Phew! What a day. The wind was up and down for the entire ten hours of sailing and as there were two other boats heading in the same direction apparently we needed to go even faster than usual! That necessitated multiple sail changes, jibes, sail trims, hand steering and earnest discussion. (We came second if Continue reading
Tag: Roobinesque
Can you keep a secret?
Sshh… Don’t tell Moreton Bay, but we finally snuck out the top end and back into the Coral Sea! Tonight we’re anchored at Mooloolaba, outside the harbor, with a calm sea and a westerly breeze. If the weather gods are with us still tomorrow we will head for Double Island Point and the Wide Bay Continue reading
Wednesday’s a washing day!
That strong wind warning persisted into today and may well be hanging around tomorrow as well. There was only one thing for it and that was have a day full of domestic chores. With an August westerly ripping through the sheets had dried in no time. Once Roobi was shipshape again it was down to Continue reading
Strong wind warning?
Being moored in the Brisbane River was so much more interesting than I thought it would be. We spent two nights at North Shore which is on the Comslie Reach of the river. Between the City Cats, the rowers, the trawler men, the aircraft, the Gateway Bridge and the pelicans I had plenty to line Continue reading
The Bridge, the Jewel and Celebrity Chefs.
We were up with the sparrows and dolphins to catch the rising tide up Brisbane River. The sunrise and moonset were gentle and golden. Motoring up the river brought back so many memories. I spent many hours as a child hanging around the river waiting for Dad’s ship to dock, endless hours running around oil Continue reading
Worth the cold toes!
It was worth crawling out of bed in the half light this morning to see the moon set. I knew it would be pretty, but I hadn’t counted on another yacht being anchored in the perfect position to add another layer to the photo. (Sadly that time of day is when I miss Zeus most Continue reading
Let’s go fly a kite!
After yesterday’s comedy of errors I was a little tense when we lifted anchor this morning and put the steering cable and the auto helm through their paces. The lads in the nearby tinnies may have been justifiably nervous as Roobi wiggled her way through 360 degree turns left and right. Nothing has sounded so Continue reading
Clunks, bangs and flashing blue lights…
Complacency is the mother of all evil. Today she came visiting… After a gentle start to the day with a golden sunrise at Macleay Island we headed for Manly to collect the mail and a pot of tint for gel coat repairs. I was happily snapping photos and on Face Book discussing the merits of Continue reading
Power Struggles
Living on Roobinesque and being self-contained means we rely firstly on solar power, then on wind power and if all else fails we have a diesel generator. Any time our engines are running they also charge our battery bank. The solar panels are true champions, quietly going about their business, never demanding anything but an Continue reading
The Dress Rehearsal is Over!
Roobinesque has been scrubbed, painted, polished, waxed and buffed to within an inch of her life. (Sounds like a long session at the day-spa, doesn’t it?) She’s now making an extra knot and a half of boat speed and I swear she had a sexy little wiggle as we departed Boat Works. The last week Continue reading