Saturday 11th August. Manly to Bribie Island

A few days without updating due to hospitality ashore. This has had the effect of diminishing our fine motor skills.
John and Marie, with whom we were sailing 26 years ago, ensured that we didn’t overstay our welcome by dragging us all over Brisbane on foot. You don’t do much walking on a boat and the 10kms around the highways and byways of Brisbane has caused an early onset of steaming kneecaps. Great time with them despite the physical pain and our thanks for running us all over the place and hunting down a bicycle shop for Pam. Don’t ask.
Then on through the bewildering choice of channels to Bribie Island where Scot and Felicity were waiting on the wharf complete with lunch and associated beverages. Back to their great house on the beach where we discovered they’d run out of tea so had to drink wine. And then to dinner. The problem which had to be solved here was that we couldn’t leave the boat for long due to the indifferent holding in Pumicestone Passage and they couldn’t get a babysitter. This riddle was solved with wonderful pragmatism but I feel it would be inappropriate (there’s that HRy word again) to publish the result here.
Suffice it to say that dinner was had, boat and children both fine, constitutions on the rebound. Only near miss involved Felicity, dinghy-boarding-post-lunch and me. Bruising recovering. Scars remain. Mostly mental.
Motored all the way to Mooloolaba in oily calm sea. Pam has suffered a serious reversal of fortune. Lure, trace and swivel. All gone. Pam’s fishing record now in negative territory.
The following is re-published from my 1981 book of original sea-shanties and should be sung to the tune of that ballet music used for the 60s song “Hello Mother Hello Father Here I am in Camp Grenada”

Hello Mother, Hello Father
Here I am in Mooloolaba Harbour.
I am pleased to
Report to you two
That in spite of many hardships
That we pulled through

When we started
It was sunny
Then the wind blew
And I felt funny
Then the rain came
And the lightning
Mother, Father it was very very frightening

Key change…………..

All night long it rained and blew
My course was wrong what cold I do?
That lighthouse moved
It wasn’t there before
I think we’ll hit the shore…………..

But now the sun’s up
And the winds dropped
And the sea’s calm
And the rain’s stopped.
What’s that I see?
A coastal freighter!
Mother, Father I’m a clever navigator.

Alternative last two lines involves…… a coastal lugger

Clearly not enough to occupy my mind. Captain Bligh out.

Spent the most wonderful evening and night in Brisbane with our old sailing friends John and Marie whom we met 26 yrs ago on Keppel Island when they sailed in after being blown out of the Percy Islands. Had a great dinner with them, and catching up on the old sailing haunts was very interesting. Wobbled home to the boat and then the next day we were picked up again at 11am and off to a stupendous lunch followed by a 1 kilometer walk into Brisbane which turned out to be more like 7 kilometers. Felt good to walk but Nick’s knees not liking it too much and he is developing the swagger walk, right knee hurts going uphill, left hurts going downhill. Drinks at the Sebel gave him a much needed break and then we assaulted the hill for home. Great time in Bne and thanks for the much needed exercise……..Nick is now on walking stick!!...just kidding.
Thank you John and Marie for a great time in Brisbane.

On then through the very challenging channels across Morton Bay to Bribie Island. Perfect weather and Hot…I believe it was 29degrees in Sydney so good all around. Spotted Tuna jumping around in front of the boat but none jumped on my line. Nick has expanded about the great time on Bribie and I also want to thank Felicity and Scott for all their hospitality.

Pam’s fishing notes: you can’t get decent merchandise these days and just when I could have landed a leviathan of the deep the O ring which joins the lure to the trace was almost straightened when I pulled it in. So it is still Pam none fish winning. Pam Clear