Moored Tin Can Inlet
Wind: SE, F3 - gentle breeze
Sea: rippled Swell: nil
Weather: sunny, warm

Yesterday Mark had to drive to Mooloolaba to visit his mum and to pick up his daughter's dog to mind for a while, and, most importantly from my perspective, to buy some stuff at the Whitworths Marine Store. So, I thought I would tag along and take the opportunity to purchase a new halyard and an antenna splitter.

It was a long but for the most part interesting drive. We drove through what Mark said is the biggest pine plantation in the world. I was fascinated by the tall thin pines standing in close neat ranks with the only green parts being right at the top, presumably because there was very little sunlight getting down in between the close-ranked trunks. The plantation went on for many miles with the odd section of clear-felled land with mounds of pine detritus scattered about, a very industrial landscape compared with the more natural eucalypt bush surrounding the plantation. I found it easy to believe that this was indeed the largest such plantation on the planet - I certainly hope so.

I also learnt some more about Mark's life. He told be of a period when he took a break from fishing, purchased a truck and worked on the highway projects in the local area. He was able to explain to me the processes involved, such as moving the tops off mountains with huge bulldozers, pushing the soil down the hillsides to fill in the slopes and valleys to make a more level grade for the highway. We certainly have invested an awful lot in transforming our landscape to facilitate the movement of goods and people via our motor vehicles. Again, I found myself wondering about the scale of work needed to transform our world to one where we are not reliant on CO2 producing energy sources. It seems a daunting task but clearly one that needs to be done.

On the social side, I had the pleasure of meeting Mark's mum who, at 86, is still in good health and living independently. From there Mark dropped me off at the supermarket while he visited his daughter and picked up the dog, Lolly, a little Jack Russell terrier. Then it was off to Whitworths where I purchased the rope to replace the main halyard and the antenna splitter. And lastly, it was the long haul back to Tin Can Bay. Fortunately Lolly soon settled and spent most of the trip back to Tin Can Bay curled up on the bench seat in between Mark and me.

We got back in the early afternoon, enjoyed lunch at the local pub then returned to our boats with the making tide. (One has to work the tides here when going ashore as the approach to the landing dries out for several hundred meters at low tide.) I subsequently spent the afternoon replacing the main halyard and installing the antenna splitter. I am happy that now I won't have to worry about the halyard parting and the mainsail coming tumbling down while we are sailing. Also, initial indications are that the AIS and the VHF radio are working satisfactorily.

Northerlies are forecast for tomorrow afternoon and Thursday, so my plan is to get underway early in the morning to cross the Wide Bay Bar at high water, around 0730, when conditions should be calm and smooth, then to pick up the northerly breeze and continue south.

All is well.