The force is with us

 One thing about a multi month moving exercise, having possessions like tools spread across three different physical locations, is that inevitably something you need in one place will be located, probably deep in an unmarked box, in one of the other places.  

When I came to dismantle my canoe kayak rack, I discovered that I had used bugle head screws to attach the cross braces. And of course I had packed the bugle head hexagon fitting for my electric drill in a box, and taken the box to the shed in Williamstown. And which box I could not exactly remember. I resigned myself to buying another and postponing the dismantling job, but, walking back from Coles, head down with a heavy backpack of Christmas supplies, there lying in the middle of the footpath was the exact bit I needed, a bit rusty but perfectly functional.

The chances are beyond my comprehension of finding the exact thing I needed lying in the street on the day I needed it. The deconstruction and moving of the rack proceeded as planned. Feels like the force is with us!

As the twig is bent

 

I cunningly seize every opportunity to sit young Harriet in a boat, shaping those wonderfully receptive neural pathways for a boaty future I hope.  She really enjoyed exploring the little pirogue today, there is something about the contained space and the hatches and storage, even on a little simple boat, that she likes.  

We had our traditional present exchanging over at the Williamstown house this morning, and very pleasant it was too.  The new house is a bit like a holiday house so far, the simplicity and lack of stuff makes it a relaxing place to be. As long as I can avert my gaze from the mass of work to be done.

A new chapter

 

After a cliff hanger of a day with a few hiccups along the way, we got the keys to our little cottage, about 5 minutes before the agent closed. And my word did we get keys - there are a ridiculous number of keys for a little house. Anyway here we are waving regally from the front gate, looking very pleased.

We took over a folding table and some camp chairs, and had inaugural fish and chips in the garden. Jess and Chris and Harriet came over which made it a real occassion.  The end of a very hot day, but the house was fairly cool, thanks to the massive thermal mass in those stone walls, and there was a nice sea breeze in the garden. And the garden is nice. There is a rather stagnant pond, breeding mozzies, and Harriet was magnetically attracted to it. We spent a lot of time steering her away from it, and it will be one of the first things to change I expect, tho we need a bird bath or and some other water source for the local citturs before we fill it in.

The fun has begun. Just do the next thing, I keep telling myself. So far that seems to be working.

Two rescues and a protest

 

I got to the Warmies early on Sunday to launch for the Save our Ships protest sail around at Docklands . As I was getting organised two chaps, Vietnamese maybe, cast off in their fishing boat without starting the engine, which of course did not start. They drifted over onto the rocks opposite, making ineffectual attempts to paddle back. Meanwhile, behind us, about half of Victoria's State Emergency Services had arrived, a sea of high viz, inflatables and aluminium rescue boats were bobbing all around festooned with tinsel, marquees being erected, we had chosen the day and venue  of the SES Christmas party. The SES people studiously ignored the two chaps over on the rocks, so I torqeedoed over, got a line from them and towed them back. "Second time out" one informed me.  I said better get that engine - a stonking great 150 HP beast the size of a bar fridge - serviced before you head out again. 

More SES boats arrived, the chaps tinkered with their engine, then, amid clouds of smoke they set off again, got about 20 metres before the engine died again, and once more they drifted onto the rocks. The SES people looked at their phones, checked their watches, and once again studiously ignored the boat on the rocks. I torqeedoed over and once again towed them back. Chris arrived, we set off, and as we were pottering up the channel, the fishing boat with the two guys passed us. Third time lucky I guess.

We had a nice South Westerly behind us for our trip upriver to Victoria Harbour, so we sailed with first reef in. Theoretically one is supposed to be motor powered, but we were getting over 4 knots against the current and I had the engine ready to go. We got to Docklands early, tied up at a visitor mooring and enjoyed morning tea in the sunshine, watching a 40 foot yacht belonging to a sailing school doing practice mooring while the trainees practiced looping a line over the mooring cleat and looping the line round a winch ... Some got it much better than others.

Eventually some boats turned up, Alma Doepel and Enterprize cast off and we all did a few circuits of the harbour, managing not to run into one another,  all very pleasant if it wasn't so depressing.  Mark took this photo of us taking a photo of Alma Doepel.

Chris clocked from the radio that there was a freighter leaving Webb Dock at 12.30 - he can translate the radio chatter on channel 12 which is incomprehensible to me - so we returned to the visitor berths for lunch. Graham joined us. It was a nice lunch spot. 

After lunch Graham blasted off in his little pedal drive canoe, into the headwind and adverse current. While we could motor sail, we almost caught him, once we were head to wind he left us far behind. He can sustain round 4 knots, which is very impressive.  We managed to get up river and around and back on one battery with a bit still to spare. It was a good day. Made me realise how much I miss being on the water. Once these cycles of buying/selling/downsizing are over, I hope I can get in some sailing time. But first, gotta get all this done, no slacking till it's over.

Post and short video of the day here:

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