Kiama – Sydney – Middle Harbour Yacht Club - brrrr

We left Kiama this morning at a reasonable hour, with no fuss or hassle and – better yet – no spectators… The little harbour, and the complicated mooring, were much easier to get out of than into.

I forgot to say that yesterday we went nearly all the way from Ulladulla to Kiama with no engines, just the sails.

This was, you may be surprised to hear, the first time we have been able to do this.

The wind is always coming from the wrong direction so that, until now, we have had to use the engines as well as, or instead of, the sails. Or the wind starts in the right direction then, capriciously, alters by 180 degrees…

This morning the wind seemed perfect, strong and coming from the correct direction, so we put up the mainsail and pelted along for a few happy hours. Then…something went wrong…an eyebolt pulled out of the boom. Fortunately Pete realised what had happened and we dropped the sail quick smart before any damage (I mean FURTHER damage) was done. So…back to engines, and the smaller headsail.

When we were having a blissful few Whitsunday days last year, with the Wakefields (my daughter Nicky, grandsons Hamish & Angus, son-in-law, Gavin,) Nicky said, with starry eyes, “Gavin, wouldn’t it be great if we could get a boat like this, one day?” Gavin, who had been having a lovely, relaxed time with a beer in his hand and the sun on his back, jumped to attention and looked very alarmed. “God no!” he said. “There is always something breaking, or going wrong, with a boat!” And indeed so there is… If you are going to own a boat, or spend time on one, you really have to be very handy; fortunately Pete is extremely handy and resourceful. Pete and his trusty wrench, or as Claire read it a few blogposts ago, trusty wench.

We didn’t go as close to land today as usual, but it all looked very interesting; Port Kembla, with big belching smoke stacks, Wollongong, and then, beautiful Sydney. As we came towards the South Head there were whales, quite close to land. And…my faithful albatross…

Lovely coming in through the Heads…Manly ferries crossing left to right, a few small yachts and dinghies darting about, one or two sightseeing boats.

It is still cold but we are cosy and happy in the cabin; we can run the electric heater because we have power at the marina. Big Bertha (the bigger of the two gas heaters) can have a rest.

Middle Harbour Yacht Club feels like home. We are moored on a nice, safe pontoon, and there are beautiful toilets and showers and power points for hairdryers close at hand. I went ahead of Pete to the marina office, and said, “Hello, Alistair, to the manager.” He beamed and said, “Well sorry – I don’t remember your name but…I saw 2XS coming in!” It is such a nice, welcoming place to be.

We will be here for about a week. We can see my brother Chris’s house just across the water – easy to get there in the tender… (Not just Chris, there is also my lovely sister-in-law Karen, and their delightful children Kate and Max! Treats yet to come…)