My dad and bro- gone yottie

My Father and Brother Gone Yachtie

Since the end of summer, a simmering idea

My dad Tez and brother Pete have been sailing around the Corio Bay area for a couple of years now with Pete's friend Larry. The other year dad and Larry were in a race, using whiz bang technology to steer around the lanes... Notice, not navigate... They laughed at some other yotties that were aground. Griinnnnd. They joined the club. This last year Pete has nearly fallen off when larry's boat was in a squall. Please note, this is second hand news...

But, somehow or other, an idea was simmering between them. 

Dad has a quiet life, kids all gone, [for now], twentyfour/seven looking after my wheelchair-bound but bright as a button mum. He does not get out of the house long enough to relax, unless we gang up and pitch in to help out as often as six siblings can manage. A golf round does not count, nor does a quick fishing trip down the street with the mad as a black hatter smarty bum Labrador "Lockie". A night or two away from it. Last time was working on my sister's farmlet three hours away to the north. What does happen pretty regularly is that the weekend ends up rained out...

pete is becoming an empty nester. I think. Four kids out on the loose, either working or studying or planniong on a trip overseas. He and wife Weez are now on nearly up to ten years of running a finger food catering company west of the Big Smoke in the former gold mining district- now a great boutique wine region. And he has been sailing with Larry...

Autumn

"been looking at coutta boats" was a new telephone talking point as summer ran into autumn when ever news was exchanged and then the inevitable "what's new?" came up. 

Port Phillip bay- thanks NASA-
Corio Bay in the SE, just cut out the mooring area,
The Big Smoke up the top of the Bay,
but this pic misses The Heads, captured in last pic below.

masted Couta Boats

These coutta motorised boats were designed for the bay fishing industry, or close enough, not ocean going. Usually with a sail in the old days and wide. Typically kept moored in the little ports sprinkled along the shores of Port Phillip Bay. These days as the fishing has gone quiet the boats are making a come back for recreational sailors as weekend racers or cruisers. But pretty expensive. 

At the end of Autumn, they found a yacht instead.

Winter

A proud dad

The yacht they found was for sale, and up on the wharf being micro detailed by the owner. The hull is of solid gum [eucalyptus], a draught of about 5 or 6 feet, a keel, not a centreboard contraption like AustraliaII for these guys! The design is of British origin, and well known as a great sailing vessel. The one the boys were looking at had been up and down the east coast, across to Tassie and island hopping Bass Strait too. Forty years of sailing, and in great shape, hardly a pint of dirty water in the bilge dad reckoned. The mast was being refitted/renewed on a shed when I visited early June.

Te Boyz

The other week the mast was restepped. The sails have been given a clean up, the insides tidied and the technology up to date. And the fellas are eager to go.

File pic...

My preferred sailing either

or

The first overnighter for dad and pete planned for Spring is around to Portarlington. So far.

First overnighter- around the lower headland, The Heads is the NoGo area to the right...

Looking forward to going out with My dad and bro- going yotting.

Another Bad Hair Rant

Should I avoid another bad hair day by..?

Hmmph. Dunno. This week has not panned out as a balance of good v bad.

Helping

I have been trying to help out a friend, and by their absence and lack of telepathy, I have on one hand been not exactly clear in my communications, which left me feeling an idiot at not getting a good Idea of what is required because what ever I have done, it's not quite right or clear and I am confusing people. I know I like to think I am smart, but at the moment... I think I am on the right track now, but also think that a third party might be better employed at the [or for the] required expertise. I hate that, I like to help out and excel in that endeavour, or any for that matter. Kludging not a good trait notwithstanding that I can do that too. Should I have another bad hair rant at my friend- nah, I believe I have to see from their point of view that they really would like to do the chore themselves, but circumstances... Marvined.

Work

The low paying jobby I have has not been exactly heart warming or well paid for the amount of time and effort needed for that either. I really feel like with a brain the size of a planet, and my expectations, the world could be left turning the wrong way. Marvined. And the environmental factors left me seething when the co-workers supplying me with work, did not get things right and I had to walk a few extra meters and get them to get their act together so I could achieve more with less effort myself...

This does not sound good I know, but these days time is money, efficaciousness is not highly rewarded  but enormously necessary and mental state [happy now?] not regarded as required. It appears.

Close, relatively

Then on the family front this month: My dear brother and family are off skiing in a better place and cheaper too. My sister is nearly too busy to go visit, her time is like mine- busy [family, work], and/but/or with the the added twist of a four o'clock start in a week [here you should be able to hear the Simpson's catch-cry of "Ah ha!" or Muttley-like]. Ah well...  My dad and another brother have gone and bought a little yacht to do up, be nice to live that much closer so I can join them on Port Phillip Bay more than maybe the once a year I see happening. Then the youngest brother is off accross the continent to look after his boys racing their Karts in a national championship. And my baby sister is cooling her heels, waiting for the fiance to get home from the rails... And #1Son is visiting NY and the nearby N.Falls for his birthday next week.

Thursday... The washing machine, another bad hair day there! 

The power switch thingo panel in the hall [with the short circuit detector or earth leakage trip detector] tripped Mid Spin of the washing cycle... Last spin anyway. Marvined.

 I spent half an hour or more traipsing about the house going backwards turning off wall switches in each room to track the infidel, and forwards flipping the detector switch back on. I did not want it to be the refridgerator, but at the same time hoped not the bloody clothes washer either. Cannot afford new ones this month of either after the last six months. Bloody Consumer Society, love it and hate it. The thought of a major electrical problem in the house wiring had me edgy too- what about the TV shows I like? See, I am as shallow as... Ended up being the washing machine.

I can sometimes repair stuff around the house, but RTFM was not going to help me out here.

Not happy Jan. It maybe one of the last things in Tarn's "dowry", but I would like to be able to keep things a long time, especially the washing machine. [The drier is out side awaiting its destruction. Or recycling...] The poor old washing machine, a trusted brand, maybe on its last legs too. The repairer will "be straight on to it".When he has time.  Marvined again. I may have to borrow my sis-in-laws machine this weegen? At least the winter holiday break means no school clothes needed for a few weeks, as long as we have enough socks and underwear to last until Buckies verdict on the machine...

Weegen for the boy

I see that as I get older, the care and avoidance factors conflict when it comes to supervising young adults and their Friday Nights Out. A small party turns out not to be, the backyard late night weather turns cold and loud [unfortunately not  rainy- bugger]. I end up having to say to the 2am laggards that don't/can't/won't go to the shady nightclubs- if they really want to be able to come back here at least another time, then they better go home now, and they were smart enough to scat in ten minutes.

The detritus got up late... with bad hair, Ah Ha.

Slow Weegen

Cup day Weegen at Sandy Point
Slow wind days

I took the gels with me to see my brothers and his family down at Sandy Point's shallow Inlet over the weegen.

Twice.

Sunday- First tried to call brother- signal shite- and nah, missed out. Hmph.So. Played first game of mini golf with the gels. Hmm, another time maybe. Then whizzed down to the sailing beach.

Little bro there.

The kids tried to fly a kite and played with step-cousin J in the dunes and worried about the rising tide and the car later on.

I blasted around the southern end and did my back in, as in, just EXHAUSTED meself! Nearly two hours with a big old sail and skeg and the nearly fifteen year old slalom board. It was fun, and nearly made most jibes.

The speed was good, but I was wondering- Need a new set up soonish? Yep.

A great afternoon.

Drove home, not promising to maybe stay Monday nite.

Monday- Sore as. Drove back down to the shack when school and work was over, on the way had a pub dinner that was just edible and too expensive for what it was. The pear cider was too amateurish and too expensive. Two meals, two colas and cider- Fifty One Dollars. Hmph

Tuesday- Early rise and shine at the rental house, and Pensive Looks at the waving trees...

Arrive beach side early- 10:30am like, and No Wind. Puffs only. Flew the 2nd kite.Also westerly swirling crappy breezes, and Left For Home at 1pm in Disgust.

Marvined.

Overall- family time and some speedsailing. Good.

Lists not done to be done

done at least

Spouting

Boat back to Dad
Wine making '11


to be done

garden path weeds and  trip points

hedge planting continued
'vranduh tidy, clean and dump junk
grape vine pruning
fruit trees pruned back
weeds snipped/sprayed
yard clean, old spouting!
junk junked!
hedging on hedges to be hedged
yachting stuff back to Dad
Spare room Spruced for new occupant mid year
etcetera
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Well, that list above is a week old now!
And Nothing completed.

Today I sorted out my bedroom/office... Yep, vacuumed where it had not seen light for years and years and years, NO! A while, yeah. Ah, old utility bills! An expensive recharging station for NiCads etc went to the vranda today, and other nineties and early norties pc stuff too, and room looks so much better. Nearly. Have to decide on kicking out a new but shitey 23" monitor! Cannot find the receipt... yet.

Poor excuse to keep away from the kids, as they were up to date with their room [tidy and clean]. Just. If only because they were having guests for a sleep over this afternoon.

But, I had to knuckle down and sort and tidy and clean and and and etc etc etc my work area. Had to show some sort of example! I really just wanted to sort out my USB hubs actually, and with so much junk, there had to be a spare power adapter somewhere to power a hub or cobble one up! Keep on getting messages "faster if used a USB 2.0 connection". Bullshit, motherboard is slow! A netSearch reveals may need a new PC, YAY me. Bullcrap, NO WAY.  Success after an hour or two. Check th eDevices, looks like hubs are High Speed and the connections a full speed ie SLOW! Not sure on downloading files and upgrading motherboard and bios, but, never ever know if you don't give it a go... Not yet.

It's a bloody long weekend too top of it all! I had said If Things Were Done, I might take the Gels to a beachside town where we might spend a bit of loose change on mini-golf or something. We were away last weekend, were we not anyway? And this being the Longest Weekend for Winter...  And They Have Tue-sdee orf too... [Teachers need to report back to me and assure me their charges are doing well.] Importunately, it may be just a cold wet windy day at the "resort".

Well, the snow bunnies can have the snow this long weegen, they have too much money and no sense-  It Is Cold Up There You stupid rich bstds!

And I have lists to compile, do jobs and and and... You know. What I want and can't have, all over again.

Moving Pics from there to here abouts

For those that care.

I am reducing the Netspace Easter Photo site.

The Easter Clan Pics are here now:

Taggerty Clan Easters 03, 04, 06 08

Moranghurk Clan Easters 09, 10