I always said I hated "doing" the NSW coast. It well and truly lived up to it's reputation with seas like we've never really seen before and luckily we did not have to experience thanks to secure and safe Coffs Harbour marina. Finally we escaped early last Sunday with beautiful, quite glassy conditions on a nice gentle swell.
Of course in true boating style things started to change as it came onto dark - as it always does. We had a very eventful, rather uncomfortable night with up to 25knt W/SW but at least we weren't bashing into it. Capt.Col was head down in one of the engines from 8pm till he gave up at 3am with an Impeller breakdown. Much helpful phone advice from Grant in FNQ, the International Impeller Expert did not even solve the problem, but at least Col (aka Mr ex-Bunnings (Steve) father-in-law) of course had a new spare Impeller on board, (as you do) it's just that he could not manage to insert the temperamental silly little Impeller. At 10am the next morning I "nicely" (as you could imagine) ordered Captain from the engine room and in exasperation decided there was only one answer to fit a square peg so to speak in a round hole. Place small piece of Teak timber I found &place over the top of half fitted Impeller, take one hammer in the other hand, deliver two whacks to piece of timber and BINGO, problem solved, Impeller fitted, fixed and all engines GO. As Sue, my good friend & ex-boating mate (won't be ex for long) (other half of B2)so eloquently put it "when in doubt, give it a clout" - works every time as she well knows (think Byron Bay anchorage 2002) Speaking of Byron Bay. Capt Col remarked that we were the first people to see the sunrise that morning being the only ones at that time off Australia's most eastern point. Kept going the long slog past Mr Warning, Kingscliff, Tweed, Coolangatta and as is the norm for us, darkness appears as we start hunting for the Gold Coast Seaway entrance lights, amongst the thousands of pretty coloured twinkling Surfers Paradise lights dotted along the ocean front. As one does at Seaway entrances, I had to, figuratively speaking, "jump ship" & leave Col to navigate on his own as I was not going to miss watching "The Voice" Grand Final. Important things first. Finally we got a cosy little spot in the mudhole (it's nice really) near SeaWorld and as we were zombies at this stage after being up 48+hours I don't remember much more than a hot shower. When we did open our eyes next morning it was this that we saw out our bedroom window. We love the Gold Coast.
Due to our 2 week delay we have sadly had to leave straight away & it's all steam ahead up the inland waterways to BrisVegas. Mez I"ll put the kettle on, better still, pop a cork. More Gold Coast later, on the way back. Trying then to get to Moolooaba (Bill, here come the Mexicans) & beat the northerlies due Thurs. Trudy & co are due the Whitsundays in under 3 weeks, thinking we won't quite be there by then, but see how we go.
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| What a difference a day (or 12) makes |
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| Byron Bay lighthouse kept us company through the long night |
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| Mt Warning |
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| This must be Surfers Paradise |
Of course in true boating style things started to change as it came onto dark - as it always does. We had a very eventful, rather uncomfortable night with up to 25knt W/SW but at least we weren't bashing into it. Capt.Col was head down in one of the engines from 8pm till he gave up at 3am with an Impeller breakdown. Much helpful phone advice from Grant in FNQ, the International Impeller Expert did not even solve the problem, but at least Col (aka Mr ex-Bunnings (Steve) father-in-law) of course had a new spare Impeller on board, (as you do) it's just that he could not manage to insert the temperamental silly little Impeller. At 10am the next morning I "nicely" (as you could imagine) ordered Captain from the engine room and in exasperation decided there was only one answer to fit a square peg so to speak in a round hole. Place small piece of Teak timber I found &place over the top of half fitted Impeller, take one hammer in the other hand, deliver two whacks to piece of timber and BINGO, problem solved, Impeller fitted, fixed and all engines GO. As Sue, my good friend & ex-boating mate (won't be ex for long) (other half of B2)so eloquently put it "when in doubt, give it a clout" - works every time as she well knows (think Byron Bay anchorage 2002) Speaking of Byron Bay. Capt Col remarked that we were the first people to see the sunrise that morning being the only ones at that time off Australia's most eastern point. Kept going the long slog past Mr Warning, Kingscliff, Tweed, Coolangatta and as is the norm for us, darkness appears as we start hunting for the Gold Coast Seaway entrance lights, amongst the thousands of pretty coloured twinkling Surfers Paradise lights dotted along the ocean front. As one does at Seaway entrances, I had to, figuratively speaking, "jump ship" & leave Col to navigate on his own as I was not going to miss watching "The Voice" Grand Final. Important things first. Finally we got a cosy little spot in the mudhole (it's nice really) near SeaWorld and as we were zombies at this stage after being up 48+hours I don't remember much more than a hot shower. When we did open our eyes next morning it was this that we saw out our bedroom window. We love the Gold Coast.
Due to our 2 week delay we have sadly had to leave straight away & it's all steam ahead up the inland waterways to BrisVegas. Mez I"ll put the kettle on, better still, pop a cork. More Gold Coast later, on the way back. Trying then to get to Moolooaba (Bill, here come the Mexicans) & beat the northerlies due Thurs. Trudy & co are due the Whitsundays in under 3 weeks, thinking we won't quite be there by then, but see how we go.
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| Out of my bedroom window - We've always loved Surfers |
Pleased you are in your safe hole.Have to tell you this, we have painters in doing our ceiling. The chief is from Belmont and went to school with Trudy. He reckoned everyone at school liked Trudy, no one ever said anything bad about her.He kept saying it to us.Falc reckoned he fancied her.Small world? Happy days xxSandy Gai xx
ReplyDeleteHow nice is that. I'm just a bit biased, but that's our Trude and along with her sister, they are the best in the world, along with their brother that is, oh and apart from the wonderful Fi and Ben LOL xx
ReplyDeleteThat is so nice, made my day! Wonder who it is? Like you said, such a small world.
ReplyDeleteGreat the sailors are on the move again. Well done with the impeller Helzy.
I'll show the kids the photos when they get home, they like to know where you are. Most nights when the weather map comes up during the news I have to quickly point to show them, Mia usually says "wow". Funny. Love Trude xxx