Today is launch day

 

Jeremy preparing SD's bottom

We are going to be launched this afternoon, Friday 22^nd July 2022. The last time Sal Darago was on the water was October 2020. We’re excited and nervous. Have we done everything? We’ve had endless lists and ticked off jobs everyday, so we hope so. In addition, we’ve had lots of paperwork to do. We applied to enter Cocos Keeling Islands and permission has been granted. The authorities in Mauritius seem to be happy for us to enter Rodrigues and the harbourmaster in La Reunion says he’s booked our berth. This morning we collected our clearance document from Andrew at the Australian Border Force Office, so we’re good to go.

If all goes well with the launch, we going to have a short shake down sail and motor locally to make sure everything is working as it should. 

So, what’s left to do? The hire car will be returned this afternoon. As long as SD is not taking on water, we’ll head out to Tegg’s anchorage and drop the hook. Tomorrow (Saturday) we’ll venture out to sea and return later. On Monday, we tie up to the wharf in the DoT Small Boat Harbour, walk into town and buy fresh bread and provisions. All the non-perishable provisions have already been purchased and stored. We’ll need a taxi for our return.

Dinner ashore the night before launching

On Tuesday, we leave for Cocos Keeling Islands approximately 1300 nautical miles away. We expect this trip to take about two weeks.

Love and best wishes to all our readers.

Back in Australia

It’s true! Here we are in the boatyard in Carnarvon, Western Australia, reunited with Sal Darago.

A milestone birthday for Kathy

We nearly didn’t make it.

Jeremy’s chest pains became severe so I took him to A&E on 12^th May. He was kept in hospital, given a whole raft of blood and Covid tests and transferred to the cardiac unit. The next day, Friday 13^th May (had to be!) he had angioplasty surgery. A catheter was inserted in his right wrist and passed all the way to his heart. An artery was widened using a balloon, but no stent, and Jeremy watched it all happening on a screen. The doctors said he could drive after a week and fly after a month. I brought him home in the evening.

Happy Birthday Ellie

Instead of a family day out on the river, we had cake and champagne in the garden with Em, Ben and the girls. The following week it was Ellie’s 9^th birthday celebrated with cake and pizza. We are cutting down on saturates and cholesterol – honest!

Ellie playing her birthday drums. Daddy Ben in the background.

 We booked our flights to Perth, a one way hire car to Heathrow Airport and various hotels plus a hire car for two weeks from our arrival in Carnarvon. I had a typhoid booster in preparation for travel, an eye clinic appointment and a dental check up. Jeremy was sent an appointment for a colonoscopy. This took place 6 days before our flight.

Getting ready for the Platinum Jubilee weekend

 At the beginning of June, Em, Ben and the girls joined us and other people in our village to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. We dressed our house and garden in Union flags.

Flying the flag for the Platinum Jubilee

 Jeremy continued to make good progress. We walked about 3 miles each day and he was fine.

Kathy meets the Queen!

 After a night in an airport hotel at Heathrow, we checked in at the airport and joined the longest line I have ever seen for Security. Alarmingly, masks were no longer mandatory and few people were wearing them. The next day, Heathrow cancelled 30 flights.

Sophie and Ellie ringing the church bells

 After almost 17 hours, we landed at Perth and made our way to the Sanno Maracoonda Airport Hotel on their transfer bus. We checked in and took a taxi to Belmont shopping centre, where we bought SIM cards for our phones. We had arranged a late check out from the hotel the next day, but were soon on our way to Perth Airport again to catch our Rex flight to Carnarvon. We collected the hire car and drove to the Carnarvon Motel for the night.

Lining up for village rounders

 The next day, Saturday 2^nd July, we stood next to Sal Darago for the first time in 21 months. Bruce, the boatyard owner found us some ladders and Jeremy climbed up to open up the cabin. Everything was fine and dry – no mould, no ingress of water, no insect infestations. Hurray!

Between us, the boom and a handy billy (block and tackle) we hauled the dinghy out of the saloon. Now we could have a proper look around. Everything was pretty good.

 

Sal Darago revisited

 We spent two nights at the nearby Hospitality Inn and moved back on board on Monday 4^th July.

Dinghy in the saloon

 On Thursday, I tested positive for Covid 19 and on Friday Jeremy tested positive also. We have to isolate on board for 7 days and must not use the communal shower facilities. Fortunately, we have a shower on board and a number of buckets. Bruce has very kindly delivered groceries for us, so we’re ok, apart from feeling rather weak and weary with sore throats and bad coughs.

Fitting wind vane cups and checking wiring

 August 14^th is our deadline to leave Australia. After this, Sal Darago has to be imported and we’ll have to pay a large tax bill. Let’s hope we get well soon.