Let's look around Port Vincent - Part 1

We were introduced to the more obvious sights of Port Vincent by Steph and Olivia (a Miles mini-me) who had arrived to claim our Port Lincoln trophy - Miles.

A lunch with much laughter and good spirits was enjoyed at the Pub in a sunny spot at the picture window. The local oysters were checked against the Coffin Bay oysters. No prizes for which ones got the gold medal. That is not to say that we 5 didn't scoff down the dozen natural and dozen Kilpatrick that were ordered!

We made a mental note of the whereabouts of the cafe, general store, newsagent and supplier of the next Sausage Roll for the Bloke's Top 10 study. Miles made sure to point out the latter to the Bloke. That's what you'd call solidarity.

This is yet another pretty coastal town that is as clean as a new pin. It's 30 nautical miles to the east of Adelaide and just 2 hrs by car and judging by the postcards and the presence of many vacant moorings at the southern side of the bay, it would be a summer playground for Adelaide folk. Being able to again purchase a copy of The Australian for it's cover price of $2.20 was proof that we were closer to the Big Smoke.

We met a 83 year-old local, fishing on the marina ramp (right next to the No Fishing sign.... such a tear-away!) who said he retired here to get away from the Adelaide rat race in 1975. Hard to imagine what that rat race might have looked look like then... maybe the stampede to get to Don Dunstan's clothier for their own version of a safari suit!

Steph and Olivia claiming Miles for an evening with all his Gals (including older daughter, Jess) in Adelaide.

Thanks for loaning him to us Steph...hope to see you again soon in Wirrina. XXX!

Leg 23 - Port Lincoln to Port Vincent

We made a few excursions since arriving at a Port Lincoln but we are not counting them as steps in our journey. The Sir Joseph Banks Group, Tumby Bay and Memory Cove were just side trips. A trip to Port Vincent however counts as the 'real deal'.

I found myself being fired out of a cannon again. 0800 is not an early start in the scheme of things but while I was down below putting on my sea boots I was shocked to hear B1's bosun's whistle and then noticed Urchin's profile starting to slide past the porthole! What the heck! The Bloke was watching me with great amusement knowing this would startle me, and he was right.

We loved Port Lincoln so much we decided to take a part if it with us. We brought Miles with us, well as far as Port Vincent anyway. With his gear already stowed, the Bloke and Miles started loosening the mooring lines and  finding everything completely still, it made sense to them to just push off. So, no more hugs for me from our traveling family of Urchin and Easy Tiger; we were off in the blink of an eye. It was as much as I could manage to get these snaps.

Miles with some lines already coiled

 A smile n'waive from B1 and Maree

Notice our suddenly vacant pen!

A smile n'waive from Leanne and a salute from Steve

Men with the pilchards.

Empris Lady, who we'd watched pass by us morning and evening going out to feed the fishies in its fish pens, found our speed too slow and pulled out to pass.

We began the morning with a guided tour of the bay, the fish pens near to Boston Island are not tuna pens but king fish pens. Now we know. There is an albino kangaroo that lives near Point Donnington. Miles' grandfather used to tend the light house there. A lone emu inhabits one of the islands (Lewis, Little, Taylor... not sure?) Nobody knows how it got to be there or why it's alone, but in any case it's gone mad and exhibits extreme behaviour. Who has visited it to find this out we wonder? Lots of local stories such as the one about a fishing boat running aground straight up and onto a sandy beach while on autopilot and miraculously missing 2 rocky headlands etc .. were told adding even more colour to an area into which we'd already stitched some of our own memories. Wonderful stuff.

A rainbow settles over the Donnington Lighthouse

With some cloud and showers about in the tail end of the cold front, we nosed our way out of Spencer Gulf to the east of Thistle Island enjoying flashes of rainbows here and there that sometimes made the horizon look to be on fire. The swell picked up and put us on a good heal as we all inhaled the breeze, relieved that we'd once again defied the gravitational pull of the wharf and gone to sea. 16 knots of wind from our starboard quarter set us on our way. Gradually as we left the shelter of the Gulf there was enough swell to have me gnawing on my ginger snap biscuits to quell mal de mare!

Last glimpse of Port Lincoln. Sweet, sweet memories!

 Evidence of the industry focused on catching & tending the fish in readiness for harvest.

Is one of those boats the Empris Lady or the Lady M?

Miles at the helm surveying the waters he knows so well.

It was a pleasure to witness his extremely apparent enjoyment

Our mission was to get past Cape Spencer before nightfall. Given that the winter solstice was barely a week behind us, we were very much on the clock with a short day and miles to cover, so we motor sailed if wind alone would no deliver us 5 knots speed over ground. Miles, like the racer he is, made sure that the sails were trimmed like never before, ensuring that we slipped through the obstacle course between Cape Spencer, Althorpe Island and the "haystacks" (Haystack Is and Seal Island) before dusk.

We had logged on with Garry at Tumby Bay VMR (VHF 81) before we left and were to contact him when we got to Cape Spencer. We tried to make contact just before, when we were passing West Cape but too late because reception was already unavailable in the conditions. We were probably called on the Gary's evening Sched but it was too scratchy so we called Carol at American River, Kangaroo Island (VHF 21 and 80), to find that Garry had already forwarded our details and we were "expected"! Carol checked up on us at 2000 just before she was turning in and we were about 20nm west of Troubridge Pt. She radio'd again at 0700 the next morning. The VMR's are brilliant!

Last view of Thistle Island. 

We would have liked to have visited Whalers Cove or had a close view of its tall cliffs. 

Miles said the cliffs were used for target practice during WWII and bits and pieces of ordinance are still found!

To be on the safe side, we elected a path outside of the Sultana Passage. We'd seen it from the air en route to Perth in April and it reinforced the notion that 'Aye - Them there be dangerous shoals" even if we did have a virtual local on board. Miles is a veteran of many Adelaide to Linclon races. In any case, we didn't see the benefit of arriving at Port Vincent any earlier than first light and ended up not only taking a wide sweep past Edithburgh but also slowing the motor down to barely a tick while we rushed up the Gulf of St Vincent with barely a breath of breeze on the morning tide!

The dawn sky in the direction of Adelaide.

Notice the clouds pushed up against the land. The thin wispy mid-level stuff that caught my attention must have been a part of the heavy fog Adelaide experienced that morning.

The Dawn watch.

Although it had been weirdly warm all night, by dawn, even 'The Captains' agreed it would freeze the balls off a brass monkey.

 Our new back yard

 Our new front yard

 

Our side border with pretty corals

Marvelous Miles

Meet Marvelous Miles - super hero!

Miles & Leanne. 

We could have edited this shot but why clear away the bottles when they tell their own story!

Miles, who we met within days of arrival in Port Lincoln defies description. We love him to bits! He is hospitality personified and the 'Go to Man' in Port Lincoln as far as we could tell. He put us in contact with whomever we needed for any job we were on. Did we need a car? Can I lend you a tool? Have these prawns. Have this frozen whiting. Come yacht racing!  I'll get in touch with the sail maker for you. Let me lend you my dehumidifier etc, etc... nothing, but nothing was too much trouble and generous to a fault!

Miles has energy, creativity and an entrepreneurship by the shipping container load. There are so many businesses, big and small, he is involved with. Small Businessman of the Century we reckon!

Oh, and did I mention that we like Miles - a lot!

We have had Miles over for many meals while we've been in Lincoln. We confess also to many bottles of red wine being shared (his AND ours). What's not to like with a mate like that? Steph, his wife is away a lot in Adelaide so we were lucky to see a lot of him and we always called past his Sparks and Spanners business on our frequent walks into town from the Marina. Ever keen for a bit of banter, he always downed tools to shoot the breeze. Together with Jonathan Newbury, the Commodore of the Port Lincoln Yacht Club, we are suspicious that they are secret members of the GPLA - Grow Port Lincoln Association tasked with trying to entice us to stay forever... Shades of a Hotel California - "You can check out any time you like but you can never leave". There might be other members of this clandestine group too because it looks like they might have already claimed a scalp.... The crew of Urchin are staying on.

With the bond between the Bloke and Miles cemented over a couple of quad copter flying sessions it was not hard to ask if Miles might like to join us on our overnighter across to Port Vincent. Having owned 2 Jeanneau yachts in the past and now a couple of months away from his last sailing day (the final race of the season aboard Fresh) Miles tried hard not to appear unnaturally keen to join us. We wondered if he'd pull it off since we planned to leave on June 30 - the End of Financial Year!

No problemo for Miles. He's a definite on the crew list.

Phases of the moon

Prawn fishing is done on a "dark moon" i.e. when there isn't a moon. We have witnessed a procession of prawn trawlers three times now as they depart the Port Lincoln Marina for their monthly catch.  It's quite ghostly in a way because they all seem to leave after dark and it takes several hours for them all to motor out of the Marina around 10-20 min apart, each one in a blaze of their own light.

They left  again a few nights ago and they'll be back next week with their catch already processed and packaged for market. We've been told that each year, on average, they spend 43 nights at sea. So far we've noticed them gone for nearly a week at a time. This suggests that they must sometimes trawl the Gulf and at times way off shore. Although we'd arranged to buy a 5Kg from the next haul (contacts) we don't look like we'll be around to collect - darn it!

They move pretty fast so by the time I got the camera out this is as much as I could manage

Saying Goodbye

A former WA Premier, Sir Charles Court, used to say "Leave while you are still having a good time". This wise advice ensures that you don't overstay your welcome and leave with the best memories possible.

We didn't get a chance to farewell everyone but we gave it a go.

If you start getting your photo in the Social Pages is probably another sure sign it's time to leave.

 

We probably won't miss this fella spotted sheltering on the jetty between Zofia and Urchin during a 30kn gale

Jim and Gyn are retired local farmers and cousins of long time friends. They lived only a stroll away and were most hospitable and came to say goodbye

Three Doctors in a row.

Jonathan and Wendy Newbury with the Bloke.

Wendy's recent Doctoral Graduation photo visible on the bookshelf...Onya Wendy!

Who is the 'Chookman' anyway?

Claire Bear

Claire left Perth on her own in a Kea (Winnebago style) van some 3 years ago for an adventure. During that time that she's been chris-crossing the continent and made a few trips home too to be with her family for significant events. Mostly though, she's been on the road. We've always stayed in touch having phone chats while she was in lay-bys in Tassie, FNQ, Exmouth the NSW high country or wherever Claire has happened to be. We even trailed her in her first year. The year we sailed to Shark Bay, we stopped at Port Denison (Dongara) and spotted the same 'Red-Hat' ladies she'd been with only a couple of months earlier. I'd recognised them from a photo Claire had attached to an email. News of Claire's whereabouts was exchanged amid great hilarity.

We have always thought that somewhere along our travels it must be possible to intersect our journeys and in Port Lincoln we have made it so!

We enjoyed Claire's company for a week, sharing meals and wine and stories of what we'd all seen. Did I mention wine? Yes, lots of wine! So far, we've covered a section of the country Claire has not yet visited; the SA west coast and south west WA coast. We shared heaps of hints and tips for our future destinations - and some more wine!

In the very first week of arriving in Port Lincoln, we'd been invited out to dinner and met a man who likes reciting poetry and bush ballads on a scale that far and away outstrips the Blokes capacity with The Man from Snowy a River and The Man from Ironbark. Mike recited ballads and sang some tunes at the host's request and then revealed his membership of The Cellar Folk Club -(Port Lincoln). See below for the lyrics of the  hilarious Man From Kaomagma. The club meets on the 2nd Saturday of each month in the cellar of Boston House. The fact was noted for the future.  Three months later, Claire and the cat crews came with us for a rare Saturday night out.

Mike on the 'mike'

Claire getting a farewell hug from the Bloke in front of 'Winnie'.

Claire, always glamorous, dropping around for a cuppa

Thanks for visiting us Claire, we'll be in touch as soon as we get our livers out of rehab!

The Man from Kaomagma

There was motions on the station, for a wog had passed around.
Salmonella, I regret, had got away;
Makes you run like wild bush horses. Sorbent made a thousand pound,
And everybody's crack began to fray.

All the tried and noted bush quacks from the stations near and far
Had mustered at the homestead overnight,
But their cures proved ineffectual, from cement to Stockholm tar.
'Twasn't even plugged by trusty Araldite.

There was Harrison, who got his piles when a hard 'un got caught up,
The exertion turned his hair as white as snow,
So he took to liquid paraffin and drank it by the cup,
But now he don't need that to make him go.

And Clancy with his overflow came down to get a hand;
His guts so sore it crippled him with pain.
There was not a shouse could hold him, not a pedestal could stand
With a hundred cu. secs. rushing down the drain.

And one was there, a stripling with his arsehole tightly shut
'Gainst wogs what cut a mountain man to size,
But he wouldn't go outside to that single lonely hut -
From him no diarrhoea could be prized,

For he hailed from Kaomagma, down by Sulfanilomide,

Where the wogs are twice as big and twice as tough;
Where their guts are lined with leather. They're impregnable at times,
And the man who holds his own is good enough.

When the wog was at its zenith, even he was seen to weak,

But surrender, no! He'd not sit on the can,
Till intestinal agony made him shriek with pain :
'Look out! I'm going!' And off he ran.

He sent the flintstones flying with the patter of his feet;
He cleared his fallen comrades in his stride,
Till the man from Kaomagma was safely on the seat -
It was grand to find the loo unoccupied!

He stayed there single-handed till his sides were white with foam,
Ne'er allowing his sphincter to go slack,
But it was a false alarm, and so he turned his head for home,
And alone and unassisted staggered back.

For this hardy little mountain man would ne'er give in to trots
While Kaomagma settled his insides.

It's an intestinal panacea. You may believe it or not,
But without it he'd have surely filled his strides.

Copied from OBSCENE SONGS AND BALLADS OF AUSTRALIAN ORIGIN by BRAD TATE

Part 1 of the Brad Tate collection AUSTRALIAN FOLKLORE - OCCASIONAL PAPER No 11, RAMS SKULL PRESS 1982

Catching up with Nine-of-Cups

There are sailing vessels chris-crossing all over the Australian coast. It's the people that you meet along the way that enrich the journey just as much as the breathtaking scenery. We last saw David and Marcie as we sailed out of Streaky Bay. We've been in touch since and we made a point of calling in on them while they were on a scheduled maintenance visit to the Mandurah Offshore Fishing and Sailing Club. We were passing on the way back from visiting the General in Busselton while home in WA last month.

There is not much they haven't encountered in their sailing lives and this year should see them tie the knot when they reach Cape Town. They emphasise that The Med and South East Asia are yet to be visited!

The folks at MOFSC were treated to a talk from this intrepid pair and were asked for an encore the following week by popular demand! Apart from visiting their blog site www.justalittlefurther.com you can also read the July 2014 edition of Cruising Helmsman and read 2 of their articles... a bumper edition which additionally includes a letter from Steve off Easy Tiger!