Exciting times ahead: My sister Véronique and husband Didier will be joining us from France in mid July and will spend 3 weeks with us on board Take It Easy, exploring the Southern end of the Great Barrier Reef!
But first, there is the small matter of taking the boat northward. Wade, yachties Mike Kotrba (also an Easy catamaran builder) and Merv Edmunds, and of course Bengie the ship’s cat, will hopefully have a fun and uneventful passage from the Gippsland Lakes to Tin Can Bay in QLD – or thereabouts. They are giving themselves three weeks to get up there and we will follow their delivery trip rather eagerly! D Day is any time from 20th June, weather allowing – only a week away! I am stuck at work, but will join in the fun with the French contingent descending on Take It Easy on 15 July! Ooh la la!
The work to get Take It Easy ready to go has been huge. It is with great relief that we finished the endless list of boat jobs. The last few weekends have been spent organising things for a long absence. Our normal spring maintenance schedule had to be brought forward, since the boat will be away from our home port until February next year. We installed a rainwater collection system, repaired the catwalk damaged by our anchor while at the Port Albert mooring, replaced the water pipe that perished in the sun, serviced the engines, installed a new inverter, installed a new start battery (the old one decided to die this week), cut and polished the hulls so they are nice and shiny, and finally provisioned the boat for the trip up and the holiday. Everything always takes 3 times longer than you’ve allowed. Quick jobs don’t exist, neither do easy jobs – most turn into big awkward ones. But in the end hard work and resilience pay off. Take It Easy is ship shape and ready for the big adventure!
Wade has also been busy researching anchorages and ‘hiding’ options along the coast, since at that time of year the East Coast lows can be mean. He has looked into the crossing conditions at the Wide Bay bar (which gives access to Tin Can Bay) and at the Noosa River as an alternative, depending on wind conditions. He is following the weather forecasts with closer interest than usual. I can feel his excitement but also his apprehension. It’s a long way to go (900nm), with limited time for the passage North. He is responsible for the boat and the safety of his crew and has the eventual success of our holiday with our family resting on his shoulders. Big breath in… Big breath out!
Once Take It Easy leaves the lakes, we won’t see this beautiful region for a while since the boat will stay up North at Rosslyn Bay (Yeppoon) for four months after our Frenchies’ Adventure. We will sail her back South as our Summer Cruise during December/January. So here are a few photos of the Gippsland Lakes as a very fond “Au Revoir” and miaow to you all from Bengie!
Sv-Anui 
Have a great trip ❤
Thanks Maree – can’t wait!
A job well done or should I say jobs. TIE must be looking beautiful. Have a safe and uneventful trip Wadie & friends
Thank you Sue – getting very close!
Lovely photos have a wonderful time in July your sister won’t want to leave.
Dianne
Hi Dianne! It should be really special – doing something new together!
How exciting!
It is😊
Tin Can Bay, now THERE’S a name I haven’t heard for a long time, lol, it always makes me smile! Wishing you calm waters, a wonderful “invasion” by the French, safe travels but most of all… a wonderful adventure! 🙂
Thank you so much for the good wishes Joanne😊 we are very excited!
I love the photo of the milky way!!!! Sounds like quite an adventure you are planing, have fun! 😀
Hi Nic – yes it has been a big project to get everything ready! … I like the Milky Way too! Just down a workshop so there will be more in a future post!
Wonderful set of photos Chris, They look great and I am looking forward to hearing how Wade goes on his trip north and then of course when you join him. I don’t how to say good luck to a sailor, is it fair weather, I hope the winds blow in the direction you want. Good sailing.
Thanks for the kind feedback Leanne, and for your good wishes! Yes fair winds and kind seas is what you wish for a seafarer! 🐬
Wow, Chris. What a great adventure! I can’t wait to see the posts. And the Milky Way image is fabulous. Hope to see more on that as well.
Hi Robin – yes it’s very exciting though a little daunting! More Milky Way shots coming… Just did a workshop with Leanne Cole!
Have a great trip Wade!
Thanks Muzz!
So let me get this straight. Your annual summer sailing trip is now turning into an annual summer and winter sailing trip. Does Wadey actually work anymore? I think I may try this lifestyle. Jo won’t mind funding me I am sure.
Oh Phil you made me laugh! You got it! Wade is making ‘not fair’ noises, but really he has been in pre retirement mode for ages! At least one of us isn’t stressed with their job! I’m just grateful he can take the time off to look after the boat and take it North!
I want to come. Not fair. Mind you I went out on our Tri last weekend and we were doing 13 knots consistently with just a screecher up in 10-15 knots of wind. The wind is a wonder in it’s own right as it almost never blows this hard in Singapore unless a thundersquall passes by. Good luck and I look forward to the write up.
We intend to blast that 13 of yours! 14.6 is our best, but in higher winds than 10-15kn – and even though (thank god) both hulls were in the water we were yahooing!!