This is it! We are all set to say au revoir to Docklands and Australia and catch our plane to France. We have been very social and caught up with as many friends, family, sailors and ex work mates as we could! We have had our medical appointments with reasonable results. We are both on a 3 months’ blood test review and Skype consult. We have done everything to get the boat prepared, which included a major clean up and polish, picking the watermaker (putting a sanitiser in it so no nasties grow in the filters while not used for an extended period), and installing a new autopilot to replace our old one that had become unreliable. We have booked our haulout in Queenscliff for when we come back. We have done all our Christmas shopping and packed our bags.
Our gorgeous girl before leaving the boat
Bengie will unfortunately be in jail while we are away. It breaks our heart to see her stressed and scared, but she will be safe at the cattery. We are taking Take It Easy to the Williamstown mooring on Sunday morning and Peasy the dinghy will be left at the nearby chandlery while we are away, so we can get to shore with our luggage and back on board next month!
Having done all the chores, we had a day or two to relax. We took advantage of our location and played with not only the big camera, but also my brand new phone lens kit from Struman Optics – something my photographer friend Leanne recommended. The handy kit includes a wide angle, a fisheye and a macro lens, all neatly kept in a little case and designed to improve the range of shots you can take with your mobile phone. We took a wander around the Docklands for a test run.
Docklands with Struman Lenses
Web Bridge and TIE in the background with Struman lenses
It was quite fun playing with the fisheye lens on the iphone, while Wade, eternal scavenger, managed to score a huge fender he fished out of the Yarra! Did we tell you we are low on the waterline and trying to get rid of gear on board? Well, after cleaning it up, Captain Wadie managed to secrete Bigus Dicus in one of the deck lockers!
We leave you with a few more images of our surroundings, which we have really enjoyed, despite the noise level. This time they are taken with the Canon 7Dii and Tamron 18-400 lens. We do prefer the results with the ‘real’ camera! This is the only proper photographic equipment we are taking overseas this time, a testament to its versatility. The other lenses are staying behind!
We won’t make any promises, but we will try to share a few photos from France as we travel through Normandy up north and the Pyrenees down south… Stay tuned and Merry Christmas to all!
Bolte Bridge at dawn
Bolte Bridge all lit up at night
Remnants of sunset over the Bolte
Iconic Melbourne buildings in the early morning
Looking towards the Seafearer’s Bridge and the city during the golden hour
The Web Bridge all lit up at night – TIE is hiding behind it!
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