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From The Coastal Passage, issue #37
Ada & Charlie of Geronimo have been contributors in TCPs letter section with topics like rubbish on the Islands and vitamin C, so it was a special treat to meet them in person while in the Great Sandy Straits during the Bay to Bay race last May in The Tinny.
We were just getting ready to bolt back to the boat ramp as the wind was picking up and iit was going to be a rough ride back... So, just a few pics and a hi was all time allowed.
Their home port is Lake Cootharaba which is part of the Noosa River system. To get the most of their cruising time (between working) they tow Geronimo to destinations like the Whitsundays , Kepples, Sandy Straits, etc., sailing a few hundred ks on a long break, and when time is short sail on Lake Cootharaba and the upper Noosa River
See you again Geronimo!Natasha & Matthew Harper of SY Kalida are seen here distributing the latest issue of TCP in Cairns Marlin Marina to Kieron & Linda OConnell of SY Seaya.
Seaya is a 1971 Cheoy Lee Offshore 31 Ketch. Kieron & Linda sold their trailer sailer, an RL24 and bought Seaya in Gladstone in 2006 from Jules Darras, an American who had sailed the boat across the Pacific from California. Kieron says the boat is a very graceful old lady and anybody who has owned a H28 can imagine the same but with an extra three feet added on its length. She is a typical Cheoy Lee, fibreglass hull with lots of teak trimmings. Kieron says like most boat owners, he wishes it was bigger when it is in the water and smaller when it is out. Kieron is one of the few sailors that hail from Broken Hill, (not known for its sailing community), whilst Linda (who gets seasick watching Popeye cartoons) is from Kuching on the island of Borneo. They are in Cairns to recharge the bank account and then plan to go cruising again. Where to, they dont know, it depends on the wind.Photo by Allison Harper, text by the Seaya crew, and a special thank you to Natasha & Matthew for understanding the spirit of TCP and delivering the papers to their marina neighbours!
George of Jubilant Spirit was a regular around Bowen for quite a while and we met on many occasions at the sailing club or the dinghy wharf. We were on a tinny tour of the creeks and bays around Tin Can Bay when we came upon George replacing port lights with the tape and glue method (nice work George) out at anchor. It was good to catch up and just goes to show.. its a small coast for boaties, hang around long enough and all your mates turn up eventually and since George has been at it over 16 years.. well no surprise! Yes, that is us (Kay & Bob) in our trusty tinny. When we really need to get out there this is our escape boat for now. We always have some TCPs and a camera, looking for Passage People or just a chance to visit! Thanks Geronimo for the pic; the dorky looking subjects arent your fault! Along with the fact that this was the 100th anniversary of the Rally, the visit of the 40 boats at Palm Island was a first! Here
is a quote from Chet the Cheetah, Member of the Rally Mascot Club:For the first time the rally was invited to make a stop at Palm Island. It is an easy 25nm downwind sail from Horseshoe Bay with good holding in Challenger Bay. Anchoring was an easy drop of the hook. This was the first time in history of Palm that
40 plus boats were anchored in the bay--all flying Dent to Dunk
& courtesy Aboriginal flags. The mayor and his assistant met
with Frank and Steve to welcome all to the island and accepted
a $500 check from Abel Point Yacht Club for the kids Marine Education Fund. This was a truly memorable stop for us all & plans are taking place for a bigger event next year.Hows that for Historical?! See TCP 35 for the Palm Island Welcomes Sailors story.
There was also a historical mounting on a rock, but thats
another story...