2020 Maintenance at The Boat Works Part I

 

Haul Out at The Boat Works

Looking at the bottom it looks like the antifoul has held up well.  There's not much growth to be washed off at haul out at The Boat Works on the Coomera River.  As usual we have our list of regular maintenance jobs we will do, like checking all the thru-hulls, hoses, hose clamps, centerboard, servicing the Spartan seacocks, replace zincs, bottom paint, polishing, etc.  A week before haul out we had an engine service done by MMS and the engine is running smoothly.  

We've put only 2,300 hours on the engine since we purchased Bristol Rose in 2007.  Not bad for over 13 years - a couple of years sailing the Chesapeake Bay, sailing from Baltimore to the Bahamas, Caribbean, across the Pacific to Australia and including our Whitsundays cruise from Brisbane and back again. Wind power is naturally our preferred method of propulsion! The total hours on the engine is now only 4,300.  Yanmar say that a regularly serviced 75hp engine should be good for 8,000-10,000 hours.  We are in the habit of changing the oil and filters every 100 hours.  When you are cruising you have to know how to do these things for yourself so before setting sail from the USA Robert and Elliot did a marine diesel engine servicing course. 

New zincs

This haul out we want to check the cutlass bearing for wear.  Our engine specialist at MMS will remove the propeller shaft.  It's fairly straightforward. The rudder does not have to be removed. He will replace the old bearing and reinstall the shaft and propeller and we'll be good to go.

Bundaberg on The Burnett River

Early morning Town Reach Bundaberg on the Burnett River

One of the best things about having a boat is that we can get to places other people can't easily go.  It's often a challenge, there's always a reward.

Sights along the way

Without the benefit of local knowledge, it's safe to say the guide books are just that - a guide - and can't always be trusted to be accurate for current conditions.  Even latest editions can be wildly optomistic so the Captain has to make his or her own decisions.  Markers along the way can disappear; either they've been hit by something or dislodged due to cyclonic conditions.  Shoals come and go and nothing changes the characteristics of a river like a flood, as in the case of the Burnett.

Nice new boardwalk along the riverbank

Poor Bundaberg has suffered two devastating floods, 2011 and 2013.  We expect that the river has changed but we don't know to what extent.  Our guide book is two editions out of date so we do some checking online and we find a website confirming there is indeed a fuel dock up the Burnett River in Bundaberg.  We could refuel at the Port Marina but we'd like to wind our way the ten miles upriver to spend a day or two in the town itself and get our fuel while there.  We will see if the website is up to date.

We need to be constantly vigilant, carefully following navigation markers.

We're following the chart plotter at the helm, plus our paper chart, using binoculars to pinpoint navigation markers far upriver and looking for floating debris which is always a possibility.  As we motor upriver we're finding it's very shallow.  At one point we register only eight feet and although it's not the ideal top of the tide, we still have a few hours before dead low so we should be fine for depth.  There's great advantage having a shallow keel, 4ft 9in (1.45m).

Along the way we pass obvious signs of the floods; the occasional washed up boat, wrecked docks, dead trees, eroded riverbanks and destroyed retaining walls.  There are also signs of recovery and some large new homes alongside tired old ones. Once we've anchored at Town Reach we see a great new boardwalk with sturdy new docks.  There's no sign of the fuel dock or the Midtown Marina.  No, they don't exist anymore having been destroyed in the last flood.  There are no services for boats at the town end of the river, apart from the public dock.  We'll time our departure to buy fuel at the mouth of the Burnett.
  

Sugar cane design. Representing Bundaberg's past and present. 

It's Robert's birthday.  He's had a look through the online reviews of local restaurants and decided on Indulge Bistro Cafe for "linner"; late lunch/early dinner.  Maybe I've been on the boat too long but I've fallen in love with this place at first glance.  From the wildly botanical wallpaper to the exciting array of unique desserts presented in the case, they are really speaking my language!  Even the menu itself is written like an enticing, beguiling guide to local produce.  I can't get enough of this.  It might be Robert's birthday but I'm having all the treats.

St Andrew's Seventh Day Adventist Church foundation stone laid 1931

Bundaberg is a beautiful city to walk around because so much of it's history has been preserved in its architecture.  If the grandeur of the city's churches are an indication of Bundagerg's significance as a rural centre then there's no denying sugar has historically been good to the region.  In fact Bundaberg Sugar is the largest sugar grower in Australia and Bundaberg is of course home to the famous Bundaberg Rum.  We passed the distillary and the sugar processing mill on the river just a short distance from town. 

 

 

Charming Bundaberg Railway Station

We've enjoyed our time in this charming rural city, population around 100,000.  Strong winds are forecast for the next couple of days.  We need to move on towards Fraser Island but first we'll anchor overnight close to the mouth, keeping an eye on weather conditions, and fuel up in the morning at the Port.

This boat isn't going anywhere in the 30 knot winds.  She's well-anchored and stuck in the mud with her back to the mangroves.  

Bad Luck or Just a Myth! Our First Time Win Racing with WAGS.

Back in the slips at RQYS

Women on board a ship bring bad luck.  A naked woman on board will calm the sea, hence the naked figureheads on large sailing ships.  So go the old seafarers' myths.

I hope I've banished myths of bad luck during the Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron's WAGS (Wednesday Afternoons Go Sailing) race this afternoon.  

On the spur of the moment we accepted Glenn's invitation to crew for him aboard his Bavaria, Simpatico.  So along with Glenn and Roel, another one of our neighbours at RQYS, we headed out into Moreton Bay, with about 20 to 25 knots of wind for the WAGS race.  Glenn seemed to think that having a crew of 3 cruisers with experience crossing the Pacific was a bonus.   We had to confess that we  sometimes stayed on the same tack for weeks and would have barnacles growing only on the leeward side because of the constant heeling.   This was also our very first sailing race!  

Our start was not perfect but not too bad; just 15 seconds after our official start time.  Flying the genoa and mainsail, we were moving along nicely between 7 and 8 knots.  Glenn's racing skills are complemented by his calm and confident manner making it a truly enjoyable experience for his crew.  It's been a perfect sailing day.

We won! As far as racing tactics go, well I don't want to give away any secrets, but we sailed true to cruisers form.  We laughed at the old myths as Simpatico crossed the line first in the monohull division. And no one on board had to get naked!  Glenn jokes that his crew stuck to what they learned while crossing the Pacific - the long tack.  It really paid off this time with a convincing win and a couple of bottles of wine to celebrate!

Relative Calm on Moreton Bay

It's relatively calm here in Manly Harbour, Queensland today.  Maybe some white caps on Moreton Bay, 20-30 knot southerlies, bright blue sky.  Yesterday afternoon was a completely different story.  It was around 4:30pm, just as the boats participating in the RQYS WAGS race were coming back into the harbour.

I took this picture in light rain with my phone camera.
Look closely, you can see people standing in the water beside the keel.

The storm came across from the west pretty suddenly.  Tied up to our slip in the marina, I raced to get the portholes and hatches closed before we were pelted with rain that sounded more like hail.  Before I knew it our wind instruments registered 48 knots.  

Bristol Rose was healing over so far that the locker doors flew open and pots, plates, books, bottles, and anything not secured on the starboard side flew to the port side.  I thought of the damage done to boats during a hurricane that came through White Rocks Marina on the Chesapeake Bay and all I could do was hope "please let our neighbour's boat lines hold her so she doesn't come down on top of us".

The lines held and the storm passed leaving everyone in a state of shock.  As we all compared notes, we heard that someone registered 60 knots in the marina and the Coast Guard registered 70 knots at the entrance to the harbour.  

The big casualty was BlackJack Too, a 40ft racing boat.  She was one of the last to make it to the entrance and not having a big engine, the wind pushed her towards the rock wall.  Luckily, the tide was at its lowest and she stuck in the mud before reaching the rocks.  At high tide during the night the crew were able to float her off and back into her slip a few boats along from us.  To look at her this morning you'd never know anything had happened. Lucky Black Jack!

Australia Based Bristol Rose

Brisbane River City Cats Signage

 Moving back into the mainstream of life has its challenges.  As well as all kinds of crazy weather in Queensland, we've been confronted with some serious culture shock.  Our experiences are fairly mundane compared with everything we experienced in crossing the Pacific.  

Bristol Rose in her slip at the Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron

Getting settled in Brisbane, working, enjoying the sunshine, favourite foods.  Unfortunately not a lot of time to keep our blog up to date and friends have been asking if Cyclone Yasi got us.

Pumpkin in the markets and roast pumpkin on the menu, yum!

A tower of lamingtons! 
The stuff of cravings when we lived in the US, far away from an Aussie cake shop.

Buckets of gerberas

Rainbow Lorikeet building a nest

Attitude, contender in the Brisbane to Gladstone multihull race.

Bristol Rose is being hauled out this week for routine annual maintenance. Our habit is to change engine oil and filters every 100 hours (Yanmar recommends every 200 hours) and changing the impeller every two years as recommended by Yanmar. Captain and crew have done a great job maintaining the boat above and below deck. We are looking forward to a good go-over when she comes out of the water including new bottom paint, servicing all thru hull fittings like seacocks, transducer, inspecting rudder post and prop shaft.

Manly, Queensland

Australia Day on Moreton Bay

Look Closely, Jack from Anthem joins in with the Aussie Day celebrations

Each Wednesday the Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron, or simply RQ, has an afternoon race.  Last Wednesday was Australia Day, perfect weather attracted 79 sailboats of all shapes and sizes in the afternoon race.

Here are some of the photos taken on our sail on the bay.

Nice and close

It may be a social outing, but it's still a competitive race.

We Love Our BBQ Lamb! It's a national dish.

Brisbane on the Brisbane River.  The Story Bridge is on the right.

We like to celebrate Australia with a couple of lamp chops on the barbie on 26th January.

Old Ways and Wise Building Brisbane

As Bristol Rose made her way up the Brisbane river in October, the crew were shocked to see all the cool new buildings and restorations along the riverfront.  Apartments where industrial sites used to sprawl, the Powerhouse now a fabulous arts space, lots of cool concrete, glass,  miles of boardwalks and cycling paths,  and very "new" uniquely Australian landscaping.

Brisbane was putting on a great show of modernity, class, style and fun for all to see.  That was just two and a half months ago, before the flood of January 2011.  With loads of hard work, even more money, and typical Aussie never-say-die spirit, Brisbane will look great again when all the mud and debris is cleaned away.

Will the developers have to change the way they think, design and build?  There's wisdom in the old ways of building in the Sunshine State.  It's worth taking a seriously close look at how it used to be.

The typical old "Queenslander" was built on stilts - hmmm, no prizes for guessing why!  While the old homes might get their feet (or stilts) wet, the living spaces could sit high above invading waters.  The height allows cooling breezes to circulate, provides a place to park the car out of the burning sun.  And who didn't have a clothesline under the house for hanging the washing on rainy days?

The "Queenslander" has wide verandahs to shade the windows and keep the rain at a distance.  Some covered in their verandahs for extra living space but even left open, they're extremely practical and useful.  The verandahs and "under the house" allowed space for kids and adults to get outdoors, under cover from the elements.  And best of all, those grand old houses are charming and beautiful to look at.  You've gotta love a Queenslander!

Brisbane Before and After Flood

NearMap, based in Perth, Western Australia, have mapped the recent Brisbane floods.  Although the before images are reported to be taken January 13, it's obvious many were taken well before then.  Nevermind, you get the general idea.

Here's my photo of the Moggill Ferry, service suspended, tied up to the Ipswich side on December 27.

With all the rain this summer up to Christmas Holidays, there was already flooding in the area around Mt. Crosby and Wivenhoe Dam when we toured the area with friends on Dec 27.  People are asking about the operation of the dam and the ability of the existing dam to cope with all that rain.

The Brisbane River at Colleges Crossing, Dec 27, 2010

Benches and barbecues under water.
Campers hanging in there on the edges of Wivenhoe Dam on Dec 27, 2010.   

As well as all the poor souls who lost loved ones, homes and businesses in floods across 5 states (Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, and Tasmania), there are many who were less drastically affected.  How do you count the number of lives disrupted, those whose employment is in doubt, how many holidays ruined?

Click on ABC News, move your mouse over the images to see the difference a day can make.   When you look at the before and after aerial images, (Part 1 and Part 2) you get a glimpse of the magnitude of the devastation we have witnessed in Brisbane.  Brisbanites and visitors alike will miss riding the ferries and cycling (and walking) the miles of river walkways.

Beautiful Bulimba Ferry terminal in October 2010

Most if not all of the Brisbane Ferry docks have been washed away.  The Lord Mayor of Brisbane, Campbell Newman, does not expect the CityCat ferry service to be operating for at least 90 days.

One of a fleet of CityCats leave the Brisbane River for Manly, Tuesday Jan 11, 2011.

Rain, Flooding, Safe at RQ in Manly

Bristol Rose and crew are safe tonight at the Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron, RQ, in Manly.  We have Brisbane's City Cats for company, as well as Merlin, Alexis and Whiskers.

Getting out of our slip at Dockside Marina and over to Manly was windy, wet, bumpy and cold.  At least we zoomed down the river at a brisk pace, dodging debris, and doing well.

One of the deciding factors that convinced us it was time to move was seeing all the ferries and City Cats heading down the Brisbane River, and buildings in the CBD were evacuated.  When Robert measured the distance between the high water mark and the top of the pylon holding our dock,  he measured 7 feet, well short of expected levels.

We're thinking about our neighbours at Dockside Marina.  There were so many boats in their slips when we left today, including some liveaboards.  If the levels rise as suggested, the floating docks will come right over the tops of the pylons.  It's too horrifying to think about.  Images over the last days and weeks have been horrifying.

Aussies have earned the reputation for being tough.  Here's a quote from a woman interviewed on the news, "You gotta be strong and just keep going, that's the Australian way".

Story in the NY Times: Staying Afloat Down Under

We Make Our Move to Manly. Inland Instant Tsunami in Toowoomba

Eight dead, 72 missing.  Families separated, many people stranded and isolated.  Gatton, Qld evacuated overnight.  Flash floods, Toowoomba devastated by a wall of water.  Houses washed away with people in them.  One spokesperson calls the wall of water that swept through Toowoomba yesterday, "An inland instant tsunami".

Queensland government calls an all agencies briefing.  Suburbs at risk today or tomorrow include: Albion,  Auchenflower,  Bowen Hills, Brisbane City, Bulimba, Chelmer, Coorparoo, East Brisbane, Fortitude Valley, Kangaroo Point, New Farm, South Brisbane, Windsor, Wacol.  The equivalent of two Sydney Harbours are flowing into the Wivenhoe Dam.

We are holding tight to our floating dock at Dockside Marina while considering our options.  The marina is protected a little by the curve of the river, with the other side experiencing fast flowing water (we estimate about 10 knots), and our lines not straining at all.

Moving out from our little eddy would present some difficulties with the flow of the water,  and all the debris making its way to the sea.  We are expecting a three meter tide, which these docks could sustain.  No evacuations have been called for Brisbane city and we're trying to get more information.

Noon.  We are preparing to leave the dock and take our chances getting down the river, out through Moreton Bay and to the Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron marina at Manly.

Road Trip. I've Been Everywhere, Man!

Kangaroos at Balancing Rock, near Glenn Innes

Driving from Brisbane to Sydney recently to pick up Daisie from Quarantine brought back some fond memories.  There's nothing like a drive through small Aussie East Coast towns to make you smile and think of singing.  Just saying the place names out loud is a hoot!

Guyra Railway Signal, New South Wales

Take a look at some of these "blink and you'll miss it" place names we've loved most on many a drive along the Pacific Highway:

Duranbah, Tyagarah, Newybar, Yelgun, Uralla, Uki, Bilinudgel, Bellimbopinni, Tabbimobile, Jackadgery, Liangothin, Tibuster, Coopernook, Coolongolook, Nabiac, Rainbow Flat

The 10 year drought has broken.  Mann River at Jackadgery.

Then there's some all time favorites from around the country: Murwillumbah, Mullumbimby, Cunnamulla, Cabramatta, Indooroopilly, Kirribilli, Woolloongabba, Oodnadatta, Nambucca, Clybucca, Buladelah, Bambaroo, Woolloomooloo.

You might remember Johnny Cash's 1996 version of the song, "I've Been Everywhere, Man".  Back in 1962 Lucky Starr recorded the Aussie version, written by Geoff Mack in 1959:

I've been everywhere man,
'cross the deserts bare, man,
I've breathed the mountain air, man,
of travel I've had my share, man,
I've been ev'rywhere."

Been to...
Click here to see where intrepid traveller Peter Harris has been as he's followed the lyrics of the song.

Near Scone, NSW

Brisbane Street Art

Sandstone was a common building material for the historic buildings in Australia's cities and towns.  

There was nothing to tell the significance of these gorgeous, quite large carved sandstone blocks.  You just have to enjoy the beauty of the stone and the work of the artist.

Wall art, reminiscent of aboriginal cave paintings