"Windy Spirit"

LEAVING THE NAMBUCCA RIVER FOR THE COFFS HARBOUR MARINA

2011-05-19T16:58:00.000-07:00

There was a light SW breeze blowing when we woke at 5.00am, ready to cross the bar to head to Coffs Harbour. It was freezing cold so as we waited for the sun to rise, we rugged up in our winter woollies which had been in storage for the past couple of years. Being in Indonesia & Malaysia certainly didn't warrant warm clothing of any description so to find a couple of jackets still on board was a bonus. As you can see, Rees's head was still cold so on went the balaclava to keep his little ears warm! Good look!!

With NSW going back to Eastern Standard Time, instead of Daylight Savings, it seemed ages before the sun rose to actually shed enough light to see clearly. Rees had checked out the bar the previous day & was happy to see that it was quite flat so without any wind throughout the night we were nearly guaranteed an easy crossing. After sitting on anchor for so long, we both had a few nerves about moving on so as we approached the opening in the breakwall, we were relieved to see that there weren't any breaking waves on the bar. In fact, Robert, our friend, who had been anchored in the river with us, had motored out behind us in his tinny to say farewell.

Once across the bar, we had light SW winds still blowing so up went the sails, off went the motor & we sat back to enjoy the ride.

The trip to the Coffs Harbour Marina took around 4 hours but unfortunately we'd only been able to sail for two of those hours. The wind dropped out, leaving a very calm sea & no choice but to motor if we were going to arrive in daylight hours but better that, than the alternative. It'd been years since we'd had our yacht at the Coffs Marina but we still had friends there so it was good catching up with them & being tied up safely with the knowledge that there were strong winds on the way. We'd certainly picked our day well but didn't know at the time that we'd be stuck at the marina for nearly 3 weeks due to bad weather. Oh well, that's what you get with yachting...we really are at the mercy of Mother Nature!

ANCHORED IN THE NAMBUCCA RIVER

2011-05-15T17:28:00.000-07:00

After doing all the necessary work on "Windy Spirit" in Yamba, we were able to leave her on a friend's pontoon while we dashed off to Nambucca Heads in time for Xmas. It was great being with my Mum & family on this special day of the year & because we'd both lived in the area for so long, we decided it would be nice to spend more time there, especially if we could get the boat into the beautiful Nambucca River. So, the decision was made & we were soon looking for a weather window to sail from Yamba to Nambucca, bearing in mind that we needed to cross a bar at both places. One of our sailing friends had taken his boat into the river a month earlier but he'd had glass-out conditions & a flat bar crossing, so we hoped for the same.

The day finally arrived, so with Rees on board with friends, I drove our car & arrived at the break wall in Nambucca at 7.00am to see "Windy Spirit" rounding Wellington Rock & ready to cross the relatively flat bar at the top of the tide. Not too many yachts ever venture into the Nambucca River & with it being a beautiful day, there were plenty of onlookers with amazed looks on their faces as Rees quickly motored past them, through the break in the wall, & then into the protected waters of the river. This was to be our home base for the following few months & we really looked forward to it. Living on board a yacht certainly has it's advantages......just pick up the anchor & move to another spot when you feel like it!!!

BACK TO THE REAL WORLD AND BACK TO WORK

2011-05-04T23:02:00.000-07:00

"Windy Spirit" was hauled out of the water at the Yamba Marina in December, 2010, for some much needed attention. She deserved the attention after carrying us safely from Puteri Harbour, in Malaysia & then back to Australia. We'd certainly covered some hard miles so after 6, 700 nautical miles, over 6 months, some tender loving care was in order. Everyone hates the task of anti-fouling, cleaning & polishing but with the help of some great friends, the work was covered in just two days, leaving us in a relaxed state in time for Xmas.

Dave & Lorna, who had just purchesd their new catamaran, "Next Phase", were there to lend a helping hand, knowing that when it was time for them to take their boat out of the water, we would be there to help as well. "What goes around, comes around"! Dave concentrated on the polishing, a huge job, while Rees organised the rest of us with the fiddly jobs that no-one likes to do. However, after two full days of hard work, "Windy Spirit" was ready to go back into the water once again, looking beautiful & sparkling with her new look.

AMAZING LOOKING BOATS

2010-11-26T20:59:00.000-08:00

BOATS OF ALL DESCRIPTIONS

2010-11-26T20:42:00.000-08:00

As we travelled throughout Indonesia, Malaysia & PNG, we were amazed at the diversity of boats out on the water. With fishing being one of the main industries, there were boats of all sizes to contend with on a daily basis but they never ceased to surprise us with their colour schemes, workmanship & intricacies & all of them being seaworthy!!

BEACH B-B-Q'S ALONG THE WAY

2010-11-26T20:15:00.000-08:00

We'd travelled at such a hectic pace once we'd left Sandakan, knowing that we had thousands of miles to cover before arriving back in Australia before Xmas but we hadn't wanted to by-pass everything, so occasionally took time out for relaxation. I think we would've all gone crazy if we didn't have something to look forward to, especially with the long days that we were doing, so every now & then, when we discovered an isolated island with picturesque beaches, we'd drop anchor for a day or two, take the tender ashore to explore & spend some time together. The beach b-b-q's were a great way to relax & even though we quite often didn't have much food left on board, it was fun making do & sharing whatever we could manage to scrape together.

REES'S NEW HAIRSTYLE

2010-11-25T20:19:00.000-08:00

It was a scary day when I left Rees to find a hairdresser in the Indonesian city of Jayapura. Normally he'd ask me to be there to offer advice & I knew that I should've been when I saw him sauntering along the street, with a huge grin from ear to ear & sporting a "mohawk". His hair was standing on end, had swirls & patterns cut into the sides & the back looked like a fluffy duck's tail. Apparently the young guy who had cut his hair had asked how he wanted it done so Rees just replied, "Just like yours!" And this was the outcome!

"JACANA ll"

2010-11-04T23:55:00.003-07:00

This is a photo of "Jacana ll" under sail. John, who is normally a solo sailor, depended heavily upon the reliability of his 9 metre, Simpson designed, catamaran. They have sailed many thousands of miles together since leaving Brisbane in 2009 to join the "Sail Indonesia Rally" that left from Darwin in July 2009. It wasn't until 2010, that Rees & I really got to know John because of participation in the 2010 "East Malaysian Rally". It was then that we realised that we all wanted to travel back to Australia in the same direction after the rally, so we stuck together from Terrenganu, where we departed for Kuching, to sail across the South China Sea.

"Jacana ll" has proved to be a great little sailing boat, keeping pace with both "Hanalike" & "Windy spirit" during our long voyage from Malaysia, to Australia. John, who lives aboard, found her stable & reliable, only disappointing him over the last stages with the auto pilot failing, causing him to hand steer from the Louisiades in PNG, to Townsville in Australia. At times we all wondered just how he coped with being a lone sailor, especially with the many overnighters that we'd done over the past few months, but "Jacana ll" was always there on our doorstep, ready for the next leg!

OUR CRUISING MATES FOR THE LONG HAUL BACK TO AUSTRALIA

2010-11-04T22:00:00.000-07:00

This is "Hanalike", a 43ft monohull from New Zealand with Linda & Mike on board. They had been in Asia for the past 3 years & were at the stage where they wanted to get the boat back to their home country in time for Xmas this year. Although we'd met them on the 2010 East Malaysian Rally, we didn't really have much to do with them until we heard through the grapevine that they'd intended sailing from Sandakan, North Borneo, across to Indonesia, through PNG & then on toward the Louisiades. This was our intended journey back to Australia too, so we soon got together to plan our long trip back together.

"Hanalike" at anchor in Rabaul where we all stayed for a few days to clear into PNG & to restock our boats for the time ahead. After the eruption of the volcano in 1993, half of Rabaul was demolished & covered in volcanic ash which is still a problem to this day. The active volcano smoulders every day, hissing & spitting ash in all directions so we were fortunate that the winds were favourable while we were there, blowing the ash away from us instead of toward us. It certainly was a sight to behold.

After spending nearly 3 months sailing together on a daily basis, Linda & Mike became great friends so whenever the opportunity presented itself, we'd socialize of an afternoon, drinking a gin & tonic or two, or maybe even three, depending on just how stressful our days had been! Having their constant chatter on the radio throughout the long days & nights at sea was a real comfort to all of us, especially with Mike's droll sense of humour when things went wrong.

John & Ayse, who were also our sailing buddies back to Australia, shared the good times as well as the bad, & like Linda & Mike, became very good friends during our voyage from Terrenganu, on the East Coast of Malaysia, all the way back to Townsville, Australia. John, who is normally a lone sailor & who did most of the trip by himself, was joined by his girlfriend, Ayse, for a couple of stints throughout the rally. We first met Ayse when she flew into Terrenganu to do the crossing of the South China Sea, into Kuching, but once she'd departed from Kuching, we didn't see her again until her arrival in Rabaul, PNG, due to work commitments. Anyway, after thousands of miles of John being the lone sailor, you can imagine the excitement the day Ayse flew into Rabaul to complete the rest of the journey with him!

SOME OF THE ISLANDS VISITED WITH CHRIS & ANNE

2010-11-01T22:17:00.000-07:00

Langkayan Island, not far from Sanakan, looked promising for Chris & Rees to go spearfishing until they discovered that it was actually a marine park. The snorkelling was supposed to be fantastic but it was a matter of "Look" & "don't touch", so after having a look around the eco resort & having a drink at the bar, it was decided to move on toward one of the smaller islands nearby where the guys could spearfish. However, as we went to anchor in this new location, we were surprised to find a long boat rushing from nowhere to question us. Apparently we'd crossed into Philippine waters & were suddenly faced with 5 angry men who were armed with rifles & small hand guns. With apologies & nervous smiles, we quickly took off & made tracks for Sandakan!! Oh, how scary!

Anne playing on the beach with the local kids from Tigabu Island, a small fishing village a few hours north of Langkayan. The people were really friendly so as soon as we'd gone ashore, we were met by the local school teacher who became our unofficial guide for the short time we were there.

The fishing village on Tigabu Island consisted of stilt houses made from wood & although the houses in this photo weren't painted, quite a few of them were very colourfully painted & decorated, showing a definite class distinction.

CHRIS & ANNE VISIT IN NORTH BORNEO

2010-11-01T21:57:00.000-07:00

Chris, Rees's brother, & his wife Anne, flew into Kota Kinabalu just after Kay & Jim had left us, for a week's holiday that would see them stay onboard "Windy Spirit" from KK to Sandakan. Unfortunately though, with the weather being rather unkind with strong winds, bleak skies & rain, it wasn't the yachting holiday that they'd expected. We did get to visit some islands along the way but with it being too rough to get off the boat, snorkelling, fishing & swimming generally went by the wayside. We certainly gave them a holiday to remember though with terrifying sea conditions at times,a pirate attack along the way & our boat dragging while we were all out to dinner!!! A yachting holiday can never be guaranteed as 'SUN, SAIL & FUN' but it can certainly give a life time of memories...good or bad!

"WINDY SPIRIT'S CREW TAKES OUT 3RD PRIZE

2010-11-01T21:40:00.000-07:00

The presentation & gala dinner at Kota Kinabalu was certainly a night to remember, for one reason or another, but of course, the highlight of the evening was being presented with our trophies in two events of the multi hull division. We certainly couldn't have done it without Kay & Jim's help & besides that, they made it a memorable week by just being there as they're always fantastic company.

RACING FROM LABAUN TO KOTA KINABALU

2010-11-01T20:54:00.000-07:00

Rees & Jim, the racing crew for "Windy Spirit", did everything in their power to sail, regardless of conditions. At times, when the wind had died completely & the sails had sagged, Jim could be found on the bow, physically shaking the headsail from side to side to get enough power to edge a few metres further forward. It became very frustrating for both of them but while Kay & I slept through the night undisturbed, the guys forged on, determined to take out a prize at the end of the rally for the multihull division.

Just after the beginning of the race, when every yacht was flying spinnakers, Kay & I filled in our time on the deck, shaded by our spinnaker until the wind died & the sail collapsed into the water. For some time after, we left the sail hanging as it provided much needed shade & shelter from the sun as we continued playing our board games.

It was a day of spinnaker racing which proved to be a very colourful sight for the race between Labaun & Kota Kinabalu. About 30 yachts, all different sizes & designs, competed in this fun filled event.

THE EAST MALAYSIAN RALLY 2010

2010-11-01T20:36:00.000-07:00

The East Malaysian Rally for 2010 was great fun for all the participating yachts & as time went on & we all got to know each other, the gala presentations & dinners were fantastic events as it gave us a chance to catch up with fellow yachties in a very relaxed atmosphere. The beer flowed freely & there was always far too much food but these ocassions were meant for celebrating! What, you may ask?! Oh anything that you could think of!

Kay & Jim, from "Bach & Byte", had flown over from East Malaysia to Borneo to join us for the Borneo International Yacht Challenge which began in Miri, so there was plenty of celebrating to be done that week as we raced from port to port along the Borneo coastline. What an experience!

THE BEACHSIDE VILLAGE OF ROMPIN

2010-07-12T20:08:00.000-07:00

Although the beach side village of Rompin was not initially an organised Rally stop, with an invitation from one of the officials who had attended the Tioman Island celebrations, all that changed. Suddenly we had another stopover which coincided with the annual Rompin Festival. There was all the usual fun of the fair with marquees & tents set up along the foreshores, offering everything from food, drinks, beer, clothing, shoes & souvenirs, to entertainment. The local radio station was broadcasting live, there were karaoke contests, musical bands & anything else that you could possibly think of that is usually connected with a fair. The photo above is of a motorised kite surfer taking off on the beach & although it looked fun, it also looked quite dangerous as he hovered above crowds of people who were all gazing skyward.

The display of kick boxing held the crowd's attention as these older guys moved around the ring in their mesmerising way. The younger guy with the bright t-shirt on, moved like a dancer, easily skipping out of the way of his opponent as he kicked & punched forward but they both tired fairly quickly, obviously out of shape.

Mastura & her family were invited on board "Windy Spirit" the afternoon before we left Rompin. We first met Mastura when she was manning the tourist information booth along the beach. We'd asked her if there was a service station nearby & if there was a taxi service that would take us into the main town as we needed to stock up with more fuel. Apparently the town was about 7 kms away & NO, there wasn't a taxi service but she would be happy to take us the following day when she wasn't working. She was just so kind, & true to her word, she was at the beach the following morning to pick up Kay, Jim, Rees & I. Besides fuel, we also needed fruit & vegies so Mastura drove us to the local Sunday Market where she was really helpful in describing how to cook a lot of the local vegetables as well as negotiating prices for us. She didn't want anything in return so because she had never been on a yacht before, we invited her to visit us for afternoon tea, which she was extremely excited about. Of course, she didn't come empty handed either & brought freshly cooked fish that she'd purchased at the markets during the morning. Her brother & 3 children really enjoyed their time on the boat but as the afternnon wore on & the winds began to freshen, it was soon time for us to sail away as we were heading further north that afternoon. It was a shame that we couldn't have spent longer with this lovely family but I'm sure we'll stay in touch as time goes by. Thank you once again Mastura for your kindness & hospitality.

These frisky little monkeys were everywhere & seemed particularly fond of crossing the busy streets via the overhead electrical wires. From there they had the choice of squatting & fighting in the jungle on one side of the road, or frolicking across the roof tops of the shops on the opposite side. They were certainly a treat for the tourists but I think they were probably a pest to the locals who showed no interest in them what so ever.

A FEW OF THE DIFFERENT ISLANDS VISITED WITH THE RALLY

2010-07-10T03:00:00.000-07:00

These caves at Tinggi Island just had to be explored. The water was clear & inviting, the coral was beautiful & the small fish life prolific. We snorkelled around these caves for ages & although they were quite deep, the smell of bats hanging from the cave roof soon had us out into the open again to explore along the edge of the headland.

The beach at the tiny little island of Rawa, offered picture perfect photographs. The exclusive resort offered lunch & dinner to those who wanted to use the facilities, so of course with the 4 yachts that were anchored in the bay, we were all keen to at least have one meal there. Of course it was delicious & being a buffet, everyone was more than satisfied when we departed. Unfortunately, it was at this island that one of the yachts began to drag during a late afternoon storm so the following morning the decision was made to leave this beautiful spot behind.

Just after we'd anchored at Tioman Island, we were very surprised to see a plane landing above the sandy, white beaches. Apparently the air strip was just behind the beach, but at the time it certainly looked as though the plane was going to land right on the beach in front of our eyes. What a scary landing!

Sunset was usually the most pleasant time of the day as the temperatures had begun to drop, the afternoon rains had finished & "Happy Hour" had begun. Calm anchorages like this one were always a welcome sight.

BEACH PARTIES & RALLY FESTIVITIES

2010-07-10T02:27:00.000-07:00

It's always fun when there's a beach party but when a group of yachties get together, it's usually more fun than usual with getting to know one & other. This shot was taken at Desaru Beach where one of the first rally stops along the East Coast of Malaysia occurred. The anchorage was in open seas just off the beach & although it was very calm with hot & humid weather, the water wasn't enticing enough to have us swimming.

Harry, Pam, Kay, Jim, Rees & I all thoroughly enjoyed our fresh coconut juices at this luncheon that was hosted by a small village near Kota Tinggi. Thankfully with the monsoon season happening & rainfall every day, the venue was a huge shed that housed us all easily & kept us dry when the rain eventually happened.

Trying to get group photos with the whole rally contingent is nearly impossible but I think that a lot of us were present for this shot. The lunch was delicious & the villagers extremely warm & friendly, offering us all small home-made gifts before our departure.

RALLY FESTIVITIES WITH FRIENDS

2010-07-10T01:56:00.000-07:00

The events with the East Malaysian Rally were many & varied but always interesting & fun because they were shared with friends & like minded people. When there was nothing in particular organised, the yachties usually organised something themselves such as beach b-b-q's, beach cricket & games or just a casual dinner at a nearby restaurant. Harry & Pam loved being involved with all this activity & could see themselves doing it one day when they finally retire & start to use their own yacht.

PAM & HARRY JOIN US FOR THE START OF THE EAST MALAYSIAN RALLY

2010-07-08T21:06:00.000-07:00

Our friends, Pam & Harry, flew from Australia in mid May to join us on the first stages of the East Malaysian Rally that was going to take us from Puteri Harbour to Kota Kinabalu on Borneo. "Windy Spirit" had been sitting at the Puteri Harbour Marina for the past 7 months so we were excited about finally being under way again after our long stint home in Australia. The weather was extremely hot & humid which was a nasty surprise for our friends who had come from winter in Australia, but with the thought of many adventures to come over the following weeks, the heat was soon forgotten as we made our way toward Singapore & then on toward Desaru, which was going the be the next rally stop.

It was great catching up with old friends who we hadn't seen for ages so we were very excited to find "Bach & Byte", with Kay & Jim on board. They had decided to do half of the rally along the east coast of Malaysia to spend time with us so we looked forward to the following weeks, catching up on each others news & socialising while we had the chance before our return to Australia. Above is a photo of "Bach & Byte" passing under the bridge that links Singapore & Malaysia. The clearance is 25 metres & although it looks a little scary when you are right under the bridge, there is actually plenty of clearance for a normal yacht at any tide.

Winding our way through the Singapore Straits, one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world, was a nightmare as the sea looked like a moving city of container ships that stretched for miles & miles. It basically took us all day to pass this area & knowing that an accident between two container ships had occurred the previous day, we were on a constant look-out to see if we could find the boats involved. The water was contaminated with thousands of litres of oil which sprayed up onto our hulls as we motored through it but fortunately it was easy enough to remove when we had the first opportunity of clear water. Finding this huge boat with a massive hole punctured through it's hull was unbelievable! To think that a ship of this size was unseen by another was hard to believe, especially in these extremely busy waters but the proof is in the photo~!

The two ships involved in the accident are rafted together here & although there was a lot of activity involving tug boats etc, we were still left wondering how they would deal with this catastrophe. The oil was thick & heavy in the water, creating it's own nightmare, so although we were glad to have seen this spectacle first hand, we were certainly glad to clear those waters as soon as possible.

THE FRIENDLY STAFF FROM PUTERI HARBOUR MARINA

2010-06-21T05:41:00.001-07:00

Dana & Saipol were just two of the extremely friendly staff members from the Puteri Harbour Marina in Malaysia where we'd left "Windy Spirit" for over 7 months while we'd travelled back to Australia & then throughout Malaysia & Thailand. These guys always had smiles upon their faces & just couldn't do enough for us. If ever we had any problems, it was just a matter of asking these guys who could put us in contact with anyone that was required. It's always hard being in another country, especially with the language barrier, but Dana & Saipol made everything so much easier for us with contact details of motor mechanics, electricians, etc. You name it & they could source it!!! Thanks again for all your help & advice during our lengthy stay at Puteri Harbour.

Arab, was another one of the staff at Puteri Harbour who just couldn't do enough for us during our stay. He actually looked after "Windy Spirit" while we were back in Australia for over 3 months & did such a great job that we decided to give him our aluminium tender that we'd replaced whilst in Malaysia. We learnt during our times together that Arab loved karaoke & was quite an entertainer once he had a microphone in his hands!!! We'll never forget that great smile Arab!!!

Our time at Puteri Harbour Marina will always hold fond memories for both Rees & I as we'd spent a lot of time there, getting to know the staff & having some great times with them, both socially & work related. Puteri Harbour Marina, in our minds, is one of the best marinas that we've ever stayed at & wish that the marinas in Australia could compare. We love the country of Malaysia & the people so hope to return one of these days to catch up once again with all of our new found friends.

The gardens & surrounding areas at the marina were just beautiful so it was no wonder that it was such a popular spot for locals, especially on the week-ends where we would often see brides doing their photos shoots & families out enjoying the layed back atmosphere that marinas usually present. Everyone from the gardeners, to the cleaners, restaurant staff, security staff & marina staff, took pride in Puteri Harbour & so they should as it is one of the more beautiful places in Johor Bahru.

BONJOZA AT PUTERI HARBOUR MARINA

2010-05-23T19:02:00.000-07:00

Since arriving back at Puteri Harbour Marina from our trekking throughout Thailand & Malaysia, we've settled right back into our normal routine, which includes listening to the local band, Bonjoza, every week-end. From the time we first arrived at Puteri Harbour Marina with the "Sail Indonesia" Rally, we've been entertained by this fantastic group of guys every Saturday & Sunday at the marina's restaurant. On a few occasions, Rees was even invited to play along with the band on his bongo drums, so not being shy at all, he was up there with the guys, banging away with a smile from ear to ear, pretending he was actually part of the band!

The four band members all have "day time" jobs but music is their love & it shines through as they play a great variety of songs, hour after hour. The yachties just love them & quite often get up to dance while the locals are content to sit & listen. We've really enjoyed our long stay at Puteri Harbour Marina but it will be soon time to move on as the "East Malaysian Rally" gathers momentum & celebrates the first of its festivities tonight at Danga Bay, a few miles further north. It will be hard saying farewell to all our new Malaysian friends but hopefully, we'll meet again somewhere in the future.

SOME OF THE MORE INTERESTING PEOPLE ALONG THE WAY

2010-05-13T22:36:00.000-07:00

This photo was taken when we were at Hua Hin in Thailand. This little seaside village was a total surprise to us when we realised that the "night life" was full on with "lady boys" at every bar, trying to attract the attention of both men & women! This guy certainly held our attention for most of the night as he pranced, danced & jiggled to the music for hours on end! Wow...he really loved himself!!!

This armed soldier was one of 6 who were seated in the carriage on the train that we'd taken from Chiang Rai to SungiKolok, which was the border town between Thailand & Malaysia. This SE corner of Thailand was a dangerous area for tourists because of the unrest but apparently train travel was considered to be OK compared to road travel, where thousands of people disappear every year due to kidnappings & murder. Having the soldiers on board gave us a sense of security to a degree, but at the same time had us feeling jittery due to their presence.

This lady, from one of the Hill Tribes around Thaton, was one of a group that appeared on the doorsteps of our hotel every morning, trying desperately to sell their trinkets to make some money. After having said "NO" to their approaches every day for 3 days, we finally gave in with Lorna & I both buying a few things to keep them happy. Buying the hat was not one of them!

"The long necks" from the Karen Tribe, were another group of "hill tribe" villagers near Thaton. These poor people who are refugees from Burma, find life difficult as they can't return to their own country & because Thailand doesn't really want them either, they have been forced to live within a small area of the countryside, barely having contact with the outside world except for the occasional visitors.

How they live with those heavy coils around their necks & legs is beyond me! The discomfort from the actual weight, & the heat factor must be unbearable but because it is their culture & they believe that they are more beautiful with the coils on, they continue to wear them. The only time they remove the coils is when they are pregnant & then it must be done by a special medicine man.

SOME OF THE REGULAR SIGHTS WITHIN THAILAND

2010-05-12T06:05:00.000-07:00

Temples & Buddhas were a huge feature in every town in Thailand & although we visited quite a few, within a week or so we were all "templed" out & didn't bother with photos of the smaller ones. They were certainly a work of art & it was obvious that the gentle Thai people absolutely loved their icons. When asked what might be of interest in their town, they would always mention a tour of the temple & although we did visit plenty of them, getting to them was usually a feat in itself with most of them being built on the highest hill in the area.

SOME OF THE MORE INTERESTING ANIMALS

2010-05-12T05:48:00.000-07:00

Monkeys were always a fascination for us although at times, they could be quite aggressive so we usually kept our distance. The last thing we needed was rabies! Then the elephants near Chiang Rai kept us amused for hours as they bathed, performed in their regular show & painted pictures, which could be bought after the show! They really are beautiful animals & because they were in a conservation park where they also had an elephant hospital, we were able to visit there as well.

DIFFERENT MODES OF TRANSPOT

2010-05-12T05:35:00.000-07:00

Our means of transport varied on a daily basis, which made things interesting but compared to Australian prices, the fares on buses, trains, boats, tuk tuks & trishaws was very, very cheap, ensuring that we kept within our budget each day. The buses, when air conditioned, seemed to be our best form of transport although the overnight trips on trains which covered many miles, was the most relaxing, arriving at the destination after waking the following morning.

ME, REES, DAVE AND LORNA

2010-05-12T05:11:00.000-07:00

At the beginning of April, our friends, Dave & Lorna flew from Australia to Malaysia to join us for a 6 week back-packing holiday throughout Malaysia & Thailand. We were going to try & keep the holiday as cheap as possible, so the plan was to stay in hostels, guest houses or hotels & as long as they had a fan, or better still, air conditioning, were clean & had en suits, we'd make do! However, after our first hostel experience in Melaka with shared bathrooms, we vowed that we wouldn't do the "hostel" thing again....it was for the younger generation who were travelling on a shoe string.

HAPPIER TIMES WITH MUM AND DAD

2010-05-11T20:03:00.000-07:00

This was a photo taken in happier times last year when Mum & Dad were with us at the Whitsundays. It wasn't long after this that Dad was diagnosed with inoperable pancreatic cancer which was a devastating blow to the whole family.

Rees & I had departed Darwin on 18th July to sail with the Indonesian Rally & it was only 3 weeks into this trip when I received the dreaded phone call that Dad wasn't well. I then returned to Australia on the first flight possible & stayed with them for 5 weeks until I finally had to return to Indonesia to help Rees take our yacht to Malaysia. Unforunately, Dad deteriorated very quickly so by the time we'd returned to Australia once again in November, we only had limited time left to share with my dear old Dad who passed away on 18th December, a week before Xmas. Of course it was a miserable time for our whole family but after spending a few months with Mum, it was soon time for Rees & I to return to "Windy Spirit".

We'd left "Windy Spirit" at Puteri Harbour Marina, in Johor Bahru, Malaysia but we vowed that we'd sail back to Australia during 2010 to be nearer to our family, who mean the world to us.

OUR DUTY FREE ORDER

2009-07-16T00:52:00.000-07:00

Aahhhh---thank heavens it arrived!!! At 3.00pm this afternoon, the duty free guys in Darwin arrived with our alcohol orders so after paying out $410, our half share in the order, we had onboard, 6 litre bottles of rum, vodka & gin! Then of course we have our home brew beer & ginger-beer, 60 litres of red & white wine & a mere 6 bottles of champagne, just for those special occasions! Will we have enough grog? That is the burning question! However, we've bought plenty of beer & ginger-beer brews so if we run out of everything else, we've always got that as a standby. Meanwhile, I think I'm going to enjoy a G&T on those hot, sticky afternoons in Indo, so I'll be thinking of you & of course, wishing you were here!

COUNTDOWN FOR THE RALLY DEPARTURE

2009-07-16T00:36:00.000-07:00

At this stage, we now only have 2 more sleeps before leaving Darwin for Indonesia but we've been extremely busy catching up on all the last minute shopping. On Tuesday, we had a compulsory briefing at the Holiday Inn, Darwin, where guest speakers from Australia, Indonesia & Malaysia spoke of expectations of the rally. The room was filled to capacity & although we got the general gist of things, the Indonesians were very hard to understand so it gave us a bit of an insight as to what to expect with the language barrier.

Malaysia sounded wonderful, unlike Indonesia, where there are so many rules & regulations for yachties with clearing customs etc , so we'll really look forward to November when we'll arrive in Malaysia. It also sounds like a good option for leaving the boat in storage when we fly back to Australia at the end of the year, with one new marina offering free berths up until 2010, just to get yachts in there!!! Now that sounds like a bargain!

These trolleys have been at our disposal through the sailing club, ever since we've been here & I can tell you that we would've been well & truly stuck without them. The tides are quite large over here, so if you're out for the day, normally by the time you get back to your tender in the afternoon, the water is miles away. A lot of yachties have put little wheels on their actual tender, which normally works well, but unfortunately, we'd left ours in storage on the Gold Coast, so they weren't of any use to us at all! However, these trolleys have made easy work of manouvering the tender around & although at times there can be up to 50 or 60 tenders sitting on the beach at any one time, there never seems to be waiting time for the trolleys, which has been great.

The days have been busy since being here, & at last, with the pick-up of our duty free grog this afternoon, everything is finally DONE. Kay & Jim, off "Bach & Byte", had the use of a relation's ute for a few days so we were invited to pile in with them yesterday to go & do our shopping. I'd been dreading the thought of that task as my cupboards were just about empty & I knew it was going to cost me a fortune to restock. I also knew that we'd be able to buy food over there, but it was a matter of deciding which foods & stores we just couldn't do without. Anyway, after spending nearly $900.00 at the check-out, it was obvious that I couldn't do without quite a bit of stuff but the good thing is, that we won't have to spend any more money on groceries for ages---maybe even years!

There hasn't been too much socializing going on this week as everyone frantically goes about their last minute business. Radio scheds of a morning have had people still looking for information as to where they can buy spare parts for this, that & the other & surprisingly, people have even left buying their fuel until the last minute, only to find that they can't be fitted in until next week, after the rally departs! Bugger! But I guess that's just the way some people are & although they'll never change, they mostly seem to get by.

Saturday morning at 11.00am is when the fleet departs Darwin. We're really looking forward to it after nearly 3 weeks here, preparing for it, although we're not really looking forward to the initial congestion that will inevitably go with the START. Maybe we'll just hang back for awhile, then gun the motors to overtake everyone in the black of night!!

This will probably be my last blogspot for some time as I believe that internet connection will be very difficult to find, especially around the more isolated islands that we'll be visiting during the first stages. We've had our mobile phones unlocked so that when we have the opportunity, we can use a local sim card in them, but until then, we'll just have to rely on our HF radio, sailmail ,for our contact with family & friends.

FRIENDS COME & GO FROM DARWIN

2009-07-09T19:30:00.000-07:00

Brian & Maxine from "Kinetic Energy", had travelled with us since leaving Airlie Beach in early May, so after nearly 8 weeks of enjoying their company, it was hard to say goodbye when they departed for the Kimberlies last week. But we each had something else to look forward to at this stage & with email, I know that we'll always stay in touch.

Since being in Darwin, along with another 100 or so yachts in Fanny Bay, we've enjoyed some spectacular sunsets, so unlike the sunsets on the East Coast of Australia where the sun disappears behind mountains & bushland instead of sinking below the horizon of the ocean. With the local Indigenous people burning off the land on a daily basis, the smoke has helped produce the most amazing & colourful sunsets that I have ever seen & hardly a day goes by when I don't have the camera out to try & capture these special moments.

Our time in Darwin has kept us very busy with organization for our upcoming trip to Indonesia but we've still found plenty of time for socializing but barely a day has gone by when we haven't been on a bus trip into the CBD of Darwin to see Customs, organize visas, shop for charts, duty free goods & food etc so at this stage, where we have a week before departure, we are finally starting to relax & feel that most things have now been covered. It's always awkward without a car when you're sailing from A to B & although the bus fares up here are very reasonable at $2.00 per return ticket to where ever you need to go, the burden of having to carry huge amounts of groceries, & wine etc, becomes a pain. However, things were made a little easier for us there, when our friends, Pam & Harry, from Coffs Harbour , arrived a few days ago & hired a small car to do the touristy thing in Darwin, so we've been able to get our gas cylinders refilled & most importantly, been able to collect our wine order from the local bottle shop!

With leaving the country, we've been able to order some spirits through the duty free shop & have really taken advantage of that by going halves with another yacht in a case of gin, vodka & rum. It seems a bit excessive, especially when we don't normally drink spirits, but with wine being nearly impossible to buy over there, we thought we'd better have something to keep us going! Not to mention the 6x 10 litre casks of wine on order, along with the home brew ginger beer & home brew beer! We don't drink much----really!!!!!

Pam & Harry, being very thoughtful, decided not to stay with us for their 10 days in Darwin & without talking about it, took accommodation nearby. We were really disappointed because how can you party when you have to drive at the end of the night?! Anyway, that was overcome by having a sleepover & boy, did we party! The champagne flowed as we watched another glorious sunset ondeck & then we made up for lack of exercise, by dancing the night away until nearly midnight. Rock N Roll in the cockpit was cozy, to say the least, but we sure had fun & it was great catching up with our old friends again.

THE WESSEL ISLANDS

2009-07-04T17:28:00.001-07:00

After crossing the Gulf of Carpentaria, in company with two other catamarans, 'Kinetic Energy' & 'Kularoo', it was time to finally relax & put that leg of the journey behind us. It'd taken us 54 hours to cover 372 miles & although we were all really tired from lack of sleep, we still felt that we needed to celebrate so an afternoon beach party was soon underway. The Wessel Islands are north of Gove & because it was such a beautiful area where we felt totally isolated, we decided to stay for a week. There was so much exploring to be done so we were kept very busy each day, walking the long, white, sandy beaches, the low scrubby inland & the vast waterways where there were heaps of fish to be caught. Of course there wasn't any diving to be done, especially with the crocodile sightings but the tidal lagoons offered plenty of fishing so we generally ate fish every day & usually had the choice of mangrove jack, barrumundi, trevallie or mackerel.

The weather, once we'd crossed the Gulf, was quite hot & the doona was finally stored so that we only used a sheet each night. The daytime temperatures usually sat around 32-34 degrees C with the humidity at 70-80%, making it rather sticky & uncomfortable. The aqua water of the bays looked soooooo inviting but with croc tracks on every beach, there was no way that we were going swimming, unless there was fresh water lagoons to be found.

We still had quite a long way to get Darwin & although we hated leaving the Wessels, after a week, we felt as though we were ready to go. Although our original intention was to explore all the little nooks & crannies along the way, we seemed to get caught up in the moment & tended to follow "Kinetic Energy", who unfortunately, had already covered these areas in previous years. So, even though we realize that we've missed a lot of great river systems etc, there'll be other times, I'm sure!

Coast Watch was on patrol every day before our arrival in Darwin & we were contacted from passing helicopters, planes or boats on a very regular basis, asking details of where our home port was, our last port of call & our next port of call. We certainly didn't mind passing on those details day after day, but I know that a lot of the yachties were over it & became quite rude over the radio. Totally unnecessary, in my opinion, but I guess that everyone is different!

Trepang Bay, which is in the Coberg Peninsula, was another favourite stop for us as far as fishing went. I actually ended up with RSI in my wrists from hauling in one fish after the other, but it was great fun & a great challenge as the mangrove jack, in particular, proved to be rather tricky when you caught them. They'd drag the line under the nearest mangrove or fallen log when they were hooked, so whether or not you actually got them in, was another thing!

We saw a few crocs at Trepang Bay & one set of tracks led right past a massive yellow buoy that had been washed up onto the beach there. It was HUGE & although it was made of a thick, plastic, it would've been a real shock to have run into something like that out in the waters, especially at night!

WE FINALLY MADE IT TO CAPE YORK

2009-06-09T02:31:00.000-07:00

After having made our way from Lizard Island over the past 6 days, we finally arrived at the most northerly tip of Australia---Cape York! We'd left Portland Roads at 3.00am, sailed all day under spinnaker & rounded the tip of Australia at 3.00pm, having covered just over 90 miles throughout the day. It was such a feeling of achievement to be at this point in our trip & we couldn't wait to celebrate!

Adding to the excitement of our arrival was the fact that Rees & I had led the flotilla of 7 yachts, all day & were anchored for 3/4 of an hour before "Kinetic Energy" finally rounded the "Tip" to join us. Our destination for the day had been the Escape River, 14 miles south of Cape York, but when we were abeam of there with plenty of daylight hours ahead of us, we'd radioed to say that we were heading on. We had everything going for us with a 15-20 knot SE breeze, time on our side as well as a favourable tide. The tide was important too, because it raced through Albany Pass at 5 knots & thankfully it flooded north just as we approached the passage.

All the other yachts decided to follow, so throughout the afternoon, with them arriving in staggered times, we waited to see who wanted to help us celebrate as both Maxine & I had champagne on ice just for the occasion. Needless to say, not everyone was interested in celebrating because it had been a very long day & after such an early start, most people were just too tired.

As I write this, another day has passed but with a walk to the "Tip" this morning for the photo shoot & a brief trip ashore at Seisia for supplies, we are ready once again for some long legs of sailing. We are leaving here tomorrow morning for a two day, non stop trip across the Gulf of Carpentaria to the Wessle Islands & although I'm not really looking forward to it, it'll be good to know that we will have mowed down another 350 miles of our trip to Darwin, leaving a mere 1,000 miles to go!!!!

LIZARD ISLAND

2009-06-09T01:32:00.000-07:00

Well, we finally made it to Lizard Island where we had a great time, socialising with up to 30 other yachts who were all enjoying a leisurely time before setting off toward Cape York, then across the Gulf to Darwin. It was nearly compulsory to do "Happy Hour" on the beach every day at 5.00pm, because if you didn't, you felt as though you were missing out on something!

We spent a week there & although we were well & truely ready to leave, we had enjoyed everything that Lizard Island normally has to offer. There were numerous walks including the beautiful Blue Lagoon, which was on the other side of the island, Cook's Look, which is an extremely arduous walk to the top of the island, overlooking Watson's Bay where the yachts anchor, & yet another that takes you to the Marine Research Station. Besides walking, we swam in warm turquoise waters & snorkelled over clam gardens & protected reef that was absolutely teeming with fish.

"Happy Hour" was spent talking & getting to know fellow yachties who we would eventually be sailing to Indonesia with, & of course, everyone had something to contribute. The international yachties who have been sailing the seas for many years, were very interesting with their stories of beautiful anchorages around the world although most of them were envious of us Aussies who they say have such great cruising grounds here in our own back yard.

Of course there wasn't any diving for Rees whilst at Lizard because the weather was just too windy to get to the reef & out of the protected zones, but he found other ways to occupy himself which included minor repairs around the boat & on the tender. The tender had been a problem for a long time with a large crack in the floor that constantly leaked, but after taking the time to up-end it on the beach one day where he was able to glass a patch on it, the tender has been dry ever since! Yahoo!

When we left Lizard, where we'd been waiting out a strong wind warning, there was a mass exodus as everyone had itchy feet & were ready for the next leg. So since then, with many different islands, reefs & anchorages along the way, we've run into a few of the people we'd met, but not a lot of them as we've become spread out over a vast area. We're still in company with Brian & Maxine off "Kinetic Energy" & will probably follow them through to Darwin as they hope to be there around the same time as us before heading to the Kimberly. It's been great sailing with them as both Brian & Rees are very competitive & with having exactly the same designed boat, the "Race" is on every day that we're on the move! It makes it fun & so much more interesting!

REES & SOME OF THE SPEARED FISH

2009-05-24T15:50:00.000-07:00

Rees is always in his element when he's diving & will stay in the water for hours, regardless of whether or not he's spearing something or not. Thankfully, Brian loves to snorkel around with him so if I'm not there, Rees always has company which is great.
When we first began diving on Cairns Reef, the first thing I saw when I jumped into the water, was a reef shark & although it initially didn't bother me, I didn't like the fact that it circled us a few times before disappearing from our outer vision. I think he wanted an easy feed with what Rees had just speared but because we always tow the tender along behind us, the coral trout was quickly thrown into that so it was out of the water.

After 4 wonderful days at the reef & with a forecasted change in the weather, we are now at Cooktown. We hadn't really planned for a stopover in Cooktown, but after days of motoring we decided that it'd be a good idea to top up the fuel tanks before getting into more isolated areas. From here, we're heading to Cape Bedford, a hop, step & jump along the mainland to where we know we can gather black-lipped oysters, another favourite of Rees's. Then we'll head to Lizard Island, where we've heard that many of the rally's yachts are at anchor, resting up before the big trip across the top to Darwin. Lizard, here we come!

"WINDY SPIRIT AT CAIRNS REEF

2009-05-24T15:31:00.000-07:00

After having been at Batt Reef, then St Crispins Reef, we motored, through lack of wind, to Cairns Reef, only 20 miles from Cooktown. Fortunately, the weather forecast had rung true with variable winds for the 3 days at the reef, so we lapped it up while we could as the opportunity doesn't present itself very often. The sky was cloudless, it was warm at 30 degrees & the water was like a lake! What more could you ask for?! Well, I guess we could've been greedy & asked for crays because that was the only thing missing. Rees had speared enough fish for us all, which was shared & eaten at every meal but he'd only spotted one cray, which was missed.

At high tide, the water was better for snorkelling as it was clearer, so during the mornings we did our diving & at low tide, with the reef exposed, we did our walking. There was so much to see with shells, hermit crabs, starfish & sea creatures of every description, hiding under coral & weed in the shallows. It was just fascinating, as well as being a welcome relief from being either IN the water or ON the boat.

REES DIVING

2009-05-24T15:12:00.000-07:00

The sights were amazing & as we snorkelled through coral crevices & underwater caves, it felt as though we were in an aquarium with fish of brilliant colours, flashing by us as we disturbed their territory. Of course, Rees was suited up in his usual dive gear to "hunt" & was able to stay in the water for many hours while I was out after 1 & 1/2 hours to thaw out. Although I'd been shivering & shaking with the cold for more than an hour, I was enjoying myself far too much to leave the water in case I missed out on something special. The water was like a mill pond & although it could've been clearer, I could still watch Rees from the tender as he dived the depths in search of coral trout & crayfish.

Although there were many varieties of fish that could've been speared, coral trout is one of our favourites & was targeted on the day. However, they must've been wise to the fact & became harder & harder to find so that after a few hours in the water, Rees was only able to spear 4 of them which were shared, then promptly cooked & eaten. Ohhh, it was just delicious, especially after not having eaten fish for over 6 weeks or so but it seemed that the crayfish would have to wait as there were none to be seen. Oh well, maybe at the next reef!

LINDA THE DIVER

2009-05-24T14:49:00.000-07:00

After leaving Cairns, we had an amazing weather window of 3 days of variable winds, so we finally had the opportunity to get to the reef. Low Isles was our first stop over & with it being a mere 25 mile trip from Cairns, it was an easy day of sailing. "Kinetic Energy" & "Bach n Byte" left a couple of hours before us so we weren't involved in their "race" but I believe that "Bach n Byte" was the winner of the day under spinnaker conditions. We'd arrived by late afternoon & joined the many other yachts at anchor who all enjoyed the calm conditions as we watched a magical sunset over the mountainous terrain of the mainland.

Batt Reef was only two hours away, so the following morning, we followed each other to the reef hoping for pristine waters but it wasn't to be. Unfortunately, we were still too close to the mainland & were influenced by the tidal flow from the many river systems along the coast. However, although the water was milky, it was extremely calm so I tagged along with Rees & Brian to have a snorkel. Rees had bought me a stinger suit at Airlie Beach to protect me from all the sea lice & biting things that always seem to attack me, so suited up, I felt safe & comfortable.

VIEW OF CAIRNS FROM THE DECK

2009-05-18T17:54:00.000-07:00

With "Kinetic Energy" arriving in Cairns the day after us, we were in company again with Brian & Maxine but were still awaiting the arrival of "Bach & Byte", a Fastback 43, with Jim & his two crew members onboard. Apparently, after making a very quick dash up the coast to catch up with us, they were only 24 hours behind us when we left Townsville, so we expected them within no time.

We'd had a few problems of our own along the way, but Jim had many & needed time in Cairns to get everything ship shape again. He'd torn his spinnaker along the way but after having that repaired at Airlie Beach, he was still left with a GPS that didn't work properly, an anchor winch that had given up & electrical problems with his whole system. Luckily for Jim, with Brian being an electrician, most of his problems were sorted out the day after his arrival. It was great catching up with Jim, Fiona the doctor, & Malcom the carpenter, as we all plan to sail to Darwin together. Now we'll have 3 boats going in the same direction so I can imagine that we'll have lots of fun races along the way & many hours socializing together.

We've had amazingly beautiful weather since being in Cairns & with the next two days being forecast at 5-10 knots, we're all heading out toward the reef. Actually, as I write this, we're underway with the spinnaker flying & a lure dragging behind us, although with our luck of fishing lately, I won't hold my breath about snagging a mackerel on the lure! We've dragged two lures from Airlie Beach to Cairns & haven't got a touch so we'll have to rely on Rees to spear us some nice coral trout once we arrive at the reef. None of us have had fish to eat for weeks so we're really looking forward to that, as well as a few crays if that can be arranged! I'll have to report back on that one!

At this stage, we're not planning to go into Port Douglas or Cooktown, so this will be the last opportunity to update the blog for quite some time. Besides stopping at islands & reefs along the way, our next major destination will be Lizard Island where we'll probably stop for at least a week before heading up to "The Top" & over to Seisa. This is where our journey becomes really exciting as we'll be sailing into unknown territory, having never been further north than Lizard Island before. Crocodiles & isolation will be focal points of my stories from there on, I guess, so stay tuned.

CAIRNS

2009-05-18T14:57:00.000-07:00

We have now been in Cairns for four days & once again, have been able to catch up on all the little things that need attention once you have the mainland at your disposal. Cairns is a beautiful, layed back city attracting throngs of tourists & backpackers from around the world so every convenience is at hand & very accessible , especially for the visiting yachtie. Although we've had our push bikes to get around on, most of the shops we've needed have been within easy walking distance & with the densely vegetated gardens, the walking, as well as being much needed exercise, has been very pleasant.

We've been anchored outside the break wall of the Marlin Marina, an extremely busy place where all the tour boats depart for their various reef trips. However, even if you don't take a berth at the marina, they've made it user friendly by providing half a finger just for dinghy tie-up, so that when we do go ashore, we have easy access without the worries of where we're going to safely store the tender.

We had a fantastic sail from Mourilyn Harbour to Cairns but unfortunately, with "Kinetic Energy" taking a detour into Innisfail, we didn't have anyone to race. However, once we'd left the harbour & spotted a yacht in the far distance with another about 20 minutes behind us, it gave us the incentive to get "Windy Spirit" up & sailing to the best of her ability. We had light SE winds of 10-15 knots apparent, ideal conditions for the spinnaker, so it didn't take us long to have that huge sail billowing in front of us where we were then able to virtually do wind speed. With the sun shining we sat back & relaxed, letting the autopilot & wind do all the work, mowing down the miles very quickly with constant boat speeds of 9-11 knots. It wasn't until we hit 13.5 knots that we realised that the wind had increased & that we should probably get the spinnaker down while we still could, but by that time, we'd passed that distant yacht & the one behind us was nothing more than a pimple on the horizon! Yes!!! What a great sail it'd been!!!

PETER & JOAN'S BEAUTIFUL QUEENSLANDER

2009-05-10T01:24:00.000-07:00

PETER & JOAN IN TOWNSVILLE

2009-05-10T01:22:00.000-07:00

Today is Sunday 10th May & it's Mother's Day, so after having had phone calls from our three children & talked with our mothers, it was time to visit Peter & Joan, who had invited us to their home for lunch. We've stayed in touch with Peter & Joan since we bought our first yacht, " Liahona" from them in 2002 & every time we're in Townsville, we make a point of catching up. Since selling "Liahona" to us, they've been without a yacht but they own a beautiful Queenslander home & Joan is the perfect entertainer, so we've had a fantastic time with them, catching up on news of our travels & our families.

Since being here in Townsville the weather has been overcast & cool & although we'd much prefer to see sunshine, the cooler days have been a reprieve with temperatures of around the 25 degree mark instead of 30 degrees. We know that we'll have our fair share of hot weather as we go across the Top toward Darwin so we'll take the cooler days when we can get them!

We are still sailing with Brian & Maxine on "Kinetic Energy" & intend sailing from Townsville tomorrow for Orpheus Island, off Hinchenbrook, where we'll do a tour of the research station before heading further north. Unforunately the weather forecast doesn't look favourable for the reef, where Rees & Brian were hoping to dive, so we'll play that by ear & will probably just keep heading north with our next major destination being Cairns.

LOOMING WEATHER

2009-05-07T16:55:00.000-07:00

The sky was very heavy & threatening all day with our last leg to Townsville. Fortunately there weren't too many squalls & surprisingly, not much rain although when we had the tide against us, it made for quite a rough trip.

"KINETIC ENERGY"

2009-05-07T16:49:00.000-07:00

This is "Kinetic Energy", Brian & Maxine's beautiful Chincogan 40. We've proved over the past couple of days that our two boats perform as well as each other, except for the fact that Brian & Maxine have the edge because of their past racing backgrounds. Fortunately though, Brian has shared some of his knowledge, so before too long, Rees might gain the upper hand.

ARRIVED IN TOWNSVILLE

2009-05-07T16:38:00.000-07:00

At the moment, as I write, we're sitting in the "duck pond", just outside the marina in Townsville. We left Airlie Beach finally, on Tuesday 5th May, after having spent nearly 3 weeks sitting around there getting small jobs done, but most importantly, letting Rees recouperate from his bike accident.

Brian & Maxine, on "Kinetic Energy", were keen to leave as well, so after a few last minute jobs around Airlie, we were all ready by 11.00am. Our intention was to sail to George's Point, 14 miles further north, so the guys could do some diving. The weather wasn't the best with squally showers & strong winds forecast but there was no stopping us as we all looked forward to a change of scenery.

With two boats heading the same direction, it's always a RACE but with two boats of the same length & design, it was definately a RACE although neither of us was prepared to put too much sail out because of the strong winds. So with Rees hobbling around the cockpit on his crook knee, the headsail was set & besides a bit of tweeking here & there, nothing else was done. We were finally
on the way & it sure felt good.
Our boats were neck & neck the whole way & because we had the tide & wind with us, as well as calm waters, it was a very pleasant sail. We virtually dropped anchor at the same time but with the water being very milky & no visibility, the guys forgot about the diving & elected to stay onboard for the afternoon. We had a big day the following day to get to Cape Upstart, 50 miles further north, so we chose to have an early night with a day break departure.

The wind had howled all night & the rain had bucketed down so we didn't know what the sea conditions would be like the following day, but we were soon to find out. We left the anchorage at 6.00am & once out into the open waters, we soon realised that we'd have a long & trying day ahead of us. The seas weren't huge at 2 metres, but with the tide against us, we had washing machine conditions which weren't very pleasant & had me racing for the Travacalm before it was too late. The sky was grey & heavy, threatening rain at any moment & with squalls on the way, we decided to only run with our headsails once again. That was enough sail with 25-30 knot S.E winds!

After 7 & 1/2 hours & having covered 55 miles, we eventually dropped anchor at Cape Upstart, within minutes of each other, but with "Kinetic Energy" having the advantage. Then it was time to go ashore to give our weary sea legs some time on solid ground for awhile. Although Rees's knee had been holding up OK, it still proved too tender to be walking around on it, so while he sat, Maxine, Brian & I explored a little of the area, before heading back to "Windy Spirit" for happy hour.

We intended covering 73 miles to reach Townsville the following day so it was agreed that we have an early night & a very early morning with a 4.00am departure, ready for a big day. We'd had a reasonably calm anchorage at Cape upstart & on waking, the wind strength didn't feel too bad but with it still being so dark, we elected to only run with the headsail once again until daylight. But with daylight, came the realisation that we had heavy, grey skies again & with the possibility of strong squalls throughout the day, the headsail remained our choice of sail. Brian, on the other hand, tried the main with the headsail, then the spinnaker before dropping all that in favour of just the headsail to be on the safe side.

It wasn't a very nice day to be at sea really as the wind was fickle & the weather was threatening so we were all pleased when we finally rounded Cape Cleveland, where the waters calmed, giving us a couple of hours of easy sailing across the bay toward the "duckpond". I'd slept on & off due to my sea-sickness medication but Rees was really tired by the time we'd dropped anchor at 4.00PM. It'd taken us exactly 12 hours to do the 75 miles & once again, there was nothing between the two boats, so mini keels versus dagger boards proved to be much the same.

2009-04-27T22:41:00.000-07:00

REES'S ACCIDENT

2009-04-27T22:40:00.000-07:00

Today, as I write this, Rees is recovering after a fall from his pushbike yesterday! While I was off walking, Rees & his friend, Brian, were out riding our fold-up pushbikes, checking out the local chandeliers, when on their return, Rees hit a trench in the footpath & went head over turkey, straight over the handlebars of the bike & onto the road! It was a good thing that there wasn't too much traffic around or he might've ended up worse off than he is. He already had a doctor's appointment to have the stitches removed from his head today, after having a sun cancer cut off, so the doctor was more than surprised when Rees limped into his office, covered in plasters & bandages. After an X-ray on his left knee to make sure there weren't any broken bones, the rest of his scratches & abrasions were cleaned & re-dressed. Then he was sent home to rest & elevate the knee in the hope that the swelling will go down over the next few days. Meanwhile, our plans for leaving Airlie Beach have been put on hold until Rees becomes more agile & capable of moving without pain.
Below is a photo of the dreaded "pushie" that has caused so much grief.

MUM & DAD'S DEPARTURE DAY

2009-04-25T16:07:00.000-07:00

Well, I guess the day had to finally come, so it was very sad to see my Mum & Dad leave us at Airlie Beach last Thursday, 23rd April. After nearly 6 weeks of having them onboard, a hole was left the following morning when Mum & Dad were nowhere to be found. Dad wasn't in his usual spot in the cockpit eating his weet-bix & Mum wasn't sitting on the transom, soaking up the sun with her morning cup of coffee. We'd had a great time together during their holiday but it was certainly hard to say farewell & a few tears were shed for a couple of days.

When Mum & Dad first boarded in Tingalpa Creek, we all weighed in on my rusty set of scales, determined that none of us would gain weight during their time with us. With "happy hour" every afternoon at 4.00pm, it's always very tempting to have the usual nibblies that accompany the beer & wine, so an effort was made to avoid those extras most of the time, although I must admit that temptation got the better of us on a few occasions. Anyway, with weekly weigh -ins it kept us conscience of what was happening so we were all quite happy with our results when we weighed in for the last time before Mum & Dad'd departure. We'd all remained the same weight, with the exception of Dad who had actually lost a couple of kilos.

We have had amazing weather since being here at Airlie Beach & ordinarily we would've been at the reef with glass out conditions. However, after visiting the local doctor the other day to have our second Hep B shot & pointing out a worrying looking mole on the side of Rees's head, the doctor suggested cutting the mole out & having it tested. Therefore, Rees now has stitches & can't go into the water for the next week, which is killing him considering the weather conditions at the moment. Of course he'd prefer to be diving over anything else, but we've taken the opportunity to get some cleaning jobs done around the boat.

Over the past few days we've met up with friends who have just purchased a 40ft CHINCOGAN catamaran, the same as ours, so we've spent time with them & will continue to do so as we sail north together. They live in Albany, WA, & plan on taking the boat back there, spending a season in the Kimberly as they as they go, so we'll probably see quite a bit of Brian & Maxine over the following weeks. It'll be great sailing along side another yacht of the same make to compare sailing abilities, especially when their yacht has mini keels & we have dagger boards!

At this stage it looks as though we'll be leaving Airlie Beach next Wednesday after Rees has been back to the doctor, so next stop will be Townsville, where we will again have internet & mobile range.

MUM & DAD AT THE RESORT

2009-04-24T00:41:00.000-07:00

Mum & Dad really enjoyed a day off our boat for a change & were happy socialising with our new found friends. They'd met David & Jane at Seven Mile Creek last year while they'd been onboard "Windy Spirit" for her maiden voyage & really looked forward to catching up with them again this year. Mum, being the keen knitter that she is, presented them with colourful bedsocks as she'd done last year, so now the Solis family will all have nice warm feet during the coming winter months!

REES & DAVID

2009-04-24T00:32:00.000-07:00

Rees & David were supposed to be cooking the b-b-q but I think they spent more time talking about yachts & drinking boutique beer than watching the snags. We all enjoyed a great day together.

THE RESORT OVERLOOKING AIRLIE BCH

2009-04-24T00:26:00.000-07:00

Such beautiful views only added to the amazing day that was spent with David, Jane, Selina & Jordon. The Whitsundays were picture-perfect all week with brilliant sunshine, temperatures of around 30 degrees C each day, with cool & comfortable nights. Thankfully the forecast is for another week of this gorgeous weather so we'll lap it up while we can.

JORDON WITH HIS BIRTHDAY CAKE

2009-04-24T00:18:00.000-07:00

It was Jordan's 12th birthday the day after we'd taken the Solis family sailing & we were all invited to their resort the following day for a b-b-q lunch to help him celebrate his special day. The resort was situated on a hill which overlooked the waters of Airlie Beach & because it was such a beautiful day, we had the b-b-y around the pool area which offered amazing views of Muddy Bay & Able Point Marina. We all had a great day together & wished them a safe return to Gladstone the following day, when we said our good-byes that afternoon. Happy birthday Jordon!

THE SOLIS FAMILY

2009-04-24T00:09:00.000-07:00

David, Jane & their two children joined us for a day sail to Stonehaven, on Hook Island. We met this lovely family last year while we fished at Seven Mile Creek, just south of Gladstone & through constant email contact, were happy to hear that they were going to be holidaying in the Whitsundays around the same time that we were expecting to arrive. They'd driven up from Gladstone & were staying at a resort in Airlie Beach, so they'd been kept busy with scenic tours & a trip to the reef before catching up with us. This was their first time onboard a sailing catamaran, but after their day out with us, I don't think it'll be their last as they were all smitten with their small taste of the sailing lifestyle. David is a keen fisherman & has a power boat, but after his day at Stonehaven, he was found at the marina, checking out yachts for sale! Sounds like a familiar story!

FRESH SEAFOOD FOR LUNCH

2009-04-17T03:52:00.000-07:00

Dad, Mum & I enjoying a seafood lunch. You couldn't get much fresher than this as it was speared by Rees only an hour before it was served.

REES WITH HIS CATCH OF THE DAY

2009-04-17T03:49:00.000-07:00

Rees was very happy with his catch of 6 coral trout & 1 lovely crayfish speared at Scawfell Island.

MUM & THE MYSTERY MASK

2009-04-17T03:45:00.000-07:00

This mask was found when Rees I walked the long sandy beaches of Island Head. It was painted onto an old palm frond.

MUM WITH HUGE BLACK-LIPPED OYSTERS

2009-04-17T03:42:00.000-07:00

These were just a couple of the massive oysters that were found at Island Head. Very meaty & succulent for the seafood lovers of this world.

ISLAND HEAD TO THE WHITSUNDAYS

2009-04-15T21:07:00.000-07:00

After having left Great Kepple Island, we headed to Island Head, a good day's sail further north but with us being early cruisers this year, there weren't too many other yachts to be seen so we were thrilled when we rounded the corner of Island Head to find 3 monohulls sitting at anchor. We were sure we'd spend time getting to know them over the following days as the weather had taken a turn for the worse & we knew we wouldn't be going anywhere for at least 5 days. Meanwhile, through having been to Island Head numerous times in the past & knowing where to look for the black-lipped oysters, we looked forward to continuing the seafood extravaganza for Mum & Dad.

Wet & very windy conditions kept us boat bound for our first day at Island Head but there was no stopping us the following day at low tide. Rees & I slipped & sloshed our way around the rocks until we had a good feed of huge oysters, taking some back in their shells to show Mum & Dad just how big they were. Next on the agenda, was whiting fishing & although there seemed to be plenty of them, initially the tides were all wrong for us. We needed a low tide & that wasn't happening until later in the afternoon so it meant that we were still fishing when we should've been indulging in our regular afternoon "Happy Hour"! Oh such problems us yachties have to contend with!

Because we'd tucked ourselves away into a little protected corner of the creek, we didn't actually see much of our fellow yachties at Island Head because it was just too miserable to be off our yachts most of the time. Therefore, when we weren't fishing late in the afternoons, we were usually laying around reading to pass the time of day. By day 3, I really needed to spend some time off the boat so Rees & I braved the elements & went ashore to walk the long sandy beaches. There was a lot of debris strewn around the eroding sand dunes so looking at the scattered flotsam & jetsam took our minds off the howling southerlies. There were the usual thongs, fishing lines, ropes & plastic buckets but suddenly something quite colourful took our eye so we scurried over to see what it was & found a native mask half buried in the sand! Where had it come from? Of course we let our imaginations run wild & pictured it having floated across the Pacific Ocean from PNG or some such exotic location, but it could've been created by some bored yachtie who had nothing better to do than paint an old palm frond.

Crabs were non-existent at Island Head but it wasn't for lack of trying so thankfully with the fish biting & the plentiful black-lipped oysters, there was still plenty of seafood on offer. Further north Rees promised coral trout & crayfish, something that Mum & Dad had never eaten whilst onboard, although they'd heard plenty about these little delicacies & looked forward to them if Rees could provide.

Meanwhile, after having been held up at Island Head for 5 days with the wind howling & the rain squalling, we were all ready for a change of scenery & hit the track as soon as the weather forecast looked promising. Quite unexpectedly, on Easter Sunday, we had a call for 15-20 knot S.E. winds so took off in a rush as soon as we'd heard the weather report. We weren't sure how rough the seas would be after such a long spate of strong winds but we were pleasantly surprised when we hit the open seas to find rather good sailing conditions.

Hexham Island was our destination, a 42 mile day, but with speeds averaging 7 knots over that time, we were at the island by early afternoon, thinking that we could've quite easily gone further to Percy Island & made it before dark. In hindsight, that woud've been a great idea as we'd forgotten just what an uncomfortable anchorage Hexham Island could be. With strong bullets of wind gusting over the mountain top & into the bay below, poor "Windy Spirit" rocked & rolled all night. She was like a wild animal trying to free herself from her restraints but thankfully the trusty new anchor held fast & we didn't budge, although none of us slept with the continual howling of the wind. We were all very glad to leave at first light the following morning where we made our way to Curlew Island, before then heading to Scawfell Island where Rees was keen to go diving.

After a few constant days of very early mornings & long days of sailing, we all looked forward to spending 2 consecutive days at anchor, even though we didn't have the best of weather. The winds had abated & left us with calm seas which was nice, but the sky was heavy & grey with sleeting rain that kept us locked away inside the boat most of the time. However, Rees didn't care about rain & was soon in the water looking for those elusive crays & coral trout. He dived for about 2 hours by himself, skirting the rocky headlands looking for his prey & returned to the boat with a big cheesy grin from ear to ear! I knew that I had to get the cameras out to capture the moment when he presented a lovely crayfish & 6 coral trout to Mum & Dad. Wow---were they impressed!!!!

Next stop, the Whitsundays.

MUM & I SWIMMING

2009-04-06T04:26:00.000-07:00

Swimming was a great way to fill in a very hot & sticky afternoon at Great Kepple Island.

KEPPLE BAY MARINA

2009-04-06T03:26:00.000-07:00

We'd all thoroughly enjoyed our time at Yellow Patch but on the other hand we were at the stage where we needed a change of scenery. With the light SE-NE winds that we'd been experiencing, the humidity & the mozzies had gotten us so the thought of swimming at Great Kepple Island before heading into the marina was very tempting.

Fortunately high tide was at 6.00am the morning we left Yellow Patch, giving us an early start & leaving us with the whole afternoon at Great Kepple Island. The winds were light but the seas were a little lumpy, so after nearly 6 hours of sailing, then motor-sailing, we were all glad to drop anchor in the calm waters of the bay, just off the old resort.

We'd towed a lure once into open waters, hoping to catch a mackeral, but within half an hour we'd caught more than we'd bargained for! Instead of a mackeral we had a 1 metre, bronze whaler shark trailing behind us with a shiny red & white lure hanging from his mouth. He wasn't huge but Rees wasn't putting his hand anywhere near his razor sharp teeth, so we had to drag him all the way to Great Kepple Island where he was well & truly dead on arrival. He certainly wasn't wasted though because he was promptly filleted, ready for dinner that evening.

Being a Sunday & a beautiful day to be on the water, there were plenty of other yachts & boats already at anchor with people swimming around the cool, calm waters of the bay. It was hot at 30 degrees C so with a little encouragement, Mum joined Rees & I for a swim around our boat but unfortunately, Dad couldn't be talked into it. It was so cool & refreshing that Mum raved about just how good it was for hours later.

Today was spent at the Kepple Bay Marina where we were kept very busy getting everything up to date in preparation for the next leg of our trip to Island Head. With another bout of strong southerly winds forecast for the next few days, an early get away tomorrow morning should see us safely at Island Head before they hit. Besides, we'll have quite a long day ahead of us so an early start is essential. Then once there, we'll settle into our days with the usual fishing, crabbing , oystering & hopefully, socialising.

ANOTHER BEAUTIFUL SHOT OF YELLOW PATCH

2009-04-05T04:09:00.000-07:00

The days at Yellow Patch were just perfect.

DAD WITH HIS LUNCH

2009-04-05T04:04:00.000-07:00

This was the amount of crab eaten each day by 3 people. Crab lovers----eat your hearts out!

LINDA THE CRABBER

2009-04-05T04:00:00.000-07:00

We had 3 crab pots which consistently caught 2-3 crabs daily. Crab was always on the menu for lunch.

MUM, REES & DAD

2009-04-05T03:57:00.000-07:00

Mum, Rees & Dad at the base of the sand dunes. Another day of fishing at Yellow Patch.

YELLOW PATCH

2009-04-05T03:53:00.000-07:00

The beautiful golden dunes of Yellow Patch greeted us after a day's trip through the Narrows from Gladstone.

YELLOW PATCH

2009-04-05T02:45:00.000-07:00

We couldn't wait to get to Yellow Patch as we were all looking forward to the next bout of crabbing & fishing so when we sighted the familiar scenery of the huge golden sand dunes, we all had a smile from ear to ear. Normally we arrive in this area around late April to early May when all the cruising yachts are slowly heading north, but this year, because we're so much earlier, there was hardly another boat to be seen & it seemed so strange to be able to anchor wherever we chose.

We'd beaten strong southerly winds to the area & although there were only two other yachts at anchor & we thought we'd picked the best anchorage in the protected corner of the creek, we soon changed our minds & location. As soon as we dropped anchor, the mozzies arrived in the hundreds so we soon realised that we actually needed more breeze if we were going to stay any length of time in comfort, so within an hour, we'd re-anchored below the beautiful sand dunes. However, once the strong southerlies hit the following day, we found that although we no longer had a mozzie problem, the boat was covered in fine orange sand.

With only two other boats at anchor it didn't take us long to get to know one & other & soon the invitations for "Happy Hour" were being passed around. Mum & Dad have come to love this side of our yachting lifestyle & really look forward to either having the extra company onboard our own yacht, or having a look at someone else's boat. It certainly makes life more interesting when you hear of other people's stories.

Surprisingly, although we didn't have mobile range at Yellow Patch, we did have television reception so we were shocked one evening whilst watching the news, to hear that our home town of Coffs Harbour & surrounding areas had been experiencing major flooding. We hadn't had a drop of rain in weeks & felt very lucky to have been out of the path of destruction. We'd experienced a few days of strong winds, which had made the fishing uncomfortable, but we weren't really complaining as the fish were still biting & the crabs were still being caught.

Our daily routine consisted of pumping yabbies for bait, fishing, setting the crab pots, eating, showering before 4.00pm in preparation for "Happy Hour", playing card games, having dinner, watching a bit of telly & retiring by about 8.00pm. They were long, tiring days, especially when we had two sessions of fishing, so after 7 days we all felt that we needed a rest & used the fact that it had rained one morning, not to go fishing! Instead, we lounged around reading & sleeping as the rain drummed steadily upon the cabin top. It was heaven!

We'd thoroughly enjoyed our time at Yellow Patch as the fishing had been great & over the 8 days that we'd remained there, we'd caught 18 crabs. Needless to say, crab was on the menu for lunch every day & although that didn't impress me much, as I'm not really a seafood eater, Rees, Mum & Dad sucked & picked their way through every last one of them.

Our plan is for Mum & Dad to travel through to the Whitsundays with us this year so after Yellow Patch, we'll go through to the Kepple Bay Marina where we'll restock the larder, get the laundry up to date once again in preparation for the next major stop of Island Head, another isolated spot where we know we'll have good fishing, crabbing & the extra bonus of the big, black-lipped oysters. A seafood haven!!

SHIPPING CONTAINERS

2009-03-25T13:59:00.000-07:00

There were container ships at every wharf .

Mum onboard whilst leaving gladstone

2009-03-25T13:57:00.000-07:00

Mum in the early hours as we leave Gladsone. The shipping wharves are always busy.

LINDA, THE CHAMPION FISHERMAN

2009-03-25T13:54:00.000-07:00

This was the catch that made me "champion fisherman" for the day. 11 fish were caught with 20 yabbies in about 1/2 an hour. What fun!

LEAVING GLADSTONE

2009-03-25T13:25:00.000-07:00

It didn't take us long to get ourselves organised in Gladstone once we arrived but because we'd arrived so late in the afternoon, we decided to anchor near one of the shipping wharfs until the following morning.
One of the main chores was to get the washing done whilst in Gladstone because we hadn't done any washing for over a week & the fishing clothes in particular, were a bit on the pongy side. However, after berthing at the marina & carting two bags of dirty washing up to the laundromat, we were met with a "CLOSED" sign. "SORRY FOR ANY INCONVENIENCE"! The next alternative was to catch a taxi to the nearest laundromat, so while Mum & Dad tended to that chore, Rees & I walked into town to do the grocery shopping.
The courier had arrived at the marina at 9.00am with our antenna for the HF radio, which was fantastic, but even better when Rees installed it & it worked as it should. What a bonus! Anyway, with everything in order again, we were ready to leave the marina after one night's accomodation & are currently underway through the Narrows, headed toward Yellow Patch, one of our favourite fishing & crabbing spots.
Cyclone Jasper is currently off the coast of New Caladonia & is creating some strong S.E. winds along the Queensland coast but once we get into Yellow Patch we'll be O.K as we'll be quite protected in there. Meanwhile, we'll have a slow day of motor-sailing through the Narrows but will be fishing again by this time tomorrow.

MUM CAN'T WAIT TO EAT THIS CRAB

2009-03-24T04:43:00.000-07:00

MUM CAN'T WAIT TO EAT THIS CRAB

CRAB CLAWS AS BIG AS REES'S HANDS

2009-03-24T04:41:00.000-07:00

CRAB CLAWS AS BIG AS REES'S HANDS

LINDA THE CHAMPION FISHERMAN

2009-03-24T04:38:00.000-07:00

LINDA IS THE CHAMPION FOR THE DAY

MUM & DAD READY FOR FISHING

2009-03-24T04:35:00.000-07:00

Mum & Dad Ready For Fishing

SEVEN MILE CREEK

2009-03-23T23:23:00.000-07:00

After spending the day in Bundaberg, where we were able to organise a replacement aerial for our HF radio, the decision was made to take off early the next morning to Seven Mile Creek, a 12 hour sail further north. Due to another cyclone forming in the Coral Sea, the winds were going to increase with each passing day, so the quicker we arrived to the relatively safe waters of Seven Mile Creek, the better!

We had 20-25 knot S.E. winds blowing the whole day which made for quick sailing although the seas were a little lumpy & uncomfortable. Thankfully we'd taken our sea-sickness remedies so there wasn't any need of buckets along the way but we were all glad to finally drop anchor at the end of the day so we could sit back, relax & think of the fishing that awaited us.

Initially we had scattered showers, which was annoying more than anything else, but that finally cleared, leaving us with bright sunny skies. Unfortunately though, the winds had increased as predicted, leaving pretty blustery conditions for fishing.

We couldn't wait to get to our favourite fishing spot the next day, so after rigging our lines & pumping the yabbies for bait, we set about finding the best spot. We all become pretty competitive when we're fishing, hoping that we'll be the one to take out that sort after prize of a chocolate, for being the "fisherman of the day", so the "best spot" is essential.

Our first day of fishing turned out to be a circus! When we first went ashore onto the exposing sandbanks, we hadn't really noticed the sludgy mud that we'd walked through to get there. However, after a few hours of fishing & with the tide dropping rapidly, we certainly noticed the mud when we tried to return to the tender. Suddenly the four of us, with rods & buckets in hand, quickly sank to our knees in thick, sucking, grey mud. What a predicament! As we tried to take each step, we'd sink deeper, fearing that we'd be up to our thighs at any minute, or possibly our necks! The harder we tried to get out of there, the more impossible it became until we all got a fit of the giggles & just about lost the plot. Rees was the first one to get to the tender & somehow managed to take our buckets & rods from us to free our hands, giving us better balance. Then Mum decided that it'd be better to crawl on her hands & knees, so there she was, laughing her head off as she slowly made her way forward. That left Dad, hopelessly bogged like a pig stuck in mud, holding my hand as I pulled with all my might to free him. Where was the video & camera when you needed it? At least we had a bag full of fish to make our efforts worth while. Needless to say, we didn't fish that area again!

As each day passed we gradually fell into a routine, where we'd wake around 7.00am, have brekky, fill in time reading while we awaited the correct tides for fishing, fish for a few hours , then be back at the boat ready for lunch when the fish went off the bite. Nannie naps usually followed, before waking in time for "happy hour" & our afternoon card games. Oh, such a hectic life!

Competitions are always an interesting way to pass the day & because we're always being out-fished by Mum, we decided to see who could catch the most fish with just 20 yabbies. There wasn't a time limit but within about half an hour, we'd all used our bait & the champion was declared. YEAH!! I was the winner with a total of 11 fish, followed by Rees with 7, then Mum & Dad with 4 each. I finally got a look in!

Besides fish, we've also caught a few crabs during the week & although more would've been eaten if they'd been caught, 6 crabs over 6 days, wasn't too bad an effort. With this morning being our last day at Seven Mile Creek, Rees really proved to be the "crab catcher from hell" when he returned with 2 monsters. Their claws were as big as Rees's hands, so as you can imagine, he was extremely careful taking them from the pots. I wonder how the crabbing & fishing will be at Yellow Patch?

MUM & DAD WITH LIFEJACKETS ON

2009-03-15T17:12:00.000-07:00

REES & HIS MACKERAL

2009-03-15T17:10:00.001-07:00

CATCHING A MACKERAL ON THE LURE

2009-03-15T16:59:00.000-07:00

WE'RE ON THE WAY

2009-03-15T15:44:00.001-07:00

Finally our plans fell into place & we were able to leave Tingalpa Creek, ready for our 2009 cruising season. We left an hour before full high tide on Saturday, 14th March with Mum & Dad onboard & headed into Morton Bay with the intention of making Tangalooma our first stop for the day.

With the cyclone well & truely behind us, weather conditions looked ideal but we weren't quite sure how much swell we'd be confronted with. However, once into the bay with light ESE winds & no swell to talk of, the decision was made to pass Tangalooma & Mooloolaba & keep heading north, ready to cross Wide Bay Bar the following morning. We don't ever really enjoy overnight sails but with the promise of a full moon & calm seas, it was an easy decision to make.

It was definately a long night & with Rees & I sharing the watch & doing 2 hours on, then 2 hours off, we were sure glad to see the sun rise the following morning. We'd had a long, uneventful night which was good, but it was all spoilt to a degree when we noticed that the tip of the HF radio antenna was hanging by a thread & couldn't be fixed without Rees climbing the mast. Unfortunately though, before we knew it, the top of the antenna suddenly gave way without warning & spearheaded the deep blue waters of the ocean! Bugger!

Without an antenna we wouldn't have HF radio range & therefore no email range which was disappointing, so while I have this opportuntity of having internet range, I've decided to quickly update the blog.

Crossing Wide Bay Bar was a "non event", as the bar was flat & because it was still only 9.00am, we decided to motor through the Great Sandy Straits while we still had the run-in tide with us. As tired as Rees & I were, we were still happy to make more ground & motored through to Kingfisher Bay Resort where we finally dropped anchor after 28 hours of travelling.

After a good night's sleep, we were up early this morning & are currently making our way toward Bundaberg where we'll probably spend a few days getting this HF antenna sorted out. We have an absolutely beautiful day with light breezes & to make the more morning exciting, we've just caught a 15kg Spanish Mackeral on our lure-----our dinner tonight!

Sallie and Brad

2009-03-09T01:27:00.000-07:00

GETTING READY FOR THE LAST HOORAY

2009-03-09T00:34:00.000-07:00

Mum & Dad arrived last Wednesday, ready for our trip north, but as "Murphy's Law" would have it, bad weather is on it's way down the coast. Actually, it's more than just bad weather, it's a category 5 cyclone! Cyclone Hamish has missed the Whitsundays, Mackay & Gladstone but it's now heading toward Bundaberg & the Frazer Coast so everyone's holding their breath.

Meanwhile, family & friends have been arriving to say farewell & bon -voyage. My sister, Kay, & her family visited us in Tingalpa Creek over the week-end where plans were made for them to join us somewhere in Indonesia over the next 12 months. Then we had a family dinner at my daughter's where we half heartedly celebrated our imminent departure. I say half heartedly because both Kristy & I know that we'll be very sad & will have plenty of tears when we do eventually say good-bye.

Our plans at this stage are to return to Australia toward the end of the year where we'll escape the heat of the monsoon season in Indonesia, but who knows what might happen. Time will tell, I guess.

Rees & Linda

2009-03-05T16:42:00.000-08:00

Oh no, I've just turned 55years of age but the up side, is that Rees will always be 2 years older !

Rees & I retired 7 years ago & have been involved with yachts ever since. We bought our first yacht from Townsville & were so thrilled with our Roger Simpson designed trimaran, that we thought we'd have her forever. However, "Liahona" only served her surpose for 6 years before we began to feel that we needed more space. Of course that was going to be in the form of a catamaran, so after buying the hull & deck of a Chincogan design, we set about building our next yacht.

Of course we didn't have time for sitting back with cocktails then as every day was spent on the boat, grinding, bogging, sanding & all the other horrible jobs that go with boat building. However, every afternoon was spent with a nice cold beer or wine in our hands as we sat back & perused the day's efforts.

2007 was spent building our pride & joy, "Windy Spirit", & after cruising aboard her during 2008, we are more than happy with her. We both love the space that she offers us as "liveaboards" & love her performance on the water. For a 40ft yacht, she's quite fast & because I just love speed, she suits me down to the ground.

REES & LINDA

2009-03-05T16:41:00.000-08:00

KAY & JIM

2009-03-03T23:02:00.000-08:00

A VISIT FROM KAY & JIM

2009-03-03T22:30:00.000-08:00

Kay & Jim Moodie, from Brunswick Heads, are friends who we met at Lizard Island about 4 years ago. After cruising with them last year around the Whitsundays & then back down along the coast to our respective homes, it was decided that they would do the Indonesian rally this year as well. So after many emails & phone calls backwards & forwards, they decided that it would be much better to just pay us a visit to talk & plan personally.

The weather is still hot at around 34 degrees but thankfully we had a northerly breeze blowing down the creek to cool us off as we talked the morning away. Each of us had questions to ask of the other so after writing lists & jotting down points that seemed a good idea at the time, we had a better grip on the whole scenario. We've all learnt heaps through reading last year's rally cruisers stories & because most of those people were so positive with their outlook, we're all pretty excited. Forget the PIRATES, forget western civilisation as we know it & just appreciate the diversity & friendliness of the Indonesian people. WE CAN DO THAT!

Tingalpa Creek

2009-03-01T19:02:00.000-08:00

Wow, what a hot day we're experiencing today. The temperature at the moment is 33 degrees with the humidity only sitting at 44%, so it has me wondering just how hot & sticky we'll be feeling next year when we're sitting at anchor somewhere in Indonesia!

Since being in the Morton Bay area, we've spent most of our time in Tingalpa Creek. Actually, since living onboard, we've quite often spent time in this safe haven as it's an "all weather anchorage" & offers nearby facilities that every yachtie looks for when going ashore. Meanwhile, we still have easy access to the bay when we want to go sailing so it definately suits us. Of course, being a hop, step & jump from our daughter's place at Manly comes into the equation too, so as well as having access to facilities, we always have access to some of our lovely grandchildren.

Time is flying by at the moment & with everything on our yacht up to scratch, it's just a matter of waiting. My Mum & Dad are joining us for the first 4-5 weeks of our trip up the coast so once they arrive from Nambucca this week & we've shopped for supplies, we'll be ready to sail off with the first southerly winds. How exciting!

Getting Ready For Indonesia

2009-02-28T17:35:00.000-08:00

My husband, Rees, & I have been extremely busy over the past couple of weeks, getting our yacht ready for cruising. On around 10th March, we intend sailing from Morton Bay, up the Queensland coast, then across the top of Australia to Darwin, where we'll ultimately leave on our rally to Indonesia.

We'll be sailing in the company of approximately 130 other yachts & although we have friends who are doing the same trip, I'm sure we'll meet & make friends with many other like minded people. It's going to quite a trip with many adventures ahead so of course we're really looking forward to it.

Meanwhile we've had to think of health issues, health insurance, innoculations etc so we've had a busy time with the local doctor recently, having injections for Hep A, Hep B, thypoid, rabies, tetanus & a few other things that have cost an absolute fortune. However, it's better to be safe, rather than sorry, especially considering the fact that we'll be sailing in some very isolated areas.

Rees & I have only ever sailed off-shore once before & that was when we left Townsville for the Louisiades in 2006. This experience was truely treasured & we enjoyed it so much that we'll probably do that trip again in years to come. Meanwhile, our time in Indonesia will be followed by Malaysia, Singapore then Thailand. After that is anyone's guess as we don't have a time frame & we'll probably just sail with the winds.

Enjoying Windy Spirit

2009-02-08T23:35:00.000-08:00

Today is really hot at 37 degrees but with a light northerly breeze dancing over the waters of Tingalpa Creek, our yacht is still relatively cool. However,we can't help but sympathise with our fellow Australians down in Victoria who are currently experiencing the worst natural disaster that Australia has ever seen. As bushfires burn uncontrollably, there have been huge losses of both lives & properties so although we're feeling the heat today, in comparison we have nothing to complain about.

galley

2009-02-07T20:51:00.000-08:00

galley

2009-02-07T20:50:00.000-08:00

Saloon

2009-02-07T20:44:00.000-08:00

Still at Tingalpa Creek

2009-02-07T19:59:00.000-08:00

Here we are with a little information about "Windy Spirit". Our yacht is a 40ft Chincogan, one of the Grainger designs. My husband, Rees, & I built our yacht from a hull & deck, in 10 months & launched in the January of 2008. Of course there was a lot of blood, sweat & tears involved but through the many trials & tribulations we've ended up with a beautiful, safe, boat.

Our intention this year is to join a rally & sail to Indonesia. After sailing up the Queensland coast last year on our maiden voyage, we're now more than excited about the prospects of sailing across to Indonesia, especially with the assurance of the "safety in numbers" scenario. We'll be sailing in company of at least 100 other yachts of all sizes & descriptions & we're certainly looking forward to the socializing that's associated with such a large rally. Our plans are to leave the Morton Bay area around mid March, be in Cairns by May, then sail across the top of Australia to be in Darwin by July. Then the REAL adventures will begin!!