tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14519989960682936862012-02-17T13:40:56.922+11:00Lucey Blue - Lagoon 42 TPI CatamaranSamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582596325205093863noreply@blogger.comBlogger1491100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1451998996068293686.post-43425046189179738172011-12-16T20:26:00.002+11:002011-12-16T20:29:02.482+11:00

I just wanted to let you know we left Dockside at 03:00 this morning, after enjoying two and a half weeks of Brisbane hospitality, sight-seeing, shopping, relaxation.....and even getting in some re-provisioning and small repairs too. As we slipped quietly down the river I was reciting passages of one of the kid's books to myself. It is called the Night Pirates, by Peter Harris and illustrated

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582596325205093863noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1451998996068293686.post-25069590216094262932011-12-12T18:53:00.001+11:002011-12-12T18:59:05.271+11:00

I was just sorting through photos this afternoon, and thinking about my favourite stops on this trip. I thought I'd pop a few up here while I was at it...in no particular order. Today's shot, Lady Musgrave Island...sigh! Definitely near the very top of the favourite stops list. :-)

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582596325205093863noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1451998996068293686.post-13374630308499154492011-12-11T22:09:00.001+11:002011-12-11T22:42:47.763+11:00

Thought I'd pop up a wee snap of our beautiful Lucey Blue Christmas tree. We have the full Christmas thing going on here...tree, decorations, lights, candles etc, and I love it. I've even been ramping up the iPod Christmas playlist most evenings. Nothing like a bit of Bing, Diana Krall, Michael Bublé and Kylie to add a festive touch to our evenings. Wish it was a click n' sniff pic...because

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582596325205093863noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1451998996068293686.post-83585419727610175712011-12-09T21:35:00.001+11:002011-12-09T21:57:14.310+11:00

Extra points if you can tell where this wibbly wobbly pic was taken! Actually, take that back, I probably had the GPS on the camera on at the time, so it's most likely buried in the metadata somewhere anyway! It was taken from Lucey Blue, while anchored in The Pond, Mooloolaba. I like wibbly lights. I also like itty bitty coloured dots...so do the kids... This pic taken in Yayoi Kusama's

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582596325205093863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1451998996068293686.post-35824357089914239152011-12-07T21:08:00.001+11:002011-12-07T22:22:47.046+11:00

I'm afraid our poor old blog has been passed over in the rush to prepare for Christmas on Lucey Blue, but I thought I should just pop on here and let you know we are still alive and well! After a quick trip down the Sandy Straits (where I was completely mauled by Sandflies one morning) and a few lovely, quiet, sandfly-free days in Tin Can Bay (above) we travelled to Mooloolaba, and thence to

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582596325205093863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1451998996068293686.post-79612103320931287862011-11-28T08:20:00.001+11:002011-11-28T09:54:35.607+11:00

I know that you are probably well and truly over all the fishing photos...but I'm putting this up because I think it is amusing that with an ocean full of different fish, it really does appear that Mackerel (or Mackerel-themed fish [aka Mackerel Tuna]) are pretty much all that we are going to catch! Obviously our lure is a 'Mackerel-only' lure! We left Bundy on Wednesday and had a terrific

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582596325205093863noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1451998996068293686.post-27754951757364617112011-11-21T22:03:00.001+11:002011-11-28T09:57:06.293+11:00

Swimming with a beautiful Humphead Maori Wrasse in Manta Ray Bay, Hook Island. Isn't he stunning?

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582596325205093863noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1451998996068293686.post-41966478553093053432011-11-18T08:22:00.001+11:002011-11-28T09:56:47.603+11:00

Yesterday we were up and away, leaving Lady Musgrave Island bright and early in the morning. She really looks lovely out there in the middle of the ocean, and I am already looking forward to going back. It was a great trip down to Bundaberg, we were sailing along beautifully with the main and screecher out, and a boat speed of up to 10 kts. It was exhilarating, and Nick and I were patting

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582596325205093863noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1451998996068293686.post-56926451115081891562011-11-16T11:25:00.001+11:002011-11-28T09:56:36.238+11:00

Last night Nick took the kids ashore on Lady Musgrave Island at 10:30 pm. The moon was up, the tide was coming in, it was a perfect night for a spot of turtle watching. They saw a small Manta Ray in the lagoon under the dinghy on the way in. That in itself made the trip worthwhile, but the true highlight of the night was watching several Green Turtles in various stages of nesting in the sand at

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582596325205093863noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1451998996068293686.post-41804613836415973472011-11-16T10:53:00.001+11:002011-11-16T11:17:14.808+11:00

I know this post is out of order, but you'll have to forgive my sloppiness. We have lots of things we still want to put up here, and probably have enough material to post for months after we get back home! One of the last places we visited before leaving the Whitsunday area was breathtaking Bait Reef. This was our third trip out there, and it did not disappoint. The awesomeness of that place

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582596325205093863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1451998996068293686.post-77922965135069604252011-11-15T14:31:00.001+11:002011-11-15T15:12:05.995+11:00

After our monster Spanish Mackerel landing back in the Whitsundays, it was suggested that perhaps Nick had missed his calling, and would be far better suited to life as a Mackerel Fisherman ;-). With this in mind please note the following two fish, landed in quick succession yesterday after our early departure from Cape Capricorn... A bit easier to lift up than the 1.45 m Spaniard! Another

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582596325205093863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1451998996068293686.post-57410325033367926092011-11-15T13:54:00.001+11:002011-11-15T14:25:56.218+11:00

We all got up just before 5 am this morning, and went ashore to see if we could glimpse any of the turtles laying their eggs on Lady Musgrave Island. We knew we'd left it a bit late, but we were all a bit pooped after our early start and long journey the day before. As luck would have it there were still a few turtles on the beach, although they'd finished laying their eggs, and had commenced

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582596325205093863noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1451998996068293686.post-90401494767138515882011-11-14T20:42:00.001+11:002011-11-14T21:20:59.893+11:00

We left Keppel Bay Marina bright and early on Sunday morning, headed for Great Keppel Island or further...we agreed that we'd decide en-route. Keppel Bay Marina market themselves as the 'Friendliest Marina' and we can vouch for that. Everything is done with a smile, right down to handing over the keys to the FREE courtesy car (or as the sticker emblazoned on the bonnet of the car says...the

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582596325205093863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1451998996068293686.post-85861621763867383692011-11-10T21:25:00.000+11:002011-11-14T12:12:36.353+11:00

Yesterday, after a lovely breakfast with the koalas on Hamilton Island (yes we went back one last time, to refuel, swim and chill ;-), we headed out of the marina and pointed our bows south-east. We've started the journey home! The weather was not ideal, some would say not good at all for a trip heading south-east, but we left anyway...as you do! We started out bashing into 15 - 20 kts pretty

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582596325205093863noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1451998996068293686.post-55922023387288827432011-11-05T10:42:00.001+11:002011-11-05T10:51:37.628+11:00

We've trolled a line behind Lucey Blue all the way from Sydney to the Whitsundays, a distance of approximately 1000 nm, and then spent 11 weeks going around and around the Whitsundays for countless nautical miles and fishing everywhere we could, but no dice. None at all that is, until yesterday, when we hit pay-dirt. We were leisurely motoring our way back to the islands after another

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582596325205093863noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1451998996068293686.post-78227474707047620082011-11-01T14:51:00.000+11:002011-11-01T14:55:35.951+11:00

After a lovely afternoon spent by the Main Pool (mocktails in hand), we had a little impromptu party on Lucey Blue last night because it was to be our last night at Hamilton Island, and I am going to miss it. The previous evening we had met and chatted with a lovely couple (Trevor and Pam) aboard their beautiful motor boat Triton. In addition to donating us one of their lures (I think they

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582596325205093863noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1451998996068293686.post-83126428410078641902011-10-29T19:22:00.001+11:002011-10-29T19:42:30.044+11:00

Last week was a wet and windy old week in the Whitsundays, and we had been running around hiding in various little hidey holes, trying to stay dry. We spent more time at Hamilton Island Marina (just in case I haven't said it before, we can highly recommend a stop or five here ;-). We then spent a couple of nights in Cid Harbour, before moving on to Butterfly Bay, followed by a few nights in

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582596325205093863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1451998996068293686.post-43552405894306778722011-10-09T19:53:00.000+11:002011-10-09T20:11:27.679+11:00

...I may have said there wouldn't be any more until we got a replacement regulator for our Powerdive unit, but I may have forgotten that we'd still be snorkelling...so I might have some more underwater shots for the blog anyway...sorry! Did you know I could do one-arm handstands underwater? You should have seen the twenty push-ups I did...but I was so quick, Nick missed them with the camera

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582596325205093863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1451998996068293686.post-23980430618708994042011-10-06T09:32:00.002+11:002011-10-06T09:45:34.234+11:00

As I mentioned before, I do have lots of photos taken above the waves around Cateran Bay, Border Island...it is a pretty little island! Looking towards Mosstrooper Peak on Border Island, with Cateran Bay on the left. Deloraine Island is just peaking in from photo right. Fringing reef and yachts at anchor in Cateran Bay, Border Island. Both of these photos above were taken by Nick who was

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582596325205093863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1451998996068293686.post-25429648555221431942011-10-05T22:09:00.001+11:002011-10-06T09:33:08.538+11:00

I've been playing with more of Nick's underwater photos from Cateran Bay (I can hear you all cheering with excitement...no?). I also have a bunch taken above the water there...but I'll pop those in a separate post. The myriad shapes, textures and colours are very beautiful. We have been watching the Stargate SG1 series on DVD while we have been out here, and often,

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582596325205093863noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1451998996068293686.post-31581786731871107602011-10-02T20:28:00.000+11:002011-10-02T20:28:47.676+11:00

You should definitely make sure it is Whitehaven Sand! The stuff is delish :-). Mum says she is going to mix in some of her special herbs for me...just to add a little colour

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582596325205093863noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1451998996068293686.post-91403596733860083952011-10-02T13:00:00.001+11:002011-10-02T20:30:20.024+11:00

...and sporting six sturdy little chompers! All the better to scare off the ducks... All the better to chomp on pizza...when my silly parents leave it where I can get to it... (and yes...one of these pizzas did land on the floor...upside down of course!!). PS. The Manta Ray Cafe pizzas are very good...even after you've had to scrape them up off the floor.

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582596325205093863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1451998996068293686.post-67055335876491802882011-10-01T19:53:00.001+10:002011-10-01T19:53:30.572+10:00

We got up bright and early this morning and with the northerly wind pretty much gone, we left Chance Bay and headed back around to Whitehaven Beach. It was a simply beautiful day. Bright blue sky, clear sea, lovely and warm...the perfect day to spend playing on Whitehaven beach...so we did! Even Eric got in on the action...and prepared for his first swim in the crystal clear water. He

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582596325205093863noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1451998996068293686.post-24804546918030532362011-09-30T20:25:00.002+10:002011-10-01T19:57:33.724+10:00

We have stopped at Whitehaven Beach on Whitsunday Island a couple of times now. The first time we stopped it was cold, windy and foggy and I was thinking 'PFftttttt! What's all the fuss about?'. But we went back for another visit about two weeks ago with my mum. It was a warm, sunny day and after a quick trip ashore with the kids I could see and feel what all the fuss was about! The colours

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582596325205093863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1451998996068293686.post-49130880044219212012011-09-25T19:22:00.000+10:002011-09-25T19:22:12.746+10:00

We had another aquatic day today on Bait Reef. Nick and I did some Powerdiving in the morning, and he managed to get these shots... Nick has decided to try and capture more shots of fish...but they tend to move a tad more quickly than the coral...so its taking some time! I move a whole lot slower (than the fish, not the coral)...so I'm a relatively easy target. (

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582596325205093863noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1451998996068293686.post-78545931981604528352011-09-25T07:04:00.001+10:002011-09-25T07:04:38.874+10:00

Another lovely day here on the Great Barrier Reef yesterday. We all went snorkelling (well, not Eric, I stayed with him while dad took the kids in, then I went in later). That's Emily's weight belt streaming out behind her. They don't seem to come in kiddy sizes, so it is a mile too long (we could cut it, but it might come in handy one day to hold on to her while she goes off....she is a very

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582596325205093863noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1451998996068293686.post-45095218686725769512011-09-24T09:20:00.000+10:002011-09-25T07:05:06.129+10:00

We had another fun day yesterday. We moved from Hook Reef to Bait Reef, and went Powerdiving off the Stepping Stones... It is still a tad windy here, but under the water you don't notice the wind so much (except that it tends to blow the floating Powerdive unit away, and I can sometimes feel it dragging me backwards). It poured with rain here last night, which washed down

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582596325205093863noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1451998996068293686.post-64115658532037268102011-09-22T15:36:00.000+10:002011-09-25T07:05:06.137+10:00

If you check out our trip map here, and zoom way, way in over the Whitsunday Islands, you'll see that we have stopped in Cateran Bay (on the north side of Border Island) three times so far (if you can make any of it out at all, that is...we have been doing circles of the place, and its looking like a big scribble until you zoom right in). We started out snorkelling at Cateran Bay, but on the last

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582596325205093863noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1451998996068293686.post-9834174042944334962011-09-22T12:16:00.001+10:002011-09-25T07:05:06.147+10:00

We are currently anchored behind Hook Reef on The Great Barrier Reef, and all I can see in every direction is amazingly blue ocean (and one or two other boats, and the reef...which is just coming out at low tide, as I write). Yesterday we motored out here from Cateran Bay, and stopped briefly on the outer edge of Bait Reef on the way. We picked up the Manta Ray Drop-off public mooring and then 

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582596325205093863noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1451998996068293686.post-9322633731786917552011-09-21T15:26:00.000+10:002011-09-25T07:05:22.725+10:00

Yesterday morning we were treated to the most amazing spectacle. We were anchored in Cateran Bay, Border Island (for the third time) and I had been watching the dorsal fin of a large whale quietly bobbing about just outside the bay, with a calf nearby. I'd not long gone inside to do some school work with Emily when people on a nearby yacht started cheering and yelling. We rushed outside and were

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582596325205093863noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1451998996068293686.post-25704079350120619722011-09-12T19:43:00.000+10:002011-09-12T20:59:00.842+10:00

We had a lovely time at Daydream Island. They charge $55 per night for the use of one of their moorings, and for that price you also get to use the resort facilities...so we did! Nick and the kids...considering downsizing from Lucey Blue! Eric and I sat under an umbrella on the lovely beach above and watched the fun... ...so did the mermaids (well, they weren't under an umbrella...but you

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582596325205093863noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1451998996068293686.post-54354118965630258152011-09-11T20:34:00.001+10:002011-09-12T19:45:08.017+10:00

It is getting to the point where my mind is just boggling every time I think about everything I want to put on here...and how long it is going to take me to do it! Given this blog is supposed to be a fun thing, the mind boggling part is not a good sign. Think I might have to sit by the pool and have another few mocktails...until the boggling subsides ;-). I still have photos I want to share

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582596325205093863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1451998996068293686.post-62456474476229511452011-08-31T18:02:00.000+10:002011-09-25T07:05:49.884+10:00

Slowly I am going to try and catch up to where we are at present...which for the record is still Sawmill Bay, Whitsunday Island. We left Mackay Marina early on Saturday 20th August, and on our way out I took a quick picture of the shoreline, where you can see the old, re-located, kerosene lighthouse that used to reside on Pine Island (opposite Middle Percy Island). Another interesting sight (

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582596325205093863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1451998996068293686.post-1449703980921411572011-08-30T21:54:00.000+10:002011-09-25T07:05:49.875+10:00

Just thought I'd pop a little message here and let you know that tonight we are nestled in Sawmill Bay, Cid Harbour, on the western side of Whitsunday Island (along with approximately 41 other boats). When I looked outside this evening it was hard to tell where the stars stopped and the anchor lights started, and Nick commented that it felt like Sydney Harbour on New Year's Eve! Our internet

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582596325205093863noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1451998996068293686.post-30121463784898973832011-08-30T21:26:00.001+10:002011-08-30T21:32:53.908+10:00

As I mentioned in the previous post, we still have more to tell you about our stay at Middle Percy Island (fair warning...this post has a bazillion pictures!!). We stayed at Middle Percy Island for five lovely, warm and sunny days. When we arrived at West Bay on Friday 12th August the anchor had barely touched the sand when Ryan and I jumped overboard and swam ashore.  Dad stayed aboard Lucey

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582596325205093863noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1451998996068293686.post-11734442643411532722011-08-26T20:51:00.009+10:002011-09-12T19:45:59.631+10:00

I know this post is out of order...we still have several posts to add here covering our visits to Middle Percy, Brampton, Shaw and Lindeman Islands (I have been a pretty slack blogger of late)...but I was so excited after witnessing some of the maxi yachts up close today (part of the Audi Hamilton Island Race Week), that I couldn't wait to pop up a few pictures. We left our anchorage at Lindeman

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582596325205093863noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1451998996068293686.post-89299058459112488452011-08-26T19:53:00.000+10:002011-08-26T19:53:57.320+10:00

Just before we left Sydney we installed a masthead mobile phone antenna and wireless router aboard Lucey Blue. We already had VHF and an MF/HF system with Pactor modem to ensure reliable communication, however, we also wanted long distance mobile reception for our trip up the East Coast of Australia. After a little research online we settled on a high-gain masthead antenna connected via a thick

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582596325205093863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1451998996068293686.post-91982115967291466642011-08-26T19:46:00.000+10:002011-08-26T19:46:47.686+10:00

While we couldn't find the old plaque on Middle Percy Island, Grandma and Grandpa have still been a part of this voyage. After helping sail Lucey Blue up from Sydney to Brisbane they set about cleaning up Najat and getting ready to meet us out at sea. After some hard work and careful renovation – including nearly burning out the bathroom diesel heater much to the amusement of Emily and Ryan –

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582596325205093863noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1451998996068293686.post-48915376175050703292011-08-20T20:12:00.000+10:002011-08-20T20:12:06.294+10:00

One of the fun things to do at Middle Percy Island is to leave a memento of your visit in the A-frame hut on the beach, dubbed the Percy Hilton... Nick and his parents had done the same when they passed this way back in the early 80's (although we failed to locate their plaque, which was a cow bone and may well have disintegrated). We found some plaques and memorabilia dating back as far as the

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582596325205093863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1451998996068293686.post-60612639504341590372011-08-17T07:03:00.002+10:002011-08-17T08:55:57.231+10:00

It was so hard to say goodbye to Middle Percy Island at stupid o'clock this morning. I have so much to say about our five days there...fantastic people, great food, cute animals, beautiful scenery, and lots of pics too...but its going to have to wait, because while my seasickness has been minimal of late (and non-existent today), I don't want to push my luck by burying my head in the computer for

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582596325205093863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1451998996068293686.post-53459887697685485282011-08-12T10:14:00.001+10:002011-08-17T08:56:16.173+10:00

We left Keppel Bay Marina on Wednesday morning and spent the last two nights in Island Head Creek, part of the Shoalwater Bay Training Area (amazing scenery in that neck of the woods). This morning we headed out towards Middle Percy Island and expect to arrive around late afternoon today. We've had the spinnaker up and have been motor-sailing at up to 10.2 kts!!! Without the motor we averaged

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582596325205093863noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1451998996068293686.post-59815877515350105822011-08-07T08:16:00.001+10:002011-08-27T10:29:23.176+10:00

We've been having fun at this marina. It is the Club Marine Brisbane to Keppel Tropical Yacht Race weekend here and there are parties and lots of people continually coming and going. A number of yachts arrived yesterday including Wild Oats XI and Lahana (which is berthed not far from us, so made a nice portlight view this morning)... Most of the race entrants are still on their way up and will

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582596325205093863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1451998996068293686.post-24797819412428443752011-08-05T22:04:00.005+10:002011-08-06T06:50:21.404+10:00

I last visited Great Keppel Island 26 years ago. I only stayed about a week, and don't remember much, but I do remember a pretty and busy island. At the time the tourism slogan ran something along the lines of 'Get wrecked on Great Keppel Island' (one of the beaches is called wreck beach, so I guess it came about through that?)!! Obviously it was before the age of responsible drinking, and I was

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582596325205093863noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1451998996068293686.post-25627618322512188682011-08-03T10:00:00.001+10:002011-08-03T10:03:17.775+10:00

...this picture taken as we slowly approached the anchorage off Leeke's Beach on the northern side of Great Keppel Island around 6 am this morning. We left Lady Musgrave Island lagoon at 2 pm yesterday and motor-sailed/sailed the approximately 90 nm to Great Keppel Island over night. Shortly after we'd left the Lady Musgrave Island lagoon I saw a whale breach, and several large plumes of air/

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582596325205093863noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1451998996068293686.post-30485935345778415352011-08-03T08:43:00.002+10:002011-08-03T17:57:51.404+10:00

Been meaning to drop you a line and let you know that this little first-class passenger is doing well! I generally spend my days lounging about on the lido deck, watching the people go about their business and enjoying the fine fare on this cruise ship. The service leaves a little to be desired though...not always as quick and professional as I would have expected on a vessel of this size. The

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582596325205093863noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1451998996068293686.post-83186390575244331432011-08-01T19:56:00.002+10:002011-08-03T08:46:49.042+10:00

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582596325205093863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1451998996068293686.post-15807116162391421442011-08-01T05:35:00.001+10:002011-08-01T20:10:28.852+10:00

We've had a bit of south-easterly wind over the last few days. Sunny and mild, but not the nicest weather for snorkelling or swimming, so there has been lots of school work done, books read and some baking done too. I managed to cook my first loaf of bread on Lucey Blue, and by some miracle it turned out beautifully! Before the wind started up, we also got in a bit more snorkelling... ...

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582596325205093863noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1451998996068293686.post-23411632425196307052011-07-29T08:26:00.001+10:002011-08-03T08:44:31.454+10:00

Some people put their babies to sleep by taking them out for a drive around the block. Our little first-class passenger prefers the dinghy...

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582596325205093863noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1451998996068293686.post-70806452443510668742011-07-27T19:09:00.000+10:002011-07-27T19:09:08.082+10:00

Just a really quick postcard because the internet is dropping out this evening. It would appear that whenever the wind blows us so that our line of sight with Round Hill falls behind the island, we lose our internet/phone connection. Such big troubles in life eh? Emily and I went snorkelling on this stretch of reef this afternoon, while Dad and Eric kicked back in the dinghy and watched. Ryan

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582596325205093863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1451998996068293686.post-72453812935147242722011-07-27T08:21:00.003+10:002011-07-28T08:26:30.644+10:00

Again, my apologies for boring your soxs off with my multitudes of pics from here and there. I'm a visual person, and enjoy fiddling with my pictures while I'm feeding the first-class passenger (and as you can probably tell...I do a lot of feeding of the first-class passenger...he is going to be a big, healthy boy :-). I am much less likely to come up with an interesting spiel...after all, what

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582596325205093863noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1451998996068293686.post-35407019557316830102011-07-26T13:59:00.002+10:002011-07-28T08:26:53.123+10:00

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582596325205093863noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1451998996068293686.post-61371967825608644672011-07-26T09:23:00.001+10:002011-07-28T08:26:53.125+10:00

If we were back home in Canberra right now, the chances you'd find me swimming in anything other than a temperature controlled, indoor swimming pool are zero. No way, no how, not possible, NOT HAPPENING! But at 07:30 this morning the Lady Musgrave Lagoon was still, and the most amazing shade of blue, and the temperature felt AWESOME (and I'd just crawled out of bed at the time of testing...so

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582596325205093863noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1451998996068293686.post-57989609197722064212011-07-25T19:43:00.000+10:002011-07-28T08:26:53.127+10:00

We never actually made it ashore today. Nick and the kids were absolutely BUSTING to get into the water, so after a bit of outboard maintenance, a visit by a friendly neighbouring yachtie or two, and some lunch... ...they donned their stinger suits and wetsuits and were away (leaving me holding the baby ;-)! (who else thinks that the dinghy looks like it is actually hovering over the crystal

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582596325205093863noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1451998996068293686.post-33724928411833809412011-07-25T08:55:00.000+10:002011-07-28T08:26:53.130+10:00

I was telling pork pies! We do have phone and internet connection here. It is a bit variable, but we have managed two phone calls without any drop-outs. We left Bundaberg Port Marina at 11:00 pm last night and motored out of the Burnett River on an incoming tide. It was a bit choppy with an onshore breeze, and unfortunately I lost my dinner shortly into our trip (everyone else was fine...told

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582596325205093863noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1451998996068293686.post-47256709002199801222011-07-23T16:51:00.000+10:002011-08-27T10:30:32.684+10:00

 We have been having a lovely time in Bundy, catching up with family, seeing the sights, doing the boat stuff... The Bundaberg Port Marina is a short drive from town (through some beautiful cane fields), and has had pretty much everything we've needed. We rented a car from the marina for the week, and have buzzed about all over the place in that. Yesterday we all went in to town to visit the

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582596325205093863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1451998996068293686.post-23774441623290214682011-07-18T20:11:00.005+10:002011-08-27T10:35:06.710+10:00

Last night, after posting here. I jumped into bed...for a very short kip. Nick and I both got up at 11:40 pm, got dressed and sorted and upped anchor at midnight and motored up and out of the Great Sandy Strait and into Hervey Bay. We decided that we'd seen enough of Fraser Island for now, and will probably stop in there again on our way home late this year, or early next year. It was fun

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582596325205093863noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1451998996068293686.post-49516239172996668172011-07-17T18:58:00.002+10:002011-11-28T09:56:36.215+11:00

Just a quick post tonight because the Mac is having another spack attack...and I'm completely over it! My MacBook Pro does not seem to like iPhoto and Photoshop to be running together, but unfortunately that is exactly what I need to be running whenever I'm choosing and playing with photos for the blog. Normally I take deep breaths, and imagine a place where computers do not come with attitude,

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582596325205093863noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1451998996068293686.post-18331322988921600862011-07-16T20:13:00.000+10:002011-11-28T09:56:36.185+11:00

We got up early this morning to catch the rising tide up the Great Sandy Strait. We left Garrys Anchorage at 7 am, and made it to South White Cliffs at about 9 am. It was a grey and wet old day up here, so once we had settled in I set about making that Peach Blossom Cake I mentioned a few posts back. Making a cake is a great way to warm up the boat (in addition to the yummy food that you get to

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582596325205093863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1451998996068293686.post-36693408027588584352011-07-16T16:33:00.000+10:002011-08-27T10:40:07.486+10:00

We ended up staying two and a half, fun-filled weeks in sunny Brisbane, berthed at the Dockside Marina at Kangaroo Point. It was in an awesome location...just around the river bend from Brisbane City... ...within sight of the Story Bridge, and only a 20 minute ferry ride to the Eagle Street wharf. We were central to everything, a quick drive to various shopping facilities (including

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582596325205093863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1451998996068293686.post-32467269164771718022011-07-15T16:22:00.001+10:002011-08-03T08:46:49.043+10:00

Guess wot!? I've cut my first tooth! It really hurts and this morning I asked my mum where the infirmary was, and she calmly told me that this was no 'Love Boat', and that if I wanted an infirmary, I'd best book a trip on the 'Freedom of the Seas' or some other rinky dink cruise liner! Isn''t she rude? Is she allowed to say that to me? I think this is a classic case of the passenger (first-class

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582596325205093863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1451998996068293686.post-27517814608181004572011-07-15T07:58:00.002+10:002011-11-28T09:56:36.205+11:00

It was a quiet night here at Garrys Anchorage...which on a boat is a good thing! A bit of wind came up during the night (I was listening to it while feeding Eric at 01:30, but it had died right down again by 05:30) but it didn't sound too bad, and we had the AIS anchor watch on, with an 80m diameter, and the alarm didn't go off...hooray! Finding ourselves lodged on one of the nearby sandbars this

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582596325205093863noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1451998996068293686.post-25883023135827962462011-07-14T19:08:00.001+10:002011-11-28T09:56:36.195+11:00

We left Tin Can Bay this morning bright and early, and motored up the beautiful Great Sandy Strait behind Fraser Island. I guess you could say that it was a fairly peaceful trip... ...I even got to dry some washing along the way... We stopped at Garrys Anchorage off Fraser Island (along with numerous other cruisers)... ...and went for a wee wander in the bush... We finished off a lovely

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582596325205093863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1451998996068293686.post-12825253224971960102011-07-13T20:03:00.000+10:002011-11-28T09:56:36.163+11:00

Yesterday the kids and I got up at stupid o'clock and marched at double-time down the road for the Dolphin Feeding at the Barnacles Dolphin Centre in Tin Can Bay. It was a 'groundhog day' moment for me as we had done the exact same thing the day before, but those pesky wild dolphins must have got some water in their wrist watches because by 08:30 they hadn't arrived and we were all chilled to the

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582596325205093863noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1451998996068293686.post-16213665207921700982011-07-13T13:00:00.001+10:002011-11-28T09:56:36.176+11:00

Another interesting part of our day trip to Fraser Island yesterday were the Dingoes. We watched them, they watched us, we watched the kids, they watched us...you get the picture. When some of the smaller kids in our group were getting nervous Ryan made up a rhyme which went along the lines of 'you konk them on the head and they turn in to bread'...an interesting concept! Needless to say, we

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582596325205093863noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1451998996068293686.post-55491316976923815042011-07-13T08:34:00.000+10:002011-08-03T08:46:49.045+10:00

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582596325205093863noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1451998996068293686.post-79847046492464379792011-07-12T19:57:00.002+10:002011-11-28T09:56:36.259+11:00

We took a day trip from Tin Can Bay to Fraser Island with our friends from Canberra today...and what a perfect way to spend the day it was too! We could not have asked for better weather. The kids even went swimming! Only a short post now though...very, very sleepy :-)

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582596325205093863noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1451998996068293686.post-55940009203482843652011-07-11T14:11:00.002+10:002011-11-28T09:56:36.227+11:00

Today is wash day on Lucey Blue. Five loads of washing, all carted from our berth to the Marina ammenities block (one of the very furthest berths from the ammenities block of course) and back, then strung up across the foredeck... But you can't really complain when the weather is gorgeous, sunny and a balmy 22 degrees (sorry to my fellow Canberrans and Sydneysiders, don't mean to rub it in ;-).

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582596325205093863noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1451998996068293686.post-60786178772573338712011-07-09T19:44:00.001+10:002011-11-28T09:56:36.247+11:00

After a successful crossing of the Wide Bay Bar, which I think put on its very best behaviour for us, we meandered down the Tin Can Bay Inlet and found a berth at the Tin Can Bay Marina. Sitting on the sugar scoops with Ryan this afternoon, this was our view... Well...our view wasn't crooked like that...but it was very tranquil! Goodnight!

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582596325205093863noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1451998996068293686.post-16222864645450991562011-07-09T07:56:00.002+10:002011-08-03T09:02:11.509+10:00

After our fab day trip yesterday, we anchored here in Wide Bay, behind Double Island Point at 00:45 this morning. It is not the world's most protected anchorage, but as we weren't going to cross the Wide Bay Bar at night, after the moon had set, and on the wrong tide...it was our safest option. We will head up into the Wide Bay Harbour today, and maybe find somewhere nice to anchor in Tin Can

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582596325205093863noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1451998996068293686.post-36735830162363533602011-07-08T15:57:00.001+10:002011-07-09T16:43:51.107+10:00

This pic taken 10 mins ago using the MacBook camera... Co-ordinates: 26 degrees 44.32 mins south, 153 degrees 18.13 mins east Location: Off Mooloolaba, Queensland Speed over ground: 6.3 kt Weather: perfect, cloudless afternoon, very light breeze from the east On the iPod: Beat It - Michael Jackson Crew: Mum at the helm, Dad catching some Zzzzzzs with Eric, Ryan reading at the saloon table and

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582596325205093863noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1451998996068293686.post-10519349773482871392011-07-06T08:13:00.000+10:002011-07-06T08:13:47.065+10:00

At 08:30 on Saturday the 18th of June we set off “again” for Brisbane. The conditions were much better than when we left Sydney - 20 to 25 knot southwesterly winds and small seas. But we still left Port Stephens under the third reefed main and blade jib. Lucey Blue hugged the coast all the way up to the tip of Moreton Island and arrived in Brisbane early on the Tuesday morning. We managed to

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582596325205093863noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1451998996068293686.post-48201257902218967102011-07-03T07:00:00.001+10:002011-07-03T07:33:08.642+10:00

Well, after all the rain and great westerly winds we were certainly keen to get moving and up to Queensland. The plan was for Ryan, Nick and Nick’s parents to sail Lucey Blue as quickly as possible to Brisbane (Sam being prone to seasickness and unable to take any medication due to feeding Eric...we decided she'd fly up with Emily and Eric when we got close). The distance from Sydney to Brisbane

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582596325205093863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1451998996068293686.post-75599687756400497572011-06-28T10:19:00.000+10:002011-06-28T10:19:11.180+10:00

I just had a few remaining shots of Sydney flagged in iPhoto, so I've edited them and popped them into this quick post to share. One clear memory I have of our last weeks in Sydney is rain. Rain, rain, rain, some wind and then more rain. So I could hardly NOT have any rain-related shots, could I? Our newly acquired mini-olympic-sized swimming pool/baby bath tub/emergency water supply/drogue/

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582596325205093863noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1451998996068293686.post-91501678839796633002011-06-26T12:34:00.000+10:002011-08-27T10:40:07.489+10:00

  We interrupt this period of non-transmission to bring you a community service announcement... LUCEY BLUE IS IN BRISBANE! The Brisbane River at Kangaroo Point to be precise….and has been for almost a week :-) Nick, Ryan and Nick's parents left Sydney in LB on Friday 10th June. Nick will fill you in on that somewhat eventful journey at some point soon (maybe). In the meantime, Emily, Eric and I

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582596325205093863noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1451998996068293686.post-11640497321336452822011-06-04T19:13:00.000+10:002011-06-04T19:13:33.848+10:00

Look at this hideous thing my parents expect me to wear...They say its French, I thought the French had good taste!  It makes my head looks small, and my skin look all washed out...or something! Something BAD. It makes me want to cry!! QUICK...call the fashion police! Someone...SAVE ME!! ...and if that whole episode wasn't bad enough...they also decided to try me on solids today  This stuff

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582596325205093863noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1451998996068293686.post-61705373519449432972011-06-04T09:47:00.001+10:002011-06-04T18:17:32.316+10:00

I am still working on some posts about the boat bits and pieces that we are getting done...I am being a bit slack about it though...sorry. Yesterday we slipped off our Pearl Bay mooring in the late afternoon and motored up Middle Harbour to Bantry Bay. It was very quiet here over night. No wind, no rain, and we were the only ones here! I didn't miss the Friday night Spit Bridge traffic at all.

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582596325205093863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1451998996068293686.post-50413807819860875052011-06-01T18:31:00.001+10:002011-06-01T18:40:21.418+10:00

Like I said in the last post, even though we are crazy busy with a multitude of pre-departure tasks, some bigger and more time consuming than others, there is still time for plenty of fun on Lucey Blue! Last weekend was one such time, with visitors from Canberra expected on both days. The weekend forecast was for patchy cloud and showers, but our visitors on Saturday crossed their fingers and

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582596325205093863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1451998996068293686.post-45986611595680271302011-05-31T10:33:00.001+10:002011-06-01T17:07:06.758+10:00

Not really, its life on Middle Harbour actually...but you get my drift! Aha ha ha...I crack myself up (and we're not drifting, we are securely attached to one of the d'Albora swing moorings in Pearl Bay at The Spit - and enjoying the scenery). My head is still spinning (I am losing considerable amounts of hair actually...not so good), and we have many, many things to get done before we leave....

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582596325205093863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1451998996068293686.post-5507148335724448572011-05-17T17:30:00.000+10:002011-05-17T17:30:11.084+10:00

Sorry to have fallen off the grid. It has been a rollercoaster ride getting ready to leave the house and move up here. We finally finished cleaning the house (OMG what a HUGE job that was) around 11 am yesterday (Monday 16th), and after several side trips for various bits and pieces we arrived at The Spit at 6pm. Numerous dinghy rides later, tired, hungry and with slightly damp bottoms, we were

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582596325205093863noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1451998996068293686.post-38615718948162549382011-05-08T19:40:00.001+10:002011-05-10T16:23:24.584+10:00

Well it’s been a long time coming, but we have finally installed the 420 watt solar system on Lucey Blue. Nick decided to use Sanyo HIP-210 Watt solar panels as they are hybrid solar cells created by combining amorphous silicon and crystalline silicon, which means they are highly efficient and work better in dappled shade and at higher temperatures than ordinary mono-crystalline panels. We also

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582596325205093863noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1451998996068293686.post-57455117547425566822011-03-18T09:22:00.013+11:002011-03-18T12:56:30.956+11:00

We spent last weekend up in Sydney on Lucey Blue. The weekend didn't go quite as we had planned, due to Ryan having a nasty chest infection, but the lovely warm weather up there (as opposed to the icky cold weather in Canberra) was a very welcome change.While we were there I got to thinking about how it is not very long at all until we depart. The kids finish first term at school on the 15th

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582596325205093863noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1451998996068293686.post-23300049577973838462011-03-13T20:08:00.009+11:002011-03-18T17:07:43.309+11:00

The story about Lucey Blue's saloon cushions is a long one, but thankfully it now has a happy ending (wish we could say the same about the start).The cushions were made of a lovely (not so much) white vinyl. My issue with these cushions was that on hot days…you tended to sweat profusely on them, and then your legs and back would stick to them, and that was just plain icky. Also, being white (or

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582596325205093863noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1451998996068293686.post-66662502304393919852011-03-05T18:48:00.028+11:002011-03-05T19:44:40.811+11:00

The issue of sullage is an emotive issue on any boat and until recently it was no different on Lucey Blue. When we bough the boat both the toilets were relatively old and the sullage system undersized and poorly designed.Nick replaced the port toilet and plumbing with a standard manual Jabsco toilet – simple, effective and reliable. The starboard system took longer to design and quite a while to

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582596325205093863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1451998996068293686.post-69530753302982794912011-02-20T12:41:00.008+11:002011-03-18T10:15:15.909+11:00

In between the major tasks on our ‘to do’ list were a couple of odd jobs including replacing the bathroom mirrors and shower taps, and fabricating new sliding hatch shades. We also decided to upgrade the interior lighting as a number of the old cabin lights were broken or on their last legs. The bathroom mirrors had started to delaminate where they had been glued to the cupboards. We simply

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582596325205093863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1451998996068293686.post-5347626704458507512011-02-17T19:40:00.006+11:002011-02-18T03:38:03.492+11:00

Shortly after we purchased Lucey Blue in December 2009, we went in search of the holy grail....a copy of the Lagoon 42 TPI Owner's Manual!After Google-ing, Yahoo-ing and even contacting Lagoon in France and TPI in Rhode Island, Nick resorted to pleas on various forums such as Multihulls4us, Cruisers Forum and the Lagoon Catamaran Owners Group on Yahoo.Graham, on Vinga III (in the Caribbean)

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582596325205093863noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1451998996068293686.post-79735753190391709852011-02-16T14:13:00.017+11:002011-02-17T11:25:44.995+11:00

Lucey Blue has sailed a long way in her time and while the last set of sails were new in 2005-2006 it was clear we needed to do some routine maintenance. A good friend of mine Ben Gemmell dropped by to help remove the mainsail and blade jib.The full battened main is enormous and it took forever to extract it from the reefing lines, lazy jacks and Harken batten cars etc, however, I have known Ben

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582596325205093863noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1451998996068293686.post-5433257951858916982011-02-15T21:37:00.010+11:002011-02-16T19:27:09.939+11:00

A while back we upgraded our 12 volt electrical charging system on board Lucey Blue by installing a Mastervolt Alpha Pro smart regulator and replacing the diode block used to isolate the house battery bank and starter batteries with a voltage sensitive relay.The Mastervolt Alpha Pro smart regulator automatically adjusts the alternator voltage to maximise the current during the three phase

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582596325205093863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1451998996068293686.post-86803142489794520812011-02-15T21:16:00.016+11:002011-02-16T19:35:46.955+11:00

After a long period of “relative inaction” it was time to overhaul our Spectra Ventura 150 watermaker. The system was installed new in 2005 and has only done about 500 hours, however, it had been left unused for about six months and we were not sure if the reverse osmosis membrane would still be ok.At the design specifications the Spectra Ventura 150 should produce about 24 litres (6.3 gallons)

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582596325205093863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1451998996068293686.post-40896416759274675042011-02-14T18:09:00.007+11:002011-08-27T10:39:28.482+10:00

His name is Eric and we think he is pretty cute!Fresh out of the oven, weighing in at 4020 g and 53 cm long...Just four days old...Big yawn...Two weeks old...First trip to Sydney to visit Lucey Blue...The lovely staff at d'Albora Marina, The Spit (where we rent our swing mooring) found us a marina berth for a few nights...which made Eric's introduction to Lucey Blue a much smoother process!...

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582596325205093863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1451998996068293686.post-55106964189579653462011-01-18T20:06:00.018+11:002011-01-18T20:49:08.040+11:00

Wow where does time go when you are having fun??????Work on Lucey Blue has continued interspersed with a few weekends away and a range of other developments including a new member of the crew who is due on the scene in late January.Our next crewmember currently affectionately know as “thumper” has certainly made moving about the boat more interesting… amazing where you can get stuck when 38

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582596325205093863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1451998996068293686.post-63590361479060668842010-09-29T19:26:00.012+10:002010-09-29T20:18:54.046+10:00

We arrived late on Saturday afternoon to find Lucey Blue snuggly in the old dry dock marina. After chatting to Gary about the last few jobs we set about “finding food” and getting ready to go the next day.We topped up the water tanks after dinner and were amused when a large halogen street light – more like a sports field light – came to life to illuminate Lucey Blue….The kids came out with some

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582596325205093863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1451998996068293686.post-3037640874919899402010-09-28T20:11:00.010+10:002010-09-29T06:55:56.844+10:00

During the second week Noakes removed and replaced all the standing stainless steel rigging on Lucey Blue. The job was undertaken with the mast in-situ so it was one stay at a time and a guy at each end – one at deck level and the other up the mast.We missed the show, but they kept the old rigging for us to inspect…The original rigging was “apparently” new in 2005 and looked in reasonable

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582596325205093863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1451998996068293686.post-86386370623163047472010-09-11T14:46:00.010+10:002010-09-11T20:02:44.655+10:00

As we entered the second week on the hard it was time to tackle the antifouling and chance our arm cleaning the Alwgrip topsides with Awlwash followed by Awlcare. The antifouling task was taken care of by Noakes under their winter special deal, which was great as it left us free to do other things…The biggest “other thing” in terms of physical labour was the spit and polish job on Lucey Blue’s

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582596325205093863noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1451998996068293686.post-30137401888812355622010-09-10T08:24:00.009+10:002010-09-11T07:36:41.577+10:00

While Nick worked on the boat Emily Ryan and I had fun meeting the locals and exploring the beautiful parks around the Woolwich Dock area. One of our favorite pastimes – well the kids' absolute favorite – was playing with Buddha the local shipyard dog. Emily and Ryan loved watching the boats come and go in the yard, but ultimately they loved watching Buddha chase the ball even more.We played with

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582596325205093863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1451998996068293686.post-58712252813010177212010-09-10T08:18:00.017+10:002010-09-11T06:14:32.227+10:00

After the sail drives it was time to “move forward” and overhaul the old skin fittings in the starboard bow locker. The story goes that the first owner of Lucey Blue was a Cuban who put the boat into charter for a few years to help pay for his new toy. We don’t know how the owner managed to get around the US embargo against Cuba, but that is another story. The bottom line is that in order to

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582596325205093863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1451998996068293686.post-50472869872102285012010-08-31T22:45:00.007+10:002010-09-11T20:29:48.131+10:00

The next job onboard Lucey Blue was to service the Volvo Penta 130S sail drives. With the boat out of the water we took the opportunity to replace the lower oil seals, check the drive assembly and inspect the propellers. We also replaced all the saildrive “boot covers” - half of the port boot cover had “gone missing” a while back and it was unclear how long the other would last. Dismantling the

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582596325205093863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1451998996068293686.post-28050674712453059412010-08-31T17:12:00.021+10:002010-09-01T07:52:29.975+10:00

While we were at the Woolwich Dockyard in Sydney for repairs and anti-fouling we discovered that they had recently opened a beautiful new cafe/function centre right on the waterfront nearby. It is called the Deckhouse, and is open for breakfast and lunch (and functions).The views from the restaurant up the harbour to the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the city skyline are spectacular:There are lots of

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582596325205093863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1451998996068293686.post-52774725972803620792010-08-29T20:23:00.014+10:002010-10-06T07:34:55.960+11:00

Our first task at Woolwich was removing the starboard rudder and carbon fibre rudder shaft. The job did not take long and after removing the broken Edson quadrant and upper stainless steel holding pin the whole thing just fell out. Well we had to lift the boat a bit to allow the assemble to slide out gently, but it was an easy job….Lagoon continues to impress in terms of quality. The rudder,

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582596325205093863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1451998996068293686.post-84417937476110201962010-08-21T08:19:00.003+10:002011-12-12T11:03:44.413+11:00

On our way down to Woolwich for our annual haul out we spotted a PDQ 32 catamaran in Middle Harbour, Sydney. The boat is a long way from its Canadian birthplace and looks well set up for cruising. This rare sighting in Australian waters made us think of Mike and Rebecca on Zero to Cruising currently exploring the Hudson River in North America. Coincidently PDQ was bought by Pearson

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582596325205093863noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1451998996068293686.post-43740830824464293212010-08-21T07:29:00.015+10:002010-09-01T07:19:49.583+10:00

After a few busy days at the boat show the time arrived to move Lucey Blue from Middle Harbor to Woolwich for her annual haul out. The trip down the harbor was a tad slow given our furry bottom and strong westerly winds. But we had fun and arrived late on Sunday afternoon ready for “our extraction” on Monday/Tuesday. The facilities at Woolwich were impressive and despite the strong winds we had a

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02582596325205093863noreply@blogger.com0