Report Number 20

Trip Report #20
Things went more or less as planned, weather was ordinary on Tuesday, so we
had a rest day and set off again at 5 am on Wednesday. Seas were a bit high
for the first few hours, but then calmed down a lot, so the speed went up
along with the comfort level. We passed about 30 freighters standing off the
coast around Newcastle and couldn't help wondering why, and who was paying.
Seas became choppy again as we were passing Terrigal, but then we cruised
into Broken Bay and picked up a mooring at Little Patonga at a bit after
5pm. And so our journey of 137 days and 11 hours finished where it began -
on the same mooring in Little Patonga. Thursday dawned absolutely picture
perfect and just this once, Karen didn't wake up Grumpy but let him sleep
for a while. Then we made our way slowly back to home - Berowra Waters at
1.30, where we were not allowed to sneak in quietly, but were welcomed back
with horn fanfare by four Club members who happened to be on their boats
preparing for another long weekend, and one who rang from work.
Epilogue
Looking back over a fabulous four and a half months, we really must
acknowledge the contributions of a number of people:
Firstly, Jess, who behaved beautifully all the way. She was helped
enormously in this by David Robinson(get well soon!)of Bayview Slipway who
repaired the front quarter of the hull, and provided a long lasting
anti-foul. Also associated with performance was John Harden of Hardtec who
worked feverishly on the electrics, and all those who have heard the stories
about the electrics since we bought Jess will understand how vital John's
contribution was. Graham Rowell did a wonderful job installing the new stove
and Karen gave it a thorough workout. Our communications were via a laptop
which came from Sam at Lifetime Computers along with major support. Then
there was Greg Dalkeith of Absolute Boat Covers who fitted the new bimini
which only fell down twice! And finally, Ben and Sam (Karen's son and
family) who provided transport on land whenever we needed it, which was at
various times from home to and from Berowra Waters, Mascot airport, and
anywhere else we wanted, as well as collecting all our mail (which they
claim was excessive in this electronic age!).
On the emotional support side, we must mention Jo and David first because it
was they who gave us the idea and then phoned frequently with sound advice
and suggestions, then Leonie and Denis who, along with Rob, kept us in touch
with our roots with a stream of short (thanks!) emails, and finally all the
other folk who sent us messages of support and friendship along the way.
When you are a long way away, and everything is new, it is really comforting
to open the emails and find some familiar names.
Along the way we met many people whose names we would have liked to list
here, but there just isn't room, but they have all been mentioned in reports
as we went along.
There will, of course, be a book, which will be followed by a set of CD's
with the photos. After that will come the spoken travelogue on a CD set, and
finally the movie on DVD!
Thank you all very much and we look forward to meeting up with you soon.
Love, Karen and Warwick

Report Number 19

rip Report #19

After we sent #18 we checked the forecast and it looked good for the next morning, but going bad in the afternoon. Up at 5 am on Friday ready to go but checked forecast first - NOT GOOD! Spent Friday and the next three days just wandering around waiting, although we did make contact with an American yachting couple, Smokey (don't you love it?!) and Sonia ("Charisma") who have been travelling since 1995! They fly back occasionally to visit family, etc. but otherwise they live on their yacht in marinas all over the world. Our attitude towards the trip has changed since we decided to head for home. We now just want to get there - no delays if they can be avoided. So we found the enforced idleness quite upsetting. It could be a double whammy, too - we want to get home quickly, but when we get home the holiday adventure is over, so we don't want to face that! We did try to do the tourist thing and go out on the whale watch boat - wouldn't you guess - the day we chose it wasn't going because it was too rough!! Then on Tuesday, just a week after we arrived, we upped at 6 am and took off out of there, heading on a 7 hour trip to Trial Bay. It was pretty uncomfortable with a 2-2.5 metre swell from SSE (which crashed into the front corner of Jess) and light N/NE wind. The person not driving really had no option but to lie down because it was simply too much hard work to sit or stand. We must get seat belts fitted for next time !!. Bit of a rough night in the bay, but forecast was 6 green, so we just hung on till next morning, when we got up at 5 checked the forecast - 6 green, Beauty! Set off at 5.30 then things got nasty. Seas were 1-1.5 metres on a 2 metre swell, too much for us, so we turned around and went back to Trial Bay, but the swell was barreling in there so we headed for the Macleay River entrance so we could hide from the weather yet again. Unfortunately, the timing was not perfect for crossing the river entrance and we broached a couple of times, that got the adrenalin pumping! (Broaching is where the boat comes down a wave then flounders and turns side on to the waves, often resulting in being turned over.) However, we survived and found the Macleay to be a very pretty river which we will definitely have a good look at next time. Forecast for Thursday was OK, but looked a whole lot better for Friday and Saturday, so we chose the right tide and moved ourselves out into the bay again ready for an early morning start on Friday. Our policy now is to grab the good weather and run with it as far as possible in a day. So on Friday we set off for Camden Haven, one of our favourite spots. Didn't work out, though, because as we approached Port Macquarie, the weater turned quite nasty, so we shot into Port and found a swing mooring at the marina where we stayed for the next two days. Did manage to catch up with Paul and Helen Gibbs, colleagues of Karen at TAFE and had dinner with them, Very pleasant night which helped soften the disappointment of having to take Camden Haven off our visit list and with it the chance to see Charles and Lynda. Oh, well - next time for sure. Saturday the wind howled and the Swans lost and a very large catamaran ("Sungate") on the next mooring swung around and came within 50 cm of Jess. Very frightening and we called the VMR who came and gave us some good advice, but by then the situation had recovered and all was well (except that the Swans were still losers!). Sunday the forecasts were a bit mixed but didn't look too bad, so we left Port about midday with the tide and ran down to Crowdy Head. Saw a couple of whales not too far way, but could not get photos. Crowdy is a pretty little spot and we would like to have a better look in future, but this time it was just a very short overnight stop, and we were on our way again by 5 next morning (Monday). And then we had the most magnificent trip - flat seas, light wind and we pushed the motor up an extra few RPM, so we travelled at over 7 knots, very quick for Jess. Went past Tuncurry and Forster and hurtled down to Port Stephens. This trip would noemally be about 12 hours, but we were on a mooring in Nelson Bay by 3.30 and not too tired. Pleased to be there, though, because they are promising some pretty bad weather starting later today. Forecast is not promising for next couple of days, but we will wait and see. However, we are planning to possibly go straight to Broken Bay next, which will mean not seeing our many friends and relloes in Lake Macquarie. We will miss seeing them and we hope they will understand our feelings about just wanting to get home, especially because Karen starts work again on 16th, and wants a few days to prepare for that.

So, there we are - rushing home as quickly as the weather permits, and the next trip report could well be after we get home. Until then,

Love from Karen and Warwick