Mussel tretament

Marita3
Mark & Helen Syrett
Mon 24 Sep 2012 08:40
12:28.246S 130:51.255E
At 0630 Rick arrived to supervise the mussel treatment. Shortly after a dive boat arrived and Sue climbed into her diving gear. We had to show Rick where Marita's salt water intakes are on the hull and then Sue dived in and disappeared under the boat attached by a long line which gave radio communication back to Rick and the rest of the team, about six in all.
She squirted some noxious liquid up the intakes and we were not allowed to start the engine or use the heads until 1600 later in the day. When we did start the engine to move to this anchorage there was rather a lot of white foam/soap suds all around the boat.
To add to the party atmosphere they also had a photographer present taking photographs of the whole operation as the Australian Government are preparing an information leaflet to put on the internet to explain to future yachtsmen what it is all about. Camelot were rafted inside us on the pontoon so they were also being treated and were part of the party at this unearthly hour when we were still trying to recover from many sleepless nights and 12 gruelling days and nights of passage making----good sailing but hard work because of the navigation through the reefs and the high volume of large ships weaving their way through at the same time in the pitch dark with ever increasing tidal streams!

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