26 April 2010 – Cowan Creek, near Pittwater

33:33.77S 151:18.20E

Drifting into  Cowan Creek after spending 3 months in Sydney, preparing Kanaloa to get ship shape again is a great way to unwind and relax before setting out to sail up the East Coast of Australia.

Alan and Geraldine Lear with their two sons, Rowan and Jack had just finished their circumnaviation of Australia and arrived in Sydney a few days before.  Ros and John McCririck had received the news, and made sure they came along too.  We had all sailed across the Pacific at the same time in 2000.  Since then, Alan and Geraldine have made their fortune, with various business which he made into franchises.  Their new boat, a 24 metre power catamaran called Black Gold powered by bio-fuels which Alan processess on board.

Here’s Black Gold in Mooloolaba where we joined up with them again to celebrate their return to home base and the arrival of the young 16 year old Australian girl Jessica Watson after her circumnavigation. 

This kookaburra seems pretty non-plussed at the audience he has, just as well he decided not to land on David’s head!

Great Sunrise in Jerusalem Bay gave us the warming of strong winds that day, before we set off for Newcastle, but all we got was a large 3 metre swell from the Tasman sea, where the wind was further south.

A fishing boat coming around the heads into Sydney in calm weather is a the way we prefer to see it!