Arrival Restoration Island........

Too much wind would have been a good problem to have a few days ago..but not the night before we are due to go through Bligh Boat passage...it picked up to 30kts plus with up to 3.5 mtr breaking seas and we had to try slowing down or risk overshooting the pass...when I came on watch at 2200hrs we only had 20 miles to go yet could not get there till 0700 the next day...I dropped all sail except for the jib then continued to ride the seas precariously beam on to the North to North East..away from the pass.. till I saw a big set coming in the moon light and headed off Down wind to the west ish?..it was a long watch as I needed to steer all the way...Chris was there ready to assist but it was potentially dangerous..so I gave it to him for 30 minutes at 0130 in the morning and he did a great Job..he continues to amaze me every time..he love all the challenges and is going to be a changed person when all this is over...after four hours we had held position bit and were now only 17miles to the pass...Quilter and Wilco took over and the conditions settled a bit so in the end we made a rendezvous with Supr at 0730 about 5 miles outside the pass..took some great footage then headed into the flat blue lagoon of the Barrier Reef at 0900...it was amazing to think of Bligh going through this little passage..a touching moment for all...did I tell you flat water is great!!

A few hour later another coast watch plane came by then we met up with the 60 minutes film crew boat as the customs chopper buzzed us. we slowly sailed up to the most amazing Beach at Restoration Island..Bring on the Stew!!

We dug a ditch in the sand below the low waterline , started the fire , chopped up the Chicken, covered with water, boiled,added potatoes, peas and latter the cabbages...we had two gallons of it and it was gone in two hours..Dave apologized profusely and tucked in..it was superb!!..we then sat around all night with Dave from the island and some of the trawler crews, Bob and Margaret and had a very social occasion...Chris was the only one that slept on the boat..I slept on the beach with NO!! sand flies or mosquitoes!!! it was heaven..

All our cameras, computers, phones and in fact the batteries off the Talisker Bounty Boat we transferred to the 60 minutes support boat for charging over night so I could not write this blog!!,,...sorry...now the sun is shining, blue sky..good breezes and plenty of anticipation about setting out from here...with Dave I am happy to say...at first light tomorrow..still a long way to go so ???

At the moment life is good...big party planned for tonight but we are all still on Bounty Boat Rules...so we watch them all getting into everything...I want to get going already...Don