Dinghy Recovered

Where Next?
Bob Williams
Sat 18 May 2013 03:07
At first light I scanned the beach with my binoculars and quickly spotted Sylph’s dinghy bobbing around in the small waves running along the shoreline. I considered my options to recover it. I was too far away to swim from where we were currently at anchor, and I wasn’t real keen on that idea anyway as the water temperature was a tad on the cold side. I could perhaps call for some assistance from the Royal Melbourne Yacht Club which is situated at St Kilda, but my pride and independence put a big deterrent on that option. The best option seemed to be to bring Sylph alongside the pier and then walk around to where the dinghy was bobbing on the beach, row back to Sylph, then proceed back to anchor. And this is what I ended up doing, incident free, apart from nearly side swiping one of the piles that have just been put in for the new marina that is being built here.

After recovering Sylph’s robust little dinghy, that has been through so much with me, we went back to anchor. But I soon decided I was unhappy with staying at St Kilda. Rain squalls were coming through and Sylph was tugging at her anchor chain in a very uncomfortable manner. So I heaved in the anchor, hoisted the mainsail, set the jib and laid a course for Hobsons Bay, where we have now settled. As if to welcome us back the rain clouds have cleared, the sun is shining, and I can hear the reassuring little buzz of the solar charger telling me the battery bank is full.

Maybe I will go ashore for a while, then again, maybe I will have snooze. Decisions, decisions.

All is well.