Sooooo close, but .........

The good news is we have an answer.  The bad news is we are not on the ship leaving Brisbane tomorrow.

 

It is a VERY long story ........................ I gave up on trying to get info from the agent and was able to talk directly with the ship owners.  They told me they had never received all of the boat information, including all dimensions from the agent.

 

Not so bad news is that they have the next ship leaving here Oct 13 and expect us to be on it. I have started dealing with Nordhavn to make sure the shipper gets what they need. Certainly a disappointment, but some progress.

 

So we are on to Plan 37.9C.    We are scheduled to fly out of here on Thursday.    Back in the States this week!    I'll have to come back to Brisbane in October for the next chapter.

 

Eric

Hurry up, and wait ...........................

We have been docked at Rivergate Marina, on the Brisbane River, for the last 10 days preparing Oso Blanco for a long ship ride back to the USA.    We are working with an agent in Florida who is supposed to specialize in shipping yachts around the world and have prepaid 50% of a large shipping fee.     Oso is scheduled to ship from here next week and we have tickets to fly back to Minneapolis on August 30.

 

Unfortunately, the shipping line has "concerns" about loading Oso due to her size and weight.    The agent continues to say they are "negotiating" our shipment with them and there is still some hope.   Neither the shipper nor the agent excels at communication and with time differences, updates are few and far between.    Each morning this week I have had to get up between 2-3 am to attempt a call or emails with the agent.    Success has been rare.

 

One way or another, we intend to be in Minnesota late next week.    If Oso has been loaded, everything will fall into place.   If this particular ship does not take her, our agent will continue to find other options, although nothing will be in the short term.    I will come home and return to Brisbane when loading is rescheduled.    Preparations for shipping are similar to what is necessary for 'in water storage' so all is not wasted.   If we need to leave Oso here, we will have to arrange for regular cleaning and care to assure all systems are happy.

 

Friday morning update from the agent was, "We are continuing negotiations and appreciate your patience."

 

What patience would that be?

 

E

Ekka

Think Minnesota State Fair meets Bayfield County Fair and you have the beginning of understanding of the Ekka - the Royal Queensland Exhibition of Industry and Agriculture. The event had all the traditional displays to which we are accustomed - with an Aussie twist. There were carnival rides, fried foods, animal barns, crafts and the grand-stand. We watched blacksmiths make and mount real horseshoes and lumberjacks hack through mega logs in record speed. We indulged in fair food: dagwood dogs (foot-long corn-dogs on a stick that barely stayed upright) and fairy floss (cotton candy - ok, we didn't actually get any fairy floss but I couldn't resist putting the name in the blog!)

Then there were the Show Bags (I only capitalize the name as they are such a big deal to the Aussie Fair experience). Show Bags are unbelievably popular plastic bags of over-priced, Chinese-made junk toys and trinkets. The selection ranges from AC-DC to the Wiggles and everything in between. Housed in a gigantic, white, circus tent, several hundred booths line up to sell their bags of crap (pardon the expression) consisting of dime-store paraphernalia you wouldn't give away at a kids birthday party. Yet thousands of Aussies paid $5 - $50 per bag to score their favorite iconic novelties and parade around the fair grounds carrying their Justin Bieber or Elmo treasure bag. Just didn't get it....

Our favorite was the animal barns. There we saw (truly!) newborn lambs that were birthed on display behind glass at the fair; their bloody umbilical cords still hung from their scrawny bellies. Show dogs were meticulously groomed; some looking absolutely stunning with shiny coats and manicured appendages and others appearing ridiculous as in the inconsistently shaved standard poodles with pom-poms on their butts and buffont hair-dos. (Think of the movie "Best of Show" and you get the picture.) In the horse barn, they had spectacular displays of the various types of horses in Australia explaining their origins, uses and characteristics. For each, they had a live horse in a stall for viewing. It was very informative. We also learned that there is one non-allergenic cat as its fur does not contain the protein to which people are allergic. So, there you go.

All in all, it was an enjoyable day and something for everyone. Bear got to chase down Dad on the bumper cars and shoot some arrows into a target. Eric missed out on the classic cars but got his fill of turkey legs and ice cream. Ann was happy watching the horse jumping and walking through the animal barns. It wasn't the Minnesota State Fair but it was a nice way to spend the day.

Footy

 Footy - that's Aussie-speak for Australian Rules Football - is a popular  Australian national sport which, to an American point of view, combines several better-known games into a fast-action, intense and grueling competition of 18 men per team vying to put a bouncy, spherical ball through a set of four posts at the end zones of a large field. Players move the ball by kicking it (like soccer), bumping it (like a volleyball), tossing it behind (like in rugby) or bouncing it (like a basketball) as they run. Points are awarded for getting the ball through the posts: six points through the middle two posts and one point through the outer posts. The score adds up quickly as the game moves almost non-stop through four, twenty minute quarters. It is a riveting game!

Ann and Behan under the Lion's paw!

Along with our friends from s/v Totem (Behan and Jamie Gifford), we witnessed the Brisbane Lions defeat the Adelaide Crows at the Gabba arena near Brisbane on Saturday night with a score of 95-85. The competition was intense and the outcome wasn't determined until the final minutes of the game. Complete with a hug from the team mascot and greasy food from the arena vendors, we thoroughly enjoyed this Aussie national sport and would become Footy fans if given the chance! Go Lions!

Grand Finale, the evidence

This is either the evidence of a great few days, or possibly the ceremonial alter of the SMYC.     Perhaps Main Street in Park City would be an appropriate location for the Cantina.  

 

 

 

E

Grand Finale

After our passage south from Cairns to Brisbane, we spent 6 fabulous nights anchored out in the islands near Brisbane with the Giffords on Totem.    We found peaceful anchorages, the kids all played and had sleep-overs, and the adults partied!    We originally met the Gifford family in Monterey, California and have shared many wonderful times together as we frequently crossed wakes in Mexico, crossed the Pacific at the same time, and explored many South Pacific islands together.   

 

It was a fitting finale to our Pacific cruising and a send off to Totem as they resume their cruising adventures and head for Papua New Guinea.     In addition to our many Chicago Rummy games, awesome dinners, and many bottles of wine, we also celebrated what will probably be the last Trans-Pacific, sub equatorial Grand Conclave of the Strawberry Monkey Yacht Club.    Consistent with all previous meetings, no one accepted any position of responsibility, no names were put into nomination, and nothing other than meaningful fun transpired.    As the sun sets on the Strawberry Money Yacht Club activities in the South Pacific, we are confident the traditions and spirit of the Monkey will be kept alive at the SMYC annex in the Abacos, with all of the members across the oceans of the world, and eventually at the Strawberry Monkey Cantina.   

 

We are now settled at the Rivergate Marina in Brisbane, awaiting an update on our shipping process to return Oso Blanco to Seattle.   

 

E

Final Overnight

Sitting in the darkened pilot house on our last overnight passage aboard Oso Blanco, moving south along the coast of Australia. We left the Great Barrier Reef a few days ago and have had perfect weather: winds at 5-10 knots, not a cloud in the sky, unbelievably calm seas. Dozens of humpbacks whales have poked their heads up to say good-bye and entertain us during the day. Newborns splashing and playing around lumbering moms and spunky males throwing themselves out of the water and crashing back into the sea. It never gets old. We even had a dolphin escort for a while; as they rode the bow wave, I swear they made eye contact. Are they just as curious about us as we are about them? Tonight the Milky Way is so vivid in the dark sky it looks as if the stars are trailing smoke. The rising moon startled me as it suddenly appeared over the horizon where a minute ago it was complete darkness. The orange glow looked like a threatening fireball but quickly emerged into a beautiful, yellow, almost full moon. Somehow you don’t feel quite as alone out here with it watching over you. The hum of the engine combines with the gentle sound of the ebb and flow of the water to offer a soothing atmosphere, making music all its own.  I know Bear and Eric are safe and sound, asleep together in the big bed of our stateroom. Bear pulled me outside to see the Southern Cross before bed and I hugged him as we were in awe of the night sky. “Look Mom! A shooting star! Make a wish!”

My wish is that we never forget nights like this….

Sunset

We often laugh about taking photos of sunsets at sea.   The reasoning is that you only need one in your collection, because they all look the same.   That may be true visually, but each day and each night at sea is unique in it's own way.

 

Bear and I just watched the sun set behind Fraser Island in Australia.    We sat together on the fly-bridge, he with his Bundaberg Ginger Beer and me with a glass of wine, and toasted the beautiful setting sun.   We are cruising along in smooth seas and clear sky with only 130 miles to go to Brisbane.  Our last sunset at sea in our grand adventure.    To be honest, I don't remember my first sunset 'at sea', it was probably on Lake Superior.    I will never forget this day's sunset.   Yes, it looked like many that came before, but as we think about having dinner and settling in to our last overnight passage aboard Oso Blanco, it is very different.   For the first time, there is doubt about there being another.   There was no way to capture that in a photo.

 

E

Southbound

We are approximately 350 nm north of Brisbane wandering south.   After 6 weeks of windy rough weather in the Cairns area, we have had near perfect conditions for the last week.     Most days we have traveled 50 –70 miles and anchored overnight at some of the places we visited on the way north.   Today there is hardly a breath of wind or ripple on the sea.    We occasionally come upon whales playing on the surface.    This is the season the humpbacks come north to have their babies and we frequently see mothers and babies frolicking.     We keep our distance and slow down and the whales seem to ignore us and just enjoy themselves.    They seem like kids in a pool as they slap their fins, splash about, and play with each other.

 

With conditions this good, we may continue day and night for the next 2 days and run nonstop to Brisbane.    In weather this beautiful the overnight anchorages are spectacular, but it is very rare to have smooth seas for traveling at this time of year.   Happy hour on the fly bridge while underway is hard to beat!

 

E