Cockatoo perch and Canada Day eh!

Well, the cockatoos were beginning to perch in our rigging....not that we mind them but they don't seem to be housetrained and although we love their raucous language, we have no idea what they are saying....undoubtedly they just saw the Canadian flag and were visiting to remind us of the special day!

But when the birds start thinking you are part of the landscape, it is a subtle hint that it is time to move on....so move on we did...after coffee of course and yoghurt!

Exiting the inlet was interesting, if only to remind us how sheltered we were while hiding in it....the seas were running on the beam...that's the side of the boat for you laypersons....and big enough that every now and then one would break all over us!  Fortunately we were sheltering in our canvas covered cockpit and just had to hang on!  Anyone without sealegs would likely have been 'tossing their cookies'!!

But we smashed our way back to Airlie Beach, civilization of sorts, and enjoyed a long walk down tourist strip, filled our jerry cans with water and picked up 2 liters of drinkable wine!

Conclusion:  Toketie needs an autopilot (to steer the boat when there is no wind or too much from the wrong direction) and we have to make reefing a simpler and safer exercise.....

Happy Canada Day eh!

chatter boats!

Toketie has been 'relaxing', code for pinned down by strong winds and heavy rains!!  The sun is out today, the 8th day here and that is always a relief.  We do have NZ friends anchored nearby and we have made our way over for a visit and had them onboard for scrabble.  The nights are tiring though as the wind gets up and though we are in a safe and sheltered inlet, the gusts come barreling down between the hills and Toketie's bow slews off to leeward till the slack on the anchor chain pays out and then she slews off in the other direction, followed by a calm period where the tide turns her beam on to the bit of swell that has found its way to the head of the bay.

For entertainment, we have taken to listening to the morning and afternoon 'scheds' the charter boats hold.  There are three bareboat charter companies operating out of the area and as this is prime cruising season, they are all busy.  The charter boats are required to report back to the company by VHF radio with their location and their plans for the day.  Most boats are families with young kids on board.  In fact yesterday, Linda looked out the porthole during a lull in the rain and wind gusts to report a young fellow in a dinghy having trouble starting the outboard.  He could not have been more than five years old and had been having a great time entertaining himself racing around the inlet...but at the moment he was standing and tugging at the cord on the outboard.  He managed to put a small anchor down on the reef so he was not drifting away and he was wearing a lifejacket!  After watching for a while, we decided to put our dinghy in and go to the rescue.  We had lifted ours on a harness and it was hanging off the side of the boat so not much drama dropping it in the water.  The young fellow had been calling to his dad on the deck of their anchored charter boat behind us so I decided to head over there first to ask the dad if he wanted to ride over to his son.  He accepted gratefully and after correcting him on our Maple Leaf being a Canadian, not American flag, I took him over where he proceeded to start the outboard with one pull....seems the young fellow wasn't quite strong enough.  He thanked me, saying "that's twice he's done that now"....I'm sure when they get back to Melbourne they will have stories to tell.  Meanwhile we have been here so long now, some of the boats are starting to look familiar.  I guess for the thousands of dollars they are paying to charter, they feel they need to make an effort to get out during the day and see more of the islands in the area...I'm sure when they get around the corner from the inlet, they realize just how sheltered it was where they came from.  But many of them bravely make it out and undoubtedly find another little bay, probably with more swell, to snorkel or explore the trails off of sandy beaches.  And by late afternoon, most of them are crawling back into Nara Inlet or Cid Harbour to shelter for the night.  The VHF radio scheds are quite comical, often young kids coming on to reply when their boat name is called.  They report their location, sometimes with a long pause while they check with the parents, and haltingly as children do describe their plan of action for the day.  It might go something like, "after breakfast, we might try to get to Butterfly Bay and see what it's like there"....  One small catamaran, "Lulu", did not seem to be having such a good time....when their name came up on the rollcall, the husband came on to announce they were heading back to the marina and "getting off this boat"....they had two very young kids on board, I hope it didn't turn them off of sailing as it is an entirely different experience when the weather is calm....

Linda made sushi last night and there is lots left over for lunch today...and carrot cake the day before so we are not suffering....we have lots of books, some beer, no wine and some rum for when we really get restless....but the wind generator is humming and the batteries are happy...wish we had more movies that we haven't seen several times over....but the cockatoos still put on their show every evening and a pair of very large sea eagles have been circling in the updrafts.

Canada Day coming up!  Might have to break out the bigger flag!

Nara Inlet, Hook Island

It was nice to get out of Airlie Beach! Though we were enjoying the town, we decided to explore some of the famous Whitsunday Islands area. After a night in Nara Inlet, the weather forecast is calling for 30 knot winds by the weekend so, as this is a reasonably sheltered inlet with good holding, we decided to sit tight here and ride it out....from two boats this morning, the inlet has filled with over a dozen by nightfall....a hike on a short steep trail takes you to a cave with aboriginal paintings on the walls....and at sunset hundreds of cockatoos squawk as they find their perch for the night.

Airlie Beach!

We were on our way North but a headwind came up and that was all it took to divert us into Airlie Beach.  It is a very touristy place, jumping off point for charter and dive boats to the Great Barrier Reef.  But it is a large sheltered bay and tomorrow we are going to shore to have a look around.

Whitsunday Passage!

The new engine performed quite well up the passage....of course there was a bit of tide running!!

Whitsundays!

Finally....6 years and the whole Pacific Ocean and we are in the bl*^&%dy Whitsundays....well...at least we are out of Mackay!  New engine running great, new shaft bearing hit 70C first day but ran a bit cooler second day, of course we sailed some of it....breaking in the engine...running high revs etc etc....now in postcard picture anchorage of Cid Harbour (almost as good as Desolation Sound).....beautiful rosy sky, barB goin....no swell (thank Odin)...and quiet...you can almost hear the bats chewing the mossies....plan is to plod our way N to Cairns and see how much season we have left!!

The Persimmon Tree

The problem with reading Bryce Courtenay is that it makes you want to give up even attempting to write anything meaningful.....I started with 'Power of One' (thanx Y) followed by the sequel, Tandia and have now just finished The Persimmon Tree....it's criminal how this guy strings words together...well, ideas actually, and teaches you so much in the process while entertaining the heck out of you.....but then...recommending anything to anyone is always a dangerous passtime....so this is just about what we are up to...at the moment....and if anyone is interested, the shaft bearing was fitted today and we ran the engine under load at the dock....still warm but the walrus has spoken and it's time to 'blow this popcorn joint'....so as soon as the 30 kt winds and heavy rains ease...we are moving North again....who knows how far....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persimmon

And they're off....almost...

We did cash our shower keys in and head out the breakwater....only to turn back an hour or so later with an overheating shaft support bearing.....so we have been back at the marina for four days now and think we have identified the problem and expect a newer, heavy duty, shaft support bearing to arrive today!!! Hopefully not too big a job to put it in and it should solve the problem!! Stay tuned!

New Engine - Day 10 and Done!

Morning dragged by with still no shaft....it had been sited in Mackay just down the road but the delivery company would not guarantee when it would be at the marina so by 11AM, one of the mechanics drove to town and picked it up!  A couple of hours of final fitting and it was all over but the crying....that would be paying the bill part...which was way more than they said it would be but gave us no choice but to pay it or find ourselves in the yard till we did!!  The good news is that no corners were cut in doing the job.  The best of materials were used and everything was done to a high standard.  I am very happy with the result!

Mark, the master mechanic came along for a sea trial.  We motored out of the harbour and after tightening a hose clamp on the muffler to stop a small trickle of raw water, he asked my to give it full throttle!  That took us up over 7 knots which we had never been able to do before under power.  Settling back down to 2000 RPM, we moved comfortably over the water at more than 6 knots so the engine is putting out more power and maybe the new pitch on the prop is more efficient as well.  On the return, Mark noted a slight wobble to the shaft so will drop by in the morning to adjust the coupling.

It was a sad day for the old Nissan that served us well for so many years!

Its off to the yacht club for dinner and hope to head to an island about 20 miles from here tomorrow, relax for the weekend and return to have Mark check everything after running it in.

New Engine - Day 9

Getting down to the short strokes here....well except for the new shaft which seemed to have gone missing while being shipped from Brisbane!  A lot of details depend on having that shaft in place...like levelling the engine and hooking up the exhaust....but by late afternoon we managed to locate it at least and it is apparently physically in Mackay.  Unfortunately they would not deliver it to the marina so we expect to have it first thing in the mid-morning...this being Australia after all!  But Mark is doing a phenomenal job getting the details sorted and with a bit of the luck of the Irish, we could be in the water by mid-day tomorrow!  We did start her up today and what a treat that was....not for long as no cooling water...but enought to hear her purr.....very exciting!

New Engine - Day 8

Well, I'm sure all you faithfull blog followers (who put up with the technical detail and secretly want more adventure and lots of pictures)...ah the vicarious life is a hard one!  If you guessed we are in a good mood, you are right!  The new engine was crane lifted in today and lowered onto the mounting beds in the newly painted bilge.  After a minimum amount of wood butchery (no challenges there), we are sitting on the settee with a new Yanmar beneath!!  I can't tell you how great that feels!  We are not quite out of the woods but definitely over the hump (as opposed to over the hill)...as this kind of experience will either make you younger or return you from whence you came....

The shaft and prop have apparently arrived in the town of Mackay and will make their way to the marina tomorrow morning....shaft is critical now to align the engine, then lots of details to complete the install.

New Engine - Day 7

Big day today again!  Welder on board...made up new engine beds...then grinding away the paint so he could weld them to the hull....very strong supports for the new engine which with any luck will be lowered in tomorrow morning.  Also today worked out the PSS dripless seal for the shaft.  This was a bit more complicated than expected as it did not quite fit behind the shaft support block.  But another plate going in to move the support block forward and all should be well....expecting the shaft and prop tomorrow as well....

New Engine - Day 6

Oh happy day!  Feels like Christmas around here....new engine arrived about 10AM....old worn cutless bearing has been removed (where the shaft exits the hull).....new metal plates will be fabricated and welded inside the bilge (hopefully tomorrow) for the motor mounts to rest on.  The shaft, prop and PSS dripless seal are due to arrive tomorrow as well.

It seems the timing of the engine replacement was impeccable....closer examination of the old engine showed broken metal bits where the gearbox was attached to the drivetrain....it would have failed suddenly, usually in the worst possible location, so it is good we are tackling this now!

Scraping , sanding and varnishing continue on the hatches and the sun is still shining!

New Engine - Day 5

Sunday here!  Lots of locals launching their fishing boats for the day and live music in the pub at night.  Sanding the big hatch took most of the day.  More varnishing.

New Engine - Day 4

Not much to report today!  As it is the weekend here, no one else is working...but that did not slow us down.  The bilge in the engine area received its second coat of two part epoxy base and the bilge sections, going back to where the new PSS dripless stuffing box will go, also got scrubbed out, scraped out, de-greased, washed and epoxied!  Although we don't have the new engine, they gave us a panel and wiring harness so I made a mounting plate for it and ran the harness down through the closet, under the drawers and across to the engine compartment...that's always fun!  Linda is making good progress sanding and varnishing hatches and handrails.  The cockpit table finally got sanded and coated as did the new engine instrument panel.  The weather is wonderful, about 23C during the day and down to 12C at night...very comfortable for working and sleeping.  It is hard to look out to sea however, as it is also ideal for cruising with steady tradewinds and blue skies....

New Engine - Day 3

Friday here....the day when all the workers disappear by 4 o'clock....probably looking for that cold brew...not a bad idea! I spent the day cleaning out the bilge area. After de-greasing and scrubbing it, I applied a coat of two part base expoxy to all exposed metal parts. These are areas that were below the old engine and couldn't be reached in Fiji when we re-painted the bilge. The new engine did not arrive, disappointing, but we are told it is in Mackay just a few miles away....not sure why it would be there and not here but ours is not to reason why, just to do and have a rum punch! I also cut a board to mount the new engine control panel and will run the wiring harness through to the bilge tomorrow. Linda went to town and picked up more sandpaper and beer, our staples lately! So tonight we will stumble down to the yacht club and see what the special is. The old engine and transmission sit forelorn on the concrete...maybe painting it Volvo green before we left was an omen! They call them 'green anchors'...though I'm sure the Swedes would disapprove!

New Engine - Day 2

Another busy day! Mark, the Yanmar dealer and chief mechanic came by to inspect my prep work. Ready to go and the crane is ordered! A half hour from when it arrived till the old engine was sitting on the tarmac! A bit of juggling as it came out of the bilge when the support brackets for the feet had to be removed to clear the hatch. The transmission was quick to follow along with the shaft and heavy stainless muffler which will be replaced with a plastic Vetus. The hole in the floor is filthy from leaking oil, coolant and raw water from the stuffing box. Weather is cooperatiing with clear sunny skies and light winds, cool in the morning which is very comfortable. A parallel project sees the exterior woodwork getting a much needed facelift by the first mate!

New Engine - Day 1

Up at 0600, coffee on....expecting to be lifted at 0700....1130 they finally are ready for us....Toketie once again visits the yard...and the old Chrysler Nissan makes its final voyage. With 20 knot gusts and the tide running out, it was exciting just getting off the dock! With 18' tides, the lift was higher than usual. But we managed and now are set in the yard. I spent the afternoon disconnecting all hoses, wires, engine mounts and separated the transmission from the engine in preparation for the crane tomorrow which hopefully will lift it through the skylight!

Re-powering in Mackay!

Well, the day has come....not unexpected...in fact have wondered how long our old diesel engine would last!  But working our way North, the cold mornings found us cranking her over more than usual and wondering if she would fire at all....not a pleasant thought when tucked in safely up a winding river around sandbars....turns out the compression is very low so the old girl has served her time and now we face replacing her with a new Yanmar!!  Wish us luck...tomorrow we haul out and I will take all the hoses and wires off so a crane can hopefully lift the old engine out throught the butterfly hatch over the settee...but we are committed (or should be) and see no other way of going forward than to take a giant step back (financially) and move on.....it's a funny old world...pics to follow.....:)

Mackay blues!

With plenty of sunshine and great winds, Toketie has managed to get as far as Mackay....with the infamous Whitsunday Islands just in sight....however the main GPS has been failing intermittently which is not critical as we have backup but it sure makes you realize how spoiled we are looking at the chart plotter and seeing where you are...and more importantly where all the lumps around your are!  As we are now in behind the Great Barrier Reef, there are many small islands and shoals and rocks and you need to be watching all the time not to run into any of them....also the old 'iron genny' has been cranky in the morning and not starting easily...probably just because it has been colder but since most anchorages are either up a creek or river or inside a fringing reef, we depend on the engine to get us in and out....so we are stuck in a fancy expensive marina in Mackay, trying to solve a couple of technical problems....also getting more beer, doing laundry, sewing lee cloths, etc.....and now the winds are howling 30 knots....so we read books, do chores, watch movies....and try to cope with the stresses of cruising...still beats going to the office.....:)

Coastal Cruising!

Safely tucked into the sheltering arms of Port Clinton, an abandoned attempt at loading ships and now part of the military training grounds, we can relax temporarily after three long days and rolly nights on the way North from Bundaberg!  The bay is tucked around a headland so free from the constant swell coming off the Tasman Sea.  Dolphins feed and play around us as we enjoy a 'sundowner' in the cockpit.  One other boat across the bay is our only company.  The forecast is for rain and Northerly winds, not our friend, so we plan to sit here for a day and catch up on some chores.  It has been a good three days plodding our way up the Australian East coast.  Everything from 30 knot tail winds to motoring in calms, so far stopping every night to get what rest we can.  We seem to have overcome the 'sailing blues', maybe the land travel break was beneficial, and though there are always challenges, we are enjoying the sailing once again!  We do not know what tomorrow brings but you must have a plan so our plan today is to make for Cairns, enjoying the Whitsundays and other stops along the way, then hopefully over 'the top' to Darwin and see what lies in store.  We loved Thailand so if we can get Toketie up there we would love to see more of the area.  Most boats join a rally in Darwin and sail through Indonesia.  We have chosen a path less travelled and plan to head straight West into the Indian Ocean to Cocos Keeling Island and then turn North to the top of Sumatra and direct to Thailand.  However, it is a long way and anything can happen so we etch our plans firmly in the sand and they glisten like a Sand Mandala (Tibetan: དཀྱིལ་འཁོར།; kilkhor) leading us on.....

...the pic is Fred and Lesley who made us feel welcome in Bundaberg and introduced us to so many fine people.....

"sail on Silver Girl"

It is with a heavy heart that Toketie prepares to 'go troppo'.....

Bundaberg, Australia has been a mixed blessing.....the flooding was one of the most intense experiences we have had in the Pacific Ocean!  For the third time since leaving Canada in 2006, we seriously contemplated giving up the cruising life.  But two months of land travel in Malaysia and Thailand have convinced us to give it another chance.  With all the drama and trauma in Australia though, the silver lining has been that we have met some incredibly fine people and I believe it is mostly their total acceptance of us into their lives, always being there to help us, whether machining the stripped out windless or a ride from town or the railway station....not to mention saving us on the river, that gives us the strength and courage to continue! 

But 'the time has come the walrus said' and the Great Barrier reef and points West are calling so last minute preparations have been completed, provisions have been stowed, fuel, water and all the other essentials for self sufficient living have been seen to and even the weather has finally cooperated with strong SE winds to drive us up the coast to Cairns and beyond to Darwin.

This message, however, is a special thanks to the friends for life that we have made in Bundaberg!  Through Lesley (OCC Port Officer) and Fred, we met a group of serious blue water sailors with many circumnavigations under their collective belts.  And a finer group would be hard to find anywhere!  So to Chris and Ann who bring the concept of 'mi casa es su casa' to life, to Brendan (who literally saved our bacon) and Marina, to Derek and Gill, to Phil and Liz, we can only say that just being who you are, so open and welcoming and willing to help, you have inspired us and given us back our love of this cruising life.  It's not always easy, it's never the picnic that non-cruisers imagine it to be, but it is a uniquely rewarding and fulfilling lifestyle that challenges us at every turn and makes us feel alive!  'Silver Girl' we hope to see you in Thailand next year and we will be keeping a weather eye out for 'Jorga' when your nest is empty and the call of the wild lures you to distant ports once again......rumour has it they are opening China up to cruisers :)

There are no 'goodbyes'....only farewells till we meet again.....thank you Bundaberg from david & linda!

the 'mastah' of pastah at work

while visiting friends in Canberra, we were treated royally ....the homemade pasta was to die for.....of course the 20 year old Penfold's was icing on the cake....thank you John & Masumi!

splash!

Toketie is back in the water and we are happy to feel the floor moving under us again!  We are still at the dock but keeping busy getting sails back on and a million other chores.....not the least of which is charts for what we think might be our next adventure.....stay tuned!!!

home again home again

well....back in Bundaberg....Bagarra actually....house sitting the water dragons...after a wonderful visit with John & Masumi in Canberra.....but we must confess that it feels nice not to have to pack our bags again for another expedition to bus/train/plane stations.....as for figuring out where we go from here.....that seems to still be a mystery......

Sangkran!

In the Buddhist calendar, we are beginning the year of the rabbit...2555!  On April 14, as we were driving back to Thailand from Cambodia, the festivals were beginning.  Also known as the 'water festival', Sangkran is one of the biggest celebrations in Thailand.  The throwing of water on each other signifies cleansing for the new year.  In Bangkok, areas of the city were packed with soaking wet people as the celebrations took place.  They can last from 3 days up to a week and everyone has a lot of fun.

eating and sleeping in Thailand

We are enjoying the food in Thailand!  On the streets, you can still eat for a dollar or two, not including your beer which can run another dollar.  It can be very spicy, as in the Tom Yam soups or quite bland as the many variations of deep fried pork, chicken, beef or prawns!  Noodles or rice are the staples.  The next step up from eating from the countless carts on every street and alley is the open air food courts or very informal restaurants....only slightly more expensive but you get a plastic table and chair to eat it on.  Then come the mid-range restaurants with proper seating, and likely fans or air conditioning, where you can have a meal for two for under $10, again adding a couple of dollars more if you drink beer with it.  The local beers, Singha from Singapore, Chang from Thailand and Tiger from Malaysia are very popular and the big bottles (equivalent to about two cans) will cost anywhere from 60B to 120B and there are about 30B in a Cdn dollar.  Wine is available but imported and expensive.  Phad Thai, of course, is everywhere and varies considerably in quality.  It is not hard to find Western food if you get a craving...pizza and burger joints abound. 

We have been fairly lucky with hotels although a couple were not up to standard and we moved pretty quickly.  The best way to book them seems to be online where the prices are often cheaper than showing up at the front counter.  The risk is that the pictures do not often reflect the reality.  You can find a room for 200-300B but on viewing them we never found one we could stay in.  Our tastes seem to average about 1500B or $50/night and for that we have been staying in very nice clean safe places usually with a swimming pool.  It's way over our budget but that went out the window long ago!  This is the Mei Zhou Hotel in Phuket, one of our favourites!

elephant & mahout

we did the 'support the elephant' thing and rode this old girl around the trail with the mahout.....sad really as they are chained by the leg the rest of the time and it seems only the 'big boss' really profits from it....but they are fed and working and breeding......apparently some of the other elephant riding tours are more conscientious.....

quiet time on the beach

....on Ko Lanta.....

Contemplating!

The Temples or Wats are everywhere and very much a part of the culture.

local fishing boat

This is one of many local fishing boats we saw on the island of Ko Lanta.....usually propelled by a big diesel engine on a long shaft that sat on the stern...

The Chinese Dragon!

Great statue we walk past every day.......in Phuket!

Spirit House

In Thailand every property, every Buddhist one anyway, has one of these at the corner of the lot or on larger building maybe on the roof.  It is well maintained and offerings are made daily.  The idea is to placate the spirits of anyone who formerly lived or died on the grounds...to give them a place to reside.

Humpback cow

One of the earliest domesticated animals...about 7,000 years ago in the Indus Valley of present day India.....along with goats, sheep, dogs, pigs, chickens.....from 'Guns, Germs & Steel' by Jared Diamond

Phuket!

After nine days on the island of Ko Lanta, raining most days...in fact heavy rains, flooding, squalls....good thing we rented a scooter the second day and saw the whole island....wasn't so bad though as we were due for some 'down' time...as in recovery from the bus ride from Bangkok....would have been fun in my 20s.....but at this stage....well lets just say we'll fly back....now in Phuket and we seem to be enjoying the towns/cities more lately....more to do I guess....even the hustlers can be fun....the Tuk Tuk drivers are on to you at every corner...they rarely take you where you want to go but if you want to see the gem factories, their cousin's tailoring shop or countless souvenir places....they get stamps for petrol apparently for bringing you in....once you catch on you can use them to get you around cheaply....needless to say we have seen some shrines, some beaches and some marinas....still not decided whether to bring Toketie all the way up here....life is good here...as in cheap....and people are nice....but there would be some challenges getting here so no decision yet.....found a really funky bar that was hosting jam sessions....called the 'Glasnost'....closed now for a bit as it was getting too hot....Jna who was married to one of the owners has become a friend....four or five more days and we are back in Bangkok.....internet not always convenient....more pics when possible.....

Ko Lanta beach

....the view from our resort on Ko Lanta Island.....

on the other hand....

for anyone seeking the ultimate getaway.....

tarzan and jane

...we have finally found a place to settle down that suits our lifestyle.....sharing with the anacondas is a bit unsettling though....

reclining Buddha

...they say the Buddha is represented in three positions....standing, sitting and reclining...this 42m statue is second only to the 44m one in Bangkok....I believe he was sitting under the Boddhi tree when enlightenment struck....

Ayutthaya!

not quite Angkor Wat but dating back to 1200AD.....if they had better mortar, they would have stood up better....