Showing posts with label Camden Haven. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Camden Haven. Show all posts

Wednesday, July 3, 2013

BRING OUT THE TWEEZERS AND MAGNIFYING GLASS.

We are really enjoying Camden Haven and surrounds. The area is very scenic and sleepy the locals are friendly and welcoming, and I reckon its one of those places where you wouldn't have to lock things up. Today friendly local and fellow sailor Phillip from SV Seaka drove us up to the top of Brother mountain lookout. Check the view out!!!!

Camden Haven view.

We had a phone call earlier this morning from Ines and Steve from Bravado, who were sailing to Camden Haven. Imagine our surprise when we spotted them in their yacht lining up the entrance of the sandbar. I rang Steve and yes it was Bravado. Phillip was able to guide them in over the phone from the top of Brother mountain! After Ines and Steve were moored we spent a pleasant couple of hours over coffee and biscuits on ST3.

The tiny white spot outside of the breaking waves is Bravado and Sea Trek III is near Phillip's elbow.

We had a great evening at Greg and Anne's last night. Greg who is a fellow member of the CCRAP Band and also lives in the area. He is the Camden Haven Port Officer for Coastal Cruising Club of Australia (CCCA). They generously picked us up from the Dunbogan Boatshed and drove us to their beautiful acreage property at Bonny Hills. Greg baked a lovely beef and mushroom pie dedicated to Jen.

Jen's Pie. Nice work Greg!

Greg and Anne also have their own bee hive and multiple citrus trees. We felt truly blessed to be able to sample this fresh homegrown produce.

Goldie's Glowing Honey.

Greg is also a crack uke player and he was able to show me a few new tricks and riffs. Its always a pleasure to jam with him.

Again! 1, 2, 3, 4!

Now the sad part of the story...................

Jen's version:

The next chapter is not at all sad.......We returned to ST3 feeling well fed. Suddenly Glenn started experiencing excruciating pain. This was a private pain that was so private that he could not even name it. He could only point, and he was pointing to the jeans/groin. Jen the RN jumped into action. "Drop your trousers now!!!" Glenn reclined on the lounge naked from the waist down. A quick inspection of his nether nether regions and I dashed to my extensive first aid collection that I have been carting around with me unused for years. I returned with local anaesthetic, very sharp and accurate surgical tweezers and our largest magnifying glass. Glenn looked pale as I dove into his pubes for a closer look. The diagnosis was a small tick, eating its way through his delicate flesh. I applied a big dollop the numbing creme. Glenn was nervous and told me that he might faint. There was no time to loose. I began to move towards my target, spotlighting the painful swollen area with a torch and precision tweezers and magnifying glass in hand. Then I began to giggle, and I mean really chuckle. This was ridiculous. What man in the world would want to admit that a woman needed so many implements to locate their most prized possessions? I came up for air and gained my composure. Then I swooped in and removed the tick and a few pubic hairs without a shriek or cry from the patient. Success was mine, and Glenn lives!

Where we are.

http://skipr.net/where-is/boat-pages/?boatid=1122


 

Monday, July 1, 2013

Midnight Escape from Port Stephens!

Dunbogan Boatshed sentinel

We've finally done it! We've left. After 17 days of incarceration at Port Stephens we've managed to sail out totally unobserved. It was a still and dark cloudy moonless night. Now we're in the lovely Camden Haven river after a 13 hour motor sail. I'm very familiar with Camden Haven. I have previously spent 21 days here when bringing Sea Trek III to Sydney from Brisbane approx. 18 months ago. It rained then and it's raining now. Camden Haven is the site of my greatest life time sporting achievement. I was able to swim faster than Ian Thorpe when I fell overboard on a outgoing tide. This record breaking swim was witnessed by none other than the Prince of Whales ( a well known figure in Sydney yachting circles). He commenorated the event by naming his most famous seafood dish after me: "Dumplings and Flounder". Anyway We are on a mooring at the Dunbogan Boatshed and the prices are family friendly and haven't changed in years!

"Ye good olde" fashion prices at Dunbogan Boatshed.

We really did enjoy our time at Port Stephens and we tried really hard to experience relaxation again. (The Sydney Effect) In Port Stephens we met local fellow cruisers who are also commencing their trip north, SV Bravardo with Ines and Steve. They were very generous people and drove us to the shops for our final provisioning before the trip here. We will catch up with them again in Coffs Harbour. I owe them a drink at the yacht club.

We must be somewhere exotic Jen, I'm fixing things again!

We had a last minute drama with ST3 after refuelling and heading out of Port Stephens. I heard the bilge pump working continually as we pulled away. A quick diagnostic check by Jen revealed that the engine had developed a major water leak due to a failed hose clamp on the raw water intake filter. Sea water was spraying all over the engine compartment. I found a safe anchoring spot. Luckily Jen had effectively packed many spare parts in her workshop and knew exactly where to locate the right spare. Sheer genius that girl. My panic settled and the fix was a five minute job.

One or two hose clamps
 

50 shades of grey: sailing to Camden Haven.

We were happy to face the drab wet weather because the sea was basically flat and friendly with low waves and non existent swell.

Where we are now.

http://skipr.net/where-is/boat-pages/?boatid=1122