young men running naked up the dock and jumping in the water.  They stood there in all their glory and apologized for any inconvenience they had caused and we believe they had been celebrating at the RSL Club and had probably had a fair whack to drink.  Nice bodies, I must admit and it made the afternoon a lot more interesting than usual.  After all the nibbles and sundowners we had a light tea and then had a game of Scrabble which I won.  It must be my day for winning. 

 Monday, 26th April 2010  -  Bundy

It is a public holiday today in lieu of Anzac Day yesterday.  We spent the morning sorting out cupboards and hidey holes and getting some stuff together to go to Owen and Maryanne’s.  I also managed to get some of the trading goods stashed away under the back section locker under my bed.  This section is hard to get to so not a good place to store supplies but a good place for trading goods which I can pull out as we get low. 

Owen, Maryanne and Mia arrived just before 3pm and we drank, ate and chatted on the back deck until it got dark and then the boys went up to get fish’n chips from the Busy Bee Café.  Geoff decided it was time to open the bottle of Hoogenraad Shiraz that Nick had given to us as we were with good friends.  AND A VERY NICE DROP IT WAS TOO.  Everyone commented on how smooth it was and it made the average bottle of Shiraz look quite crude.  Well done Nick! 

It was good to catch up and chat again as we had been a bit busy with Wyn and Ann and hadn’t seen then for over a week.

Tuesday, 27th April 2010  -  Bundy

We went into Dimmey’s on the way to work as their Flood Sale was starting.  We spent $40, mostly on trading goods but also on some supplies for when we go away.  Geoff bought quite a stack of Cadbury Chocolate slabs that were going out at $1 a family block and which sell for $3.99 in the supermarkets.  They are just past their ‘best by’ date but who cares.  There is no difference in the taste. 

When I got to work I found it was straight into the kitchen to help out making sandwiches for lunch as quite a few of the members were going to the botanical gardens for a picnic lunch.  These all had to be ready by 10 am and we just managed it.  The rest of the day was spent trying to keep the small group of more dependent members occupied and the day was a bit boring.  After work I met Geoff at Centrelink to put in our forms and then it was on the IGA to get some supplies.

Wednesday, 28th April 2010  -  Bundy

Worked in the kitchen today then took some of the members down to watch the old time dancing at the Senior Citizens Centre located underneath our building.  A slightly boring day with nothing further to add.

Thursday, 29th April 2010  -  Bundy

Work as usual doing my normal morning in the kitchen and then a quiz in the afternoon which I quite enjoyed.  Once again I went into Dimmeys on the way home and they sun hats for 50¢ each so I hope the islanders wear them.  Geoff says they probably wear them to church.  Anyway I bought ten of them anyway.  Geoff cooked a large and yummy omelet for tea which gave me a nice break. 

 Thursday, 30th April 2010  -  Bundy

I went into work for a couple of hours today as Gayle, who is normally in the kitchen, was away so I said I would help out.  I left around about 11 am and decided to check out the Op shops for any bargains.  There weren’t any at this time so I wandered up to the Hinkler Centre and managed to buy a skirt that was on special in Kmart for $15.  I needed a skirt so that I could go to church (who me!) on the islands as I have been told that they prefer we dress respectfully and this means a skirt for the ladies.  I also bought a few supplies and then walked back.  Popped into Dimmey’s on the way past and they had boxes of red pens for 20¢ a box so I bought 5 boxes.  It seems they bring out a few things every day so it is worth checking.  Geoff had also bought 4 bath towels from there at $2 each.  When I got back to the boat it was in a complete mess as Geoff had decided to defrost the freezer and there was stuff everywhere.  After some lunch I set about clearing it all up.  Then I checked my phone and had a message from Sarah and David on ‘Baybird’ who said they would be in the area in a couple of days time. Sarah and David  are from Nungurner near Lakes Entrance in Victoria and we first met them at Gladstone where we, with Sally and Martin, enjoyed a meal aboard their motor cruiser. Hopefully they will come up river and we will get to see them.  If they can’t then I shall certainly try to catch the bus to get to see them.  Meanwhile Geoff had headed out to buy some copper wire etc to start on building the antenna for the HF radio.  Whilst he was out Owen, Maryanne and Mia turned up and Geoff arrived about 10 minutes later and we had a wine or three (Owen only had one as he was driving) and they left about 6pm leaving Mia with us.  They are off to Brisbane as Maryanne’s son is having his 30th birthday and we are, hopefully, going to enjoy having Mia onboard for a couple of nights.

Saturday, 1st May 2010  - Bundy

We had Mia overnight as Maryanne and Owen had gone to Brisbane and she settled down in my cabin until 3am when she woke me up with licks to take her out for a pee and a poo!  She then slept through until 7.20 am when she needed to go again.  She was a good girl and soon learnt that when I said no I really meant no.  (Are you reading this Owen?) 

Later I went up for a shower and someone had thrown talc all over the shower cubicle and it looked a complete mess.  Some people are very inconsiderate. 

This morning I made another bread pudding but trying out a different method this time and the mixture turned out much drier, took less time to cook and I though it was just as yummy although Geoff said he much preferred the moister version.  Geoff spent the morning fixing up my utensil holder (it had broken) and re-installing it.  He then started thinking about how to install and where to put the new HF radio and ATU (automatic tuning unit) then making a mess before going on to ‘Amber 2’, the boat opposite,  to give Theo a hand to replace a bit of exhaust pipe on his messy engine.  I say help but he ended up doing the job as Theo had a disc problem in his back.  It was a real messy job and Geoff came back filthy but, luckily, had really old clothes on (which makes a change as, like all men, he seems to do the messiest of jobs with his good clothes on). 

Just before dusk I winched Geoff up the mast and he put up an attachment point for the HF radio antenna.  He wasn’t up there very long, which was good as the sand flies had stated to bite. 

Sunday, 2nd May 2010  -  Bundy

Mia was good overnight and I took her for a walk when I got up.  We went along the river walk and I was able to let her off the lead and she had a fine time running and exploring and getting frightened by lizards in the grass.  Cute!  Back to the boat and it was bacon and eggs for three!  Time to clean up the boat.

Geoff spent the morning and part of the afternoon setting up the radio antenna and then feeding the wiring through to the radio.  At 2.30 pm Caroline and Stephen popped by, maybe for the last time as they are anchored down in the Burnett Heads ‘duck pond’ area and they will be clearing out soon and heading north on Saturday or Sunday.  We will meet up with them in Townsville around the middle to the end of July where we will clear customs and head out with them to the Louisiades. 

Jan and Ena turned up at 3pm for afternoon tea and I had cooked pikelets (drop scones) and the bread pudding, of course.  Caroline and Stephen said goodby and we chatted with Jan and Ena for 30 minutes when Owen and Maryanne turned up to pick up Mia.  They stayed for quite a while and left about 5 pm with Jan and Ena going About 45 minutes later. 

 I then realised that I didn’t have any eggs to finish off the fried rice with so I popped up to IGA to get a few supplies.  After tea we played Carcassonne and, believe it or not, I actually won!  Now he is ONLY seven games ahead of me. 

Monday, 3rd May 2010  -  Bundy

It is a Qld public holiday today so there are not many shops open.

After doing all of the washing and hanging it up on the back deck I sorted out more of my cupboards to put stuff in storage at Maryanne and Owen’s.  Bunning’s was open so Geoff went out and bought a few things including seedling and potting mix and a largish pot as I had bought Tiny Tom tomatoes and Cos Lettuce seeds to see if they grow any better.  I have also started up some mustard and cress to see how that goes as green veggies are in very short supply in the Louisiades. 

In the evening we went aboard ‘Baybird’ to have dinner with Sarah and David and David had cooked Chilli Con Carne and pasta.  Very nice too!  Sarah was tired as she had left Bundy at 5 am this morning to go down to pick up their car and then she received an email saying a good friend had died in the UK who was only 60 years old.  She was a bit teary but seemed to perk up a bit. 

Tuesday, 4th May 2010  -  Bundy

I didn’t go to work today as I worked on Friday and had completed the required 30 hours a fortnight.  I spent the day doing more sorting out and then I went to the shops to buy a few things.  Nothing much of note to report apart from Alan and Lesley coming onboard at 6pm to play Mexican Train Dominoes and Pass the Pig.  Alan won Mex Train easily. 

Wednesday, 5th May 2010  -  Bundy

Definitely work today but I don’t know why I bothered as most of the members went out on outings leaving only a few men and Claudia, who has bad dementia, behind.  The men had a reminiscing session and I spent some time writing out recipes that tickled my fancy and walking with Claudia.  All Claudia wants to do is get out of the centre so we spent quite a bit of time hovering around the gate.  As a volunteer I don’t have the code to unlock the gate which she couldn’t understand.  Poor old thing, she is quite confused and you can’t have any conversation with her.  So, the working day was a bit boring really.

I popped into Dimmey’s on the way home and they had family blocks of chocolate $1.00 for two so I bought ten and they have gone into the bilge in my cabin.  Geoff wasn’t back when I got back to the boat as he had gone to someone’s house to fix their computer.  I went onto the web and found an Aero Shop who can supply the fuel filter funnel Geoff has been looking for so I ordered one.  It has a filter in it that filters out all water and contaminants from any dodgy fuel as we have been told the fuel from the Louisiades can be quite suspect at times.  The last thing you want out at sea is for your engine to conk out.  Geoff came home soon after and it was time to relax.

Thursday, 6th May 2010  -  Bundy

I worked in the kitchen this morning so the time went by quite fast.  We had a quiz in the afternoon which is always enjoyable and which the members seem to enjoy.  Another warm autumn day.  Owen picked Geoff up after work to go and pick up the outboard.  Geoff was a little P’d off with them as all they had done was give it a service, something Geoff can do himself, and not found the fault and said it was running fine.  Let’s hope it does.  The passports are back from the PNG Consulate with our yachtspersons visas in them.  Geoff then measured up for the copper grounding plate for the HF radio and will give the company that supplies them a call tomorrow to see what size we need and what cost we are up for.

Friday, 7th May 2010  -  Bundy

A nice lie in till after 8am.  Had an email from my dad so I sent a quick reply.  Geoff is still working on installing the HF radio and thinks he has got it all worked out.  He rang about the copper grounding plate and found it is only going to cost $79 and not the $130 he thought it was.  Good news. 

About 11.30 am I wandered up to the Hinkler Centre via all the Op Shops on route.  One of the Op Shops had bags of clothes on for $1 a bag so I filled up a bag.  At another two I bought some baby clothes for 50¢ each.  I also passed an Asian shop so I popped in there and was able to pick up some Kaffir Lime  leaves, Japanese Curry and some nice noodles.  Onto the Hinkler Centre to get a few more trading items and some food supplies.  Had a bite to eat (sushi) and then rang Geoff to meet me.  I ordered two coffees and he turned up just as his coffee got to the temperature he liked.  Good timing.  We both wandered into Kmart to pick up some soda stream syrups and saw some solar lights on cheap.  Ten for $10 (we bought 20) which we will split up as they go over very well with the islanders.  Geoff took all the cold stuff and some more of the heavier shopping and I took the rest in my wheelie shopper and wandered back to the marina but stopping on the way at Nana’s Pantry to pick up some stock of Dukka which we like with fresh bread and balsamic vinegar/oil blend.  It is good for sundowners when we go away.  I didn’t get back till after 4.30 pm so just had enough time to break the meat, chicken and bacon into meal size portions and put into the freezer. I also had to find some more room for the extra trading goods we had bought.  We both have stuff stored on our beds so space is definitely getting to a premium.  

It was then time to get ready to meet Caroline and Stephen at the Old Bundy Tavern for a farewell meal.  I had lamb shank, Geoff had Spicy Cajun Prawn Caesar Salad and Caroline and Stephen asked for ‘blue’ T bone steak.  Bleh.  As it was it came out rare and not blue but they ate them anyway.  Time to wander up to Macca’s for the traditional 50¢ ice cream cone (minus the flakes) and then back to 2AB for coffee.  C & S are staying in a caravan at the local caravan park as they came up from Burnett Heads in the dinghy earlier in the day.  Mind you, they ran out of fuel about two thirds of the way and Stephen got a lift into town to fill up his jerry can but then had to walk back.  They cleared customs this morning and the customs officer said he had some clothes and towels he was getting rid of so he donated them to them.  They are now all stacked on the back deck until they pick them up tomorrow and head back down river in their dinghy. 

Oh … the Cos lettuce seedling have broken through but no sign of the tomatoes yet.  But the mustard and cress is ready for harvesting.  Quick and easy.  We are having Beef Enchiladas tonight with salad so I will put some in the salad.

Saturday 8th My 2010  -  Bundy

A coolish night and I had a light blanket on for most of the night.  Geoff went off to Owen’s this morning to install Windows 7 on his PC and I knew he would be there most of the day.  As he was leaving Caroline and Stephen arrived to look through all the goodies the customs man had given them.  There were a lot of towels and guys clothing which went over well.  After a cuppa they loaded them all into their dinghy and headed off on the 90 minute trip down to Burnett Heads where ‘Phencara’ was anchored and it will probably be the last time we see them until we meet up with them again at Townsville.  Unless, of course, we catch up with them on the way as I don’t think they are much of a hurry.  They sent a text message later saying they had got back ok although the motor had stopped a couple of times.  They will be off as soon as the winds are in their favour.  After some lunch I went up to pay our last months berth fees and then wandered up to Target where they had exercise books on for 19¢ each.  I also picked up some cheap crayons as well.  Then onto IGA to finish off my shopping list.  I found some really cheap cereal so bought some for stock.  I am slowly getting the provisions together. Geoff came back with some cheap UHT milk as well so that has been stored away. I also spent a couple of hours entering the data on the laptop for my budget and putting the stock away. 

Sunday, 9th May 2010  -  Bundy

A beautiful day today but no lie in as people were up really early and being noisy.  Still, Geoff wanted to be up by 8am as he wanted to see if he could pick up the ‘Sheila Net’ on the HF radio which he did, just!  The marina environment is not conducive for picking up radio waves.  When I later wandered up to the loo I noticed the little prawn trawler was in  so when I got back I sent Geoff off with $20 and this time he came back with a huge bag of prawns that weighed in at 5.5 kgs.  This worked out at $2.64 a kilo … how cheap is that?  This then meant we spent a good hour peeling them and then freezing most of them but keeping out enough for a huge prawn salad for tea. 

Most of the morning was spent with Geoff working on the outboard motor as he had taken it for a test run and it packed up on him.  He took the float chamber off and found the carbie jet was blocked up so he cleaned it all up and now it is fine.  This is something the Honda dealer should have done so they will get a few words from him, I am sure.  I spent the morning working out a rough menu so that I don’t forget to buy things when we go away.  It seemed to take ages.  I then sorted out the freezer and made a yoghurt.  After lunch I defrosted the fish that were in the freezer from Wyn and Ann’s trip and steamed them, taking the flesh off the bones and I will make fish cakes tomorrow.

Monday through to Thursday 10th—13th May 2010  - Bundy

Monday … Have no idea about today as I forgot to write my journal.  I do know that I made fish cakes which we had for dinner and very nice they were too!

Tuesday and Wednesday … Work as usual with nothing of note to report

Thursday … Work for me and Geoff spent the day at Fairymead House setting up things for Volunteer Week.

Friday, 14th May 2010  -  Bundy

I managed to get a hair cut today from Bryan off of ‘Guiding Star’ and it is quite short and he has done a good job.  I then caught the bus to the Sugarland Shopping Centre and went into Bilo but was very disappointed at their prices which seemed to be me much higher than IGA and Woolworths.  I then walk to IGA where I met Geoff and we did a big shop (2 trolleys stacked high) of provisions and spent $382.  It was then on to Woollies where we spent another $102 and we still have about another $1000 to spend.  Ouch!  I caught a taxi back and when I got back to the marina I was helped with all the bags by Paul who works at the marina.  Geoff came at the same time so it made the trips to the boat much quicker.  Now came the arduous job of finding space for it all.  Luckily I had taken a lot of stuff off the boat that I thought I could without so had made some storage space.  Geoff decided to cut out a bigger hole underneath my bed as there was a lot of space that was inaccessible.  We put the milk powder in here as it is something we will not need straight away.  It is an awkward spot to get to but never mind, it is still storage space.  I managed to find spots for everything and still have some space to spare and I need it.  Then at 4pm a journalist and photographer came to interview us for the local paper as they had been told by someone that we were off to PNG and taking a lot of medical supplies with us.  Although they were both locals they still couldn’t find the way to the marina and had to ring Geoff for instructions.  They took copious notes and lots of photos whilst getting bitten by our notorious sandflies. 

After they left we settled down on ‘Leisure Lee’ with Lesley and Linda for a cuppa when Geoff got a call from the photographer who said he had to take more photos as he had forgotten to put the SD card in.  Silly B!  He couldn’t believe that he had done that but it turned out for the best as the light was better and we used the PNG flag that we had bought for a bit of colour.  They were really great photos and he said he would email them to us (which he did).  The attached photo is one of them but the article and the photo they used is on the back page of this journal. 

Because I had been so busy I had forgotten to take anything out of the freezer for tea so we had bacon, egg, hash browns and baked beans.  After 7pm Lesley and Alan arrived for a game of Mexican Train Dominoes which Lesley won.  She seemed a little down when she arrived as she was covered with spots and thought she had shingles.  She was soon laughing after a while so, hopefully, the night bucked her up a little

Saturday, 15th May 2010  -  Bundy

It’s my birthday today and I got a lovely pair of ear rings, a new mug and some crosswords from Geoff.  I opened them whilst watching Jessica Watson near Sydney Heads towards the finish of her around the world solo sail in her little 10 metre yacht ‘Ella’s Pink Lady’.  At this time she was 10 nm off the finish line.  We have been following her on her website as she has gone round and always thought she would make it and good luck to her we say.  A bit of interesting info is that Caroline and Stephen bought the furler that was off of ‘Ella’s Pink Lady’ and installed it onto Phencara. 

Geoff rang Owen and said he would be up to work on his computer and Owen said there was a half page article about us in the Newsmail so Geoff went out to buy a copy.  It was a good article although there was a fair amount of poetic licence in it.  After a shower I went up to IGA with my wheelie shopper and a backpack and spent another $182 on more provisions and struggled back with it.  I still have heaps to buy still.  Then it was relax and watch Jessica as she sailed over the finish line and right up to when she stepped onto terra firma and the speeches were all over.  What a great feat for such a young and tiny girl who is still only 16 years old.

At 6pm we wandered up to Rich Aromas to meet Owen, Maryanne and Mia for a birthday dinner.  We chose this café as we could sit outside and Mia could come along too.  Mia was really excited to see us again, as usual.  I got some chocolates from them … yum.  Back to 2AB for dessert which Maryanne supplied.  She had made Chocolate Bread and Butter Pudding and it was very rich and yummy.  It was a good night

Sunday, 16th May 2010  -  Bundy

No bacon and eggs this morning as we had them for tea on Friday night.  Geoff’s boss, Gary, came and picked us up at 10.30 am and took us back to his place to meet his wife Julie and their three boys, Jackson, Harrison and Nicholas and enjoy a BBQ lunch.  They are a great family and I can see why Geoff gets on so well with Garry.  We took a photo of Garry and Julie but, alas, it didn’t come out too well so I have includes a picture of Garry only. 

The three boys insisted on coming back in the car with us but, unfortunately there were only two spare seats so the youngest, Harry, was left crying on the doorstep.  We promised him that he could come down and see the boat before we go.  The boys were all over the boat and their eyes were everywhere and both insisted that they needed a pee so they could use our loo.  When they left Geoff gave them his remote controlled power  boat as he thought they would get more fun out of it than he would these days.

A light tea of soup whilst we watched the rerun of Jessica Watson’s homecoming. 

Monday, 17th May 2010  -  Bundy

Rain … what a cheek and cold enough to put on a long sleeve top and my sheepskin slippers.  I’m even thinking off putting the heater on!  ‘Femme de la Mer’ is back after three weeks in dry dock getting their damage fixed from the floods and having her anti fouled.  It is nice to have them back and be able to spoil Arnie, Barnie and Carnie again.(ABC!)

Geoff spent the morning taking the fridge out so he can take off the companionway handle and fix it and also paint behind it as well.  Once he had put the fridge back the thermostat was showing the incorrect temperature so he thinks he has just attached the wires incorrectly and will fix it later.  Whilst he was doing this I was trapped as I couldn’t get down to the galley or my cabin.  But, once he was finished I was able to get down and grab all of the dirty clothes and head up to the laundry to do a load of washing and drying.  Whilst I was doing this Geoff went off to buy some wood to make up a box for the new HF radio. 

When I got back I thought I would have a bite of lunch and then realized it was 4pm.  No wonder I was a bit peckish as I hadn’t eaten anything all day. 

Tuesday, 18th May 2010  -  Bundy

I worked in the kitchen at Gracie’s this morning as Margaret didn’t turn up.  I headed off at 12.45 to meet up with Geoff as we had a doctors appointment.  The doctor was running over 45 minutes late and then we also took up a lot of his time but we had booked a double appointment anyway.  He was very thorough and did a lot of googling of things to make sure he gave us the best Malaria treatment in price and ease for us to take.  He was quite insistent we had a Typhoid injection as well as the Hepatitis A and we came out a good 30 minutes later with scripts for over 3 months Malaria tablets, 3 months of Geoff’s normal medication, Hep A and Typhoid injections so we headed of to the chemist.   Geoff had to go back to work so I stayed at the chemist for another hour whilst they put most of them together (not all as they didn’t have that much medication in stock) and I came out over $400 poorer  -  ouch!  But, better safe than sorry and we are members of this chemist so we did get a 15% discount off most things so that was a bit of a saving. 

Wednesday, 19th May 2010  -  Bundy

Worked as usual.  After work Geoff went to the butcher we had been recommended to use to check whether they would cryovac and freeze the meat we wanted to order into individual daily serves and to check their prices were reasonable.  Yes on all counts and they had lamb loin chops on for $20 for 2 kgs so he will go back and get some tomorrow and we can then have some for tea and check out the quality.  Geoff also went to 1st Choice Liquor on the way back and picked up some Muscato clear skins for $3 a bottle which was good.  After tea we watched a DVD we had borrowed from Geoff’s boss called Resident Evil and it scared the pants off of me.  I’m sure the whole marina must have heard me squeal at one of the scary parts.

Thursday, 20th May 2010  -  Bundy

After work Maryanne picked me up and took me for the final shop for provisioning of the boat.  I spent another $330 & funds are getting shorter and shorter.  When we got back to the marina Geoff came up and helped carry it all back where we just dumped it on the back deck & covered it with a tarpaulin for the night.  Maryanne stayed for a cuppa and we made plans to go for dinner on Sunday.  Geoff had prepared tea (chops that he had bought earlier) and I finished it off and the chops passed the quality test … yum.  The fat hadn’t been trimmed much so we did that and they were nice and tender and a really nice change as we hadn’t had lamb for ages due to the exorbitant price lately.   Oh … and he got his money back from the outboard dealer!

 Friday, 21st May 2010  -  Bundy

What a day but ‘boy’ did we get some work done!  Geoff spent a good hour threading the copper strip down through the starboard coffin bunk ready to be connected to the copper grounding plate later.  Whilst he was doing that I marked all the food cans I had bought yesterday in case the labels got wet and came off as we are storing some of them in the bilges.  We worked solidly and Geoff cut a couple more access holes to the storage area under both the beds.  This meant we could store all the supplies I bought yesterday with a LITTLE room to spare.  I then sorted all the stationery into one bag and changed a lot of provisions over to better storage areas.  We moved some of the heavier stuff over to Geoff’s side of the boat whilst I took some of the lighter medical stuff as we were too heavy on the starboard side.  He then went to work to try to help Suzanne download some photos but it couldn’t be done so he brought the camera home to look at.  By this time it was getting on to 2 pm so we headed off to the chemist to pick up the remaining medical stuff and the two injections each.  It was then on to the doctors and we were soon in the nurses station having the two injections each.  And they didn’t hurt much at all.  Both this visit and the previous visit was bulk billed … hooray as no cost to us.  We then wandered into King Kong Sales and Crazy Clarks to pick up a final few supplies and a few goodies for the kids (glow sticks and lollipops … 545 lollipops … is it enough?).  We now only have to pick up a tiny amount plus normal supplies en route.  The boat was still in a mess when we returned as no fairy godmother had waved her wand over it all to clear it up.  But, we had only been back a few minutes when Suzanne and her husband, Kingsley, turned up.  Oh horror  -  just look at the place!  Never mind, they understood.  Time for a bite to eat.  No brekky or lunch again so why aren’t I skinny?  Geoff then had time to look at all the stuff he had brought home yesterday that had been donated by one of the ladies from the Senior Citizens Bureau.  There were heaps of little soft toys, exercise books, rulers, pens, pencils, coloured pencils, erasers and pencil sharpeners.  A wonderful donation. 

Saturday, 22nd May 2010  -  Bundy

We still did a lot today but at a more leisurely pace.  I sorted out my jewelry as I’ve decided I will store it at Maryanne and Owen’s as I don’t want to lose it.  I have one of my lower cost necklaces on now for the duration.  Geoff has planted the seedlings out into the bigger pots.  I did some printing of the storage sheets and also printed out some customs forms.  Then I spent some time catching up on my journal and filling in my budget.  I did a lot of little things as did Geoff.  He also went out to Bunnings to get a few bits to finish off some jobs around the boat, one being the rubber mat tiles to fit and glue down in the starboard coffin bunk and to make it easier to get to the engine bay, plus he installed a magnetic light above the stove area as it is quite dim in that area.  So the boat is a mess again although I was able to do some cleaning around him. 

I also found a Garmin 18 GPS antenna on ebay which we have put a bid in for so we will see how we go.  I also checked on the web to find out how to sprout beans and it looks quite easy so will also have a go at that.

Sunday, 23rd May 2010  -  Bundy

A lovely day.  We got outbid on ebay so will put another bid in later as there are still quite a few days to go.  After bacon and eggs I went up to do a load of washing whilst the weather stayed fine and Geoff still worked on the final touches of the mats in the coffin bunk.  This seemed to take ages and then Elaine, who used to work at Gracie’s, turned up with 2 large boxes of clothes to donate which was really great and she stayed for a cuppa.  Then Geoff shot up for a shower as Maryanne was picking us up at 3pm.  We took more stuff to store at their place and she gave me some more clothes and some lengths of material to add to our trading goods.  We are almost there now.  Whilst we were there both Geoff and I gave her some lessons on Publisher as she wants to be able to do the newsletters for their Rock and Roll club.  Mia was pleased to see us, as usual.  A nice tea followed and then we picked up our goodies which included 450 kina which they have donated to put one to three kids through primary school in the Louisiades.  A great thing for them to do.  We will play it by ear when we get there as we can either put three kids through for one year or one kid for three years.  At this stage we are not sure which is the best way to go so will leave it until we get there. 

Monday, 24th May 2010  -  Bundy

I didn’t sleep very well and neither did Geoff and we are blaming Maryanne’s strong after dinner coffee we had last night … sorry Maryanne!  I spent some time sorting out the goodies Maryanne had given me and putting them away in their respective bags and entering them on the database.  I have a database showing where I have stored all the provisions and donations as I would be lost without knowing where everything is.  You think you will remember but you never do!  Geoff still worked in the coffin bunk gluing the final pieces into place and making little tags so he can pull them up easily.  He also made a small overhead slide in rack to store my big plastic oval plate that I use for the washing up or when we have guests.  He was then off to buy a few more supplies.  Whilst he was away I tried to clean up a bit and started off some bean sprouts.  Geoff came back with a small professional sprouting jar from the health food store so I will put the mung beans in that one to grown Chinese stir fry bean shoots and see how they go too!

Tuesday, 25th May 2010  -  Bundy

Raining and cold again.  Work and a slow day but eventually 3pm came round.  Back to the boat and Geoff had bought home more donations of material, stationery, sandpaper, a saw and some clothes … great.  A bit of a nothing day except for when Owen rang to say there was a watch and sunglasses for me from South Australia.  Apparently I won them when Wyn put me into a drawer for a competition when he bought me my new rod … thanks Wyn. 

Arghhhhh!  The boat next door has a dog and the owner must go to the pub every night as the dog barks continuously all night until he comes back.  It was driving my nuts so Geoff went up to the window and blew our emergency horn and he hasn’t barked since.  I hope he hasn’t given him a heart attack.  Received a text message saying Caroline and Stephen are still at Great Keppel Island due to the northerly winds at the moment.  We played Carcassonne and I won again so he is now only six games ahead of me!

Wednesday, 26th May 2010  -  Bundy

It was the last day at work for me but Geoff is going to work on Friday for some reason.  After work they had drinks, cheese and bikkies for the volunteers which also turned out to be a ‘goodbye’ to me as it was my last day.  Jan gave me a nice little present which was a little inspirational wooden plaque with a nice saying on it.  I got back to the boat about 4pm and found Geoff fixing the BBQ light which had some LED’s out.  We had bought this light from Kmart and had lost the docket so couldn’t take it back even though it was brand new.  But Geoff being Geoff soon had it fixed. After dinner it was BARK, BARK, BARK from the dog on the boat next to us as the owner had gone out again.  It drives me nuts.  Hopefully he will be leaving soon.  He has a couple of Italian backpackers going with him.

Fish’n chips for tea as I couldn’t be bothered cooking. 

 Thursday, 27th May 2010  -  Bundy

Today Geoff fixed a little light into my wardrobe and found a spot to store the salt and pepper grinders under the table.  I cleaned the boat as it was getting a little grubby.  Then we had a call from Maryanne saying they were at the gate and they had come by with Owen’s brother Max and his wife Barbara who were visiting with them.  They had a good look around and Barbara seemed very interested in our life on the boat.  They hadn’t gone long when there was another call and it was Garry, Geoff’s boss, with his three boys Jackson, Harrison and Nicholas ( Jack, Harry and Nick).  The youngest is four and the oldest is seven.  They were all over the boat and into everything and wanted to know what everything was.  We had to keep and an eye on them as the boat is not child friendly and we had chemicals and things in easy reach.  They soon found the lollies, of course.  Garry had popped by to drop off some donations of kids clothes which was really good as we were very short on children’s clothes. Thanks Garry and Julie.  They left after Garry had a cuppa as he was finding the boys a bit of a handful and had to have eyes in the back of his head.  But boys will be boys and they were enjoying being in the new and strange environment and they were a delight to have onboard. 

A quick tidy up of the bomb site (only kidding) and we had another phone call and it was Elaine who used to work at Gracie’s with me and she was also at the gate.  She had brought heaps of bags of men’s clothes which all her friends had donated when she mentioned our trip.  She stayed for a cuppa and a bikkie and then once she was gone I sorted them into their relevant pieces, marked the bags and put them away.  That’s it … no more please or we will sink!  I shall write a letter to the paper thanking everyone for their generosity once we have left. 

Chicken Cordon Bleu for tea.

Then at 12 midnight the people from the noisy boat next to us came back.  Geoff had to go out and speak to the Italian backpacker who was sitting on the deck right next to his cabin window speaking loudly on Skype.  Grrrrr!  Still, I expect it is her first experience of marina life and she will soon learn you have to think of others as we all live in each others pockets.

Friday, 28th May 2010  -  Bundy

Raining and cold enough to have socks and shoes on!  The noisy boat left this morning and I was elated but then they came back as they had only gone to fill up on fuel so now I’m deflated again.  Geoff worked at Wide Bay Volunteers this morning and I went up to Centrelink to ensure I know what I have to do as we sail north.  They said everything was ok and we have to put in our forms on the way and that we had to go to Neato, our job provider, to get them to ‘exit’ us.  I rang Neato and she said that the system showed I hadn’t been meeting my activity plan and that there was a suspension on my file as of 24th March.  This was a bit of a worry as I certainly had and have been doing 3 hours more per fortnight than I needed to.  She said she would ring me back.  I then did some work about the boat and made a yoghurt.  By 3pm I had not heard from her so I rang again and she said it was weird and she had asked another company to look into it.  She said that it wasn’t that I wasn’t meeting my obligations and more that because I was doing voluntary work there was no need for me to go in and see them and my obligation to them had been put on suspension.  She will ring back on Monday when this other company gets back to her.  Meanwhile I went back up to Centrelink as I had forgotten to tell them to knock our rent assistance on the head and whilst I was there I got her to check my file.  She said my file was fine and that the suspension on Neato’s file was because I was doing voluntary work.  Why mine is different to Geoff’s is anyone’s guess.  Geoff was working on installing an earth wire for the HF radio to connect to the radio, radar and grounding plate, once it is installed,. The noisy boat, Capricorn Dancer, with the skipper, dog and the four backpackers left at 9pm so peace and quiet reigns!

Saturday, 29th May 2010  -  Bundy

Rain earlier on which improved a bit during the day.  We had won the bid for the Garmin GPS antenna overnight so he went on and paid that and asked the seller if he could send it as quick as he could.  We then received an email back saying he had posted it today, which was good of him.  Geoff went off to the library to drop off some books and pick up some more DVD’s and also go to the second hand book shop to get some books for going away with.  I stripped both beds which was a feat unto itself as we had lots of heavy stuff stored on them.  I then went up to the laundry and put in two loads of bed linen and towels and then put them through the drier.  Geoff was back on my return and he was painting the side starboard panel in the saloon so I will have to be careful for the next hour or two.  Geoff had also bought me back an instant scratchie which I won $14 on  -  nice  - just what I had just spent up at the laundry.  Hmmmm!  Geoff spent the afternoon servicing both engines and replacing all the filters, six in total, even though they probably didn’t need doing yet but better safe than sorry.  In the evening Alan and Lesley came round and us two girls went up to get the fish and chips and then we had a nice game of Mexican Train Dominoes which Lesley won and I trailed in a very trailing last! 

Sunday, 30th May 2010  -  Bundy

 Up early as I could sleep so I read for a while.  I then went up and did all the clothes washing and hung them out to dry.  Margaret, who is also a volunteer at Gracie’s, and her partner, John, popped by as they were visiting Bruno and Annette on ‘Pipes of Pan’.  They stayed for a cuppa and we talked about sailing and gadgets as they also own a yacht called ‘Marjon’ which is on pile moorings further down the rive although they are now land based.  They are going sailing from the middle of July for a couple of months but are probably only going as far as the Keppels.  Once they had left I went up to the chandlery to buy an accumulator tank for the water system and a macerator and motor for the toilet as the motor was sounding sicker and sicker each time we used it.  When Geoff installed the accumulator tank it leaked so he took it back whilst I cleaned up the spilt water and came back with a new one which was fine.  The rest of the day was spent on a myriad of little jobs until it was time to freshen up and change and meet Owen and Maryanne at the Old Bundy Tavern as they were treating us to dinner.  They had another couple of friends with them and we all walked up to Macca’s for our dessert on an ice cream cone each and then it was back to 2AB for coffee. 

Monday, 31st May 2010  -  Bundy
Up early again.  Geoff fitted the new macerator and motor to the toilet.  He then went off to the butchers and picked up the frozen and cryovacced meat and it came back in 2 large boxes.  Can it go into the freezer.  The answer was yes and I put them in their approximate layers to correspond to the rough menu I had made up.  At he moment there is no room for frozen veggies except for a bag of Hash Browns but by the time we get to Townsville there should be some more room.  I then went up to IGA to get the last of a few supplies and Geoff went to buy some beer and a wine cask but came back with wine and 6 bottles of Pear Cider which was made in Tipperary in Ireland (Magners).  We have been looking for pear cider ever since we found it on our trip back to the UK in 2007.  Our favourite is Kronnenberg but this will take a good 2nd place and as it is made in Tipperary we will always think of our good mate Gerry when we drink a bottle.  Talking of Gerry, we saw the other Gerry and Celia walking down from the gate so called and invited them for a cuppa.  They left about 3.30 pm as Geoff had to go to Owens to drop off his scooter and then he came back with Owen, Maryanne and Mia for drinks and nibbles, the last time for about six to seven months.  Kisses from Mia and we gave her the last lot of treats.  Poor Maryanne and Owen as we then loaded them up with more stuff we were putting in storage and it was quite heavy, which  was good for the poor boats sake.  Now we are ready to go.

Tuesday, 1st June 2010  -  Bundy to Burnett Heads

Up early as nature called and had a last hot, long shower and shampoo for a while. I went up and got a last bread, milk and lettuce.  Sent a text to Caroline and Stephen and they are on there way to the Whitsunday’s.  It was then time to wash the boat down and she was quite grubby. Final water top up, power off and lead stowed and we were off.  Debbie from Femme de la Mer popped by with a card and present from Arnie,  Barnie and Carnie which was a battery operated Candle which I thought was very nice. John from Narooma and Bruno from Pipes of Pan helped push us away from the dock and Geoff turned us around and we waved  goodbye to them. As we turned the corner there was Arnie, Barnie and Carnie waving their paws with a little help from Deb. Further along Gerry, Celia. Alan and Linda were also waving goodbye.  And it was a lovely warm day to leave on the first day of winter.   Mid trip down the river I went down below to the bathroom and found one of the taps running slightly which I turned off but once anchored at Burnett Heads we found the water bladder under my bed was empty. This meant we had lost 100 lts of water What a silly thing to have happened so now we will sneak into Port Marina and fill up our water containers. Let's hope we get all of the silly things out of the way before we head offshore. When we anchored at Burnett Heads we really dug the pick in as we dragged the last time we were here. Once we were happy the boat wasn't going any where we went ashore to buy a few bits from the chandlery and the guy there gave us 6 freeze dried instant meals that were close to their 'best by' date.  You just pour in boiling water, stir. close the bag. Wait a few minutes and eat. The sort of meals you take on Everest expeditions and high in calories but a nice little win anyway.

When we got back Geoff went over and filled up our water containers but the bladder only took 55 lts so there would still have been 45 lts that the pump wasn't picking up.  Crumbed cutlets for tea and they were very tender.  Moo rang and we caught up on each others news  which was really good.  She gets married on the  6th of November so we may be back by then.  Flicker, flicker from the new imitation candle and in bed by 8pm.

Wednesday, 2nd June 2010 - Burnett Heads to Pancake Creek

We were up at 0145 as we have a really long passage ahead of us today. 

Goodbye Bundy, just for now. Once we were on our  way and things looked ok Geoff went back to bed as he has a cold and I stayed on watch. It is now 0600 and everything has been fine and Geoff is still in bed. The only thing that is wrong is that the loo won't pump out so we may have a blockage again.  It happens when you stay in a marina for a while. I haven't told Geoff yet as  I want him to get all the sleep he can due to his cold.  I have cut an onion in half as I have been told cut onions absorb all the germs etc and I won’t catch it.  Sounds like an old to wives tale to me but I'm willing to give anything a try! The sun doesn't rise for another half hour but there is the start of a lovely red sunrise on the horizon and the night is no longer dark.

It is now 1100 and there is virtually no wind and the current is against us so we are motoring and only making 3.5 knots so it is painfully slow.  Our weight doesn't help but it is a beautiful day.  Geoff has just spent a good hour reproofing the hatch covers.  By 2pm the wind and the tide was against us and we were only making 2.7 knots which we blamed on our weight.  Later we realised that the starboard engine was still in neutral as the button hadn't popped out as it normally does when we put it into gear.  No wonder we were slow!  As l said yesterday ''Let's get all of these silly mistakes out of the way early".  That's the trouble with being in a marina.   Things that were second nature have to be re-leant again.  SO, because we were so slow due to that hiccup it was dark when we got to Pancake Creek but Jim from VMR Gladstone stayed on the radio for us and gave us instructions on how to interpret the new lit markers at the entrance.  We got in ok but still needed our very bright torch and anchored just beyond the lit green maker as Jim suggested at the beginning of the creek.  We were fine  but it was still very unsettling to anchor in the dark and near a rocky headland but there was no way we were going to try to navigate further in with no lit navigation markers.  We have seen it done but thought they were mad, especially as they had not been there before!  A quick dinner and an early night.

Thursday, 3rd July 2010  -  Pancake Creek     S24 01.8336   E151 44.534

Up at 0700 after a long sleep.  We have a small leak in the starboard engine that Geoff is keeping an eye on.  We up anchored around 0800 and motored further up the creek and re-anchored and settled down with a cuppa and a bowl of cereal.  It is coolish today with a hint of rain.  Once brekky was done with Geoff set about the toilet and found the calcification was really bad so he spent the next couple of hours cleaning the pipes out.   What a smell!   Now he thinks that we probably didn’t need to buy that new macerator or motor.   Bumma!  It's a horrid job and he still needs to do something else to it once we are beached.  He then had a shower off the back deck to get all the muck off and get rid of the smell.  Before lunch Geoff had a go at using his bait net again and he did quite well this time and caught a few that were soon on our hooks.  Not that the live bait was any better than what we had been using.  Lots of bites but nothing caught! 

At high tide we made our way onto the sandbank and put out a bow and stern anchor. Whilst the tide was going out Geoff used the time to put a new shelf in his tool cupboard to hold things like masking tape etc.   I started mending the sail cover which had started to come unstitched and this was slow and laborious and 1 didn't finish it before the light faded.  This was because Geoff and I went into the lowering water and scrubbed the hulls (what we could get at) and Geoff  worked on getting the barnacles off the propellers. He is happy with the antifoul on the hulls but not at all happy with the antifoul on the props which is called Prop Speed which was expensive and supposed to be really good. He got out at dusk as he was getting really chilled and his fingers had gone a dark blue.  I made him up a nice hot water bottle and a bowl of steaming soup and he slowly warmed up. We thought we wouldn't get TV reception here but Geoff did a scan and we managed catch the news (doom and gloom anyway) and then we played Scrabble  and I just won.  Geoff checked my May journal and I  sent it off.

Friday,  4th June 2010 - Pancake Creek

Up early and Geoff was into the water as he could get to the area he wanted to install the grounding plate.  The tide was still on the ebb for another 90 minutes and he wanted to give the epoxy and sealant time to go off before the tide came in again.  He drilled two holes on the inside of the engine bay to ensure he got them in the correct place and then widened them from the outside.   He then heaped epoxy on the exposed fibreglass then used Sikaflex on both sides of the bolts then put a spacer block on the inside, then washers and nuts & tightened them off. 

 Now we are waiting for the tide to come in to see if there are any leaks.  We spent what remaining time we had left cleaning the hulls and removing any barnacles.  Geoff also cleaned the toilet gate valve and elbow plus the pick up for the toilet as barnacles had adhered to the inside and would have eventually blocked it up.  By this time the tide was on the turn so  we really couldn't do any more.  It would have been better if there had been a  spring tide but, unfortunately, the timing was wrong and it was a day off a neap tide so not a very big tide drop.  Geoff really wanted to antifoul along the water line but we may be near somewhere we can beach her when the next spring tide comes around.  Time for a cuppa and we got a text from Caroline and Stephen saying they were lazing around at Airlie Beach and will be there for about a week.  They say there are still a few sunken boats near the sailing club after the cyclone ripped through. 

Saturday,  5th June 2010  -   To Cape Capricorn

Up at 0600 and on our way as dawn broke at 0630.  Logged on to VMR Gladstone and also notified the port authority that we would be going through their pilotage area.  Prior to that we had been over flown by a Customs plane and then the radio crackled into life ''The yacht just overflown by the customs plane, come in please ." Geoff answered and they just wanted to  know our details, last port of call and next port of call. We have been overflown before but they have never contacted us before.  A first for us and a break in the normal boring passage. Although it is not boring at the moment as Geoff is cursing as the autohelm won't stay on so I took the helm whilst Geoff trimmed  the sails trying to balance the boat better.  He didn’t manage to get it any better but the winds were  now very light and on the nose so we had to put the engines on and  then the autohelm was fine. As Geoff always says ''the winds are hardly ever in your favour.  We have the trolling lines out at the moment  in the hope of catching a nice Mackerel.  Mind you, if we do catch one we will be eating fish for the next few days as we have no room in the freezer.  One of the things I have managed to do on passage since leaving Bundy is to down load a heap of free books from a website in Word and PDF format which I can  read on my laptop when we have power.  Geoff has tried to connect my imate phone to my laptop so he can download a couple of the books to word on my  phone but so  far the Computer won't recognise it.  I shall have to wait until Geoff has his laptop on as he has a slot that will take my phone SD Card.  So all I have  to do is send the file to his computer via Bluetooth or my memory stick and  he can then copy the file to my phone SD card.  Voila ... and I can read my book in bed on my phone.  By 12 noon we were still motoring with the wind NNW  at 7 knots and it was still on the nose.  Then Geoff discovered salt water in the bilge in my cabin.  Now we have to trace back to where it is getting in.  There is nothing much we can do about it until we are anchored.  Poor Geoff, all these annoying jobs he has to do when his not feeling too great.  When we got to Cape Capricorn we thought the anchorage looked quite swelly and there was not much protection from the prevailing wind so we decided to go into Yellow Patch instead but the markers, which the boaties put down (usually large white containers like jerry cans and waited down with something heavy),  were no longer there.  This made it a lot harder to find our way in and we followed one of our old saved tracks to find the entrance in between the two sandbanks. We only had 1 mtr under us at one stage.  We anchored just before dark and logged off.  Geoff had a rest before looking at the leak in the bilge and modifying the bilge pump. We then pulled everything out of my wardrobe and cupboard and they were bone dry.  There was an inspection hatch in the back of my wardrobe that Geoff put in early 2006 that gave access to the buoyancy chamber  beyond.  It is below the wet locker that holds the gas cylinders and Geoff said he thought that, maybe, he could see water in there.  Tomorrow we will go and see if we can find how it is getting in. We also need to redistribute some of the weight as we feel we are a little bow heavy at the moment. Got a text from C and S and they are still  at Airlie Beach at the moment.

Sunday, 6th June 2010  -   Yellow Patch

Well, we have a reasonably major drama this morning as the water is constantly coming in the starboard hull.  We have pumped out all of the water and it looks like it may be coming in the front edge of the keel and has also contaminated our starboard fresh water tank.  We have rung Caroline and Stephen to let them know what is happening and that we will have to slip her at Gladstone.  They were also having trouble with water coming in their stern gland and it was a worry to them. So we’re not the only ones having trouble at the moment!  Now I am trying to work out the tides as the high tides are not in our favour at the moment with both occurring on or after dark.  Geoff then rang East Coast slipway but it was Sunday, of course, so we will have to ring tomorrow. On a lighter note I still haven't 'caught Geoff's cold so there may be some truth to the old wives tale about the cut onion!  We eventually had our bacon and eggs (nothing is going to stop that) and then Geoff spent the rest of the day still trying to see where the water was coming in as the bilges were hard spots to look in.  He keeps changing his mind as to  where he thinks it’s coming in but has narrowed it down to a couple of spots. 

We are in no danger of sinking as the bilge pumps are coping fine at the moment. The nasty sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach is the cost. The least it will cost us is $1000 being the access on our insurance and that is if they will accept a claim. Plus it will put our premium up next year. They won’t cover us if it is just wear and tear.  We have no way of knowing what has caused it.  We have checked in the engine bay and there is no sign of a leak where Geoff installed the grounding plate.  So, is it osmosis, is it from when we hit something that time in the river, is it because we are heavy or did they not spray enough epoxy on when we had her sandblasted?  Who knows? All these things go through your head and what's worse is that we are just sitting here not knowing when we will be able to be slipped and the cost.  And will we still be able to go to the Louisiades?  I'm feeling sick with worry.  So, to take my mind off things, I moved the heavy bags of our bunks and put them in the Coffin bunks leaving Geoff just enough room to get to the engine  bays.  I also rang Brenda to see if she was still in Gladstone.  She was but had only come back to help her son move out of the house as she had sold it.  She and Rick have bought a house in Aldershot just outside of Maryborough and have Low Profile in the marina in Maryborough.   Meanwhile, Geoff cleaned out the starboard front locker. Dried it out and painted it with 2 pack and said the water was not getting in from there.  We went around the boat in the dinghy to see if the weight distribution had made a difference and we think it has.

Monday,  7th July 2010  -   Yellow Patch to Cape Capricorn to Gladstone

The bilge pump went off every couple of hours and woke me up each time even though I had taken a phenergan to help me sleep.  When it went off at 5 am I couldn’t get back to sleep and my stomach started to churn.  Eventually I started to be sick which is how my body reacts to stress.  It was time to get up anyway as it was getting light and we needed the tide to get out of Yellow Patch.  We then anchored at Cape Capricorn to wait a little so we could go through the North Channel on a rising tide as it is quite shallow in some places.  Geoff rang the slipway at 7.20 am and they said they can slip us tomorrow at 7 am.  Geoff went back to his cabin for a lie down and I sent a text to Maryanne and Owen to see if they could send the Garmin GPS Puck up to Gladstone express mail.  Maryanne rang back and said they would drive up tomorrow to visit and bring it with them as she said Woofy wanted to see us.  What good friends they are .  We left Cape Capricorn around 10.45 and it was a longish trip as the wind was on our nose (I think you may have heard me say that before) to get to the entrance of the North Channel.  Then the autohelm lost its calibration and we couldn’t reset it as we needed to do it in smoother waters plus the instruction manual is hard to interpret sometimes.  On route we put red food colouring in the buoyancy chambers to see if it came through to any of the other bilges whilst we were underway and it didn’t.  We eventually anchored at Witt Island, after three attempts as we weren’t happy that the anchor was dug in as it was a rocky bottom.  Logged off then dumped the water from the port keel tank to lighten up the boat ready for slipping tomorrow.  I then had, what I thought was a brainwave, and suggested we use Geoff’s computer microscope to look in the bilges.  We did but it wasn’t very helpful as we still couldn’t work out what we were looking at due to the magnification.  A quick tea of prawn cocktails but big ones!

Tuesday, 8th June 2010  -  Witt Island to the Slipway

Up at 6 am, quick throw up and over and done with.  We left the anchorage at 6.30 am and got to the slipway dead on 7am.  I nipped up to the office to sign the indemnity papers before they would start to take her out.  I also got the prices whilst I was there and they were pretty reasonable for a shipyard.  By the time I had done all this they had the slings under 2AB and she was slowly being hoisted out of the water. 

We had a look at her keel and couldn’t see any immediate problem although we did locate something that needed repairing.  Geoff antifouled her at  Port Bundaberg Slip last September and we had a repair done which was a small osmosis spot that was found just as she was about to go back in the water.  So they did a rush job on her as Geoff had to leave to go back to Toowoomba to work the next day.  The guy said it would need looking at again down the traps but we didn’t realise it would be this soon.  Where it had been repaired was all rippled so we will also fix this whilst she is out.  The supervisor of the yard came on board and said it was often hard to locate a leak because where it was showing up was not always where it was coming in.  He said that maybe we had stressed a seam when we beached her at Pancake Creek but he wouldn't have thought so.  Once we had settled into our work space Geoff cut a hole in the starboard wardrobe floor and the chamber beneath it was full of water.  No wonder we were bow heavy.  He then put inspection holes in all the places where it was hard to get at.  He now says he is very glad we have come out of the water and into the slipyard.  He then managed to get the mobile bilge pump into the front chambers and get all of the water out.  A tradesman then came and sanded/ground out parts of the hull but found they were all sound with no sign of osmosis or problems.  This made us think that the water in the front buoyancy chambers was running down into the bilges and that it may have come from the wet locker when seas came over the front.  Maybe the wet lockers have a small leak letting the water in.  Later Geoff cleared the wet locker out and sealed it with two coats of two pack paint.  Whilst he was doing this we had a tradesman sand back the bad area on the keel and he will fibreglass it tomorrow.  At 3.15 I went off for a shower and on my return Maryanne, Owen and Woofy had arrived.  Woofy was very pleased to see us, as usual.  They had brought Geoff’s Garmin Puck with them  plus our new health cards.  It took them two and a half hours to drive from Bundy and they said they wouldn’t stay long.  I conned them in taking me to the shops to get a few fresh food supplies and some cold tablets for spare.  Geoff has still got his cold but the onion seems to have done the job for me.  I had a runny nose for a day and that was it.  So old wives tales do work.  When they dropped me off they were on their way and were gone.  It was really good of them to come all of this way, especially as Owen has an operation tomorrow to remove a growth from his thyroid gland (or was it his pituitary gland).  Old Timers disease again!  

Wednesday, 9th June 2010  -   Slipway Gladstone

Geoff was up early and chatting to the yard guys but I stayed in bed for another 30 minutes as I was still tired after not sleeping for two days.  Poor Geoff, he is the one having to do all the work.  I can only help intermittently and then mainly as a gofor.  The tradesman came and did the fibre glassing of the keel area that he had sanded yesterday and left it to dry before he can sand it back. 

Geoff then decided to cut a larger inspection hole in the two compartments of the buoyancy chambers and then filled the wet lockers up with water and couldn’t see any water coming in.  We have not found the hull to be compromised in any way so we are just hoping that it was coming in through the wet lockers.  He will touch up the antifoul tomorrow even though the yard says it doesn’t need it.  The antifoul needs to be less than a year old when we clear back into the country for quarantine purposes.  This gives us the opportunity to be legal.  During one of Geoff’s rest periods he rang for advice on using the Garmin Puk and what programs he needed for real time tracking on our navigation system.  I haven’t done much apart from going on the web and seeing that Geoff’s small superannuation is now in his bank.  At least we will be able to pay this yard bill.  It looks like we will go back in the water this Friday.  That will be the test.  ♫ DA DA DA DUM♫

Thursday, 10th June 2010  - Slipyard,  Gladstone

They started early this morning and bogged where they had done the fibre glassing and sanded it back.  I grabbed all of the dirty clothes I could find and sprayed them with pre-wash and went off down the road with my wheelie shopper.  It took about 17 minutes to walk to the marina only to find I needed a swipe card to get into the laundry.  It has all been re-vamped since I was here last.  I went up to the marina office and they were nice enough to let me in and use it.  Once the machines were loaded I found there was nowhere to put any coins so it was back to the office again get Norelle (who remembered my name, no less) to put some money on another swipe card and back to the laundry where I swiped it through this electronic machine and was able to get the machines to work.  Whilst it was washing I caught up with Uta from ‘Fire of Spring’ who still had her boat in the marina.  I then wandered up all of the arms to see who I still knew.  I saw Tempest but Lee was not on board.  I saw ‘Shoreline Song’ with its For Sale sign up and Windana was there but no one was onboard.  Other than that, there was no other boat I really recognized.  There is a lot going on at the marina.  They already have the new laundry, the toilets are being refurbished and one of the marina arms is being renewed.  Lots of things going on although the restaurant area is still empty.  I got back around 10.30 and Geoff had prepped for the anti fouling and then he got me to mask up.  He gave the waterline a reasonable cover and did a light cover elsewhere.  I cleaned the bow up part of the dinghy as it was black still from the Burnett River.  Geoff still has to prime and anti foul the repaired section of the keel tomorrow.  He then decided to walk to the marina chandlery and Volvo dealer so I decided to go with him.  He bought some spare seals for the water pumps, just in case we had a failure, and some more engine oil.  Onto the chandlery where we bought some water treatment and a few bits and pieces.  We then wandered up each arm and knocked on the hull of Tempest but Lee was still not at home so it was back to 2AB for a cuppa.  I was just about to ring Maryanne when she beat me to it and said Owen’s operation had gone very well and said she will let us know what the doctor says tomorrow.  She has also been contacted by Martin from the Fair Works Ombudsman’s department saying that he was meeting with SCV a week Monday to try to get all of our records.  I also got and email from him saying the same thing.  We only have just over $2000 each that we are claiming but any little helps and we believe they have done the wrong thing and underpaid us so we shall see what transpires. 

Friday, 11th June 2010  -  The Narrows

We were up when the yard guy started sanding the keel repair.  Geoff then antifouled, we washed down the boat, paid the bill of $1160 (not too bad but ouch all the same) and into the water at 12 noon.  We notified Harbour Control we would be in their pilotage area and headed towards The Narrows.  When we got into a wide expanse of water we recalibrated the autohelm which took a good hour.  What a pain this is as there are so many settings you have to look at.  She kept turning in circles until we eventually got all the setting correct.  We think it lost its calibration when Geoff stored the BBQ light near it which had a lot of metal & a magnet in it and stuffed up the magnetic bearings.  He had forgotten that the autohelm was nearby when he put the light in that position.  Needless to say he has now moved it to a different place.  What a difference a day makes!  It was real summer weather when we were in the yard but now it is back to winter, overcast and cold.  And it looks like we may have 30 knot winds on Monday so we may have to find somewhere to shelter till it has passed us.  We still have some time up our sleeve.  So far the bilge is dry.  We anchored at 3.30 pm at the start of The Narrows ready for a 7am start tomorrow, probably to Great Keppel Island.  We had a very late lunch at 4.20 so will probably have a light tea.  Yep, chunky soup.  I made a yoghurt and we played Scrabble and I won but I got really good letters.  Poor Geoff’s fingers are really bad at the moment with the cold and all the hard work he has done on the boat lately

Saturday, 12^th June 2010  -  The Narrows

Up at 7.30 am and head off through The Narrows.  I then decided to check the bilges and there’s water in it again.  S*#T!  We’ve had enough of this.  The front lockers are full again.  Geoff pumped them out and says he thinks he can actually see where it is slowly seeping in.  BUT, OF COURSE, the shipyard closes at noon on a Saturday and won’t open again till Tuesday morning as Monday is a public holiday as it is the Queen’s birthday.  We don’t want to pay exorbitant overtime rates to come out so we rang and told them we would be back in on the Tuesday  Geoff then emptied every bilge and locker area and thoroughly dried them out.  The front locker seems to be filling up but not the next one which only fills up when the front locker overflows.  Then the bilge area in my cabin fills up.  It’s downright depressing and poor Geoff has to take the brunt of it all as I am of no help to him whatsoever apart from being his ‘gofor’.  Brenda rang from Maryborough to see how we were getting on which was nice of her.  Told her the bad news and had a good chat.  Sent a text to Phencara and Maryanne and Owen to let them know what was happening.  Geoff spent the rest of the day cutting another inspection hole, cutting back the dividers so he could see in well.  Salt water is getting into the fresh water tank again so we definitely have to trace this problem.  Geoff thinks he can see where it is coming in on the front of the hull so we painted red food dye on it and he watched where it seeped in.  The water seems to be coming in at a rate of 4 lts every 3 hours.  We didn’t feel like cooking so we tried out the tuna and pasta freeze dried meals we had been given.  Edible and sustaining but nothing to write home about. 

Sunday, 13^th June 2010  -  The Narrows

We got up every three hours to pump out so got a very disturbed sleep.  When I woke at 5.30 am I couldn’t get back to sleep so read to keep my mind off things.  Poor Geoff’s fingers are so sore.   The worst they have been for a long while.  It makes you wonder if the stress is not helping.  He only has to knock them lightly and he yelps.  We up anchored at 9.30 am and made our way back through The Narrows.  Geoff checked to see if the water came in at a faster rate of knots when we were underway and it didn’t.  We anchored at Witt Island, pumped out and Geoff went for a snooze.  He had just laid down when a helicopter came past really low and hovered over the island in a few places.  He was so low that his downdraft flattened the water and then made a spray at the edges of the downdraft and I hoped he didn’t come directly over us.  We put on our sail cover, just in case.  He then went off and did the same thing to the islands close by.  We couldn’t work out what he was doing.   After a nap Geoff decided we would move to just outside the marina harbour as he thought it would be less swelly as there was a fair amount of fetch where we were at Witt Island.  It only took 30 minutes to get to the new anchorage and we thought it was a bit better there.

Monday, 14^th June 2010  -  The Narrows

I hardly slept as it is quite rocky here.  We just spent the day pumping out and playing Carcassonne.  I made a bread and Geoff cut out a matching inspection hole in his cabin.  The port hull is bone dry.  It was swelly all day and we actually felt a bit seasick.  Mind you there is a strong wind warning at the moment and I don’t expect I will get much sleep tonight either.  Cooked dinner but neither of us felt like much.

 Tuesday, 15^th June 2010  -  To the Yard

My alarm didn’t go off during the night so it was 5 hours before I woke up and we pumped out but it was ok.  It was a bit rocky as the tide turned but was fine.  I rang the slipway at 7am and they told us to come in and tie up at their jetty and they would look at the leaks whilst the boat was in the water.  It was blowing so hard that we took two attempts to dock but the second time was perfect.  They came and had a look and then lifted us out, which was a feat unto itself with the strong winds, and I fell over one of the headsail sheets as I was fending us off the barnacled piles and twisted my back a touch.  I will now have to keep an eye on it.  I shall take a Voltaren as an anti inflammatory to get on top of it.  The yard supervisor, once again, said that the hull did not look like it was compromised and said he would be thinking it was coming in via a ‘through hull fitting’.  We then told him we had installed the grounding plate at Pancake Creek and said there was no water coming in through the engine bay.  He said it might not show as it could be leaching into the core sandwich and finding its way, via weak points in the core, to the front bilges.  We thought the grounding plate held a lot of water when we came out the first time but, as we couldn’t see any water coming in, thought it was ok.  In fact it was the water leaching back through the week spots and coming out at that weak point once we were again out of the water.  The supervisor said he was 99.9% sure that this would be our problem as once Geoff took the grounding plate of water poured from it for a long time.  When Geoff drilled the hull at Pancake Creek he found it to be core sandwich and up till then we had always believed the hulls to be solid fibreglass.  Geoff would have installed the plate differently if he had known.  We now have very RED FACES.  Geoff feels really stupid about the whole thing but he knows a lot of things and can fix most things that come his way so he shouldn’t feel too bad.  Everyone makes a mistake now and again.  So, by trying to save money beaching and installing the ground plate has actually been quite an expensive exercise but you live and learn, don’t you?  And it’s no use crying over spilt milk and will be relegated the depths of memory in a few months time to be dredged up only now and again.  The supervisor told Geoff to drill some drain holes in the inner hull just into the foam sandwich to help it drain.  Geoff borrowed the airline to help blow it out through the core and heaps came out each time he did it.  Apparently the core sandwich will take about three weeks to dry out but we will be back in the water tomorrow with fingers crossed.  During the day Geoff dug out a hole in the engine bay then bogged it well (overkill really) let it dry, drilled new holes, put the bolts in with epoxy so that when he did up the bolts they were going through a solid piece of epoxy and not the sandwich core. I rang Centrelink to see how I could lodge our forms on the 22^nd as we would not be near an office and she said I could get someone to do it for me.  I rang Lynne Sibley and asked if she would be able to lodge them for us if I posted them to her and she said yes so I filled them out.   I then left Geoff to it as he was taking the opportunity to do a few other jobs that are hard to do when we are in the water.  I caught a taxi to The Valley to post the Centrelink forms and to top up on fresh supplies etc and then got a taxi back.

Wednesday, 16^th June 2010  -  Slipway to Graham Creek

Up reasonably early.  Geoff repaired one of the engine stainless steel vents that was not looking too healthy.  We then polished both hulls which looked a lot better once they were done but she really could do with a respray.  As we don’t have spare $15,000 she will go without.  What we really need is a small lotto win or a rich relative leave us a nice endowment.  Not much as we’re not greedy.  We went back into he water at 2.30 pm with the cancellation of the strong wind warning.  We motored to the fuel dock and filled up with 88 litres of diesel.  You had to pay at the fishing tackle shop and if you spent over $20 you received 4¢ in the dollar off your fuel.  Geoff needed some fishing bits so we thought that was good.  Well, we should have just paid The normal bill and got out of there as we spent $140.  We found a food storage system similar to cryovaccing which uses a heat seal system, but using a type of zip lock bag with a non return valve and a manual pump to pull out all of the air..  The pump was only $25 but we bought bags as well  It is called a Zipvac. Check it out at http://www.zipvac.com.au/  It’s a very neat system as the hand pump needs no power source.

 You just load the bag, zip it closed and put the pump on the valve and vacuum out all of the air.  It is so simple .  We tested it when we got back and it works really well.  We are very pleased with it.  Apart from this we bought two LED torches as ours were the worse for wear and fishing swivels, tubes and clips.   The small fishing bits were quite expensive on their own.

We then headed off to Graham Creek and I checked the bilges and they were dry but it was too early to tell yet but we have our fingers crossed.  When we got to Graham Creek the boat ‘Vision’ was there so we managed to catch up with them as they are the other boat we are going with to The Louisiades. 

They are missionaries and go every year, apparently.  They left after dark and headed back to Gladstone.  Still no leaks.

Thursday, 17^th June 2010  -  The Narrows to Pearl Bay

Up at 8.30 after a nice lay in.  Checked and we have bone dry bilges so it looks like we have fixed it.  Fingers crossed and touch wood.  Superstitious, who me?

We up anchored at 11.15 and made our way through The Narrows.  We have decided, due to the northerly forecast for tomorrow, that we would go overnight to Port Clinton or Pearl Bay.  We checked in with VMR Gladstone to ascertain whether there was any defence force training in the Shoalwater Bay area and there wasn’t so we had the pick of the anchorages.  Hooray.  It’s annoying when the good, safe anchorages are closed and you have to do another long overnight trip when you don’t need to.  We reached Sea Hill around 3pm and headed out.  We were getting some good sailing in so we radioed Keppel Sands Coast Guard and logged on to Port Clinton.  I made chunky soup up in our large round necked thermos flasks.  I was reading which was a bit silly as I was soon feeling a little off so took half a Sturgeron. (We are careful with the use of this drug!) We got in a couple of good hours sailing before the wind died and we had to motor sail with just one engine on.  I stayed up till 10.30 pm and then went to bed for three hours and then I relieved Geoff.  There is a bit of a moon tonight and a myriad of stars.  You forget how many there are out there until you get away from the lights of civilisation.  At 2am we passed a vessel heading south.  I couldn’t see what type of vessel but knew from her navigation lights that we would pass starboard to starboard.  I woke Geoff up at 4.35 am as I decided we needed to do a course change to Pearl Bay as we would get into Port Clinton too early and in the dark with no markers to show the way in and it would be light when we arrived at Pearl Bay.  Pearl Bay was another 8.8 nm further and took us about another two hours.  When it was light we found ourselves in a sea mist with visibility down to 150 mts but when the sun poked its head over the horizon it soon burnt off.  We logged off with Coastguard Yeppoon and anchored at 7.30 am at S22º 26.606  E150º 44.004.  Still no water in the bilges … Rippa!

Friday, 18^th June 2010  -  Pearl Bay  

 S22º 26.606  E150º 44.004.

Once anchored we went to bed for about 3 hours.  We woke up at 10.15 to a beautifully warm and sunny winters day.  Geoff decided to go for a troll and I sewed a 2AB badge onto a bra I didn’t need as we intend to replace our shingle at Middle Percy Island with a new one.  Time for lunch and as I was making it a large police motor launch came into the bay and made a beeline for a small cat called ‘Peggy Anne’.  They spoke to them for a while and then very slowly made their way along the whole shoreline of Pearl Bay and seemed to be searching for something.  Maybe ‘Peggy Anne’ reported something, we will never know unless we go over and speak to them.  There is only one other yacht here with us called ‘Just Magic’.  Geoff then decided to make up a bracket for our smallest solar panel so he can tilt it to the sun.  He just can’t help himself and just relax and let his fingers come good.  At least his cold is better.

By mid afternoon the bay started to fill up with more boats.  Geoff tinkered with the starboard engine to  see if he could see where that small oil leak was coming from.  I’m still waiting for him to put the door back on my wardrobe so I can put all my junk away that is on my bed.  But, there’s no rush.  When he had finished tinkering in the engine bay we decided to put up our solar powered blue fairy lights to see what they looked like.  One wouldn’t work so Geoff had the solar power unit apart and found a switch had stuck and they were soon working.  Now we will just have to wait till dark to see what they look like.  Me, well I am just feeling dozy and keep shutting my eyes for a few zzzz’s.  Towards late afternoon we decided to get off the boat and get a bit of exercise so wandered along the shoreline.  Whilst we were walking we saw a lot of fish activity so we decided to go for a troll on the way back as we had great memories of the School Mackerel schooling last time we were here.  That time we caught heaps but this time it was a no go.

Saturday, 19^th June 2010  -  Pearl Bay

A good night’s sleep.  Listened to the weather forecast and it looks like we are in for some really strong winds over the next few days.  We checked the cruising guides to see where the best anchorages were and it was a toss up between Island Head Creek and here so we might stay here as it is prettier.  But we may move in a bit more and let more chain out.  It is a little overcast today and a lot chillier.  It is one of the most beautiful anchorages on this coast.  All the other boats left this morning but by the afternoon we had we had another two cats and a sloop in.  Geoff spent the morning putting my wardrobe door back on and painting the two new inspection covers a dark brown rather than the black.  I then put all the stuff back away that was on my bed and got my cabin back into some resemblance of order.  Geoff then serviced the anchor switch and I had a lazy day until it was time to cook a Cottage Pie for tea.

Sunday, 20^th June 2010  -  Pearl Bay

I had a dikky tummy last night and had to rush to the loo a lot which meant Geoff had to put the genny on for a while as I was flushing the loo too much and flattening the batteries.  When we got up we kept looking at the weather and wondering if we should make a run for it before the strong winds come tomorrow.  It was really calm here overnight which makes you doubt the forecast but it was blowing quite hard by 9am with intermittent calms.  We shall probably stay here as it is supposed to be good for SE winds to 30 knots.  I cooked bacon and eggs for brekky and I waited to see how my tummy reacted but it was fine.  Geoff spent the day fiddling with lots of little jobs and then never got to go fishing.  I lazed, as usual, apart from cooking brekky, washing up and making a yoghurt.  Where are these strong winds?  I was feeling a little off by tea time so didn’t eat much.  We played Scrabble and I won.

Monday, 21^st June 2010  -  Pearl Bay

Slept well.  Listened to the weather forecast and it is going to be 30 knot winds for the next 3 days which is as far as the forecast goes, so this is where we will stay.  I remember being stuck in the Gloucester  Passage, south of Bowen, for 10 days in 2005.  Let’s hope this isn’t the same.  So I wondered what I would do to keep myself occupied.  Geoff always finds little jobs to do but, apart from cleaning which takes water, there’s no jobs I can really do.  So it is read, play games and do crosswords for me.  The two cats left this morning but the monohull has stayed.  It is getting a bit more rolly when we have wind on tide now as the swell is starting to build up outside and invades the bay at times.  So far it is not too bad and is comfortable enough.  Mid afternoon we had a game of darts and I got well and truly thrashed.  What’s new?  Another light tea for me as it is a bit swelly and I don’t feel like much.  In theory I should be losing weight as Geoff has and is down to his last hole in his belt.  In practice, my weight doesn’t seem to shift.

Tuesday, 22^nd June 2010  -  Pearl Bay

Well, the 30 knt winds are still forecast up to Thursday at least.  At this rate we will have to do some long passages and miss the Percy’s to get somewhere. We can always pop into Middle Percy on the way back down.  Bumma!  It gets a bit boring just sitting on a rocking boat.  This is winter and is supposed to be the more stable weather.  So far this June journal has been mostly doom and gloom but I am certain it will get better.  The monohull has just spent the last hour or so looking for a better spot to anchor as he really rocks from side to side on the invading swell.

Our power had been getting quite low during the day which surprises us as there is quite a bit of wind and it is sunny.  So, of course, Geoff started poking around.  He started by testing the batteries which seemed ok.  Then he started looking at the solar panels.  Geoff’s note … We have 2 x 60 watt solar panels (which came with the boat) with a average output of 46 amps per day between them.  The 3^rd 40 watt solar panel can give us 13.4 amps a day making a total of 56 amps.  This is assuming 6 hours of peak sunshine, which is in summer.  We consume about 108 amps a day with the fridge and freezer alone.  So we are always behind the eight ball because our battery capacity, when fully charged, is only 210 amps.  The shortfall between the solar input and the fridge/freezer usage comes out of this 210 amp storage and as the days go by the batteries slowly discharge to the point of having to be boosted, either by the engines or the genny.  The wind generator can input a huge amount of amps (40 amps per hour max) which, of course, it does not achieve because the wind never blows at full strength for 24 hours.  Even in a blow such as we are having at the moment the amps per hour can vary from 0 – 20.  So … as the solar panels were only showing an input of 3-4 amps an hour Geoff thought that something was amiss.  He discovered that he still had a blocking diode in the circuit of the starboard panel.  A blocking diode stops the panels discharging at night but he didn’t need it as the new solar regulator he installed last year (he blew the last one up) did not require diodes as the unit had its own integral diodes.  Once he took this diode out the input jumped to 7 – 8 amps per hour.  A big improvement.  I cooked a stir fry for lunch as I had decided it was too rocky at night to cook the main meal as I’m feeling decidedly off around 6pm.  After lunch Geoff went off in the dinghy to the rocks to do some fishing and came back with some good Honeycomb Cod and a Stripey.  I will make them into fish cakes tomorrow. On his way back from fishing he popped by the monohull anchored nearby and said hello.  It is a new 45’ Hunter and Wyn would love it.   A light tea of crackers and cheese and then we watched the DVD ‘The Big Chill’.  A strange movie and we didn’t quite know what they were trying to say with it.

Wednesday, 23^rd June 2010  -  Pearl Bay

I slept reasonably well until the wind on tide mode made us rock quite a bit.  Time to get up anyway.   It sounds like the weather is going to start easing up on Friday.  So another two days of just sitting here in a washing machine.  Once the tide turned it calmed down and I steamed the fish and pulled it from the bones, cooked the spuds and made up eight large fish cakes.  I froze four for later and then did all the washing up as I had made a big mess.  The whole event took over two hours but they are so yummy.  I must admit I have now perfected them.  Geoff spent the morning working out where to put the safety lines when we head offshore as we will definitely clip in at night when we are on watch alone.  It has been raining on and off since late afternoon yesterday but we have only managed to collect about 6 lts of water in total.  Still, it is better than nothing.  About 3.25 pm Anna and Col from the monohull ‘Annacol’ came over to listen to the weather forecast on HF radio as they hadn’t heard a forecast for the last couple of days.  I told them that I had heard the forecast from Coastguard Thirsty Sound on 81 so they will be able to get it from now on.  We had a good chat and they left before the swell got too bad.  Light tea as we had fish cakes for lunch.

Thursday, 24^th June 2010  -  Pearl Bay

It looks like we will be able to make a move late Friday or early Saturday morning. Then it goes lighter winds and what’s the betting we have to motor all the way to The Whitsunday’s.  Geoff has made up a sort of washing machine for me/us.  It is our large black tub with a screw on lid which we have had on board with this intention for the last five years.  He has attached permanent straps on it so the lid can’t screw off and it holds roughly four tops, 1 tracksuit bottoms, 1 tea towel and cloths and various undies.  We put Napisan and powder in and filled it with salt water and added the clothes, secured it firmly to the front of the boat where the swell and waves agitated it.  We left it in there for a couple of hours and were quite pleased with the results.  We think we will get a solar bag and fill it with salt water so we can wash in hot next time.  We then gave the washing three fresh water rinses adding conditioner to the final rinse.  The wringing out is the hard job as I have arthritis in both hands just below the thumbs and Geoff’s fingers are still playing up.  What a couple of crocks!  I’m glad we collected some rain water as it helped with the rinsing out as it takes about 12 lts of fresh.  The Hunter yacht ‘Annacol’ nearby has a washer and dryer on board that runs off the inbuilt generator.  Plus they have a water maker … what bliss!

After lunch, when the weather seemed to settle down a bit, we headed over to ‘Annacol’  as Geoff was going to look at his navigational software that seemed to be crashing his computer.  The boat cost them over $500,000 and is their only home, like us but more palatial.  A lovely boat that also has reverse cycle air/con, a hot air cabinet to dry the dishes and all the mod cons you could think of.  What it also had was a leak through one of the vents in the cabin roof which was very disconcerting when talking to the skipper through a cascade of water.  Wouldn’t it P... you off in a new and expensive boat.  Whilst we were on board the weather took a turn for the worst and I got really drenched on the way back to 2AB. Geoff, as always, sheltered behind me and stayed reasonably dry.  By 7am it was really bouncy and uncomfortable and I was hoping it would soon calm a bit.

Friday, 25^th June 2010  -  Pearl Bay to Hexham Island

What a horrid night!  The side swell only eased for a couple of hours so we were up at 6am and grumbling.  We listened to the weather forecast.  We are right on the cusp of the Bowen to St Lawrence and St Lawrence to Burnett Heads forecast areas but more in the St Lawrence to Burnett Heads region.  The  Bowen to St Lawrence forecast was for SE winds 20/25 knts reaching 30 knts at times with a sea of 3 – 2.5 mtrs and a SW swell of 1.5 – 2 mts.  The St Lawrence to Burnett Heads forecast was for SE winds 15/20 knts with seas to 1.7 – 1.5 mts.  So somewhere in between is us.  We decided that if we were going to go we needed to get going to harness the flooding tide to have the current with us for most of the time.  We left at 7am and at 8am we had a SE 15/20 wind with seas and swell toward the 2 mt mark and we were sailing at around 6/7 knots.  We took some movie of the rough seas but, as is normally the case, the camera lies and didn’t show it as rough as it was.  I must admit it is quite rough but quite bearable. 

When we were off Cape Townsend (our original destination) we made a decision to keep going to Hexham Island, another 14 nm away.  Geoff read in the cruising guide that the area between Great Keppel Island and the Percy’s was renowned as a very turbulent section of the coastal waters with big ranges in the tides and very strong currents.  If I thought it was rough going up to Cape Townsend  I was now in for a very big surprise.  The seas had built up to a point, after 5 days of strong winds, to near the limits of our endurance levels.  However, saying that, once we get outside the reef and on our way to The Louisiades we might find condition like this are quite common but I hope not.  At times there were swells under the boat of at least 3 mts and it looked like a mountain bearing down on you and then all of a sudden you were on top of that mountain and the wave would slip harmlessly by.  We reached a top sped of 10.8 knts which would have been as we descended a large wave into the trough below.  But, as Jim Purcell of VMR Gladstone said to us, “if Jessica Watson can do it, so can you”.  As usual, even though we had good winds of around 23 knts, it wasn’t coming from the direction we wanted so a bit of tacking was involved as most cats cannot sail very well into wind so you lose at least 60º of angle and 2AB doesn’t like sailing dead down wind.  You can get her to do it but you have to be constantly on the helm as the autohelm cannot be trusted to keep a straight course.  Mind you, if the wind is light enough, you can always put the Spinnaker up.  We motored for the last hour as we need to boost the  batteries and save some tacking as we had had enough.  We anchored around midday with a small 30’ yacht called ‘Farr Out’.  I assume from its name that it is a Farr brand yacht.  He has been here a week waiting for the weather to allow him to go south (wrong way for this time of year).  Quite a few text messages came in on passage and I was lucky to be able to reply to them before I lost the signal again.  After lunch we both went for a lay down.  Geoff slept but I didn’t so just read a book.  Geoff got up around 4.30.  It’s a bit bouncy here but no where near as bad as at that last night at Pearl Bay.  Hexham Island is S22º 00.772  E150º 21.859

Saturday,  26^th June 2010  -  Hexham Island to Digby Island

We had a good night until 6.30 when it got a tad swelly.  Time to get up anyway.  We had a bit of trouble getting the anchor up as the chain had twisted on itself a bit.  We left at 7.30 for Digby Island in conditions much better than yesterday but still a tad lumpy.  We listened to the Sheila Net on HF radio but we were having trouble transmitting so Geoff will have to have a rethink and read the manual.  It is really weird as we are getting TV from Alice Springs, Charters Towers and Mt Isa whilst we were on passage.  We can only guess that they have a really powerful transmitter to get out to all the outlying areas and we are benefiting from it.  It is very clear too.  So we watched a couple of very interesting programs for a couple of hours.  We are very pleased with the TV antenna.  Geoff has now worked out why we were not able to transmit to the Sheila Net.  We called up ‘Sub Zero’ on VHF 81 who was the radio controller for the Sheila Net this morning and asked if the Sheila Net was a simplex channel which he confirmed.  Geoff then called him up on the 8 metre band Channel 9 on the HF and we got through.  Great.  I also got the internet for a while and phone reception.  Sent Lynne a text asking if she had managed to put in our Centrelink forms and she had. What a gem!

It is quite a nice day but, once again, a long one.  How are we going to feel after the 600 nm to PNG.  Knackered, no doubt.  We had to motor towards the end of the day as we had a strong tidal flow against us and light winds.  As we were coming into the anchorage I just thought to look up at the TV antenna and saw it was rocking form side to side.  Once anchored I winched Geoff up the mast and he said the bolt had come undone so he tightened it up to the best of his ability and will buy a bigger bolt when we are next in civilisation.  At the moment Geoff is talking to his lettuce and tomato plants, as you do.  Let’s hope they listen and give us a good crop of fruit. 

We still have TV here so it was nice to catch up on the news and to see how our new prime minister is going and a woman to boot.  We will see how she goes.  She has always impressed me even though she is in the Labor party.  I had just started washing up after southern fried chicken when Geoff’s rod went berserk and he pulled in a large Emperor of sorts.  It’s either a Blue Spot or Spangled Emperor and as they are both excellent eating that is our tea for tomorrow night.  It was just under 50cm long but we didn’t get to weigh it.  Yum … well done Geoff.

Sunday, 27th June 2010  -  Digby Island to Scawfell Island

A nice calm night and the alarm went of at 0545 … yuk and yawn.  We got going just after 6 am, heading for Scawfell Island.  The winds are from the SSE and light, around 12/13 knts and right up our bum.  We also have a 2 knt current against us as well.  It was excellent conditions to put the Spinnaker up, which he did, me with my fingers crossed as I don’t like the period when he is setting it up or taking it down.  This increased our speed a bit and would have been fine if we didn’t need to get somewhere and didn’t have that current against us so we helped push the boat along with one engine.  We are hanging out for 11.30 when the tide turns and then the current should be in our favour.  Geoff has made some multigrain rolls which are in the ovens as I write this and the smell is wafting, tantalisingly, up from the galley.  Geoff also had to use the radar today to check the course and speed of a bulk carrier that was on a convergence course on its way to the open anchorage roadstead off Hay Point.  He tried calling them on VHF Channel 16 as, by law, they must monitor this channel but, as is the norm, no reply.  Geoff says they understand the necessary English to contact the port authority but when a small yacht calls with the request “ The bulk carrier to the east of the white cat with the blue spinnaker sail up, am I ok to continue on this course” then it is a different ball park altogether.  Anyway, they passed in front of us about ¼ of a nautical mile distance which is quite close really.  Having the Spinnaker up, we would have had difficulty in getting it down in time if they had converged on us.  Hopefully they knew we were there as they should have a lookout in position.  All this time we were sailing through the open anchorage roadstead area where all the bulk containers were anchored awaiting for their turn in the port. 

A lot of them stay on anchor until the price of coal drops and then they go in.  Gosh those rolls smells good.  We ate a multi grain roll each for lunch and they were still warm and yummy.  We have some left over for tomorrow.  Bumma … we have just lost a lure due to the fact a fish went for the swivel and cut through the trolling line.  So they are out there just not jumping on our hook. 

 Another bulk carrier has just snuck up on us, how I didn’t see him is beyond me as I was at the helm the whole time  … I think he was on my blind spot, and crossed our bow about 250 mts ahead of us and his wake was a little bouncy as we sailed through it.  In theory they have to give way to sail but in practice it doesn’t work that way as it takes a lot of time for them to turn or stop.  The Spinnaker came down around  3 pm without a whimper … how I like it… and thirty minutes later we were anchored.  There’s quite a bit of reef inshore so you can’t go in too far.  There are two lovely bays and an island that seems to make it’s own clouds on the hill tops. A lovely sunset was enjoyed, sitting on the back deck with a drink in our hands and in a lovely calm anchorage.  After a nice fish tea, and it was a very nice fish indeed, we played Mexican Train Dominoes and he won. 

Monday, 28th June 2010  -Scawfell Island to Thomas Island

Up just after 7am and make a cuppa.  Geoff had really bad cramp in his calf overnight and woke me up.  Poor ‘B’.  We up anchored at 8am and radioed in and headed off to Thomas Island.  Scawfell Island is in the cruising guide ‘100 Magic Miles’ but we won’t feel like we are really in the Whitsunday’s until we get to the southern group of Goldsmith, Blacksmith, Tinsmith and Silversmith Islands and Thomas is past all of these.  Of course, the current is against us by 1.7 knts.  It would be nice to have the tide with us but you have no choice if you have a full day’s passage ahead and you want to get in before dark.  But, the wind picked up and, for once, was on the right angle , and we were able to choof along under main and Genoa at a rate of 5 to 6 knots.  Geoff said “ you can’t complain about the wind today”.  I spent the morning doing crosswords and reading and Geoff fiddled around with a bit of plastic pipe trying to make up a mini flag pole near the BBQ.  The red tide has started to appear so we know we are in the Whitsunday’s.  I believe that it is plankton.  The engines went on just after 3 pm after a good days sail.  The port engine is playing up a tad so Geoff will have a look at it when we are anchored.  We anchored at Thomas Island S20º32.596  E149º 06.492 around 4pm and we anchored next to out first charter cat of the Whitsundays.  She’s called Maryann.  Once anchored I did a bit of cleaning up and used a dustpan to sweep up as our 12volt vac power supply has given up the ghost and we need to buy a new one.  Geoff then spent quite a bit of time before and after tea in the port engine bay moving the exhaust higher up the engine bay to stop salt water getting into the engine.  He had previously pumped out some oil and found a very small amount of water in the oil.  He had previously raised the exhaust on the starboard engine and we were not having any trouble with that engine.  He is very tempted to put a higher loop in when we get to Airlie or Townsville even though it means some problematic modifications.  He thinks it is well worth doing.  Technical note from Geoff:  Since owning the boat, despite all efforts to reduce weight, the waterline has slowly crept up.  The straw that broke the camel’s back is all the trading goods, donations and three months supplies we have on board.  (Just imagine going into the supermarket to buy your weekly groceries and then multiply that by twelve and you will get an idea of the bulk and weight involved).  Thus, the engine outlets are just under the water and, during rough seas, can be even lower.  This means that when the engine is not running there is the possibilty of water entering the exhaust and finding its way to the top of the engine which is only just above the exhaust outlet level.  Making a loop in the exhaust that would go higher than the water level would solve this problem but there is little room and it would have to intrude into the coffin bunk but it can be done.  

We ran the engine to check the modification that Geoff had done and he noticed one of the engine mount bolts to the bed was loose so he replaced the two coach screws for one engine mount and she now sounds a lot more quiet.  We then transferred the heavy bags that we stored in the coffin bunks onto the top of our beds which is the centre of the boat to lighten the back.  Most of the weight is now stored in the centre of the boat where it should be  so we hope that makes it a bit better.

Tuesday, 29th June 2010  -  Thomas Island to South Molle Island

A nice calm night and up at 7.30 am.  We had bacon and eggs today as we didn’t have to rush off and we had not had them last Sunday.  Geoff has a filling playing up so he rang some of the dentists in Airlie and managed to get a 2pm appointment tomorrow.  We then rang Stephen and Caroline to catch up with them and found they are also at Airlie so we will catch up with them tomorrow.  Just enough time to go ashore and stretch our legs and chat to a family enjoying the quite bay there.  We up anchored at 11 am and headed off to South Molle.  By 2pm we were passing Pentecost Island where we went ashore with dad, Wyn and Ann and then again in 2006 with Chris and Shoona.  It brings back memories.  By 2.30 pm we had a 2 to 3 knt current with us and, although the winds were very light, we were able to turn off the engines as the current helped pull us along.  But the wind died completely so it was on with the engines again.  We got into Bauer Bay, Sth Molle Island, around 4.30pm and were confronted by heaps and heaps of moorings.  We called the resort and asked what was the ‘go’ and she said if we were staying overnight we had to take a mooring at $49.  This didn’t sound right so Geoff called her back and asked if there was a legal requirement that we had to take a mooring and she said no, we could anchor at a cost of $22.  She never said it was $22 if you visited the resort and it sounded like you had to pay $22 whatever.  We decided it was $22 if you wanted to visit the resort, which we didn’t as it was just a night stopover, so we didn’t go in and pay.  They can’t charge you for using a bay that they don’t own only if you use one of their moorings.  We anchored twice as the first time we drifted back too close, for our liking,  to a cat anchored nearby.  We only have a run of about 9nm tomorrow to Airlie.  This bay is known to be swelly and it was when we first anchored but calmed down to a flat sea by the time we hit the sack. 

Wednesday, 30th June 2010  -  South Molle to Airlie Beach

A very calm night indeed, one of the best ever.  So much for me saying it can be swelly! 

We were up just after 7am and we got going at 8.30 am.  It was a short and uneventful trip over to Pioneer Bay off Airlie Beach.  We found Phencara and yelled to them in passing and then found a spot closer inshore to anchor.  We will catch up with Caroline and Stephen later.  We then went ashore and wandered along the new boardwalk into the marina area.  We reminisced on when we first came to Airlie and you had to wait for low tide to scrabble over the rocks from the marina to take a shortcut into town.  Now there is boardwalk everywhere and very nice it is too.  The walk was longer than anticipated and took over 30 minutes.  Our amenities key still worked (thanks Bazza) so we had a long shower and shampoo and then a bite to eat and a drink at the little café there. Then we had the walk back and it was a hot and humid day.  I had forgotten how humid it can get up here.  I found it a real effort walking back as we hadn’t done much walking since we left Bundy and our legs had seized up.  When I got back to the dinghy I was feeling very dizzy and had a headache over my nose area.  I think I was a little dehydrated maybe.  Back to 2AB and Geoff changed his clothes and it was time to head back ashore to the dentist.  By this time I also had a tummy ache so decided to stay onboard as I was definitely feeling off.  Geoff was going to take the dinghy around the point and leave it at the beach as it was the nearest point to where the dentist was located.  I had a few drinks of water and was soon feeling a lot better.  He came back $385 poorer.  $80 for an examination fee,  $200 for the filling and $105 for a clean.  Ouch, but at least it is done now.  The day was a bit overcast with some sun.  We are also in for strong winds again soon.

Thursday, 1st July 2010  - Pioneer Bay,  Airlie Beach

Up just after 7am.  I don’t seem to be able to lie in these days.  Perhaps I go to bed too early and it also gets warm in the cabin once the sun is up.  After a cuppa I sprayed all the dirty clothes with pre-wash and put them in my wheelie bag.  At 9.15 am we motored over to Phencara in the dinghy and knocked on the hull.  Um … we woke them up as they had been up most of the night watching the tennis and the world soccer.  Sorry!  Anyway, we had a cuppa with them and left at 11am and headed off for the public pontoon where we wandered up to the new marina complex to do the washing.  $4 per washing machine where as Bundy and Gladstone are $2.40.  I crammed it all into one machine of course.  Then it was $1 for 10 minutes in the dryer so I got them to the nearly dry stage and folded them up to finish of on the boat.  Cappuccinos were over $4 a cup so we didn't bother with that either but shared a pre-packaged milk drink.  What cheap skates we are!  Still we are in the Whitsunday's so have to expect exorbitant prices but when you are watching the pennies every little bit helps.  Back to the boat for a cuppa and something to eat then back in the dinghy again and wander up to the Whitsunday Shopping Centre in Cannonvale which is only a very short walk indeed.  It is very handy to the shops here and we needed to replenish the supplies we had used in the last month and we spent $360.  That’s not bad considering we only bought a few supplies in Gladstone, and there were quite a few packs of good batteries in the bill that came to over $35.  Our Canon camera has decided it doesn’t like Nicad batteries any more so we now have to buy normal ones which is a bit of a pain.  Still, it is a good camera so we like to use it.  On the way to the shopping centre we pushed two trolleys back that had been left at the ramp by other cruisers but we bought so much stuff that we had to bring a trolley back again but don’t feel too bad about it as Coles are still one up by us bringing them back.  Apart from the trolley I still had a wheelie bag full and I caught one of the wheels on a traffic hazard sign which, in turn, tripped me up and I went a cropper.  Ouch and in front of a very slow moving truck but I bounced back up with only very minor damage to the body but not the ego.  Back at the dinghy and we had trouble fitting it all in plus us but we somehow managed.  Then it was the big job of finding places for it all.  But it is done now and we can relax. 

Friday, 2nd July 2010  -  Airlie Beach

A little rain overnight.  Caroline and Stephen popped by on their second attempt as they broke a shear pin on the outboard motor the first time and had to paddle back to Phencara.  After a cuppa or two they took of for the beach to walk to the Centro Shopping Centre whilst Geoff and I took off a little time after as we were catching the bus in.  We passed them on the way and they waved as we rode by.  When we got to the Centro Geoff bought himself a real bargain in ‘Best and Less’.  Some nice shorts reduced from $30 down to $6.97.  You can’t complain about that price.  Then onto ‘Super Cheap Auto’ where he bought an Volt metre for near the radio station area.  We also picked up a collapsible water container as ours went overboard at night in strong winds in Pearl Bay plus a 19 litre solar shower which Geoff intends to try to make into a solar still to collect fresh water from salt water.  It doesn’t matter if it doesn’t work as we wanted one to heat the water for the clothes washing anyway.  Caroline and Stephen then turned up and we wandered onto Woollies and Big W to pick up some things we couldn’t get from Coles yesterday.  Caroline and I also snuck into ‘Millers’ and I bought a couple of long shorts as I didn't really have any nice ones to go out to dinner etc in.  Caroline also picked up a pair.  Then we found a ‘Dollar and Sense’ shop where we were able to pick up two solid round 44cm balls which should fit in the exhausts.  For $4 it was well worth the chance.  Time for  a sausage roll for me and pies for the others and catch the bus back to the dinghy.  Even Caroline and Stephen caught the bus back with us.  Once back on the boat and we had finished a cuppa Geoff drilled through the balls and attached a cord to each ball and they fitted perfectly into the holes of the exhaust.  When we turned over the engines the balls just popped out and, as they were fitted on cords, we didn’t lose them.  Hopefully they will work well.  Geoff then looked at fitting the volt meter but the size he bought doesn’t fit over the holes so he will take it back tomorrow and get the next size up. 

Plus he needs to get some copper piping to try to make up his still.  At 6.30 pm we headed off to Phencara.  It was so dark and Phencara is red so she was really hard to see in the dark and I had to ring them and they shone a torch to show where they were.  It took a good 20 minutes to make our way to the beach and it was pitch black and a lot of boats didn’t have an anchor light on and were hard to see as were the spare mooring buoys dotted around.  We pick up one mooring rope with the propeller and had to stop to untangle it.  Once we beached we locked the two dinghies together and walked up to the yacht club where we were meeting Mike and Marlene from ‘Vision' who we had briefly met in Graham Creek.  Unfortunately there was a really loud band playing and it was almost impossible to hold a conversation so it wasn’t a really enjoyable evening from our respect.  Probably better for Caroline and Stephen as they knew Mike and Marlene really well.  We left at 9pm and made our way back to the boats being guided by Caroline and Stephen as they had a spotlight and we only had a torch.  When we left them it was really hard to find 2AB as Geoff thought he had put the anchor light on.  What had really happened is that we had left it on all day and he switched it off when he thought he was switching it on.  Thank goodness we had left the back deck solar light on.  We got back to the boat at 10pm so it took quite a while to get back, what with walking and then in the dinghy.  I must admit that going ashore in the dark is not really my cup of tea.  Time for bed. 

Saturday, 3rd July 2010  -  Airlie Beach

Up at 7.30 am again.  I thought I might sleep longer as I went to bed later but it was not to be.  Once I am awake that’s it.  I did remember to switch off the anchor light this morning.  Geoff fiddled around for a bit checking to see if a downlight transformer he already had on board would charge the battery on the little vacuum cleaner but it wouldn’t.  Bumma.  Geoff then went off to catch the bus to Centro to replace the amp meter he bought yesterday.  Whilst he was away I got to some cleaning, with minimum water, put stuff away and caught up on my journal and sent it off.  I then got a text from Caroline asking what I was up to and after a few text messages back and forth Stephen dropped her off whilst he went ashore to fill up some water containers.  Geoff turned up whilst he was away but Stephen wasn’t far behind.  After couple of cuppas the time shot by till it was time for sundowners and nibbles on the back deck.  I had made cheese from yoghurt and had put it in a container on top of Sweet Chilli Sauce and it was good.  I must get some other type savoury toppings so we have a variety. When they eventually left Geoff looked at fitting the voltmeter.  Hmmmm!  The amp meter reads 11.6 and the other amp meter reads 12.2 and the multimeter reads 12.1.  So there is a voltage drop in the line somewhere that Geoff will have to locate and fix.  He will have to look at it tomorrow as the light was getting too bad to do too much more work. 

 Sunday, 4th July 2010  -  Airlie Beach

It was quite windy overnight and there was a strong wind warning current. I would have thought the voltage would have been good this morning but it only read 12.2 but the fridge and freezer were both on.  I suppose the wind didn’t blow constantly at 25 knots.  The freezer could also do with a de-frost but there is so much in it I’m not sure how I would keep it all frozen whilst we defrosted it.  Geoff fixed the voltage drop this morning by wiring it straight into the HF radio supply and then putting in a fuse.  It is still windy but is only putting in between 2 to 4 amps into the system.  There is an American 4th of July celebration in Woodwark Bay today which we were going to go to but we don’t really feel like moving so will stay put.  I don’t think Phencara are going either.  After brekky we decided to take the dinghy around to the pontoon and have a nice, long hot shower.  Checked with Caroline and Stephen and they took up the offer too.  The water flow from the showers in the older section of the marina is pitiful and only just hot enough but better than you can get on the boat so, once again, thanks Baza and Helen!.  Whilst we were at the marina we ran into Col and Ann from ‘Annacol’ who we were with in Pearl Bay.  They were marina bound as they had a couple of problems on their way up after we left them.  The wind generator pole bracket snapped bringing the wind generator down onto one of the solar panels and smashing the panel.  The wind generator survived.  Then their autohelm died so they are stuck in Airlie while they wait for a new autohelm (under warranty) to arrive from the UK.  So much for a brand new boat.  Still, we would accept one if they were being given away!  After our showers Caroline and Stephen decided to walk to the Whitsunday Shopping Centre for a newspaper but we headed back to the boat.  Geoff had decided to move a lot further in towards shore and we have anchored as close to the ramp as you can get and won’t have much under us at low tide.  Bacon and eggs for lunch as I forgot it was Sunday at brekky time and made toast.  I spent the later part of the afternoon making a yoghurt and filling up my oil containers.  Filling up the oil containers (a little stainless steel pouring jug thingy)  doesn’t sound like much of a job but it is on a boat as you have to pull everything out of the cupboard to get to the 4 litre container then stack it all back again.  Geoff spent the afternoon cleaning out the air filters, oiling them and re-installing them.  His tomato plants have a couple of flowers emerging, the lettuce looks great and is almost ready to harvest and the Basil and Coriander look really healthy.  It must be all the sweet talk he gives to them.  Plus the cress is going well.

We also received a text from Di and Lindsay from ‘Fiddler’ who are anchored in Cid Harbour asking where we were.  We replied but have not heard from them yet so maybe the reception is bad there.  Chops for tea with roast spuds, fresh corn and beans and gravy.  Then we played a game of Carcassonne and, blow me down, I won.

Monday, 5th July 2010  -  Airlie Beach

So what happened today? Let me think … oh yes.  Firstly Geoff resealed the water pump on the starboard engine as he thought that was where the oil was coming from.  At 11am we took the dinghy across to the public pontoon and grabbed another shower at the marina and then we wandered into town.  It hasn’t changed much, in fact it is looking a little jaded now with a lot of the shop facades needing a clean or paint job.  I needed to buy some clip on Polaroid glasses as mine had snapped in half and were not repairable.  We also bought a bulk sunscreen pack and a few more bits of fishing gear.  Macca’s for lunch … their cheap options.  We filled up our water containers  and got back to the boat after 2.30 pm.  Caroline & Stephen popped by on the way back from the Centro bearing Tim Tams to have with a cuppa.  Whilst they were here Geoff went down below to check the status of the starboard water tank and found there was FRESH WATER laying on top of the tank.  He found that the drain pipe for the fridge had come away and was leaking into the bilge so he soon fixed that but left me to put everything back into its place.  Thanks!  He must have knocked it out when he last had the fridge out to fix the wobbly grab handle.  We then received a phone call from Wade who said that he and Christine would be in Townsville from the 8th to the 12th and had chartered a monohull to see if they like it.  They would love to upgrade to a bigger cat but the price is what puts them off so they are looking to at buying a monohull instead, that’s if they like it.  We then decided to head off tomorrow to try to catch up with them but it meant we would miss Di and Lindsay which was a bit of a bumma.  Never mind, we may be able to catch up with them later.

Tuesday, 6th July 2010  -  Airlie Beach to Greys Beach, Bowen

Up at 0630 and leave the anchorage at 0650.  No sign of Caroline and Stephen as they would have been up half the night watching the World Cup Soccer. 

Winds are very light at the moment.  AND, that’s how they stayed all day and right up our bum even when we changed course.  We had our trolling lines out but had no luck.  We received a text message from Caroline and Stephen saying that the sale of their block of land has fallen through so they will be leaving tomorrow to head north as well.  We had an uneventful trip and anchored in Greys Bay, Bowen at 3pm.  Geoff decided to check the batteries to ensure they were still holding their charge and they were fine.  He moved the batteries around a bit so that the same battery wasn’t being the first used all of the time. 

Wednesday, 7th July 2010  -  Greys Beach to Cape Upstart

Up at 0630 and start the engines and we have no power to the port engine.  Geoff had a look and found that he hadn’t connect one negative wire so it was soon fixed and we were on our way without losing much time.  Got a text message from Caroline and Stephen who are also on their way after getting up at 0430 to watch the World Cup Soccer and the Netherlands won.  By 0900 we reeled in a nice 65cm Spotted Mackerel and sent a brag text to Caroline and Stephen who then put their trolling line in.  They say they don’t catch anything and I must admit that we seem to catch most of our Mackerel on a silver spoon attached to the deep diving hydrovane.  So we have a nice fillet in the freezer and the other fillet for tea tonight.  WHAT … fish again … we had fish cakes last night.  At least we are getting a good dose of our Omega 3 which can’t be bad. 

By 0930 we had another strike but this one got away so sorry Caroline and Stephen but we will keep trying.  Soon we were passing the Hay Point Coal Terminal.  It is so shallow in this bay that they have had to build a coal wharf way out to sea to enable the container ships to be able to come in and load. 

Geoff measured it on our navigation system and it is about 2.4 kms long and it looks like it can only take 3 to 4 ships at a time.  Once again there is a container ship parking lot out to sea but not as big as the area for Gladstone and MacKay. We managed to sail for about 45 minutes until we had to put the engines on once more as the wind was so light and we were down to around 3 knots.  Maybe it will pick up later, who knows.  About 1.30 I decided to make some lunch of cheese on toast.  This was not to be as the last four slices of bread had stated to go mouldy and then the gas ran out.  Geoff went up to connect the other gas bottle and the bread went over the side.  Geoff was soon back and said that a rubber bung, that is now mandatory, that was to keep the thread clean had seized up in the thread and Geoff had to chisel and drill it out whilst I held the bottle steady.  He tried to be careful but scored the thread a  little and now the gas fitting doesn’t seal as it should.  This meant we would have to go up and physically turn it on and off as needed.  What a pain so it was crackers and cheese for lunch.  During lunch we received a text from Caroline and Stephen saying they had caught a Spotted Mackerel so we know what they will be having for tea.  ‘Way to go’.  We anchored at Cape Upstart at 3pm (S19º 43.414 E147º 45.162) after some slow sailing and motor sailing on one engine.  We then went up and decanted the gas from one bottle to the other and now there’s only a little bit left in the damaged cylinder which we will use up first.  Geoff then had another fiddle on the starboard engine still looking for that small elusive leak.  He said there’s much less oil showing now.  Meanwhile I put my line in and nearly caught a squid ( a few times but he was very wily) plus a couple of small Long Scaled Grinners which make good bait, even for trolling for Mackerel.  Geoff then cooked up the Spotted Mackerel in a beer batter which I served with wedges, peas and grilled cheese topped tomatoes.  Deeeeeelicious but there was too much fish so we saved some for lunch tomorrow.  After tea we fished some more and I caught a small shark which we couldn’t identify so he lived to tell the tale.

Thursday, 8th July 2010  -  Cape Upstart - Bowling Green

Up at 0630 and off by 0650.  Phencara sent a text message which I only received at 0915 when I plugged my phone into the mast antenna.  They said that a Search and Rescue helicopter had been searching their bay all night and the anchorage was bouncy so they were glad to get out of there.  It was a bit bouncy here at times with wind against tide so they may have another bouncy night when they get here. They got up to watch Spain and Germany play in the World Cup football and Spain won.  I was surprised.  They also said that the boat Unicorn was calling us on the HF radio on the Sheila Net just after 0800.  We had listened to the Sheila Net that morning but the interference was too bad so we will listen out each morning to see if they call again.  It is overcast today.  At 1040 we were overflown by a plane that had ‘rescue’ on its side but then they called us up as a customs plane and asked for all of our details again.  This is the 2nd time this trip.  Caroline just sent a text saying they had caught another Spotted Mackerel but we have just spotted a whale, the first for this season.  We  anchored at 1400 at Cape Bowling Green, 35 nm south of Townsville after some sailing and some motor sailing again.  Geoff fiddled with the HF radio and recorded all the outputs so we can see a electronics specialist in Townsville.  Geoff then put our lines in and caught a small shark that he let go.  We have a NE wind here at the moment and the anchorage is reasonably calm.  We then caught another four small sharks so decided to give it away as we don’t really want to keep them as our freezer is full.  Remind me to not go swimming here as it must be shark city down there.

 Friday, 7th July 2010  -  Cape Bowling Green to Townsville

What a horrid, horrid night.  It was really calm whilst we had the NE winds but once we went to bed the winds went to the SE and became quite strong  and we had wind against tide virtually all night.  The boat was pitching and banging sideways so it was a very uncomfortable night with very little sleep.  I got up and wedged myself in the saloon seat and played games on my phone all night to try to take my mind of it.  Geoff was up a few times on anchor watch and checking everything was ok.  He was up at 0430 with me and I made a cuppa.  We were up anchored and gone by 0600, as soon as it was light enough to see.  The last time we were here we left at 0300 in the dark it was so bad.  Remind me to never, ever anchor there again!  The wind was strong and coming from the south and on our beam which 2AB loves.  The seas were quite lumpy and we were moving along at a fast rate of knots.  The ketch that was also anchored near us left about 30 minutes later and we thought she would start catching us up but she didn’t, in fact I think we actually gained on her.  This is a first for us as everyone and his dog seems to go faster than us.  To while away some of the time I went on the net to see if I could find anything about the Search and Rescue that was going on in Bowen.  I found that they were searching for a Korean visitor who had gone missing in the bay whilst snorkelling.  He was found dead the next morning.  Another text from Phencara and they have caught a Spanish Mackerel or maybe a Wahoo.  Looks like their drought on catching a fish trolling is well and truly broken.  We rounded Cape Cleveland at 1000 and almost instantly the wind died and we only had 3 knots of wind so in came the headsail and on went the engines.  But, only for 30 minutes when the wind came back and we were able to sail again.  We rang Wade and Chris, who were on their way to Orpheus Island in their charter yacht, and arranged to catch up with them in Horseshoe Bay on Magnetic Island on Monday.  Three nautical miles off of Townsville and we both nearly had a minor heart attack.  The  boat log, wind instrument, rudder angle instrument and the autohelm all started working intermittently.  Geoff had just connected the inverter back onto the battery bank after disconnecting it a few days ago.  So he thought “what have I done’.  Luckily he had just knocked one of the connectors loose which was touching the battery terminal now and again giving occasional power to our instruments.  Panic over!  Thank goodness as we were counting up the cost of replacing them all if they had shorted out  -  over $6000.  After this little panic the wind died again so we started the engines and motored the last couple of miles.  We anchored at low tide in the ‘Duck Pond’ at 1300 and in very shallow water with only .6 metre under us.  Time for a cuppa and ring around a few places to get a few items serviced and pick up a few things.  I then rang Centrelink as my money was not in the bank and found out their was glitch with my job service provider in Bundy and now I have to see one up here before Wednesday.  Bumma and I’m not sure I can be bothered but we will see. At 1830 we received a text from Phencara saying they had also just anchored in the ‘Duck Pond and we went out and shone a torch and found them.  Roast Beef for tea then watched a bit of TV and bed.

Saturday, 10th July 2010 -  Townsville to Magnetic

A nice calm night and a nice sunny day.  We received a text message from Sara and David on ‘Baybird’ saying they were in Horseshoe Bay on Magnetic Island until Monday when they were going to Townsville.  We were going to go to Magnetic island on Monday to catch up with Chris and Wade so we changed our plans and will go over today.  We went over to see Caroline and Stephen who are hoping to go to the Super Car races here at Townsville over the weekend as Mike and Marlene were going.  Not our cup of tea and another reason to go over to Magnetic early.  Poor Caroline and Stephen had not had much sleep as they had dragged during the night and had to re-anchor three times.  They had catnapped in the cockpit all night to keep anchor watch.  We told them of our plans and said we would catch up with them again on Tuesday as we had to do a lot of chores.  We left the anchorage at 1130 and had a good breeze all of the way over so we managed to sail the whole way.  The seas wee surprisingly lumpy and we got in around 1400 after waving to Sarah and David as we looked for a place to anchor.  We found a spot close to the beach after looking around as it was very crowded as I expect they are all getting away from the Super Cars in Townsville.  I counted 35 cruising boats and heaps of smaller runabouts and overnighters.  Sarah paddled over to us in her kayak and we invited her and David to dinner tomorrow night.  We shall probably have Japanese Curry.  After lunch Geoff looked at repairing the cupboard under the sink as the divider had come away.  Whilst he was doing this I noticed a small dinghy that looked like it was coming our way although, I didn’t recognize the occupant.  Perhaps he wasn’t coming to us but, yes he was.  He had come over as he had recognized the boat from the article in Cruising Helmsman I had written and also had a Cloud 9.  It was called Silver Cloud and he had bought it from the insurance company as salvage (for under $20,000) after it got sunk when the tail end of Cyclone Olga went through earlier this year.  He is now working on her to get her back up to scratch as she only flooded to the bridge deck so a lot of things are fine still.   Once it is back to its former glory he intends to go cruising with her.  We had a nice long chat and will go over and have a look at her tomorrow and I will tidy up 2AB in case he and his wife want to come on board for a look around.  Not that she’s really messy but could do with a tidy up anyway.  Plus Sarah and David are coming over so I want her to look her best.  After tea I made up a fresh yoghurt for tomorrow.

 Sunday, 11th July 2010  -  Horseshoe Bay, Magnetic Island

A nice calm night but I was still awake at 0630 and couldn’t get back to sleep.  That’s the problem with going to bed early!  It is a bit overcast today but the sun is trying to break through.  I booked a car for Tuesday for 2 days over the internet so we can get all of our chores done.  After a brekky of bacon and eggs Geoff carried on gluing the under sink cupboard doors and then started to sand them ready for varnishing.  All the cupboard doors really need doing but we will have to do them slowly, one at a time.  I started on the cleaning and worked on my cabin, the galley, the head area and the saloon and then I cleaned all the brasses and the stainless steel fittings.  Sarah and David popped by and she is going to make an apple crumble for dessert.  Yum.  By 1pm Geoff was still sanding the doors so I did some computer work and caught up on my journal.  Geoff finished sanding at 2pm and had a shower and we went over to John and Helen on ‘Silver Cloud’ to have a look.  He has a really big job ahead of him.  He has ripped out the coffin bunks and exposed both engines, which he can’t get started at the moment as both have been under water.  He has to replace a lot of the wiring and all the rattan on the cupboard doors.  There’s a large hole in the port roof that runs down to the waterline on the rear bulkhead.  This was caused by another yacht hitting him.  He is hoping to haul her out of the water somehow (he’s looking at reinforcing a flat bed tray that he can get his hands on) and towing her to a place near his home where he can work on her.  Once he has her out he doesn’t have a time frame to have her finished.  I say good luck to him. 

We then went ashore and bought a few supplies and filled up a couple of water containers.  When we got back John and Helen came over for a cuppa and a look around.  I must admit that 2Abreast stands out as one of the better example of a fit out and equipment level of a Cloud 9 we’ve seen.  Moonshadow and Dream On are another two examples of nice ones we have seen.  John and Helen had a good look around and Geoff showed them some photos of 2AB on a tray when we slipped her at Bundaberg Slipway to give him some idea of what he needs to do when he hauls her out.  They left at 5.30 and I started to prepare dinner.  Sarah and David arrived at 6pm and we had drinks and nibbles on the back deck.  Sarah supplied the apple crumble and I cooked Japanese Curry.  After dinner we taught them how to play Mexican Train Dominoes which they picked up really quickly.  They left at 10.30.  I don’t know about them but we had a good night. 

 Monday, 12th July 2010  - Horseshoe Bay

Up at 7.30 again and Geoff went off to shore to fill up some more water containers.  I cleaned all the salt off of the windows and then cleaned them inside and out.  When Geoff came back he applied the first coat of varnish on the sink cupboard surround and doors and while he was doing that I cooked up an apple slice from a recipe I had got from Irene at Gracie Dixon’s and it came out very well.  Geoff was still complaining about his hands but not his fingers this time but the top of his hand below the knuckle which was very swollen with a couple of sores.  We think it is another variation of his Scleroderma.  I remembered that we had seen a doctors rooms on shore so Geoff decided to drop in, just on spec.  He was able to see the doctor straight away and they bulk billed so he got scripts for antibiotic cream and tablets with repeats for taking to PNG.  So it was well worth him going ashore to see.  He filled up on more water whilst he was ashore and he hadn’t been back long when I saw a sail on the horizon.  Of all the yachts we had watched coming into the anchorage all afternoon this was the one that was healed over the most and making the most out of the sailing.  We said “That would be Wade” and it was, of course.  They picked up a mooring from their charter company and as soon as we saw they were right we were in the dinghy and visiting. 

We had a look around their Bavaria charter yacht and it was nice, of course, but only had a poky second cabin which was supposed to be a double but in reality was a large single and very dark and claustrophobic.  I think Chris and Wade were really happy with the way she sailed and were slowly getting used to the rolling action but said it was more tiring sailing a mono plus they had no autohelm.  We haven’t sailed a mono for years so have forgotten.  We left just after 5pm and went back to 2AB to freshen up, pick up some wine, the apple slice, some meat and the Mexican Train Dominoes.  We arrived back on their boat just after 6pm and Wade cooked up the BBQ and Chris made a nice salad.  After dinner we taught Wade how to play Mexican Train and he picked it up really fast and beat us first time out.  Chris doesn’t really like playing games so she did the washing up and watched us play.  We took some photos and left at 10.30 pm.  I think Chris was really tired as they had just finished a really ‘full on’ day. 

Tuesday, 13th July 2010  -  Horseshoe Bay to the Duck Pond, Townsville

Geoff was up early and put the genny on so I was very much awake.  Chris and Wade left the anchorage at 8am after swinging past us first on a final wave goodbye. 

We followed soon afterwards.  We went past ‘Silver Cloud’ on the way and took a couple of photos.  The seas were quite lumpy again until we turned the corner of the island and then we had a good sail all the way to the ‘Duck Pond’ where we anchored at 11 am.  We received a text from ‘Phencara’ welcoming us back and we found Spain had won the World Cup Football.  We then rang around a few places to organize things and then Geoff applied the second coat of varnish on the sink doors.  Caroline and Stephen came by in their tinny and were going ashore and wondered if we wanted to go for a cheap dinner at Molly Malone's at 6pm.  We said we would see how we went with our chores and would let them know.  Geoff then went on the web and paid for the South PNG charts for the Garmin GPS Puck and fiddled around with it until it was 3pm when we left to pick up the hire car.  We paid the Breakwater Marina for two days dinghy and car parking fees and wandered up to Avis to pick up the car.  First stop was to get the radio checked out and it was ok but he did fiddle with it and we got a few pointers on tuning it.  Then onto Jarcar to pick up the new power supply for the vac cleaner, put in Geoff’s scripts for the antibiotics and got a bit of shopping. Bunning's was next on the list to pick up the hardware bits we needed and then on to Molly Malone’s to meet up with Caroline and Stephen.  The $7 Special was crumbed steak (more like schnitzel really) chips, gravy and salad although I paid a dollar extra to have mine with veggies and mashed potato.  When it came it had 2 steaks and a huge amount of veggies and mash.  I gave Steve and Geoff some of my crumbed steak as it was too much for me and I preferred the veggies anyway.  It was really good value.  We then decided to go in the car to Macca’s for the normal ice cream cone but our GPS took us around the houses so Geoff went by instinct and we soon found one.  The ice cream machine played up a bit so the ice creams were huge this time.  Back to the Duck Pond and 2AB was still in the same place, luckily.  You always worry a tad about dragging when you leave your boat in an anchorage for the first time. 

Wednesday, 14th July 2010  -  Townsville

We awoke early after a nice calm night.  We sorted out what we needed to do with the car today and Geoff looked in the engine bay to see how much exhaust hose he would need to raise the pipes well above the water line.  I put the shopping away.  Within a few minutes the sweat was pouring off Geoff and I knew he would need another shower once he was done.  He finished measuring up around 1015, freshened up and we headed ashore.  Our first stop was Midway Metals to pick up two stainless steel 90º pipes which would make his job of raising the exhaust that much easier.  Then back to the CBD to drop me off for my interview with Max Employment, my new job provider.  They were running a bit late but I had a nice 55 year old, laid back guy called Paul and it was really painless.  Whilst I was in there Geoff went off to Elgas to get the gas cylinder checked out and filled.  They wouldn’t fill it as it was showing some rust so Geoff bought a 2nd hand galvanised one and had that filled.  He picked me up an hour later and we drove way past Garbutt to the Rivers Super Store to pick up some cologne for me that Geoff had a voucher for.  We also looked around the shopping centre whilst we were there and I went into Budget Eyewear to see about getting some new glasses.  They wanted $500 for a pair with progressive lenses so that was out.  They did show me the new frames that you can get for free from the health system and they weren’t bad, much better than what they had three years ago, but I can only get free bifocals.  They take about 4 to 8 weeks so I will get pair on my return if only for a spare.  We found the Optical Superstore on the way back and I can get a pair with progressive lenses for around $200 which is much better.  We had lunch at Subway getting our senior’s discount so had lunch for $6.30.  Well, not really as the coffees cost more than the Subway.  Onto another hardware store and then Dan Murphy’s to buy some wine casks etc.  Onto to the Customs office to get some info on the procedure for clearing out.  Back to the marina where we only managed to fit the jerry cans, the gas cylinder, some shopping and ourselves into the dinghy and Geoff had to go back for the wine.  On his return trip he took his scuba tank to shore to put in the car but caught up with a dive boat who took it away to test it and refill it for him which was a bonus.  Geoff then ensconced himself in the port engine bay and started lifting up the exhaust using the stainless steel pipe he had bought and he managed to lift it a good 8”.  He needs to buy a bit of hose to finish it off and then start on the starboard one.  He crawled out about 8.15 pm and we had thick chunky soup, bread and butter for tea which is always quite filling. 

Thursday, 15th July 2010  -  Townsville

Up early again and Geoff re-installed the HF radio then put a third coat of varnish on the sink cupboard doors and surround.  A quick shower and text to Caroline and Stephen to see if they were interested in coming shopping with us and they were.  We met them at the marina at 9am and we headed off to Bias Boating where Geoff bought some exhaust hose but he was worried it was too big a diameter.  We filled up some more jerry cans and then on to the Stockland Shopping Centre to wander around the shops.  We picked up another couple of cheap shorts for Geoff , had lunch and then completed our shopping supplies.  Back to the dinghy around 3pm where we tried, once again, to fit everything in.  Caroline and Stephen were kind enough to carry my wheelie shopper for me in their dinghy as they didn’t have much.  They got caught by the guy from the marina as they haven’t been paying for their dinghy parking as they think, and so do we really, that $10 a day is quite rich.  We had only paid as we were leaving the hire car there as well.  Once we got back onboard Geoff tried out the pipe and it really was too big which is quite a nuisance as the car was due back and we didn’t have time to go to anywhere else. But we rang a place called Total Hoses and they had what we wanted plus the stainless steel clips we needed and said they would courier it out to us in the morning.  Checked with the marina to see if they were happy for it to go there and they were so it was soon organised.  Geoff then put the sink cupboard surround and doors back in and they look a right treat.  After dinner he looked at our little vac cleaner as it was still not charging, even with the new power supply, and found a loose wire and it started recharging.  When he put it back together he found another wire loose so will have to try and find out where that goes in the morning.  We then rang Maryanne and Owen and had a good natter about Owen’s health issue which seems to be well and truly fixed.  We checked on Woofy too and she was well.  We also talked about our claim with the SCV Group that was a no go.  The guy from the Fair Works Ombudsman said that the award didn’t cover us as, although we did a lot of the jobs in the award, the job of a manager wasn’t listed so we only got the basic wage and no extras.  Now wouldn’t you think a Manager would get above the basic wage?  Ah well, that’s life

 Friday, 16th July 2010  -  The Duck Pond, Townsville

Geoff had another look at the little vacuum cleaner this morning and managed to deduct where that loose wire had come from and we now have a working and fully charged machine again.  Wonderful!  I went into Geoff’s cabin and checked all the supplies that he had under his bed and updated the database.  I also got a call from the Customs who asked that I fill in the ‘small ships departure’ form and bring it in to them before clearance so I pulled it out and filled it all in and we will probably go there on Monday.  Geoff fiddled in the engine bay whilst I made a bread pudding with some stale bread I had left over and which is cooking as I write this.  After lunch Geoff went ashore to fill up the water containers and to see if the exhaust hose had arrived.  It had and it was the right size and nice and flexible and was easy to fit.  Once the installation was complete it was just a matter of fitting the wooden section he had cut out between the two pipes, put the floor back and put the mattress back in.  On and off, the whole operation today took until 4pm.  We then freshened up and headed off to Mike and Marlene on ’Vision’ and Carolyn and Stephen arrived a few minutes after.  Vision is a 57’ ketch and is large and roomy and very nice.  We started out on the back deck with nibbles and wine before going inside when it got cooler.  We had a good chat about heaps of different subjects and started to get to know them.  It was so much better than when we first met them at the noisy yacht club in Airlie Beach when you couldn’t hear what was being said.  We really enjoyed ourselves and left about 7pm.  As usual, after sundowners, we weren’t very hungry so just had cheese on toast followed by bread pudding.

Saturday, 17th July 2010  -  Townsville

 I got up a little later today which was nice for a change.  As it is Saturday the little red bi-plane has been very busy in this anchorage taking people up for joy rides.  It’s a noisy little ‘B’ but doesn’t kick up too much wash. 

We also had a ski boat come through the anchorage at full throttle and very close.  Luckily it was planing so we didn’t bounce around too much but we both rushed outside.  It was being crewed by three teenagers who certainly were not abiding by the rules.  You must only go past anchored boats at a speed of no more the 6 knots and be at least 30 metres (about that) away.  Teenagers believe these rules do not apply to them.  It was time for Geoff to enter the starboard engine bay to raise the exhaust.  This time he was using the old hose so it was not as flexible and it was quite a hard job.  He had the main part of it finished about 12.30 and had some lunch and then only had the fiddly finishing off jobs to do.  I had a lazy morning as all I did was the washing up and finished off my July journal, Part One which I will send off as soon as Geoff has the time to proof read it for me.  Geoff worked constantly all afternoon, what with finishing off the starboard exhaust, putting everything back into place and then putting all of his tools away.  He then went and had a look at his water bladder that seems to be getting an air lock in it.  He took the fitting off and then couldn’t get it back on so their were a few more ‘blue’ words filtering up until he fixed it.  Me, well what did I do?  Not much except to answer the VHF radio when Stephen called for a test.  I helped Geoff clear up, of course, made lunch and numerous cuppas but you can’t really call that ‘work’.  Geoff has also sorted through all of our paper charts and it looks like we really only need one to have the set so we will have to see if we can buy or copy one. 

Sunday, 17th July 2010  -  Townsville, Duck Pond

Up at 8am so that wasn’t too bad.  Geoff’s knuckle doesn’t seem much better so he may have to find another doctor.  Carolyn and Stephen popped by on the way to church and he said he would look to see what charts he has for us.  Later we wandered into town and passed a Turkish restaurant called ‘Osmans’ which made Geoff stop and think.  We knew a Turkish guy named Osman who was married to Anne, an Aussie girl, and they had moved to Townsville to open a restaurant a few years ago.  Could it be the same Osman?  Geoff looked further and then saw his surname above the door and it was indeed our Osman so Geoff rang and left a message.  We continued on our way and walked around the Sunday market then wandered up to the ANZ bank to get some money out of ‘the hole in the wall’.  En route we saw a doctors super clinic that was open and they also bulk billed so Geoff went in and was able to see a doctor right away about his hand.  This doctor believed that the tablets prescribed by the doctor in Magnetic Island were not penicillin and weren’t strong enough so he gave Geoff a script for double strength penicillin.  We will see if they are any better as he said we should see some improvement within three days.   We bought a few supplies from the supermarket and then wandered back to the marina and the dinghy.  We hadn’t been back onboard for long when Carolyn and Stephen returned from church and stopped for a cuppa, bread pudding and then a beer.  I chucked them out at 6 pm as I needed to cook roast beef.  Osman rang whilst I was cooking and invited us to his restaurant on Wednesday night as Wednesdays were a quiet night.

Monday, 19th July 2010  -  Townsville, Duck Pond

Another nice day.  We fiddled around for a while.  Geoff listened to the ‘Sheila Net’ on the HF radio and called out.  Stephen heard us first but then couldn’t hear us at all but a guy on a boat called ‘Morning Tide’ replied from Pancake Creek and he came in quite clearly for most of the time.  At least we know that we are getting out with it.  I got all the dirty washing together and pre-sprayed it all and then stripped our beds.  We headed over to the marina about 11 am and paid for another 24 hour dinghy parking and also paid to use the facilities and got change for the washing machines. First stop was a long hot shower and shampoo and then onto the laundry.  It was extremely busy.  I put one load into a machine that wouldn’t do the final rinse and spin.  Bumma, so up to the office and report it and get my money back and then wait for a couple of machine to become empty.  Met a nice Kiwi lady in the laundry so the time went by quite quickly.  Eventually, two hours later, we had got everything washed and most of it dry.  Saw that Sarah and David on Baybird were in the Duck Pond on the way back to the boat. Once we arrived back on the boat I hung out the damp stuff.  I then had a go at removing the mould from the carpeted wall at the base of my bed as it was starting to show badly.  I then made my bed.  Not easy at the best of times and even harder with the heavy bags on it.  It was time to relax for the rest of the day.  Get in the washing and put most of it away. 

 Tuesday, 20th July 2010  -  Townsville, Duck Pond

A couple of big stink boats went by flat out early this morning and I thought I might get bounced out of bed.  No consideration at all!  After brekky we went to the marina to tie up the dinghy and then wandered into town to the Customs Office to submit some of our forms so they could start to get us onto the system.  We took a shortcut, according to Geoff, that was quite hilly and it was quite a humid day so I was really hot when I got there.  It took me ages to cool down.  Back to Woollies to pick up a bit more stock which we packed into my wheelie shopper.  On the way back to the marina we passed Osman’s and peered in through the window and Osman and Anne were there as they were opening for lunch.  They both remembered us although Anne looked so different as she had dark hair and was blonde when I knew her.  They are selling the restaurant and moving back to Turkey as they have built a hotel there.  The hotel opened the beginning of June and his brother is running it at the moment.  We left them and then realised we had forgotten to ask if they were still paragliding.  Back to the boat and lunch.  After lunch we decided to go over to Phencara and annoy them for a change and Geoff was also going to look at an intermittent fault on Stephens laptop. As with all intermittent faults it didn't manifest itself whilst Geoff was there so they looked at other things.  We all had a cuppa and bikkies and Carolyn and I relaxed in the cockpit which is quite comfy.  We left around 5pm to go back and cook tea and watch the news.  Watched a glorious sunset.  Got an email from my sister Kay to say that her puppy Schnauzer, Gilbert, is doing really well in the rounds of the dog shows (and he’s still only a puppy) and he has never got a lower place than second so far.  Well done! 

ednesday, 21st July 2010  -  Townsville

No Centrelink payment …. As we thought!  We both got a text message yesterday saying our Centrelink reporting date had changed to the 6th July 2010.  We had a letter saying it was on the 3rd August.  Being as the 6th July was fifteen days ago I think we have well and truly missed it.  I sent them an email asking them to contact me but we both think we are going to put it in the ‘Too Hard’ basket as we will be off soon.  It is overcast today and stronger winds are forecast.  Geoff changed the oil in both engines and I started on the mould on the saloon ceiling lining.  2Abreast has a soft carpet type lining on most of the walls and ceiling and it is really easy for the mould to take a hold and look horrid.  You can’t stop it when you live in the tropics and just have to try to keep on top of it.  I think it looks much better.  I have only done half of it and will have a go at the other half tomorrow.  Late afternoon Geoff decided to change the oil in the Honda generator on the front deck.  It was a bit bouncy and he spilt some oil on the deck.  He then used petrol to break up the oil and then trod in it which melted the soles of his shoes a tad and then he had black marks all over the deck.  He then had a big clear up to do.  By this time it was getting late and we were supposed to be going to Osman’s for tea but it was very choppy and Geoff was a little stressed so we tried to ring Osman to cancel.  His mobile phone wasn’t answering so we rang the restaurant and left a message.  Almost 15 minutes later we received a text message from Osman saying that Anne was sick and that he had to look after the kids so wouldn’t be at the restaurant but told us to have a good meal anyway.  We realised that he hadn’t got our message yet and we would have missed them anyway and this was the reason we were going that night. So we had sausage casserole instead and watched some TV. 

Thursday, 22nd July 2010  -  Townsville

Up about 8am which was nice.  Martin rang and Geoff chatted to him about our plans and what Sally and Kay were up to.  He told us that they had delivered a baby girl and that she is called Kay.  Nice! 

We both had a very constructive day.  Geoff painted the shower area with two pack paint , cleaned out the dinghy and made a wooden box support for the dinghy seat which also gives him some more storage space.  I cleaned the back deck area, took up the carpet and cleaned the floor surrounds.  I then worked on the mould on the other half of the carpeted ceiling lining.  I have found that tea tree oil works the best.  The web said you make up a ratio of 2 tsps to a cup of water but I doubled, if not tripled, the tea tree oil amount.  I sprayed it on and left it for a good hour then used a nail brush to scrub it clean.  Sometimes the tea tree oil mix removes the mould without any scrubbing (this I like).  I removed all the seat cushions and covered the books and DVD’s just in case it was like bleach and stained things.  I don’t think it does because a lot of it has dripped on my denim shorts without anything happening.  I also made a yoghurt but cheated this time as I just scalded the milk for three minutes till it got to 43ºC, added the extra milk powder then the yoghurt culture, mixed it well and put it in the Easiyo incubator as normal.  I did this because Carolyn decided she would have a go at making it but couldn’t be bothered with all the rigmarole of heating it to 85ºC, adding the milk powder, letting it cool to 43ºC then adding the culture.  She just made up the milk with cold water, added the extra milk powder and culture, shook it all up and put it in the incubator as normal.  Next day … yoghurt!  I wasn’t game to do this as the temperature of 43ºC is what is supposed to make the culture grow.  Well, supposedly, as Carolyn’s worked from cold.  I will see how it turns out tomorrow.  It is a bit swelly here when the tide turns and Geoff says it is probably quite windy out of the Duck Pond as he can see some white caps.  At least it’s not like Cape Bowling Green ….. Nothing could be as bad as Cape Bowling Green. 

Later in the afternoon Geoff went over to ‘Vision’ to look at Mike’s laptop as it had a problem.  I stayed behind as it looked quite choppy out there and I didn’t fancy getting wet, as you do in a small dinghy when it is rough.  So, I caught up on my journal instead.  I also received a call from Centrelink and she didn’t know what had happened and said we could take our forms into the Townsville office and lodge them to get our payment.  We have to go in anyway so will go in tomorrow but we are in two minds whether to bother to lodge the forms.  We will see when we get there. 

I started cooking tea of lamb steaks, roast potatoes, roast carrots, peas and gravy.  It was just about ready at 7pm but no Geoff so I turned everything down to low.  By 7.45 there was still no Geoff so I decided to eat mine as I was getting a tad hungry.  One last look outside and I could see a light on a dinghy coming my way and it was Geoff at last so we were able to eat together.  A game of Scrabble and he won.

Friday, 23rd July 2010  -  Townsville

Well, the yoghurt didn’t work so I will go back to my tried and true method.  Just after 9.30 we took the dinghy to the beach and walked into town.  Our first stop was the doctors where Geoff saw a different, younger doctor.  I didn’t go in with him as I thought he would be really quick but he was ages.  This doctor was very thorough and told Geoff to take the repeat of his antibiotics.  He also said he thought the lump was a cyst and that it wouldn’t give him much grief once the antibiotics had hit it on the head.  Then he delved into the Sclerederma issue and said that there were new combination drugs on the market which meant he could take one tablet instead of two.  He also wanted Geoff to have a blood test to check on his kidney functions as it can be a worry with this complaint.  As it is a super clinic Geoff was able to get it done then and there and we will go back in on Monday to see what the results are.  Then onto the pharmacy to pick up the new drugs and found that our health card had been cancelled by Centrelink.  This meant that Geoff only bought the one set of tablets until we sorted it all out.  We found a Centrelink office in the CBD but it was only a ‘self serve’ office but the guy at reception (an aboriginal guy) was really helpful and we got on the phone to find out what was happening and what we had to do.  The guy faxed our forms to Bundaberg for us and our health card and payments should be fixed overnight.  We hope so as Geoff needs to pick up his other prescriptions.  On to Woollies to get some bits and try to get a refill for our Soda Stream gas cylinder.  No go.  We rang BiLo and Foodworks also with no joy.

 We thought we would see if we could find a bus to take us to a decent shopping centre and en route we bumped into Carolyn and Stephen and stopped for a chat.  Then we saw a bus that was going to Castletown and jumped on.  The driver wasn’t very impressed with us when we handed over a $50 note.  But that is all the ATM’s seem to give out these days.  Anyway, we were soon there and managed to pick up a new gas refill at Woollies.  Had a quick look around then caught the bus back to the CBD where we got off at the ANZ to get out some cash to take with us to PNG.  Time to wander back to the dinghy.  The tide was out and where we tried to take the dinghy back into the water was soft mud and we got stuck for a bit.  It was a right pain in the ‘A’ getting it to firmer sand and we will know for next time.  It was a rough journey back and we were drenched when we eventually got there.  Not nice at all plus the tide was turning  and it was really bouncy getting back on board with all the shopping.  Somehow we managed to break the outside shower nozzle off and it started to float away but Geoff grabbed it in time.  Now he will have to fix it.  It was bouncy for a few hours and then settled down.  Centrelink rang Geoff later saying that their new online system had a few glitches that needed to be sorted out and that was the reason our health card and payments had been cancelled, along with other people as well.  She said everything should be ok in the morning and that she had put in our forms for the 3rd August as well.  Nice of her. 

Saturday, 24th July 2010  -  Townsville

Nope, the Centrelink payments didn’t show up overnight so I am hoping it is just because it is the weekend.  Geoff went into the marina to finalise the computer work for Mike.  Stephen also went into the marina to get some petrol and pick up some bags from Vision that he was going to store for them.  He dropped Carolyn off with me whilst he was away and the boys were so long that we drank two cuppas.  Geoff came back, drenched again, just before 1pm with Stephen following a few minutes later.  He had so much stuff in the dinghy that he had to go to Phencara first to unload it before coming back for Carolyn.  Geoff then started to look at fixing the shower head and the switch on his Dremmel broke. Catastrophe as this is one of his most used little tools on the boat so now he has to look at fixing the switch first before he can fix the shower head.  Hopefully he can fix it as a new one is over $100.  Yes, he managed to fix it but said he will have to be careful with it.  We then up anchored and moved closer to the marina wall and much further in to get a bit more shelter.  It is much better here and not so much swell invading.  Toad in the hole for tea. 

Sunday, 25th July 2010  -  Townsville

What a lazy morning.  Apart from cooking brekky and washing up I’ve been doing crosswords and playing games.  As we have been having strong winds the wind generator has been keeping the volts high so Geoff has been surfing most of the morning.  We also looked at some of the passages we need to make through the reefs of the Louisiades on Google Earth.  We have mud maps that were made a few years ago and when you transpose them onto Google Earth some of them are way out.  As the passages are shown clearly on Google Earth we have been plotting our course through them and putting in the co-ordinates of the turn points.  So we have been a bit constructive today.  Just after lunch we received a text from Carolyn who had been visiting on Vision on their return from church saying that they had just noticed that Phencara had dragged.  We rushed outside and, at first, I couldn’t see her at all but then Geoff spied her way out from the anchorage shielded by a couple of boats.  Geoff jumped in the dinghy and headed towards her and Carolyn and Stephen were not far behind.  Geoff came back around 3pm and I found out what they thought might have happened.  As they have a deeper keel than us they sit in the mud at low tide and their boat may have turned and pulled out the anchor or another boat, maybe a small fishing boat, has snagged their anchor with their own causing it to come out.  As they have been sitting here for over a week with strong conditions over the last few days they are favouring the second reason.  They have now set their anchor alarm.  They also said they have looked at the weather forecast and it is like this for the foreseeable future.  Bumma. 

I am also having a lot of trouble with the arthritis in my thumbs at the moment.  All because of all the scrubbing of the mould in the saloon I did.  You don’t think of the consequences when you do these things.  They haven’t been this bad for ages , especially my left thumb.  I shall have to give them a nice rest.

We were supposed to go to an Indian restaurant with Carolyn and Stephen and Mike and Marlene and their friends tonight but Carolyn and Stephen cancelled and I didn’t fancy going out in these strong winds as I don’t like coming back in the dark in swelly conditions and trying to get back on board.  Geoff blamed me for cancelling, of course. 

Monday, 26th July 2010  -  Townsville

The first thing I did this morning was to check on our internet banking to see if our Centrelink payments were in and they were   …   hooray!  I then took a photo of Geoff with his babies (plants) and attached it to an email to my dad.

I also checked on Phencara and she was still in the same place.  At 10am we took the dinghy to the beach and secured her and headed into town.  First stop was the hardware store and then on to the doctors where Geoff found his kidney function was good.  The doctor then stuck a large needle into Geoff’s knuckle and drew out some pus and gel which he said probably indicated that it was an infected ganglion.  Geoff said it really hurt.  Rather him than me.  The doctor also stated that there can be a connection between ganglions and TB and was very interested when Geoff told him that he had TB as a kid.  Thank goodness the health card is working again as all the new drugs for his Sclerederma and his spare antibiotics would have cost a small fortune. 

Time to find the correct bus and to buy a daily seniors concession for $3.30 each.  We had a lovely lady driver who told us where to get off and how to find the Honda dealership we were headed for to pick up our ordered throttle cable for the outboard.  Such and expensive item ($9.80).  On the way back to the bus stop we popped into Subway and bought a foot long sub between us getting a seniors discount again.  We then caught the bus to Stocklands where Geoff bought some new gloves and we picked up a few things including the Japanese curry I had not been able to buy in town. Then it was back onto the bus with the full and heavy wheelie shopper.  When we got off the bus we had to take it in turns towing the thing.  Back to the dinghy and, thank goodness, it wasn’t too rough so we didn’t get too wet on the way back to 2AB.  She was still in the same place, good, and we were soon back on board and supping on a nice hot cuppa and a bikkie.  A few text messages then went back and forth from Phencara to us catching up on all the days news.

Tuesday, 27th July 2010  -  Townsville

It was quite windy again overnight.  We checked the weather and it looks reasonable for Wednesday and Thursday so we will check with Stephen to see what their plans are. We checked the weather with the others but there is still high seas out there so we will have to be patient.  Geoff spent the first couple of hours making up new business cards for us and some cards for Carolyn and Stephen.  Whilst he was doing this I made up another apple slice as I had some apples that were going a bit soft.  About 11.30 I cut off a piece and we headed over to Phencara.  Carolyn had also been busy and had made sausage rolls and had cooked up some party pies so this became lunch with the apple slice as dessert.  We stayed there for about 3 hours during which time Mike rang and arranged for us to all go over to Vision at 6pm.  At that time they were still in Horseshoe Bay.  In the end we didn’t go as they didn’t arrive back until after 6.30 pm and we decided it would make it so late to cook tea when we got back.  They will probably be thinking we are an anti sociable pair which we are not so I shall have to apologise and tell them that. 

Wednesday, 28th July 2010  -  Townsville

I awoke at 5.30 am again as my brain is in overload at the moment and not shutting off overnight.  This is because the date of departure is looming.  Plus Mike keeps telling us how big the seas can be out there but Carolyn and Stephen say they are not too bad.  I need to be on my way as once we are underway I am fine.  Geoff rang Mike and we are going into the marina at 11 am to help a lady, Linda, move a lot of stuff off a boat that she is hoping to sell.  We met Mike, and his mate Spencer,  over at the boat ‘Janderhah’ about 11.30 with Stephen and Carolyn arriving about 30 minutes later.  Carolyn went on board as Mike said it would be a good boat for them but she didn’t like it much.  Carolyn and I left the four guys and Linda to it as there was not much room for another two people on a small boat.  We wandered into town where we browsed the two Op Shops, picked up Geoff’s prescriptions, had a milkshake and wandered round Woollies to get a few items.  It sounds like we are always in the supermarket buying stuff and we are as we buy a little at a time as we have to carry it back to the boat.  About 3pm we decided to go into the library as we thought there might be some public toilets there but we didn’t find any.  Geoff rang about 4.30 and said they had just finished and we said we wouldn’t bother walking back and would meet them at Molly Malones Pub at 6pm as it was Stephens birthday (51).  What a way to spend your birthday, clearing out someone else’s boat.  They took away 2 loads on a ute and a car.  It looked like the boat had been used for storage for quite a while.  While we waited for them we had a drink and Geoff and Stephen arrived dead on 6pm with Mike, Marlene, Spencer and Jan not far behind.  We had the $8 special of Chicken Schnitzel and the meal was a good size.  About 7.30 Mike took Spencer and Jan off to the airport to catch their flight back to Melbourne.  Linda also arrived with her daughter and had a meal and then we chatted on until 9pm and then wandered back to the dinghies which were still parked at the private marina jetty.  Linda has now given us the code so we can use this jetty and so no more beach landings unless we want to.  It was an easy run back to the boat as the wind had eased quite a bit.

Thursday, 29th July 2010  -  Townsville

Awoke about 6.30 this morning which I suppose is not too bad and tolerable.  Better then 5.30 am.  I saw that Baybird was anchored nearby.  I can’t recall seeing them here when we came back last night so they probably came over from Horseshoe Bay early this morning.  We were just getting ready to go out when we heard putt, putt, putt and it was David from Baybird.  Yes, they had come over early this morning and David had dropped Sarah off at the school where she has a temporary assignment.  When we said we were going ashore David offered to take us around town.  Nice.  We went over to Baybird about 20 minutes later and tied our dinghy to their stern and then went ashore in David’s larger dinghy.  Poor David, I don’t think he knew what he was letting himself in for as he acted as our chauffeur most of the day taking us to the Navigation Shop to buy some charts, then to Bias to buy some pull handles for the dinghy, the Asian Store to buy some Japanese Curry, the Honda dealer to order the correct throttle cable (the one we got was wrong), pick up some fuel, have lunch and then pick up some bits from BiLo.  David then took us back to his dinghy and left us as he had to rush back to pick up Sarah.  I hope he was on time or we might have got him into trouble.  Back to 2AB and check out our new goodies.  We also watched a couple of Defence Force helicopters flying around the bay.  They must be training as they have been doing this for the last couple of days.  There is a large air force base in Townsville. 

Carolyn and Stephen popped by on their way back to Phencara so it was time for a cuppa and cake.  Then Mike showed up too so it was more cuppas and cake.  The boys looked at the 7 day weather projections and we may be off Tuesday.  After they left Geoff cooked battered Spotted Mackerel and I did the chips and tomatoes.  Yummy. 

Friday, 30th July 2010  -  Townsville

Awake at 6 am again.  Stephen says it looks like we will be off on Tues night or Wednesday morning so I have booked customs for Tuesday morning and then checked the availability of a berth in the Breakwater Marina.  I’ve also got my clearance form for coming back in typed up and I will send it to Owen and Maryanne for them to send on to customs in September.  Geoff worked on the laptop making up a certificate to go with the donation for schooling for one to three kids that Owen and Maryanne gave us.  Then a dinghy came by looking for Geoff as they had been told he was a ‘whiz kid’ with computers and they needed to get their Garmin GPS to talk to their computer so off he went for a couple of hours.  He was back at 12.30 and it was all fixed.  At 1.30 we left for the beach and met up with C & S there and we all wandered up The Strand to the little pier and then partook of an ice cream before making our way back via BiLo and, yes, picking up a few more supplies. 

Geoff found the real ‘bacon bits’ we like so much there so it was well worth going in.  When we got back to the boat I got a text message from C saying that the customs boat had been in the Duck Pond to catch up with Mike on Vision.  This was because, without thinking, I had mentioned to customs we were going with another boat and they asked who.  Whilst they were visiting Mike on Vision Marlene was actually in at the customs office booking the clearance.  It just shows you they latch on to any idle chatter that you say.  I shall only be saying yes and no from now on.  Whilst we were out Geoff picked up the local Townsville paper and there was an article about ‘The whinging freeloaders who anchor in the Duck Pond’.  This was because someone had contacted the paper about the exorbitant prices the marina charges for berthing a dinghy.  They didn’t say they didn’t want to pay just that it was too dear.  The paper printed what they wanted to print so the marina has retaliated with this article although they did say there were some yachtie’s in the Duck Pond that did come in and pay.  I know that Baybird does and we have done so we feel ok about it all.

Saturday, 31st July 2010  -  Townsville

I took one of the stronger Phenergan last night so I slept reasonably well.  Geoff oiled the teak anchor bed up on the front deck early then rang Mike to offer to give him a hand today as he really didn’t have anything planned. BUT, they went shopping instead and Geoff came home with a new blue tooth mouse, ink cartridges, a LED light and other bits and bobs.  You can’t trust him not to spend money!  I spent the morning notifying our job providers we were going overseas, ringing Maryanne and Owen to get him to scan in and email all ourgroup certificates etc for our tax and then spending the rest of the day lodging my tax return by Etax (online).  When Geoff came home he finalised his tax as well.  It looks like I will get about $1192 back and he will get about $220.  Don’t ask me why the discrepancy, maybe one of us has stuffed theirs up.  Probably me but any little amount back helps.  As long as we don’t have to pay anything back it’s a bonus.  C & S popped by on their way back to their boat and we are all going to Vision tonight for drinks and nibbles.  Sarah from Baybird also popped by to see when we were off.  At 5pm I got some nibbles and wine together and headed over to Vision and met C & S there.  Mike had not told Marlene we were coming so she was a little miffed with him to start with as she was cooking up a lot of meals for them to eat on passage. Maybe I should do that too. 

Sunday, 1st August 2010  -  Townsville

The last few days have been quite hot and you wouldn’t think it is winter, 27—28ºC everyday, sunny and no cloud.  After bacon and eggs we were both a bit industrious this morning.  Geoff cleaned off the solar panels and was amazed when we got another half amp coming in.  We are quite close to the busy port area here and the boat gets as dirty as if we were at Gladstone.  Geoff also wired in a couple of switches to the HF radio supply plus lots of other little jobs.  I cleaned the fridge and re-arranged it so I could make the most of the space within.  I also got some food out to eat whilst on passage and have some meat defrosting to cook up into handy meals as it will be hard to cook once under way.  I have also updated my storage database so I now know where MOST things are now so I know where to start looking.  Baybird has gone back to Horseshoe Bay and they are going to climb Mt  Cook tomorrow before heading north to Hinchinbrook.  Vision have gone into the marina and we will be following them in tomorrow.  When I made up the Beef Goulash I had some sinewy bits of meat left over so I put a bit on my hook and put in the line.  I shouldn’t have as I have now made work for myself as I caught aq large Catfish which I find excellent for fish cakes as they only have bones along the spine and are easy to get rid of.  So now I have made a Chicken Curry, Beef Goulash, cooked up some snags, and now have to make up the fish cakes.  Oh woe is me!  But by 3.30 pm it was all done, vac packed and put away.  Then we saw Carolyn and Steve coming towards us in their dinghy so they stopped for a cuppa and a chat.  They had been out to get their last shopping and are heading over to Horseshe Bay tomorrow morning. 

Monday, 2nd August 2010  -  Townsville

Mike gave us a call at 7.30 am to see what time we were going into the marina.  Luckily we were up.  We said around 8.30 am and he asked if Geoff could give him a hand for an hour.  We went in at 8.30 am and tied up at the fuel dock and I headed up to the marina office with a copy of my insurance and registration certificate which they wanted to see before they would allocate us a berth.  By the time I hade done all of this it was 9.30 am before we found our berth.  It was supposed to be a 10 meter berth but whoever measured it must have had their eyes shut.  The berths were very short and we could only just get off the boat onto the pontoon.  Mike came round to pick Geoff up and I did a few jobs and then went up to the office to get some coins for the laundry.  Marlene was there and said that Linda had lent her the car and she was going shopping and I was welcome to take the advantage of the car as well.  I rushed back to the boat to grab my bag, phone and shopping list and we were off.  But Marlene is like Mike and nothing is as straight forward and we went all over the place before arriving at Woollies and we got back at 3 pm.  No sign of Geoff and Mike.  So much for giving Mike a hand for an hour.  I still had plenty of jobs to keep me occupied.  I rang Centrelink and spoke to a really nice lady who sorted everything out for us.  If we come back within 13 weeks we can go straight back on the system and get payments straight away.  If not we will have to go through the whole rigmarole again.  She also said that if we did humanitarian work in PNG and got a letter from a missionary (who we are hoping to meet up with) or a PNG official that Centrelink may back pay us.  Food for thought!  I then gathered up all the washing I could find and pre-sprayed it all, I dropped our Bigpond internet usage down to the minimum, cleaned the interior of the boat and then waited for Geoff as I also wanted to wash the clothes he was wearing.  He came back at 5.30 pm and I asked him to change, told him he was cooking tea whilst I went up to do the laundry.  When the two loads were done I put them in the dryer and went back to the boat where tea was waiting for me.  He did well.  As soon as I had eaten it was back up to the laundry and to add extra coins to ensure everything was completely dry, fold it and return.  We then finalised the July journal and sent it off.  This will be the last journal sent out for a while.  Relax, bit of TV and bed.

Tuesday, 3rd August 2010  -  Townsville to Magnetic Island

Up early as a lot to do today.  The first job was to winch Geoff up the mast to take down the TV antenna and look at the LED anchor light and navigation lights to make sure they were all working.  Then we started to wash down the boat which was filthy from the muck coming from the port close by.  We found out later that it was mostly nickel.  As bad, if not worse than Gladstone.  Checked the emails and got a lot of last minute good luck wishes from a lot of people.  At 9.30 am the customs guys arrived and we did our clearance paperwork which was quite painless.  They even allowed us to take a photo, albeit of their backs, for my journal.  They don’t like face shots for security reasons. 

They left us and headed on to Vision.  I then walked up to BiLo to get a few more last minute items and was back within 45 minutes.  Now we go with what we have and then have to make do.  It is amazing how many supplies you can get onto such a small boat.  When I got back Geoff had finished washing off the boat, filled up with water etc.  I made lunch with tiger rolls from Brumbies.  Yummy!  Geoff wandered up to the marina to fill up one last can of fuel, get rid of the rubbish, buy himself some reef shoes and hand in the keys.  We left at 1.30 pm and there was no wind to speak of to start so we motored on one engine.  Although I love calm seas we will need a tad more wind when we leave Magnetic Island.  We can make it all the way there on one engine if we aren’t bashing into strong winds but we would rather sail.  I sincerely hope we don’t get too strong a wind out there as then the seas build up.  Eventually the wind picked up enough for us to sail for a couple of hours at a slow speed of 3—3.5 knots but we were in no hurry.  Just as we approached Horseshoe Bay Vision appeared motoring at a fast rate of knots and we entered the bay together.  We were invited to go for tea ashore but I had bought some lamb loin chops only that morning and I had to cook them up as the fridge and freezer were full to bursting so we kindly declined.  When they all arrived back on Vision we went over to look at routes, the weather and decided that we were probably the slowest boat so should leave first as it looks like we may have to motor.  More ‘good wishes’ emails and a text message from my sister Glynn. 

Wednesday, 4th August 2010  -  Magnetic island to Herald Cays

Up just after midnight, up anchor and slowly inch our way out of the anchorage.  It is always nerve wracking leaving a busy anchorage in the pitch black, especially when there are a lot of boats that don’t have an anchor light on.  We thought there would be little wind but we soon had 20 knot winds coming from the south east so we hoisted the sails and were off.  The first couple of hours were quite uncomfortable but after that it eased of a tad (or we got used to it) and it was a bit better.  By this time the damage was done as I hadn’t thought to take a seasick tablet as I thought it would be calm.  I felt distinctly ‘off’  and threw up a couple of time (dry retching - yuk).  I took a sturgeron tablet and felt  a little better but didn’t dare move around too much.  I took another one at 6.30 am and soon felt a lot better.  By 6.30 the sun was up and we were talking to Vision on the radio but Steve couldn’t hear us.  Mike could hear both of us so did some relaying for us.  Mike said that where he was the conditions were ‘sweet’ but it was very bouncy where we were some 4 hours ahead and crossing the first reef area which made the seas confused.  By 8.30 I was well enough to have some cereal but we are both snoozy as we only got less than three hours sleep last night.  The state of the seas tires you as well.  So far we have been making good time an I think Mike is surprised at the speed we are maintaining. I must say, so are we.  By lunchtime I took another sturgeron which will, hopefully, do me.  It hasn’t been a relaxing day as the swell has been quite big and the wind a constant 18—23 knots keeping the seas roughish.  We have had the occasional breaking wave over the boat and we had forgotten to tape up the windows which was on the list.  Our windows can leak in heavy wether when the waves can break over them and I have noticed that I will have to clean some up when we get to Herald Cays.  We did have one little hiccup when Geoff started the port engine and found there was no water coming out the exhaust.  As the boat engines are cooled by salt water he immediately shut down the engine and went to have a look at it.  It turned out to be airlock, so was soon fixed.  And so the day continued.  It was difficult to get any decent sleep so the most we could do was catnap and take it in turns to check the horizon and check our track that all was well.  Mike says that the seas are not so confused once you get past the last reefs at Herald Cays.  He says the swells are big but long and are quite comfortable.  I hope so as neither of us thinks we could put up with this action all the way there.

Thursday, 5th August 2010  -  On passage

Dawn break at 6.30 and we have the wind on our nose and a 1 knot current against us.  We are only making about 3 knots with both engines on so we decided to head off course and tack to grab the wind to see if we can get into Herald Cays before dark.  If we continued to bash into it at 3 knots we definitely wouldn’t get there till around 9pm.  I’m not sure what we will do if we don’t make it in time as there are coral bommies in the anchorage we won’t be able to see.  I don’t know how we would go if we had to continue on.  We may have to motor up and down until the morning as we need a good nights sleep as the next leg is 3 - 4 days non stop.  We are trying every trick of the book to get there before dark.  We found tacking and trying to sail a no go as the angle took us too far back so we have been doing a motorised tack into wind and then sailing full bore the other way. Mike is going to give us some waypoints when he gets there to give us a safe passage in and a good anchor spot.  Steve said he followed Mike’s waypoints in last year and didn’t have any problems.  Vision is now way ahead of us even with leaving four hours after us as they are a big ketch and can motor at around 7  - 8 knots.  Phencara, who left two hours after us,  is still behind us but may be slowly creeping up on us as mono’s sail much better into wind than multi’s.  By 1.30 pm we were about parallel with each other about 1 nm apart.  We spoke to them on the radio and found that their autohelm had spit the dummy and poor Steve was having to hand steer.  The same thing happened almost in the same place last year and he thinks he can fix it.  By 3.30 pm he was tracking more to the north and was 4 nm from us.  We have got the co-ordinates from Mike but are just hoping to make it in before dark.  Steve also thinks he can make it but will anchor outside if not as he draws much more than us.  We also got a call from Vision to test his HF radio as his radio antenna had come crashing down and he had jury rigged it and wanted to see if it worked.  It actually worked better.  By 5.30 pm both Phencara and ourselves were racing, flat out, into the wind and seas for the short distance into the anchorage but still only doing about 3.5 knots.  We followed Mike’s waypoints  in and he called both of us up and told us good spots to anchor he had noted earlier.  By this time it was raining and looked like it was settled in.  Geoff went to put the anchor down and found the chain was in a jumbled mess like cooked spaghetti from all the bouncing.  It took quite a while to untangle it and it was just about dark when the anchor was down and we were happy that it was staying in place.  I cooked our first decent meal and then couldn’t eat it.  This first leg has taken 42 hours in total. 

Friday, 6th August 2010  -  Herald Cays   S16º 56.432  E 149º 11.647

It rained quite a lot overnight and is still raining.  The galley window is leaking quite badly and when I got up a 4.30 to check all was well with the boat and the anchor I had to mop a lot of it up.  It seems the seal has got a little stressed over these last couple of days and we can’t do anything about it until it stops raining.  We are also going to put more support for the davits as, although they are standing up well, prevention is better than cure.  We got up after 8am after a nice long sleep.  Mike radioed in to say we had a southerly wind which would be good for sailing but we have to wait for Steve to look at his autohelm.  Steve  called and said it was a problem with the gearbox and he says he thinks he can fix it but it will take a while.  This is a new component he bought this year that has gone wrong.  We had showers, brekky and managed to tape up one window on the port side in between showers.  The galley window seems to have moved a bit and the seal is broken so Geoff resealed it with sikaflex before the rain came in again.  Mike and Marlene have gone ashore and say it is well worth doing but we want to get these jobs done before we do that sort of thing.  Carolyn said they have a leak in the saloon that they have never had before and it seems to be coming from a small rust patch near their hatch.  Steve says it is not much of a problem as it is on Carolyn’s side!  Typical male!  We also went up to the front locker to have a look at the anchor chain problem and glad that we did as it was all caught up in the holes of the plastic mat (old bread crate) it was sitting on and one link had even tried to find its way down the drainage outlet.  Geoff pulled it all out and, in between downpours, cut up an old firm rubber seat we no longer used to size and inserted it on top of the old bread crate and, hopefully, will sort the problem plus give it some cushioning when it is bouncy.  He also dug out the side clears and replaced the canvas ones to give us more protection when we are going along and enabling him to see out.  He also topped up the fuel and estimated that we have enough fuel now (just) to get us there using both engines if the wind is light, which is nice to know.  Not if we have to bash into it, of course.  He has also brought the spare gas cylinder down and secured it on the back deck to lighten the front. 

About 4pm we headed on over to Vision to teach them how to play Mexican Train Dominoes.  The tide was coming up so there was less protection from the reef and their boat was gently swaying from side to side, an action that Marlene can’t tolerate so she was looking a little green.  About an hour later Mike went over to pick up Carolyn and Steve and then we all chatted whilst poor Marlene cooked tea for us all.    It was Fish, a Sweet Lip that Mike had caught earlier.  Carolyn said she thought the weather window was too short for us to get to The Louisiades even if we made a run for it and that they were thinking of staying put as it may be hard for us to outrun the stronger winds that were forecast. Steve will listen to the weather forecast tomorrow morning and will also try to download the 4 day synoptic forecast.  The wind has really picked up whilst we have been here.  It stopped raining so Geoff shot back to the boat to finish off all the windows and returned in time for tea.  It was really bouncy getting into the dinghy from Vision as they were rolling a fair bit but was much easier getting on to 2AB as she doesn’t sway as much.  Once the tide dropped we had more protection from the drying reef so had a good night’s sleep. 

Saturday, 7th August 2010  -  Herald Cays

The wind blew quite strongly overnight and I was awoken at 6.30 as it was getting towards high tide and was getting quite swelly but I slept well.  Vision is keen to get going but Steve has listened to the high seas forecast and they are forecasting rough to very rough seas and Steve is worried that his autohelm won’t handle it and we, of course, are a small cat.  So we had brekky and at 10 am we headed ashore.  It is still quite windy but at least the sun is out and the rain has gone.  The seas in this bay are a beautiful clear aqua.  Ashore there were lots of Birds.  We think the ones nesting in the stunted trees/bushes were Boobies.  Some had their nests in the trees and others had laid their eggs on the sand.  Maybe all the best tree spots had been taken.  There were also a lot of Frigate Birds flying overhead and Geoff narrowly missed being hit by a bird bomb.  It missed him by a whisker.  Further along there were more birds, Terns, who had laid their eggs in the gravely sand.  There were a lot of eggs and fluffy little chicks and you had to be very aware of where you placed your foot in order not to tread on one. 

Other than the birds there were heaps of crabs, mainly hermit crabs, all with different shaped shells as a home.  Geoff took lots of photos, of course. 

Back to 2AB and Steve called with his concerns about the weather as he says it may be turning to NE winds in a few days time which would be no good for any of us.  They are still forecasting rough to very rough seas so he is trying to download a weather fax and we are now waiting on their decision.  While we waited Geoff went out for a troll but came back empty handed.  Steve called and said we would wait for a better weather.  Mike and Marlene called on the radio and said could they come over for a game of Mexican Train Dominoes, which they did.  It was getting towards high tide whilst they were here so it was getting a bit bouncy but I think she likes the action over here better than on their boat.  We had afternoon tea and a game of Train which I think they both enjoy.  When they left it would have been fun (not) getting back onto their boat, I would think.  It bounced from around 6 to 10.30 pm but it was low tide overnight so we were able to get some sleep.

Sunday, 8th August 2010  -  Herald Cays

Mike blew his boat horn at 6 am trying to get Phencara’s attention and I flew out of bed to see what was amiss.  Thoughts of us dragging were going through my mind.  Then I had to use the handheld VH radio as the main one didn’t want to work.  Geoff got up and it was a damp fuse so it was soon working again.  Mike wanted to notify everyone that he and Marlene were going to push on to Willis island and try to get the guys there to give them a four day forecast.  Steve said he would listen to the weather forecast and leave later and travel overnight so that he could get there in daylight as there were a lot more bommies to negotiate in the anchorage there.  We would go with them. Mike left and Geoff called up a little later to see how they were faring and they said they were getting gust of up to 28 knots and that the seas were 3 metres and they were thinking of returning.  We listened to the Sheila Net and the high seas forecast and it still doesn’t look good out there.  Geoff is still trying to see if we can receive the weather fax but it is hard without the correct cables.  Steve says he is getting a good image so we will see what he says.  I think Mike thinks we have wasted a couple of good days but the first day Steve had to fix his autohelm anyway so we would have lost that day.  Mike is getting a bit stir crazy and, in hindsight, should have left us two slower boats behind and gone on ahead and we would have followed when we were happy with the weather.  I don’t think we are slowing anyone down as we are faster, I think, than Phencara in some conditions and so far 2AB has handled it well.  Steve has to be careful with his autohelm in rough seas anyway.  Geoff spent a lot of the day making up a socket to fit his laptop to try to receive the weather fax.  It was quite a fiddly job but he had done it by 2pm..  Carolyn and Steve went ashore for a skinny dip and then we went over to Vision to play Mexican Train Dominoes on their back poop deck.  Half way through the game we all went inside for a cuppa and Marlene had baked a mud cake for Carolyn and Geoff’s birthday tomorrow.  Marlene and Mike gave both parties a DVD each, Carolyn and Steve gave Geoff some Haloumi cheese he has just discovered and we gave Carolyn some purple reef shoes she had admired but hadn’t bought as I had bought myself a pair.  I think she was tickled pink with them.  We never finished our game as it was getting a little bouncy and all the tiles kept falling over so we will finish it another day.  We soon left before it got difficult to get into the dinghy and we didn’t get too wet getting back.  It looks like we are leaving at first light tomorrow and heading to Willis Island and if it is ok continuing on.

Monday, 9th August 2010  -  Herald Cays

Happy birthday Geoff, 64 today.  I gave him a bottle of Mandarine Napolean and some Lindt chocolates.  We had a very restless night as the fetch/swell hardly abated all night.  Plus my mind was in overdrive so I was dry heaving again when we got up at 5.30 am.  We left the anchorage first as we thought we would be the slower boat, Vision next and then Phencara.  It seems in some situation that Phencara is the slower boat which surprises me.  It was lumpy coming out of the lagoon and the swells were large, a good 2 to 3 metres but generally well spaced apart so we rode them quite well.  We had a few bangs when the occasional short sharp one came through and we would get the occasional wave break over the boat.  Marlene took some photos as they passed us as she said we sometimes had spray half way up our mast.  Did we want to hear that but I hope they come out ok.  Unfortunately the wind was from the east and right on our noses so a joint decision was made to turn back to Herald Cays as there was no point bashing into it at  slow rate of knots and motoring only and burning up much needed fuel.  Once we turned back the swell was very comfortable with no banging and no waves over the boat and we were able to have a good sail back.  Time for a snooze to catch up on the restless sleep of the night before then lunch.  We then looked at the movie clips we had taken of Vision bashing into it, put in our lines and then, due to good battery levels from the wind, we both worked on the computers.  I got my journal up to date and Geoff also made up some fishing line for trading goods.  Whilst he was doing this his line went tinkle, tinkle and he pulled in a Snapper.  Not quite an adult but with the hump just starting to form.   He was good size so we invited the others over.

Carolyn and Steve said they were still very tired so would take a rain check but Mike and Marlene said they would come over.  Then, just to not be outdone he pulled in a golden Trevally and he said he would bring some over as well.  I made up a salad, Marlene made up a potato salad and Geoff was going to cook the fish.  They came over about 5pm bringing the card game Wizard with them that they were going to teach us to play.  It was similar to the game ‘500’ but you played it individually and you only wanted to win the amount of tricks you stipulated.  Because we knew ‘500’ we picked it up quickly and I found it to be a good game.  We played till 7.30 with Mike winning, me 2nd, Marlene 3rd and Geoff last.  Geoff then cooked up the fish and there was just enough as they had forgotten to bring the Trevally with them.  It was a good evening and they left at 9.30. 

Tuesday, 10th August 2010  -  Herald Cays

A reasonable nights sleep although the wind was from the NE around 20 knots.  If we had continued on yesterday we might have been blown back here by now.  We are still getting shelter from the island and reef here so all is well at the moment.  We listened to the high seas forecast and tried, once again, to get our heads around it .  It is a lot more difficult to interpret than the coastal forecast and they only give you a 24 hour forecast.  You have to scribble down a lot of co-ordinates and then try to work out which is relevant to you.  We also listened to the Sheila Net which boomed in today.  Geoff found things to fiddle with again, such as putting a cord onto the PNG flag (if we ever get there!) and I did some more to the journal.  When the high seas weather came on again Geoff recorded it to the computer and I, unsuccessfully, tried to work out which one was relevant to us.  I was in a bit of a panic as the one I though was ours was saying gale force winds but luckily Steve said that was way down towards Bundy.  Phew! 

After lunch Geoff went in the water with the snorkel to have a look at the props and clean the waterline on the hulls.  He then swam over to the closest bommie but said it was uninteresting.  When he had dried off he made me up a banner for my journal which I can use whilst we are over here each month.  Apart from that it’s just wait.

Wednesday,  11th August 2010  -  Herald Cays

Not a bad night.  Steve got the grib files from Phil on Maranatha who is in The Louisiades and it going to be light variable winds today and then a SE 15-18 knots for a couple of days before turning easterly which is not so good for all of us but worse for us.  It looks like we will leave about noon today and motor as far as we can in a light ENE wind and then grab the SE winds when we can.  Geoff had a little job to fix on a fitting that was loose on the SB water output on the engine.  It is very humid today and you just drip even when sitting still.

WOW—The front came through early and really strong.  I didn’t have the instruments on but the wind generator emitted its cry of the Banshee so must have been around 30 knots at least.  We all swung round, of course, and Vision is anchored right over a large reef patch and we have one just behind us.  Too close for Geoff so we had to motor full bore to be able to pull up some chain.  In the end we up anchored and moved.  Whilst we waited for the wind to ease we had a game of Scrabble which Geoff won.  Then he decided to dangle his line in and caught a 4ft dark brown shark which broke the line.  We identified it as a Grey Nurse Shark (maybe).  It hung around after that and Geoff decided not to fish anymore. But after a while he put his line in again and this time caught another type of shark. 

By 2.30 we were getting ready to leave when Mike radioed in and said he couldn’t get his navigation software to talk to his computer.  Geoff tried to talk him through it over the radio but in the end had to launch the dinghy and go over there.  It didn’t take long and we all left the anchorage at 3.30 pm.  Let’s hope we don’t have to turn back this time.  AND let’s hope that nothing goes wrong.  It’s a big ocean out there and you are, basically, on your own.  Although there are three boats we are bound to get split up over the next three to four days.  Vision is much faster than Phencara and us.  I think we may be a little faster than Phencara so we would probably be in the middle somewhere.  At the moment we have a little Swallow type bird hovering in our back deck area that looks like it wants to rest from the 20knt winds.  During the night the winds increased so we took the main down with just a patch of headsail out.  The seas are rough with winds around 25 knots and it was a horrid, horrid night.

Thursday, 12th August 2010  -  On Passage …  Day 9

Well, what can I say about last night apart from the fact it wasn’t pleasant at all!  We kept in touch with Vision and Phencara via VHF radio with us doing the relaying.  As I said, it was a horrid night with rough seas and winds constantly at 25 knots.  We even had water come over the back which wasn't nice and a first for us.  We had a teeny weeny bit of headsail out and a reef in the main and we were still having trouble slowing the boat down.  When we saw the speed constantly peak at 9 knots we knew it was time to put a 2nd reef in the main, something we had been avoiding due to the rough seas.  This was all done in the rough seas and in the dark and I managed to keep the boat into wind long enough for Geoff to take the main down completely.  This slowed us down a fair bit.  Once it was daylight we went through the whole procedure again as Geoff hoisted the main with 2 reef in.  The high seas forecast is for much of the same although Steve says he had been talking to Phil on Maranatha who had downloaded the four day grib forecast files  which shows the winds dropping.  Let’s hope so!  We are both very tired as we only cat napped last night.  So the day continued until we saw a lot of water on the saloon floor and found that the fitting on the water bladder under Geoff’s bed had failed and emptied about 100 litres of our fresh water out so this was a big clean up.  We saved as much water as we could and then had to siphon out the rest so we were able to manhandle the bladder on to deck.  Then I had to sponge up as much of the water as I could and then dry out the saloon  floor as best I could.  Geoff said this part of the trip was turning out to be a bit of a nightmare but then I had to remind him that Phencara had the leak in their saloon, had autohelm problems and now their doghouse roof was coming apart and was being held together with string.  Vision lost about 50 litres of fuel into their engine bay and now their HF radio is not working.  I think all small boats suffer mishaps on ocean passages.  When we dragged the bladder out onto the back deck there was a small and stiff flying fish on the deck.  Poor thing.  We were both feeling off after sorting out the bladder and Geoff actually did have a quick up chuck.  Towards dark the wind eased up and we went on a northward course for a little while as Geoff needed some sleep.  The action was much kinder but we were only doing about 2 knots towards the end so I had to disturb his sleep to get the wind more abeam and pull out the headsail out a bit more.  So on we plough ………..

Friday, 13th August 2010 (Friday the 13th … hmmm)  -  On Passage …  Day 10

We both got a bit of sleep last night but not enough.  The wind is about 15—19 knots so not so strong and the seas seem to have abated a bit (or am I getting used to it?).  We still have 218 nm to go so another two days at least.  We are now out of VHF contact with both Phencara and Vision but should be able to catch up with Phencara on the ‘Sheila Net’ at 8.30 on the HF radio.  Vision, of course, does not had their HF radio working so we will not know how they are faring.  You feel very alone when you are out of contact.  At 7 am we both had the first cup of coffee for 1½ days.  No wonder we both have a slight headache from withdrawal symptoms.  At 8 am we heard Phencara on the ‘Sheila Net’ and they requested traffic with us but then they couldn’t hear us on their designated frequency but at least we both know we are both safe and still out there somewhere.  The seas are moderate to rough now and not just plain Rough (as in mountains to me) so we even got to play a game of Scrabble and then both had a bird bath and we feel so much better for it.  Ah … the simple things of life!  I’m sure I must have been on the nose as I perspire a lot when I have a ‘power surge’ (hot flush).  Another weird thing that is happening is that both Geoff and I have heard voices on this trip.  Apparently it is something that a lot of yachtie’s experience.  Is anyone there????  We managed some brekky today for the first time.  We haven’t been eating properly as our tummies have been a bit off and we have been surviving on dry crackers and water.  Bumma … Geoff has just noticed we have a small tear in our headsail which we will have to keep an eye on.  If all else fails we still have the small storm sail that we can run up.  Which is what we decided we would do as we didn’t want the tear to get any bigger and become unrepairable.  The storm sail isn’t really big enough but at least it steadies the boat and allows us to use the autohelm and helps a little bit.  Without the boat balanced in these conditions the autohelm will not keep her on course and it is a long way for Geoff to have to hand steer.  We had to run one engine to keep our speed up so we get in through the reef to Rossel Island in daylight.  This is the third thing that has gone wrong so enough please.  Last year Phencara got caught in a storm on their return journey and ripped both sails and didn’t have enough fuel to motor back to Australia.  They called in at Willis Island where there is a four man Australian weather team.  They asked them to contact Australian Customs to see if they could buy fuel at Willis Island and Customs initially said no as they hadn’t cleared in to Australia yet.  It was only when the guys on Willis Island quoted the law of the sea to them and they relented, as they should.  And so it goes on ……

Saturday, 14th August 2010  -  On Passage …. Day 11

Boy the nights are long but we did get some sleep.  At 02.15 am I sighted a large ship astern.  Geoff had thought he had seen a light when he last looked but then though it was a low star or planet.  We picked it up on radar ok and it was going away from us.  By mid morning Geoff decided to give the starboard engine a break and went to put the port engine on and, once again, there was no salt water coming out of the exhaust.  Geoff worked down in the engine bay looking at the water pump to make sure the impeller wasn’t broken and still going around.  Not an easy task in a bouncy sea.  He spent about 90 minutes down there with sweat dripping off the end of his nose.  It seems it was an airlock so he doesn’t know how he is going to stop that happening.  Suffice to say he had the grumps when he had finished but soon came out of it.  He then fancied porridge for brekky so by the time I had been down in the galley to cook it I was also bathed in perspiration.  It is getting more humid as we are getting north and there is no ventilation as all the hatches are battened down due to the occasional larger wave breaking over the top of the boat.  We played another game of Scrabble and HE won again!  He’s now won five on the trot so what’s going on.  I think he is getting more strategic with his game.  My bum is getting sore from all of this sitting as it is impossible to go down to the cabin to lie down as it is too uncomfortable.  AND STILL IT GOES ON!  About 1830 we had a large ship off our stern and going the same way as us so we hope they know we are here in the dark.  They soon passed us so we were then hoping they didn’t suddenly turn in front of us but all was well.  Geoff watched them on the radar for a while until they disappeared. 

Sunday, 15th August 2010  -  on Passage and reaching Rossel Island

We are both eating a bit more now so the seas must be better or we are getting used to it.  No they are definitely much better.  Geoff thinks we may be getting diesel or water in the port engine oil as it is very light coloured and thin.  Maybe there is a hole in the fuel pump diaphragm or it is the salt water coming down the exhaust.  At 6.30 am there was a crackle from the VHF radio and it was Mike seeing if we were in communications distance.  Yippee and yes.  He was going to show us the way into the lagoon but Phil on ‘Maranatha’ has asked him to go round to Tryon Bay so Mike gave us the co-ordinates to get through the entrance into the lagoon.  Once he had finished ‘Phencara’ came on so they can’t be far behind us.  They have caught us up due to the fact that we only have that small storm sail up and are motoring on one engine to conserve fuel.  Poor Steve has been hand steering for the last 12 hours as his autohelm has packed up again.  Plus they are caught in a thunderstorm that we saw in the distance and were lucky enough to miss.  They are both now soaking wet as the doghouse is not waterproof and they say they have zero visibility.  Poor B’s.  And we think we have troubles.  At 6.30 am it was “Land Ahoy” as Rossel Island came into view.  We are now less than 20 nm from the entrance to the lagoon.  The seas are quite calm now, as calm as an ocean can be and there is hardly any wind.  We are still motoring on one engine and plodding along.  Phencara have been motoring for a while now and say they will have used up a lot of their fuel by the time they arrive.  Geoff has just come back from the bow of the boat and has collected a few small flying fish that must have been dumped by a wave.  Poor little things.  But boy is it warm and humid as we so much closer to the equator.  We are sitting here going drip, drip, drip.  Just as we were about 4 nm off Geoff thought we had a fish on the trolling line so pulled it in.  It was a huge Barracuda and what big teeth it did have.  Looked in the book an it gave it 1 star and said that it was well known for its Ciguetera poisoning so it went back.

By 11 am we were slowly making our way into the lagoon and there were a few locals in their dugout canoes waiting for us as Mike had said we were on our way. 

We tied their canoes to our stern and John and Amos went onto the bow and started to guide us through the reef.  We realised they had misunderstood us and were guiding us to Tyron Bay so we had to tell them we wanted to stay with Phencara so we turned round and they took us back where we met up with Phencara and we both anchored opposite the village of Jobe (pronounced Joebay).  Not that you could see the village as it was hidden from view by all the jungle foliage.  We all then had a cuppa and bikkies and we gave then some bits of our trading goods for showing us the way in. 

We showed  Amos a photo of the Barracuda and he was disappointed we had put it back as they would have eaten it.  Phencara is well known here as they stayed here a while last year.  The village of Jobe and Pambwa do not get many visiting yachts here, in fact not many yachts come to the island of Rossel at all as it is the remotest of the Louisiades Archipelago.  Amos’ brother, Sampson and John’s brother, James, also came on board.  As these were younger brothers Geoff sought out the lollies and handed some out.  Once they had gone it was up with the sun shade and then we collapsed into a big heap but only for a little while as we had things to do.  First off Geoff fixed the fan in the saloon that had decided to stop working (it was an old one), Then it was dry out all of the left over moisture from the broken water bladder from under his bed and check all of the stock stored there.  In this respect we came off lightly as the only thing ruined was a carton of Couscous.  A little moisture had seeped over to my side and we dried this too.  He put the genny on and used the heat gun to dry things out quicker.  Time for a shower and a shampoo as we had only had bird baths on the way over.  I’m sure we both smell!  Plus it is very humid so we must remember to keep the fluid up.   A quick tea of Beef Goulash that I had cooked and frozen previously.  This anchorage in the lagoon is a very picturesque spot with lots of coral and aqua water.  There is a small islet close by (Ngea Island … pronounced Ingeeya) that has one large tree covering it. It is a wonder they haven’t used it as a film set before now. 

Monday, 16th August 2010  -  Jobe, Rossel Island … Day 13

Well, after all that I didn’t sleep particularly well.  Bacon and eggs as a treat as we missed out yesterday.  Then John and his wife, Ludi, and their son Jacob arrived to trade.  Jacob was just over a year old and he screamed and screamed when he saw these strange Dim Dims (foreigners) who were white instead of black.  He had never seen Dim Dims before.  A lollipop soon stopped his tears.  Then Ludi’s sister and Amos arrived with his kids and another cousin.  Soon about eight of them were sitting on the back deck drinking coffee (which they only get when Dim Dims visit the island) and bikkies.   We chatted for a while but I found it hard going and then sometimes not.  We traded for three passionfruit, 4 small eggs, I coconut (yuk) and 1 Noc which is some kind of fruit that looks a bit like and apple but has the texture and stone  of a peach and a nothing type of taste. Will we have enough trading goods?  Amos and John are going to see if they can get us a Crayfish or two (or three, or four or more).  That will be a big trade.  They stayed for ages and then when they had had gone Carolyn radioed over and said there was going to be a mini fund raiser at Jobe  that afternoon then a movie afternoon afterward.  Time to rummage around in the trading goods to pull out some decent stuff.  Unfortunately we don’t have much so can’t give much so feel a bit mean.  Steve went ashore and came back with a huge TV to see if he can get working so he can run it off his laptop to show the movies.  Geoff went over to see if he needed a hand but the big TV doesn’t work so Steve will have to take his small one over.  When Geoff came back we had another visitor.  It was Pastor Isaiah William, a young man originally from one of the Begoyne  islands near Panapompom.  He had been sent as the Pastor to the next village down, Pambwa, for a three year term  and had only been there about 6 months with his wife and sons. 

They were finding it very hard as it was much more primitive at Pambwa than where they were from.  He came to say hello and we chatted for a while.  We gave him 2 solar lights, candles and rice and my spare reading glasses as he was unable to read his bible as his eyes were getting bad from trying to read by firelight.  It must be really hard.  He said no yachts came to the village of Pambwa and this is because all the yacht routes are passed on by word of mouth by the yachties themselves.  A yacht has to go there for the first time to be able to pass on the passage co-ordinates etc.  Because of the plentiful reefs around these parts it is a bit daunting to be the first yacht to enter an anchorage.  It is a bigger village than Jobe.  Jobe has around 40 people and they are mostly related whereas Pambwa has around 100.  Pastor Isaiah gave us some sweet potato.  We will have sweet potato coming out of our ears soon. By 2.30 pm we were ready to go ashore with Carolyn and Stephen to show a movie and conduct a mini fundraiser with the goods donated by the two boats.  Most things went and what was left over was left with Pastor Gibson to be donated to the poorer families who were unable to buy at the fund raiser.  To me it looked like an old fashioned jumble sale that was so popular when I was a kid. They raised 168 kina plus 10 toya which wasn’t so bad for such a small and poor village. 

After the sale was concluded Stephen showed a movie about an American football team which had religious undertones.  It wasn’t very enthralling as it had too much dialogue in it for the villagers to fully comprehend what was going on but they enjoyed it anyway.    They also showed the kids version of ‘The Life of Jesus’ which they understood very well as they knew the story well. 

Geoff and I would have preferred ‘The Life of Brian’ but then we are heathens!  Carolyn and Stephen do not tell the Pastor and his congregation that we are not religious but I am sure they would be able to tell.  As Geoff says “we don’t speak the speak”. Whilst the movie was in progress they killed a large centipede thingy that was walking my way.  During the movie the four Dim Dims were served a meal of chicken, various sweet potatoes and plaintain (cooking banana).  The chicken was quite tough but they had probably killed it especially for us so we were very thankful for it.  We came away with a couple of more eggs (tiny) and some Moc but no Crays could be found, unfortunately.  We said our goodbyes and then it was scramble down the narrow and slippery (clay) path and back to the shore by torch light, squelch through the sticky mud to the dinghies and find our way up the narrow channel to the lagoon.  Luckily it was high tide, and they only have one tide a day here, so we had no trouble finding our way across the coral and back to the boats where we ate a Noc each and relaxed.  A long and a bit of a stressful day and Geoff’s thoughts for the day follow.

When talking to Pastor Isaiah from the next village down, Pambwa, he expressed the problem of the isolation of these islands from the mainland of PNG.  He was quite shocked when he was appointed the Pastor and finally arrived at Rossel Island to find the people so poor and without the most basic of essentials in a modern world.  Pastor Isaiah said that even when he was at college he noticed that other students who came from isolated islands who learnt how to make things better for their villages regressed when they returned to their island village.  They did not use the knowledge they had gained to improve the village way of life.  Tonight, at Jobe, we saw the most basic of habitation.  They have no means of having lights on after dark.  Their generator is broken (this environment is harsh on mechanical things) so rely on torches which means batteries which they can’t get until a passing yacht takes pity on them and gives them some.  Even other places we have been to, like Fiji and China in the 1980’s etc, were more advanced in their living standards.  The people are not dumb, some speak two or three languages as well ie: their native language, Misiman and English so anyone who has tried to learn another language will know that it is not an easy undertaking.    They are a happy and giving people who share whatever, or as little as they have with you.

Back to Maz … It is hardly a wonder when the village is built on clay and they sit on the ground that their clothes are not too clean.  We did not see any older people in the village and when I asked about it they said they keep to their homes.  One of the ladies said she had a mother living in Damunu village who was 100 years old so some people do live to a ripe old age but most only live to middle age due to their hard life style.  The village dogs are very thin and kicked out of the way but the pig is a much loved member of the community.  Also Mike, earlier in the day, said the village of Damunu in Tyron Bay, about 30 minutes away by boat, had collected money for the less fortunate than them, to give to the people in India.  AND this is from people who have next to nothing.  It makes me feel very humble that the amount collected between them here at Jobe of 168 kina I could donate, even with our lack of funds and without blinking an eye, but don’t.  They were really pleased with the fund raiser but when it boils down to it , it is only $56 AU.  Looking around the village it was neat and tidy and the huts are made of wood and thatch and last about five years before they need to be rebuilt.  They don’t look too sturdy to me.

Tuesday, 17th August 2010  -  Jobe, Rossel Island  -  Day 14

Up early as I still didn’t sleep particularly well.  I think my mind is churning through all the new experiences that are happening in my life at the moment.  We listened to the ‘Sheila Net’ and managed to log on.  Geoff had a nice lond chat with Phil on Maranatha who we still haven’t actually met, who is a missionary.  I then boiled up the eggs that I was given yesterday and made a bread, which is proving, hopefully, as I write up this part of the journal. 

We might have a quieter day today as there is a clinic being conducted at Damunu today which a lot of the villages are going to.  It is a 5 km hike over the hill and then back again.  The kids walk over every Monday for school, stay with relatives for the week,  and then walk back every Friday.  So the first half of the morning was tied up with making bread rolls and making sweet potato chips (crisps) just to see what they were like.  They came out very well even though it was a fiddly job.  No 1  -  the potato is a very hard vegetable,  No 2  -  I used a potato peeler to make the chips,  No 3  -  I used a small saucepan so I didn’t use much oil so could only fry in small batches.  One small sweet potato makes a large bowl of potato chips and, once salt and pepper is added, they are quite acceptable.  The multigrain rolls came out well too.  So a successful baking day.  It wasn’t long before a canoe approached and it was Sammy, Pastor Isaiah’s son, about 10 years old, and his older friend Paul who was about 16.  They arrived with a lovely letter from the pastor saying he was thankful to have met us and was wondering if we could help with a few stationery items and some soap.  Of course we could so we got some bits together.  Sammy was a lovely boy but we found Paul a bit demanding as he kept asking for really good stuff without offering anything in return. 

We have been told not to give too much stuff away for free as it is better to trade and then the villages keep their respect.  Giving stuff to the pastor is a different thing all together as we know he will do good with it.  We wrote a note back and said that Carolyn and Steve and ourselves would be down to Pambwa in the next couple of days with stuff to trade or use as a fund raiser.  We then sent Sammy and Paul over to Phencara to pick up a bible and they were off.  Previous to their visit the wife of Amos and another lady came over with a couple of sweet potatoes (oh no … not more sweet potatoes) but they didn’t want much, only girly things.  After a lunch of fresh bread roll, boiled egg, lettuce and mayo Geoff and Steve went off to the village to pick up Steve’s TV, generator, DVD and video recorder from yesterday’s movie show.  Whilst they were away Carolyn came over for a visit and it was lovely to just sit and chat for a while.  Geoff managed to change a 50 kina note from the fundraising proceedings whilst he was ashore.  We then all had sundowners , fresh bread and dukka on the back deck until 6pm when Carolyn and Steve left.  It has got quite blowy here at the moment and when we checked the wind instrument it was getting up to 22 knots.  Although it gets a little bouncy here the reef protects this area reasonably well.  The problem would be if we dragged with all the reefs that are numerous around here.

Wednesday, 18th August 2010  -  Jobe, Rossel Island  … Day 15

I took a Phenergan last night to get a good sleep, which I did.  We got awoken by 7.30 as Amos and his extended family arrived and it was coffee and bikkies all round.  Amos wanted to pay us for clothes and fishing gear etc but how can you take their money?  We said they had given us their bay and their hospitality and that was enough.  The talk then turned to ebony wood which they have on the island which is supposedly worth a lot of money.  We said we didn’t know much about it but would try to find out for them.  They said they would get us some green eating bananas which we could hang to ripen.  We then had to say goodbye to them as we had to get some things ready to take to Pambwa.  We are still finding water in various places from the broken water bladder so we are hanging things up to dry.  Luckily it was mostly our bathers, thank goodness.  Geoff went over to Phencara to laminate some photos he had taken for Pastor Isaiah and of the locals at the Jobe fundraiser.  The Jobe boys have organised to take us to Pambwa by banana boat as they said it was a long way to go by dinghy.  Steve made up some 2 stroke to operate the banana boat and went ashore with it and was ages coming back and we wondered if they were having trouble starting the motor.  Had a chat on the radio with Carolyn saying we would love to come back but as crew on a much large boat.  Mike broke in and said there were heaps of boats that were always looking for crew and we would easily get a spot.  He said we would be meeting them all whilst were here.  Sounds good and we might be able to find someone we are compatible with.  We have promised Amos we would try to get someone to bring over a bag of goodies for him next year if we can’t make it. 

Boy, it is quite windy and we get the occasional tug at the bridle holding the anchor chain.

Around 11am the banana boat appeared towing Steve’s dinghy so we went over and transferred ourselves and all of the goods we had selected.  Elijah and Rodney were piloting it for us and it took us about 30 minutes to slowly make our way over to Pambwa. 

They took it slowly as they wanted to conserve fuel and to negotiate the many reefs as it was low tide.  We were met by Pastor Isaiah and he put woven mats and tarps down to lay all of the goods out  A local lady priced everything so the villagers could afford it and then the fund raiser was on.  The prices were lower than at Jobe as the people here were much poorer.  There was supposed to be around 100 to 200 people at this village but there were only about 50 people buying.  When I queried Pastor Isaiah about this he said that a lot of the villagers were very poor and didn’t have much money so we gave him all the goods that were left over to distribute to them.  The exercise books, pens, pencils, sharpeners and erasers were all donated to the school there.  We all handed out lollies and Geoff gave out balloons which the kids loved.  I suppose it might be the only toys they get.  It was a very picturesque village set on a sandy shore.  There were communal kitchens and eating huts.  One thing I did notice is that they had a beautiful butterfly tied to a stick with string.  Poor thing but it was probably a pet whilst it lasted.  They also had doves/pigeons as pets as well.  They can fly free but always return to the house at night.  Geoff spent some time chatting to the village men. 

After the fundraiser, which raised 74 kina, we were escorted down the track to look at the school.  By this time the school was finished for the day and the school teacher was not there.  We gave the school teachers wife the stationery for the school and she was a shy and timid woman who still offered Carolyn a dove/pigeon as a pet. 

We then wandered up to the derelict government office that had not been manned since Australia granted PNG independence 35 years ago.  There was also an overgrown airstrip and a hospital which was really only a medical centre that was manned occasional when the medical officer arrived came from Damunu, when they get one.  We then wandered back to the village, along Hibiscus strewn paths, to say our goodbyes and noticed the trading boat had arrived.  We left about 3pm. 

We all went back to Phencara, including Rodney and Elijah, and had a cuppa with cheese and biscuits.  I don’t think Elijah and Rodney were too enthralled with this Dim Dim fare.  Back to 2AB in quite choppy conditions as the anchorage here at Jobe is not very well protected.  Still, a nice pear cider went down well.

Geoff’s thoughts:  I felt very comfortable and enjoyed my time there but the enigma of the situation is that what you do to help it is never enough.  The villagers know that you are only available to them for  short time and they need to be quick to put in their requests for items.  I guess if you give a poor man a pair of shoes once he has them he asks for a pair of socks.  And as our ‘storeroom’ is limited and we have many more places to visit we sometimes have to lie and say have none.

Back to Maz:  Pastor Isaiah has been sent to Pambwa to preach Christianity but there is still a lot of witchcraft practised there.  I think he is a bit daunted by the task ahead of him.  I noticed that the villagers clothes were a lot cleaner than at Jobe and it is because this village is built on sand and vegetation and not clay as Jobe is. 

Thursday, 19th August 2010 -  Jobe to Damunu … Day 16

We were awake early and had a good wash before we got inundated by visitors and I just made it.  Paul and a man called Robert arrived with another letter from Pastor Isaiah asking for children’s clothes as he had missed out yesterday plus a towel we had promised him but they hadn’t brought any trade goods with them.  Still we gave them the bits.  Other villagers arrived and did bring trading goods and we got a large pumpkin, large sweet potato and 2 large cucumbers, the white variety.  I was particularly pleased with the cucumbers.  Geoff spent quite a bit of time printing off photos for them he took yesterday and they watched in amazement as he manipulated them to size on his laptop.  When they sympathise with you or something amazes them they make this tut tutting sound, just as we do when someone tells us a sad story.  But they do it much more often and for much longer.  Cups of coffee and bikkies for the adults and cordial and lollipops for the kids all round.  They were gone by 9am but they had been onboard since 7am.  Once they had left we were able to relax with a coffee and have our brekky.

We then heard Steve talking to Vision on the radio and Steve said that one of the villagers had told him that more locals arrived at Pambwa after we had left and they had sold the rest of the stuff we had left with them and the final total of money raised was 104 kina which they were very happy about.  Vision are off today to take the Uniting Ministers wife to the medical centre as she is really bad with Malaria at the moment.  We offered some Quinine tablets if they needed them.  They have also been told they my be able to buy some nails at the same place as the village at Damunu  has a clinic annex that needs completing before a medical officer can be allocated there. 

We have two tomatoes that have gone red at last.  How the tomato plant survived the journey is beyond me. 

Geoff has been busy making up a new float switch for the bilge.  He has taken out the mercury switch, re-soldered new wires, made a new float for the hinge (a cork) and has re-installed it and is about to test it out.  Hey … it works so well done.  Just after he had finished this we had more visitors.  There was Moses, Lusin, Young Gibson, Henderson and a small toddler so more cups of coffee and bikkies were forthcoming.  It’s a good job I stocked up on cheap biscuits!  When they had departed Steve and Geoff went over to Jobe as Steve was going to see if he could get their generator working and Geoff was going to install a 12 volt light to their solar power so they could have light in the church at night.  Whilst they were away Carolyn came over for a visit and then Rueben, James and Jonah turned up with goods to trade so I took the tomatoes and traded for kids clothes.  Geoff, Steve and Elijah arrived back and Steve had got the genny running, albeit roughly, and Geoff had managed to fix up the light. 

About 3pm it was time to up anchor and head off to Damanu in Tryon Bay.  Then the dramas started.  First the anchor winch stopped working so Geoff had to haul it up by hand.  Then the port engine wouldn’t rev but eventually came good.  By this time Phencara was way ahead of us and I was steering and trying to catch up with them as they had Elijah on board to guide them through the reefs as the light was bad and we were supposed to be right up their bum.  I was trying to estimate their course and their turn point when I handed over to Geoff.  Just in that transition period the current must have taken us sideways (the port engine was still no good at this stage) and we were suddenly skidding over one of the reefs and we actually got stuck for a couple of minutes.  I called Phencara in a panic, as you do, and they came back just as we managed to free ourselves.  We then followed Phencara very closely as they gingerly threaded their way through the very narrow coral bommies until we were both safely through.  Then it was Phencara’s turn to have a bit of a drama.  Elijah was getting into his canoe when Phencara’s dinghy suddenly hit a wave and bounced on top of Elijah’s canoe turning it upside down and throwing Elijah into the water.  He eventually managed to climb into his canoe and retrieve his paddle that had started to float away.  We beckoned him over and gave him 20 kina for guiding us and a set of dry clothes.  He asked whether we could tow him into calmer waters so we obliged.  From here it was an uneventful trip into Tryon Bay where we anchored near Vision.  Then it was time to try to remove all the rust marks from the anchor chain that had been laying on the front deck.  Mike and Marlene invited us all over for sundowners but we decided that we were both stressed out to the max and wouldn’t be good company and just wanted a little ‘Time Out’ on our own.

Friday, 20th August 2010  -  Damunu, Rossel Island … Day 17

It was a horrid night as the anchor chain rubbed over coral most of the night making a grinding noise similar to when we scudded over the coral yesterday.  This meant I woke up most apprehensive and dry heaving again.  I got up about 6am after being awake for ages.  There is a lot of loud shouting going on in the village so, maybe, this person is their alarm clock? 

Geoff took the winch motor out and tested it and it was ok so he re-installed it and it is now working fine.  Weird.  Mike came over and we had a good chat about things such as life and sorcery etc.  Then Geoff started the port engine again and no revs again so he is looking at that now.  Poor Geoff, he’s the one who has to work through all these problems and he is worried that it is something that he can’t do anything about until we get back to Oz.  He’s found water in the oil and says we may be going back to Australia on one engine!  All he can do is change the oil as he says it is like glue.  It worked ok when he had done this but will more salt water get in?  We think it is still coming in through the exhaust even though we have raised them but we are still very heavy and the anchorage at Jobe was very choppy plus we have had a lot of locals on the back deck which wouldn’t help.  We have decided to turn the stop cocks off and put the balls in the exhaust every time we anchor or are not motoring.  He is hoping it is not leaking in through the engine water jacket as that is an Oz job.

 Apparently there is  villager here who is willing to do our clothes washing for 10 kina so I have got all of mine together and Mike will organise to get it all ashore. 

Geoff then decided we would move away from the coral into deeper water.  We anchored twice as we weren’t convinced that the anchor was dug in the first time.  We reversed hard the second time and we weren't going anywhere.

We are not trading today as we want to relax a bit and we want to get the headsail down whilst the wind is not too strong.  We eventually relented and traded for two eggs.   We knocked back a large shell and a baggi (shell) necklace and a dove.  I don’t think quarantine would be too happy to see a dove on our return to Oz. 

Once the wind had dropped even more we managed to pull down the headsail and have a look at the tear.  Mike turned up and gave us a hand to get it down and into the cockpit.  Then Steve came over with some spare sail cloth he had and Geoff thinks he has worked out how we will go about it.  We think we will hand stitch it first with the sewing awl and then use Carolyn’s machine to reinforce it all.

At about 4pm we all headed over to the village of Damunu and what a pretty, well cared for village it was.  We met Pastor Zigi and his wife Julie and the others discussed how they thought the fund raiser should be organised for the Sunday.  Tomorrow we will all go ashore at high tide and help price everything.  Apparently there are over 800 items that have been donated by Vision.  Also, someone is coming to the boat tomorrow at 7.30 to pick up our washing.  Mike has organised it and it will cost us 10k ($4).  Mike has also organised our water containers to be filled … great.  Whilst we were up at the village we were shown a lovely waterfall area that can only be described as a grotto.  Unfortunately the sun was low and we didn’t manage to get really good photos.  Never mind.

The kids just love to stare at the ‘Dim Dims’ and when you smile at them their whole face beams. 

Back to 2AB before it got dark to cook a nice roast for a change.  No fish has been offered for trade yet and we are yet to catch any for ourselves.  Banana and custard for dessert.

Saturday, 21st August 2010  -  Damunu … Day 18

No chain rubbing last night so we slept better.  Geoff got up at 7am to put the genny on and instantly  someone was there with coconuts to trade but we already had some so Geoff just gave him some fishing line and hooks.  I felt it was a bit early to trade so hung an old sarong across the saloon doorway so they can’t see us sitting here as we are not 100% awake yet.  At the moment the trading is constant and it wears you down a bit but I am sure we will get used to it.  Carolyn, Stephen, Mike and Marlene seem to have constant visitors but we need to be broken in slowly.  But, saying that, it is their bay and land and they have nothing so this means they have to make hay whilst the sun shines, so to speak, and we must help where we can.  But it is tiring, especially as it is our first time here. 

Geoff has two ripe tomatoes on his plant that he should pick today.  I will let him pick them as he has grown them with loving care. 

I  roasted some of the local white sweet potato yesterday and it was ok but not nearly as nice as our yellow sweet potato and our lovely white spuds. 

Mike came over with Marlene ( a local not Vision Marlene) and I traded some jeans and a shirt for a nice, but small, Nautilus shell.  I also traded for a small basket.  Marlene is the local lady who is going to do the washing. 

We then ‘set to’ to start the repair on the headsail.  Firstly, Geoff stuck the ripped edges down with sail tape.  He then measured out the piece of sail he needed from the piece that Steve gave us and started tacking it on.  It was a very difficult job as it was a large and bulky thing to manhandle and hard to get the needle and thread through.   Carolyn called and said she would bring her heavy duty sewing machine over when we were ready. 

 By 11am all the boats headed ashore and we wandered up to the village.  Here was started sorting out all of the stuff Vision had donated into their respective piles.  Geoff and I stuck masking tape labels on the clothes that did not have tags ready for the pricing.  The ladies then followed us around with a marker pen pricing everything as they knew what everyone could afford.  Time for some Lemon Grass tea which was quite refreshing plus some Moc, Paw Paw and coconuts. 

 Carolyn, Steve, Geoff and Mike then went off to the school to watch a soccer match and netball game.  Marlene and I stayed behind and continued sticking on the masking tape tags.  We had just finished and had a sit down when Geoff arrived back, hot and thirsty, with the others not far behind.  More green coconuts miraculously arrived and they were all (not Mike) drinking the refreshing coconut milk.  We then left them to finish off and went back to the boat.  The hand of lady finger bananas we had hung up were going yellow so Geoff cut some off and they were really nice.  There are so many bananas coming ripe at the same time that I will have to make some banana cake.

At 5pm we went onboard Vision for drinks and nibbles and all was well until it got round to religion and things got a little hot.  Stephen is so ‘full on’ and so sure he is right and it gets you down sometimes.  I don’t know why he can’t accept that everyone is different and let thing be.  It spoilt the evening really. 

Sunday, 22nd August 2010  -  Damunu … Day 19

A very windy night and not conducive to sleeping as the sun cover flapped all night.  One of the locals came by to pick up the water containers to fill them up.  Now we are full again and traded jeans and a shirt for it.  Geoff made a bread using the bakers flour for the first time and it came out really well.  He also went for a troll but he came back empty handed.  We then traded for a shell necklace (bagi) for another shirt and jeans.  The other four then went off to church at 10 am and we followed ashore at 11.30 and the service was just finishing.  We went up to the church area and sat in the shade watching the throngs.  We were soon joined by Levi, one of the elders, who was quite articulate and chatty.  We found out quite a bit about how the village operates and how the people survive.  All this time I could feel many small eyes upon us and watching the ‘Dim Dims’ every move.  We had become a tourist attraction for most of the children.  There are so many children on this island that you wonder how they can support them all.  Family planning seems to be non existent in these parts.  Some families have ten children.

The fund raiser started and the throngs descended upon the donated goods.  Not everyone could get into the church area at once so there was a guard posted at the stockade (church door). Now when I say church don’t visualise a western concept of a church.  Visualise an open sided thatched hut with bamboo walls half way up with a clay floor.  This church actually has some benches but the ones at Jobe and Pambwa just had dirt floors.  Carolyn had the task of taking the money as they filed out of the ‘out door’.  The smell of sweaty bodies was quite strong where she was but she said you just have to get used to it.  By 2am, as we had no jobs to get on with, we had had enough so went back to the boat where we had cucumber sandwiches with the lovely fresh bread.  We had a relax and a snooze for a while before heading back at 3.30 and Geoff helped wire up the speakers to the DVD/laptop/projector and then Mike and Steve fiddled with all the equipment and then showed ‘Mr Bean’.  The kids absolutely loved Mr Bean and it was lovely to see them giggling and laughing at his antics.  Mr Bean was a good DVD to show as there is not much English talking in it and they can understand what is going on just by the actions.  We left just before 6 pm before the religious tapes went on and before it got dark.  Half way down the hill a local lady said something about the middle yacht (us) nearly being hit by the other yacht.  We hurried down to the dinghy and headed off for 2AB.  We thought we had dragged as we were very close to Vision but that meant we would have dragged into the wind which is nigh on impossible.  We were in the same spot and it was Vision that was dragging.  Geoff dropped me off and went back to find Mike but he was already at his dinghy with some of the villagers and was soon back onboard and re-anchoring. 

Monday, 23rd August 2010  -  Damenu …  Day 20

Bananas for breakfast as they are all ripening at once.  Then it was time to continue tacking the headsail.  But we were interrupted by James who was originally from Port Moresby but had married a local girl.  At last, someone who had been to Oz.  He visited Townsville with a Dim Dim friend for two weeks holiday and we were able to find out his thoughts on it all.  While we were chatting to James three kids arrived, Gerry, Gerum and Mark so we gave out cordial and lollies.  When they left one of the kids took our rubbish ashore to burn so we gave him a brand new T shirt.  Then our water boy arrived so he got 5k.  When everyone eventually left after coffee and bikkies all round we attempted to work on the headsail again.  Carolyn and Stephen popped by and picked me up to go ashore to pick up our washing from Marlene.  We gave her 10k each and it was well worth it. 

They then came onboard for a cuppa.  Whilst we were sipping our coffees I said “what’s that” and it turned out to be a lot of our rubbish that Mark had taken ashore.  We had been told that the locals burn the rubbish but not here it seems as most of their rubbish gets thrown into the sea as it is mostly degradable.  We would never have given them our rubbish if we had known so Geoff and Steve jumped in the dinghy and scooped it all up so we now have some of it back on board.  Lesson learnt!  Steve took 50k ashore to change into smaller notes from the fund raiser.  We also did a bit of trading for oranges.  Now these oranges are very green but supposed to be very nice so we shall try them later. 

We eventually finished sewing the sail just before 3pm and Geoff used a sewing awl and it was so much better than trying to push a needle through such thickness.  I will be glad to get it off the back deck as it takes up a lot of space. 

It has been raining, on and off, all day today which is a pain as when the sun comes out it gets really humid.  You open a hatch then have to close it again a few minutes later when it rains again.  Of course it would rain now that our water tanks are full.  Murphy’s Law!

So we spent the rest of the day relaxing with Geoff doing puzzles and me reading.  Vision have left and gone around the other bay for a bit of ‘time out’ as both Mike and Marlene have been rushing around like ‘hairy goats’ getting this fund raiser organised.  I think they now feel they are falling into a ‘big heap’ and deserve some time on their own.

Carolyn and Steve came over for some drinks and nibbles and said they had spoken to the councilor about Maryanne and Owen’s educational donation.  Now there needs to be a meeting between the headmaster and the elders to decide who has the most need but who is also more academically inclined.  Geoff will meet with them tomorrow to see what they have decided.

After tea we played Carcassonne for the first time in about 7 weeks.  Guess who won?  Well, it wasn’t me!

Tuesday, 24th August 2010  -  Damenu  …  Day 21

Carolyn came over early with her heavy duty sewing machine and reinforced the sail patch for us.  Thanks. 

 She went back and we had brekky then Steve dropped her back whilst he went ashore to show videos of the Soccer World Cup to some of the locals in the church.  Geoff made up some more fishing line and hooks packs for trade or to give away and then followed

Geoff’s Notes:  I ran into the councilor, Ken, and had a chat about the education sponsorship money we were giving on behalf of Maryanne and Owen.  I agreed that if the requirements fell short of  a few kina we would top it up.  I was then introduced to the uniting church minister, Pastor Isaiah, (another one by that name).  The minister was an elderly gentleman who I instantly warmed to.  It seems that the new church groups that keep starting up on the island is causing factions to develop within the community and he agreed with me that it must make things much more complicated for the locals to have competing churches all vying for their souls.  At present there is the uniting church, Christian Revival Church, Seventh Day Adventist along with the Catholic Church which seems to be everywhere.  All the churches seem to send money away to overseas missions to help poorer people than themselves.  However, it is pretty obvious that you don’t get much poorer than some of these families in the remoter islands of The Louisiades.  A high percentage of their daily effort goes into food and shelter.  A small percentage of the children get education of a very limited range and a high percentage is spent on religious matters. 

At the school I met the headmaster, Mr Meto, and donated my unwanted microscope to the school.  I suggested a dead fly would be  good subject to look at.  Instead, one of the teachers in the office quickly delved into the hair of a young girl nearby and produced a juicy nit.  The nit was placed on the slide but needed some modification to stop it moving away from the field of view and was squashed at one end with  small skewer which just happened to be handy.  Pastor Isaiah, who had walked with me to the school, and all the teachers  and helpers in the room all had a good look at the disabled nit.  After a quick chat with the headmaster outlining what we wanted to happen I left after being given assurances that the school board meeting would happen that afternoon and a decision would be given to us on Thursday as to what the decided and who they select.  I then went to the CRC church and talked to Pastor Zigi to keep him in the loop.  On the way back to the dinghy I spotted some ladies weaving hats an told them of Mazzie’s desire to replace her worn woven peaked hat that she bought in Italy.  It is  reed type loosely woven type cap with a peak and covered by a bandana.  She hasn’t seen another one like it in Oz and it is impossible to get another one without returning to Italy.  Even though it is rather beat up now it is her trademark hat.  One of the ladies, Patricia, agreed to come out to the boat to look at the hat because, if they could do the loose weave, they could knock one up in a couple of hours.  She had a drink and bikkies and thought they may be able to copy the hat.  After a quick look around I took her back along with the hat. 

Maz back:  Whilst Geoff was away Carolyn and I just sat on the back deck chatting.  She had brought a book with her but never got to read any of it.  Geoff took her back to Phencara when he returned.  Time for lunch and Geoff decided that cheese on toast sounded good.  But what  pain.  The grill in the oven is so slow that it takes forever but it eventually cooked and was very nice for a change.  After a bit of R&R we decided that the wind had dropped enough for us to get the headsail up again.  I found it quite nerve wracking as I was waiting for another strong wind bullet to come through when it was up and fully unfurled.  It didn’t happen and all went well.  We now just have to hope it stands up to the trip home.  It was then time for a quick tidy up as the pastor and one of the teachers was going to come over later.  The teacher wants Geoff to look at a VCR that’s not working plus Geoff  promised the pastor some pens, pencils etc.  We also had a visit from Levi, who we had met at the fund raiser, his daughter and a local called William.  After  they left Pastor Isaiah from the uniting church  here came for a visit and to pick up the promised stationery.  He stayed for a cuppa and bikkies.  Peter, the teacher, didn’t turn up, probably because it was raining hard and he wouldn’t want to get the VCR wet.  Don’t blame him. 

After dinner we played Scrabble and I WON.

Wednesday, 25th August 2010  -  Damunu, Rossel Island, PNG … Day 22

It looked like it was going to be fine when we got up but it turned out to be an ‘on again, off again’ rainy day.  Phencara was going to go round to Yonga Bay overnight to visit friends at the bible college there but in the end they didn’t go as Steve had a problem with his gear lever and, at present, he can’t go backwards or forwards.  So he is trying to fix it at the moment. 

We defrosted the freezer as it was definitely frozen up and drawing too much power.  I spent the morning baking a banana tea cake, putting the stuff back in the freezer and making a yoghurt.  There seems to be a lack of locals coming round to trade at the moment so perhaps the rain is keeping them away.  Geoff has decided to go out fishing and now the rain is teeming down once again so I expect him back very shortly.  No, he radioed in to say he hadn’t caught anything but the locals had told him to go out further, which he has done.  And he says he is not too wet.  He still came back empty handed and went over to see how Steve was getting on and poor Steve was still struggling to get the gearbox apart.  Poor B!  Geoff came back and grabbed a part that may be adaptable and took it over so Steve is still working on it. 

About 3.30 pm Peter, the teacher, arrived with his VCR machine and Geoff worked on it for quite a while to see if he could fix it.  The answer was no as it was really stuffed but Peter must be affluent in this village as he also has a DVD player.  This also means he must have a generator and fuel to run it .  He says he is retiring from teaching next year as his eye sight is deteriorating and he has savings in the bank at Alotau (on the mainland).  His daughter is studying at Rabul doing a computer technicians course.  He was very interested in the concept of the internet but it will be a long while before it gets down this way.  He also brought a TV antenna over to see if Geoff thought he would get reception as the school gets lessons beamed in.  Geoff explained that he wouldn’t be able to get TV unless there was a transmitter on top of the hill receiving the signals.  He even drew him a diagram to explain how it worked but I’m not sure he understood.

Thursday, 26th August 2010  -  Damunu … Day 23

There was hardly and rain or wind overnight so a much more restful night.  We were woken early again by yelling again which we can only assume is their judicial system or something similar. 

Geoff has done a temporary fix on the starboard traveller as one of the connection had broken loose.  It is a bit overcast today but there’s a tad more wind now which cools the boat.  After brekky of banana tea cake we went ashore to see if the ladies were able to make my cap.  We spoke to one lady who called out to another lady who called out again to yet another lady and so on until the message found Patricia who soon arrived.  She brought back my original cap and said that, unfortunately, they were unable to make it as their weaving material was not soft enough.  Never mind, I may find someone who can make it on the way round.  Vision arrived before we left so we popped by to touch base with them.  Mike had gone ashore so we chatted with Marlene.  It is Mike’s birthday today so we are going aboard tonight with a pot luck meal.  So it was back to the boat to get out some chicken to thaw then head off to the point of the bay where Geoff lost a lure yesterday.  He anchored where he thought he had lost it and went in with flippers and snorkel and found it first time.  What’s the odds on that?  We then did a quick tour of the coral using the bathyscope but the corral wasn’t very exciting but I did see a Nemo (Clown Fish) so it was back to the boat for a bite to eat and to cook a Chicken Chasseur to take over to Vision.  Did some more trading for two oranges and two eggs then traded for some more eggs and tomatoes.  It seems that now Vision is back all the canoes are back out in force.  It was nice whilst it lasted.  At 5pm Carolyn and Steve came over to keep us company until we all headed over to Vision to celebrate Mikes 58th birthday.  Marlene made a nice Pav as it was one of Mike’s favourite desserts and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. 

Friday, 27th August 2010  -  Damunu … Day 24

Awake at 5.30 am and apprehensive for some reason.  I think maybe these first couple of weeks have been a bit too full on for us.  One the one hand you have Steve with his ‘full on’ religious zeal and one the other hand you have Mike with his ‘full on’ help the natives zeal.  Both very good qualities but very over whelming at the moment.  I think we need to catch up with some ordinary cruisers who are just here for their own selfish experiences, like us.  At present, and I am sure it will pass, we feel we are being a bit patronising to the locals as they have nothing and they perceive us as having a lot.  Being patronising doesn’t sit well with us.  We have done some trading today.  Traded for stuff we really don’t want. 

At 9.30 we got ready to go ashore .  The guys wore long trousers and the ladies wore skirts.  The reason for this formality was a mark of respect because Mike and Marlene were going to open the new clinic extension to the main clinic.  The main clinic was a western style building which looked derelict to me but was used as the clinic by a visiting medical team once a month.  They had not come for three months as they said the clinic was too small so they have built a native thatched version for the kids and the pregnant ladies.  When Mike and Marlene got here the roof was on but the walls were not up as they had no nails.  Vision went around to another part of the island where there was a small trading store and bought some nails and then the locals were able to finish the annex off.  This means they can now contact the medical officer and get the visits re-instated.  It was really nice to be there and see Marlene and Mike open it. 

We were then taken to the village and given lemon grass tea and some lunch.  The lunch consisted  of a fish stew and various sweet potatoes including fried sweet potato.  Geoff liked the fish dish but I find the food very bland and uninteresting but  I suppose they don’t have many things to flavour the food with. 

Once back at the boat Geoff went over to Phencara and Vision in the dinghy to see if he could get an impeller with which to fix the bilge pump. 

Whilst he was fiddling with this Ken, the councillor, arrived as Geoff had offered to give him some fishing gear.  I offered him a drink and he opted for a cold drink.  Most locals choose coffee as they only get it when Dim Dims arrive.  So we had cold drinks and banana cake and had a long chat about the customs, gardens, enterprises (gold), the government etc.  It was enjoyable to sit and chat with him as he was a knowledgeable and intelligent person.  He was interested in what we were growing on the boat and ended up with some Thai basil, coriander, lettuce and tomato seeds.  Plus I also gave him some mung beans and showed him how to sprout them.  He also went away with a netball, fishing gear, torch, some super glue and some chillies.  It is people like this that are the future for The Louisiades as long as they don’t get corrupted.  He told Geoff that the school had selected some children around 11 years old to benefit from Maryanne and Owen’s donation so we are pleased as we thought they were going to be elementary school children which we found out the schooling was free for.  Now we know we are not being conned.  He left about 3.30 after we had traded for a lovely carved ebony canoe.  Pastor Zigi and his wife, Julie, also came by on their way to Phencara.  They brought us two woven hats and a couple of passionfruit as presents.  Nice of them as I am sure the lack of our presence at church last Sunday would have been noticed. 

After tea we indulged ourselves in a DVD called ‘The Molly Maguires’ with a young Sean Connery and Richard Harris in it.  An old one but a goodie.

Saturday, 28th August 2010  -  Damunu  …  Day 25

We both had bad cramp overnight and I wonder why?  Geoff was going to have a quick shower off the back deck before the canoes arrived but he was too late and had to wear his bathers.  He then immersed the modified bilge pump in some water and ‘low and behold’ it worked so then he went about re-installing it.  Whilst he was doing this I set about making a bread which is proving as I scribble these lines.  Another hot day.  I said to Ken yesterday that it was hot for winter whereas he replied  that they don’t have normal seasons here.  It is either the wet season or the dry season.  I asked what season we were in now and he said if it rains it is the wet season and if it is sunny it is the dry season.  So I suppose two days ago it was the wet season and today it is the dry season and tomorrow, who knows?  So I am really none the wiser. 

Did some trading today for a change (that’s a joke, of course).  Geoff spent most of the morning working on the bilge pump again as he also wanted to modify the installation.  The thermometer in the saloon is reading 35º so it would be a lot hotter where he is working and the sweat is just dripping off him.  He says he needs a bigger G clamp so he went over to Steve to see if he had one and came back empty handed as he never even asked him.  The reason being was that we were invited ashore to help paint a canoe.  Mike supplied the roller, Steve the paint and Geoff the brush.  It turned out to be an old canoe in need of a little TLC.  Mike started off with the roller then relinquished it to the owner (Lebinai) and, somehow, Geoff ended up painting with the brush while we all looked on. 

We didn’t stay long and left Lebinai with it to finish off.  Going towards the dinghy Geoff delved into his backpack for the water and found a cloth folding Frisbee in it’s depths and threw it towards a bunch of kids.  They soon got the hang of it and were soon throwing it back to him.  They were all having a lot of fun as the kids here don’t have any toys to speak of.   He left it with them and the last we saw of it was it being paddled off in a canoe. 

Back to the boat for an egg, lettuce and mayo sandwich and then Geoff continued on by fixing the floor as one of the floor beams had come unstuck..  After this he went in the water to clean the hulls.  When he had finished he wanted a fresh water shower but still had to keep his bathers on as there were kids hovering in canoes wanting to trade or asking for things for free.  We eventually had had enough so put up our privacy screen (an old sarong) across the saloon door.  I could see a man in a canoe hovering but we didn’t make eye contact but he stayed hovering.  Then Carolyn and Steve came over to ask a favour and I went outside, of course.  The villager paddled over to trade and what did he have to trade … why two beautiful crayfish, that’s what!  There we were ignoring him and we could have missed out on the best trade ever.  We gave him quite a bit of stuff for them and he seemed happy with the trade.  So now we have crayfish for tea and not boring mince. 

Time to go back to Carolyn and Steve and the favour.  They had brought over a headlamp that James, one of their favourite locals, had asked Steve if he could repair.  Steve didn’t have the fine solder for the job and thought that Geoff might so they soldered it and fiddled with it but it was in a sorry state.  I looked at it and it seemed exactly the same as one I had that the elastic had perished and that I didn’t use any more.  I pulled it out and, yes, it was identical.  So the boys fixed mine up as it was still in good nick and James can have that.  Apparently his wife uses it when she gets up in the middle of the night to feed their baby.  Nice to be able to help.  Then it was crayfish time and as Geoff cooks all things that come out of the sea it was nice not to have to cook for  change.  Geoff is using a recipe that we can use his home grown basil and coriander with plus a side salad using his lettuce and tomatoes plus the cucumber that we traded for the other day which he will make up as his cucumber and peanuts dish that we are very partial to.  And, it was delicious even though he was, as usual, heavy handed with the chilli.  It was followed by fresh bananas and yoghurt and then it was a game of Scrabble which I WON.  A tad of rain so we put the hoses into the rain catcher with the hope of collecting some water.

Sunday, 29th August 2010  -  Damunu, Rossel Island  …  Day 26

A reasonable nights sleep and we also collected about 20 litres of water overnight.  Bacon and eggs and then a quick tidy up.  We got ready for church …  yes, church.  The Christian Revival Church.  It was really sunny when we left the boat and then halfway to shore the heavens opened and it bucketed down and we got drenched.  It was very slippery walking up the track to the village and then the church service started an hour late because a lot of people were waiting until the rain stopped to go to church.  Once most of the people who were coming had arrived It started.  The first half was non stop evangelistic singing accompanied by three guitarists and two tambourines.  It was lovely at first but then one of the songs just went on and on and on.  Half an hour later someone, and not the Pastor, gave a sermon and then the Pastor said a quick thank you for the generosity of the Dim Dims.  We then went up to the front of the church and formed a circle with some of the locals with a prayer.  Although both of us are non believers it was still quite moving especially when Steve got up and spoke from the heart about finding Jesus again through this church.  There were tears in his eyes as there were in Carolyn’s and Marlene’s.  Overall I’m glad I went but it will probably the one and only time whilst we are here.  We were given Lemon Grass tea again and then lunch of sago cakes (ok and different) and the smoked fish and ibecca stew and, of course, the sweet potato.  On the way down the hill we caught up with Ken and presented him with a watch which I had promised him and he said he would meet us at the school at 2.30 with the kids and parents who were the beneficiaries of Maryanne and Owen’s donation.  Back to the boat to get the certificates laminated and a little R&R before heading over to the school at 2.30 via dinghy.  At the beach we were met by Ken to show us the way to the school.  Once again the path was very slippery from the rain.  Once at the school we met the teacher, lots of kids but the main four we had come to meet and their parents. 

We went into a school room and Geoff presented the four children with a certificate from Maryanne and Owen with their address just in case the children were ever able to send them a letter.  This was taking into consideration that there is hardly a mail service here and mail only comes when a visiting trading boat arrives.  Geoff then took a group photo and then individual photos so now we only have to remember which one is which.  There was Cynthia, Lucy, Nathan and Kaleb.  One was the magistrates daughter, Cynthia, and one was the school teachers daughter, Lucy, so we are hoping there is no nepotism going on.  Then again, Geoff did stipulate that they had to be bright kids with the potential of making something of their lives.  The kids are all ten years old  and we hope they do well.  On the way back down the hill I, of course, slipped on my bum twice.  No damage done apart from bruising my ego.  At the bottom of the hill  I was presented with a lovely woven handbag for Maryanne which I hope she will be very pleased with.  I made the rest of the trip without any more mishaps and we headed back to 2AB which was surrounded by heaps of canoes .  So it was trade time for a while and a lollipop hand out. 

About 3.30 pm Pastor Zigi and Julie arrived to have a chat and to look at the boat.  We gave them banana cake and offered them either coffee or a fizzy drink.  They chose the fizzy drink as they said they had never had it before … Wow!  And they both liked it very much and had seconds.  They stayed for about and hour after having a look around and then Mike asked to catch up with them so they headed over there.  And then yet more canoes came.  Phencara has left and gone to Jobe where they are going to (or try to) tow a boat called Damunu2 to Bwagoia on Misima Island with the help of Elijah and three others.  This boat needs a new (2nd hand) engine and they have been waiting for a boat to come and tow it to Alotau on the mainland but it is now not coming.  It was going to cost theme 4000K.  As Bwagoia is halfway Steve has offered to take them there and they will save at least half the cost.  I hope nothing goes wrong on the journey. 

 At 5pm we  decided to have a game of Scrabble before tea when there was tap, tap, tap on the hull and it was Nina, the school teacher, with a receipt for the education donation.  She was accompanied by another lady and two small boys so we invited them onboard for a cuppa.  I wasn't long before another canoe arrived with her young daughter and a friend.  Apparently the two mothers had tried to sneak out to us without the two girls seeing them but it was not to be.  So it was four cordials for the kids, 2 cuppas for the adults and copious bikkies.  It was very crowded in our little saloon with 6 people and us crowded into it. 

 We showed the photos we had taken at the school and were able to put the right names to each person.  We then showed them the photos and movies we had taken since being in Damunu and then showed them some photos of Bundy and Maryanne and Owen.  Geoff then printed off a few of the photos for them which were really appreciated.  One of the girls, Lucy, was one of the recipients of the education sponsorship and she was one of the bright kids so we were really pleased that someone of intelligence was being educated.  We called her our PNG Temara (those of you who know Temara will know what I am talking about).  She said she wanted to be a doctor or a pilot even though she had never flown in a plane.  I told her they were high aspirations and a lot of hard work needed to be done on her part but anything is possible.  They were all fascinated watching the photos being printed out and then the two girls went out onto the back deck and sang a song for us.  I then went into the galley to do a bit of washing up and was followed by the kids.  They were desperate to have a look around the boat so I said “Go ahead”.  The two boy just HAD TO use the loo of course.  The girls watched me wash up and
I explained that I washed up in salt water and then rinsed off with fresh water from a spray gun to conserve water. I then sprayed them from the spray gun which they thought was hilarious.  The whole bunch, adults and kids alike, were a delight to have on board as their English was excellent and we were able to hold meaningful conversations.  Geoff gave the kids a lolly necklace each.  We really enjoyed their company and were so glad they came out.  By this time we decided it was too late for me to cook the Tacos so we just had chunky soup and bread and butter for tea.  We then finished off our game of Scrabble and he won tonight.  Time to bring the genny in, dinghy up, the outboard off and secured, route worked out ready for the off tomorrow to Rambuso Creek on Sudest Island about 33nm away of which only 10nm is on open sea.  Mike wants to leave about 9am.

Monday, 30th August 2010  -  Damunu to Rambuso Creek, Sudest Island …  Day 27

Up early and ready to leave and we had winch trouble again.  Geoff used a jumper lead he had made up for it as it seems the problem is the motor stopping in the wrong place.  He used the jumper lead to flash power to the motor to move it and get it started.  Then, when we put the port motor into gear it wouldn’t rev again so Geoff tinkered with it and it came good.  We left just after 8am and Geoff let off a farewell flare (old) and hooted the horn.  We left with regret as these beautiful and happy people worm their way into your heart and who knows if we will ever see them again.  Probably, if we can crew in someone’s bigger boat plus to convince then to go as far south as this. We can only live in hope.   (Are you reading this FiddlerV1)??????????  Hint, hint!  

We have 20nm of lagoon to traverse and then 10nm of open passage so at least the wind was light at around 10 knots as we manoeuvred around  couple of coral bommies and then tried to sail with a poled out genoa and main as it was right up our bum.  This was no good so it was in with the sails and back on with the engines. 

Pastor Zigi called on the radio when we were about and hour out and wished us a safe journey and thanked us for letting us look around the boat.  We thought this was very nice of him.  Mike also called and wanted a photo of Vision under full sail as we converge but they were too fast for us so it didn’t happen.  It was an uneventful trip apart from leaving the lagoon when you needed to have your wits about you.  Even so we lost one lure and had one slight stuff up with the headsail.  We got the waypoint from Mike to the entrance to Rambuso Creek and we carefully inched our  way in.  What a lovely, pretty and calm anchorage this is.  I think we will like it here.  We weren’t happy with our first attempt to set the anchor so re-anchored and were happy this time.  Time for some lunch.  No trading today as we needed some ‘timeout’.  Up went the sunshade, the back shade and on with the sail cover.  We then decided that as it was really hot we would sit up the front under the sun shade to get the benefit of the cool breeze and it was really lovely.  Why don’t we do it more times?  Later Mike and Marlene came over for drinks and nibbles and to play Mexican Train Dominoes. 

We had only played two hands but it was really too hot so Mike went outside for a cool off.  Whilst he was out on deck the councillor, Philamon Henry, and his wife, Elsie,  came paddling by on the way back from tending their garden.  Mike chatted with him about building the Rambuso Creek wharf and jetty that was in disrepair (well, almost non existent).   Mike, Geoff and Philamon went off to look at the work needed and Philamon said they would hold a village community meeting and would make a decision by tomorrow night as the whole community would need to be involved for it to work.  It was then too late to continue on with Mexican Train so M&M headed off and I cooked Enchiladas.  Whilst I was doing this we heard voices outside and it was some locals asking for batteries for their torch so they could go lobster/crayfish hunting for the Dim Dims.  You bet he gave them some batteries! 

Tuesday, 31st August 2010  —  Rambuso Creek, Sudest Island …  Day 28  S11º 28.999  E153º 33.306

We were woken early but we won’t complain as we now have lobster for tea and all for 5 kina and those batteries.  It rained very heavily overnight so we collected a lot of water.  The dinghy was also full of water so, instead of wasting it, we decided that it was good enough to use for the clothes washing.  So an hour later it was done (well as good as I could get it) and hanging on the back deck to dry.  It is very wet as my arthritic thumbs do not allow me to wring it out very well.  Whilst I was doing this I traded for some snake beans.  It is hot and humid today due to all the rain we have had but it wasn’t too bad as a cool breeze sprang up later. 

I caught up on some of my journal to the 14th and re-lived that horrid journey over although M&M said it wasn’t too bad.  Maybe not in their bigger boat.  I would hate to see a bad trip!  Also their trip was a day shorter than both 2AB and Phencara as they have a much faster boat.  Talking of Phencara, we just called them on the radio and they are 13.5 nm from Rambuso Creek and towing Damunu2 so should be here about 2pm.

Time for Geoff to check the port engine and there is water in the oil again so it is definitely coming in via the exhaust even though he raised the pipe at least nine inches before we left.  I was surprised but he had said he had looked on passage yesterday and when a large wave came the exhaust can be a good foot under water.  Yesterday, due to the calm seas, we were able to put the balls in the exhaust every time we shut down the engines.  This is much harder to do in rough sea conditions, of course, so then we will have to shut the stop cocks.  But at least we know we don’t have an internal water leak, or we hope we don’t. 

At 1pm we went over to visit on Vision on our way to shore.  Marlene wasn’t feeling at all well and has pain in her kidney area.  We decided to wait until 2pm to see Phencara arrive and she soon appeared towing Damunu2.  They slowly worked their way in and dropped anchor, all the anchor at once, as they seem to do.  We all went over in our dinghies and Mike pushed Damunu2 to an anchor spot.  We chatted to Carolyn and Steve and they said they had a good trip with the tow line only parting once.  Mike then took Marlene back to Vision for a rest. 

 We then went ashore even though it looked ominously like rain.  We had just made it ashore when down it came so we  sheltered in a storage hut .  We waited for it to abate but it didn’t so we waited for a lessening and then got back in the dinghies and high tailed it back to our respective boats to leave the grand tour for another day.  Whilst we were ashore we were told that there were sometimes crocodiles in Rambuso Creek and one had, supposedly, been sighted that morning.   Once back at his boat Mike braved the rain to check his crab pots and on the way back came past to say they had just seen a croc.  He also said that Phencara had dragged but it turned out to be Damunu2.  Steve said he will take two days to get to Bwagoia and probably tow Damunu2 through the Snake Passage as they swung badly when being towed in open seas.  AND THE RAIN CONTINUES!  

Geoff’s Notes:  One of the local ladies, Honour, told us of a dog who swam across the creek and was promptly submerged and drowned by a croc and never seen again.  She said it had been about eight years since  the last human fatality when a child was taken at the next village down.

Rain, rain, rain.  All the tanks and containers are full again so it can STOP NOW.  We wanted to take the hospital stuff that we are carrying over to Phencara but so far it hasn’t stopped raining.  We played Scrabble and HE won again, what’s going on?  Crayfish Cocktail for tea using fresh crayfish, fresh lettuce, fresh tomatoes and fresh basil.  Only the sauce was shop bought and very nice it all was too. 



Wednesday, 1st September 2010 - Rambuso Creek, Sudest Island, PNG … Day 29

I have come up with some blisters on my neck overnight so I either have a heat rash or something has bitten me. So on with the antibiotic cream.  It has stopped raining for now so at 7 am Geoff took the Bundaberg hospital donated medical supplies over to Phencara so they can take them with them. They headed off around 9 am with Damunu2 in tow.  As Phencara was now taking an extra day to get to Bwagoia we, and Vision, gave some extra supplies to the locals on Damunu2 so they had food for the extra time. Geoff then worked on the solar powered mozi zapper which wasn’t zapping any more and he got it working. He then went over to Vision with some pipe to try to fix the island chainsaw. I cleaned up under my bed where some damp rid had spilt on passage. Note: Phencara will try to send an email to dad from Bwagoia, if they can, saying we are well. (In fact they were not able to) No rain so far today but overcast and humid and I caught up on some of my journal.  After lunch one of the villagers, Ellis, came by to invite us to watch them make the bagi necklaces up at his village of Mud Bay where we are anchored.

Mike has been working on the village chainsaw and has got it going after a lot work fiddling with it. He has been using the spark plug out of his outboard to test it and now can’t find the spark plug so his outboard is not going to work without it. So we had a cuppa and bikkies with Ellis while we waited and Mike soon arrived after finding the sparkplug and we hopped into his dinghy and followed Ellis to shore. I had asked him if it was slippery and hilly and he said “No”. Don’t ever believe them as what I think is hilly and slippery is not to them. I have a bad time with their paths with my bad feet and my Teva sandals aren’t the best for walking on these tracks either. I shall try my reef shoes next time. Once up the hill to his house we watched the men break up the red part of the shells (similar to oysters only red) with a hammer into small bits. Then another local drilled a hole in them using a bush drill which we found fascinating. It’s too technical for me to describe but you may be able to work it out from the photo.

Once the holes were drilled the ladies threaded the shells onto a stiff stainless steel wire and they are sanded into a uniform shape and then threaded onto cord. It takes quite a few days from the start to the finish of these bagi necklaces. They use them as currency and you can pay 50 to 150 kina for them depending on the size, shape and colour. Ellis’ house was situated on top of the hill with the creek and boats located below.  A couple of well kept pigs roamed about and there were also some emaciated dogs hanging around. One lady brought a reed mat for us to sit on and Geoff told them I would never be able to get up again. Cheek! One older lady said it was because I was too fat. This is just said as a matter of fact here in the Louisiades and no offence was meant and no offence was taken although I did point out that there were heaps of people twice, three and sometimes four times as big as me in Oz. By this time it was time to go and I really had trouble staying upright on those slippery and hilly paths.  I’m sure that Mike thinks I am a whimp but he, and even Geoff, does not realise the trouble I have with my feet and leg problems.  Once back at the boat Geoff decided to do some trolling but came back empty handed. But, he said he had been playing with huge dolphins who were playing on the bow of the dinghy. He said one was as big as the dinghy itself. He tried to get them to come with him but then they all dispersed.  Did a tad more trading for some limes and then a veggie called Pit Pit. The villagers here are very poor and only bring out tiny bits of stuff to trade. They have been asking for fishing hooks so this is good as we are reasonably stocked up with those. The Pit Pit looks like a corn cob but has a soft powdery mass inside. I asked how you cooked it and she said you boil it so I am trying it as an extra tonight to see what it is like. Geoff went off for a snoozette so it must be tiring playing with dolphins, mustn't it?  Well, remind me not to trade for Pit Pit again as it was disgusting. It went out of the window. Bleh … but at least we have tried it. I probably didn’t cook it right.

WOW … how am I going to describe what has just happened? It was dark, of course, and we were sitting in the saloon and a local came on board and we didn’t hear him so he startled us because all you could see were the whites of his eyes. It was Ellis and he had previously mentioned that he would bring some children over to sing for us. He said they would come in the afternoon but we went to watch the bagi making instead so we thought no more about it. Anyway, he arrived in a banana boat which was crammed full of kids plus his wife, Brenda. 16 kids in total and 4 adults plus us. So poor little 2AB had 22 human being on board so was very low in the water. They all crammed onto our back deck and there was no room for us, of course, so we sat in the saloon and they sang to us for almost two hours. What a delight and what beautiful harmonising.  Apparently they sing every night and we could hear them from the boat the night before and Geoff had mentioned to Ellis how good the sounded. This must have prompted the ‘sing sing’. We handed out cordial and chocolate squares which were consumed with obvious delight. Luckily I had bought some disposable beakers before I left so was able to make up enough cordial. Brenda asked if they could keep

the beakers which I said “of course”. The adults, of course, had their coffee. During the performance Geoff made up some glow stick bracelets and necklaces and handed them out. Ellis said they had never seen them before.  We then switched off the lights and as they sang they clapped their hands and their bodies swayed and it was a kaleidoscope of colour. The kids loved it as they love their singing and some of the songs (mostly Christian songs) were in English and some in their Sudest language. They were joyous songs which the south seas islanders accentuate to perfection.  Geoff also asked if they could sing the PNG national anthem, which they did, and it is in English. On a side note, this village at Rambuso Creek is poorer than Damunu on Rossel Island and it shows in their clothes. But happier people you couldn’t find, I think. They all left around 9.30 pm leaving us with a warm and fuzzy feeling.



1st October 2010
Rainbow over the main street of Bwagaoia on
Misima Island.

The canteen at Bwagaoia on Misima Island

2Abreast and Phencara anchored in Bwagaoia Harbour

The kids in traditional dress dance there way up to the oval
for the start of the Misima Showcase.  This consisted of the
Miss Misima contest, traditional dancing and fun skits etc

The entants in the Miss Misima contest.  The winner gets
1000 kina which is a hell of a lot of money to these people.

Geoff's favourtie but she came second.

First, second and third place getters.

One of the village elders in traditional dress.
He played the Kandu drum for the dancers.

Steve drinking a pineapple fanta.  We had never seen this
flavour before. 

Maz, Carolyn. Steve and Marlene watching the Misima Showcase.

Geoff towing the kids again in Bwagaoia Harbour. 
He can't help himself as he's a biog kid at heart.

Some of the cheeky buggas on our front deck.

4th October 2010

Gulewa Village on Misama Island with other cruisers

5th October 2010

At the spillway at Gulewa Village that feeds their little hydro electic power plant

6th October 2010

Dick, brother of Lucen who was travelling with Carolyn and Stephen on the yacht Phencara

7th October 2010