We have sailed back down to Brisbane and we picked a perfect day to do so. It was a nice sunny , slightly breezy day and we were able to have the sails up and enjoy our surroundings.
As we entered the very fast Brisbane River and pulled in to dock we lost an engine, yikes. If you are familiar with catamarans you will know you need both engines especially when parking….and especially when trying to park in high winds and a 6 knot current. Long story short, we bumped into a large Yacht that was over hanging the dock by 40+ feet..not much damage to them but Shellette got her new paint scratched up (Bummer). Everyone at the Marina could not believe Mike got her in at all with just one engine. Go Capt Mike!
We sailed back to Brisbane because we had put Shellette up For Sale and we wanted to show her off in the Brisbane Boat Show. We decided to try to sell the boat in Australia because it was currently the best place to sell a boat. Now, it appears that the Australian economy is heading in the same direction as America so the boat market has taken a dive. We decided from the beginning if we did not get a decent and fair price for her, we would not give her away. We have not had a respectable offer so we are taking this as a sign to continue the Journey! We are not sure where we will head next but looking more like we will return to Fiji…..I can already hear several friends and family members doing the Happy Dance on that news!!
That being said, we have hauled the boat out of the water and repaired the engine and paint scratches. We will start the process of preparing her for storage next week. We have been granted an extension on our Australia Visa and will head to Sydney and Melbourne for the remainder of our time here. We’ve been in Australia too long over the last 12 months and they weren’t going to extend but because we have a boat they conceded…yeah!
We have been eager to see more of Australia and will be happy to go South. We actually have friends in Sydney. They are fellow yachties that we met in Panama in 2009 and again in Fiji 2010. They have completed their Sail About and have invited us to their home so we are excited to see them again and more of Australia. Sydney Opera House, here we come! I still haven’t run into Hugh Jackman, Curtis Stone or Russell Crowe…I still have time though!!! Stay Tuned….Life is Good!