More of Eden

Miss Molly 4
Bob & Peggy Wilkerson/Geoff & Merel Pettifer
Fri 31 Dec 2010 12:36
It was 6:00 in the morning when we picked up the anchor. We had looked up the weather forecast one more time and we knew it was going to be windy in the Bass Strait, but that was alright. However, when the forecast was broadcasted on VHF radio the windy weather had changed into a gale warning. That did not sound too great, particularly since there seems to be another weather window on Wednesday with much calmer weather. So at 6:15 a.m. we anchored again in the same spot we had just left.

This meant we got to see Eden by daylight. A cute little town, formerly known as a whaling station. The orca's actually helped the whalers by chasing right whales into the anchorage called Snug Cove, which could then be killed by the whalers. The whalers would then first leave the dead right whales for the orca's to eat their tongues and lips (4 tons!!). After the orca's were done with that they would leave the right whales to the whalers who then could start the processing the right whale. But that was all in the past and now Australia is an anti-whaling country.

There is still a lot to do with the fishing industry here. Lots of fishing boats on the warfs and shops and factories all have the word "fish" in it. Boating is big here too. Apparently 8 boats who dropped out of the Sydney - Hobart race pulled in here to have their damage fixed. None of them are here now, so it is peaceful in paradise.

So far it has been really calm here, no gale forces to be seen and even a red sky at night. But that's probably because the storm is raging over the Bass Strait. We feel really snug here and will just get some jobs done until the forecast turns to our favour, probably on Wednesday. In the mean time we wish all of you blog readers a very Happy and Healthy New Year!

Cheers from Geoff & Merel in Snug Cove, Eden