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Timshel - Vanuatu to Australia Day 8 The Finish



We worked hard today, several big squalls, especially one just as Steve was on the 9am radio net, sails reefed sails out again when it went calm and repeat, hand steering to get maximum speed.  Ain't Fancy and Cesarina were fairly close behind as Cesarina had gallantly waited to escort Ain't Fancy who had a problem with their engine (and also therefore electricity generation).  They talked a lot on the VHF in German; we assumed if they needed us they would call in English.  As we approached the line near the entrance to the Hydrographers Passage the tide was against us, not much we could do about it, we arrived when we arrived, but with 4 knots against us we were down to 2 over the ground and it took ages to cross at 17.49, then there was the bit with the overfalls marked on the chart so not surprising it was a bit bumpy.  We could see some marker towers and a sandbank.  Soon it was getting dark and as we turned  a bend in the passage we were hard on the wind  motorsailing in black dark navigating with the iPad.  Cesarina and Ain't Fancy caught up as coming later they had less adverse tide.  Having to steer all the time was grim and we were both tired, but another bend in he channel freed us so we could set the Yankee and sail with Hydra steering and we had a great sail all the way to Mackay.  Under full sail (main, Yankee and staysail) on a reach vying with Cesarina (who just had genoa and Mizzen), when the wind increased she went past but we got some good pictures and Emma got some amazing ones of us.
We also saw several humpback whales on the way.  We were still trying to go as fast as we could knowing we wanted to get in in time to be cleared in that afternoon, as it would cost about 80 dollars overtime if we had to wait until Saturday.  Also there  was a party on  Friday night.  You had to go to one of the fuel docks which was set up for quarantine, no one was allowed to come down to take your lines.  First the dog went on board - wearing little booties, the we got Biosecurity who went over things pretty thoroughly and took all our fruit and veg and eggs and some dried pasta and stuff that they found insects in (they were welcome to the insects).  There was rather more fresh stuff left than expected as we got given so much in Vanuatu, also the cooker or rather the gas had been playing up so we had cooked less.  The Biosecurity lady had spent all her teenage years sailing round the world with her parents on a boat called Timshel, so she was determined to be assigned to do us.  Then we got the Australian Borderforce people who were very friendly and helpful but rummaged the boat more thoroughly than anyone ever has before.  They didn't seem to bother about our booze, some boats got some of their stuff sealed under bond, we kept saying we had too much wine and beer but it seemed that they were only fussed about spirits.  Then we could move to the pontoon and join all our friends.  Sandvita and Taistealai who were about 6 hours behind had to spend the night on the fuel dock behind the locked gate with folk waving drinks at them through the bars (there was a party) and finally got cleared in by 9.30 or so the next day.

Sent from my iPad



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