Sailing with Nine of Cups

Three sunrises and two sunsets and we were berthed in Crown Marina in North Haven, just south of Port Adelaide. We'd shed layers of clothing as we sailed up the Gulf Saint Vincent and by late afternoon, we were sweating as opposed to shivering. What a difference a day makes...and a few degrees of latitude.

David took no time in getting the hose and fresh water to work on Cups. Poor girl was covered in sawdust, bird poop and salt. What a mess! She cleaned up well though. While David worked on the boat, I wrestled with on-line airline ticketing in an attempt to get a flight out as soon as possible. Hot showers, a glass of wine with dinner and a relaxing evening seemed to take a good part of the stress away.

I awoke suddenly at about 0300. The boat was totally still and quiet … not rocking and lurching, no halyards slapping, no wind generator cranking out amps. Total silence. I'd slept through my watch. No, I reminded myself in a sleepy stupor, no watch shifts tonight.

There's a half-hour time difference here as we moved into the Central Time Zone. Can't figure out why half and hour instead of a full hour, but we didn't have any say in the matter, so we just adjusted our clocks.

We took a walk around the neighborhood early the next day before the heat set in. If we'd just been plunked here and didn't know we were in South Australia, we'd have guessed we were someplace in Florida or maybe the Gulf shore of Texas. Small streets were lined with single level, moderately sized homes. Palm trees sloughed their fronds and most yards were small, but manicured. Closer to the water, condos prevailed with a berth in front of each one. Masts alternated with power boats, one marina after another.

Silver gulls have the run of the place here … hundreds of them as evidenced on the dock walkways. We shooed several away late in the evening and by early morning, they'd re-congregated noisily just outside our open portholes. They are not as cheeky as the Portland gulls, however, and have stayed off the now-clean poop deck so far. We moved the boat to another slip in hopes of avoiding some of the noise and inevitable poop in the future.

I leave soon for Boston. David will remain with Cups. We scoped out the local supermarket and there's Saily's Pub as well as Indian and Chinese take-out nearby. He won't starve and his to-do list is long. As for me, I have a 40-hour flight in front of me and no idea of what lies ahead.