Port Macquarie to Gold Coast - February 2016

Finally the time has come to say goodbye to Port and all my friends and head back to the Gold Coast . . .

Fete is looking a treat as you can see here with her new tender moored alongside, new sails and boom covers, plus all of the other work that we had completed over the 2 years that we have been here in Port.

The time has also arrived for those goodbyes to my friends here on the Th(u)rd Finger and around the Marina, some of whom are leaving Port themselves shortly and will heading up to the Gold Coast and points further north.

Rick and Marie aboard their Cat sv Shaggy & Stevie Jourdain to name but a few.

The crew have been organised and soon I will leave to collect them and bring them back to start the trip back up to the Goldie.

I know that when I leave I will surely miss my view of the Hastings River looking north from Fete's bow.

And I definitely know that I am going to miss our afternoon "Witching Hour" drinks on the Th(u)rd finger with Sparra, Mal, Steve, Sheryn, Nic & Dana, Rob & Chris, Ray, Bob and Dave and Sue, Scotty & Annie, Rick & Marie and the others that would join us from time to time.

At left, Nicola taking a selfie with me in the back ground & right Dave & Sue English's boat San Michelle and behind that Sparra's mv sParadise.

But Before we go any further with this blog, I wanted to let you know that Fete became an Australian citizen/registered vessel. The process was slow and long as I had to get a "Deletion" certificate from the US Homeland Security before AMSA would register her as an Australian vessel. As you can see here the wait was well worth it . . .

The time is almost here to head off with the crew for this leg already in place and raring to go. 2 of the crew you would have met before, namely Zom (bottom left), Russell (bottom right) & the last and newest member Tony (Tone) Foster.

They look eager enough to get going, so all we had to do was wait for a good weather window which was what Zom was looking for on his iPad.

Getting away wasn't going to be easy as I thought as the Th(u)rd Finger crew decided to have a little going away party for me but they called it a FOS party, meaning "F@#k Off Shaun" party.

As you can see here all gathered over a drink or 20 and they even had a presentation for me. I was really touched and greatly appreciated all their thoughts and memorabilia, one in particular. . . .

Rob Radcliffe at left making the presentation to me.

As you could have guessed .  . . yes, Shaun the Sheep.

Annie (Get Your Gun) Priest tagged me with this nickname right for day one on the Th(u)rd Finger and I am afraid it stuck.

But Shaun the Sheep now has pride of place in the dodger as you can see here at right.

The day had finally arrived - Sunday 28th February. High tide was approx. 12 noon and the bar was looking smooth as we surveyed it before returning  to the marina to get ship shape.

The weather was a little overcast, as you can see, due to the flow on from the cyclone that hit Fiji, (Hinton???) earlier in the month.

We were told that further north, Ballina to Tweed, were experiencing 3-5 meter easterly swells which should dissipate before we got there - time will tell . . .

So at approximately 11.30 am we set off from the Marina on our way back to the Gold Coast hoping that the weather would abate as we moved north.

As you can see from the pics above and to the right, it still wasn't a smooth passage thru the bar and at one point we had to nose thru a swell that was breaking just in front of us.

Russell had the helm and Fete went thru with no problem at all. I have experienced this before with Fete and knew that she can handle  this type of crossing.

Off we went heading north with a 1-2 meter swell from behind and around about 15-20kn's of wind.

During the FOS party, young Nicola, had a look at the worn-thru state of my thongs and asked what I was going to do with them.

We discussed what should be done and that was to nail them to the wharf, in front of my old empty berth, to give the impression that I had walked off and left them there, and as you can see here at left, that is exactly what Nic did and sent thru the pic for this Blog.

Thx Nic.

Off we went and it was smooth sailing throughout the rest of the afternoon and as the sun began to set on Day 1 I took this little snippet with Russell again at the helm. We were flying with Russell trying to squeeze every knot he could out of Fete, but we still had the engine running due to the conditions.

It had been a rough night and as you will see below, everything and all lockers were trashed and thrown onto the floor in all cabins.

Obviously the weather from the Fijian cyclone hadn't abated and we started to experience an easterly swell as well as the southerly up our arse. We also still had the wind coming from aft as well - felt like we were in a washing machine.

Day 2 started off dull but the sun came thru and everyone was on deck to get a bit of the sunshine. Even Tony who had hardly come up on deck thru the first day due to the conditions, but here he is beside Russell & Zom.

Later in the day we had some good weather and made many miles, but there was still a little chop as you can see above in this slo-mo.

The rest of the day went the same way, but when night fell, I was glad that we had the AIS up and working. On the 1st night we saw about 4 boats on similar courses to us and we altered way to make it easy for all concerned.

On the 2nd night we saw plenty of boats going and coming in both directions. But early in the morning, around 4am, a ship coming from astern on the same course did not change his course at all and was heading straight for our stern. Russell and I waited to see if he would alter course, but that never happened and we were forced to change course to get out of his way. 

Finally with dawn breaking we saw the old familiar skyline of the Gold Coast and motored on up to the Sea Way.

View from my Hope Island marina Berth overlooking the Tavern

It was approx. 10.30 am, 47 hours since we departed Port Macquarie, when we entered the Seaway &

 signed off with the VMR at the Seaway Tower and down to the SYC to drop Zom & Tony off before Russell and I headed back to our mooring at Hope Island Marina.

There ends another chapter in our blogs, but I thought I would finish this one with a little clip from the past . . . the clip below is from October 2013 when Russell & I joined Zom in bringing his boat sv Upstart from Roslyn Bay back to the Gold Coast and his hatred for Horseflies - have a look:- 

Once again that's all, so until next time . . . Cheers!!!

Winter to Present Day . . .

Last remaining days here in Port before returning to Gold Coast . . . and beyond?

Not long after returning from Laurieton on a brisk Sunday  afternoon, lil' elle decided to go for a swim without her owners. As the story goes, the owners took her out for a days fishing and upon their return,  having moored her in the pen, she slowly descended to what you can see here at left.

Sitting on the bottom, only her cabin roof above water, she looked in a sad way, but was refloated the next morning and then it was found that her bilge pumps failed to work for whatever reason as things on boats often do . . .

All turned out well and now she has gone back to the owners home on a trailer with all repairs having been completed in the hardstand here in the Port marina.

With Winter approaching fast, it was no surprise to wake up one morning to find the whole place fogged in as you can see in the video above and the shots below. An eerie feeling with the first real winters chill in the air . . . and you know how I hate the cold.

 Once again I am feeling the cold and as the shot above shows, (No this is a different shot than the one I posted last year), we were again feeling those single figure days and nights that I have been dreading for the last 6 months, knowing that I have one more winter down here before returning to the relative warmth of the Gold Coast and beyond.

Gary (Sparra) Chester and me at the Quaylime Bar

June . . . Birthday Boys

 A mate on the Th(u)rd Finger (C Arm) shared the same birthday as me and  friends on the Marina arranged a surprise party for us at the onsite restaurant, Quaylime. We had a great night and I woke up to regret the amount  I drank but would like to thank all of those caring friends for the great occasion.

Happy Birthday Sparra!!!

~  Once again, food became a major player thru winter with various new dishes of which I will only show you a couple of the more outstanding recipes that I found or shared with Nicole, my associate at work.

At left Tuna Past Surprise and right Indian Butter Chicken.

Also on the menu were delicacies such as here on left - Chinese Stir-fry Pork, chilli and Gai lan and on the right, one of Nicole's dishes - Angel Hair pasta, pork & pesto . . .

All very yummy and added to list of favourites for the future.

This was the "Year of Refurbishment" and getting Fete ready for that long awaited trip and it sure proved to be an enormous workload that I set myself. As all of you boat owners know, there is always something to do on a boat and when you set a task of getting the boat ready, all the other jobs that you have neglected are still there waiting to be done along with the new list. . . My list comprised of 109 tasks and ran to 3 foolscap pages.

Firstly, on the trip to Laurieton, I noticed that the bilge pump came on continuously. Upon inspection we found that the copper plumbing throughout the engine room to be faulty causing a leak when the water flowed thru the hot water system and the water pump. This was totally replaced.

Next I had new sail covers made with attached lazy jacks as I had planned to get new sails before leaving Port.

As you can see here they look a treat but the strange thing about this deal was that the sailmaker refused to go aloft to fit the lazy jacks - in fact he refused to go aloft at all . . . don't know how a sailmaker doesn't go aloft but I am sure he knows what he is doing!!!

Next, Ian from West Port Upholstery, had the job to totally refurb all cushions on Fete. As you can see I chose the fabric and colour and the job turned out brilliantly and at an affordable price - well done Ian.

The pics above and at left show the saloon settees and aft cabin but I neglected to take some shots of thee fwd V-berths. A great result.

The year has just flown and next on the list was to install a new AIS system and integrate it with my Raymarine Radar A70 system. For this I chose a local marine sparky. Pat installed it as well as tidying up all loose wiring hanging around and sorted out my rear cabin lights, aft running light and new lights to fwd & mizzen spreaders - almost ready to go!!!

Next, having been to BatteryWorld for a new battery for the laptop, I thought I would enquire as to what marine batteries they had in stock and what price. The Owner, Terry Luckman, served me personally and said he would come down to the boat to have a look before giving me a price. I had several prices from local sparkies and they averaged in at around $750.00 to $950.00 each.

Terry came back with the best price inclusive of labour to install, so I gave him the job as he recommended AGM 270ah which is what I was after. That's Terry in the middle with his staff.

Next - I new that I would soon need some new sails and started looking around at different prices and sailmakers. A mate, John King, from  sv Ukelele up in Yamba, suggested that I look at Rolly Tasker sails in Phuket Thailand and as I had purchased a Tasker Staysail whilst in the US, sent them an email along with the measurements required. The quote came back at around 1/2 the price quoted here in Australia for a Mizzen & Main and with a 2 week turnaround. Not only was the price right, but the sail weights were heavier that all the Australian quotes.

Mike Tasker and his team performed to their word and 2 weeks after I paid for the sails they were delivered and all customs & import duties were paid.

I cannot help but promote this firm for their professional services and quality workmanship.

They even put my RW/45 - 14 on both sides of the main 7 Mizzen. This was important to me as Fete was, from what I have been told and mentioned in earlier blogs, was the last hull (#14) to be built and the RW/45 being the Ted Brewer Roughwater 45'.

Fete is almost ready to go - just a few more small things to get done and off we go . . .

I have previously mentioned the Th(u)rd Finger and as all of you would know that this is synonymous with the raising of the middle finger in that famous salute. Well in this case it is not a rude gesture but an Irishmen's take on trying to say the Third Arm or C  Wharf, Port Macquarie Marina. You can see all the members of the

Th(u)rd Finger below left with the head chef and organiser of the monthly Friday evening marina get togethers Sparra.

The crew here at left made me feel part of their family down her in Port as they say, but we had to wear our Th(u)rd Finger shirts or Sparra would fine us $10.00.

I thoroughly enjoyed these nights and all my time down here with this crew and will miss them when we leave.

Blue Moon over Port

It's now February and I have finished work and with only a couple of minor things to do, I will be leaving Port within the next week and would just love to thank all of those who have made my stay so good - I will not mention a full list of names but you know who you are and we shall meet again whether it is thru these blogs or when you  come to visit Fete and me somewhere in the world.

A last indulgence -  at left here is Jay Delaney. He is the very 1st person I met when I got to the Marina and it appears that he is waving me goodbye, but that's not the case.

See you all again very soon . . .

 

So as always, until the next time . . . Cheers! ! !

Summer's End - March 2015 - Time for Fete's bum scrape . . .

Port Macquarie to Laurieton/Camden Haven

     Wednesday 18th March 2015

Fete heading down the Hastings River Past Port Macquarie CBD - Pic taken by Sheryn Spletter (Nic's mother)

It was time for Fete's bi-annual lift out and bum paint. So we collected a new crew to these blogs and as you can see from above, headed down the Hastings River towards the bar for the 4 hours sail down  to the beautiful Camden Haven Region. Our destination was the Laurieton Slipway run by the Laurieton Fisherman's Co-Op.

One of the Port locals who works around the Marina, Warwick Wells, who was supposed to be on the trip was ill, but he did have the opportunity to take the video below of us going over the bar, so have a look at his video below.

As you have just seen, it was a bit rough but that was due to the fact that a strong wind warning was broadcast to be setting in later in the day, so we headed off earlier than planned and encounted the last of the run-out tide. For those who know the region, the Hastings river runs very fast and due to the sandy outcrop at the mouth, can be quite dangerous.

 Above is the crew for this little journey: Left - Stevie Jourdain, Centre - Mal Fairweather & Right - Nicola Spletter - a more than able crew!!! all residents of the d'Th(u)ird Finger - "C" Arm Port Marina.

So off we go - over the bar and heading south with Port Macquarie with Town Beach falling away behind us,  as you can see from above.

Ahead is Tacking Point where the famous Tacking Point Lighthouse is located and from there another 2-3 hours sail down past Lighthouse Beach, Lake Cathie, Bonny Hills/Grants Head and onto Perpendicular Point, the mouth of the Kattang Nature Reserve and the Entrance to the Camden Haven Inlet.

The above pic and the overview below were uploaded from the Camden Haven Tourism Authority's website

Just half an hour south of Port Macquarie you'll find the seaside villages of the Camden Haven strung out along the mouth of the Camden Haven River. On the north side of the river, you'll find North Haven with its alfresco cafes, shady barbecues, riverside picnic areas and crashing surf beach. Sleepy Dunbogan is opposite with its sheltered swimming beaches and traditional boatshed, and bustling Laurieton nestled at the foot of North Brother Mountain, is the home base for the local fishing fleet and one of the best fish co-ops on the coast.

Dominating the skyline is majestic North Brother Mountain, in Dooragan National Park. Enjoy grand coastal views from the mountain summit, which is accessible by sealed road. Kattang Nature Reserve Located at Camden Head, three kilometres east of Laurieton, the beauty and natural diversity of Kattang make it ideal for bushwalking, photography, birdwatching and fishing.

Located at the base of North Brother Mountain in Dooragan National Park, Laurieton is one of the villages that make up the Camden Haven area on the North Coast of NSW. Laurieton is 30km south of Port Macquarie and offers an idyllic holiday spot for families, nature-lovers and anyone who enjoys a holiday by the beach.

As we drew closer to the entrance,  Perpendicular Point jutted way out of shoreline. I had been told by a local that the bar must be entered from the southern side due to the northerly swell and sand banks that create some great surf, but can be deadly to boats. As I said earlier, we left Port on a full run out tide and now that we can see the Inlet entrance in front, it appears that we are in for the same type of crossing as when we left Port.

As you can see here, the entry was narrow. In the background you can see North Haven, one of the little villages that make up the Camden Haven Region and North Brother Mountain in the background.

Going thru the entry was pretty rough and once inside, the crowd watching from the northern shore all clapped as if to say they didn't think we would make it . . .

 Once inside the river it was a very calm so we slowly  motored  up to the Slipway past some quaint waterfront cottages, and a picturesque  little village called Dunbogan. 

On arrival at the slip's overnight berth, we could see Argos still up on the slip and her owner, Tom, working furiously to finish her annual antifoul as she was due to come off in the morning before we were to go up and commence our work.

The next morning Fete was hauled up on the slip as you can see at left, and the work began. I employed a local shipwright, Dave Castleton, to help as I had hurt my back and couldn't do much to assist. Dave and his mate Tom got to work .


As you can see from this pic and the one below, Fete's last antifoul was still good after over 2 years - Jotun Seaguardian -  great stuff!!!




The Slipway was in a very picturesque setting and as I said before was part of the Laurieton Fisheries C-Op. There is no Travelift here  and you are guided up into the cradle by ropes and then winched up into position as you can see.
Now that we were up on the slip, Dave Castleton, a local shipwright and his mate Tom set about doing the work. He found that the anodes were still in good order with only one fully eroded so he replaced them, gave Fete a bum wash and set about preparing her for a new antifoul.
1st coat went on that afternoon and the final coat went on the next day and the price was astounding. For Dave and Tom's labour and supply of anodes etc they cost $600.00, the slip haul out and back in with the pressure wash was $625.00, Jotun Antifoul $550.00 = Total of $1775.00 where I had been quoted an estimate in Port Macquarie of starting from $2980.00.



Whilst on the hard and between coats of antifoul, Dave took off one of the forward inner shrouds and the staysail boom, both of which were damaged way back when we got knocked down on the way from San Francisco to Hawaii back in October 2009.
At left you can see the repaired boom which was re-built and finished off with Kevlar - so I know is not going to fall apart again.

Laurieton is a small village which is quite nice and as I sais earlier well worth a few days stay for a look around if you are passing thru and as the weather was playing up and a strong wind warning was out, I stayed a few days on the FREE pontoon owned by the Laurieton RSL Club.

Sunday 22nd March - Left Laurieton with able crew as you can see at left - Stevie Jourdain, again, came on board for the trip back to Port Macquarie.

We left at the dead bottom of the tide and the exit thru the bar was smooth sailing - a lot different to when we came down.

So off we went up past Bonny-hills, at left and Cathie, right. The trip would be around 4 hours and we hoped we would arrive at the top of the tide in Port.

It was a great day and as you can hear from the video clip above, we were motoring up past some beautiful country. Up past tacking Point lighthouse, Lighthouse Beach Oxley Beach and finally Town Beach before entering the Port Macquarie bar and as you can see below, we timed it just right - it was as flat and a pancake at the top of the tide.

Entering the Port Macquarie Bar with Town Beach on the left hand side.

It was good to get Fete back to Port and as you can see above, one of the resident dolphins came out to welcome us home.

Well its back to work tomorrow and with Autumn already upon us, I am dreading the coming winter, but only for another12 months or so before heading back to the Gold Coast and off on my Pacific Adventure.

So, once again, until next time - Cheers . . .