Wollongong Boat Harbour

Where Next?
Bob Williams
Mon 10 Jul 2017 08:41

Position: 34 25.18 S 150 54.36 E
Moored Wollongong Boat Harbour

No doubt by now, after six months of silence, all my loyal readers will have given up on Sylph and her voyages and will believe the worst of her skipper, that perhaps he has swallowed the anchor and abandoned Sylph to swing forlornly on a mooring somewhere gathering barnacles. However, I would like to reassure you, gentle reader, that such is not the case. It is true that for the last several months our adventures have been on hold, hence the silence, and it is true that we will not be undertaking any ocean voyages for some time to come, but our dreams for such voyages remain very much alive.

After many years of at times pretty arduous sailing, Sylph and I feel the need for a bit of long term TLC. To this end we have managed to find ourselves a very comfortable berth in the Wollongong Boat Harbour and have made friends with the small but sociable yacht club that is based here. Kate and I are participating regularly in the social sails each fortnight and have even been bold enough to join in on the race days every other weekend. Old Sylph has never been the most competitive vessel on the water but yesterday we finished our first race and, while we crossed the line last, as is the custom with the Wollongong Yacht Club, we were awarded equal first place. As Kate quipped, it was our first last and will likely be our last first.

Our plan from here is to attend to the health and well being of Sylph and her crew to ensure we will be ship-shape for further voyaging and thus far I am pleased to advise that the prognoses have been favourable. One member of the crew, as you might recall, has been all but marooned in Calgary by his heartless skipper (perhaps naming him Robinson Crusoe was an omen). Consequently, our first mission once all is ready will be to head back across the Pacific to collect him. However, regrettably, due to the bureaucratic affairs of the landlubbers with which we have become ensnared (and I hasten to note that I am not referring to Kate who is a most right seaworthy lass), this will not be until later next year. So hang in there RC, and don’t get too comfortable.

All is well.