Darwin - our first days

Saturday - 03/11/2012

After arriving in the marina and Rob and Alison left to let us settle in and said we could go over to their place once we were settled and invited us for dinner.

We secured the docking lines and got the covers out and put those in place then we set up our portable air-conditioner and found that it is just not quite good enough to do the whole boat so we had to keep changing it from salon to cabin for night time. Once settled and showered we got ready to go out. Alison and Rob picked us up and we went to the Dinah Beach Cruising Yacht Association Club for dinner and a few drinks. We had a good night.

The first week and a half as gone by like a blur it has gone that quick and I have not made notes to say all the things we have done we have been in company a lot with Alison and Rob and their family which has been great They have fed us so often I said we will have to pay board.

Sunday was a rest day we did not do much at all then on Monday we caught the bus into the city and was surprised that our pension card gives free bus travel and it is only $2 for anyone else. We had a walk around town and had a coffee before starting the shopping when the shopping was complete we caught a taxi back to the marina and unloaded everything and packed all away. The city has changed quite a lot since our last visit as I mentioned before but the city is still very nice and relaxed.

Alison had offered her car to us and I first declined as I do not particularly like using other peoples vehicles but on Tuesday (06/11/2012) I did change my mind and asked to use the car to go and pick up another air-conditioner so we have one in the salon and one in the cabin, I also bought a bit of timber to make a false door that I can put the exhaust hose from the portable air-conditioner. So that was the Wednesday's project to make the false door and get that air-conditioner up and working.  We had sundowners on Ted and Desley's boat that is on the end of our dock with another couple and their names escape me at the moment.

Friday we went into the city on the bus again to do a little shopping and in the afternoon we had organised a sundowners in the BBQ area of the marina and had about eight or nine people turn up which was good, after sundowners we headed to Alison and Rob's for dinner and organised the work for the weekend to get their yacht out of the water and on the hard.

Saturday we headed to the Dinah Beach Club and marked the ground out where we were going to put Rob' yacht 'Babe' on the hard, a crane arrived and we moved eight concrete blocks in place that 'Babe' would sit on. Then after a couple of thirst quenchers at the club we headed out to fill some sand bags to go on top of the concrete blocks.

(All blocks in place ready for 'Babe' The Pig on a Mission)

(Out bush we found a sand hill to fill the sand bags)

Sunday was a rest day and Monday was getting 'Babe' ready to be hauled out, Rob, Alison and I removed the mainsail, sail bag and headsail this would reduce windage now that we are entering the cyclone season as the boat will be out of the water for a while. Once all this was done it was time to run around and get necessary items like pick up the slings so that we could rig them before we got to Dinah Beach, get a pressure washer to clean the hull when we had her out. The slings were huge and we had a bit of fun handling them into place.

('Babe' with the slings in place at the dock at Alison and Rob's house)

At 1600 hours we went through the lock at the marina and it is a lot easier with a narrow boat. We motored to the club and Rob showed me the skills of 'Babe' with two propellers turning around in a narrow waterway just like a catamaran. 'Babe' originally had one outboard motor, Rob bought a diesel that drives a hydraulic pump and the props are driven by two hydraulic motors very effective.

(Just out of the lock gates, they still look very narrow)

(Going down Sadgroves Creek between the moored boats)

 

(Dinghy dock and sea entrance to Dinah Beach Club)

 

('Babe' going up)

('Babe' on the blocks)

The crane arrived just as we arrived then the trial and error started with finding how the crane could lift us without causing damage to the mast or stays, once that was sorted out 'Babe' was lifted out onto the blocks and then we cleaned her down with the pressure wash. It was a big and long hard day and I think we were both a bit done in at the end of the day I know I slept very well.

(This was the eclipse that we saw this morning, 14/11/2012)

Well that's the week that was.

Cheers.