We are back on the Gold Coast for another reality check and period of maintenance for the boat, the pussycat and the humans!
We motored from Peel Island to the Gold Coast in light northerlies, getting there a week earlier than our scheduled haulout as gremlins rose their ugly head.
As we were leaving K’gari we had a fridge/freezer failure – not what we expected given its recent repairs in Hobart then Gladstone! We saved all our refrigerated food after transferring stock from one fridge to another, did a huge cook up with some of the frozen food but still had to throw a fair amount away. We had lined up a fridge mechanic in Paradise Point. René’s Marine Refrigeration came to the rescue. We were parked at the Paradise Point Jetty for a while while he was on board.
He diagnosed the problem: a slow leak in the cooling system! Although the unit has been re-gassed, there is no guarantee it will last. We are out of trouble for a bit, but we’ll probably need to get a replacement at some stage for our in-built unit. While he was at it, René checked our small air-conditioning unit; although it is only used when we are plugged in to shore power, it struggles a lot. That was an easy fix: clean the filters we did not know we had! Duh…
Bengie has not been the best since leaving Gladstone… she demands food but does not eat much at all, and is looking very skinny. We worry about her. We know she won’t live for ever, but the inevitable is not something we want to go through right now! So while at Paradise Point, we saw the vet for a check up and advice. As we suspected her kidney disease is progressing. The vet has given her some appetite stimulants to help her. We enjoy the cuddles while we still can.
As for Chris, she had some health investigations lined up. Once you have had a bout of cancer, you are alert to anything that does not seem right and know to act quickly. We are hoping there is nothing sinister and trying to keep our fertile imagination in check while waiting for pelvic ultrasound results.
We feel a growing weariness at weathering the repeated knocks. All we can say is thank god for supportive friends. The highlight this week was catching up with our dear buddies Helene & Graham on Roobi at Peel Island who have had a troublesome year too, as well as with our local Gold Coast friends Bill, Linda and Peter at Paradise Point!
Big week next week: haulout, skin checks and lab results!
Sv-Anui 
Oh my. Love, hugs and pussy-cat cat cuddles.
Thanks Trish, hope all is going well for you and Andrew.
Hi Chris. As well as can be expected in hot weather and trying to sort out a recalcitrant solar system and a leaky air conditioner: I totally sympathise with your maintenance issues.
Yes, I can imagine life in a camper trailer is even harder than on a boat in this weather.
Yes.. there is no option to swing with the breeze!🤣
Good morning with reciprocal hugs twixt all – very much including Bengie 🙂 ! Uhuh – just had some new kidney checks myself with ‘inconclusive’ results. Fully understand every sentence you have written and those you have not. Ditto. Sincerely keeping my fingers crossed for the test results . . . I am having problems just to get mine done . . . I have just ‘switched off’ for the long Weekend coming and plan to do the ‘nice’ things I can 🙂 ! Thinking of you . . .
I know you get it, Eha, and are going through your own nightmares. Thank you for being there, always attentive and supportive.
Bengie is eating a bit more so we breathe a little easier.
LIfe struggles we all face in our advancing years, unfortunately. Doesn’t make it any easier for you or Bengie facing our common mortality. Anyway, apart from the gloom and doom, what a joyful sunset picture? (Sunrise?)
While you confronted your fridge issues, our cooking oven died this week, but fixes are so much easier on land. Old one went to the recycling and we got a bargain as new second hand one, popped it in and Bob’s your uncle again!
We hope and pray for welcome medical news!
Hi Elgar & Claire, all the happenings in quick succession are a bit much, but we are trying to keep our head above water and things hopefully will sort themselves out.
That image was a sunset at Paradise Point.
Oh boy, you all had a recent predicament with the rudder and now the refrigerator. I pray everything works out well for you and health stays stable. I always enjoy reading your blog and seeing what’s going on. Praying Bengie’s appetite gets better too.
Hello Esther, always nice to get your comments as I know you can relate to feeling under pressure and letting yourself be overwhelmed at times.
The fridge is fixed and Bengie’s appetite has improved. She is a lot more vocal and interactive so hopefully will be with us for a while longer. I’ll know more about my own health issues next week and figure out what happens next. Juggling lots of balls in the air!
So glad the fridge could be fixed for now and hopefully it will keep soldiering on!
It was lovely to catch up with you both for ‘in person’ hugs. It feels like it’s been a long time between hugs and this year has certainly given us all too many dramas!!
Hope the haul out goes smoothly for Anui. And hoping all the health checks bring answers and no new issues ❤️🤞
Sending extra hugs to Bengie.
Hopefully see you all again on our journeys south.
Much love
Helene and Graham
Thanks Helene & Graham, the last few months haven’t been great for any of us, have they! It was precious meeting up at Peel Is. Real hugs certainly beat virtual ones 😊. We are hoping we all get a break from hassles with Roobi & Anui!
This time we are not worried about the haulout… should be stress free. All works are contracted out and starting straight away so should be quick.
Bengie has improved so it just leaves the health issues which we will soon know more about! We’ll be in touch.
Big long hugs for both of you and head butts from Bengie.
Back in familiar surroundings at least you know how Boat Works operates.
Hope everything works out for you guys . Hugs for Bengie .
Cheers
Mick & Lyn.
Howdy Mick & Lyn, yes we trust the team at Boatworks, they are efficient and good to deal with. The appetite stimulants are doing the trick with Bengie and we’ll just have to see about the rest!