5:00pm, Fri 15 Jan 2010 :  Pray for Northerlies - Maryborough delivery
These past 5 days have been spent on the Queensland coast, taking Dot.Com to Maryborough (up river from Hervey Bay / Fraser Island. Mary is a quietish town, but full of friendly folk. Old world charm and old world prices.

The attraction for getting the boat there was multi. Barry that built here is willing to do some fix up on it, and what better bloke then the guy who conceived her? Mary is also has a few options for pulling the boat out of the water.... and mine is set to be about $300 for the month.... its also cyclone season and one is hovering up there already. It also forces me to take a break from couch surfing.

I joked in 2009 that I should be put in jail for a couple of months to repay all the good times that I have... and so I have done this in a virtual sense, deciding to lock myself in the office here at the marina (the view is pretty good for a jail cell) and sentencing myself to at least one months hard labour.


Mark M and Moura (Italian CS) joined me for the delivery and were fantastic. Mark is a hobart veteran don't mind sailing through the night. While even I had reservations about that and the boat having to do it, she came through with flying colours. We were both surprised at the comfort as we punched to windward in 20 knots SE around the rocks at Bustard Head, a seas state running and Mark knocking out dinner!

Highlight of the trip was probably the first day. We left Airlie at 8am and dropped anchor at Middle Percy Island at 12.30am! That's 120 nautical miles made good – that's an average of 7.5 Knots, which means going much faster at times to make the average. Previous cruising efforts meant 6 days to get to the same place!

Other low lights included, getting a South East front at Cape townsend, so we went to the beach,  being greeted with a SE winds in the morning at Keppel (but we tucked through the curtis island narrows which was interesting in itself), running out of cooking gas at Gladstone (had to hove two while I went in the dinghy to get more), SE winds as we came out of Gladstone, Wind dropping out on the afternoon in Hervey Bay, and the wind coming back from the SE in the last hour of arriving at Hervey Bay.

Still was great though, and the adventure was real and the overnights surprising easy to deal with. Macca was great at this and busted me for sleeping on watch :) Moura was great too – even though was under the weather from the sea, she was great company and turned up with home made pasta!

The other big mention goes to new CS friends Kieth and Beth. They drove the Tigra down to Maryborough and parked it at the marina we left the boat at. So all packed up and boat delivered.... .walked to the car park and there she was, washed and everything. Rock star stuff.

Now there is work to be done, a couple of big things in the air and go get the boat about April time. Can I squeeze in a holiday in this time – gonna try!
Sunset on the way to Percies
Sunset on the way to Percies
Moura on watch
Moura on watch
Macca and tiller exention
Macca and tiller exention
Getting some work done
Getting some work done
Passing Gladstone
Passing Gladstone
Attending to an overheating engine
Attending to an overheating engine
Shark bait Macca
Shark bait Macca
Macca get guitar app for phone
Macca get guitar app for phone
Low tide cow crossing Curtis Island
Low tide cow crossing Curtis Island
Moura getting some rays
Moura getting some rays
Save n sound Mary River
Save n sound Mary River


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Quote from Ghandi
I do not want my house to be walled in on all sides and my windows to be stuffed. I want the culture of all lands to be blown about my house as freely as possible.

Pretty much my life... and I love it.




John's world trip
Where did I go on my recent round the world trip. Click below to see it on a world map.
  Check the stop overs

The Dot Com Story

Read how Dot Com came to be

Netcomm N3G002W

Netcomm N3G002W providing Hot spot internet via 3g / Next G

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Next G Coverage
Telstra Next G coverage continues to impress. Using my Tu500 handset, I have been able to get on the net at high speed at various places. The latency of the network also seems very low when I get on. Very nice.

Coverage Test List

Weather Summaries

Moreton Bay
Hervey Bay
Bundaberg
Gladstone
Keppel Island
Percy Islands
Mackay

Come stay on my cat using Couchsurfing.com
Couch surfing is a world wide network of free beds and a great way to meet people and emerse yourself in the local culture. I offer accommodation on my sailing catamaran through this great web site:

  John's Couch Surfing profile

John speaks about Telstra Next G

Says it all : "Sailing" by Christopher Cross
It's not far down to paradise
At least it's not for me
And if the wind is right you can sail away
And find tranquility
The canvas can do miracles
Just you wait and see
Believe me

It's not far to never never land
No reason to pretend
And if the wind is right you can find the joy
Of innocence again
The canvas can do miracles
Just you wait and see
Believe me

Sailing
Takes me away
To where I've always heard it could be
Just a dream and the wind to carry me
And soon I will be free

Fantasy
It gets the best of me
When I'm sailing
All caught up in the reverie
Every word is a symphony
Won't you believe me

It's not far back to sanity
At least it's not for me
And when the wind is right you can sail away
And find serenity
The canvas can do miracles
Just you wait and see
Believe me

Whitsunday Guide
Visit the Cumberland Charter Yachts Site for the most comprehensive online area and anchorage guide. Second only to "100 Magic Miles".

  www.ccy.com.au/area


Sony HDR-SR1

My camera of choice, with some great customisation for even more flexibility.

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Dot Com
John Nayler
PO Box 1039
Airlie Beach Q 4802

P: 0407 15 13 11
www.nayler.com













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