19.22S 153.00E  Tuesday 5^th August   Day seven -  6.30am leg time (plus 11 UTC) and all is well…….frustrating but well.  The wind came round to the stern….. up went the Twistle…… the wind went round to the beam……down came the Twistle…..out went the genoa…….the wind ceased altogether…….in came the genoa…..on went the engine……..up went the temperature……..off went the engine……but we think we may have a solution for the overheating problem and it may just be an air lock as now the temperature gage is  back to normal!

Well we are just over midway, although Australia seems like the halfway benchmark to us, and we left Motril in Spain last August so!  One year of sailing and over 14,500 miles later I think we can confidently say that I have absolutely no natural aptitude for ‘sailing’ whatsoever!  Yes I am ‘conscious of my incompetences’ but the whole ‘wind’ ‘line’ ‘sail’ ‘sheet’ ‘knot’ ‘tide’ ‘neap’ ‘spring’ ‘current’ ‘grib’ ‘navigation’ ‘radar’ conundrum remains a complete puzzle to me!  I suppose any contribution I make to a (usually) single handed sailor (Paul) is a bonus rather than an expectation and we really enjoy our individual roles and especially so during the longer passages at sea…. which I am told is rare…..we get into a pattern and a routine, relax and unwind.  The watches, radio, cooking, washing, cleaning, blogging, flag making exercises are only the peripherals but they are mine…….my contributions……..

Exactly this time tomorrow we should be at the Hydrographer’s pass – entry through the Barrier Reef – but still over a hundred nautical miles from Mackay.  The distances are so immense and even though we feel we have almost arrived it will the morning of the 8^th before we pull into the marina, or rather the quarantine dock.  We have been told to expect an Australian coastguard flying overhead to check our credentials and our yellow (quarantine) and courtesy flags should be flown in readiness.

Last night we saw three ships (come sailing by, come sailing by), all pretty much on a collision course, so we must be in the shipping lanes now – ‘Crimson Polaris’ and ‘Chi Wan’ came up on our AIS system – a marvellous inexpensive device which instantly gives you the name of the vessel, its speed, course and MMSI number – brilliant really as you can then call them on channel 16, by name, and ask them their intentions.  Crimson Polaris came back to us immediately and offered to alter course, crossing us on our starboard side at nearly 20 knots and just two miles away.  We have seen so few vessels at sea this past year that three in a row is quite an excitement!  This morning there is a massive monster on the horizon, probably the biggest boat we’ve ever seen – actually resembling an island so huge is the silhouette – could it be military?

Zippy thought they saw killer whales yesterday and Baccus reported hitting a large shark which then proceeded to retaliate and attacked the stern of their boat – they finally despatched it by pouring chilly powder down the heads!

And we had two more passengers hitching a lift last night;

Tonight you brought a friend with you

A double pleasure – you were two

Tired birds who could fly no more

You rested here – or were you four?

First she circled round and round

Making sure she knew her ground

Landing once, and twice and thrice

Skinny guard rail gripped like vice

Her large webbed feet a quivering

Little brown body shivering

But then she signalled all was fine

And down you flew to join the line

Amazing you! So sleek and proud

With yellow beak and markings loud

She sidled wobbling down the rail

Frightened by the slapping sail

But reassured by your quiet poise

You preen yourselves; ignore the noise

And clutching on for your dear lives

As darkness falls and sunlight dives

To another hemisphere: you sleep

To save your selves and the souls you keep.