There is much I want to say about the whole selling process in Australia and [...]]]> Final sign offs occurred in the last hour (plus the time it took to write this).  Dignity is effectively sold.  Settlement is still to occur so there remains a small risk this won’t complete but we feel this is unlikely.

There is much I want to say about the whole selling process in Australia and much I shouldn’t.  I need to think carefully.  I will compose myself and say more at later date.

But for now I want to thank, publicly, those that helped us get to this point.

First, middle and last has to be for Sarah and Russ who looked after us through the dark days, weeks and months last year.  It’s hard, even now, to think back to those days.  They were truly difficult and you guys were so good to us.

Big thanks have to go to Trish and Peter Cronk for all the support they gave to Helen, working out what to do with the boat when it was stuck in Fiji and Peter for your support during the sale.

Huge thanks and admiration to Peter (and supporting wife Christina) for getting Dignity and especially our son Sam to Australia despite the dis-masting along the way.

Thanks again to Brian and Janine for all your help and friendship.

And thanks to all our cruising friends who helped look after Dignity and get her to sale.  Special thanks go to Bert and Ingi (Boree) and March and Pam on Passages.

There’s a saying that the two happiest days of a boat owners life are the day they buy their boat and the day they sell it.  There may be a big relief today but the phrase is not true.  Our happiest days were all those we spent with our family and friends along the way.  The exotic places, the sundowners, all of that helped of course but when we look back, it was always the people that mattered the most and brought the greatest happiness.

This was the third and final pending announcement, if you hadn’t already figured it out.  Ben and Amy’s engagement has brought us by far the most joy.  My hair, it continues to grow along with my health, strength and optimism for our future.

The wind was in the high teens to low 20s and ahead of us so we were on [...]]]> We had another lazy morning in before readying to depart the anchorage just before midday. The Jacksters did stop by as we had a bit more dive gear for them so another round of goodbyes were had.

The wind was in the high teens to low 20s and ahead of us so we were on a close haul all the way back. We put two reefs in the main and headsail as we knew we would be close to and indeed the apparent wind was occasionally as high as 30 knots though mainly in the low 20s. Again we were against the current as we left earlier than before and low tide was now nearly 3 hours later than before. Despite this we easily averaged over 7 knots over ground (over 8 through the water) and later were doing 8-9 knots over ground around low tide.

We passed west of Mud Island and then had to tack 12 times to sail into port. I loved it. Helen did too, sort of. After a while she wanted to motor in rather than keep tacking so she could clean the boat. I did not give in to this as this could well be our last sail and I was where I wanted to be.

In the end we made it back with time to spare. At the dock we were met by Niel from Attitude, Jan from Anthem, Cornelia from A Cappella and Don from Freezing rain who all stood by to help with lines. With 20 knot winds squeezing into the dock next to Attitude was a little challenging. I aborted early the first attempt and nailed it the second time. Piece of cake.

View 2012-12-12 Moreton Bay in a larger map

In the evening Sam came over. We went out for a buffet curry in Manly and were later joined by Rob from Bristol Rose who happened by by chance. We ended the evening walking with Sam to the railway station then returning to the boat when his train arrived.

Now we’re back in the marina and back connected is back to our admin. We have one or two viewings coming up this weekend so want to be ready for those.

For your entertainment here is a video taken by one of the brokers and some pics of our time in the bay.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dp_y1BAmEt0&feature=g-crec-u[/youtube]

Friday evening we were joined [...]]]> Friday ended up a bit of a chore day. A lot of communications were required with the broker involved with the recent near sale. I am not yet ready to share the nature of these conversations as a little more time is needed to determine if it’s good or bad.

Friday evening we were joined by Sam. Helen had cleaned and packed the rest of his stuff as he has found a cheap and secure place in town. It was nice to spend time with him.

On Saturday we drove down to Trish and Rob’s home in Tumbulgum to join the crowd from Anthem, Inspiration Lady and A Cappella for a slightly delayed Thanksgiving Dinner complete with turkey, ham and all sorts of veg.

Trish and Rob are now CLODs (Cruisers Living On the Dirt). And what a fine piece of dirt they have. Set on 60 acres of land their home is idyllic. Much of the land is woodland with plenty of flower gardens. Their 11 year old home was built in a rustic style sitting on the hill with fine views across the valley.

We had our Thanksgiving dinner early afternoon and spent the evening chatting and playing cards. My swelling in my trachea and esophagus had become painful again so in the morning I tried half a dexamethasone tablet. I think it helped my symptoms but it certainly got me a bit euphoric. I chatted far too much. But at least I maxed every card hand I played. My side effects from the RT should peak soon and after then I can expect things to improve naturally.

The next day the other visitors left leaving Helen and I with Trish and Rob. I spent a few hours fixing our camera flash which had got jammed as a result of a recent accident. Their home felt like our home. We needed the escape.

Later, Rob and Trish took us around their property showing us many things not at first obvious. It was all very interesting and amazingly tranquil. It felt like walking around walking around private gardens / a private estate, which is unsurprising as that is what they’ve got.

After this we headed to the coast to where Rob spent time in his youth. A place called Fingle. We bought fish and chips and ate the at a small park by the ocean in the company of some of Australia’s amazing birds. We then walked along the beach and then along a path behind to where there was a rock formation aptly name the Giant’s Causeway.

Helen retired early in the evening leaving Trish, Rob and I chatting til late.

Despite intending to leave early in the morning, we eventually ended up heading back to Brisbane just before midday. We took a long way back to see the sights.

Back on the boat we finally got back in contact with the gas man who will be round tomorrow to bring our galley up to Ozzy standards. Communications with the broker resumed with mixed results.

This evening we had a left over turkey curry followed by a TV show. Great.

Had some more Skype calls. Got a chance to chat with son John who’d getting on without Ella and Bao. He’s using Skype to stay [...]]]> Muscle recovery and cold/wet weather kept us in yesterday except for my RT session. This was my first one without calibration so went quite quickly once I reached my turn.

Had some more Skype calls. Got a chance to chat with son John who’d getting on without Ella and Bao. He’s using Skype to stay in daily (if not more) contact with them. He seems well.

We also had great chats with the David and Marian on Kilkea, Stuart and Sheila on Imagine and again with John from Sea Mist who’s now recovering from a hip replacement in Singapore. He’s doing well and for once seems to know not to push himself too hard.

It seems they’ll all be up in Langkawa, Malaysia soon. The opportunity to swing by there on our way out of Australia (by plane) and see our friends again is irresistible, particularly with many offers to stay aboard with our friends. Many factors could influence our being able to do this but it’s very high on our list.

We’ve also accepted an invite and made plans to have a Thanksgiving dinner with the Bristol Roses. Sam will come with us and their sons Elliot and Owen will be there. We last saw them in the middle of the Pacific. Also there will be Jack and Jan from Anthem. The song of the sea is truly playing loudly this side of the shore.

We continue to dance a dance of courtship with Dignity’s buyers. We all need to be cautious but we’re making positive steps. Contracts are now signed, deposits deposited and inspections booked.

This morning Helen found one of the buyers’ website – Helene Young. She’s an author as well as a commercial pilot. She has mentioned us in her blog so I must return the compliment. We’ll continue our dance of courtship and hopefully all get together soon.

On Sunday morning we were visited by nephew Owen, his wife Cynthia and daughter Tabatha. They live in the area and it was good to be able to spend some time with them. We’ve not seen Owen for many years, [...]]]> Ok, so I thought we were slowing down but we’ve since sped up a bit.

On Sunday morning we were visited by nephew Owen, his wife Cynthia and daughter Tabatha. They live in the area and it was good to be able to spend some time with them. We’ve not seen Owen for many years, the last time being in the UK back in the 90s. During their visit we managed to sell off another boat item and later in the day sold yet another.

On Sunday evening Pam on Passages cooked us dinner and we stayed chatting with her and John for some time. John offered to keep an eye on Dignity this week as a lot of the repairs are going to happen. This will be a great help as John is very knowledgable and it can only be positive if the trades folk know someone is overseeing them.

Monday started off with a nice long Skype chat with older son John and granddaughter Bau. It was John’s birthday so it was a good excuse. The day was incredibly busy. Helen more or less completed all the packing while I did the paperwork. Helen even did all the package moving to the office as I don’t yet have the strength for all this. In the afternoon we were visited by more prospective buyers for the boat. It seems we’re getting a lot of interest now. As Helen pointed out a couple of months ago, the demasting is turning out to be a good thing. With the hull unaffected the upshot is Dignity will have brand new and locally warranted rig and sails coupled with almost nearly new motors which are also still under warranty. This sets her apart from the competition.

Monday evening we were picked up by Trish and Rob from Bristol Rose and we all went out for a curry dinner. As ever it was really nice to see and spend some time with them. Afterwards it was time to Skype solicitors (lawyers) in the UK to follow up on things. We settled down to watch a show on the laptop but both of us fell asleep almost straight away.

It is now Tuesday morning. Our 10 boxes and 1 case will soon be picked up and begin their long journey to the UK. Whatever else we find will have to go in our luggage. Then we call the shipwrights who will come over and we’ll move the boat over to the Royal Queensland maintenance dock where the repaired s/s will be refitted, the mast compression pole rewelded and the few gelcoat spots of damage repaired. On Thursday the new mast will be stepped. I’m assuming that Dignity will be moved back to her current berth on Friday.

Unfortunately we won’t get to see the mast fitting as we have to return to Melbourne tomorrow evening for the start of my radiotherapy on Thursday. I have 20 sessions planned, each of which will include whole brain radiotherapy and radiotherapy on my spine. Hopefully my bone marrow won’t be too badly affected. If it is, my stem cells are standing by. The radiotherapy will take 4 weeks so we can’t have any long trips back to the boat at least until late October.

The last few days have been very much the same as previous. We’ve had some fantastic blue sky weather with some more windy days. Today is a bit cooler which will help us acclimatize for the Melbourne chill.

Dignity is very much our home and we both feel really good being aboard. With some cruising friends nearby and being amongst so many boats we even have times when it feels like ‘old’ [...]]]> We’ve been back on the boat for a few days now and we’re experiencing a strange sort of ‘between worlds’ existence.

Dignity is very much our home and we both feel really good being aboard. With some cruising friends nearby and being amongst so many boats we even have times when it feels like ‘old’ times. On the other hand repairs now progress and people are in and out of the boat reminding us of the challenging passage to Australia and what we still have ahead. At the same time we know I’m mid treatment and the Melbourne experience beckons.

A brief update on my own health. I’m feeling better than ever (at least since May). Certain capabilities I’ve not been able to do have returned. I won’t mention them all but one is enjoying more than a sip of wine in the evenings. Helen is both pleased and not so pleased about this return to health. I still feel like I’m walking around on Jelly legs and each day after I’ve done some exercise leaves me with aching legs. It’s all good though. I’m also need less sleep than before. I’ve been regularly out for 11-12 hours per night and sometimes needing a nap during the day too. Last night, for instance, I was up until 1am and was awake 7 hours later. I’m pretty sure a lot of this is due to having time away from chemo.

Tuesday was eventful insofar as we finally saw our first tranche of insurance money arrive. Unfortunately there was not the best communication between underwriter, insurer and ourselves resulting in our getting a little less than expected. Overall this is not an issue but it takes time to work around these things. Nevertheless I was able to begin paying some deposit money and get folks into action.

With improving weather we set about boat work. There’s so much to do. Helen has begun packing stuff for eventual shipment while I have taken on the local sales role for things we don’t need to keep ourselves or leave on the boat. Tuesday resulted in colour ads for some of our items.

In the evening we had Pam and John from Passages and Trish and Rob from Bristol Rose over for dinner. I enjoyed the dinner AND the wine.

On the subject of weather it really turned nice this week although a bit windy at times. Rarely a cloud in the sky we’ve been able to heat our water off solar and wind as well as run the fridge, lights and TV in the evenings. Fantastic. I’m glad I rewired the electrics a way back so that the immersion heater could run off the main inverter.

Wednesday saw much of the same during the day. The shipwrights came round and removed all the bent stainless steel so it could be worked on at their work shop nearby. On removing ceiling panels to remove the mast base we discovered damage to the top of the mast compression pole. I took pictures and sent them off to the insurer/underwriter who responded most positively. In fact, an earlier email with them to detail costs incurred during delivery resulting from the demasting resulted in them deciding to pay us more. Never expected that. I believe this is due to them appreciating the efforts we’ve been to to keep costs down. Much of this credit goes to Helen while I was out of play.

In the morning Trish took Helen out to shop further away than Manly. I managed to get my tools out and repair a small electrical fault with the windlass control. This again felt a bit like old times.

In the evening Trish and Rob met us. First to look at and eventually agree to buy our kayak. (Someone has since called and been very disappointed we’ve already sold it). Next they gave us a ride to and joined us at a nice fish and chip cafe beyond walking distance. We were able to sit outside with our own wine and eat very tasty F&C. We were the only ones there practically and we sat there for about 2 hours chatting away. The usual boat crap of course but we loved it.

We did have a discussion about my treatment and prospects. Trish pointed out how different I was to when she first saw me when we were first here. Then I was between chemos 4 & 5 suffering from a constant nasty headache. We had to point out that even then I was vastly better than at the start of chemo or even when we first arrived in Australia.

Thursday morning I spent some time putting together some of the online medical materials we’ve found on line in preparation for the meetings we’ll have with the specialists next week. I’ve begun highlighting key points and this process will help generate the questions we need to ask which we’ll document so as not to forget.

I’ve also put quite a few items on GumTree. Hopefully we’ll get some action. This took a lot more time than I expected.

Helen has continued to be extremely busy sorting things out around the boat. The shipwrights returned to remove the compression pole discovered faulty the previous day. This turned out to be extremely difficult. Everything else has come off really easily as access to the mounts was readily available. While we had access to the whole support and it was movable, the pressure between top and bottom as well as the size of access proved too difficult. Work has suspended while we seek advice from Lagoon. A plan B is ready in case the pole can’t be easily removed.

Sam has been pretty busy and we often don’t see him. He now has full time work (sometimes until the early hours) in Brisbane and more options in the pipeline. We’re pleased for him in this sense. He always planned to do this but we do feel sorry for him as he just didn’t get the trip on the boat we’d all expected equivalent to what his older brothers experienced.