Monday 4^th June

This weekend we did indeed sail2XS.

And this time with 19 people on board – it was PartyBoat!

James and Pete had spent many hours during the week scrubbing and scraping and cleaning.  James managed to get a lot of the yucky rusty marks off the outside of the boat, using a big bottle of lemon juice.  He absolutely didn’t believe this would work – “What a wank, Dad!” he said, when Pete handed him the bottle and a small sponge.  But (thanks for the hint, Paul and Caroline, from Giebateau,) it worked a treat.  Next all James has to do is soak the 60 meters of rusty chain we brought back for him in gallons of – molasses!  Paul and Caroline swear that this will remove all of the rust and dirt.  I’m not altogether sure that James really wants to do this but Pete lovingly carted the old anchor chain in a big drum tied onto the back steps of 2XS all those many nautical miles from the Gold Coast, sure that James would be wreathed in smiles at the prospect of…well at the prospect to 60 metres of very useful rusty chain…

Back to the superclean PartyBoat!  It is James’s 30^th birthday this week and he was very keen to celebrate this with his nearest and dearest on 2XS.  We took the boat around into Constitution Dock and picked up the party goers from T42 at 12.00, and then it was off to Dennes Point on Bruny Island.  It was very cold but…no wind, no rain, so all was well.  Some of our happy travellers were a teensy bit nervous.  “Are we going to tip over?” asked one of James’s close female relatives, more than once, looking slightly wild-eyed.  I was very glad that we were totally horizontal at all times.  James was disappointed that he couldn’t get us all cranked up with both sails billowing in a stiff breeze but really, Pete and I were very relieved.  It is a big responsibility, all of those people, so many possibilities for falling off into the cold cold water.  (Nobody did fall off, but one of our guests did fall over several times.)

James had catered very well for the sailors.  Lots of chips, dips, cheese, and then huge platters of marinated calamari, cooked on the BBQ by Josh and Helen.  Delicious!  When we got back to the marina, just on dark, James, Bron and I formed an assembly line and produced chicken rolls with gravy.  This was followed by a most delicious and enormous birthday cake – many layers of cake and ganache…

We got back to Pete’s house and I was ready for bed- surely it was midnight??  Most of the others had gone back to James and Bron’s to continue the party, but we were exhausted.  And was it midnight??  Um no it wasn’t even 9pm…

I had a lovely time.  So nice to be back on the boat.  Although it was cold and grey and very wintry, it was all so beautiful, especially as we were coming back up towards the bridge, with all of the lights sparkling on the hills, the water all smooth and silver.  Hobart is so very lovely.