Princess Royal Sailing Club

PRSC Clubhouse

We have found ourselves a temporary home at Princess Royal Sailing Club, about two miles from Albany, across Princess Royal Bay. We have an end pen (berth). It is very similar to the arrangements in Denmark. We have a short, fixed walkway on our port side and the main, fixed walkway in front of our bow. There are two piles at the stern for our stern lines and metal rings fixed to the walkway in front for our bow lines. Spring lines are attached from our centre cleats to the piles at the stern. 
 

PRSC pens and walkway

There is no breakwater, so some lines have weights on them or are attached to chains and underwater weights in order to dampen the motion caused by waves. The tidal range is about 1 metre. We are sheltered from W through SW to SE. The other directions have a two mile reach, so it can become choppy in strong winds.

Watch out! There's a car coming!

Ashore, there is a lovely clubhouse which had a bar and Friday evening restaurant until very recently. The corona virus restrictions have meant the clubhouse has had to close along with all organised sailing activities. Fortunately, there is a disabled toilet and hot shower accessed from outside, which we use frequently. Limited electricity is available 40m away on the walkway. A trip to Bunnings (B&Q) for heavy duty cable and a visit to the chandlery in Albany for rope and shackles means we are now secure in our pen and have access to electricity.

Pumpaleaky

Sal Darago started filling up with water. Fortunately, it was fresh water and the leak was traced to the Shurflo pressure water pump. It is a nuisance and happily the local chandlery, Westerberg Marine, has sourced a new pump. 

Married Bliss

After some people saying it would never last, Kathy and I bucked the trend and celebrated our 45^th Wedding Anniversary at the weekend. Sadly, no restaurant would have us, so it was sandwiches on board as usual. Smoked salmon of course!

Special sandwich supper

There is some discussion about whether recreational boating has been banned in WA. We believe the Australian Government has recommended it and some states have implemented it. Anyway, we are allowed to use SD to travel to Albany Waterside Marina, where we can tie up for two hours to go food shopping. Like the UK, there must be no gatherings of more than two people, unless they live in the same household, and shops restrict the number of customers, so that social distancing can take place.

Great walks in the area

A few days ago our flight from Perth to Kuala Lumpur was cancelled and no alternative suggested. This was the first stage of our flight to London. Added to this, we have no way of travelling to Perth as all regional borders have been closed to try to restrict the spread of Covid-19. The Great Southern Region, which includes Albany, has three confirmed cases of the virus. I have contacted our travel agents and our travel insurance company. We have also registered on the British Travellers in Australia Registry set up by the British High Commission. None of them have been particularly helpful, which is hardly surprising given the huge number of stranded folk (said to be 25,000 Brits in Australia alone).

Autumn is a comin' on

Meanwhile, we are allowed to go for walks and we can work on the boat. There is a general store and garage nearby and we can still go to Albany for supplies. We are both well at present and able to keep in touch with friends and family via email and social media. Keep well and keep safe everyone. 

Sunset from our pen(itentiary)