Finally, the rain stopped, the skies cleared and summer came to Tasmania. The excitement around the marina was palpable, and the air was filled with the sound of sanding and the scent of varnish and paint. We worked long hours to sand, prep and then paint the coach roof, polish all the stainless steel, apply Stockholm tar to the served parts of the stays and, finally, Tuarangi was ready for the Wooden Boat Festival.
After 6500nm, 10 months and hours of getting ready, we said our farewells to everyone at Kettering on Thursday and set off for Hobart. We had mixed sailing as we headed across Storm Bay and up the Derwent River, with four, 180 degree wind shifts, changing tack but not course each time! As we sailed into Sullivan's Cove, we radioed up Wooden Boat Festival control, to request permission to enter the marina. Two RIBs came out of the marina to meet us and guide us in, one helmed by Mick driving one of the Antarctic Division Boats, which were helping out. Soon we were alongside our allotted berth, surrounded by beautiful wooden boats. It was really exciting as boats arrived and flags and bunting were hoisted and fluttered in the breeze. Margie came down and had dinner on board with us and we got ourselves ready for Friday 6th February, the opening day and all the excitement ahead. I woke very early and thought I'd head to the three showers at around 5.45am. It was a beautiful morning, not a cloud in the sky and as I popped my head up the companionway, I was faced with a very large camera lens, which hopefully was focused elsewhere! Many keen photographers were taking advantage of the early morning light and the reflections in the calm water. The showers were already busy, but I managed a quick scrub up and then we were ready for the day. More boats were docking and Richard and Michele arrived to crew with us for the parade of sail. We headed out of the marina and back down the Derwent and were soon flying in and out of hundreds of vessels of all shapes and sizes, in a stiffening breeze. It was excellent fun, dodging tall ships and rowing boats, overtaking boats with huge sail areas and swooping in and out of the procession at around 7knts. We had been advised that the arrival of so many boats at one time, could be a little chaotic, so we sailed in large circles for an hour or so, dropping our main to slow things down a bit and going from 7 knts to 6.8! We had no problems getting back into our berth, with the Antarctic Division boats on hand, shoehorning boats into small spaces. We had three boats in a gap for two and were delighted to find great neighbours on board Island Vertue, Periplus and Saona. Simon and I headed to the Owners Welcome function, where we had drinks and nibbles and listened to the welcome speeches. There we met Peter and Karen, who had brought their beautiful fly fishing boat "Driftwater' to the show. We caught up with Michelle and Richard who were staying over and took fish and chips back to the boat. The next day, we spent some of the time on board, chatting to fellow boaties and some of the 250 000 visitors and a few hours exploring the vast site. There were demonstrations of boat building, lectures on various subjects, kids activities, around 600 boats to see, amazing food and music events, activities such as rowing, sculling and tug o war and a merchants' market place, selling everything from brass nails to engines. The weather remained perfect for the whole weekend, and we met some really interesting people from all over Australia and NZ, many of whom knew something about Tuarangi. We put up our chart with our route onto a board, so that people could see where we had been. We answered lots of questions, with the most common being about the wind steering and our passage. Highlights were meeting enthusiastic young sailors, in particular Abi who grew up on Tuarangi (sister of Hannah we met in Opua), with her partner Ben and baby Ada. It was lovely to have them aboard. The days went by in a blur of talking and hot sun, absorbing lots of information, ogling at stunning boats and meeting so many people. Thanks to David and Anya for taking us out for dinner one night and to everyone who took the time to come and say hello! Thanks also to Michael for daily bakery treats and Ben, for being the best neighbours at close quarters. I went to a lecture called 'How to make movies of your boat that don't suck' and Simon went to two lectures by Brion Toss, world-renowned rigging guru. We both came away with lots of good ideas! All too soon, the festival was over and the yachts started to head for home. Along with another 5 or so boats, we elected to stay the night, as we had been offered a space at the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania the following day. It was very quiet around the place, with only a few visitors wandering round, and the inevitable photographers still snapping away. Our friend Michael, who we had met in Vanuatu, collected us and took us to their beautiful home looking over the Derwent, where Isa had prepared a stunning meal. It was lovely to catch up with them.
We both decided that the Boat Festival was well worth the voyage and we have happy memories that will stay for a lifetime. For all wooden boat enthusiasts, the next festival will be in Hobart in early February 2017!
One excitement over and the next began with my brother Doug and sister-in-law Carolyn arriving on the Tuesday. After moving to our berth at the Royal Yacht Club (another generous offer from someone we have never met...thanks John for arranging this!), we walked into Hobart, grabbing a bottle of bubbles to celebrate their arrival. We had a lovely catch up and wandered around town, ending up having a delicious dinner at an Asian restaurant and a whisky tasting session at the Nant Whisky bar. The next day, after a visit to the boat, we all headed out to MONA, the Museum of Old and New Art. It was a very hot day and we were glad to be inside out of the heat. MONA is in a fabulous building and we all found ourselves challenged by some of the art pieces...well worth a visit, but certainly not a conventional gallery! Doug and Carolyn came for dinner on the boat that night. The following day, they drove to Port Arthur and we did chores around the boat and had a walk up the local hill. Doug and Carolyn came for a drink on their return and we ordered takeaway dinner, which we ate at their apartment, making use of their washer and drier. Yesterday, we headed over again to eat the left overs for lunch and we all enjoyed a visit to the Maritime Museum, a wander around the harbour and an ice cream on the waterfront. We had dinner in Salamanca and a last visit to the Nant bar. Today being Valentine's Day, we went to the Jam Jar for breakfast and had a wander around the Salamanca Market in the rain. Simon and I are feeling like locals as we met people we knew last night and this morning! Sadly, Doug and Carolyn had to leave late morning and so we said our farewells and headed back to the rather damp boat. Thanks guys for a few really good days!
Now we have to start making plans...no weather windows for NZ currently and so we are thinking about the possibility of leaving the boat here in Tassie over the winter while we head off and do other things. Then we can come back next year to do some necessary woodwork on the boat and finish exploring this wonderful island and then cross to NZ. Lots of discussions to be had and decisions to be made. We'll keep you posted!
New album on the right...Wooden Boat Festival!