Grey headed paddlers visit Grey headed flying foxes

Somehow, I discover I am organising the midweek paddle up the Yarra from Studley Park to visit the Grey Headed Flying Fox Colony near Fairfield. Oh well.  Jim and Penny suggested a reconnaissance trip,so a couple of weekss ago,on a stinking hot Sunday, we got down to Studley Park Boat Ramp and set off up river. I must confess I had a bit of a bad attitude going in, but it was fun and very interesting. I now know a bit more about the Flying Foxes, and have a new respect for them.  I have no idea how the midweek paddle on the 9th will go. It could be I will be the only boat. But I am cool with that, looking forward to it.

Wednesday wonders

Ian suggested another Wednesday sail at the WBA midweek Williamstown sail last week, and a few of us got out.   It was a great messing about in boats sort of day.  Andrew from the WBA came out with me in Kirsty Ann.  We rafted up for morning tea, tried sculling, with limited success, rowing, the mizzen stay sail and just drifting in the light airs.  I dropped Andrew back at the harbour round 1, then headed back over towards Point Cook to catch the Stornoway and the Hartley who were heading that way.  The wind kicked up, and we got a good rollicking broad reach home.  It was a good day.  Messing about in small boats. 

 

Herding cats

 

The inaugural Midweek Sailing Day of the WBA at Williamstown on Wednesday was the usual cat herding experience. But some fine sailing too. Coming back across the Shipping Channel Chris in his Stornoway 18 made a fine sight. Lunch at Blunts Boatyard, a Torqeedo run back to a blissfully quiet ramp. A good day overall.

That sinking feeling

 

Somehow I have wound up as organiser for the inaugural WBA midweek sail scheduled for the 9th. We're heading down to Walkerville for daughter's birthday festival (yay), and the weather after today  looks a bit dodgy, but I wanted to do some reconnaissance of Hobsons Bay before the event. 

My back was still not so good yesterday, but I told myself to smarten up, and set the alarm and backed the car in the drive  ready to hook up the Skerry and trailer. And despite a bit of internal lack of enthusiasm I got down to the Warmies and on the water by about 10.30. We rowed down the warmies channel and tied up at one of the Vistors moorings to get sorted, then on through the wonderful array of moored boats, past the one in thepicture above, which had made what I fear was a fairly expensive voyage to the bottom. It was back on the surface I was driving home, hopefully a happy ending. There are quite a few boats in there that look like they too might be making that trip to the bottom pretty soon.

There is something very relaxing about rowing. The Skerry is so controllable I am ok with heading into the most confined of spaces. I rowed right up next to the Gem Pier fish boat, we can use the Skerry to go buy our fish next time. And I had a nice chat to a guy moored in the Royals jetties who saw me rowing past and liked the look of the Skerry.

A really nice morning on the water, I really enjoyed. I hope I have turned a corner.

Fame, sort of

 

Gerard wanted to get out for a sail, and the forecast was for another 30 plus day. We arranged to meet at Werribee South at 8 to try and beat some of the heat.  My back is still dicy so I took Derry the Skerry. After I rigged up, I noticed a chap rigging a handsome looking sailing dinghy over near the ramps, so I went over to say hello. "Is that a Stornaway?" I asked. "Yes"he replied,"Are you Gary?" 

He had watched some of  my videos and recog ized me. Or perhaps the doggy sailing hat and checked shirt which I realise I tend to be wearing in many of them. 

It was a nice coincidence meeting him, and even more of a coincidence as we discovered that he and Gerard had served on the same ship in 1978.

We sailed in company out and up the coast, rafted up for lunch, and backed the jetty where after a reasonable docking under sail imaged to nearly fall in and capsize the boat. I think it was the heat.

Derry the Skerry was quite liberating, I confidently cut across the sandbars and would have been happy to beach for lunch. And I was first back to the ramp, no stuffing round dropping sail and following the channel. I will have to work on getting better organised though, somehow I seem to get into a mess. Of ropes and bits. Maybe some more bags to stow things, maybe some saddle eyes along the front to make a secure storage area. 

Melting

 

It was the first WBA sailing day for the year and I had mentioned it on the Port Phillip Bay Dinghy Cruising facebook group, so I felt I had better get along. My back cooperated and we got there in good time, and rigged and launched, but it was very light northerlies on the lake and super hot. Poor Ozzie found it hard going, and was desperately searching for any bit of shade. We took first Steve, then Leigh, out for a row after lunch, but my brain was starting to melt down by then. The Skerry does make a good rowing boat though. I came home and after multiple cups of tea and some dinner, passed out. Poor Oz was very quiet too. It was an unexpectedly gruelling day, but it seems to have fixed my back.

A ladder to the stars

 

A ladder to the roof of the car at least. Inspired by Emanuel at Arwen Marine and the Japanese gentleman I am hoping to make a roof loader that will let me load the Skerry without too much excitement or exertion. And then, lots of possibilities will open up, teardrop and boat combo getaways, one way trips in the boat to prearranged rendezvous collection points. I hope it works.