Shopping Day
Saturday, 23rd July 2005
Departed Greenwich approx. 10:30AM under motor. Motored to Birkenhead Point Marina to take the old girl shopping. Tied up at the marina. They charge $15 for a three hour “shopping berth” but Bridgett kindly let me stay a little longer (to 5pm!). I decided the boat needed to put on some weight so I spent the afternoon buying supplies and goodies. These included (in no particular order):
- A 70 amp hour battery (which fitted snugly into the existing wooden battery box on the port aft side).
- Snacks – chips, biscuits, lots of two minute noodles.
- Beverages and condiments.
- A frying pan and kettle.
- Cordless drill.
- Various plastic tubs and containers.
- Esky
- A torch, batteries, and candles.
- A coffee peculator (oh so important).
- Sleeping bag.
- Winch handle pocket and sheet bags.
- Spinnaker halyard.
- Electrical wiring, connectors, light bulbs and a battery tester.
- Personal hygiene stuff.
- 5 litres fuel.
… and most importantly,
- A bottle of Bundy O.P. Rum.
- A bottle of Dimple Scotch.
All this and more was purchased at the Birkenhead shopping centre and at Whitworths and Shell down the road.
Andrew came over to visit me in his run-about (Boston Whaler) bringing me a gift of Monique’s home baked biscuits. He berated me for having purchased 100m of 3mm general purpose lashing. True, it was a total overinvestment – but it had the advantage of being neatly coiled on a spindle. Andrew measured up the length of the spinnaker halyard and we agreed that I could go back to Whitworths and exchange the 100m rope for a new spinnaker halyard for not much more money. Off I went to do the exchange.
Got back to the boat and packed things away, randomly finding places to stow all the crap I had bought. Hooked up the new battery and did some wiring. Replaced the starboard nav light – but too late to reseal it properly. It had gone dark by now. So I tacked it together with electrical tape until later.
Wow – is that the time? Time to motor off to Berry’s Bay and find a place to anchor for the night. Can’t get the stove working right – I am doing something wrong, it either burns with a flame almost licking the cabin ceiling or goes out altogether. Get to Berry’s Bay and anchor close to shore (just off Waverton park) and near the dingy storage area. No hot water (due to lack of operational stove) so cold wash out of a bucket. Dress into going out clothes (minus shoes) and then into the dingy and row to shore. Have to drag the dingy up a small rock ledge to store it.
Set off on foot for the Union Hotel, Crows Nest. It’s the twenty year reunion of my class from school, St Aloysius College, Millson’s Point. What a great night meeting up with the lads. At some crazy wee hour I set off and meander through unfamiliar streets hoping to eventually weave my way back to Berry’s Bay. Grab the dingy and go to lower it down to the water’s edge.
Whoops! Talk about being legless – I’ve landed on my face two meters below where I was just standing. Face does not feel great. Better get into the dingy and head out to the boat and get some sleep. Back onboard the boat, getting ready for bed. What’s this? A bit of blood. Dab my face with a cloth until the bleeding stops. Now it really is time for some sleep.
Sunday morning – 11AM. Wow, what a headache! Oh well time to head back to the mooring – I’m to be back in Oatley at 2pm! Arrive back at mooring at Greenwich approx. 12 noon.
Post Script: The fractures to my eye socket, upper jaw and cheek bone did not need surgery. Sure enough the bleeing into my eye and nose ceased, the bruising faded and after a few weeks my head eventually regained it’s symmetry.
