28th to 31st March 2013

28^th March 2013

Tangalooma 27^o 11.431S 153^o 21.829E  - 5 Hours on the engine.

Mark driving Merv into tangalooma for a rubbish run.

Motored through the channels and got into Moreton bay which was glassed out until the last two hours.  Finally got both sails up and enjoyed the ride. 

The wrecks at Tandalooma.  The wrecks are in the background.

The hydraulic pump is noisy and gets hot after working all day. I can get a new one from the US delivered for $400. Might get a spare one “just in case”

Sunset at Tandalooma

29^th March

Mooloolabah  27^o 11.431S 153^o 21.829E - 5 Hours on the motor

Tried to sail the first two hours but only managed 1 to 2 knots.  We switched on the motor for a couple of hours until the wind kicked in.

Finally tried our first tack as we were coming in to Mooloolabah – what a disaster.  Never mind - that’s what I bought a yacht with a new motor for.

 Passing Container ships eating mud crabs

 Still eating crabs

Tun Beer's new Australian mascot

We had the same piece of bait trailing along behind all day.  Set up like the live baits we used to use in the Kimberley.  Except this one was dead.  He hung on until the end of the day until we started the motor.  We had become very attached to him.  Or perhaps it was the hook through his mouth and the 200lb line? We reckoned it was because he didn’t like the smell of the diesel when he finally let go as we started the motor to come through the entrance to Mooloolabar.

Capt Goodie takes us into Mooloobah

We had about 12 degrees of leeway heading up here so I’ll need to compensate for that.  We almost pulled  into Calloundra which is about 10NM short of Mooloolabar by mistake.  It really does help having a second person to talk to. It sorts out your thinking.  I will need to take the time to really plan when I take off by myself next week.

Well, tomorrow we are going into town to get diesel and water and maybe some more beer. Mark does drink a lot.  The Tun is holding up after a couple of days – Scott will understand this reference.

It’s Easter Saturday tomorrow so we will shop, do some planning and then if the weather holds true to the B.O.M. prediction we will head out for our first overnight sail to get to Wide Bay crossing at a good time. 

Fuel at Mooloolabar36 Litres( for 13 hours motoring)

30^th March 2013 

Double Island Point  25^o 55.352S 153^o 8.891E   -   3 hours on the motor.

Left Mooloolabah at 11am after refueling.  I don’t think the pump guy would have been so keen if he knew that we didn’t know how to reverse.  Almost took out the bow sprit and anchors on the pier.  Oh well. No one died.

We also got in a mess coming out through the heads.  The seas were very confused and we managed to lose an oar and the deck brush.  Morale of the story… we don’t like washing the decks and we now have a spare oar to use as a club for the crocodiles.

We finally got out to some cleaner water and sailed through till about 11:30pm when the wind finally gave out. Started the donk and got into Double Island point at just after 1 am.  An hour ahead of schedule !!! Are we ever good or what?

Sunset at sea.

31^st March  2013

Fig Tree Creek  Fraser Island  27^o 39.370S 152^o 57.479E - 5 hours on the motor.

As we were leaving Double Island point a prawn trawler pulled in and wanted to trade some cigarettes for prawns.  Two packs for a box. Pretty fair trade our way and there has to be some compensation for dying a death of lung cancer.  Mark was game on the bow sprit doing the exchange at sea.  I know where reverse is now so no embarrassment in our first trade.

5 kilo of prawns at Double Island Point. Trawler in the background.

This place is definitely worth another visit for fishing if I'm back this way.

The Wide Bay bar crossing was fairly straight forward.  We’d timed it just on the slack tide and two others and us lined up to go in.  Bounced around a bit but the only casualty was Merv trying to jump ship half way across.  Both clips holding him on the front broke but he was secured with a couple of extra ropes.   When we got to anchor here we took him ashore and replaced the complicated setup with new spectra.  He is now restrained.  Tried to upload a video I took going accross but it will have to wait until we get better  internet conection.  It doesn't matter because we were there and you wern't...

Merv having new restraints fitted

Sitting inside tonight.  It is raining and windy outside.  We’ve put bells on the lines so that we can hear them.  Ministrations from the Charisma special will keep us sane(semi).  We’ve made it a rule not to open a second bottle on any given night.  Rules  pfft!

By the way I’m sick of mud crabs so the prawns arrived at the right time. Guess what we had for breakfast and lunch today?

We’ve been asked where we come from…  We’ve replied Perth.  The next question was which yacht club we belong to so we have a challenge for you.  We want an acronym for something like “The Unpretentious Bogun Sailing Club of WA” TUBSWA  or, something better than that. Someone better come up with something clever or we really will sound like the duffers that we are.

On The Way,,,

20^th March 2013

Finally hauled out and have started sanding the hull ready for some new antifoul.  The boat collar arrived for the tinnie but I had left my phone in the car so they delivered it to Bill’s place.  It is 4 meters long so there was only one thing to do.

I can really recommend Flag hire cars.

The guys at the ship yard weren’t very friendly at first but I’ve managed to scrounge a ladder and when it started raining they helped me carry the tinnie into the shed to start on the collar.  I don’t think they’re used to having cruisers stay there.  It seems to be locals and the lady in the office pouted when I asked to sleep in the boat and said they had movement sensors.  We’ll see about that… 

21^st March

Bill came around to help me set up the collar. 

 We’ve glued the plates in so now need to let that dry.

Peter spent the afternoon cutting and welding.  A very likable and hard working chap. He charged about half of what I thought the job was worth.  The only problem was all the rubber neckers wanting to have a talk.  I think it is the most work anyone has done on a boat here.  I was his TA putting out fires and getting rid of the ‘have- a chats’.  A long day but a great result.

Still a whole day’s work left cleaning, painting and fairing – that’s a polite boatie term for bog.  I’ve bought a kilo but I’ll probably need more.  Just like the old days bogging up HQ’s.

The auto pilot saga continues with a new head worth over $1000.  Stuff it- I’m going to get a new Raymarine to match the plotter.  The electrician is going to fit it all up for rum so all up a new system is just over $2000.

22^nd March 2013

Spent the morning grinding back the repaired bow back to bare metal.

Two pack primed all the bare metal and touched up the hull ready to antifoul.  Shouldn’t it just be call fresh? 

Luckily Bill came around and helped me finish putting the moustache on the tinnie. 

It is now a "tender" which I will call Merv.(as in Hughes)  Will I have to take it off after each November?

Not too much achieved after this and a couple of beers.  Only fitted the dinghy(sorry - tender) winch , pulled the toilet intake apart, and started bogging up the repairs.  All the guys working in the yard stopped in to watch me work while having a Friday beer.  They were sorry that I had to work the weekend. One guy even offered to give me a hand with the bog.  When I pointed out that after this weekend  I’d be off for the next six months the offer was rescinded (not in those terms) and I was required to buy the next beer.

24^th March 2013

The anchor locker is now shiny white 2 pack . 

Will have to let it harden for a couple of days before I drop the chain back in and start chipping it.  The bow sprit is reassembled and the hull repairs have been painted.  Cleaned up all the tools and put everything away and then it started to rain.  Doesn’t matter I’ll be ready to splash back in the morning.  Still have to put the front cabin back together and complete the big diesel tank fit out but that can be done on the way somewhere.  Time to start moving.  Mark arrives Tuesday so we might head off Wednesday after some shopping.

Some statistics, five 12 hour days, 23 trips to Bunnings and 8 trips to the marine chandlers. Total cost to date $82,233.  A couple of thousand into the travel budget.  Might have to do some relief work next year before starting the second half...

25^th March 2013

Splash down.

The guys came and installed the autopilot.  Should have heard the persuasive language being spoken as they tried to get to the rudder post.  Ryan from Docherty Marine is coming back at 6:00am tomorrow to do a sea trial and set it up.  He’s keen.

Still a couple of small things to do but the boat will be ready to go and the weather looks good.

27^th March 2013

Browns bay

Mark arrived last night and we got away this morning at about 9:00.  The hour meter isn’t working on the motor so I’ll need to keep a log of what we do each day on the engine until I’ve chased that down.  I don’t have any other way of measuring the amount of fuel in the tank apart from the hour meter.  So today we motored for about 3 hours from the seven we were travelling.  It was pretty awkward sailing through the channels but we only used the genoa to keep it simple.  Would have got here a lot quicker if we had used the main as well but it was just pleasant to be quietly meandering along. 

The wind was basically in the wrong direction for most of the day but, we plodded on regardless just making the most of leaving the work behind.

When we finally got to Browns bay there was a professional crab boat anchored were we wanted to go so we are stuck out a bit more in the current. It didn’t stop us catching a heap of crabs. There were that many that they were climbing out of the pot. Two of them jumped out and got wedged behind the stove. I was going to pull out the stove but Mark took on the role of crab whisperer.  He got a bit of bungee cord, tied a noose and then pulled them out.  Well actaually he pulled parts of them out.  It was piece work really rather than a once off job. 

Mud crab wrangler in action. 

Yes - this is absolutely ridiculous.

He pulled them out bit by bit as they gave up their claws and legs in the fight.   Later when I picked a claw to eat it still had the bit of bungee chord attached.  "Boiled bungee in crab sauce" - Master chief hasn't got a chance.

While this was going on the live bait line went off.  Caught about a meter long Hair-tail on the line. It has a set of jaws like a fresh water crocodile and a piss poor attitude.  Shane and Daryn will remember the last one of these angry bastards  we caught in Port Hedland.  Luckily Mark missed with the gaff and it got off.  It bit straight through the 200lb line.  We are so fearless it actually frightens me.

Is this an M and M?

(Mark and Merv)

Took Merv out for his first run with his porn start mo.  Merv rocks!

We have enough crabs to eat for the next couple of days and will try to get to Tangalooma Wrecks on Moreton Island tomorrow if the wind does the right thing.

Thisis tonight's crab fest.  About the same amount left for tomorrow and we still have to check the pots tomorrow morning. By the way, the Morgan Freeman god look was not intended.

You asked for it...

15^th March 2013

I"ve had a few calls/messages from people asking what's up so.... 

Good stuff…

Bruce Springsteen was rather epic. He started at 7:40 and left the stage at 11:20. There were 17 musicians on stage including Nils Loffgren filling in on guitar. So that works out to be less than $20 each. It was a show. Fairly regulated but filled in with lots of impromptu stuff. So much so, that he was like an old, white, rocking version of James Brown. He’s 64 – fuck I must be old.

The young girl Mel in the front of the photo was with her mum. A bit of a character. Yes - a ranga as well. She had made up a big sign “Please Bruce dance with my mum”. When he started playing dancing in the dark we got her to the front of the stage. I was the crowd clearer and Mel pushed her mum. It didn’t take him long to pick up on the sign. When it he took the sign and held it up to the crowd there was no backing up. We shoved her up on the stage… She had to go and have a little lie down afterwards and was still shell shocked at the end. Bloody funny.

And now for the bad news…

The anchor locker is as bad as it could be. Looks like a days work cutting out the rust. Managed to clear out the bog that someone patched it up with a couple of years ago. Most likely when is was refitted in Malaisia. Couple of big holes to plate over so I’m going to be busy if it is going to be ready for the lift on Wednesday. After the welder finishes there will be a bit of painting to do. The photo was taken from inside the boat looking through the bulkhead into the anchor locker. I’d better put some metal back in while it is all apart.

Actually have a plan and shopping list ready for tomorrow.

17^th March 2013

Bought a tinnie from a poor little rich boy.  It’s been used as a tender and has been kept up on a crane.  Has a 6hp with a 9hp carby so goes a bit faster than the deflatable.  Drove it back 10km through the channels from broadbeach to runaway bay. 

Used the navionics ap on the phone to navigate.  Works really well but needed to be able to park under bridges to see the screen due to glare.  Gave Bill what was left of the deflatable in exchange  for a pair of oars...

Tomorrow I have to go to the marine shop so it is going to be an expensive day.  Need to get this finished so that I can stop spending money.

18^th March

Spend, spend, spend.  I’ve been so bloody busy running around trying to find specialist parts like the pump for the big diesel tank.  Ended up getting sent by the guy at Blackwoods to an irrigation place telling me “They’ll know what you’re talking about”.  Guess what.  Explained what I needed to do and the reticulation bloke walked over to the shelf and says in laconic Queenslander “This’ll do the job” . Sure enough.  Exactly what I was looking for.  That was five hours spent locating that one part.  Have to admit to getting a bit frazzled with 6 jobs going on at once and I have had to buy a clipboard.  The photo says it all.

The electrician has been able to fix the autopilot and is coming to install it tomorrow afternoon.  I also found a welder with long arms who wasn’t scared off by the photos I sent him of the anchor locker.

Yes that is the sea you can see on the port side.   I can't find the cable for my camera so all these pics are from my phone so the quality is pretty Kogan. That my new description for anything crappy.  Actually the phone works pretty good for everything else so I shouldn’t be so harsh.

It was too hard for the welder the marina suggested.  The guy who will do it is coming around tomorrow afternoon so he can plan what needs to be done when the boat gets hauled out. This is going to cost money to get done properly - I wouldn’t do it for less than a $1000. I wonder if he’ll work for rum.  So I may have some visitors other than Bill tomorrow…

A very sick bat crapped all over the hire car.

If you look closely you can see his footprints on the bonnet where he must have squatted.  Yes, I am driving a really cool car these days.  I couldn’t get anywhere to stay the first night down here so slept in this.  There’ a challenge for you. 

19^th March 2013

Peter, the welder with the long arms turned up today to have a look at what he’s got to do.  He’s a “no worries” type of guy and I’m pretty confident he’ll do a good job.  Got the dighy up on the davits using the existing blocks and lines.  It is a bit heavier, harder to pull up and I’m not happy with the holding power of the ropes which are a bit old.  I’m still going to look into the winch idea.  While I was pottering away Bill was on his dock cutting up the old deflatable and putting it in his bin.  A bit of an ignominious end.

Fitted the side shades and new diesel pump while waiting for Dockhertys marine to turn up with the autopilot controller. They were a no show. Still, they have only had it for seven weeks…

Haul out day tomorrow so I’d better gaffer tape up the hole I’ve punched through the hull before we head around to the marina.