You have to choose to participate in life.

The really scary thing is that you can start right now...



Saturday 10 August 2024

Exmouth to Denham

I was right out at the end of the pier whilst in Exmouth. As people were going out and back into the boat ramp I would smile and wave despite whether they were going too fast and creating a wake or not.
Being nice, pays off. I had three returning fisho's offer some of their catch. Including this just speared Coral Trout...
...I got him to throw it to me so that I could say I caught it.

MasterChef(MC) dealt with it appropriately at his place...


My compliment to the Master...



6th August 2024
Exmouth to Tantabiddy 
MC joined me for a little jaunt around the cape....
 
.. this is the guest spot apparently. I find it hard to sit down when travelling. Should get a step counter.
Conditions were glass and the cape was very calm.
Apart from an early undersized Mackerel things were looking grim fishing wise. 
Just outside the entrance to the achorage...
Wahooooo!  130cm!
MC literally put the hammer down to prepare...
 
the Wahoooo!!

And a visitor who spoiled the fishing off the back of the boat in Tantabiddy.



7th august 2024
Tantabiddy to Norwegian Bay 
Just me today on this leg. Call me Hans.
...and there's finally a whale on video!!!

I recently discovered that the underwater camera can be set to come on when it detects movement so here's a "Day in the life of the solo sailor". Lots of daggy dancing. Singing back to the whales. Cups a tea. 24 hours in five minutes with a special guest appearance from Spermy the whale...
Five minutes of your life you'll never get back.
 
I'm sure it was the same whale who put on the show for us on the way up. Same place. Same stupid somersaults. He's a bit bigger but no brighter. Still doing the same thing and can't get the handle on a full breach. He somersaulted continuously for the whole hour we were with each other. He followed me(somersaulting) because I was singing back to him. I think Spermy might be a special needs whale..

Dinner tonight was...
Wahoooooooo!!!!!! curry

8th August 2024
Norwegian Bay to Coral Bay.
Had a late start and finish today to go through the really shallow parts at high tide. Inside the reef today so hardly any waves and swell. Just shallow water and coral outcrops to keep an eye out for. 
In the deeper water this section was full of whales. Almost all were single mum's and their nursing babies. Who let them out of Armadale? They nurse upside down so don't move and you have to go around them. No matter how loud you yell at them.
Then they give you the evil eye when you go past them.

Whale watching season is in full swing.
A healthy plate thanks to MC's garden


and pickled
Wahooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!



9th august 2025
Bakery day!
A day off with just simple speaker fix...
Got to get both speakers going to play my music for the whales.
And a not so simple fix...Doing a check of everything I found that the port raw water pump is leaking. Tightened everything. It's not apparent where it is coming from. I do have a spare pump but its from a 20 hp. It looks the same but I'm not game to take it off in case I'm stuck here as there is no gasket. Only leaking about 3 litres an hour and the bilge pump is dealing with it.

So as well as the bakery I visited the general store and got a tube of gasket cement just in case...  I've highlighted the price I paid for it...
... Probably cheaper than the Volvo equivalent and at least they had some.



10th August 2024
Coral Bay to Denham.
The last leg...
The weather window opened up so I just kept going.
Beautiful conditions. Averaged 6.6kts with a top speed of 9.2 ktns so a bit fast for the lures. So no fish pictures.

After sunset...
...there was a waxing moon so just a million stars and me. 
So let's just be clear here.  
There was a 1,000,001 stars out last night.

26 hours and 177nm later I was welcomed back into The Bay.


No sunset picture because there are these dark things in the sky and the top of the boat is wet? Very strange...