The big delivery

Home at last
Not that the toilet unblocking met with much success. It was too rough and I was too tired. Having opened the pump mechanism it was simply beyond me to put it back together again in a functional state. So, we used the ship's bucket for the remainder of the trip.
But the weather was kind with a fresh westerly to south westerly giving us calm seas (if we tucked in close to shore) and good SOG (Speed Over Ground). Another night at sea and at sunrise we had Byron Bay astern and the Gold Coast ahead. Well, we were like horses with the smell of home in their nostrils, and we happily sailed past the long strip of overpriced real estate until we ducked into the Southport Seaway on the top of the tide just after midday.
Yes, it was calm water, but there was traffic everywhere. MoBos and yachts (big and small), a para-sailor, several flotillas of sailing dinghys, and we had to keep to the channel or risk running aground. But we managed it with me steering, Burney calling instructions from the chart plotter and Ian keeping a sharp lookout.
We made good time until we got near Jumpin Pin and headed west towards Jacobs Well. The tide was racing out and we daren't give the motor too many revs for fear of it over heating. Eventually we crawled round the corner, pulled out the genoa and sailed off at a satisfying 5 knots. The southern end of Moreton Bay, on a falling tide and failing light with 1.8 metres of draft is not to be taken lightly, but the chart plotter again helped us sucessfully navigate our way. And before we knew it we were back near Victoria Point where Jezebelle (a boat I share with Martin) is moored. But on we sailed in a freshening wind. We sailed through the Banana Banks and then on past Peel Island at 6-7 knots.
We made it to the shipping channel at the mouth of the river and then our progress slowed to just half a knot as we punched into a strong Brisbane westerly under reduced power and no sail. So near and yet so far! But eventually we made it in close enough to get shelter from the waves and we picked up a little speed. But the Port of Brisbane is a busy place, and we were all pretty exhausted, and we were not expecting a ship to port of us to swing out just as we were passing (5 blasts of the horn alerted us). And there was a large barge whose lights seemed to merge with all the other lights until we realised it was moving and had to take evasive action once again.
Eventually we found our way to Aquarium Passage and slowly felt our way into this shallow and popular place. Our mooring was on the second row of piles (closer to the bank) and with great relief we had our lines on and motor off just before 2am. It didn't take much to fall into an exhausted sleep before waking up at the normal time on a Monday morning to pack up and go to work. (The unexpected delays on the trip had meant Burney and I took extra time off work, and we simply had to get back).
As I write, we have been back home just over a week. I have managed to fix the toilet, and started on the long list of jobs for the boat. The locals all seem friendly enough and the boat has started to dig a little hole to sit in at low tide. I have invited my Morris dancing side for a good pagan name changing ritual in about a months time. We hate the name Roama and have decided on Brahminy (named after the Brahminy Kite which we see often around SEQ waters). There will be a washing off of the name in sea water, many entreaties to the gods for their understanding and indulgence, a goodly amount of alcohol, and a few dances to clinch the deal.