Exciting and unexpected news! We were awarded the 2012 Rambler Award from the Ocean Cruising Club! We are in awe of previous recipients and are thrilled to be in their company.
The ceremony was held in London in April, nowhere near where we were.
It was sent to Jim's brother for safekeeping until we visit the US next. That will be...let's see....when....we have no idea.
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Sailing on a broad to beam reach in winds no higher than 25 knots. Slight seas. Warm days. Cool, clear nights. No rain. Lots of dolphins.
Our seven day passage from Pittwater, just north of Sydney, to Gladstone was the ideal first trip of the season. Now it's time to head inland to hike in the Carnarvon Gorge before exploring the Whitsunday Islands and the Great Barrier Reef.
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Tenaya finally made it to Sydney! It was exciting and a bit scary sailing past the Opera House and under the Harbour Bridge with all the ferries coming and going from Circular Quay. What we do for photos...
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02/16/2013, Pittwater, Australia
"It's dead," Jim uttered after failing to coax our microwave back to life. We had returned thirsty and hungry for a snack after paddling in Pittwater and hiking up to Barrenjoey Lighthouse and wanted nothing more than a cold beer and some parmesan and rosemary popcorn while relaxing in the cockpit.
Instead, I went online to find a replacement. The space in Tenaya's galley for our dearly departed little Electrolux was pretty small meaning the replacement had to be equally compact. After hours of searching, I found that LG made a model that would fit into the space with a little modification, but it had been discontinued and the stores were out of stock. GumTree came to the rescue. A student in the Sydney CBD was selling one for $35.
So yesterday Jim and I walked into Avalon and bought a bus pass. Today we paddled 20 minutes to the marina, walked ½ hour to the bus stop, took the 1 ¼ hour bus ride into the center of Sydney and caught a cab in a torrential downpour. For $40 he waited for us to collect our prize and returned us to the bus stop. As today is Saturday, the L90 bus to the northern beaches was packed but I scored a seat next to a man who seemed less than thrilled to have me and the rain-protected microwave plop down next to him.
With a little remodeling and a lot of patience Jim bolted the new microwave in place. It works like a charm and the popcorn tasted ever so good.
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01/29/2013, Coffs Harbour Marina, Australia
Okay, that was REALLY exciting!
We pulled into Coffs Harbour to wait for southerlies to abate before continuing south to Sydney. As usual when we're in marinas and occupied with projects, we ignored the weather forecasts. Then Jim began getting messages on forums about getting out of Coffs Harbour before the storm. Storm ... what storm?
A quick look at the Bureau of Meteorology site confirmed something ugly coming our way. Higgins Storm Chasers were already warning people in Bundaberg to be prepared for severe weather and when we woke up the next morning we learned of tornados touching down in that area.
Sheesh, until this point we were only concerned with the jellyfish, snakes, sharks and other creatures that can kill you in Australia, we hadn't considered the weather. We just assumed it would be fairly benign compared to New Zealand. Wrong.
We reviewed the options, which were all up rivers, and decided to stay put for fear of flooding. Fortunately the boat next to us went out on the hard so we tied Tenaya off on both fingers with eight lines and settled in to wait for the show.
Mother Nature did not disappoint. Yesterday was awesome! 7-8 meter waves crashed onto and broke over the jetty. The wind blew up to 45 knots. LOTS of rain fell. Watching from back deck was not that much different than being at sea during a good blow except I didn't have to think about the boat, I could just watch, take pictures and enjoy. It was so cool!!!
Jim made a fun 2 minute video of the storm. Watch it here:
YouTube video of waves breaking over jetty ...
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01/11/2013, Brisbane, Australia
No stop in Brisbane is complete without a visit to the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary. It's about the only thing we've done here aside from boat projects.
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