Woopie trails in the desert and old music compilation cassettes

Woopie trails in the desert and old music compilation cassettes

Before the last job started I found and put in the van old music compilation cassettes. Thus, I was in a travelling time machine, as each was played once through in the van. At least eight tapes I think- it was a eight hour trek to the Other Littler Big Smoke. That was a few weeks ago. "A Wednesday in September". The tapes were all from the eighties, late night recordings of favorite album songs back then, after a night out with Tarn or the boys and sleep was too far away. Tracks from Men At Work, Spit Enz, Beach Boys, Talking Heads... In other words, a few. Trouble was, being tapes, no fast forward...

The woopie we are using to get to the desert and back has radio and a CD player with no MP3 connection. And no auto fridge [for the beer cold drinks.] The trip up and around the desert was not that boring, my friend Doug has a history in the oilpatch going back a long way, so many tales are etched in the back of my mind.

September. That's a long while ago, and the kids have missed me. Really? #2Son has nearly finished last year of high school and last exams, telling me "I am studying", other people worrying that it does not look like it. Even If I Was Home, I am more than sure he would be telling me that same thing anyway, whether he had or not. Being a teenager once, I remember that.

And I am up here, for now, or longer? There was much to-ingand fro-ing on progress the last few days, will this be done or that. One choice was an sxtra ten days- not taken finally. Whew.

I have been at the desert job for so long now, I am getting used to the sub-luxurious living conditions and a the far off life of being the dependable single dad is fading away... Wow, more than that now, the Melbourne Cup is on as I write. Weird life. Not  a housework thang to do. Nice. In a small way.

ciggies, medictns

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.

Speedy Sailenzo

For all the sailboarding afficiendos out there- I know there must be a couple... 


I managed to stave off the kids and the werk Skedyewl
(told them to leave it all until later in the day as I had to be away... Being an independent self employed contractor had to have a perk in there somewhere for Slow day. Yeah, Mondays, SLOW to the point of why even get up for lunch! ) 



And get to sandy by 9:45, and leave the water at 12:15 (swimming back to the channel bank AGAIN!!!!), and home for shower and work before dragging kids to dentist and chiro and and and- reminds me of an Arc Day. But SO WHAT.


I can't get me $600 ten yr old shrunken wetty on or off IN A HURRY so I wear the falling apart florescent style circa 1988shorty... And a sort of wetsuit vest. 


It was a little cold, BUT, but the wind was a squally SW to SSW at aboot 20knots. 


I was rapt! 


I used my second-hand 4.2 wave sail from Simon and my fav board.


And the SPEED sailing, it was purfection. A couple of little showers and some sand blasting off the dune did not stop me- just reminded me to get back to the car at the next lull and grab the pseudo-Polaroid sunnies!


I think I was the fastest there. Out of 4. Nya nyah!!
But. If they were not there, I could'nt have sailed- Safety first, f@#& it. 


And I only had 80 minutes or less on the water. Prob less. Ah well, great time.


AND BUT I left at home my new data logger gps toy, so I could tell if I really was fast or just pulling my own leg... 


But. {again} I would not want to fall off- I was fast, yay me. The new harness lines were good, the footstraps need attention, I do not seem fit enough or confident nuff to just "and the foot was slammed in with out looking people! Wow!" I did not spin out after I was in the groove. Jsut did not attempt huge flairy gybes. Did not want to swim back in the lulls or hurt myself...


Until the wind dropped and I had to swim home  A/A. And cramping- ow. Note to self- fitten up ya slack mudder! I still hurt all over 36 hours later. :-(

Been there

Today I was asked for a special; take some soft-drink out to the heliport. 18km later! And the river plain was flooded. The road was 'that' much from being flooded last night. The boss was lucky I didn't ask for twice as much for the trip- 100km to deliver some coke! But it was nice to get out of town. Might have been good to take the kids, but they were supposedly in school at the time, ah well.

I have not been out there for close to 7 years I reckon? There was a big chopper there- Executive Transport or something- as big as the Pres's one! A Supa Puma? Must have been some big wigs that missed the Citation or Lear from the Big Smoke. But really, who on earth would really choose a big fat super loud and vibrating like all shit sixty minute chopper ride anyway?

The heliport hasn't changed, and the guards did not recognize me one could have cos I recognized him. Don't know why that sort of hurt, was irregular I know since 85 but geez, more regular in the Noughties! There are new posters about having or a getting security card! Wow. It's different that much.

Of course the cases of bottles coke was not certified as a special delivery, no Name to Deliver it too, another call back to base. And another chopper was warming up as I called in, great. So the reception there was called up, and then the canteen, and I thought, Oh Great, looks like a wasted trip for someone.

Then someone turned up and said Hey that's for us!

Excellent. See ya losers.

So then I stopped along the way back at the rowing shed at the port- the rowing dock was way out. And Hard to get to.