News

Saturday July 17, 2004
Bev made some more calls regarding my packages. Got clearance from customs and went to pick up the package from Germany at the airport. The package contained the parts for the Windpilot.
Off to Adelaide River where we went on a hour and half tour watching crocs. They feed the crocs from the boat and let them jump up out of the water to get the meat that they dangle on a long bamboo pole. It was also very interesting.
Back to IT were I had a chance to put the Windpilot back together again.
Had prawns and steak at the motel.
The Family leaves tomorrow - time has flown.

Friday July 16, 2004
Checked out the mail at the Internet cafe and then we tried to track my packages sent from Germany and California. Bev made some calls and finally we found the package from Germany. It was sitting at the Customs In Darwin. I had to fill out paperwork so that they could release it to me. The package containing the autohelm parts somehow went on vacation to Hawaii and then back to LA before it decided to come to Australia! Somebody at West Marine messed up big time! Bev finally tracked it to Brisbane and it should (hopefully) be here by Monday or Tuesday!
Dropped the ladies off at the Mall and Gideon and I went to the Aviation Museum abd checked out the B 52 bombers. Very interesting!
Late afternoon we visited the fish feeding place where hundreds of fish collect at the same place to be fed. The literally feed out of your hand! We all had a chance to feed them!
Later in the afternoon we went to the Mindle Beach Fair and ate different foods from all around the world.
We left the children there listening to modern didgeridoo music! Gideon bought a CD - really great music! (So they say!)

Thursday July 15, 2004
Up early, gave IT a quick scrub with Ajax again. She was covered with brown dust and some black ash from the bushfires hundreds of miles away.
Picked up the trio and we set off for Linchfield National Park, a 120 km drive. At the first waterfall Sharleen and Gideon swam for quite a while. Took some nice pictures.
Very scenic falls despite the dry season. Stopped at those giant termite mound graveyards and took pics, very interesting. At the second falls, I took a swim too, but the water was chilly and I did not stay in long. Gideon swam alone and scaled the rocks beside the falls. No crocs this time of the season, at least that is what the game warden told us! Very clear waters.
Had lunch with bothersome little flies at one of those outback eatery places.
Drove back on a gravel road, very rough ride that was! Very different feeling from the rough waters!
Checked out the jumping croc cruise, but we were 10 minutes too late.
Back to Darwin, picked up my radar then back to the motel where we had last night's leftovers.

Wednesday July 14, 2004
Took the radar's monitor off and took it, with the super bedshaker to the Furuno dealer.
Picked up Joy, Sharleen and Gideon at the motel. Went to the city to find an internet cafe. Bev then downloaded my latest logs onto the website. Joy cashed some traveler's checks at the bank while Gideon had a haircut. Drove around town checking out the sailboat stores, looking for spares for IT's center traveller. Back to the marina where we did all our laundry at the laundromat.
Late afternoon we ended up at the Cullen Bay Marina where we all checked out the menu at one of the many restaurants overlooking the marina. Gideon had kangaroo, Sharleen lamb, Joy steak, Bev prawns and I had a whopping Texas style pork ribs! We could not eat it all and ended up with another supper to go! We enjoyed the view and the charter boats packed with tourists leaving on sunset cruises.
Decided what to do tommorrow and we all went to sleep early.

Tuesday July 13, 2004
While Bev cleaned up my messy galley, I rode a bicycle to the Furuno dealer 2 kilometers down the road. I spoke to the technician and he recommended that I take out the radar monitor on IT and bring it over to him, so that he can eliminate the audible alarm and install the super bed shaker. Darwin is one of the best places in the world where you can get everything for a yacht.
Back to Bev and we took a shuttle to the motel, then all together we took a shuttle to the Hill Wharf and had lunch (fish and chips!)
Hill Wharf was bombed in 1942 by the same Japanese fleet that attacked Pearl Harbor.
Took the shuttle again to the marina to show Joy, Sharleen and Gideon where IT is moored.
Back to the motel and as the shuttle was costing us too much, we decided to
rent a car. Gideon was on the phone for more than a hour, all rentals are fully booked!! Finally he found one, a small Toyata Corolla! We could just sqeeze in!
Went over to Cullen Bay Marina, checked if there were any packages for me. Nothing yet. Ended up sipping cold drinks at one of the restaurants overlooking the marina while Sharleen and Gideon tried out the menu.
Over to Woolworths to stock up the motel room.
Went to sleep very early, all of us pooped out!

Monday July 12, 2004
Spent most of the day around IT, sorting out my tools, cleaning off the rust. Took the boom end's cap off and using fish tape retrieved the clew outhaul through the boom, a job that took quite a while as the screws where salt corroded.
More cleaning up inside the cabin as the missus is coming!
Had some R and R with Hans at the Dinah Shore Yacht Club close by.
Hans came over for supper, I had cooked some mince meat, rice, gravy and
sweetcorn.
Waited on board until 2200 hrs then Tony, the welder, was nice enough to give me a ride to the airport.
After waiting an hour, Bev, Sharleen, Gideon and Joy's redeye flight from Sydney arrived and it was good to see them again after 4 months!
Gideon has grown and is almost as tall as I am. Sharleen is still the princess!
We took a shuttle bus to the motel where we visited for a while and then Bev and myself took the small shuttle to the marina.

Sunday July 11, 2004
Up early again. no wind. Hosed down the spinnakers to get rid of the salt and hauled them up to dry.
Removed the ice chests that act a storage in the V-berth, scrubbed off all the mold inside the cabin, more organizing. Packed the dry spinnakers back into their bags.
More just non stop paddling around IT.
Borrowed Tony's bicycle and peddled over the hill to Fannie Bay and then followed the shoreline to Cullen Bay Marina to check if my packages that contain the parts for the windpilot had arrived. No go! Not there yet. The
uphill peddling is doing wonders for me! Got lost on the way back and ended up carrying the bicycle thru a muddy swamp to the highway!
More R and R with Hans !

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