Latest breaking news BOBBO

Latest breaking news from the greatest cruising boat C O G N A C....
We have been approached early today(really early) by the Mackay Zoo as  a representative of the Australian Immigration/Customs to transport a very young Orangutan back to it's native land of Borneo.The boat has been ispected and deemed suitable for Bobo to live on deck in a special enclosure that is being built now and it might delay our departure by about 2 days.Baby Bobo will now be living on a rear deck.We have specific instructions on how to feed it and approach it with tender loving care.We have been asked to speak to it a lot as it has been orphaned...let's hope he understands english.This is going to be one super fun trip...

Gone shopping....

Thought that I was going sailing and to go sailing one has to go shopping....for many things...in many places and sometimes several times in the same places...live this one to your imagination.
We have shopped for bolts,screws,impelas,fan belts,things I haven't ever heard of in places I have not imagined existed.I have seen more spare parts than I think there are entries in the Oxford dictionary.To be safe "out there" one needs 2 of everything.I hope that we will come back with a few left overs or else I will never get to drink any champagne...
We have shopped for meat,never have I shopped like that before...it was like ordering for a couple of restaurants.It all needs to be packed without oxygen so even if the fridges and freezers break down we have BBQ guaranteed.You know ordering,borrowing cars to pick it up ,paying for it is only part of the parcel.Than you need to fit it in marina trolley(much like a shopping trolley only cuter and than take it to your boat...fit it in freezers...which are huge on Cognac.Yes we have ice cream too!
Than we shopped for the ordinary,you know supermarket.Nothing is ordinary here,people have very different mentalities-very touchy and in a hurry to get everything ready for their easter holidays.The sizes of their enormous trolleys are way smaller than most body sizes.It has taken us 5 hours in the supermarket and further 5 or 6 putting it all away in absolutely scorching heat...needles to say one of us has this cute looking very funny heat rash.

After all this we decided to celebrate with a glass of chilled wine in hurricane wind.We were tired,really tired and WE WERE WINNING NOW!

Have survived the night with Ului

Thank you all for your thoughts and wishes, so nice to be able to take our family of friends with us on the JOURNEY for it is...
We had one long and uncertain night with Ului.One broken hatch caused by parts of marina falling apart that truly felt like the main mast had broken, tv antena,couple of bow lines broken(that is the "rope"that holds the boat to the marina,thankfuly we had 4) few leaks here and there and we still discovering. Other boats have held well,some have let loose,others lost sails.
We went for a quick run around the marina in the wee hours of the morning to check on our friends had a cofee together,dreamed of some hot scones and potato cakes..would have been nice...as we casually discussed our culinary cravings I mentioned that I felt scared and to my surprised heard grown man say same at the least show real concern.
The reality of the situation was that if things really started to fall apart we had a plan to run to land and that was not possible as the rain was blindingand wind so strong that we would not have been able to even leave the boat.ALWAYS STICK TO PLAN "A"
Anyway plan A worked and life is getting back to normal EY...very slowly.There is still no electricity in most of the city,telephone lines and mobile connection is rather sporadic.
Karryn you are right...I will contemplate writting maybe not a book and certainly some record of a non sailing woman's experience...thank you for your suggestion.
All in all our preparations for the big trip are sort of "on the track"EY and our to do list is getting smaller.
We only have smaller stuff now.The watermaker is installed,fridges are working with 12V solar panel...of for dinner now with friends.Ciao for now from FNQ EY...

It's 1.18 am and 90 knots Ului very near...

Must say it felt a bit scary a little while ago...takes a lot for me to feel that...


We have reached 90 knots...thats about 160+ km, we are still on the boat and marina is holding up so far

I have my non-skid running shoes and hope that we don't have to run...Rescue remedy comes in really handy now

"Bobby" is alert and relaxed and on top of it and decided to put on some country music....if you ever want to get depressed quickly...highly recommended

We have now moved into the 2nd stage and there are 3.There is nothing certain about this situation...

Writing this keeps me calm somehow...I guess moving focus onto something else helps....

Just checked everything outside and OK...other friends on boats are doing fine too

Tinker - First timer in cyclone

We finally made it to the boat and Ului decided to visit maybe

We have been incredibly busy getting the boat looking and feeling like a home(it is much like setting up a new home) in mids of fitting in the all necessary new equipment with tradesman and with all possible equipment out creating something that looked like a "bomb hit the boat" look.
Things don't happen very quickly or on time here. Maybe due to the harshness of the climate or the relaxed nature "EY" or both so making plans takes on a different dimention and requires one to be extremly patient and have a great dose of sense of humour...
Cognac the boat-the "GIRL"as all boats are girls