SUNDAY. DEC 8th - PORT NIELL
The trip from Reevesby to Port Neill was fairly undramatic for a change. Initially the plan had been to go to Tumby Bay but we decided on the Port to get us a little further north for the trip across the gulf to Wallaroo in a couple of days time. After picking up a mooring in Port Neill's very pretty little harbour, the rest of the afternoon was spent being exceptionally slothful and working out what we needed to do tomorrow. Inside the bay the wind had calmed down considerably, the sea was fairly settled and I felt that we were in for a good night. Yeah.... I really have to stop feeling those feelings sometimes.

MONDAY DEC 9th - STILL AT PORT NEILL
During the night my hope for pleasant dreams were dashed when the seas came up quite dramatically which caused a lot of rocking and rolling and more than a slight concern of being tipped out of bed. Add to that some howling wind, lashing rain, lightning and thunder and it was like trying to sleep inside a giant washing machine disco. Luckily, being the fickle type of weather that it was and probably being burned-out from trying to unsuccessfully to keep me conscious, the disco packed up and went elsewhere, thus leaving me to wake up to a moderately placid and sunrise-glimmery morning.

After a couple of cups of tea it was time to go into town and visit the caravan park for a shower and to wash and dry our dirty gear. We found Port Neill to be such a nice place and so friendly. While the washing was doing its thing, we wandered to the shop (singular) to grab a couple of things and stayed chatting to the owner for almost ½ an hour. Then it was back to the caravan park, washed clothes in the dryer, showers while the load's drying and then back to the boat.

I think this was the first time we had had no screw ups at all. I hope that doesn't happen too often otherwise this blog could become a little ho-hum and quite frankly, that would never do!! :)

TUESDAY DEC 10th - still at PORT NEILL but wait.... THERE'S MORE
After another very quiet day spent in Port Neill waiting for the right sailing conditions to take us to Wallaroo, Dave somehow convinced me that the only way we could make it there with the forecast the way it was was to carry out .... dun dun dunnnnnnnnnn!! .... a 14 hour NIGHT SAIL!

I had been dreading this moment just as much as he had been looking forward to it, and now here it was, it was going to happen, and I wasn't all that chuffed about it. My inner chicken began to cluck obstreperously at the thought of it and then a slimy worm of panic made its way into my squishy stomachy bits, making those same squishy bits clench. Do I act all courageous and blasé about it or do I try and talk him out of this madness?? Do I smack him over the head with our baseball bat pirate deterrent? Do I throw myself on the floor and let loose the question... 'what about the children!?' Nope, the only thing I could do was take a nap so that I didn't have to sleep on the journey. *Sigh*

I took a Kwell tablet and we left at 8pm (that's PM!) in what was supposed to be moderately kindly seas, but the forecasters had got it so wrong. Less than an hour off the coast and with darkness rapidly closing in all around, the rolling began and the seas picked up with huge waves and bigger swells, none of which I could see coming. We were sailing with just the Yankee (it's a type of sail) but the boat was rolling like (insert expletive beginning with F) and the noise was horrendous. Venture was heeled right over with her scuppers in the water and waves crashing over the bow. It was like being blindfolded in a Kelly ball, getting pushed in every direction but never being able to see where it was coming from. I admit I was terrified and twice as much when Dave had to don a life jacket and tether in order to go out onto the deck to put the main up with 3 reefs in it so that it might stabilise us. It worked slightly but I found I had already wrenched a shoulder by hanging on too tight. When he got back inside the cockpit I couldn't stop the tears. Fear is a bitch. ..... (continued in next blog post...after midnight )