News

July 25th - Noon
Have the time to add to my previous log:
I want to include the names of the yachtties I met while in Darwin.
Single-handers: Leo Nigg from Switzerland on Moonlight. Dietmar Froboese from Germany on Anke 2. Jack Oldenburg (72 years old) from Sweden on his 31 footer Vindela. Steve from Minnesota on Hana and finally my new good old buddy Hans from Denmark on Joy !
Cruising couples: Steve and Jackie from OZ on Harlequin on a coastal cruise. Henry and Mattie from Hudson, Florida on 2 Extreme. Gunmar Erikson and Eva Troost from Sweden on Kahiba. David and Linda Seller from Canada on Nimbus. Anthony(Gatesy) and Ali Gates from OZ on Legs Eleven. Yolanda and Dan from OZ on Jakana. Frazer and German gal, Linda on ? also on a coastal cruise.
Friends made: German gal Andrea on a her way to Cairns for a month of diving and her Swiss boyfriend Beat on his way to Bali. Store owners, George and Carol.
Then there is lockmaster Peter and his very friendly wife, Sylvia, live-onboarders, Tony the welder and Ana on her ferro-cement boat.
From customs: Sue, Diane, Geoffrey, Anthony and Bill.
Bev and I thank you all for your kindness and friendship! We will cherish fond memories always!

Sunday July 25, 2004 - morning
Position at 0800 hrs
12-36 S
129-05 E
Cog 258
Sog 4.2 knots
Wind 7 knots
Wind from the S
Sailing on a beam reach, port tack.

While I hove to in Fannie Bay, David and Linda from Canada onboard Nimbus came by and we decided to take off, not wanting to wait another hour for the rally to start.
We sailed together, the wind was light and I soon had the spinnaker up. Looking back, I watched as 37 yachts hoisted sail simultaneously and took off ! It was quite a sight !
I kept sailing, bearing 290 until the larger yachts and cats overtook me. Took lots of video footage.
Late afternoon, I took a new bearing, mainly 260 degrees and watched the yachts vanish on the northern horizon.
Then it was just me and the big sea again, suddenly felt very lonely!
Have since taken down the spinnaker and replaced it with my asymmetrical spinnaker, its clew tied down at the bow and with the genoa poled out. Under a full main, we were running with the outgoing tide at 8 knots !
Nightfall, I reduced sail, set a guard zone on my radar and with 'watchman' on, I went to sleep with the bedshaker under me. At 0400 hrs the wind went down, shifted, and I set the sails for the new wind.

A SPECIAL NOTE
My utmost thanks to Sue Paulucci and the rest of the staff at customs for their kindness and assistance. To Peter and Sylvia at Tipperary Marina thank you for your generosity and help during my stay there.

Saturday July 24, 2004
Checked out the internet cafe, then off to Woolworths where I bought some rugby shorts, flip-flops and canvas deck shoes.
Back to IT, where I went through checking everything again.
The steaming light was down and so, up the mast I went and got it working again.
German Andrea and her Swiss boyfriend came over and we had some R and R onboard IT, then joined Peter and Sylvia and all the new arrivals for dinner on the large marina deck. Took some last minute pics of all the yachties that I have met in Australia. We chatted till late and said our goodbyes.
Went to bed, I had to leave at 0800 hrs next morning.

Saturday morning
Said my goodbyes again and left for the lock where Peter let me drop almost 2 meters. It was about 2 hrs before high tide. I shook hands with Peter and thanked him for his kind hospitality during my stay there.
Ran under power for a mile then unfurled the genoa and we set sail for Fannie Bay. I am now here, heaving to, waiting for all the yachts taking part in the regatta, to take off at 1100hrs.

Friday July 23, 2004
Peddled the uphill route to the customs building in town where officer Geoffrey tracked my package to the airport. It had just arrived and after filling out the necessary paperwork, I got a ride to the airport with Tony the welder (thanks mate !!) and collected my package. Back onboard IT, I installed the replacement parts on the autohelm. Everything is now in perfect working order.
Drained my water tanks and filled them up with fresh water again.
Then back to customs, peddling, and checked out to set sail on Saturday as today is a public holiday here in OZ.
Had R and R with Tony, Steve, Jackie and Canadians, David and Linda at the Dinah Beach Yacht Club.
Will leave 0800 hrs tomorrow and join the 50 or so other sailboats on a rally towards Kupong, Timor. Will stay with them for half a day to take pics and video footage then head more southerly to get as far away from them as possible, before nightfall. Collision at night is the last thing on my mind !

Thursday July 22, 2004
No package yet !
Australian computer wizard, Yolanda Hellier, onboard Jakana came over and helped me download the electronic charts onto my spare laptop. She and her husband, Dan are on circumnavigation via the Suez .
With my old handheld GPS which has a data kit, I can now use the laptop as a plotter too ! Cool !
More peddling around town, killing time, checking out the internet cafe.
Not much news today .
Had a T-bone for supper.

Wednesday July 21, 2004
Still waiting on the autohelm part!!! Very frustrating as everybody around here is leaving because the trades are blowing again!
Peddled all around town, trying to kill time.
Had lunch at the Pig and Whistle with a pint of beer.
Peddled along the marinas and beaches, stopped at the driving range and hit all the golf balls into the water! It is a water range anyway and all the golf balls float!
Stopped at the Rugby Shop and checked out the stuff, way too expensive, but it was worth a try!
More peddling around the town and I must admit I know the place now like the back of my hand!!
The peddling is doing me good and I am in much better shape than when I left Texas.
Had R and R at the Dinah Beach Yacht Club then went to crash.

Tuesday July 20, 2004
Up early and helped Hans take Joy through the locks. We shook hands and I wished him Godspeed, his next stop is Cocos Islands.
Got the new modified genoa onto the furling system with the help of Steve and Jackie, replaced the foredeck light bulb on the mast. Off to customs on Tony's bicycle to check if my autohelm had arrived, no go ! Checked out the internet cafe.
The rest of the day I just hung out around IT and had steak and chips for supper at the Dinah Beach Yacht Club.
A night cap with Steve and Jackie aboard Harlequin 2 and I called it a day.

Monday July 19, 2004
Slept late, then started to pack back the ice chests that act as storage for my canned food into the V-berth. Took the staysail out and clipped it onto the midstay. The wind was too strong to put the headsail back onto the furling system. Did some repairs to the preventing system. Hans came over and helped me to replace the old main halyard with a new one. Replaced the main sheet with the old main halyard.
Got the navigation station organized while Hans copied 4 CD's of electronic charts for me.
Took a bike ride with Tony to Cullen Bay, then on to Mingle Beach, where the fair was still on. Checked out the annual Darwin Beer Can Boat Race! Then on to Darwin Yacht club overlooking Fannie Bay where we had some R and R while watching future world champions tacking with their tiny sailboats across the Bay.
Back to the marina. Tony ate supper with me. Had another beer on Legs Eleven and a late night cap with Hans then went to crash!

Sunday July 18, 2004
Up early again and made some final adjustments to the windpilot.
Poured the diesel from the jerry cans into the main tank, took the empty cans to the fuel station and filled them up.
Dropped Bev and Gideon off at the mall, while Joy and I went to pick up my sails at the sailmakers. My genoa was unfortunately given to somebody else! The owner rushed out to find it and delivered it to IT later in the afternoon.
Did some last minute shopping to stock up my food aboard IT. Returned the rental car and we went back to the motel.
Watched the All Blacks trash the Wallabies, to the great dismay of the locals, on the big screen at the motel.
The shuttle bus picked us up at midnight and we were off to the airport.
Said our goodbyes and I took the shuttle back to the marina, suddenly feeling very lonely again.

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