We are still in the Brisbane river. Lydia has come back for a couple of weeks before heading off again.
After weeks of rain, high winds and the river flooding its banks, we have finally had a couple of nice weather weeks.
A good time for Grandparent duties. Sue babysat Robbie the one year old at his home for a few days whilst nine year old Lachlan spent a week on Imagine. Playing card games, going ashore and going to the pools to cool off.
After Sue returned and Lachlan left after a couple of more days, it was back to maintenance. Up the mast to replace worn halyards and replace the tri light were just a few of the jobs.
Surgery
Thursday 23rd December
This month we have been taking it easy. We have done a few small jobs on Imagine. We have all been double vaccinated. Lydia has been working as a bartender afternoons and evenings on the Kookaburra, an old paddle steamer that cruises the river.
Andrew has painted ceilings and walls in most of the rooms at Ben and Amie’s. Sue has done a bit of babysitting of the grandkids whilst Amie worked.
Lydia performed major surgery on Andrew, removing a couple of warts before heading off out of Brisbane.
Merry Christmas everyone!
A great night
Friday 3rd December
Anyone who likes seafood and is living in or visiting Brisbane, you have to go to The Prawnster. No it’s not a high class restaurant. But its the best seafood in Brisbane at good prices.
Today it was Andrew’s birthday, so we went out for dinner at The Prawnster. The only restaurant you can arrive at via the street or in our case by dinghy. We tied up on the dock 20m from our table. We feasted on lobster, oysters, moreton bay bugs, and two types of prawns, washed down with a NZ white wine. Heaven.
Upon returning to Imagine Andrew gave both Sue and Lydia each an orgasm. A great way to end the day. Butterscotch, Baileys, cream and cointreau layered in a glass.
River life
Tuesday 30th November
Since we have been back, Brisbane has been drenched with rain or stifled in high humidity. We have managed to get back into the routine of river life; waking to the express ferries racing past and listening to the party boats cruising down the river at night and at weekends along with all the other boats and jetskis; going ashore filling the jerry cans with water to keep the water tanks on Imagine full and walking to the grocery store. Inbetween the rain, most days we are managing to get one job per day done on Imagine.
Lydia has picked up a job working on one of the paddle steamers that cruise the river at night. Sue is going to do a bit of babysitting when Amie goes back to work.
One rainy day Andrew performed surgery on one of the wet GoPro cameras and was able to bring it back to life. It took two pair of glasses to see what he was doing. Last weekend Lydia babysat Imagine while Andrew and Sue went to Robbies 1st birthday party. With all the rain there is currently a “flood watch/warning” on many Queensland rivers, including Brisbane river.
Clean up
Back in Brisbane and after a couple of days rest Lydia has left Imagine to go visit friends and family. She will return in a couple of weeks. Meantime we have started on the clean up and maintenance. Sue has spent a day at the laundromat washing sheets and towels. Andrew has resealed the windows that had developed leaks. Another days sanding and the cockpit cabin will be ready for painting.
We spent a day in town sorting out a few things. We aren’t used to so many people and now have to be wary of Covid. It wasn’t something we had to worry about being away from civilisation.
Over the next few months Imagine will get new lights up the mast, the worn ropes replaced, paint touch up and general maintenace.
It’s been warm here, but no jumping off the boat to cool off, the Brisbane river isn’t the cleanest and there are bull sharks here. We’ve got to put mozzie nets up here due to the warm weather and the greenery not too far away. We’re also getting used to the wash of the boats, ferries and jet skis again, along with the music from the party boats, although after the last couple of years it’s good to see some life returning to the river.
Back again
Thursday 11th November
Once again the weather has cut short our stay at Lady Musgrave. In the next few days the waves are building to over 2m. Which means they will come over the reef along with the 30knot winds, making it very uncomfortable here in the atoll.
We have spent the past four days enjoying snorkeling around the bommies within the atoll. With a lot of small jellyfish around we reluctantly have to wear our stinger suits. Very stylish. We look good in black.
The tide and wind meant we left Tuesday lunch time and headed south. Tuesday afternoon, Tuesday night, Wednesday, Wednesday night and Thursday morning, non stop sailing and little sleep.. Thursday lunch time and we dropped anchor back in the Brisbane river where we set off from six months ago.
Its been a good trip ending with being escorted by dolphins along the Sunshine Coast. Lydia gained a lot of sailing and liveaboard experience. Andrew and Sue got to visit places they missed last year and we all got to make new friends.
Can swim again
Saturday 6th November
On Thursday we decided we had had enough, so we made a run for Lady Musgrave Island. We knew it was going to be a hard slog into the easterly wind and it would be at least a 24 hour run.
We had a side on swell making it a bit uncomfortable run but we started making good time. We were well over the halfway point when we had to decide whether continue tacking and get to Lady Musgrave for the 2pm low tide or motor the rest of the way and make it in time for the 8am high tide. We can only get in or out at the turn of the tide because the current at mid tide is too strong to control Imagine safely through the narrow entrance.
We were all exhausted so we turned on the motor and headed directly into the waves and wind. Through the dark of night we were playing dodgems with fishing trawlers. The trawlers had no AIS, so we couldn’t see them on the chartplotter. We couldn’t see their navigation lights for their bright deck lights, so it was difficult to see which way they were travelling or when they changed direction.
We made it to Lady Musgrave and through the gap by 8am Friday, dropped anchor and straight to bed. In the afternoon Lydia managed a quick swim around the boat and returned two hours later. That was enough energy exerted for all of us and we just chilled the rest of the day.
This morning Lydia was up at sparrows fart (not to be confused with her own morning farts) and she was in the water. Oh how she missed jumping off the boat (six days without swimming). Noticing there were jellyfish in the water, it was time to wear stinger suits when swimming.
After breakfast we hauled anchor and moved Imagine closer to the edge of the reef so we didn’t have to swim so far when snorkeling the coral. As usual as soon as the anchor was down Lydia was in the water checking out the bommies around us, just to make sure they were deep enough that Imagine wouldn’t catch them if we swung around or dragged a little.
We all spent a couple of hours snorkeling a part of the reef. There were hundreds of fish of all types cruising the reef. We had just about had enough for a while when it was confirmed it was time to head back when Lydia spotted a white tip reef shark checking out what we were doing.
Cabin fever
Wednesday 3th November
For the past week we have taken shelter in Seven Mile Creek that runs off Rodd Harbour, just south of Gladstone. The river is a brown silty river with zero visibility. Sue tried fishing for dinner. After the fourth shark breaking (chewing through) the line, Sue had had enough. We heard there was large reptiles with sharp teeth frequenting the rivers around here.
With the crocs and the sharks, swimming was off the agenda. So what do you do while sheltering from a gale force wind for 6 days? Well, there is card games, Pass the Pigs, watching movies, or if you are Lydia you sand down the cockpit cabin ready to be painted when the wind dies.
Yes, we went
Friday 29th October
We quietly left the bay in the middle of the night last night. There was no moon, but the sky shimmered with the glistening stars. In the midst of a light breeze Imagine glided through the darkness with a gentle rocking from the waves. The weather was finally in our favour. It wasn’t long before the moon rose, casting its yellow reflection across the water. It didn’t seem long before the night gave way to the morning. The red ball of fire emerging over the horizon colouring a few wispy clouds and lighting the way through the anchored vessels as we approached our desitination.
Doesn’t the life at sea sound so romantic?
What really happened! We had to get up in the middle of the night to catch the wind and tide. There was no moon so we couldnt see a thing. At least we had a breeze to sail by. The waves again were coming from the side making Imagine continuously rock. The moon finally came up just before dawn and when the sun came over the horizon we couldn’t see a thing as we navigated between cargo boats anchored outside Gladstone.
Anyway we are here just south of Gladstone in Rodds Harbour. Hopefully there is going to be enough protection when the southerlies come through next week.
Shakespeare??
Wednesday 27 Oct
To go or not to go, that is the question. Whether it be nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous expectations (if we can’t get shelter). Or to stand fast and weather the storm (where we are). Not quite William Shakespeare, more like John Shakespear (the guy that lived at the end of our street)
We are wanting to head south to Lady Musgrave but there is a southerly coming. Do we set off ahead of the southerly and take shelter on the mainland, in a river that looks to give shelter, or do we sit tight and weather the winds at Great Keppel, then head off to Musgrave.
Most of the 45 boats in the bay have made a run for it. Possibly getting as far south before the southerly kicks in.
Fish for dinner again tonight. Caught by Lydia, filleted by Andrew, cooked by Sue and eaten by all.