The crab picture is for Dennis ---sooo sweeet

8/1/13

27^o 40.414 S  153^o 22.276E  Browns Bay - is not usually an anchorage for yachts, but we could get in here because we are F!!@#$n THAT good.  We’re the only boat in sight and the stars are out which makes it all the more worthwhile.

Today’s itinerary:

$5 brekky as they know us there now…

Dropped off our 10 second Hyundai Getz (10 seconds to get started).

Waved goodbye the Bill and Carmen, the prior owners to this sea vessel.
...and they sent us some photos of us leaving...

....I thought they wanted proof that we had actaully gone - Thanks Guys

Motored all day with the wind on the nose.

Touched the bottom only once where Bill had told us we would.

Anchored the first time and exactly where we wanted to? WTF?

Dinghy out to drop crab pots and found the Giants Grave on shore.  The sign said do not disturb so we didn’t.  No bait only prawns jumping

Scott’s phone is broken so everything is normal.

Caught the first fish.  Pan sized Bream – put a 2.0 hook through it put it out as bait for something bigger.

Administrations from Dr Backburn and had a good nights sleep.

Quote of the day “ Don’t know when things will come this way again – good things have got away of coming to an end.”

9/1/13

27^o 30.30 S  153^o 21.70E  Horseshoe bay  Peel  Island

Wind on the nose up to 30kn at times

The initial plan was for  Scotty to take the 4hp rubber dinghy down the river creek to pick up the crab pots laid the night before. For starters, the dinghy had a bloody hole in it.

Of course we couldn’t leave the pots behind so we decided to only send one of us out.

 As dad likes to say, “age before beauty”, so being the most handsome I took him up on the offer. After ~50 legs on the foot pump I was ready to head out into the creek. To try and sum up the following situation in a nutshell, I am torn between “up shit-creek without a paddle” and “the juice is worth the squeeze”. On my way out to the pots there was a problem with the motor. With my intensive mechanic knowledge, I managed to start the motor and made my way back to dad mentioning there might be something wrong in which he threw me the oars; JUST…IN…CASE!  I again headed towards the pots in which the motor stopped yet again. I inspected inside the fuel cap this time to conclude that the tank was completely dry. Meanwhile I was floating well away from the Charisma - dad’s boat that was looking mighty small by this point. He did try to throw a rope, that was way too short, and despite my suggestions of “catching me” with his nearby fishing rod, he stripped down and dove into the muddy creek to breast-stroke 150 metres across current to this flat, fuel dried rubber-fucking-ducky. Short of dad having a heart attack, I stretched out an oar to get him to safety into the rubber ducky. There would be photo evidence of this but despite shitting ourselves, we didn’t have time to grab a camera and line up a shot.

This wasn’t the end. From this point forward I learnt how to row. In a pretty messed up circumstance too. We had to row against wind and current in a flat rubber ducky. Despite my amateur efforts in rowing, dad took the oars. Just prior to Dad exhausting his rowing strength, a 1 ½ metre turtle popped up as if from the flick ‘Finding Nemo’ to say “surf’s up duuuude’. In dad’s delusionary state I decided to take over. It was only a matter and very short of time until I exhausted all my efforts. Unfortunately this “beauty” doesn’t come without a price ;). Hero dad again took the oars and eventually two foreign crab pots and several metres of water later, we arrive at our destined Charisma.

That was our “up shit creek without a paddle”. After a long lasted rest, 80 foot pumps to the rubber ducky and a beer or two, it was time to get these bloody pots! Again “age before beauty”, and being the stud muffin that I am, I fuelled up and set motoring for the pots that we laid the night before. This trip was much quicker than the one prior. I returned with myself, a half inflated rubber ducky, and crab whose claw was the size of my very own hand. This was the “juice worth the squeeze”. They didn’t last 5 minutes out of the water before hitting the boiling pot and tasted bloody fantastic!

Well that was the morning... Fuck me dead.

We set motoring north and past many a marinas and the occasional shipwreck,
Navigated our way to the southern coast of Peel Island.

We tendered into the Island which proved to be mostly protected and very restricted. Bit of a waste of time but the crab pots we dropped off the boat proved worthy. Overnight I reckon I pulled about 10 useless reef fish, several bait-suitable fish, 20 or so baby mud and blue manner crabs, and more importantly 3 eatable crabs which are still sitting in our fridge (which did I mention makes ice!!!). One bait-fish of which hooked a mean looking sting ray. I thought I had good looks!

This night was the first night on the small batch and after the triathlon we endured it was surely deserved. Any man that rows, swims and beach walks deserves a hard earned Small Batch #7. Call 92505422 for your nearest Small Batch dealer.

The next morning we decided it was about time to fix the rubber ducky so we set sail for Manly.

10/1/13

27º 27.6' S  153º 11.2'E  Easy Coast Marina – Manly

Finally sailing and Auto pilot working  WOOHOOOO! – a bit hairy at first until Scott got me under control .   My fault trying to put up too much sail while he was still doing dishes.  – Yes , we are both galley wenches. 

Across  Moreton Bay @ 5 kn SOG on a 15 - 20kn 100^o Starbord beam reach with 1/2 Genoa and full Main set off to port 40^o It doesn’t want too much wind to get up and sail or else it tends to round up too much and the autopilot can’t cope.  Need to let the boat settle down first and then the autopilot is reliable.

First docking in a marina birth.  Lots of planning and no one died so all good.

Came here to get patch for the deflatable but no one had one.  Taxi tomorrow to get one…hopefully

11/1/13

27º 27.827' S  153º 1.803 E  Brisbane River  Botanical Gardens anchorage

The morning was spent obtaining a repair kit for the deflatable.

Motored into the wind all the way to Brisbane harbor entrance.

Managed to put up the jib and got and extra 1 and a 1/2 to 2 knots at about 60degrees on the nose.  Had to pull it in tight but it really made a difference. 

The anchorage here is pretty crappy with lots of disused junkers taking up all the good pile moorings but the crab nets are set and dinghy has been patched as the sun sets.

Scott’s been researching where to get the best ribs in Brisbane!!!

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