Tomorrow, Friday 23rd, Tullyvallin sets sail from Pittwater bound for Eden, about 2 days sailing from Barrenjoey head. Distance 220 nautical miles.

This voyage, for me and one other crew, ended at Jervis Bay yesterday, due to circumstances best left to the Akashic Record. .

I am leaving Hobart in two days for Sydney, where I'll join the crew of a yacht to sail her to Hobart, a delivery trip. We depart in a week or so from today and the voyage is expected to take 7 to 10 days.

I'll post once or twice along the way.

Here is a photo of the fore-cabin interior, where I have been obliged to cut and remove part of the lining, to allow me to inspect the damage, and to allow air in to dry out the saturated timber.

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I am working on board almost every day, in beautiful weather like today, shown here, or dodging showers of rain, or stoically ignoring high winds, repairing rotted out sections of the deck.

Rainwater, combined with neglect has allowed deck plywood to soften or rot; there is a part of the cabin top under a stanchion that has allowed much ingress of water. I'll show a photo of that in the next post.

I'm writing another blog, expressing my thoughts and feelings about life as experienced.

https://joeblakestopthinkingnow.blog/

Without completing or selling the 20ft Sharpie, I bought Thalia, an old couta boat.

She is 28 ft long, sloop rigged, lead ballast keel, built in the 1960's from King Billy pine and glassed over. Later, an owner built a cabin from plywood; she has a self-draining cockpit, 2 cyl. Yanmar 18 HP diesel, with mainsail, jib, and an MPS or reacher/drifter. Down below: V-berth plus 2 more bunks, galley sink and metho stove, toilet, VHF radio, brass oil lamp!

When I found her, last February, the SS shaft was corroded at the nut which holds the prop; she had to be hauled out and a new shaft made. Thalia (Greek muse of comedy!) sails gently, has a three-quarter rig and adjustable backstay. This rig is new to me, and I'll need to learn how to get the best out of it.

Went for a 4-day cruise to Barnes bay, DÉntrecasteaux Channel with Mark, who is the new owner of Bluebottle; he is a fisherman, and caught some flathead and couta. No wind at all, very peaceful but no sailing to speak of. Fun!

A few weeks ago I bought a cruising sharpie, 20'6" long, half finished. I had to go to Melbourne to get it, and towed it back via the Bass Strait ferry. Right now though I'm getting ready for my first trip to the UK and Europe, leaving in a couple of weeks, so the boat will have to wait till I get back. Some photos later.