2016 Sailing Season Comes to an End 23rd September

On Tuesday 13th September we celebrated the end of our 1016 sailing season with a wonderful meal at Summeries Restaurant (Thai) on Flinders Street East in the centre of Townsville with Andrew, Ric, Val, Peter, Geoff (a friend of Ric and Val's) and myself. What a lovely meal. The food was beautiful and we enjoyed the company of friends who all have a passion for sailing. We very much enjoyed the company of Ric and Val for the second half of this season on our trip to Lizard Island and we ended up at some places we would probably never have gone by ourselves, i.e., Vlasoff Reef. Hopefully we can catch up with them next year on our way back down the coast.

Stunning Kapok flowers light up the bush on Magnetic Island

On the 14th Karin, Paul, Isabelle and Emmalyn arrived for their two week stay in Townsville. We have been staying with them in an apartment in the town centre for a week. It took the girls a day to settle in and then they had a wonderful time playing in the park and swimming at the Rock Pool or the amazing swimming complex at Riverview. We have had a lovely week with our two little granddaughters and their parents. Isabelle just loves to drag her Poppy around to swing her on the swings or take her for a swim on his back. They have now gone over to Magnetic Island for four days to stay in a friends beach house at Horseshoe Bay. Peter and I went over on the ferry for a day to join in the fun and we found ourselves looking out at the boats anchored in the bay instead of watching the antics of the people on the beach, for a change.



Paul, Isabelle, Emmalyn and Karin at the Riverview Swimming Pool
(where else would you get a wonderful swimming complex like this free of charge?)

Tomorrow they will be back in Townsville and Paul has to go home to work. Commiserations Paul!!! Peter, Karin, the girls and myself will then spend four nights with Peter's brother Clive and his wife Virginia out at their farmlet 30km south of Townsville. It is near the Billabong Zoo so we will probably pay that a visit amongst other farm activities.

Poppy takes Isabelle for a walk

Then he gives Emmalyn a swimming lesson

 

There is only four more days before Karin, the girls and myself catch the plane back to Perth and that will be the end of my sailing for six months. Peter will be staying on for a month or so to spend time with his family and also spend time with the new girl in his life!!!

Olivia

Olivia comes in the form of a 13m Cavalier sailing yacht. We have sold Rene and are at the moment clearing her out and cleaning her for her new owners. Only a week ago a new boat was a twinkle in the eye, and then Ric pointed out the for sale notices in the window of the boat brokers in the Breakwater Marina and said to me, 'This is one for you Liz'. We thought we'd take a look and the broker came up with the idea of swapping Rene and a large amount of money for Olivia. He advised the owner of Olivia that he could sell Rene more easily than the bigger boat and as Olivia had been on the market for over a year this might be the way to go. After a bit of tooing and froing a deal was struck. Rene will probably be swapped again by Olivia's owner for a motor launch he has been eyeing off for some time - again along with a substantial amount of money. So Rene, our trusty little yacht, may have three owners in one week. She looks neat and tidy, if a little worn and hopefully will make someone very happy. She has sailed us safely over 7 500 nm since we left Albany in April 2013. Now I feel a bit teary! However, looking forward, we are now the proud owners of a beautiful new boat.

SV Olivia

Here are some of Olivia's statistics, taken from Peter's email to friends and family.

"I’ve just traded Rene in on a Cavalier 43, built in 1996 in Brisbane.  The previous owner (2^nd owner ever) decided it was too difficult getting anyone interested in buying his boat, so he took Rene as part payment, cash to make up the difference and handover happens tomorrow.  The whole process of making the decision to upgrade to signing the papers took 3 days!!!  Rene’s new owner believes he will have no problems selling Rene as she is a much lower value and should attract more interest. 

Olivia comes with HF, VHF, Radar, auxiliary diesel generator, 2 x chart plotters, 240v/12v system, smart battery charger system, 600ah house batteries + starting battery, 1,350 l water capacity in 4 SS tanks, 370 l diesel tank, refrigerator, 50hp Yanmar diesel motor, auto helm for rack and pinion wheel steering, feathering prop, near new rigging, Rocna anchor and 80 m chain (2 years old), spare CQR anchor and chain,  hot water system and shower/toilet facilities, gas stove and safety system, plus more – I can’t believe my luck!!!!  She’s a GRP cutter/sloop cruising yacht and I get to keep my dinghy, outboard and life raft, plus tools, nav gear etc. 

 Over the next few years we plan to head off into the Pacific, with New Caledonia the first port of call and Tasmania over the summer months before we head back home, one day."

 

 

Inspecting the saloon

 

So......we go out of the 2016 sailing season with a bang! Can't wait for next year and sailing in luxury.

Our blog will continue but we will have to change the title to 'The sailing Adventures on Olivia, 2017 And Beyond.'