One month today!

our new signwriting

hmmm someone hard at work!

Hey everyone :) It has been one month today since we flew out of Brisbane, hard to believe as it feels like 3 months! I think we have got quite a bit done in that time, but looking at the 3 pages of to-do chores....we still have a fair bit to do.

Yesterday, saw us running around copying, scanning and emailing off the final 2 documents to Canberra for the Australian Registration. Then we had to post the originals. And all up I think getting 'Sea Otter II' Australian registered has cost about $1000 Australian. However, we are now officially an Australian yacht with home port of Brisbane proudly tattooed on our butt! Check out my photo's from today with the new '2' and 'Brisbane' on the hull.

We also collected the Solar Panel yesterday and dropped it off to the workshop that will create our frame to hold the panel and go on the transom. Then while we still had the car, I dragged Geoff around Lucky's supermarket to get the final heavies to load on board. Cans, drinks, etc. Current running total of provisions on board $1400 USD.

Today we have got stuck into some of the grotty on board chores. I scrubbed the hull so I could put the stick-on name and numbers. Geoff got stuck into checking the mainsail and putting it back on the mast. The second Genoa that came with the boat is shot, the stitching is all rotted and it never had a sacrificial strip to protect it. So that was another bummer. I had a nice hour scrubbing the heavy rust off the keel bolts in the bilge until Geoff took over, to get the ones under the galley sink that I couldn't reach. We also found out that the Anchor windlass didn't seem to be working, so after Geoff had walked up to the Chandlery (rental car went back yesterday afternoon) to get a Current tester then fiddled about with the wiring and the circuit breaker (which may be cracked and wonky)....it worked!! Phew.

Yesterday we opened the BBQ lid to find that the Gas BBQ had a lifetime of cooked food caked onto the inside. We don't quite know how we are going to get that clean, or whether to just dump it? Oh yeah, we also realised why the speed impeller was not in the thru hole. It's because it looks like something has hit it or it has been semi flattened by the slings during a lift out prior to us. When we did the test sail we noticed that the speed log was not working, the surveyor told us it's just because it isn't in the thru hole. It had been flattened pretty bad on one side and the impeller wouldn't spin. So while Geoff was off at the Chandlery I got to work on it and semi straightened out the side and cleaned off the impeller, loaded it with WD40 till it did spin fairly freely. So hopefully that will work and save us the cost of another one?! I think that was all the nasty surprises for the last two days.

It was actually good to get down and dirty today and really see what we are dealing with on Sea Otter. Geoff even started playing with the Radar/GPS chart plotter....hmmm, that's going to take some reading up one I think! Last night we took the new Sat Phone out of the box and put Geoff's Mobile SIM card in it to test it out. He sent a TXT to Ian, which worked and Ian sent a TXT back. The only thing is that the phone wasn't using Satellites to make the call, just the local network. So we may have to wait till we have the plan and are in an area with no network to make our first TXT or phone call.

It was another beautiful warm, clear day today and I ended it by washing the decks down, it felt very decadent after the water restrictions at home, to stand there with water running down the scuppers. And I really enjoyed it!!!! A quick bread throwing session with our local duck, before we took off for an afternoon walk and dinner at Quizno's. A healthy Fast Food outlet that does FAB flat bread sammies (American slang for sanga's, sandwiches) Now, back on board Geoff is finishing up his 10th book and all is very still and quiet. Just lovely :)