New Year's Eve

After the last adventure I sent Cheshire Cat to the doctor. Unfortunately, although she had her bottom cleaned, the doctor didn't have time to look at the motor. So then I booked the engine repair man who finally found time to check out the air leak and agreed with us that that was indeed the problem. So he replaced the split screw and the fuel filter (I don't know why it wasn't found in the engine service a few months ago) and now she runs beautifully.

Jayne, Caroline and Helen

As we discovered on New Year's Eve. With best mate Helen, Jayne and Caroline, Dayna and her neice Devon we found a great spot just beside Garden Island. The Navy had a band playing all the old rock hits and we had a perfect view of the Harbour Bridge, the nine o'clock fireworks, the parade of lit up boats and the midnight extravaganza. And we were able to watch good mate John (also sometime doctor) ferrying hoards of people to Peter and Michael's grand Mathilde. He was in the very spiffy jet propelled tender. Once we saw them rowing. I guess he ran out of fuel.
A bad fireworks picture. I was too busy ooohing and aaahing to take photos.

After the fireworks we motored safely home in the endless stream of boats also not staying the night on water. A change from the first time we took the Cat out for New Year's Eve when the batteries went totally flat and we had to sail home in the stream of stink boats heading up the river. That was exciting although Helen was not happy.

We also went out on the ASCC's renta ferry for the start of the Sydney Hobart Yacht Race on Boxing Day. All the Sisterhoodlums were there with Team Manager Kim from Chicago. It was great to see her again and she loves Sydney - of course!
Team Sisterhoodlums with Team Manager Kim

And we took our Chicago hosts Kim and Lisa out for a day trip on Sunday. It rained a bit but noone was bothered. A nice lunch at the fish markets and then back to Balmain past the Dutch replica square rigger Dufkyen sailing around Yuralbin Point. The predicted strong winds did not fully eventuate so my worries about having 10 people on board in a storm were not realised. We did need to have a couple of bodies forward to keep the exhaust out of the water though.

Kim, Lisa and the Dufkyen