Wee Barkie a pocket cruiser meauring just over 25' will it get me there

[Phil Y]

I think you are demonstrating some of the advantages of a small boat!

[auscruisertom]

I've read few articles on sailing the lakes, it would be nice to do one day.

Well there you go if it wasn't for Rick I would still be unaware of their existence.

I am still hanging out at Legges Camp awaiting a few more supplies being picked up by some folks I met last night,will be sailing up further this afternoon.

Tried my hand at sign painting this morning And to think Nellie believes I must be bored.

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[Larks]

I know you’ve done a lot of cruising Tom, but I’d always been in the camp that avoided showing anyone ashore which boat your tender belonged to so that they wouldn’t easily know the boat was unattended when they could see the tender ashore.

[RFNK]

Keep plenty of time for the top lake, Tom. It's my favourite part. There are public moorings at Violet Hill and some (at least 1, anyway) over at Tickerabit. The top lake can get very windy so keep an eye out for hides holes. Violet Hill's protected in any weather, Tickerabit's fine in a southerly and Bungwahl's fine in a NE. I like snorkelling around the edges of the top lake. It's shallow, warm and you can poke around in the tall weed. Bungwahl used to be one of the busiest timber ports in Australia (hard to believe now) so there ought to be plenty of old bottles etc. buried in the mud and weed over there.

Rick

[auscruisertom]

Thanks Rick tried several times to post last night but gave up in the end with fluctuating bars Last two days it was feasting now back to famine since I am out of bait again. I badly miss and need my Nellie she has got better fishing skills.

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[auscruisertom]

Just sailed from Violet Hill arriving at Neranie Sands and anchored which is near the head of the lake a little exposed but the winds are forecast to lighten and turn to North again. The weather has cooled right down and I was wearing my fleecy top ,Hobart is now history with one last try by the folks I met at Legges Camp but their friend declined indicating he is working 7 days in his Pharmacy.

Greg I hear what you are saying which applies even more today with all the gadgets we tend to burden ourselves with.
I am finding myself locking the boat more frequently even on short shore hops .

The reasons I wanted a name on the Dink firstly she is a beauty rows and towes like a little rocket,and I am hoping she will not be as attractive to a thief, plus then there was the story of Masinas lost unamed dink.

[auscruisertom]

Jetty atViolet Hill

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One unhappy monitor after I interrupted his breakfast search

[auscruisertom]

[IMG]free upload[/IMG] Sailing in perfect harmony win to wing

[auscruisertom]

Apologies for my accidental closure of this thread and once again thank you Rick for notification and solving this little hic up.

2017 is a special year for my second love because it's Wee Barkie's 40th Birthday. And since us yachties are always watching our budgets. My simple gift to WB is her first immersion and taste of fresh water.

And while we are on the topic of budgets I would like to share one of my cruising Philosophies which is to earn money while underway.
While this is not news the Hisscocks achieved those goals by writing book some paint while others have skills in demand. Ok most of us depart with a cruising kitty which if managed properly and as opportunities present themselves they are pursued and the kitty can be topped up occasionally. Since most of us spend as much as we earn with occasional or part time earnings it is clear we will run out of money sooner than later and arrive back home broke.

Taking this Philoshy to the next level would of course involve spending less or earning substantially more to where the cruising kitty multiples.
One old friend achieved this goal While circumnavigating in the 70 by simply wheeling and dealing and also collecting shells. Horst Oltjen and his wife Sue sailed Resolution back home to Victoria British Columbia bought themselves a little waterfront cottage on the Sooke basin and Horst also put a down payment on an old apartment block in Victoria with the seed money from the shells.




O

[auscruisertom]

WB atNeranie Sands.

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[PeterSibley]

I thought we'd lost the thread Tom !

[auscruisertom]

I thought we'd lost the thread Tom !

Thats just me always loosing things I was actually headed to Hobart but lost my way and ended up in the Myall Lakes.

[PeterSibley]

There are much worse places to end up!

[auscruisertom]

Amazing how easily it was to slip back into my old cruising mode,well almost I did have to point out to the French backpacker that approached us late in the afternoon that 30 years ago I would have jumped on erg at the opportunity to show her around but I was unable to since I was married. Trust not too much was lost in the translation.

This morning I pre arranged a ride to seal rock with some young P platers from Newcastle. Great spot I am glad I checked it out just in case it gets bypassed on my way North.
Met up with some fishermen and discussed last of the 1960 s beach and spotted gum riveted lobster boat built by a Bushman in Bungwahl.The Bushman built around 5 to six boats the last one in 74 Aperently he was illiterate but used a stick to built these craftAnnyhow have to run smells like my raisin and white choclate scones need rescuing from the Maxie Broiler.

[auscruisertom]

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[auscruisertom]

[IMG]image upload no limit[/IMG]At the Seal Rock store I came across several pictures of those boats built alongside their catches.

[auscruisertom]

Then we have today's catch two esky of juvenile Bonito .You be the judge.

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[RFNK]

Going to Seal Rocks as a kid I remember drying racks with hundreds of fish on each one. There's still massive over exploitation in this area during the mullet run. Juvenile bonito - shouldn't be legal.

Rick

[auscruisertom]

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[IMG]upload gambar[/IMG]Well I had one of those bad nights nights despite being in a secure snug anchorage. A large Port Stephens private trawler parked themselves quite close to WB reversing toward the beach and being held by a rather light line stretching about 250m.
Returning from shore I had full intentions of voicing my concerns however upon meeting the elderly couple aboard I simply didn' have the heart ,rookie mistake because I will have to have that conservation this morning minus some lost sleep.

Predictably the wind piped up around when else but midnight their shore line stretched and not only where they
uncomfortably close but worse sitting on top of my anchor. Grumbling about big ass stink boats I let out another 10 m of chain and took down my awning stopping W B sailing around the chain.

Undoubtedly when I raise my concerns with them shortly we will have opposing points of view. Mine is purely based on Murphy s Law if the shore line broke or untied there is a good chance WB would get sideswiped by a 20 ton vessel.

[brucemoffatt]

It happens all the time. At least they made a good go at setting their anchor and shore line. I've had bigger boats than mine anchor upwind of me, with obviously no idea of setting an anchor, and no intention of being told or taught, and then having to move my boat from a well selected spot with a well set anchor is so frustrating.

It can go right some times though. Sheila and I went away on a long weekend cruise with the club we were with one time. A blow was forecast so we took extra time to find a good sandy bottom and set the anchor properly, only to have most of the fleet roll up, half drunk, and simply drop their anchors, chains and lines in a heap, all around us. We went to bed and hoped for the best and in the morning we were 100 metres or so from the rest of the fleet. You can imagine how embarrassed I was to have dragged anchor so far! Then Sheila pointed out that we were upwind of everybody else and anchors don't drag a boat upwind. The whole fleet had bobbed and dragged and drifted all night, and apparently there had been some frantic antics in the dark as they tried to sort themselves out, but I'd slept through it. Two boats ended up on the beach, no sleep for anyone else except us, and a sorry sight of sore heads and breakages making their way back home in the sloppy water after the front.

[John B]

You need to perfect the hands on hips I dunno what you think you're doing look , Tom.

[PeterSibley]

Stink boat owners, especially of big ones like that often seem to under estimate their windage .... and they can't reef !

[auscruisertom]

You need to perfect the hands on hips I dunno what you think you're doing look , Tom.

Ha Ha doubt if that would work with the much older than me Coddger he is claiming the moral high ground of being aground ,while there is minimal tidal movement here I differ with his theory around midnight while he was blissfully snoring. Anyhow after our chat he did check what appears to be a 12mm shore line.

Just as well I am not a Cook Islander who after a disrespectful comment by the owner of a 50' yacht indicating he could piss faster than the local water hose in Rarotonga simply cast of his lines,we had premium seats aboard Gypsy Spirit for that fire drill as the owner scrambled without his crew, who where ashore looking after crew business.

I also hoisted a large Jolly Roger so Agean has now had plenty of warning.

[auscruisertom]

While taking out the garbage yesterday morning I managed to get sidetracked and ended up at the old sawmill site.

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[auscruisertom]

Following that I climbed up the hill to continue my spiritual journey and ended up here. After visiting each grave I felt somewhat connected to these hard working pioneers and their grief in loosing loved ones a number of which where young children taken in around 1896-98 by a flue I would imagine. After paying my respect and pulling a few thistles from the graves I also picked a handful of bush lemons.

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[auscruisertom]

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[auscruisertom]

Yeah that's what I'm talking about at $ 8 the ice budget is back on track after having to spend 16.50 for crushed ice that only lasted three days at Legges [IMG] Time for a swim after walking 3k.

After that time to check out Smith lake and some more treasure hunting.I am getting a small collection of bottles however my gut feeling tells me they would be worth more if full ,except for one piece probably late 1800 clay and heavely ornamented.[IMG]imgur[/IMG]

[RFNK]

Hi Tom
Please post photos of bottles/treasure rather than bags of ice .....

Rick

[auscruisertom]

Hi Tom
Please post photos of bottles/treasure rather than bags of ice .....

Rick

Hey that ice was a 3k milestone achievement of utilising all my decades of acquired yachting skills in pinpointing the approximate time Stan the Co Op driver would be there (OK with a little luck thrown in) than overcoming his policy of no more ice for the public policies using my PR skills.

In my pursuit of bottle I have to admit my initial euphoria of simply picking them up of the sea floor bottom has hit a snag which is visibility, with eventhe old wharf site at Smith lake being poor. Having to admit to have fallen from the glorious heights of an underwater treasure hunter to even if I sugar coat it archilogic digs in ancient rubbish tips does not sound very romantic. Worst of all I am lacking the essential tools, but as always it is more about the learning while underway not necessarily the destination.

Found these pieces some sort of weight from scales marked 3.5 the more corroded one longer and heavier any ideas?[IMG]images hosting[/IMG]

[PeterSibley]

It looks like window sash weight Tom

[RFNK]

That's what it is.

Rick