Have a great Australia Day to all the Aussie's here on this forum. Put a prawn on the Barbee and have a coldie.
Cheers
HAPPY AUSTRALIA DAY TO ALL AUSSIE
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Fresh Breeze
- Chief Steward
- Posts: 68
- Joined: Tue Oct 02, 2012 1:51 pm
- Sailboat: MacGregor 26M
- Location: Fraser Coast Qld Australia
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Mac26Mpaul
- Admiral
- Posts: 1066
- Joined: Mon Jun 14, 2010 2:36 am
- Sailboat: MacGregor 26M
- Location: Gold Coast, Australia 26M "Little Annie" Etec 50
Re: HAPPY AUSTRALIA DAY TO ALL AUSSIE
What a wonderful Australia day we had. At about 8 o'clock we stupidly moved from a perfectly safe spot to anchor off a lee shore which already had 20 plus knots blowing onto it. I got out in the dinghy to check the crab pots we had left there overnight and needless to say, the anchor dragged us straight onto the beach (even though I had heaps of anchor line out.
The falling tide has us high and dry in minutes... Waited all day, which would have been fine as its one of our favourite spots anyway, except that wind was just making things not enjoyable at all. When the tide finally came back in yesterday arvo, it was still gusting over 25 knots and I tried every trick in the book to get us off. The boat was sideways onto the beach and the nice little sand bar that the wind and waves had created against it was not helping....
Finally, I took two anchors out in the dinghy to the full length of my anchor line, and took them back to the cockpit winches. A few feet of the port one, then a few feet of the starboard one, over and over and finally got us off the beach enough to get the motor going at about 6pm....
that was our second nightmare trip of the summer
Still no sailing this summer
The falling tide has us high and dry in minutes... Waited all day, which would have been fine as its one of our favourite spots anyway, except that wind was just making things not enjoyable at all. When the tide finally came back in yesterday arvo, it was still gusting over 25 knots and I tried every trick in the book to get us off. The boat was sideways onto the beach and the nice little sand bar that the wind and waves had created against it was not helping....
Finally, I took two anchors out in the dinghy to the full length of my anchor line, and took them back to the cockpit winches. A few feet of the port one, then a few feet of the starboard one, over and over and finally got us off the beach enough to get the motor going at about 6pm....
that was our second nightmare trip of the summer
Still no sailing this summer -
Mac26Mpaul
- Admiral
- Posts: 1066
- Joined: Mon Jun 14, 2010 2:36 am
- Sailboat: MacGregor 26M
- Location: Gold Coast, Australia 26M "Little Annie" Etec 50
Re: HAPPY AUSTRALIA DAY TO ALL AUSSIE
Come to think of it. It would have looked quite amusing. Me changing from port to starboard winch and back every 30 seconds with my missus behind me holding the line as I winched, and my 7 year old son behind her (who insisted on helping) also holding it. So all three of us back and forward across the cockpit
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Relackson
- Deckhand
- Posts: 44
- Joined: Sun Jul 04, 2010 2:37 am
- Sailboat: MacGregor 26M
- Location: Bass Coast, Victoria, Australia
Re: HAPPY AUSTRALIA DAY TO ALL AUSSIE
Sorry to hear about your misfortune, Mac26Paul.
Our Aussie Day weekend was a little more peaceful - but not perfect.
Went out of the Newhaven marina with about 10 other yachts on the annual AD weekend sail. The tide was falling which meant the fixed keel boats needed to get out pretty soon after briefing - not a real worry to me, though.
When going up the channel we heard on the radio that one of the late leavers paid the penalty and grounded - right near the entrance. Just as we set sail on a magic beam breeze for about an 8 mile leg, the organiser asked if we'd go back and try to pull them off because we had a big motor. Reluctantly (because I knew it would be setting too hard on the bottom with a receding tide), I agreed. On the way I said to the admiral that it would be great if we could get it off - it would greatly redeem/extend the cutos of the Mac (not that I get much crap from the local "true yachties"). Got half way back and the boat in question radioed to say not to worry because they were on a lean - and going nowhere for some hours. We then had to turn around and motor for about 6 of those magic miles to catch up with the rest of the boats. But did get a bit of a sail in: up the western channel of Westernport Bay.
Had a good couple of days anchored as a group. But with no wind at all, we had a 4 hour motor back to the marina on Monday. But, still a very relacksing weekend.
I wish you all a fantastic 2014.
Stan
Our Aussie Day weekend was a little more peaceful - but not perfect.
Went out of the Newhaven marina with about 10 other yachts on the annual AD weekend sail. The tide was falling which meant the fixed keel boats needed to get out pretty soon after briefing - not a real worry to me, though.
When going up the channel we heard on the radio that one of the late leavers paid the penalty and grounded - right near the entrance. Just as we set sail on a magic beam breeze for about an 8 mile leg, the organiser asked if we'd go back and try to pull them off because we had a big motor. Reluctantly (because I knew it would be setting too hard on the bottom with a receding tide), I agreed. On the way I said to the admiral that it would be great if we could get it off - it would greatly redeem/extend the cutos of the Mac (not that I get much crap from the local "true yachties"). Got half way back and the boat in question radioed to say not to worry because they were on a lean - and going nowhere for some hours. We then had to turn around and motor for about 6 of those magic miles to catch up with the rest of the boats. But did get a bit of a sail in: up the western channel of Westernport Bay.
Had a good couple of days anchored as a group. But with no wind at all, we had a 4 hour motor back to the marina on Monday. But, still a very relacksing weekend.
I wish you all a fantastic 2014.
Stan
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sunshinecoasting
- First Officer
- Posts: 402
- Joined: Wed Jan 16, 2013 5:00 am
- Sailboat: MacGregor 26X
- Location: Sunshine Coast Queensland Australia - "Entropy" Nissan 50 CDI Furling Jib
Re: HAPPY AUSTRALIA DAY TO ALL AUSSIE
I don't mean to smile at your misfortune Paul but I do get a giggle from your reports, you remind me of Frank Spencer, I am hoping you are not old enough to know who that is....LOL. I didnt get to go out on the long weekend, family commitments and bad weather forecast kept me at home. Cheers Den.
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Mac26Mpaul
- Admiral
- Posts: 1066
- Joined: Mon Jun 14, 2010 2:36 am
- Sailboat: MacGregor 26M
- Location: Gold Coast, Australia 26M "Little Annie" Etec 50
Re: HAPPY AUSTRALIA DAY TO ALL AUSSIE
Yes, I remember Frank thanks Dennis 
My next door neighbour pops his head over the fence once in a while and says "are you going out in the boat next weekend Paul" and I say "why?" and he says, " our rainwater tanks are getting low again". The joke now seems to have spread throughout the suburb now....
Yes, we havn't had the best boating year in the last 12 months or so
Maybe Little Annie is punishing us for thinking about selling her last year...
The good times will come though.............
My next door neighbour pops his head over the fence once in a while and says "are you going out in the boat next weekend Paul" and I say "why?" and he says, " our rainwater tanks are getting low again". The joke now seems to have spread throughout the suburb now....
Yes, we havn't had the best boating year in the last 12 months or so
Maybe Little Annie is punishing us for thinking about selling her last year... The good times will come though.............