Change of Plan

[boatman61]

Hey there Guy's n Gal's... well here I am in sunny Darwin... not a planned stop but we ran outa gas... full bottle with frozen valve and 2 empties... anyway the owners said we could not enter Darwin and to use the electric griddle and kettle via the genset... ever tried cooking spag-bol on a griddle in a rolling boat... flies everywhere and burns when it lands.. the clean up was no fun either so it was down the Dundas Strait and through Clarence when the next episode happened... rusted out jubilee clip on a water pipe gave and the tanks emptied into the bilge... good job we headed in.
So... got the gas refills this morning, connected up and switched on when one of the crew said smoke was coming out of the gas locker... turns out the gas locker is far from water tight and the solonoid I'd fitted in St Martin had corroded out and wires were mating... hot stuff.
Chandlers are currently getting us a new one... just gotta figure out how to waterproof it... would not be so bad if it was fitted inboard of the locker but where it is at present every time a wave washes along the deck it dumps water straight onto the regulator and solonoid... still thats a problem for the owner to resolve...
I just deliver... design costs extra...
So... the plan is sail Sat 8th for Freo... the final 2K miles.... cannot wait till I get off this bloody boat... been a nightmare... even at my normal rates I'd be underpaid for this one... even my almost sinking Catalac to Turkey was less stress.
Oh... another thing... Customs had a field day... especially when they discovered the floor in the bilges was plywood.... boy did they get excited...
5 hours they spent on her... then Quarantine came on board and took away all our food... Chicken breasts, meat the lot... and our egg n rice noodles... thats what happens when you get an Oriental inspecting...
Had 3 Customs fly overs between Booby Island and the Wessils... read me the do's and dont's each time... lol
Have asked the owners to meet me at the Marina in Freo with my air ticket and payment in cash and I'll be off this bloody boat 5 minutes after I've tied the dock lines...
Simon, Paul... have answered you guys... just let me know the delivery dates and we can work out a schedule... hope to be back in Europe mid October... but then I said that about June... and July... and August.....
Simon... your delivery was a dream job... all last years 6 jobs still did not add up to the hassle of this one trip...
So... all you folk who were asking what a delivery was like and a skippers life... this is it...
But thats why I started this thread... anticipated a run down the old Clipper route on a beaut up together boat... ended up doing the 'Milk Run' instead... and struggled to make it....
It aint the 'Easy Life' most imagine.... and thats a fact... else we would be outa work and the owners would be having all the 'FUN???'.....

[Weyalan]

Huge kudos on getting to Oz, at least. If you make it to Tassie, I'll buy you a beer or 3. Your account of your adventures on this have been interesting, informative, humorous and motivational!

[atoll]

have a beer at fanny bay on me!!!

God designed yachts to punish yotties for being naughty in previous lives!!!!!

good to hear you made it safe,was wondering where you had got to!

[Jaxxiam]

I'm glad you started this thread and that you're "taking us along for the ride".

Cheers!

[Wotname]

Welcome to Oz; mate, I gotta say, the boat seems to a heap of .........but well done for getting it this far. I can only guess what the last 2K will bring but going on the recent past record, it won't all be good.

Look forward to having beer (or two) when you get to Freo - even if it has to be at the airport bar .

[mbianka]

Boatman 61

Just remind yourself that a day on the water beats a day in an office. Well, most days anyway. Hope you have a fast safe journey to your destination.

[Mr B]

Welcome to Oz, Boatman,

If that peice of, well you know what I mean,

It would have been another boring delivery instead of keeping us and yourself entertained,
You will be able to talk about this one for years to come, You will see the funny side of it later, even if you dont now,

Tell us what you think of the voyage down to Freo, I am thinking of going that way on the way home from the Kimberlys,

Enjoy the Kimberlys on the way past, They also have some very big Crocodiles up there,

Cheers,
Brian,

[zeehag]

wow......hope your recovery is complete.......may the next delivery be a more funner one....

[savoir]

Sounds like a job for duct tape and chewing gum.

Yarrrr !

[Wotname]

No wonder the owner didn't want you to stop off in Darwin, seems like you spend up big on repairs every time you enter a port.

You are sending him broke

[boatman61]

Hey.... I'm just trying to live up to the 'WHINGING POM' image and keep the locals happy... and the boats not that bad... it has just done over 10yrs average cruising miles the last 5 mths with no marinas or 6mth interlude every year for a refit and polish...
Its just me getting ragged... solo with crew is a lot harder than without... these guys just eat and sleep.... none of the benefits that a female crew brings like decent cooking and interesting company... just tall fishing tales, mess and instant bludi noodles...
Probably great if your gay... but I don't wanna go there....
Shoot.... its that Bludi Pom sounding off again.... lmao
Another thing... dunno why I was so stressed about the Torres... a doddle of a run... had worse in the Channel Isles and the races... case of what you hear being worse than reality...

[atoll]

told ya it was easy,bramble cay then follow the lights,a nice down wind passage!

the last 1000 miles of your next leg is gonna be the hardest with 25 -30 knot head winds!
it would be a good idea to give the rigging a good check over after 12000 miles of downwind sailing,slack fore stays and uppers can cause problems pounding to windward.
check your deck hatches seal as well,as submarining and waves over the deck are the norm!

have you a stategy for getting south? stay off shore then hope for a westerly?
or hug the coast and motor sail?
perhaps someone who has done the trip can chip in.
the good thing is winter down south is over!
still i hope you are packing your woollies,you will enjoy that pilothouse! 10 degrees c in freemantle!

[zeehag]

boaty--yer havin a ball--just the noodles--eeewwwww-----and boys.....hhmmmmm--smooth sailing....

[Blue Crab]

Originally Posted by boatman61

Hey....Its just me getting ragged... solo with crew is a lot harder than without... these guys just eat and sleep.... .

This has been a fun read. And now the homestretch. Armchair sailing at its best for CFers!

[bvimatelot]

Originally Posted by boatman61

Another thing... dunno why I was so stressed about the Torres... a doddle of a run... had worse in the Channel Isles and the races... case of what you hear being worse than reality...

Well done so far, Phil! I felt exactly the same about the Torres (maybe more so - as I was going the "wrong" way!)

I hear you about crew!!! Some have been great but a huge number of them are a waste of space and eat you out of house and home!

hey ho - its a great life if you don't weaken! I've just arrived in Roatan then hopefully onto an Eastabout Transat then....who knows?

Tony