Dolphins accompanied us as we left the picturesque Two People's Bay early this morning on the second day of our sail to the East Coast. Today is almost a dream of a day. Pete Murray is singing about the blue sky as we sail beneath its vibrant canopy - wispy early morning clouds gave way to blue sky, blue seas and a beautiful day. The only thing that could make it any more beautiful for sailing would be if the light Easterly winds that have accompanied us all day strengthened and turned to the South West! But you can't have everything can you?
Yesterday we left Albany. We were so ready to leave - not just in terms of getting the boat ready and all the practical things that went with that, all the work, all the making and fixing, all the storing of what we would need - no, we were ready mentally too.
I am so incredibly glad that the boat wasn't ready to sail around Australia when we arrived - if it had been we might have left and not be quite ready to. As it is we have learned so much and come so far from the people we were when we arrived. We are sailors now! Yes, we feel that we truly are!
You should see us all on deck - there is music playing, Pete Murray still, we've just finished lunch, Liam and Peter are dozing , both harnessed up and clipped on, Erina is still feeling a little queasy - the only one to be unwell yesterday - but feeling much better than yesterday - lying in the shade after taking some photos and a bit of video footage of the day. And I of course have my computer in front of me with a few things to write - this blog and a chapter of what I am working on.
This is the life we dreamt of having back in Canberra when we decided to put the house on the market and go for it! Yes, this kind of day with a low swell, crisp deep blue horizon, warm sun on our skin and the wind, such as it is, in our sails.
We are heading for Bremer Bay but with this light wind we might pull in at Dillans bay instead and go the next 20 NM in the morning.
We set anchor last night in the peaceful Two People's Bay - we were the only ones there. We fell asleep with the soothing sounds of waves that were breaking a little way away from us. Oh, but just in case you think it's all lovely I should mention that before that we (by which you probably know I meant Peter)had to clean up a little vomit from earlier on deck, and that our night was punctuated first by the piercing sounds of our anchor watch alarm going off alerting us that the anchor had moved - which it actually hadn't - twice - and by the sounds of the alarm clock waking us at 2 hourly intervals so we (and yes, this could again read Peter) checked on it. I would like to point out though that while it is Peter who got up to do the checking, it was me who reset the alarm each time and told him with many encouraging words what a man he is! When the first alarm for the anchor watch went off though we both leap out of bed. Peter knew exactly what it was and went first to turn it off - I just woke to this piercing racket and was on deck in seconds expecting to see- I don't know what - a tanker yelling at us or something! Still it was a spectacular clear night and I have never seen so many stars in the sky in my life before - my fright was soon rewarded with the majestic beauty around me!
And so we sail for the rest of the afternoon and then stop again for the night. We could not have asked for better days really to begin this adventure. And so far, well it's just what we hoped for!

Photo supplied by Mark McRae of Southern Ocean Sailing - thanks Mark - how lovely to have a record of how we looked at anchor!