Home Sweet home

Last night moonraker sailed into the port of Fremantle which ended our journey on the water for another year. Well at least for a big sail.

I have learnt much this trip. I am indebted to a few people who have made me push the boundaries and made me learn for myself. I have had a few problems but it is how you overcome these little adventures that either build your character or break you. There were moments when i felt maybe this is all too big for me and there were moments that I thought no way.. I can do this...

I have now done it. brought my boat home with the help of a friend and the personal support of many.

I have realized that i can do this, get my boat in and out of ports and marinas, I can steer while furling and holding ropes, I can navigate and get the boat out of a marina in the dark.. I can raise a sail and set one just as good. i can read the wind and I can sail my boat..

Again we sailed down the coast with another boat and once again the friendship of a Yachty was greatly accepted. Gulnare is now in Jurien, Gray Douglas is on her way home and Pegasus is heading for shark bay. Trenquility two has come home early..(my update on yachts..)

Well it is time to end this blog and thankfully say we are home safe and sound and will now start to prepare for the next journey... this time with a crew..

To those of you who are following my journey i thank you for your love and support. It is always a learning path and one which never ceases to amaze me.

Home Sweet home.. but its not quite the same as floating on the ocean..cant wait to get out again..

Friendship and yachties

I am presently in Jurien Bay and enjoying some quiet time to myself.. It has been good to catch up on some jobs that have needed doing and attaching some cupboard doors that have come off their hinges. Guess i shouldn't put so much into them, but when you are packing and making the last bits fit you seem to just shove that little bit more.

We had a good sail down from dongara and it was lovely to have Kaine with me on the journey. He is starting to understand the ropes and is learning about luffing and setting sails. He will make a good sailor one day as he has the patience and can enjoy the beauty that he sees around him.

I have had to get the alternator mount fitted properly while I was here in Jurien and for those of yo who are reading this then i wanted to let you know that the gentleman here that looks after this marina, Ian Alexander has been a great support. He has worked on my engine and helped me out with all sorts of information that I required. When you are sailing and looking for some support it is people like this that make you feel welcome and wanted. I am greatly indebted to him for his generosity and support.

Whitehaven have just sent me an email and let me know that they have arrived in Perth after a 20.5 hour sail from lancelin. They had a tough time with some wind and ended up motoring the last length. Now that is a family that is working together. Sailing with three children and doing it a little tough has got to be commended. Julie and Margaret are in geraldton getting new belts and will be heading to Port Gregory soon.

Through out my life I have met many people from all walks of life but i would have to say that country people and yachties are my favourite people.

Bambi

has anyone watched Bambi lately... I recently did this with a young Adia jane and in the movie thumper says "if you cant say something nice don't say anything at all..." so I am going to take thumpers advice and keep my blog nice...


My children have arrived today and we are redy to sail tomorrow heading to Jurien. thye boat is ready again and we will be under sail before we know it.. I am looking forward to spending the time with kaine and teaching him to sail this big girl. He needs to learn as oneday he will be the skipper himself.

Julie left today and has arrived in geraldton and sent me a message saying that they are swimming off the back of the boat and having fresh lamb sandwiches. I am so thankful that they have looked after me fro the time i was here by myself.. they have been great company. Sasha arrived today and is looking to sail tomorrow also so that should be good company. there is a buoy floating ten miles off the coast heading north and there is a warning notice out for it.

gez has made it with kaine and they are sitting around telling stories and keeping me amused.. feeling very blessed at present.

i will be in Jurien tomorrow god willing and will finish my blog of my day then.
Goodnight everyone.

Captain bligh strikes again

Well it has been a different day to say the least. Not sure of what emotions are flooding through my brain but i guess they will all settle with time.. My girlfriend always says "this too shall pass" when crap falls in your lap, so i am thinking if i just sit quiet long enough this too shall pass.


We are having a change of crew and so in between times watching the weather forecast and trying to work out a safe passage home. Whitehaven has joined us with Ruby Tuesday, they all came for a sundowner tonight so it was good to catch up on the gossip from around the boats.

i am looking forward to seeing my family..

Tuesday and all well

When ever you think there is nothing left to do you are always amazed how busy life on the water gets. Tonight we had high tea on Tiare 2 and then it was home for dinner not to mention half way through the darkness of night our fiends start coming in from the eolling sea and are trying to anchor and pull up moorings. This was just another source of entertainment and it was good to see familiar faces even if it was just from a dinghy in the dark. It looks a bit like the yacht club here at present. I can imagine how these boats must be feeling coming in through the leads late at night cold and hungry, wet and looking for safe ground. White haven two catamarans nd then there is Ruby Tuesday all here settling in for the night. There are strong wind warning's tomorrow so i don't think anyone will be moving quickly.

I spent the day playing in the kayak and just pottering around the boat, checked my engine and my alternator my fuel lines and had a look to see if i was leeking any water. Just the normal boat job s a girl does..I am so surprised at myself that these things even enter my head these days.

I caught some whiting for breakfast while Reid is doing deals for his flash boat he has just brought and Ralph has been helping me fish. Oliver left today and it was sad to see him go and say goodbye to a part of something that was a togetherness, no matter how remote. I will miss his cheeky smile. he is just like another son.

It was really a beautiful day even had the girls out... hahahahaha

ended with scotch and sunset fishing... it doesn't get any better than this.. well maybe just got to find it..

lazy Day in dongara

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We are hanging off a mooring in dongara with the wind blowing southerly. Sunset has been and gone and we have had Julie and Margaret for dinner. Gave us a chance to cook a roast lamb and enjoy some vegetables for a change, Have to beat the scurvy somehow... We have had a lazy day went into the town centre and had a counter lunch with of course a couple of beers for the boys. they say "i am such a Nanna..." obviously my drinking habits are not up to par.. Oliver kite surfed for the afternoon, it is a great way to keep track of your kids you just tie a great kite around their belly and you can see them for miles.

Oliver goes tomorrow and i will be sad to see him leave. There is always a touch of sadness when one of the team leaves the ship. It is like losing a family member. i remember when Reid left last year and my heart sank watching him fly away. it has been good to have the young pup on board, he has been a sense of amusement and the different culture has kept us all guessing..

Living in close quarters with each other you soon learn that nothing is sacred. I was trying to pluck my eyebrows much to the boys amusement as the conversation soon transfered to body hair and Brazilians. Funny what you talk about living so closely together. No one was showing any bits to prove either way though.

There are fish jumping around the boat at night here so i have brought my prawns and plan on catching a fish before i come home. I am determined. we sailed past this little dinghy in the middle of the ocean and Ralph yelled at him " caught anything?" he very proudly showed us his big dhu fish as we sailed past.. talk about jealous, his smile was as big as his boat.

There were dolphins playing in the wake of the bow on our way here. Six and seven at a time. They would come for ages and you would even get a little bored just watching. Every time you are blessed with this sight you remember how gracious they are. It is truly one of those special moments.

We will camp here for a few days and wait for the bad weather to pass. There is no rush so we will just wait and see where the wind blows. How blessed are we...

Dongara

We started the day with mild weather and flat seas, a very pleasant way to start the day and see where life takes us. It wasn't long and some mild wind picked up and the question was to we put some sail up and see how it fares, much to our young pups thoughts the sail went up and we increased the speed by a knot. a knot doesn't sound like much to some but to us it means do we pull inot the harbour in daylight or night. By Midday we were tussling over lunch and the wind started to move and it wasn't long and once again we were looking at twenty five knots off our port.

It has been a good day nothing broke, no water in the bilge, my bodger as the Maker calls it has a few tears as to where it was sewn, another trip to Debbie i think....but other than that we have arrived safely and are now holding on a mooring. It was good to see Julie as we approached the entrance and waved as we motored past looking for a place to set up camp for a few days.

Drop the dinghy and make it for fish and chips before it gets too late..It is never as good as you remember but the thought of people music and a fresh walk is all too tepting. there are big swells here again for the next two days even the fishermen are not going out in them, so here we sit and play withthe locals.

I am looking forward to a shower and some fresh clothes for those of you who know me it is no surprise to say I have been to the hotel tonight in my pyjamas.... some things never change...and of the course the money in my left tit..the feral me is quickly coming out again. and again.

the boys are all relaxing upstairs with a beer vodka and gin. They have hardly had a drink except for the usual beer on arrival but otherwise they are surprising themselves. They each brought books and i bet them non would get read.. not one page so far. we are all too tired to even think about reading. They are big days early starts and consciously aware every moment except for when i went looking for the crew and here was Reid sound asleep on the back deck in the sun and here was Oliver sleeping on the front deck. They are obviously working way too hard..

It is good to hear them all laugh and tell stories that just get better. Olivier has spent the day singing on the helm and a little out of focus but a constant amusement for us. Except when he wants to look at my nav screen when i am pulling onto the leads.. I told him touch my screen and i will break your legs.. hahahha he never touched my screen..

All is well here and I am ready for bed.. I never go to bed early but there must be something in the air.. goodnight everyone..

the clean up

today we head o Dongara after spending yesterday putting the boat baack together and fixing the alternator. It had broken off the main leg that holds it all together. No wonder there was no charge. Ian Anderson rescued the day helping me pull it out and weld the part then replace it.. some great photos of black faces greasey arms and now bruises on your arse.. must go we are starting to stir and the boys are getting up ... time to go..

Jurien

Today was one of those days where you really need to have a good sail and feel good about what we were doing. We started the day out at seven am with the water police looking for us and trying to get messages through... great moonraker is in trouble again..

There was little wind and rolling seas which made the day pleasant enough to have a chat and talk about the gossip in our lives..Amazing the secrets that come out. we motored at six knots and each took turns on the helm. the wind kicked in after lunch and it wasnt long and we were doing eight knots with just a head sail. By the time we were coming into Jurien we had a quarter head sail and still seven knots. the wind had definately picked up and we were now looking for the Marina. Cleverly Sylvia has sent us to a pen that is just about impossible to get into. In fact so impossible we ended up in the one opposite. Tied up and safe we each take a moment to disengage the worried looks on our faces and wonder what on earth are we doing..

So often we forget that we are not perfect at sailing and we are all here to learn. The lessons never stop whether they are on the water or tied up in a pen. We caught up with another sailer, tony who has been sailing on his own and also got caught in the current. He hove to for four hours trying to think about what he was going to do. Dusky Dolphin is also here ready to turn back. It was good to hear Tony's story and realize we were not the only ones that got caught. Apparently the weather is doing sporadic changes at presnt causing the sea to turn inot a washing machine. Scary to say the least.

So here we are tied up back in a pen and finding the welcome releif of hot showers and a comfortable bed. We will stay here tomorrow and get ourselves sorted for another sail on sunday.

Are we still alive?

It is hard to write about a crew until you actually begin to know them and share time. Here we are day one and starting to sail North. We have a crew of four Reid , My dear friend from Dunsborough and Ralph our friend from the Sailing club and our new young pup Olivier our French kite surfer.

We started the day fairly uneventful got away about seven am and here I was standing on the bow with the boat under sail ringing my friends and saying goodbye. The sun was high in the sky already and we had a fresh wind in our sail. It was beautiful out there, having the usual breakfast of weekbix and fruit and pretending to be so well prepared.

The crew were doing the usual chit chat finding our feet with each other and working out the pecking order. Olivier being french was the general source of amusement as he would make up words for things he couldn't explain.

All looked rosy in the garden of Eden until the day started to turn to shit. It wasn't long and we were reefing sails in strong winds, fighting big seas in five metre swells,there was no where to go but out to sea and hopefully keep the boat upright without too much water coming over the stern. Of the years that I have been sailing never has the boat been so trashed. We couldn't get downstairs for finding floor space and cupboard doors that were once attached were no longer holding together. Even the bathroom cupboard no longer has doors. The sea was like a washing machine and we were getting thrown from one side to another. I don't often throw up but here I was with my head in a bowl and peeing at the same time. Just a fantastic look I must say. We were now in the Leuwin current and struggling to go anywhere it was getting dark and we had to make decisions. We reefed, we battened down and we held on. The cockpit was under water and waves were breaking around us.. not bad for our first sail together.

We sent out a pan pan and thankfully no one heard us but when we finally made contact with a boat called Jezebel they told us the weather was fine where they were and having a beautiful sail.. Lets head there... it took us hours to get back to some form of pleasant water , now we are motoring and trying to hold course and praying there are no cray pots in our way. We arrived in lancelin about midnight, anchored up and assessed the damage.

It was here we had our first beer as a team and I realized I had a crew. They each had worked together, talked about the problems shared information, made decisions and set plans. There were times we each looked grim but there were times we laughed together and teased one another to keep the momentum of calm. We learnt a lot from this adventure and our sailing skills increased two fold for all of us. I guess you have to make some mistakes to learn and you push yourself to the limit every time you take your boat out in situations like these and sometimes these situations just come from nowhere and when you at least expect them.

For a moment I thought what on earth am I doing here and I think its time to sell the boat,time to change my way of life and think of new adventures. t has taken me all day to overcome these thoughts.

We have lazed around today, fixed cupboards watched our young pup kite surf had a beer in the local pub and played on the beach. Reid continually tries to keep me wet in the dinghy, with no help from the waves when we land.

Tomorrow we head to Jurien and stay there for the night I have decided to go back to hopping up the coast and keeping my crew safe. Cruising is not meant to be about the rush. It is time we had a good sail and remembered why we are here.

Funnily enough though our crew are bonding, teasing each other taking the time to share moments tell stories and most importantly share space.

To our families that are reading this blog, we are all well and happy, the boys are presently asleep in their bunks with full bellies and peace in their souls..a little sun bleached but looking happy.

keeping the dream alive

One of the hardest things I have found about sailing is the keeping the dream alive. There are so many circumstances that come along in every day life that hold you back from achieving your dream, whether it is family or children or lovers each one represents their own agenda which quite often does not coincide with yours. For some strange reason we accommodate to suit others needs and put our own dreams on hold. We always think we can wait for another day. But somewhere we have to take responsibility for our dream and hold on tight, no matter what evolves and fight to keep the dream alive.

Sailing has been my dream and that sense of living with the sea has been my goal. Moonraker is ready to travel in the morning and with a crew of four she is capable of sailing the seas well into the night.

We have spent the day packing and preparing for the last minute tasks and amid the excitement of knowing that we are going we are all fairly exhausted. Many of my friends have gathered to help me on this next leg and to them I am so grateful. It was the live aboards bbq tonight and it was lovely to see everyone there to say our last farewells. They are some of the best people I have met in the world. There must be something to this grotty yachty way of life.

We are heading for Dongara in the morning and then to the Pelsart. There are twenty eight boats going that I know of this year so it will be good to have that sense of friendship on the water. It is a five am start and I am still writing submissions....do you see what I mean when I say it is hard to keep the dream alive..

The journey begins...