 We've been around, old mate - and I know it's been
more than a week since we sent out our last 'big email' newsletter - but we
have been sending out a few other bits and pieces
along the way. But anyway - here it is - and it's 'last week's news'
- to catch up on.
For a 'quiet old bay' - there always seems to be
something going on - every few days anyway - and if there isn't - we'll soon
make something up. And so it was, that the other day - we came to
notice that one of the distant 'permanently' moored yachts - was
'not vertical' - which is exactly 'the
wrong' state for a floating yacht to find itself in.
So naturally, we were off to see if it was in trouble (like sinking maybe) - and
if they needed any help - and so began . . . . . . .
    This is the first time in the many months that I
have seen this yacht in this situation - and even though it was low tide -
it should not have been over like that - and there should be plenty of
depth still for it to be away from the bottom - so the concern was that maybe it
was taking water.
A couple are usually on board - but on this
occasion - there was no-one there - and their little Jack Russell Dog 'Ariel'
(you know - 'the barker') was home alone.
      By the pivoting movement of the yacht and it's
solid sitting - it was clear that it was up on 'something'. The
general consensus was - that it was either perched on a mooring block or some
other structure on the bottom - because it was well over - and quite firmly
'aground' on something. We all felt that, considering the draft of
the yacht - it should have been easily afloat, but seemed to have sat itself
neatly onto whatever was there.
No-one was volunteering to dive - and have a look -
and whatever it was - it was just out of the visible range from the
surface. Even when I called and saw the folks aboard later - they
were amazed at the way it was sitting up a few feet out of the water - and they
said - it had never occurred like that before.
At least 2 -3 feet of the under hull was up out of
the water - and it gave us a good chance to see just how bad the barnacles and
other shells can become after a few years in the water.
  Well - the 'mystery' was not solved - and probably
won't be, unless some adventurous type dives down and has a look just what is on
the bottom there - for a yacht to get perched on. It could be just
about anything - but a large mooring block is most likely. I have
had old stories told to me, of a yacht that found itself sitting on a 44
gal drum as the tide went out - so who knows what it is.
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ And of course it wouldn't be a week on the bay -
without a flourish of beautiful sunsets.
 And as I may have told you - Laurie has gone off to
Thailand for 'another' holiday - and there were some of you thinking, I'm sure,
that living aboard a yacht, out in the bay - is a holiday itself.
Well, you'd be wrong there. It's energy sapping and physically
demanding - non stop - 7 days a week - without a break. Just don't
ask me, exactly - what it is - we actually
do.
But anyway, Laurie needed another holiday from it -
(whatever it is) and in return for me spending half a
day and a tank of petrol, following his 'car rally' shortcut to the airport - to
get him there 3 hours beforehand - he kindly gave me 1 sweet
potato. (which I suppose in some far off island country has
a lot of value - but in Woolooware Bay, Taren Point - is worth about 1
potato)
I shouldn't be ungrateful though - because - he
coaxed his mate Cyril to come to the airport to see him off - and to pick
his sweet potatoes up -
only for Cyril to be told that he'd left them back here, locked in his
van.
So at least I had a sweet potato.
And this is it - all of it - simply sliced up and
cooking away in the wok.
   Well, there's still a whole lot more to tell you
about - and that's what happens when you don't do the emails for a few days - so
now it will have to wait until next time.
So stay tuned - and be prepared -
for the next terrifying Penny
episode . . .
 by for now - until the next time
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