tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-173470732024-03-14T18:25:35.191+11:00Voyage of the Rogues' ScholarshipThe sailing adventures of the Scholarship.
Come join us as we sail to ports unknown, to us anyway!Liz, Mark and Dylanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12623258291503607943noreply@blogger.comBlogger202125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17347073.post-7847242170471877652013-12-11T13:36:00.000+11:002015-02-22T15:18:33.945+11:00Fox 10 InterviewOur whole eight year adventure in one minute and 30 seconds! Well they left out a few things.<br />
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<script src="http://KSAZ.images.worldnow.com/interface/js/WNVideo.js?rnd=987543;hostDomain=www.fox10phoenix.com;playerWidth=640;playerHeight=360;isShowIcon=true;clipId=9620252;flvUri=;partnerclipid=;adTag=News;advertisingZone=;enableAds=true;landingPage=;islandingPageoverride=false;playerType=STANDARD_EMBEDDEDscript;controlsType=overlay" type="text/javascript"></script><a href="http://www.fox10phoenix.com/clip/9620252/az-couple-spends-8-years-sailing-the-pacific?autostart=true" target = "_blank" title="FOX 10 News - Phoenix, AZ | KSAZ-TV">FOX 10 News Interview - Phoenix, AZ | KSAZ-TV</a><br />
Liz, Mark and Dylanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12623258291503607943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17347073.post-85950452401703126062013-08-28T16:15:00.001+10:002013-08-30T15:31:49.524+10:00Summertime in Alaska<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bears, bears, bears </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Train ride from Anchorage to Seward </td></tr>
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Just a quick update. I keep asking Mark to write about his big journey and I know he will, but right now we are just enjoying being in Alaska. The last six weeks have been an amazing and scenic journey. Dylan and I arrived in Anchorage to Mark's open arms on July 14th. We spent a few days on board in Seward getting ready and then took off to the East. We have been going nonstop ever since! What a place, and what amazing weather we have had. Just a few pictures to share...<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Catch of the day, Seward </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dylan and Dad, Seward Harbor </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dylan and crew Kaitlin, bff's </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Exit Glacier, near Seward </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scholarship in Seward Harbor </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">family portrait<br />
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=17347073" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=17347073" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><br />Liz, Mark and Dylanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12623258291503607943noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17347073.post-77990995882164660792013-06-28T12:07:00.000+10:002013-08-28T15:54:46.706+10:00Adak Island, Alaska<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-t2WcNjSJQaQ/Uh2QkPhuu2I/AAAAAAAADEY/yCUNyWUSPiY/s1600/DSC01232.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="427" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-t2WcNjSJQaQ/Uh2QkPhuu2I/AAAAAAAADEY/yCUNyWUSPiY/s640/DSC01232.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=17347073" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=17347073" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=17347073" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>Mark and his crew, Jennifer and David arrived at Adak Island on Wednesday! After a very rough 20 days at sea they decided to stop in Adak, which on of the Aleutian Islands, for a much needed rest. They had about five days of large and uncomfortable seas. A big wave slammed Scholarship and soaked the engine room via the vents. This prompted a saltwater soak of the battery charger. As a result, it was dead and the back up battery charger was only working intermittently. Mark and the crew were hand steering to save energy. They are now getting a well earned rest! <a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=17347073" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">Adak is an island with a military history. At one time there were over 6000 military personnel living in this out-post. Now there are about 150 people in this quiet spot. Mark reports everyone to be very friendly and they have been invited over for a caribou bbq. I am sure any new faces would be welcome at such an isolated place. Mark and the crew were hoping to depart on Saturday but it looks like another gale will keep them in port until Monday when they will head to Dutch Harbor on the island of Unalaska. More soon. Liz</a><br />
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Liz, Mark and Dylanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12623258291503607943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17347073.post-70620730158648425912013-06-22T01:25:00.000+10:002013-08-30T15:39:03.265+10:00<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leaving Malaysia, we don't travel light </td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I have spent the last month trying to get into this account. Every time I tried to log in I would get an email from Google telling me someone tried to sign in with my password in a strange location. Google told me they thwarted this attempt and they seemed rather smug about it. There is no live person or ability to email Blogger. How I finally got in is a mystery to me.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">It's been six months and a lot has changed. The last blog found us sweating is up in Puteri Marina in Johor Barhu, Malaysia. After three weeks hiding in the air conditioning we did an epic trip home to the US with a very wiggly toddler. We arrived in LA for the weekend and to meet our new nephew Spencer. Then it was on to Phoenix for a couple of months to visit friends and family.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">On April 1st Mark flew back to Malaysia to meet his crew David and Jennifer. The three of them set off on April 7th on a 6000 mile journey from Malaysia to Alaska. The sailing has been intense with stops along the way in Borneo, the Philippines and Japan. They are currently about 1500 miles from their destination in Alaska. Dylan and I have missed Mark terribly and did not make the choice to be apart lightly. The North Pacific is notorious for gales and very cold weather even in summer. There was no choice. You could not take a toddler on this kind of journey. The good news is we will have our beloved Scholarship home in the US after eight years of sailing the Pacific. Since we decided not continue West the choices were to sell Scholarship, or bring her home.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Dylan and I are waiting eagerly in Phoenix. We talk to Mark everyday via satellite phone. When they are within 500 miles or so we will be on our way to Alaska to meet him. Oh what a reunion it will be!</span>Liz, Mark and Dylanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12623258291503607943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17347073.post-20182095212347408752012-12-27T23:33:00.002+11:002013-01-05T01:19:40.791+11:00Happy Holidays! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Once again we find ourselves in an exotic location for Christmas. We spent Christmas in Kuala Lumpur after a six week adventure which included four countries (Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand and Malaysia), two trains and nine flights. We are exhausted and grateful to be home safe and sound. We plan to do many boat projects and ring in the new year right here on Scholarship. Happy New Year!! Hugs, Liz, Mark and Dylan<br />
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P.S. I am trying to get caught up on some old posts...so scroll down to see Bali!! Liz, Mark and Dylanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12623258291503607943noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17347073.post-53897498457160593872012-12-04T00:12:00.000+11:002013-01-05T01:16:08.263+11:00Catch Up, Part II <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr style="color: #660000;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Daddy and D, Kuta Beach </td></tr>
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After arriving in Bali we spent three days in the crazy area of Kuta/Legian. Party central of Bali, Kuta is full of bars, shopping and of course the beach. We were happy to depart Kuta and head inland to the town of Ubud. Ubud is a haven for expats, yogis, foodies and shoppers. The countryside is beautiful and full picturesque rice paddies. The Balinese spirit is in the air as the offerings and temples are absolutely everywhere. You would have to try hard not to find a Balinese ceremony or festival. We stayed a week and it was wonderful. I wish we would have taken more photos. So photogenic! </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000;">enjoying some Bali tea </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000;">our bungalow</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000;">temple lady </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000;">Monkey Forest monkeys </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000;">The Balinese man hanging with the monkeys</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000;">temple dude </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000;">Balinese Ceremony</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000;">our rice paddy walk to lunch </span></td></tr>
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<br />Liz, Mark and Dylanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12623258291503607943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17347073.post-53959976378209449012012-11-28T23:32:00.000+11:002013-01-05T00:10:10.064+11:00Catch Up, Part I <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We spent three months sailing Indonesia and I feel compelled to back up a bit and blog more about some of the wonderful places we visited. Bali was one of them, and after almost six months in South East Asia I can say it was definitely one of the highlights. Because we had heard mixed reviews (mostly unfavorable) about the anchorages and the marina is Bali we decided to leave Scholarship on a mooring at the Medana Bay Yacht Club on the neighboring island of Lombok. Medana Bay is a small marina that played host to part of the Sail Indonesia Rally. The staff were friendly and after spending some high wind days on our mooring ball we decided it wasn't going anywhere and it was okay to leave Scholarship for a few weeks. </div>
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After a one and half hour taxi ride we arrived at the Lombok Airport ready for our quick one hour flight to Bali. Our flight was running late and as we finally started to board they stopped us at the gate and told us that we could not board. The staff person at the gate had very limited English so could not explain why. Dumbfounded we watched as all the other passengers filed past us to the tarmac while the gate keeper held us back. It took a walk down to the service desk for another staff member to explain to us that the plane was not pressurized and they could not let a baby on board. Our tickets clearly stated "infant" but now we were stuck at the Lombok airport for another three hours until the next flight. Not sure what Dylan ate for breakfast but she promptly threw up on her dress and all over me. Our holiday to Bali seemed a bit depressing so far. It was then that Mark found the Sheraton Lounge. There is a little corner of the Lombok Airport where the Lombok Sheraton has a brand spanking new lounge complete with clean and comfy couches and a buffet. Buffets I could care less about, but the little private room to feed and change my baby was a plus. As we relaxed in the lounge the time flew by and before we knew it we were in a taxi hurling toward Kuta Beach in Bali. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="color: #660000; text-align: center;">Waiting to fly to Bali (before puking and the aborted flight) </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="color: #660000; text-align: center;">Dylan chills in the lounge </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<br />Liz, Mark and Dylanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12623258291503607943noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17347073.post-4466341861784761272012-10-28T00:10:00.002+11:002012-10-29T12:25:19.332+11:00Keep a Watch On Deck <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr style="color: #990000;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">another behemoth ship </td></tr>
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<tr style="color: #990000;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">DC gets ready for some pool time at Raffles Marina </td></tr>
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The Raffles Marina brochure reminds you to keep a watch on deck while in Singapore waters. As the busiest port in the world, there is said to be a huge tanker every twelve minutes. If you ask Mark he might say there are more. It was a hectic trip but we made good time. We arrived four days ago after a thirty-nine mile jaunt from Nongsa Point Marina on the island of Batam at the tippy-top of Indonesia. We spent a week at Nongsa Point fixing our steering which we found out wasn't a steering issue, but an auto-pilot one and relaxing by the pool. We find ourselves in Singapore for two weeks of sightseeing and draining the cruising kitty. Man it's expensive here. This is saying something after having just spent two plus year in exorbitant Oz. But with the philosophy of, "hey when are we gonna be in Singapore again?",we are having a great time! </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="color: #990000; text-align: center;">the Raffles Marina pool did not disappoint</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<br />Liz, Mark and Dylanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12623258291503607943noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17347073.post-18954082254988203642012-10-18T00:13:00.000+11:002012-10-28T00:52:33.220+11:00Bali to Batam <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #990000;">Dylan and Daddy heading off for a play date on s/v Wandoo </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #990000;">Fishing hut, Kuriman Jawa </span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #990000;">Let's face it, October was kind of a slog. We left Bali in early October and spent almost three weeks just making the miles to reach the top of Indonesia. Long HOT motoring and a few over-nighters. This is the not the fun part of cruising but it is necessary if you ever want to get anywhere! We did cross the equator for the first time since 2007. Great to be back on our side of the world. Our destination was Nongsa Point Marina on Batam Island. This is where we would check out of Indonesia and head onward to Singapore. Below, a few pictures from the trip.</span> <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #990000;">Friendly Indonesians, Kuriman Jawa </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #990000;">slim pickins' at the market </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #990000;">white and sandy </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #990000;">swimming at Belitung Island </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #990000;">Liz and Bev beating the heat </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #990000;">We made time for a play date on Scholarship, these girls are very busy</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #990000;">Mark sails his "Eliza Frasier" at Nongsa Point </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #990000;">DC dolled up for Sunday lunch at Nongsa Point </span></td></tr>
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<br />Liz, Mark and Dylanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12623258291503607943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17347073.post-7439084103656754792012-09-22T01:08:00.000+10:002012-10-12T01:11:10.150+11:00She's One! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Our tiny little wonder isn't so tiny. She has changed by leaps and bounds over the past year. From a tiny six-pounder to this bruiser of a toddler. She is going a million miles an hour and climbing out of the cockpit already! Everything they say about time fleeting when you have children is true. We celebrated Dylan Claire's special day in Lombok, Indonesia. This little girl has covered a lot of miles since we left Brisbane last April. Liz, Mark and Dylanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12623258291503607943noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17347073.post-57505583185424903722012-08-07T11:36:00.000+10:002012-08-10T16:24:33.832+10:00Indonesia<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b style="color: #990000;">Kupang Harbor </b></td></tr>
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We have been in Indonesia for one week<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>, following an uneventful three night passage from
Darwin, Australia.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The winds were light, but we
still had plenty to sail most of the 450 miles to Kupang, Indonesia. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>With our diesel tanks full, we arrived in
Kupang in the early afternoon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dropping
the hook amongst fifty or so other rally boats we gathered our paperwork
together for check in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At this time, the
VHF radio was humming.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It seemed that
some boats had been waiting hours for the officials to show and there was no
first come first served here in Indonesia.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Officials were now being ferried between boats by cruisers themselves to
make sure they did not get skipped.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mark
quickly offloaded the dinghy and lingered at a nearby boat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Soon after he arrived with three officials
and we were soon cleared for going to shore.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>On shore we would finish the real check in process which included a very
hot room with literally thousands of sheets of paper.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was a lot of smiling, stamping , and
handing over many many copies of our documents.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>With about thirty snaps of Dylan Claire, were fully matriculated into
the country.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I must back up and say that
we have heard babies, especially the Western variety are popular in
Indonesia.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well that was an
understatement! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>When the officials came
on board they collected the documents they needed and then spent the next five minutes
asking questions about and taking photos of Dylan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This continues on shore as we are followed
around like Elvis.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I fend off so she
doesn’t get pinched.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She is attached to
me in the trusty Ergo carrier.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When she
is out of the baby carrier there is always someone with their arms out-stretched trying to get a cuddle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #990000;">
After we got checked in, it was time to take a breath
and try the local Bintang beer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>An open
air bar just off the main beach is the cruisers hang-out and rally
headquarters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first night, although we
were all bleary-eyed from sleeping very little we attended the first of two gala
dinners hosted by the city of Kupang.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A
lot of speeches in Bahasa (the local language), some dancing and a buffet of
mysterious food and we were off to Scholarship to get rested up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We spent the next few days exploring the
town, visiting with cruisers and locals alike and getting our phone and internet
(slower than dial up) sorted out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On day
six we set off for our first Indonesian passage 105 miles north to Lomblen
Island.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The rally festivities will begin
in a few days so we are spending a few quiet days in an anchorage around the
corner from the village of Lembata.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
will venture there in the morning where we will anchor in sight of a steaming
volcano.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b style="color: #990000;">Cold Bintang Beer </b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b style="color: #990000;">happy officials </b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #990000;">the politicians</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b style="color: #990000;">Kupang school girls </b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #990000;">baby sunset with Fearless and Wandoo </span></b></td></tr>
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<br /></div>Liz, Mark and Dylanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12623258291503607943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17347073.post-32998281185666284342012-06-23T21:46:00.000+10:002012-07-13T22:18:55.373+10:00Great Barrier Reef<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WibgswWs3nQ/T_1quAS1nAI/AAAAAAAAC1g/0C0q3DqUy-M/s1600/IMG_0527.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WibgswWs3nQ/T_1quAS1nAI/AAAAAAAAC1g/0C0q3DqUy-M/s640/IMG_0527.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #990000;">While at Lizard Island we took the opportunity to day trip
out to the outer reef with friends on their yacht, S/V Fearless. Just when you think the water couldn't
get any clearer, it did, with over 100 foot visibility. After a two hour motor sail, we picked up a mooring
ball on the outer reef complete with two welcoming five foot reef sharks circling
under the boat. Included here are a few photos of the underwater
delights we saw that day captured by one of the Fearless crew members, Brett,
with his underwater camera. A few days later Brett would use the same camera to
bop a shark on the nose that came in a bit too close for comfort. </span></div>
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Liz, Mark and Dylanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12623258291503607943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17347073.post-19971907871355899682012-06-22T20:49:00.000+10:002012-07-13T21:52:47.325+10:00Lizard Island<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hs-4eh8MEws/T_0bTp43YOI/AAAAAAAACz4/dOBDQ79xX3g/s1600/DSC03637.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hs-4eh8MEws/T_0bTp43YOI/AAAAAAAACz4/dOBDQ79xX3g/s640/DSC03637.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #990000;">Lizard Island was the venue for several momentous occasions during the week-long stay. It was Liz’s birthday which we celebrated on the beach with ten or so other boats. The warmth and variety of gifts she received that evening was a true testament to the ingenious and artistic nature of all those travelers who helped fete her on her special day. Lizard Island will also go down in the "lesser" history books as the place where Dylan cut her first two teeth making her Dentist daddy one proud fellow.</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ByQv9GpviQ0/T_0nwH0cAwI/AAAAAAAAC0E/twIMjiYE5uk/s1600/IMG_0986.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="556" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ByQv9GpviQ0/T_0nwH0cAwI/AAAAAAAAC0E/twIMjiYE5uk/s640/IMG_0986.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #990000;">birthday party on the beach </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #990000;">Scholarship in Watson's Bay </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ka3RxE8cVso/T_0tJXkKBYI/AAAAAAAAC0g/42NtFqYMHi8/s1600/DSC03593.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="394" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ka3RxE8cVso/T_0tJXkKBYI/AAAAAAAAC0g/42NtFqYMHi8/s640/DSC03593.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #990000;">Lizard of thee island</span> <span style="color: #990000;">( a species of Goana)</span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #990000;">Captain Cook did not anchor here, but he did sail the Endeavors' pinnace out from the headland to look for the way out of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. Oh the heaviness of heart that must have beat within his chest as he scaled the 500 meter peak (which now bears his name), to look for a break in the seemingly endless trap of shoal waters. </span><span style="color: #990000;">The view for us, however, was fantastic but only because we have charts, chart plotters and GPS's out the nose! The hike was on a mercifully cloudy day. Dylan even fell asleep in her queen’s conveyance or baby backpack while I tried to tip toe down rocky crags and bushy heath. The anchorage was the first clear waters we've seen since New Caledonia (over two years distant) and the reefs bordering the island were full of surprises. You've seen those giant clam shells in curio/ shell shops all around Florida and Mexico. Never have I seen a live one, not to mention thirty or more. Gigantic clams the breadth of my arms with colors unimaginable pulsing on the quivering fleshy borders of those undulating shells. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #990000;">enjoying the view from on top </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #990000;">amazing reef snorkeling was just a short swim from the boat </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-o60YjVw8u3Y/T_1fmciHWGI/AAAAAAAAC08/rOUPm47O_hc/s1600/IMG_0310.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-o60YjVw8u3Y/T_1fmciHWGI/AAAAAAAAC08/rOUPm47O_hc/s640/IMG_0310.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #990000;">giant clam </span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #990000;">Lizard Island, made famous by that intrepid fearless pioneering sailor who blazed the path for future generations to follow in her footsteps, cutting teeth and swallowing sand, oh and also a bit by that Captain Cook fellow...</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #990000;">our little captain </span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #990000;">.</span>Liz, Mark and Dylanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12623258291503607943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17347073.post-5576996317763372852012-05-30T16:30:00.000+10:002012-06-01T16:31:08.409+10:00Over the Top<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i><span style="color: #990000;">I am always writing blogs in my head. It's finding the time to get them down on "paper" that is the problem. There is also my compulsion to do things in chronological order. I try and and organize all the photos as we travel and write about them accordingly. Today I am turning over a new leaf and writing about what is happening today. It is Thursday night in Cairns, Australia. Outside it's raining lightly as it has for the last two weeks. Inside, Dylan is asleep in her bunk (scratch that, she is up and continues to be even after fourteen times through "These Are a Few of My Favorite Things) and Mark is in the kitchen making crustinis for our trip. Well he was , he is actually finished now and is trying to calm little DC back to dreamland. You can see why getting these blogs written has got more complicated. We have been in the Marlin Marina for almost two weeks. The marina is located in the heart of the city and we only need step off the boat to be right in the middle of everything. The gorgeous Woolies supermarket is just two blocks away and the truck comes in the morning to collect wayward shopping carts so no worries about bringing our trolley right to boat. We have ticked many things off our too do list, met lots of cruisers who are also heading north and gotten lots of walks in. I can't imagine having waited through two weeks of rain without a marina berth. It is very hard to get motivated to get in the dinghy in the pouring rain with a wiggly eight-month-old. </span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;">From here we will sail to Darwin which is 1000 miles or so from here. After we leave Cairns we will not see another town until we round Cape York. We will be sailing near the Great Barrier Reef which closes with shore as we head north making navigation a bit more tenuous. We will make stops at various capes and islets and the famed Lizard Island but we will be out there hanging off the edge of the world as we make our way to the top of Australia. It will take us about three weeks to reach Darwin. See you in the Northern Terri-tree (as they pronounce it) mate. Below, a few pictures from our trip since Hamilton Island. </span></i><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Picnic Bay, Magnetic Island </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our first Mother's Day, Magnetic Island </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dylan on her way to town for some groceries</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Preening rock wallabies, these guys live in the rocks at the marina breakwater </td></tr>
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<br />Liz, Mark and Dylanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12623258291503607943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17347073.post-59522582626071020012012-05-03T15:50:00.000+10:002012-05-25T16:35:01.095+10:00Hamilton Island<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>We stayed a week in the marina at Hamilton Island. Hamilton is part of the Whitsunday Islands, a section of the Australian coast that is known for sailing and especially chartered yachts. Hammo as the locals call it has private homes but is dominated by one very large resort with all types of accommodation. The mode of transportation on Hammo is golf carts or the island buses which circle the island on a regular basis. The little "downtown" has several restaurants, a bakery, a post office, a dive shop and a general store. They have everything you could want to make you holiday complete. We enjoyed being on land for a week with plenty of time to stretch our legs. We also got in some pool time and re provisioned for our next trip out. The video above is Dylan and Daddy on an early morning trip to the look out. </i></div>
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<br />Liz, Mark and Dylanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12623258291503607943noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17347073.post-40239930343291725002012-04-26T19:20:00.000+10:002012-05-10T19:22:17.513+10:00Middle Percy Island<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #990000;">the proud Scholarship </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #990000;">Middle Percy's famous A frame</span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #990000;">West Bay on Middle Percy Island is a very beautiful and some say, an obligatory stop while traveling up the Queensland Coast. Boats passing through leave their mark in the large "A" frame hut. Constructed over fifty years ago as a gathering place for visitors, we could see that this quiet place had seen many a party over the years.</span></h4>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #990000;">our quickly made boat plaque </span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #990000;"> </span></h4>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #990000;">dylan and daddy </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #990000;">swinging with dylan </span></td></tr>
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</h4>Liz, Mark and Dylanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12623258291503607943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17347073.post-5462592279960459482012-04-22T19:23:00.000+10:002012-05-11T08:58:55.657+10:00Visitors in Rosslyn Bay<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #990000;">Another gorgeous sunset, Rosslyn Bay </i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #990000;">marina life </i></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Just a few weeks out of Brisbane we headed to Rosslyn Bay, home of the Keppel Bay Marina. Our Dutch friends the Van Wissens were traveling the Queensland coast and we were eager to catch up with them before we depart Australia in July. Last time we saw them was in Brisbane, just two days before Dylan Claire was born. The family of four had spent the weekend on board and Mark and I commented that it was the giggle of 8-year-old Jasmijn that made our baby girl come two weeks early. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #990000;">the Dutchies</i></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #990000;"> </i></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Liz, Mark and Dylanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12623258291503607943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17347073.post-69585424482999317912012-04-19T15:47:00.000+10:002012-04-26T15:51:07.806+10:00Capricorn Coast<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We set out of Pancake Creek early in the morning to head north
to the Capricorn Coast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After two sailing days which included one
teething baby and one very rolly anchorage we arrived at the lovely Great
Keppel Island.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were not sure was a Keppel was but nevertheless we tucked in on the north side of the island in fifteen
feet of turquoise water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was our
first peek in a long time at gorgeous white sand beaches and clear water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Great Keppel was a perfect place to stretch
our legs after several days on board.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The island is covered with trails, all indicated by lovely hand-made
markers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We even got to try out Dylan’s “Queen
of Sheba” back pack . <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>Our little sailor
was so comfortable that she was sleeping soundly with her little legs dangling by the
end of the afternoon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<br /></div>Liz, Mark and Dylanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12623258291503607943noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17347073.post-8863278022531381242012-04-12T11:01:00.015+10:002012-04-14T14:16:05.142+10:00Banana Pancake Creek<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wcZo0PeFaV0/T4jSyrJr1PI/AAAAAAAACvY/o9Ev0KaI-Ms/s1600/DSC02415.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="428" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wcZo0PeFaV0/T4jSyrJr1PI/AAAAAAAACvY/o9Ev0KaI-Ms/s640/DSC02415.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000;">"flat as a" Pancake Creek </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vXnr0fJO-mg/T4jOnPgDomI/AAAAAAAACvI/Fen7WodWuyY/s1600/DSC02382.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="428" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vXnr0fJO-mg/T4jOnPgDomI/AAAAAAAACvI/Fen7WodWuyY/s640/DSC02382.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000;">Dylan's first night at anchor</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-z3RzPrftiqg/T4jQ0l725KI/AAAAAAAACvQ/-2Su3ciSkpI/s1600/DSC02397.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="428" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-z3RzPrftiqg/T4jQ0l725KI/AAAAAAAACvQ/-2Su3ciSkpI/s640/DSC02397.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #660000;">After 48 hours at sea we landed here in this gorgeous and calm tidal river. We chose this destination because of the promise of calm after two days at sea. It did not disappoint, as we savored three lazy layover days getting some rest and patting ourselves on the back for finally getting back out there. For two days Jack Johnson lyrics rattled around in my head. Mark has promised me a feast when I consented to two nights at sea. And there was pancakes, banana to be exact and bacon, lots of bacon. Will sail for bacon.... </span>Liz, Mark and Dylanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12623258291503607943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17347073.post-4218580720320304342012-04-08T16:27:00.011+10:002012-04-12T16:38:55.192+10:00Baby steps my ass, She ran with it…<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt;"></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-doSbnO1LbX4/T4Z3OOEJipI/AAAAAAAACtg/P85LmBJrtaQ/s1600/DSC05630.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-doSbnO1LbX4/T4Z3OOEJipI/AAAAAAAACtg/P85LmBJrtaQ/s640/DSC05630.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #990000;">Miss Dylan on her maiden voyage </span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><span style="color: #990000; font-size: 12pt;">Not
literally but in essence. We said good bye over the last few days at
Scarborough Marina, our home these past few years. We left at first light on
the high tide and followed our GPS track through the shallow waters that are
Moreton bay. The winds and the seas gathered strength gradually as we gained
deeper water. By noon we could feel the heave of the Ocean.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The winds were out of the south east and we
were headed north to the Great Barrier Reef. We had places we could hide if
things didn’t go well. We kept passing them one by one through the day. By
night fall the winds were in full swing and the seas were boisterous. Moving
about with the baby in your arms demanded special awareness and a sense of when
the next roll of the ship was about to hit. Sometimes your timing would be off
and the couch would come roaring up and sit you down or throw you armless from
one wall to the next down the small hallways.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>At sunset play time in the cockpit, throwing Dylan up in the air while
still holding on to her had such a sense of immediacy, such utter fatality
attached to it that the shocked face of dread on the Momma made it impossible
for either one of us to have any fun. We managed to get her a sponge bath and
bolster her into her bunk. Almost instinctively her legs shot out to brace
against the lee cloth on one side and the pillow on the other and was soon fast
off to sleep. (I heard once that children who grow up on boats get a really big
big toe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This no longer seems as
outlandish as it did when I heard it. All I ask of you is that you try not to
stare until she’s at least out of high school.) We ate what we could that was
easy and alternately stood watches and slept on a makeshift bed on the floor in
the middle of the boat. The aft cabin was rendered useless by the severe motion
of the boat. We tracked several tankers on our AIS (one of those magic black
boxes on boats that tell you all about every ship within 48 miles) and in one
case we radioed one and asked for a port to port pass. We did this not because
we were on a collision course for an uncomfortable amount of time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We wanted to make sure he saw us. A mile and
a half is not a long distance to pass next to a 700 foot tanker in the middle
of the night. Needless to say we didn’t get a lot of sleep that night. Nor the
next, as we barreled our way north in fully developed seas with some swells a
majestic five meters in height. Dylan, ever the trooper, slept like a baby ten
hours the first night and nine the next. By three in the morning on the third day
we had gone way too fast and had to slow the boat down in order to be at the
headland by daylight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We double reefed
the main, rolled up the jib and even streamed warps out the back to provide
more drag. After all this I could barely get the boat speed under five knots. It
proved just enough. By day break we could see the breakers on some well
charted, off shore, rocks that guarded the entrance of Pancake Creek. Exhausted
and encrusted in salt we dropped our anchor a mile up the flat water tidal
creek.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We watched anxiously over the
next six hours as the tide emptied the bay exposing dry land all around us and
leaving us with only twelve feet of water smack dab in the middle of the channel.
I’ll chalk it off to the luck of the Irish.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>“Sleep, Sleep, that which knits the raveled sleeve of care”. Baby Steps,
my ass….</span></div>
<span style="color: #990000;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #990000;">
<br /></div>Liz, Mark and Dylanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12623258291503607943noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17347073.post-13743333892360880102012-03-31T09:04:00.002+11:002012-04-12T16:44:19.108+10:00The time has drawn nigh.<div style="color: #990000;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">The weather is
right. The tide is high for leaving.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #990000;">
<span style="font-size: small;">The
car and the motorcycle have been sold. The storage unit has been emptied and
all nonessential items purged. All the
other sails and equipment have been repatriated and stowed down tight aboard
“Rogues Scholarship”, our 57 foot cutter rigged sloop. It has been over two
years that she has quietly been tugging at her mooring lines here in Southeast
Queensland, (OZ). The auxiliary rudder has been hung on the transom after very
little debate. “We’re only going up the coast”, “We only need it on long
passages”… “You won’t want to do it at sea if something does go wrong”… enough
said! </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #990000;">
<span style="font-size: small;">We’ve
been to the Pediatrician, the GP, and the Travel Doctor for last minute tire-
kicking and oil checks. As I write this
I’m in the middle of a four day course of oral immunization for Typhoid fever.
Our darling, diminutive, daughter Dylan Claire (now over six months old) is not
due now for any more shots for 6 months. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #990000;">
<span style="font-size: small;">The
new chart plotter has been installed next to the radar in the cockpit within
easy view of the helm. It stands as a back up to our primary computer which is
a backup to the paper charts we never look at. The water tanks have been filled
and the lockers are bursting with canned this and that, bags of these and jars
of those. It’s not like there won’t be a super market where we’re going. It’s just that to get there you might have to
put the dinghy into crocodile infested waters, lower the outboard and fuel tank
onto it and drag it onto a beach, all the while keeping a weather eye out for
“Salties” just to have the opportunity to look for a bus to take you to town.
We realize just how lazy and scared we really are.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #990000;">
<span style="font-size: small;"> Liz has been reading, voraciously, about all
the anchorages up north through cruising guides and other peoples’ blogs who
have done it before. Apparently if you
Google the name of an anchorage in the Whitsundays, for example, five people
will have written everything about it on their travel blogs. These have been a great
sort of information, both reassuring and disquieting at the same time. It
appears that there are all manner of things out there that through stupidity or
ignorance can conspire to dismember you and/or cause a very painful death. (We
choose none of the above.) It is a great paradox that the seemingly calm,
beautiful white sand beaches of the North Queensland coast are infested with the
Australian Box jelly fish, Bull and Great white sharks, Crocodiles, Pythons and
last but not least the second most dangerous jellyfish species in
Australian waters , the Irukandji Jellyfish (<i>Carukia barnesi</i>). We will be playing Scrabble, reading books or
otherwise contemplating the beauty of Nature from the secure decks of our
sailing fortress. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #990000;">
<span style="font-size: small;"> Liz is understandably
anxious and concerned about taking our baby daughter out into the sometimes not
so friendly world. She has had a few pep
talks from other cruisers who have sailed with young ones, been there and done
that, which has helped put her at ease.
It’s always a daunting process for us to leave the security of the known
(marina) and venture out, off shore, into the unknown. She has diligently
studied Plan A , Plan B and even mapped out a Plan C just in case. True to form,
she knows everything about where we are going and has realistic expectations
about what we will encounter there. Any words of encouragement would certainly not
go unnoticed. Anything else … You can keep yer yap shut..</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #990000;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #990000;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">The
time has drawn nigh. The weather is
right. The tide is high for leaving,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #990000;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">Would
you please be quiet, Try not to cry, The Baby, she is sleeping…</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #990000;">
<br /></div>Liz, Mark and Dylanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12623258291503607943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17347073.post-26656649320662673482012-01-12T15:56:00.022+11:002012-03-21T16:43:26.103+11:00Beachy Christmas<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7mgT8vNqRdg/T2Q7pXJ5OZI/AAAAAAAACsU/cZhYQDQkOoI/s1600/DSC01313.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7mgT8vNqRdg/T2Q7pXJ5OZI/AAAAAAAACsU/cZhYQDQkOoI/s640/DSC01313.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #990000;">We celebrated this year by taking Dylan to her first Aussie surf beach. Because Cyclone Grant was raging north of Australia, many of the Queensland beaches were closed for swimming but the surfers were out in full force. We spent three days in a little penthouse apartment in Mooloolaba enjoying the view and strolling on the beach. Dylan liked her toes in the sand, but not the cold water. Our little mermaid will have to get used to the ocean because after 2.5 years in Australia we are taking off sailing again in April.</span> <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MJxhF-ESIjs/Tw5pYzgP3nI/AAAAAAAACrs/9fnM4f1fZx0/s1600/DSC01221.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="427" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MJxhF-ESIjs/Tw5pYzgP3nI/AAAAAAAACrs/9fnM4f1fZx0/s640/DSC01221.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aussie life savers </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XW7lqmOFMRU/T2Q029YcsMI/AAAAAAAACsM/5jHnZk8TFzs/s1600/DSC01311.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="422" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XW7lqmOFMRU/T2Q029YcsMI/AAAAAAAACsM/5jHnZk8TFzs/s640/DSC01311.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Xmas day </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TXD19xWN5Xw/T2QzFQ-v5JI/AAAAAAAACsE/DBoamr9mep8/s1600/DSC01251.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="428" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TXD19xWN5Xw/T2QzFQ-v5JI/AAAAAAAACsE/DBoamr9mep8/s640/DSC01251.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dylan Claire snoozes in the shade </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6EuMQWJCF1E/T2Q8mQV69tI/AAAAAAAACsc/K63cddE2mSk/s1600/DSC01348.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="428" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6EuMQWJCF1E/T2Q8mQV69tI/AAAAAAAACsc/K63cddE2mSk/s640/DSC01348.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ozzie Christmas at the beach! </td></tr>
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<br />Liz, Mark and Dylanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12623258291503607943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17347073.post-71821307537393037622011-12-24T16:20:00.004+11:002012-01-01T20:52:16.983+11:00Gratuitous Baby Photos<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yK5zRQ6qK6c/Tvp-3UJIN2I/AAAAAAAACqQ/5VfJEtzMIxE/s1600/good+pic+river.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="442" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yK5zRQ6qK6c/Tvp-3UJIN2I/AAAAAAAACqQ/5VfJEtzMIxE/s640/good+pic+river.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the Brisbane river for the work xmas party</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">jaunty Christmas bow </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yQey0c1FHKg/TwApBQz54mI/AAAAAAAACrY/hg1eVESjLTE/s1600/DSC01043.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yQey0c1FHKg/TwApBQz54mI/AAAAAAAACrY/hg1eVESjLTE/s640/DSC01043.JPG" width="576" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">no reindeer or babies were hurt in the making of this photo </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nyp3AlbeDHg/TwAqxct28DI/AAAAAAAACrk/o5GUP0FINLc/s1600/DSC01229.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="356" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nyp3AlbeDHg/TwAqxct28DI/AAAAAAAACrk/o5GUP0FINLc/s640/DSC01229.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">rocking her Santa suit </td></tr>
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Before she was born we used to joke that we would be spending the next few years sitting around staring at the baby. How true it is. Never have we met a more fascinating being. </div>
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<b> A Very Merry Christmas 2011 from Liz, Mark and Dylan Claire. xx</b></div>Liz, Mark and Dylanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12623258291503607943noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17347073.post-89860457722948643292011-12-15T13:35:00.023+11:002012-01-12T15:55:49.804+11:00Our little American<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1oKqg3CQnb4/TvqBFQtIGMI/AAAAAAAACqo/qxnAneYk_w8/s1600/DSC01056.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="498" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1oKqg3CQnb4/TvqBFQtIGMI/AAAAAAAACqo/qxnAneYk_w8/s640/DSC01056.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Posing with the flag! </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4nJIxs1Tly4/TvqBcImne4I/AAAAAAAACq0/RTgowL5CM_M/s1600/DSC01058.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="428" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4nJIxs1Tly4/TvqBcImne4I/AAAAAAAACq0/RTgowL5CM_M/s640/DSC01058.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Watch out world, I have my passport! </td></tr>
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<span style="color: #660000;">Being born in a foreign country does not guarantee citizenship. Australia has strict immigration policies (after all we are boat people) and citizenship could only be awarded to Dylan after she celebrated her tenth birthday in Australia. We are happy with her being a plain old American but because everything requires paperwork, our little Dylan was without country for the first few months while we got her papers in order and waited for our appointment. Last week we visited the US Consulate in Brisbane to sign documents and complete her application for citizenship, social security and her passport. She wore her patriotic colors for the occasion. </span>Liz, Mark and Dylanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12623258291503607943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17347073.post-63272255096313559592011-10-01T10:08:00.044+10:002011-10-16T14:55:58.303+11:00Dylan Claire<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The swinging bassinet Mark made </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just arrived </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Going home </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cuddle with Daddy</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Almost home </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<br />Liz, Mark and Dylanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12623258291503607943noreply@blogger.com0