20.16S 148.43E

Saturday 30^th April, 2011

We now have a new radar and apart from hitting something (very hard) on the way to Airlie Beach, where we are now, causing unknown damage but stopping the engine, all is well.
We await the nice guy who put the new engine in who will check it out and dive down to see if we've done any damage.
We went to a bar last night and watched the royal wedding with tom yam gai and a mixed platter. The aussies were quite impressed that I could name at least 0.1% of the guests (the commentary was turned off) and a 5yo aussie girl was spellbound throughout.
We've only been here a few days but have had the best food, home and away, that we've had for a long time. It has however rained almost throughout but at least they’ve switched the strong wind warning off. Despite almost continuous work, the repairs/breakdown ratio remains static; I still want to meet, behind the bicycle sheds, the guy who decides the length of hard-wired cables.

K

When the brand new engine went BANG and stopped I was distinctly unimpressed. Especially as there was a strong wind warning and already gusts up to 35 knots in our ‘sheltered‘ anchorage, so the marina at Airlie Beach was beckoning. After lots of checking K started it again so we didn’t have to anchor off the beach and have spent 4 really nice days here.

The engine man thinks we may have hit something and is coming today. Most of the cruising sailors we have met seem to give Airlie Beach a miss as it is touristy and expensive but as it is early in the season it is quite empty and we have really enjoyed it.

Setting off for Cairns as soon as the engine/propeller is sorted.

C