Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Giving up for now.

Too tough to get the winds to go back - easterlies.
Rob reckons crewing east would be better after winter.
I will wait and see.
I see a big division between solo and crew:
solo to me means daylight short sprints between stops.
Overnighting is just too long and tiring.

Friday, June 25, 2010

Getting good window




Good chance this week to get back to Augusta - under the lee of Leeuwin.
Two or three days of Easterlies for a change and hopefully lower swells too.
The weather was pretty cold lately - MAX 14 and I am a little under rugged in the cabin. Things are hard to keep clean, and the diet slightly sucks too.
I have some balls coming down around here in June, but really it had gone super smoothly weather wise. I can easily see making a full crossing over to South Aust. with a crew mate one day.

Saturday, June 19, 2010

Cruising around Albany



There are two good sized inlets that open into the King George Sound.
Big ships (bulk cargo carriers) come in to one to load wheat. This comes from the country to the north I think where the rainfall is a bit less and it is easier to grow wheat than grazing pasture. As with Walpole inlet the scenery is full of trees and hills.
I have tied up the netting properly, fixed the length of reefing line, bought some chain for the second anchor and odd jobs like these.
The weather looks mostly from the west and so I am putting off going anywhere for the moment.
A country bus service runs daily back up to Perth, and only takes about 6 hours. I took about 2 weeks to sail around.
I may come back later next week with the outboard and maybe score some epoxy and tools to finish small jobs.

Monday, June 14, 2010

mast is up



here are yard photos from Emu point, oyster harbour, albany, W.A.
SLOW hardener for the epoxy really was tough to use.
The price for a bit of cloth and resin was huge.
But it is baqck in place now.
Not sure how comfortable i am knowing the thing could break again.
I will certainly avoid sitting beam on or even sailing through any choppy waters near the rocky shores.

Thursday, June 10, 2010

small town boat yard

Well i have gottn somewhere on the fixing job. Borrowed a grinder from Roy who was building his boat at Maylands a whi8le ago and is moored here at Albany at present. Cleaned things up and tacked on the base cap, the mast head, and the wing swivel arm which includes the downhaul tackle. Bought some double bias and when the sun dries the overnight condensation tommorrow it wll be ready to staart epoxying things up.
The sunny days should be enough to cure it by the end of the weekend.
Then it's hunt for the anchor. Weather depending ofcourse. See some sights, sail in the Albany harbours, and look ahead - not sailing any further east frojm here.
Friday morning:
Could be aa few hours as there is condensation or dew all over things this morning.
Might start glassing by 10 o'clock. Take some photos maybe to show what is getting done.

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Albany and Two Peoples Bay






About four days waiting to get into Albany from two peoples bay. The weather and jury rig wouldn't let me get back to the shops and showers. I had a bit of sickness and felt crappy without decent food for a week saince leaving Walpole.
There was fresh water though and fishermen and the ranger could have given me alift back.
Thi is the nice bay where i sheltered out of some passing fro9nts.

Jury Rigged



The backwash from steep rocky shores creates very choppy waves around this coast.
So much so the mast was whiplashed violently while i was luffed side on to the seas for a moment afetr the halyard sheeve pin broke.
Considering a Bi stayed rig now. A top connecting rod and four stays (two to each mast) would give allround staying to both masts.
Not for the small one though since accomodations are too small to include mast a bulkhead.
I have a few days here in Albany where the boatyard is to sort the shortening by 2 metres.Then probably sail back again. (looking out for some lower swell days).