Travesty cruising ...

[anilkumar]

enjoy your voyage dudes.. i hope that it becomes a memorable one

[Lexx]

Laughs ... its become memorable for sure ... last Saturday the head sail blew out totally in an unexpected squall, shredded like confetti, was a sight to see. An hour later the gearbox produced some funny sounds and we were dead in the water. The boat wouldn't sail under main alone so tied the dinghy along side to act as a tug... I got knocked around in the swell being the guy in the dinghy then Mark took over and we managed to get to relative safety in a bay on Howard Island. There is a deserted Aboriginal community there with ... get this, a working public phone... go Telstra.

Spent a few days there not making much headway because of the crappy communications and finally managed to arrange a tow over to Elcho Island yesterday and are now on the way to fixing the gearbox and rigging up a head sail. I just had a new furled fitted and unfortunately only one head sail has the furler bead sewn into it and that one blew out.

We will be okay and I am sure we will get going again in the next week or 10 days, meanwhile people here are friendly and the mechanic is worth his weight in gold.

[haiqu]

Wild adventure there Lex. These are the sorts of things that scare the bejabbers out of me as a solo adventurer. There may be a case for taking some company after all.

[Lexx]

Its all good Rob, a little coast hopping by yourself should be okay...maybe take someone along until you gain a little more experience. Its always handy to have someone else on board when things don't quite go as planned.

Unfortunately I am getting a bit old to be sailing this boat by myself... she is a hand full and my back aint getting any younger... will have to think about down sizing one of there days or maybe buying a stink boat as I know I still have many years on the water left in me ...

Lexx