Today was (is) a good day. Early, we had our dinghy collected, to be taken and have the leaks sealed; it has been leaking quite badly. Then with the help of a friend, Christopher, and his car, we took our gas bottle to be filled with propane. A bit before that, a helpful manager of the marina took us to a shed where people dump unwanted stuff and we scored a 4Kg propane bottle - still in date, still legal. this we had filled also. The wonderful thing was the filler fitting at the Bait and Tackle shop fitted our tank, and the free pick-up bottle fitted our hose back aboard! It all worked - surprising since the bottle we took from on board was bought in Panama, and all our onboard stuff is American.

Then Christopher took us grocery shopping, along with Kim, of Victoria. I bought some 2-pack paint for the rust spots, and some beer! Chris had lunch with us on board when we got back - a very interesting man, instrumental in publishing A Course In Miracles in Australia.

After lunch I tackled a long-standing problem: the gas issuing out of our propane stove burners was coming less and less, and worse - the flame was now going out. Although it is "forbidden" to poke anything down the jets - I thought, well, what have we got to lose - they don't work anyway, and we're going to have to buy new burners - so I joined alcohol, a Q-tip and some fine wire, and - BINGO!! - the burners came on hot and strong, as good as they ever were! Boater's rule - fix-it-yourself!

Adrienne says now we have plenty of food on board people will want come sailing with us!