Journal Entries

February 2006

February 6 - Early one morning about a year ago I had a very bad experience. I was taking El Viajero out of the marina during a running tide. Single handing always has the potential for disaster and this morning was proof of that. I prepared everything on the boat and had the motor running, ready to motor out into the river. Because of the strong current pushing against me I needed to race around the deck as quickly as possible and cast off all the lines holding me against the current. I managed this exercise with great efficiency and was back in the cockpit motoring forward out of the berth and into the current (or so I thought). I suddenly realised I wasn't going anywhere, it was then that I realised that I had left one rope attached right at the very stern. Due to the boat motoring forward, the rope had tightened and I couldn't release it. I was starting to panic. The front of the boat by this stage was turning side on in the berth and the only thing I could do was to cut the rope. That is if I had a knife handy! I left the tiller and raced down below to try to find a knife.

By the time I emerged from below and cut the rope the boat was up against the dock, almost completely sideways in its berth and being forced further sideways by the running tide. If I didn't get out of there NOW the boat would be wedged in sideways and I hate to think what would happen then. I leapt off off the boat back onto the dock and pushed the front of the boat back into the running tide. I then managed to jump back onboard and motor out of the marina. It was a close call. Since that day I ensure that I have a knife close by.

I recently discovered some purpose made folding knives for sailors and decided to get one to keep at hand. After some research into different designs I eventually bought a S.O.G. "Flash II Search/Rescue".

I can't stress the importance of carrying one, especially if you don't have crew and you are single handing. After my last experience I have had visions of being out in the ocean and my hand getting caught in a winch or the anchor windlass and not being able to get to a knife.

This knife is a great design. It is power assisted which means I can open it with one hand (or even an injured hand). All it takes is a light push with my thumb and the spring loaded blade does the rest. This is ideal for the reasons I mentioned above as I may be holding a rope in the other hand or even have my hand caught in a winch. It is designed purely for cutting rope and the like and has a rounded blunt tip so if I drop it or fall on it I'm not going to stab myself. It has a belt clip on the side which allows it to slide onto the inside of your pocket, pants or over a belt and it's light enough to not even notice it's there. It also has some other unique safety features built in like a double lock on the folding mechanism to prevent accidental openings and closings.

I love this knife and I make a point of wearing it all the time so I don't get caught out again. Hopefully if you are a solo sailor you will not, one day, be sitting mid ocean, with your hand caught in a winch, without a knife recalling my ramblings.

February 11 - This weekend I decided to take my bicycle for a ride out to a bayside suburb in Brisbane. There are numerous small islands situated in the bay which are serviced by a ferry and I wanted to visit one. My first stop was Raby Bay Marina. Below is a photo of the marina.

Redland Bay was where the ferry left from and still about another 1/2 hour ride away. I finally got to the ferry, after getting lost a couple of times, and caught it to Lamb Island. This photo is looking back to the mainland as we round a marker. The ferry service runs from early in the morning till late at night, seven days a week and takes about 15 minutes traveling at 17 knots.

This is the boat ramp used by a barge which also services the islands. It carries everything from cars to huge excavating machines.

Lamb Island is approximately 1.5km long x 1km wide. This photo is looking back toward the boat ramp and ferry jetty. Most people who live on the island have an "island car", which is pretty average and used simply for transport back and forth to the boatramp. They leave their good car parked on the mainland.

The bay islands are not highly populated and have a long history of problems. Most of the land was sold in the 70's and 80's to unsuspecting interstate buyers who didn't realise that some of it was subject to tidal flooding. Other land was (and still is) subject to council building restrictions. There have always been rumours of a bridge being built to service the islands, however this has never eventuated. The problems seem to stem from the fact that most of the land owners want the islands to have the same convenience as the mainland. Personally the fact that they are quite removed from, and don't have all the mainland facilities adds to the appeal for me. I could imagine having a little weekend cottage here. It feels like it's still stuck in the 70's.

February 23 - You may recall last year I mentioned I wanted to get a boom tent made for El Viajero. Brian, (who is an absolute craftsman with canvas) made the most ideal cover for me and came up to Brisbane to fit it last weekend. The fabric is made by "sunbrella" and the colour is "cappuccino". I was so happy with the result. It provides great shade, allows me to walk around the deck without bending down, even on the cabin top, and changes the whole atmosphere on the deck of the boat. I can't wait to be anchored off some remote beach with this thing up. It's not really a boom tent as it sits well above the boom.

Here is a photo I took tonight.

There is only one spreader bar right at the rear of the boat. The rest is just suspended by the mainsail halyard and the front section by the spinnaker halyard. Being the perfectionist he is, Brian is insisting I take it back to him to adjust it. You can see the slight ripples at the front section. He is going to take a little bit of fabric out there to tighten it up. Here's another shot from the side. It's designed to sit lower at the front to provide protection from the wind while on anchor.

24 February - I had to go to Maroochydore for work today which is about an hours drive north of Brisbane. I thought I'd take the opportunity to drop into Mooloolaba where Colin is now keeping his Westsail "Soya". Mooloolaba is right next to Maroochydore and is a beautiful beachside suburb. Colin has to do some work there for a while before he heads off cruising full time. Here is a photo of Colin and his westsail in her new berth.

The marina facilities are excellent here, with a shipwright, sailmaker, marine electrician and stainless steel engineer all located onsite. Like most marinas there is even a resident duck. This guy was huge.

Sitting in the marina was this 'interesting' rusting old steel tank of a yacht. It reminded me of something from the movie of "the life aquatic" with Bill Murray. Covering the rust was a very thick layer of silver paint. Colin tells me it has been abandoned and was soon to be moved out of the marina.

and an aft shot.