Beautiful Brisbane

Sea Otter in her home berth at Dockside, Kangaroo Point.

Someone's happy cause he can go flying again!! Geoff at Canungra on Friday....back in the air.

It's a wrap!

Sea Otter II at Marina de Sud, Noumea

Sea Otter. Not a boat we were quite sure we actually would like when we finished signing the contract 8 months ago. Now I know that sounds absolutely crazy, that we would sign on a boat we didn't think we really liked...but I think when you buy something as crazy as a boat, you do have reservations after you have signed that contract. But now, 8 months and 4 days later and around 6500 nautical miles down the track.....well? I think we could say we like Sea Otter. Happy enough to live on her for 6 months or more, happy enough to toy with the idea of a future cruise somewhere.

I can tell you that the excitement you feel when you see the land of your home country even after such a short cruise as this one, is pretty amazing. To see the first little blue hump on the horizon, watch it slowly (very slowly as there was no bloody wind) turn into a bigger hump, get definition, be able to see the sand blows of Moreton Island, it brings a tear to your eye. And a little cockpit jig of happiness. Geoff truly believes we may not have made this one, so in his typical reserved manner (no cockpit jig) he seemed happy to see Australian land. I actually asked him to be serious about thinking we may not have made it and that was his serious answer...great! In reality the potential for emergencies on any boat passage is always there, I think I may have listed the 101 things that can get you at sea list on a very early Blog? But with a new boat, that you don't know much about, that you take on a 3200nm passage after owning it for only 2 months and that is the first time in 13 years that you have even set foot on a sail boat, let alone done a passage....well you are probably tempting the gods a bit.

Maybe it was luck, maybe it was the fact that Sea Otter is a very sea worthy and sea kindly yacht, maybe it was our great friend Ben, taking on his own personal pledge with the gods by refusing to cut his hair until we made it back home safely! Maybe it was all our family and friends constantly thinking of us and sending out good vibes or maybe....we were just lucky!!! Considering this has been one hell of a tough Pacific crossing, compared to 13 years ago, conditions have not been particularly kind to cruising boats heading west. We have rotten passages, cross seas and swells, strong head winds, strong currents (not on the pilot charts) breakages, sea sickness and general unpredictable and un-forecast weather conditions. Not as easy as last time that is for sure. Or maybe as Geoff says were just older and wimpier!

A lot of people have come into play to allow us to achieve this little fantasy adventure. From the start it would have to be acknowledged that without Geoff's brother Peter and his wife Louise looking after all of our personal, business and money matters...we couldn't of even left the country! What Pete and Lou have done for us is massive and many thanks for many months is due. Next on the list would have to be Dinah and Roger from Farallone Yacht Sales in Alameda. They not only sold us the boat, but adopted us and became fast friends, they gave us contacts, tips and advice. They showed us the island, took us to great Chinese restaurants and fab ice cream shops. They drove me to the biggest food warehouse in the States, they did so much. And we can only hope that one day they do come to Brisbane and we can return just a little bit of their hospitality and friendship. A few marine industry people in Alameda also took on board our sense of urgency and helped us get gear repaired, installed and working for our deadline of the US Hurricane season. Barb from Golden State Marine, a legend within the diesel engine industry anywhere in the world. She offered help and parts anywhere in the Pacific. The guys from Grand Marina, who hauled and installed our new rigging and folding prop and generally gave great advice and fair prices! Then Ian and Steve from Star Marine who installed our fantastic Autohelm system. That has steered faultlessly, quietly and accurately for nearly 95% of those 6500nm. After leaving the States, I think we can say our key person would have to be Ian, Geoff's long time flying buddy and ex yachtie himself, who has texted us weather forecasts across the North and South Pacific. Has predicted and read the models with skill and a wise eye for what we needed. Also Ben again, for the vitally important role of getting Geoff's surfboard over to us. Not an easy task when we are in Tahiti!! But he did it and filled it with the very welcome stash of Nescafe Cappuccino and Latte sachets!! Eight boxes!!! Ben also kept an eye on the weather for us. Then Charles....who've we've known for 20 years, owner of the sister ship to Timana, 'Cryptic' Charles, went to work for us on our squeaky rudder problem and within hours had the info and a contact for the exact concern to us!! Amazing! Then all the little but appreciated favours....Bill, Linda, Brittany and Coby for taking on the parental role of my adored Fighter Fish, not just any Fighter Fish a beautiful and unusual red and black crown tail, no less!! 'Big Red' has been enjoying life on the Gold Coast. Ben and Mel again for looking after a few boxes of our belongings from the Main Beach unit and Geoff's Dad, Max for storing all our our furniture and main belongings! Ah Max those things could be there for a few months!!!!! Hope that's okay? Geoff's sister Christine for bringing over some needed zinc anodes in her luggage to Tahiti. And then of course everybody for reading my personal spilling's on life, buying a boat, gearing it up and sailing it home. Thanks for giving a rats! :) Wow that sounds like a speech for some award...... Boy it's lucky I'm getting back to the real life! Sailing past Amadee lighthouse in New Caledonia

Ah... back to now, after the initial excitement of seeing your homeland , well....ah it sort of drags. You can see Moreton Island from about 35 miles away and motoring at 6 knots, you excitement drains into tedium as you realise it will be another 7 hours before you are actually in the Bay!! It's always hard getting into port on the last day, it never goes fast enough for me. Hence me sitting here at the Chart table on my laptop writing this! The day is beautiful, last night was spectacular well until the wind died off! The full moon, the clear sky, the flat seas....wonderful sailing, that we haven't had enough of this year! The passage in general was another mixed bag. The first day out of Noumea harbour was lovely, blue skies good forecast for the week ahead and a scenic sail past the famous Amadee lighthouse and atoll. That day was also perfect, however.......Friday was nightmare! The wind came in way more than it was forecast to. 25 – 35 knot ESE lumpy big seas. We did 161 nm in that 24 hours, so it was fast going but very uncomfortable. I had got some new sea sick tablets in Noumea, they didn't have the usual brand I used from the States, so I gave these a go for the first day an a half. But had to stop as the side effects were um not pleasant. All I will say is that I spent an awful lot of time in the head on the loo... and my kidneys actually were sore after 24 hours! So of course then I was left with the dwindling effects and the oncoming seasickness, great. I spent the next 4 days queasy and unwell. Hardly ate anything. It was very rough and rolly passage for the first four days and even Geoff was unwell. We actually had a bucket out between us one night just in case!! We have NEVER done that before! So the days dragged, a mean and decent sized southerly swell kept the boat rolling heavily beam to beam, whilst the wind eased on day two to a nice sailing breeze, we got stuck with the residual swell from the southern ocean. It's been a fast passage and again Sea Otter has proved her stuff. She has averaged 6.4 knots over the 5 days, with two 160 nm days and two 150 nm days...pretty damn good. She has just trucked along whilst we moaned and whined below. It's things like this that make you like a boat, she's remained dry below. One little drip from a window when it rains heavy, that's it. She's quiet and doesn't squeak and creak too much. She's light and airy, important when you are spending a lot of time below decks out of the fresh air. She's proven herself not to be just a shoal draft bay boat, not your usual ocean crossing cruising yacht for sure, but she's taken it on and like a real Sea Otter, seems to just love being in the water!

Tuesday was a long long day, just getting into the Bay then the 25 miles to go through the passages towards the Brisbane river mouth. Then into Rivergate Marina at around 6.30 pm the official clearance port of Entry. Where Customs and Quarantine came on board to do our Practique. They were fantastic and it was painless and over in an hour. We had our food, shells and carvings inspected and removed if they were deemed a threat to Australia. Then we were free to relax, enjoy the calm and a couple of drinks! We felt out in the boonies! Missed not being able to see everyone for another day....but relieved to be safely home.
Sailing into the Brisbane river past the shipping docks

Early today we left Rivergate and leisurely motored down the river past our old stomping ground of New Farm and Glenfalloch. And into our new home for the next six months or more???? Dockside. It's been an amazing eight months, what can I say.....I'm glad we did it, I'm glad were home and I'm glad we bought this boat. Come and see us sometime.....

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g'morning readers! our final morn @ sea finds us 40nm 2 go 2 moreton bay & 2 little wind! will we make it in 2day?

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Got 128nm 2 go 2 cape moreton wind dying out on us :( Making pizza 4 dinnr, so bored

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180nm to go. pos 26 16 + 156 37 can u believe i'm still queasy! another gr8 160mile run in 24hrs, sea otters loving it!

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282nm to go. pos 25 30 + 158 20 still queasy,geoff got his appetite back. he made bacon + eggs 4 brekkie! winds lighter, thank goodness!

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Very rough last night, much better now 445nm to go 24 30S + 161 15E, all good but seasick!

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Pos 23 36 + 163 28 doing 7+kn. got 30k ese! v lumpy seas. 579 nm 2 go.

On standby to go tomorrow!

Well, the time has come, we've looked at the weather model and forecast for the last three days and all signs and indications, including the local chooks show that we may just get an okay window for the 6 - 7 days we need. 761 nautical miles in a south westerly direction means we need no more south, than a south easterly wind, preferably a east south easterly or an easterly would be wonderful. We cannot expect to be so lucky as to get a north easterly, which would make it a dream passage.

Geoff has been in to town and cleared with Customs, Immigration and the Port Captain. I've been to the local waterfront markets and got our fresh supply of fruit and veggies. Can't take too much as anything left over will be confiscated by Australian Quarantine. Got some local beer on board, got lots of chocolate and cookies. Will pick up a couple of fresh baguettes tomorrow morning and load up the water tanks....then we should be able to throw off the lines and go!!

We are hoping that the winds will be around the 10 -20 knot strength, which would see us arrive in around six days'ish. Meaning that if and that is a BIG if, we are lucky, we should be home by next Wednesday afternoon! We have to go to Rivergate Marina (next to the Gateway Bridge) to clear back into Australia with Customs, Immigration and Quarantine. Plus settle the big and nasty issue of our GST and Import Tax bill for bringing Sea Otter into Australia. Then we will be free to meander down the Brissie river to Dockside.

Our Blog updates will be down by Iridium whilst on passage to keep you up to date on our progress, the conditions and us.

It will be sad to finally leave our last foreign port and start the final leg home. It has been 8 months today since we left Brisbane, incredible hey? It really has gone so fast. Part of us want to keep going - but the bigger part is excited to get home to family and friends. It's my sister-in-law Kylie's Birthday on Friday, so Happy Birthday Ky!! Wish I was there so I could take you out to lunch :( And Happy Birthday yesterday for a really close friend and boss, Tracy. I know we will have a few champers when I get back (better do that before I start back at work with you!) Miss you both heaps. Neither of us can say we are itching to get back to work ;) But we got to pay for that Import Tax somehow!! And just as I am getting a bit of handle on the French language for the first time in my life, we have to go.

We have enjoyed our stay in Noumea, especially since being at the Port de Sud Marina. It is a quiet, clean and modern haven for yachts. Tonight we may even go our for a fancy dinner at 'Monsiuer Bouef' (Mister Beef) for a last night steak!!! Hopefully we can make heads or tails of the menu. If it looks too expensive or confusing we will go to the Pizza place round the Baie. Must remember to take those seasick tablets early tomorrow morning.....it is very calm here and we are certain to feel a tad queasy with the first bit of motion in a week.

So that's it.....hope to see you all sometime around Wednesday night, Dockside's the place....Geoff's mobile for details on how to find us on the Marina.

Au revoir!

More for you

Looking back from our Baie to the entrance

The main harbour in Port Moselle, Noumea

Our finger at the Marina Port de Sud, Baie de L'Orphelinat

Le photo's Ile de Pins

Just some of the photo's from our time at Ile de Pins. Will try and load the Noumea photo's later today! It's a very slow process....

Local net fisherman at Baie de Kuto

My swimming partner in Baie de Kuto

The beautiful beach at Baie de Kuto

The prison ruins

Please avoid eye strain..

This is the mother of all Blog entries.....make sure you have a drink and a wee first, that you have eaten or at least have a couple of Tim Tams handy, that all your children are in bed, that your phone is turned off, that you have a comfortable seat, that your laptop is charged, or you have plenty of paper in the printer and that the day is young....because this is a doozey!! And will be our last written entry offshore. Well, until the debriefing entry hopefully from our home berth at Dockside sometime in the near future, before the end of October hopefully. Okay are you ready?

Noumea capital of New Caledonia is a very well protected harbour with bustling town on the waterfront. Population of around 95000 made up of Melanesians, European (French mostly and 34% of the total population of New Caledonia!) Polynesian, Indonesian, Vietnamese, Japanese and Chinese. It has so much to offer for a yachtie if you can afford the prices: a great market right on the water's edge that sells everything from fresh fruit and veggies, trinkets, pearls, clothes, fish, bakery and patisserie items and a cafe sitting right in the middle of it all. Banks, supermarkets, pharmacies, computer shops, chandlery, chocolatiers and restaurants. It has a bit of a rubbish problem in the inner harbour area and a homeless problem which detracts from the feel of the potential pacific paradise. The town is just a block back and the big cruise line dock is also right in town. When those ships dump their 2000 passages and 700 crew ashore for the day, the town hums. The marina is right in the hub of it and there is also a Cafe/Bar/Restaurant right next to the Marina office, way too close for our Bank balance!! We spent three nights at the Port Moselle Marina when we first arrived.

Two of those days hanging out with John and Frances from Palmask, another Aussie boat purchased in the USA! And this of course saw us drinking the really nice “Number One” (local New Caledonian beer brewed by a Belgium were told). Even I liked it! We spent a few too many Franc's on beer that night, but Geoff reckons the espresso I had was what caused it to be expensive!! We spent the days here wandering about town, checking out the markets, buying some provisions and enjoying the free water on tap at our marina berth!!

We took off from Noumea on Monday and motored down to a bay just south of the main town. Ile Ue're' and where we could still see the lights of the suburbs and the planes taking off. But it was quiet and calm. The night got overcast and cool with a few light rain squalls coming through. Little did we know that we would suffer this weather for the next six days!! On Tuesday we motored south and back towards our inbound course via Woodin Canal. A very protected narrow canal with the typical southern New Caledonian scenery of layers of mountains, red soil erosion's and dark green water. A very dramatic scenery and very different to what we have seen anywhere else in the pacific. We anchored in Baie Ire' on the big island of Ile Ouen. It was another incredibly calm night tucked into the red mud. The water is clear, but it doesn't feel that, due to the red mud bottom. We went ashore to the red sand beach and I looked for shells while Geoff fished with his spinning lure. No luck, except for the fish that took it under a bommie and then spat it out there....so the next thing I see is Geoff snorkeling down to rescue his favourite wonder wobbler lure!!! Pretty funny stuff.

On Wednesday we motored off for the 7 mile journey through the canal to Baie de Prony...in the pouring rain!!! I mean bucketing down, torrential stuff! Bloody hell we haven't seen much sunshine here yet? Baie de Prony has many fantastic anchorages to offer, but we chose the scenic Ile Casy and picked up a free mooring. A little sandy island with clear water, great reefs and red clay hills. A small resort is supposed to be at the end of the jetty, but when we went ashore it seemed under refurbishment and no one was around except for a friendly dog who kept us company on our walk. We walked up the hill for the views of Baie de Prony and Sea Otter moored below. It was an exceptionally calm night, but the cloudy skies remained.
Thursday was a big day. It is 45 miles south to the Ile de Pins, the most famous and most photographed place in New Caledonia. It was going to be a hard run as the wind was ESE-E-ENE. Around 15 knots. We left just after sunrise at 5.30 am and Sea Otter spent the next 8 hours hard on the wind, sailing at about 6.5 – 7.2 knots to windward. Pounding into the short steep seas that washed the decks with water. We were exhausted by the time we anchored in the beautiful Baie de Kuto. 16' of white white sand and only 30 metres from the fabulous long curving beach. Very protected and very very pretty. It continued to rain, Friday, Saturday and Sunday morning was overcast but dry. By lunchtime Sunday it was blue skies and blowing 15 -20 from the SE.

Ahhh that's better we thought, but then we got worried on Friday evening when the winds started picking up again. We sent a text to Ian that night worried that we were going to get some westerlies and this would certainly not be a good anchorage for that! But he confirmed that what we had got was a high pressure ridge and no westerlies predicted. He was spot on again, Geoff was woken up at 1am Saturday morning with the wind howling in the rigging. Blowing 35 knots plus!! Poor Sea Otter was swinging around on her anchor in the gusts, luckily we were well dug in. The sand is not only very white here it is very fine and like a beautiful mud. The rain was torrential and poured off the decks like a hundred hoses were aimed at us from above. It lasted for a couple of hours then settled back, by morning it was looking like it was improving and going to clear. It didn't but at least it was just overcast and the odd showers now.

I can tell you we got serious cabin fever in those few days! The rain is great for me to run around on deck catching water and washing my hair and clothes....but it wears off after a day or two. We went ashore and did our on foot sightseeing in the rain, we had a great espresso at a little beach hut Cafe in the rain. We walked up to the boulangerie to buy our baguettes in the rain. We started to grow mold or it felt like it!! Our beautiful leather bound helm wheel is moldy. We kept asking people is this what it is normally like here? It's not what we've seen in the brochures! Ah but thankfully Sunday redeemed it all. Warm and sunny enough for me to go for my first snorkel here. And it what a snorkel as I got to swim with a very large turtle for about 5 minutes, I think it was a big green turtle! The bay is full of them and if you sit on deck for about 5 minutes one will pop up for air with a big gasp. They look about 5' plus long, pretty big turtles. And are usually followed by a entourage of sucker fish, and smaller fish. I've swum with them a couple times now and once they see you, those big flippers kick in and they are gone in a flash!
Monday and Tuesday turned on the showcase of weather we had been hoping for. It was just beautiful. Monday we motored about 7 miles to the little island of Moro. Sand and reef surrounded about 80% of the island with little gaps in the reef so you can sneak inside and anchor in about 12'. It is pretty daunting to go into these places unless you have a good clear sky with lots of sun, that you wait till about 10 am and there is some wind to ripple the water. Then you can see the reefs underwater. We spent the day till about 2.30 pm snorkeling, fishing and shelling. Geoff even thought he may get a surf of the little break to the south of the island, but when we got out there it was too small and only happened once every 5 minutes.

Without being able to get a weather forecast in English or pick up any broadcasts on our SSB radio for weather in the area, it is a bit too scary heading out to these reef crusted islets. They are mostly day anchorages only and the closest one that could offer protected anchorages in both easterly and westerlies is 26 miles away. So, with the day being beautiful, clear and warm....we stayed put and forced ourselves to just swim, read and relax. Tough stuff hey. Ahhh before you send me bad envy vibes.... just hold off until we are at sea again with 770 miles of ocean to cross before we get home. Trust me it is likely to be karmic payback time! Owww I hope I have been a good Buddhist???

Ile de Pins was found by good old Captain Cook in 1774...busy boy Captain Cook, he seems to have been everywhere in the Pacific. However, he couldn't get ashore here and named the island for the indigenous colonial pines growing everywhere....hence Isle of Pines. They are tall pencil shaped pines and give many of the islands the look of a scrubbing brush when seen from a distance. In 1853 France took possession of these islands, the local Kunie islanders then became hosts to a penal colony 1872. Just like British the French obviously were happy to send there unwanted crim's very far away and about 3000 of them!! The ruins of that time and the prisons are everywhere and you can walk into one just opposite the Boulangerie. It is quite amazing to see the remains of the settlements still standing in fairly good order. However Baie de Kuto and Kanumera is a very quiet under developed place. A couple of low key resorts, a craft shop, a gendarme station, a boulangerie, a small corner store, a Rotisserie and a beach snack hut. Very laid back and very simple lifestyle. But it was time to move on...

Wednesday the 1st of October was a big day for many reasons....one, we had to sail 46 miles back to Baie de Prony (a tough decision to miss out on the other islands down in the southern lagoon-but a safer call). We were hoping for a reasonable tailwind to get us there dry and fast, and it did 46 miles in 6 hours!! Two, it was our adored, wonderful sister-in-law Louise's Birthday (a big important one) Louise kindly and professionally has been looking after all our business and private finances, accounts, mail, personal favours, etc....just the only way we could have ever done this trip is with Louise and Peters efforts. Finally, we found out the next day...about the arrival of our good friends Ian and Michelle's little girl “Lillian Rose” 12 days early!! We did toy with the idea of trying be back by the 13th of October to be on hand for the arrival, but obviously Lillian Rose could not wait any longer to meet her wonderful parents and beautiful sister Brenna. Anyway, as you can see the 1st of October was a good day! :-))

Since then we spent two nights in tucked away anchorages deep in the Baie de Prony. Where we found thermal springs and waterfalls (for a refreshing nudie bath and shampoo for us both) Even Geoff, though he was highly nervous and agitated the whole time in case someone came by, which would be odd as we were in a totally remote place. Then on Friday we headed through the Canal Woodin with a lovely 15 knot SE behind us, then turned north towards Noumea. We were going to anchor the last night off Ile Maitre just 5 nm west of Noumea a lovely sandy atoll....but of course the weather played it's hand again and what we got when we turned north was 20 knots, increasing to 25, then 30 then by the time we got to Ile Maitre it was blowing a constant 35 knots with higher gusts and the little atoll was not providing much protection from the wind chop. The seas were literally white with spray and white horses. So we turned east and had a fast and scary sail into Noumea. Noumea was packed with yachts, no vacancies at the two marina's, boats anchored tightly all over the allowable areas, it was chaos. Very hair raising to anchor in 35 knots between boats that seemed just a tad too close together. But we pulled it off and had a relaxing drink as the gusts leaned Sea Otter over, again and again. It blew a hooley, so we didn't want to leave the boat. We moved to a berth at the Marina de Sud in the next bay south, on Sunday. We will stay here and get FREE Internet on board so we can watch the weather patterns. And of course do our Blog, emails etc....We want to try and pick a good friendly window of weather systems to leave for Brisbane on. Cross your fingers for us.

We are pretty keen to get home now and see the new baby and of course see how much our other adorable nieces, nephews have grown up while we've been away. Hmmm sorry Bek and Margaret at 18 and 19 you probably have done your growing up! So we just want to see how hot and gorgeous you are!! ;) And of course the other favourite little munchkins in our lives, Thomas Darke, Skye Hill, Skye Plenderleith and the new babies of the Murphy's and the O'Donnell/Texler's. Ahhh so many babies happening in the Paragliding community!! What has been going on??? hmmmmm maybe not enough flying, bad weather perhaps?! It is a good thing such oldies as us who didn't have their own children – have been lucky enough to be surrounded with 10 adorable, wonderful and gorgeous nieces and nephews ranging from 2 and half years to 19 years old. And enough friends in the paragliding community who are in their baby making thirties, to keep us supplied with adorable wee ones to cuddle and play with!!

Okay, oh dear I wandered off into melancholy there, that's what happens when you are away from your loved ones. It's just one of the things that has been good for us by doing this little adventure. Your appreciation of the people who matter in your life. Another thing is how well we have got on together while we are cruising. Now not that we didn't get on back in suburbia! But out here we well....are very close. Whether it is less work stress, more real life danger and demanded team effort that brings you closer together or just the sense of adventure, the water, the sunshine and the freedom....but I can honestly say it suits us (well me particularly) Geoff would clearly state that he has been a nervous wreck most of the time, that he hasn't exercised as much as he normally does-therefor he has put on weight, that we are going to go belly up financially, that he is a hopeless sailor, engine repairman, etc but most of you who know and love Geoff.....have heard all that before!! I think he's amazing and that his ability in sailing is similar to his ability in paragliding and surfing. Well above average. My I have got all soppy.....

6th October. 24 years ago.....a hunk of a young guy with a full head of hair in a pale grey suit is being made to smile over and over again. He complains that his jaw hurts. People keep talking to him, some of them he doesn't recognise? His worst nightmare. Beside him is a slim, short young girl in white fitting bodice with a big hooped skirt. Her curly hair styled more fancy than she has ever had it before, she's smiling all the time, chatting to everyone including the wait staff, whom she knows. Photo after photo is being taken of them, people stand around and stare at them and smile....again his worst nightmare. They are standing in the courtyard of an Italian restaurant, wonderful nibbles are being walked around for the 80 guests, it's dusk and the sky is clear and lilac. The stars start to come out and the crowd retires to the lush interior of the restaurant. He's exhausted already and just wants to go, head off to Mooloolabah for the week. She's beaming, her eyes sparkle, the room is full of people she loves and knows, the tables are a picture of fine glassware and good cutlery. Devine food is making it's way via waiters in black and whites to the well dressed guests....ahhhh she could spend forever here!

6th October. Today. A hunk of an older guy has just come back from a jog, his semi balding head is gleaming with perspiration. He's lean, not as lean as he used to be, but still fit. He's brown, he looks relaxed and he settles in to read a book, nothing much else on his agenda today......a dream come true!! Across from him, behind the computer is a short, chubby tanned woman. Greys mixed in amongst the bleached blond streaks in her messy out of control hair. She's still in love and looks at the cute butt on the guy as he comes back in from his jog. She smiles and chatters away about his jog, the day ahead and what they can do together all day.....her dream. The sit below on a lovely modern yacht, the sun is shining and the temperature is 24 degrees. Birds are singing and the slight clink of yacht rigging can be heard. The dappled light plays across the polished timber of the interior and they both look at each other and say....we could stay here forever!!!

Happy 24th Wedding Anniversary to us!!!!

Photos to come....