Monday 5th March

No news from 2XS yet today.  I have left a textmessage and have tried to ring but no reception so maybe Pete and Steve are far out at sea even now.

I will keep you updated.

On the home front, ie the Hobart front, my brother Pete visited today to meet his new – ahem - grand-niece (Pete Harmsen is far too young to be a great-uncle…)  He wanted to go out fishing with my son-in-law Stuart, but said, sadly, that he has no outboard motor for his tinny.  The first one was stolen, thank you very much, when his trailer was getting some work done at a local service station.  Hmm, someone fancied that particular motor, cut off the lock, and scarpered with it.  Oh well… Pete and Andrea sighed deeply and then invested in a second hand motor, exactly the same specifications as the old one, for sale around the corner.  Pete was driving around North-West Bay with two happy teenage boys waterskiing behind the tinny when cough splutter…the motor had fallen off and was dragging along behind the boat, connected only vaguely by the fuel line.  Pete managed to cut it free and then sent his two waterskiiers to dive down and tie ropes to the motor.  After a big struggle they got it back on board and lugged it off to be checked.  Apparently it might have lasted a week or so but…the motor was a goner.  I said I had one oar to offer, as extra propulsion for his poor bereft boat…