It's the "off season" on the east coast of Australia. Time for Condesa to have a birthday. In other words, to be lifted out of the water for a feisty high pressure hose and scrape, Anti-foul below the waterline, a cut and polish and some detailing above.
The white board equation to plan tides from SYC to Boat Works and back again was consuming the small
portion of what was left inside He Who Hums brain. You know the rest was chokers with boats jobs, tools, external ladder/steps, paints required and the skilled tradies to achieve wonders within 5 working days. Then He Who was hopeful for his long list of blue jobs to be achieved in line with the highest tide for our "splash booking" on Friday.

Business on the dry dock is as you'd expect with boat-cranes, fork-lifts, delivery trucks, management staff in numbers wearing high vis jackets, tradies in hard hats and cars zooming about as I make my treks to the laundry/ lounge and back (the pink jobs). The only issue, I noticed the drivers are more focused on the marine vessel or work area they were making a B line for than any yachty with a Santa sac of washing on her back. Add in beeping noises and the sound of crane motors, a few instructions yelled here and there and it is "laundry lady" beware!

7 days clicked over on the dry dock before we were eased back into the calmness of the water. We missed the top of the tide but there was just enough water to make it back to Southport.
The electronic instruments showed the deepest part of the channel. All was well, even the engine seemed quieter. Condesa cut through the waters of the Coomera river like a hot knife through butter.

My eyes swivelled between the GPS and the gleaming white mound of a sandbank 👀 that peeked sheepishly from beneath the dropping tide. He Who Hums says "We have deep water ahead"; which I'll translate for you... "we are currently down to .2 > .5 under the keel!😳 - of an old school FOOT that is!... it can only get better I convince myself! Yes you might say there was residual PTSD from our last sandbank encounter in the Sandy Straights.
Leaving that behind us, we achieved like we had for every haul-out over the past 13 years, with concentration and a dash of good luck. We well know tide, like time, waits for no man.
However the dry-dock is always a fabulous experience. Right from our arrival when the Boatwork staff latch their extended boat hook onto your rails to guide you into position for the 80 ton lift and call out "We've got you!" She is in good hands to the day they eased us gently back in and release the weighty slings beneath Condesa. We soon hear "You are clear to go" and they watch as you drift off into the channel without issue.

It's a wonderful feeling everything fresh as a daisy both inside and out. The sun was shining and a couple of hours later we saw the Gold Coast skyline, as a backdrop to Southport Yacht club, home.

Thankyou to the wonderful people at BoatWorks and Daniel our Detailer who cared for Condesa like she was their own.