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Thursday, November 18, 2010

Back to Banyandah

Flip-flop, our stint in our house has ended and in a wink were afloat again on Banyandah. After a flurry of packing then rushing to the airport, we have travelled yet again to a totally different world. And with the change, our thinking has instantly gone from house mode to that of sailors looking after their craft.

We lugged back nearly 60 kilos of equipment along with our few clothes. Engine spares were packed alongside our cameras, computers and hard drives. In our rucksacks came our tent, down bags, walking boots, and bush gear. And some of the stuff got Jack into a wee bit of trouble. Silly man packed his bush knife inside his cabin bag.

He didn't remember doing that until the alarms went off at the airport. Not only are knifes not allowed in the cabin, it is an offense to carry one in a public place. A hefty fine and or a night in the clink looked possible when the officers found a sharp pointed pair of scissors in the medical kit inside the same bag.

Amongst a gathering crowd, he pleaded, "I live on a boat." The officer must have seen the gentleness in Jack's eyes and the gray in his beard because they said, "Put them back in your bag and get the airline staff to check the bag in the hold." Nice folk at Virgin Blue did that with little fuss and then all Jack had to do was get himself through the metal detector.

But do you think he could do that? While Jude waited with officers around her, he tried and tried, each time the buzzer sang out. First came off his belt and down fell his pants as he toddled through and got sent back. Then the cap with a metal top button came off. More alarms, and Jack's patiences were running out. Still holding up his pants, the inspector said, "Take off your boots, they're steel capped."

"No they're not," Jack fired back, blushing at the bevy of young sheilas watching his performance with giggles. But off came the boots, and still holding up his pants, in his stocking feet he tiptoed through that confounded machine dreading hearing the alarm. Next time he'll be so much wiser and straight away strip to just his shorts.

New LED spreader lights awaited us in Adelaide, along with the new, snazzy American blocks and Spectra rope for the running backstays we'll be setting up in the coming weeks. They were with our super duper friend, Garden Island's Yacht Club ex-commodore Brian who was waiting to take us back to our boat. It warms our hearts such fabulous hospitality.

Well, the "B" was just how we left her. And when the cabin doors were opened, Jude let out a yelp of delight. "It so clean, there's no smell." In fact even the bed was made, and after our long day's travel it looked very welcoming.

What a delightful night's rest. The crickle-crackle of pistol shrimp sounding through the hull and soft embrace of the sea lulled us straight to sleep. But next day began the arduous task of storing all the gear, and getting Banyandah's systems back in action. Her batteries seemed to have survived in first class order, as has her refrigeration and hot water systems. So, in no time at all, the Two J's are now  comfy and ready for action. Next will be bending on the sails, and then a day or two in the engine room changing the oil, v-belts and filters. Then, this coming Monday, as the sun rises, so will Banyandah rise out the sea on the club's junker for an intense two week working bee on her hull, scraping off marine growth, changing anodes, removing and checking her prop shaft, and repairing her hull in places.

We'll be giving a talk and showing a few movies at the Royal South Australian Yacht Squadron on Friday night December the 3rd. So if you're in Adelaide, drop in for what should be an entertaining evening.

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