News

Saturday July 10, 2004
Took a ride to town with Peter the lockmaster(supervisor of the marina) to the alternator shop. The technician quickly tested the alternator and showed me which connecting point is what. The tachometer, the field and the main connecting points. Bought two new belts too. Rode with Peter to the recycling center where I helped him dump all the trash on his truck. Back to the marina where I installed the alternator again, connected the wiring and installed the new belt. Started the motor and I was relieved to see that everything works again!
Changed oil and filter, most messy job onboard as I had to scoop the oil out of the engine's spill pan.
Dietmar from Germany was doing an underwater propeller job on Leo from
Switzerland's yacht and when he swam by with his scuba gear he did a quick dive down and retrieved the windpilot's stainless rod. Crocky the croc probably does not like the taste of European meat as it never brothered him!
Went to the machine shop, paid for the part and back to IT and fitted the part onto the torque tube of the furling system. Perfect!
Started putting away the sails, sheets and tools, getting organized again! Went up the mast to take pictures and video footage. Had some R and R with Hans on Joy.
Peddled to town to check my website and mail.
Thank you everybody for your mail, will soon reply to you all.
The repairs on IT come first.

Friday july 9, 2004
Gave IT a good scrub with Ajax, then took the Windpilot's top mechanical gear apart and carefully laid all the parts out in the cockpit. Dropped the stainless rod in the water!
Took a dive down into the water to look for it but Crocky the crocodile got a nip on my leg and I shot out of the water!
Yes, there are small crocs in the marina! Luckily the croc is still small and the cuts were not deep and the bleeding stopped after a while.
Went to check on my part for the roller furling at the machine shop and it was almost ready. The machinist told me to go and fit it, so I went back with the part and tried to fit it, but more machining had to be done, so I took it back and showed the machinist how much more needed to be taken off.
Went to the prawn ship harbor and bought a kilo of meduim prawns and I fried
them in garlic butter, topped with rice. Ate onboard IT for supper!

Thursday 8, 2004
After breakfast I took a bicycle and peddled the 3 km to the city and checked out the internet at an internet cafe.
Went back to IT and tried to fix the leaking sink. Had to take the bicycle again and peddled 4 km to a hardware store to get the necessary pipe fittings. I found them! Got that fixed and did some more paddling around IT.
Store owners George and Carol were kind enough to help me find a suite for my visiting family as it is vacation time here and all motel, hotels are fully booked.
I cooked pap and mince meat with brown and tomato gravy and took it over to Harlequin 2 where everyone had a taste of SA food. I invited Hans and Soren over too. Everybody had seconds!

Wednesday July 7, 2004
With the quarantine complete, marine officer Diane came aboard and we set out on the 2 miles through the shallow waters to the marina. Had to circle around while Hans' Joy went through the lock. Then it was our turn. Once tied up alongside the motorcruiser belonging to Peter and his wife Silvia, I had the opportunity to meet my neighbors.
Across were Steve and Jackie on Harlequin 2, Australians on a coastal cruise. The marina is surrounded by modern double storey homes and some have just recently been built. Everything is brand new. Checked out the place, found a machine shop close by and with a drawing I had made of the lost clamp for the torque tube's roller furling, dicussed the details for making a new one with the machinist. He will have it ready by Monday.
Spent the rest of the day paddling around IT and had supper with Steve and Jackie aboard Harlequin 2.

Tuesday July 6, 2004
Early morning yesterday, I e-mailed customs to verify my arrival. (Sue and Kevin )
With their help they arranged a berth for me at Tipperary Waters Marina, but all yachts from overseas have to undergo a 14 hour quarantine treatment before entering any marina. Cullen Bay Marina, where I had planned to stay, is unfortunately full. So,with some more e-mailing back and forth through Bev in Texas, I took off for Hill Wharf, 3 miles down Fannie Bay where customs came alongside in their Zodiac and deployed a pilot on board to guide me through the very shallow waters to the quarantine area. Once tied up on a floating dock, alongside Joy, a 10 meter yacht ( skippered by Hans Kokholm also on a solo circumnavigation) from Denmark, also going through quarantine, the government boys did their job on IT. Once done and after signing the paperwork for the marina and the lockmaster (marina above sealevel), I took down all the sails and with Hans and Soren Andersen (a friend of Hans studying in Australia, visiting Hans) we folded them up and bagged them.
Took the shuttle bus to the city, (Darwin is a modern, very scenic and clean city) dropped my paperwork off at the customs building where I also met Sue (last name later) who was so helpful. Took off to the sailmakers shop where I instructed them to repair this and that and modify the enormous genoa (Obelix) down to a 150.
Bought some R and R and back to IT where I joined Hans and Soren in Joy's cockpit and we had a sundowner together. Once at the marina, Hans will teach me some more about celestial navigation !!
Took a walk to an open air restaurant and ordered take-away Fish and Chips. Took it back to IT were I ate until I could eat no more!
The days are very hot here, but the nights are lovely and cool and I slept like a baby .
Am now waiting for the customs pilot. He is required to motor again through very shallow waters (the charts show 0.5 meters of depth!) to the marina.

Monday July 5, 2004
At anchor, Fannie Bay, Darwin.

Timing was perfect when we entered Clarence strait. Tide was coming in and we hit up to 9 knots in this strong incoming tide! Boat speed was 5 knots. Entered Fannie Bay late yesterday afternoon with about 50 sailboats criss-crossing the bay. A catamaran race was on. Very active place. Checked out the Cullen Bay Marina. The marina is above sea level, and you have to enter a lock to lift you up to the marina.
Waiting on customs to get clearance then I will check where to go.

Sunday July 4, 2004
With the wind shifting and sailing on a beam reach, I took down the spinnaker and hauled up Obelix into the jury rigged roller furling system.
Sailed this way until mid-afternoon,when the wind died completely. I started up the 5th sail and took on the Dundas Strait with the outgoing tide against us. At midnight the tide slackened and we made up for lost time. Am now in the Van Diemen Gulf, heading for Clarence Strait with it's reefs. Only 20 miles to the Strait and the Beagle Gulf.

Position at 0600 hrs
11-55 S
131-23 E
Cog 235
Sog 5 kts
Wind 0

Motoring to pass through Clarence Strait in daylight.

15-May-2005   14-May-2005   02-Apr-2005   26-Mar-2005   26-Feb-2005   05-Feb-2005   22-Jan-2005   
15-Jan-2005   08-Jan-2005   01-Jan-2005   25-Dec-2004   18-Dec-2004   11-Dec-2004   04-Dec-2004   
27-Nov-2004   20-Nov-2004   13-Nov-2004   06-Nov-2004   30-Oct-2004   23-Oct-2004   16-Oct-2004   
09-Oct-2004   02-Oct-2004   25-Sep-2004   18-Sep-2004   11-Sep-2004   04-Sep-2004   28-Aug-2004   
21-Aug-2004   14-Aug-2004   07-Aug-2004   31-Jul-2004   24-Jul-2004   17-Jul-2004   10-Jul-2004   
03-Jul-2004   26-Jun-2004   19-Jun-2004   12-Jun-2004   05-Jun-2004   29-May-2004   22-May-2004   
15-May-2004   08-May-2004   01-May-2004   24-Apr-2004   17-Apr-2004   10-Apr-2004   03-Apr-2004   
27-Mar-2004   20-Mar-2004   13-Mar-2004   04-Dec-1999