We are 2 days into the passage now from Darwin and for a change we have benign conditions. Most of the fleet are using engines as we only have variable 3-4 kts of wind. It is very hot wall to wall sunshine. This morning we caught 2 small tuna which will make a good evening meal. We all loved Australia, clean well organised cities, people very friendly. After our disasters with our mainsail and in mast system, we have got everything sorted in Darwin. A new mainsail arrived in plenty of time and is a better cut than the last one. The mast parts arrived in time for the rigger to complete the job the day before we left. There was a problem when we first arrived in that there was no marina space available. We anchored in a big bay Fannie Bay to wait for the fisheries inspection to check the hull for these green, Asian mussels which bring in disease to their native marine life. They put a chemical in all the seacocks to kill them off and so you cannot use the engine generator or heads on other boats (ours are fortunately fresh water flush) for 14 hours. We were supposed to go in Duck Pond Marina but the lock gates were being serviced. This was a commercial marina with mainly fishing boats in there- totally unsuitable for us anyway. Tipparary Marina further up the river pulled out all the stops to get us in there even to the extent of removing the part of the gates which overhang the water to make more berth space!. They could not have been more helpful. While we were fixing the mast a newspaper reporter came along and did a report for the local paper with a big photograph of Keith and myself standing by the mast. It was in the following day. (Fame at last) .
We went on some trips while we were there, to Lichfield where we swam in pools by waterfalls and went to the wetland area where a special centre has been set up. The trip on the Adelaide river was good. We saw and photographed the massive crocodiles. The people running the trip held junks of meat on poles to attract them and made them jump out of the water to reach the meat.
The Australian Navy invited us to their bar at the base and provided a good buffet.
Another good evening was at the Indonesian Embassy where they put on a good buffet of Indonesian food and dancing by three young girls in Indonesian dress. We also had our prize giving there for the leg from Thursday Island.
There was a good yacht club which was very hospitable doing good cheap food most days and live music. This became a regular meeting point for all the boat crews and also a place to hold the final skippers briefing.
The other popula bar in town was Shenanigans where they served a mean Guiness!
Steve ( skipper of Kasuje) Keith, Barbara , Ian and myself played at Darwin Golf Club, another great morning out. Keith went with Steve to watch Australia play Bangladesh at cricket on another day.
Overall we had a great time in Oz and are looking forward to Bali. Sundowners are being served and so I will have to break off...... Bob.