The Last Post

29^th September 2014 Tipperary Marina Darwin

The ankle is mending but not really strong enough to be at anchor in Fannie Bay.

  Sometimes the tide goes out that far that dragging the dinghy even with its wheels on is not an option… and with the afternoon sea breeze chop Merv managed to escape…

.  It was that choppy that day that we were both inside until we heard a tap on the hull with one of the other boat owners returning him.

So we took our last sunset  photo…

 Mandatory last sunset picture at Fannie Bay… There has to be at least one in each post.

…and head around to the marina.  Berths a bit hard to find in Darwin over the wet season but they knew us from last time and have fitted us in. They couldn't have got to know us that well last time or perhaps they were looking for some entertainment...

We almost didn’t fit in.  Just as we were going into the berth the wind kicked up from the starboard and pushed Charisma sideways.  We ended up with both us holding the boat off the stern of our two neighbours.  Thankfully Lockmaster Keith came to our rescue and took over for me so that I could hobble over and drive the boat. A young boy about 10 came running down the dock and tied off the bow for us.  A bit of mayhem in the marina.  The mustang had to have a bit of a sit down….

  Whew… No one died… successful docking.

Now that we are not at anchor the breeze doesn’t flow through the boat so it can be a bit hot.  We’ve dug out the canvas awnings and sort of put them up for some shade…

 As you can see we don’t really have a clue how these are supposed to go up but it sort of does the job and adds impact to the way we entered the marina.  Our neighbours smile when they walk past us. It just one of the ways we spread the joy of boat life…

The front hatch can’t be opened all the way but needs to be supported when in half way open position.  The Mustang has devised a patent pending use of kitchen cutlery.

 She calls it …

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Wait for it…

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 a Fork Lift

And without any other comments about spooning in the front cabin we arrive at…

The Last Post…

When I started out on this little jaunt along the coast I wasn’t really sure what I would find.  I had read the books, forums and blogs.  There have been a lot of people that have talked to us and just can’t believe that what I was doing was possible… and there a lot more people out here doing a lot more extravagant passages.   The two almost certainly asked questions are about experience and cost…

For those readers who are looking to have a go you can spend a lot of time reading what should be done and get old waiting to leave the dock.  The only advice you’ll get from me is to get out and have a go. Sure you’ll make mistakes but only experience will teach you what you need to know. There are a lot of nay sayers out there… However, if a boof head like me can survive it then there really is no excuse. 

It’s not an expensive lifestyle.  In fact it has cost a lot less than hitching a caravan to the back of a landcruiser and setting out on highway one… and you have more freedom and see places that can’t be seen any other way. 

It’s been so much fun that The Mustang and I are going back to the start and are doing it again. 

 The Mustang celebrates crew induction with egg carton, da-do ta-do and alfoil.

So this will be the last post which I’ll call…

The good, the bad and the ugly…

The Good

·         Charisma - In the last two years Charisma and I have meandered over 3,748nm.  He has sailed and drunk 960L of diesel at an average of 1.6 litres per hour. This year in the Kimberley he has used a bit more diesel as I’ve had to run the engine to recharge the batteries to keep up with the extra freezer.  He is a solid, almost indestructible boat that has been very forgiving of my inexperience.  I was very lucky to find him even though it took two years of searching he was well worth it. Thanks Bill…

Charisma has been sold. He has been a great teacher and I know that his new owner will love and care for him.  I will hand over the chipping hammer in November.

·         Autopilot – My second crew member. The best decision I made at the original haulout was to spend the extra money getting a reliable heavy duty autopilot.

·         Self Furling rig – as a beginning solo sailor not having to leave the safety of the cockpit was great.  This type of self furling main has gone out of popularity but as a heavy cruiser, any drawbacks with sail shape were far outweighed by reliability and safety.

·         Kapten Boat Collars – Merv’s Moustache turned a tinnie into a liferaft. The best money I invested in the initial fitout and I will never have a small boat without one again. Can’t say enough about this fantastic Australian product.

·         The Middle Percy islands – Where I first really started to understand what cruising the Australian waters is about. If you get a boat go there and give thanks to the cruising gods.

·         Uncivilisation – Once you get outside the town limits you find that people give a shit about each other.  Advice and help within the cruising community and those fantastic people who make their way through life off the grid was one of the true joys.

·         Company along the way and at various points. Friends old and new, who took the time to share a dream. Very lucky to have the support of those I love and to find someone like minded to share it with is much more than I expected.  Yes…The mustang has the bug and wants to be half of the next chapter… Check out the grin at the end of this video from someone who was afraid of the water and all the beasts that live within…

We both now know that you make your own luck. The Mustang is already looking for the next boat. As we are getting older we want to find a boat with one of these…

 

… a bench seat. We think we can do the same with a Bali day bed…

The Bad

·         The Mermaid Song.   Along the way those who came with me were required to help compose a verse to this. Really is just a string of salty dad jokes…  Here it is in all it’s Youtube glory… (language warning)

Ok here’s the Charisma inspired instrumental version so you don’t have to put up with the bad jokes...

This Blog doesn’t support music so you’ll have to go to you tube

·         Globalstar satellite phones. Basically a waste of money.  We Had signal less than 10% of the time and the time that it was available it dropped out within the first minute of a call and had error battery messages.  More like a toy than an important safety device.  A toy, as in the way that they always break on Christmas morning.

The Ugly

·         Seanovo outboard. So bad that it doesn’t belong in that category and is just plain UGLY… While I have some great feedback on their company service representative in China.  Dean was his name and he went to great lengths to help us get our spare propeller.  It is a pity that the motor didn’t survive past the first 80 litres of fuel.  Larry, their Perth dealer was useless.  He knew nothing about the product he was selling.  Even worse he didn’t care. The corrosion that the motor is showing after only three months is very disturbing.  If it wasn’t still within the warranty period I would have dropped it off the transom in the 100m depths of the gulf.  Seriously I couldn’t possibly include it in the boat’s inventory unless it is listed as a spare anchor although it wouldn’t last long in that capacity either – it would rust away in no time. In the end I sold it on Gumtree for $200.  I've left the ad up as warning for others.

Post Script....
Yes,,, the leg was broken.  Both bones down at the ankle. The orthopedic surgeon says it will take about 16 months to fully heal. So in the meantime we've bought a coaster bus to fit out.  We plan to use this as our accommodation while we drive the east coast looking for our next boat.