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Free & BrEasy - Mackay Polar Bears



Life has been so busy this week that we nearly forgot to write the log. Apologies in the unlikely event that anyone has been waiting! We are in Mackay, Australia after a fairly uneventful Pacific crossing from Vanuatu. The winds, as always, varied from light to strong and the seas from flat to rolly. One hundred miles west of the Australian mainland, we entered the famous Hydrographers passage through the Great Barrier Reef. We could only see the ocean around us and wondered where the reef was. The chart plotter confirmed that there was nasty sharp coral less than one mile away. Throughout the day and the next night, we anxiously watched the busy commercial cargo ship traffic pass close by us but we timed our entrance into Mackay harbour perfectly, in the daylight. Mackay is an enormous harbour for the shipment of sugar cane and coal. Mile long conveyor belts stretch out to sea to deliver coal to cargo ships to feed the hungry power stations in China. However this is all separate from a posh new Marina where we were going to stay.

We were told to berth in a quarantine section of the Marina and wait for customs. We had been warned that there would be strict restrictions on bringing fruit, vegetables and meat into Australia. In preparation we had been eating like kings for the last few days to use all the meat in the freezer. Sweet and sour or curried chicken for breakfast? Still left on board, though, were 3 eggs, 3 grapefruit, 6 lemons and a ton of garlic. We were told it would all be removed unless we ate it then and there. Always up for a challenge, we polished off everything except the Garlic. When they saw how determined we were not to throw away food, they relented and let us peel and keep the garlic rather than having to talk to us while we chewed our way through the remaining breath smelling cloves! We fared better than some of the other boats. An Italian crew lost all there voluminous stores of salami while the Germans had to see much of their precious cooked ham being taken away despite trying to eat their way out of the problem! Then came the sniffer dogs! Every nook and cranny in the boat was explored by a very polite but efficient Australian Customs team and their enthusiastic canine officers. Our spice rack was given a thorough sniffing! It turned out that Customs had looked at each boat's track from St Lucia on the satellite-based Yellow Brick system that we all have, to see if there had been any strange alterations in course to pick up contraband! A very friendly hygiene Officer went around the boat tapping any wood he could find. He was looking for termites! He also told us to look out for book lice, the enemy of libraries! Very soon we were shaking hands with all the officers who did their job with great charm and efficiency.

That evening we were surprised to find the temperatures plummeting! Despite being in Australia, we shivered our way through the night and the next day headed for the supermarket to buy duvets! Mackay was experiencing unseasonably cold weather. The supermarket was in an out-of-town Shopping Mall that was big, even by American standards. Alejandro found himself lost at one point in the labyrinth of shops. In the evening, the Mackay Yacht Club hosted a "steak and chips" supper where the whole fleet gathered and a great night was had by all. The volume of conversation from everyone in the room was incredible and can only be described as the "World ARC Roar"!

The next day we met Roger's wife, Annabelle. She had been recovering from the long haul flights from Canada. After so many Skype conversations with Annabelle it was lovely to meet her in person, and she had come with presents. In honour of Winnipeg and Pedro the Polar Bear, Annabelle gave us T-shirts depicting a polar bear in a snow storm (you can only see two black eyes and a nose against a white background) with the Free & BrEasy, World ARC 2014/14 writ large. On the back the caption reads "sleep is for the weak" to remind us of the night watches on passage! She also gave us each a pair of green and red socks so that we only have to look at our feet to know which is starboard or port! Then there followed the World Arc prize giving. Alejandro and Michael proudly stepped forward in their Polar Bear T-shirts to receive certificates and a bottle of wine for our successful crossing of the Pacific Ocean. This was followed by a sumptuous meal and fine wines. Roger was where he should be, helping Annabelle recover from Jet Lag. Later we met the head of the Customs Agency who was wearing the same Polar Bear T-shirt! Three Polar Bears in Mackay! That night there was no need for duvets as we quickly went to sleep in the afterglow of a lovely evening spent in the camaraderie of the fleet.

Since then we have been busy, but that's for next week's log. This week it is time to take stock of the 193 days since we left St Lucia. We have come 8000 miles although Alejandro started his circumnavigation from Lanzarote so has been away for 11 months and sailed 11000 miles. We can now tick the Pacific Ocean off the list but there are still the Indian and Atlantic Oceans to cross. All that can be said is "so far so good"!

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