April 2023: A busy month.
Our last post in January brought you up to date with the knee replacement I had on the 12th January. I’m happy to report that the op was a success and that I regained full mobility within a month. There were a couple of days of discomfort when I pushed it too hard with gardening and walking, but these days are now history.
Having recently had Esprit’s sails and canvas work replaced after six years at sea, we had to bite the bullet and upgrade all the electronics which were starting to malfunction. Chad of Oceanphase Electrical installed a new B&G Vulcan GPS/Chart plotter, new B&G autopilot computer, new B&G ultrasonic wind-sensor/anemometer on the mast, re-wired the navigation lights, new LED’s for the two compasses, etc.etc. Boats, like cars need maintenance!
We have had a few visitors: Gretha Jacobs, a university classmate of Annie’s, visited from Cape Town enroute to Albury, where her son Sean is practising as a psychiatrist. Annie’s sister Penny, brother Johan and their partners from NZ arrived at the end of March for Karen and Evan’s wedding on the 1st April.
The wedding in Newcastle, two hours north of Sydney, was a laid back, late morning event at Tramway Reserve overlooking the sea. Parents and siblings plus grandma, twelve in number, attended in sunshine and good spirits. Michelle recited her poem for the couple, wedding rings were exchanged, the certificate signed and the celebrant pronounced them husband and wife. Eugene’s 20 year old Toyota Camry served as the wedding limousine.
After the event, we walked down to Scottie’s for lunch. Various dishes were served from a set menu, while the champagne, beer and wine flowed. At 3pm the couple departed in their limo.
The long lunch resulted in a Nanna nap before we all set off at 5pm to the SMAC art studio in Tighes Hill for a reception for 120 of their mates. Their friends, SODA band, provided music with a few speeches during breaks. OzHarvest provided the food. I requested a Lobola (dowry) of 10 goats for Karen, from the father of the groom. I was presented with a photo of the goats and assured that the goats were in good health at their Anna Bay property.
The band played until midnight, after which James Burman, an old sailing friend of Karen’s, got going as DJ until 5am. I lasted until 2am, giving my new knee a good workout on the dance floor, Annie got to our Airbnb at 3am and Michelle drifted in at 4:30am. A good time was had by all.
Eugene, Evan’s dad hosted a big breakfast for all comers on Sunday morning, at his house in nearby Mayfield. The 30 or so guests repaid his hospitality, by all going down to SMAC studio to clean up the venue, which was done and dusted by 12pm. We arrived back in Sydney at 3pm for a lazy afternoon and some restorative sundowners.
Penny and Frank spent two weeks in Sydney, during which time we did some walks along the coast and also went sailing for three days on the Pittwater. Jim and Gail Petrie from Cape Town visited Sydney after a long absence. They had a busy time reconnecting with friends and attending concerts. We caught up with a dinner and also went sailing, reminding us of the good times we had on the water, when we shared Backbeat for eight years.
April was also a month of other milestones: My 76th birthday came around and Annie and I celebrated 36 years of marriage and other adventures. So far, so good, as we plan to share a few more adventures in the coming years. To quote Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’ song “Rebels”: “With one foot in the grave”, (not quite yet), “and one foot on the pedal” (for sure!)
During the last six years, we have met many sailors from different countries. From couples like ourselves, to single handers and parents with young children. We are still in touch with many of these friends and follow their progress as they sail from continent to continent. One person in particular, who we met in Brisbane on our return journey to Sydney in October 2021, is Kayo the Japanese Australian architect who started sailing at 40. She bought a 34 ft monohull and sailed single handedly from Brisbane to Japan and back to visit her family.
Shortly after we left Brisbane, she sailed to Darwin and then crossed the Indian ocean to Cape Town, before crossing the Atlantic ocean to the Caribbean, all single handedly. We got word from her in late April, that she has transited the Panama canal and is now ready to cross the Pacific ocean, back to Australia at the age of 59. Well done Kayo and godspeed!
On the same day, we learnt that the 40 year old South African sailor Kirsten Neuschafer, finished first in the 2022/23 Golden Globe solo nonstop around the world race, sailing south of the three capes, Cape Leeuwin, Cape Agulhas and Cape Horn. This challenging race is without modern technology, with similar equipment that was carried on board Robin Knox-Johnston’s 1968/9 race winning 36 ft yacht Suhali. In the 2022/23 race the boats had to be a maximum length of 36 feet and designed before 1988. Of the 14 starters, only 4 are expected to finish the race.
Add to these two exceptional women, the Australian Ice Maiden, Lisa Blair, who in 2022/23 became the first person to sail around Antarctica solo and nonstop, and you meet the new generation of female sailors following in the wakes of legendary women who went before.
GO GIRLS!
That’s our news and pics for now. We’ll do another post when there is more news and pics.
Cheers for now, Annie and Dirk