The last day of sailing in Australia
Miss Molly 4
Bob & Peggy Wilkerson/Geoff & Merel Pettifer
Fri 29 Apr 2011 12:19
153:14.01 E
Hello all,
We left Southport this morning at five, before the sun was out. We had to time the crossing of the seaway bar at slack tide. It was not as bad as we witnessed the day before when we walked over to the breakwater to see the best track out. We started out with not enough wind to dial, but after a few hours that changed to our advantage and out came the headsail. The seas were bumpy and Molly rolled through them happily. Life on board got a bit easier after we rounded Point Lookout and could change course a little. Even better when we came around Moreton Island - flat calm in the lee of the island. However, we had to round another corner and turn right into it. That's when the iron gennie came into action. Salt spray all over, but instantly washed off by the serious showers, accompanied by heavy wind bullets. Not as perfect as we had hoped for a final sail in Australia, but we got there.
We would have arrived at the marina around dusk, but the weather was unsettled and it had been a long day. So we decided to be on the safe side and find our slip in the marina in the morning. We are now at anchor behind Green Island, watching the footage of the Royal Wedding. Still waiting for that Kiss...
We will decommission Miss Molly here in Manly off Brisbane and she can rest up after a year of Australian sailing that has been quite tough on her at times. She can look forward to galloping to warmer waters in September, when a delivery crew will bring her to Malaysia. In the next month we will give her some good TLC, a few spa treatments and massages and we will have her broken wing mended.
So this will be it for a while as far as the blog reports are concerned.
Thank you for your feedback and we look forward to meeting you here again later this year.
As always,
Cheers from your crew,
Geoff & Merel