Thursday 17/05/2012 cont....
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(Some of the crews of the anchored yachts at the BBQ)
This morning Bret on 'Swanning Around' called on the radio
letting everyone know that they were having a BBQ on the beach for lunch if we
would like to join them so we did. Getting ashore in the dinghy we got rather
wet with the wind waves, the wind was blowing up to 20 knots, but we soon dried
out in the sun. We had quite a gathering with crews off 'Swanning Around',
'Sasha B', 'Aquavista', Neriki', 'Sporanza', 'Annalese' and us 'Alana Rose' We
had a great lunch and socialising for sometime then we noticed the wind had
first settled then started to pick up again and this nasty cloud formation
across the sky appeared and was moving from the east to west in our direction.
(Photo of the storm just after we got back on board)
I was the first to say "I think we will start to move
back to our boat", and soon after I said to Nancy let us make a move I
want to be on board before that hits, so we said farewell to our friends got
the dinghy in the water and sped back to "Alana Rose'. We got back on board hoisted the dinghy and
then the rain came most of the others that waited longer got rather wet getting
back to their boats, it poured rain for about twenty minutes and very heavy,
after the rain it got rather cool.
Friday 18/05/2012
The weather today is still cool and the wind is howling so
we decided to just do a few chores on board. We have had the internet coverage
on and off depends which way the boat swings with the wind and the tide, it is
a very week signal so it can be frustrating but we are getting better service
with the outside antenna where others do not have any service. I have continued
to get the seven day weather reports from the different internet sites and then
broadcasting it to all the other boats in the creek.
Nancy did general cleaning and I cleaned waste water
strainers and gave the bilges a clean out and just checked engines and all the
necessary things. We then sat around reading our books.
Saturday 19/05/2012
We decided to relocate over to the other side of the creek
this morning near the sand bar that gives a little more shelter from the fetch
and this reduces the wave slap on the hulls. We then did a few more little jobs
after giving the weather out to the other boats.
I did a little rope splicing which I am still not the best
at with certain rope this one being a soft nylon rope makes it most difficult.
We have these opening for boarding in the guardrails that is stainless wire
with a latch that can easily open if grabbed wrongly. They always give me a
little concern when at sea and moving about the deck thinking if you grab it to
save yourself when the boat rocks it may come open and you will just keep going
over the side. So I am replacing these with nylon rope spliced to the one side
of the rail support and a spliced eye at the other end that will be held in
place with a 'D' shackle, much safer I think.
(The gate latches that rely on the tension to hold the locking clip in place with movement they can come loose)
(Latches replaced with rope that is spliced to the rail one end and through a 'D' shackle the other end so that it can be opened, don't look too close at the splicing I am a little out of practice.)
Late afternoon we lowered the dinghy and went over to see
Michelle and Rick on 'Neriki' for a chat and we had a couple of drinks with
them which was good. We stayed a while and then I saw the clouds bounding over
the hill and decided to move before we got wet bums on the way home.
We cooked some nice fish that we got from dear friend Mark
at Keppel Bay and had to make a wind break so that I could use the BBQ on the
back because the wind was on our beam due to the tide flow being stronger than
the wind. The fish was very nice.
Sunday 20/05/2012
Very disappointing this morning could not get Macca's
Australia All Over on the radio well good job Nancy cooked me a nice breakfast,
with my help of course, I cooked the bacon on the barbie.
I did the weather report over the radio and also each morning
we are doing the HF radio sched with SICYC although at this stage it is only
Andy on 'Paws' and us doing it but I have a feeling others are on the side and
a little bashful to comment. (Shag Islet Cruising Yacht Club's HF radio sched
0700 hours eastern standard time (2100 Zulu or UTC) on frequency 8161.0 kHz).
A little later Rick called over, he said he was going to go
for a trip in the dinghy and taking Gary and Mercedes on 'Forever Dreaming
around to Pine Tree Point and would we like to follow and have a look around
with them. So we got ready to go.
We lowered the dinghy as Rick was leaving his boat and we
started to follow them although they having a larger dinghy and outboard motor
left us some way behind. The wind was still blowing strong and when we went
through the sandbar between the mainland and Island Head the seas were a little
lumpy and I said to Nancy it is going to be fun coming back unless it settles
down. We were going with the wind and waves coming back we will be against
both.
When Rick invited us he said they were just going around the
point so I did not think it was going to be far, wrong, it was quite a
distance. We kept on going and Rick disappeared around the next point when we
eventually got there we could not see where they had gone. I said to Nancy I
not sure how far we have to go but I think that we will just go as far as that
beach ahead. We finally got around that head to the beach and there was Rick
and the rest all set up on the beach.
(The solid track showing where we went and the dotted track showing our return through the narrow hole in the wall the distance to this beach was 3.6 NMS, wind and waves from SE)
When we arrived at the beach the waves were breaking on the
shore so Gary and Rick helped us by holding our dinghy in deeper water whilst
we got out then we just lifted the dinghy and carried it to the beach without
getting swamped.
Michelle was organised with thermos of hot water and made us
a cup of tea, then we set off on a walk along the beach. After we had been for a walk it was time to
head back. Rick said that they had decided that the Mercedes and Michelle would
walk back to via the beach as four in the dinghy might be a bit too much for
the seas that we had to slam into. I asked Michelle if she had her handheld
radio with her, she said she had, so I told her I would have mine switched on
Ch16 if they run into trouble to give us a call.
(Rick, Gary, Michelle sitting down getting me a cup of tea, Mercedes and Nancy)
(The unnamed beach around from Pine Tree Point)
(Reflections in one of the creeks along the beach)
We all set off and it was a little lumpy and sea spray was
constant, Rick lead us through the whole in the wall which made the trip a
little better than going out past the point but when we got to the other side
it was head on wind and seas, again it was sea spray and we got drenched. Rick
having the larger dinghy raced ahead of us for us to follow in his wake so he
was basically knocking the tops of the wave for us which made it a little
better but we still had water coming at us at times.
(The gap in the wall that is hard to see until you pass it)
(You could say it was a little wet out there, Nancy took delight in taking this photo)
(Rick and Gary coming up to pass and knock down the waves for us in his larger dinghy, photos never show how rough the seas really are.)
We were pleased to get back on board and dry off and get
warm again. Rick came over later and said he was sorry if it was a bad idea,
but we said it wasn't we had a good time. Poor Michelle and Mercedes were worn
out after their long walk back. We had a lot of fun and it was better than just
sitting around on the boat or doing chores.
(Back on board at the anchorage cloths drying on the guardrail.)
We then had a quiet night aboard Nancy had cooked a
silverside in the shuttle chef and with the vegies white sauce and a couple of
glasses of red wine it was a nice night.
Cheers
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