Easter
Thursday, March 27, 2008Year One
Date: 25/3/2008 12.00
Location: on the move in the Channel
Author: Peter
Happy Easter everybody.
We have been very slack (busy) again so we need to do a big catch up.
We left Cygnet on the 18th and had a very slow sail back into the Huon River where we spent the night at Surges bay(43 12S, 146 59E). The Huon river is slightly brown in colour stained by the tannins of the surrounding trees. It is deep all the way to the edge, surrounded by steeply sloped hills. The river itself is full of fish farms and the shore seems to contain orchards of different types. We have not found a Huon pine on the banks of the Huon much to our disappointment, and I have been searching through the shore, full of drift wood for any nice pieces to carve, but it is all full of toredo worm.
The next morning we drifted up river, and were passed by tugs slowly pulling fish farms up to Port Huon(43 09S, 146 58E) for processing. Why they don't have a processing ship seems a little strange as each day there was a constant procession of the slowly moving farms. We stopped for lunch at Riseley Bay (43 08S, 146 58E)having run out of time to make it all the way to Franklin, where we enjoyed the warmth of the afternoon and Kylie did a spot of fishing before slowly drifting back to Port Huon. We had planned to spend the night here having a bbq on the shore in the picnic grounds but the nice anchorages were all taken up with fish farms (which are huge) so after dropping off a flathead to some very grateful fishermen of Port Huon Yacht Club wharf we motored back to Surges Bay. That evening after a walk around the tracks ashore Kylie gave me a hair cut. I think she was getting sick of some of my cool wild hair do's. It took a little longer than normal with big chunks of blond hair flying out the back of the boat but Kylie was happy, so it must be good because she is allot more fussy than I am and later Darren did not even notice.
Surges Bay
Prior to the haircut
Thursday morning finally saw some breeze and we scooted along under headsail only back down to Cygnet passing another alloy cruising boat from France (not that i am competitive). We walked back into town, did some shopping and picked up another bag of fresh apples from a farms roadside stall. My gosh these are so nice. The big supermarkets have made us all forget how good real fruit can taste. I don't normally eat apples but these are so good its like eating a lolly. Soon after arriving back from shopping Ron paddled over from Beagle 3 to borrow some tools. We must have the only descent tool box around as we have now helped out a few boats. It makes me worry about what tools I am missing and who will help us out when we need something?? Just as it started to rain The Eggins family arrived for their weekend on the boat. They brought with them KFC for dinner. Mmmmmm, how good rubbish food tastes when you have not had it for a while. It's funny but we now crave things that we can't have, bad things, like hot chips occasionally.
The next morning after a breakfast of Eggs Benedict we set sail for Isthmus Bay and Bruny Island Neck Game Reserve(43 15S, 147 20E). 
We also farewelled Beagle 3, they were off to Queensland and then round the top to Darwin. Hope we catch up with them in Queensland. As the breeze was once again light it took a fair portion of the day to get to Isthmus Bay, including having lunch on the move, but Josh and Darren still had fun steering the boat. On our arrival I gave Josh a very quick fishing lesson as he had been dieing to have a go all day and within 20 seconds of having lowered his line into the water he had something> although no one believed him. Kylie then took Josh and Caitlyn in the duck fishing while Helen read a book in the hammock on the bow and Darren getting jealous of the fun his kids were having dropped a line in off the stern. Once we had enough legal size flathead we stopped for an early dinner, but not before I cleared the cockpit cleaning the three fish we had kept. Sorry Darren I did not mean to lose your fish (the biggest and most slippery)over the back, especially after having done all the hard work cleaning it.
After dinner we all headed to shore. A very long ducky ride over the shallows. Dinner was early so we could walk up to the lookout and watch the penguins come to shore. Even though it was now overcast, it was still a beautiful view, the channel on one side and the southern ocean on the other.
The Eggins Family
The surf was perfect, peeling for a left hander into a barrel not quite big enough to stand in over a small bank with no one on it. I am starting to wish a brought my surfboard. The penguins were a little sneaky that night not coming ashore near the viewing platform but Josh found them already in the scrub moving up to their burrows. They were so cute, even the really really fat one we saw right next to the path. Mutton birds also nest in the same area, so around sunset before the penguins they started to come in. Hundreds of them, and one swooping so close to Helen's head she could feel the air move around its wings. Being in an exposed spot off the neck we moved the yacht into Simpsons Bay off Aikens Point (43 15S, 147 18E) before going to sleep well after the children's bed times.
Saturday morning, Darrens birthday, started off beautifully with clear blue skies and the promise of a nice warm day. Don't know what happened next but it was soon overcast and cool with little to no breeze. We had planed to sail to Little Taylors Bay but the wind had other ideas. In the end I decided that Randalls Bay(43 14S, 147 07E) was a better option(a good decision in the end as the racing fleet out in the middle continued to go nowhere) and we dropped anchor mid afternoon. To give Darren a break I took the kids and Helen ashore to play Boules. What a great game in soft sand. Fun was had by all. While Darren slept Kylie baked and by our return she had a chocolate cake already on the cooling rack. Darren and I had a go of his birthday present, Electronic battle ship before I started the bbq dinner. Joking Darren started suggesting weird toppings for his cake thinking we would not have the ingredients but to his surprise we had all he asked for so after dinner we were all singing happy birthday over a chocolate sauced, hundred and thousand, cake with Darren blowing out our Nemo birthday candle. Hope you had a happy birthday Darren.
Easter morning. I have forgotten what it is like to have little kids around on days like easter. Josh was up early, very excited having found an easter bunny print on the window above his head. He and Caitlyn chit chatted away until Josh opened the hatch and the egg hunt was on. Soon we were all up and after chocolate rationing and breakfast we all went for a walk over to Mickeys beach. A cute little secluded beach 15 minutes away. 
The day was so clear and warm so after another game of boules, kids vs parents vs us, we discovered it was lunch and headed back to the boat for a meal of this and that. A gentle sea breeze had now come in, so after lunch Caitlyn hand steered us back to Cygnet where we prepared to drop them off.
Helen's mother who lives five minutes away, rung us up and invited everyone around for roast dinner. After a real shower we then got shown around the property. Kylie and I both drooled. A big block, Massive vegy patch, Chicken pen, a creek across the back where the kids swim on a hot day and a platypus lives. Wild blackberry bushes full of fruit, and a cosy little house. Just perfect, except no workshop,YET. All this and we would have little to no mortgage. It really is starting to get me thinking. Dinner was perfect, Helen's mum is cool, and they sent us on our way with some home grown produce.
That night back on the boat we received a call from the Davis's, they were free Monday and were hoping to join us. No problems, we love company and we were still in a spot easy to pick up from so the next morning there they were ready to, and they had brought a really nice packed lunch. We worked back out of Cygnet under main and jib as the breeze was light, Peter D steering and enjoying a yacht that actually sailed unlike the ones they were used to hiring in the Whitsundays. Mathew and Katherine working the jib each tack. With the sea breeze starting to build Peter was looking forward to a spinnaker run home later that day. We stopped for lunch at Eggs And Bacon Bay (43 14S, 147 05E), a tiny little bay surrounded by a few holiday shacks. Although the beach was not pure white it was still pretty and after the extravagant, delicious lunch, we head to shore and played another game of boules. Kids vs parents vs us. The best day of the long weekend, warm and delightful, the day disappeared quickly, and soon it was time to set sail home. Karen now steered but the wind had swung back to the north killing the sea breeze, so we once again worked. Sorry pete no spinnaker. To our surprise Darren and Helen were back in the area so we all decided to go up to the pub for dinner. A lovely evening was had by all and thanks Peter and Karen for lunch and dinner.
The Davis Family
They even got to try out some of the puzzles I use on my school kids, and Peter showed me a new way to clean flathead which at the rate Kylie catches them will trialled not that far away.
Darren also happened to remind me it was states time, which yes I am missing. I do love to race so you had better watch out once we are back expect us soon. That gives you all a couple of years to practice.
And to work, sorry guys, but I am definitely not missing it. To think how slow it goes at work all the way up to easter and how fast it seems to have gone this year, we must be having a great time.
PS. looks like we are heading for QLD!
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