It's just about impossible to spend money in a pristine, uninhabited bay on Pentecost Island: even if you want to, you can't find anything to buy let alone anyone who will take your money. But here at home, spending is a piece of cake! It happens just automatically - mostly boat stuff but all the other temptations of First World life - music, meals out, clothes and electronics - these things all get in for their cut. We are doing our best to resist but we have to spoil "Destiny" while she's languishing here in the cool days of late winter and early spring. So, as well as the hard top for her cockpit we have just finished, we have splashed out and had a new mainsail made - Ian MacDiarmid did a great job and it is so nice to have a sail that works as an aerofoil that pulls us cleanly into the breeze, rather than as a blousy sock that smothers the breeze and heels us over. We have changed the reefing points a bit to allow a deeper second reef and have made reefing itself a little easier with the tack points given direct access to the reefing horns.
We had a test sail with Ian, and both he and we were mighty pleased.
Tomorrow we are taking "Destiny" to Blackwattle Bay to have the clears made up for the hard cover - Cam promises us it will take just a week - we will see!
Last night we had Dave and Mel Gunn ("Sassoon") over for a curry - they are back in Sydney having left "Sassoon" in Rebak Marina in Malaysia - they are, like many cruisers up there, not sure what to do next with the choices being a bumpy and long journey around South Africa, mulling around SE Asia for another season or two going nowhere in particular, and the unthinkable passage to and through the Red Sea. They are tied up next to our old and dear friends Barry and Mags on "JJ Moon". Barry is now whole again after occupying the doctors of Britain for a few months.
Pics of the new main, some interesting shots of the Harbour, and also of Opening Day for the season at the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron, can be seen by clicking here.