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PS: I had a lovely weekend on the boat with the cheese and kisses. A couple of nice sails between eating, snorkelling and sleeping.
Overnight at Q Station where we went to the Boiler House bar type place for dinner and met a couple in their 30's doing the same from their Triton 24. Had a good time drinking and eating pizza then stumbled back to the dinghies where I made some very loud, expletive-laden joke. At that point a Wildlife officer of some kind appeared out of the dark to very politely ask us if we could be quite as the Fairy Penguins were trying to make their way out of the water. Behind him were about a dozen figures huddled silently in the dark in the middle of a very special wildlife experience...
... before we four drunken bogans bumbled onto the scene! Sorry wildlife watchers! Sorry penguins!
May try and use my Flemming.......Does the wind vane NEED to be perpendicular ???
Went for a motor sail overnight to a remote island. used Autopilot most of the trip as I do. :)
What movie did you watch on the way S.A.? 
Hows Icon working out for you after you've put your mark on her?
Hi McN..,
I have the same windvane, a "Monitor"
Google 'Monitor Windvane' & you'll find many videos - it's simple to use and once you learn how to sue it, you'll love it.
regards,
allan
No one is going any where in North Queensland, as it is currently blowing 30k SE .We and about 20 other boats have been in Mackay Marina for a week waiting to go south. Ever body is complaining about the constant South Easters. At this stage it looks like there will be a mass exodus out of here on Wednesday morning.
Yep, Nth QLD is all SE this year. Seems all the weather windows are midweek. Good luck.
Had a great sail in the Cook Island race, unfortunately for me it was a close reach down and a close reach back as the wind backed to the North East so the little old s an s 34 got swallowed up by the more modern, bigger and faster boats and I ended up last over the line, which didn't really matter because I was disqualified for not meeting the min crew requirement.
West Bay Middle Percy is a lousy anchorage in a Southerly ,you will roll your guts out
Things are getting worse in Mackay Marina. 6.00am this morning in a big 30k rain squall the 80' 60ton steel heap of garbage ( below ) that has not moved for 3 years broke it's front mooring line a slammed in to the side of my boat resulting in bent stanchions and scratched side. It could have been a lot worse but for the swift action of all the other boat owners round. The broke who lives on the boat weighs over 300kg and can not even get out of his bedroom and after we got the boat back in place his wife emerged, lit a cigarette and said nothing. In the process it also ripped the power bollard (a super yacht one)from the marina and destroyed it, which the marina is not happy about. I don't think they have insurance even though you are supposed to have to be in a marina. From what I can make out the marina can not get rid of them. Anyway they told the marina manager to tell me to get a quote for the repairs and they will fix me up with cash, so the quote for repairs is $640.00 which I give them this afternoon. The lady said she would pay me tomorrow, so let's hope so. Anyway the weather is looking good to get out of here on Wednesday, thank God.
Sorry to hear about that Jode5.
The hulk in question appears to be the old 70 ft Venus that was a dive/fishing charter boat out of Bundaberg some years ago. If you are going to be there another day or more you should demand another berth or they cop a law suit.
I think most marina managers have not a clue about what they are managing. Bean counters who stepped on a floating "Gin Palace" once which supposedly qualifies them to run a marina.
Like I said yesterday, jump the gun and get outta there.
Well I had a bit of excitement this morning. Sailing offshore and probably only a mile off the entrance sailing East close hauled, windvane steering. Just happened to glance forward and a whale broached dead ahead. I was about to T bone him. Disconnected vane and put the helm hard over and through the wind on a 360 with the sheets still cleated. Bow missed him by a couple of feet and as his head passed the cockpit he saw me and sounded. I was dragging the camera out of my pocket as I held the tiller over and of course I only got his wake. Resumed course and he appeared astern about a hundred metres heading in a different direction. Did not actually touch him.
Now I have had plenty of encounters with whales over the years, especially when I was a fisherman and had a few touches when stationary, but this one was going to hurt. With the fishing boat they are always aware of you but a yacht they have no clue. Dodged two others shortly afterwards and as the breeze freshened and there were white caps I could not relax and headed for the beach and home.
Speaking of whales, here is a pick my wife took a few years ago when we were in WA
Regards Don
thought some one might like it some time
