Category Archive

The Week That Was 7 The Week That Was 7

Boat Work Coming to an End for 2020 Our time on Australis 1 in 202o is rapidly coming to an end. Bob and I are working at pace to complete the jobs on the list for this season.   Boat Work The new main sheet was installed. With the rope on a large drum, it […]

The Week That Was 6 The Week That Was 6

The Traveller Continued, France Revisited and more…. Work This week, work on the traveller was slow and tedious for Bob. Despite it all, some progress was made. He had to bight the bullet and purchase a plane for levelling the base upon which the traveller is to sit. Then it was time to drill. Hidden […]

The Week That Was 5 The Week That Was 5

The Traveller, Belgium Revisited and more…. With school holidays underway, Bob and I made the decision to push on with work rather than taking the weekly day out.   Work After a night of thinking Bob realised he’d missed a step in the priming of the engine. Problem solved and with its new filters, it […]

The Week That Was 4 The Week That Was 4

A Goanna, A Birthday and Work!   Myall Lakes Sightings Another trip to Myall Lakes presented us with some incredible sightings, but not many pictures. The goanna, otherwise known as the monitor lizard was a fantastic find. Like the crocodile, they have been in existence for millenia, and are to be found in a multitude […]

The Week That Was 3 The Week That Was 3

A Birthday and More! I think I will make the ‘Week That Was!’ a weekly heading for the short recap of happenings aboard. A week of fantastic weather came to a sudden end as a predicted weather front arrived three days early. The lack of planes in the air is certainly playing havoc with the […]

The Week That Was 2 The Week That Was 2

Work on Australis 1 continues slowly.   Boat Work The v berth up front had timber planking lining the sides. Although aesthetically suiting the wooden theme inside, there was a downside to them. They made the already small area appear smaller. Only being screwed in place, allowed dust to fall between the cracks. Regular varnishing […]

Goodbye August Goodbye August

Where has the year gone? How can we be in September already? Work wise, steps have been small and more research undertaken before the next stage is undertaken. In good news, the traveller for the main sheet has been shipped. Now it’s a matter of waiting. A new page titled ‘Blogs Followed’ is up and […]

Solar Panel Wiring Going Ahead Solar Panel Wiring Going Ahead

Between rainy days and constantly having to race out for new parts required for finishing the job,it’s been rather slow progress progress for Bob this week. That aside, some advances have been made and he is starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel as the wiring work comes together. Some soldering, […]

Solar Panels: A Great Energy Source Solar Panels: A Great Energy Source

Solar panels are a major requirement on cruising boats in today’s world. Why? They are a critical source of energy for maintaining the modern systems on board. Fridges, lights, batteries, computers and so forth all utilise the energy the panels bring on to Australis 1 – and Gratis, too. When we took ownership, Australis 1 […]

Life is Never Boring! Life is Never Boring!

It’s been another busy week aboard Australis 1.   A new post from NZ is also online. http://www.gratisaustralis.com/a-walk-a-dinghy-ride-oneroa-bay-paroa-bay/    

New Davit Lines New Davit Lines

From aged wire with sharp hidden spikes to new dyneema. A bit of work, but well worth the effort.

Search for a New Boat: the Story Search for a New Boat: the Story

With each year’s commencement I am always determined to keep the Blog up to date and, as always, that plan fell into disarray almost immediately upon our return to Europe in 2019. The past half decade had seen Bob and I mulling over the concept of returning to the Med in Gratis and purchasing a […]

Boat Winch Battery Boat Winch Battery

Today found Bob working on the anchor winch battery. Connected to the house batteries which are situated level with the entrance to the boat, with the anchor winch battery positioned in the forward cabin, it is quite a cable run to connect the two. As a result, there is a lack of charge to the […]

Water Filter Ugrade Water Filter Ugrade

Whilst the gear box is in being repaired, Bob is replacing parts on the water filter.

Removal of the Gear Box Removal of the Gear Box

The remainder of yesterday found Bob working on the removal of the gearbox, a process not as easy as one would imagine. Not familiar with the system and how it was interconnected, this was a slow steady process, as one misstep could cause a flood of seawater surging onboard, or a critical part severely damaged. […]

Departure Delayed Departure Delayed

Departure day the coming day, the morn saw Bob set the engine in motion. Having started her numerous times over the past month to ensure its systems were in working order, it should have been a breeze but once more, good ol’ Murph was up to his tricks. Looks like we’re not departing tomorrow after […]

Radio Checks Radio Checks

This morning Bob worked on the HF Radio, and tuned the channels.

New Batteries and More New Batteries and More

The lovely ex owners left an array of items that somewhat eased the pressure of commencing life on our third home and this was much appreciated. Items such as sheets, towels, cooking implements and work tools meant there was no requirement to rush out and make purchases other than for food during the first few […]

Drogue Attachment Adjustments Drogue Attachment Adjustments

One of the most critical connections on an ocean cruising yacht are those for the drogue. For the uninitiated, a drogue is a funnel shaped contraption that slows the boat down in times of heavy weather. Open at both ends, it is made from strong material that is attached to rope with a stretch in […]

A New Microwave Installed A New Microwave Installed

No – one knew the old microwave was turned on, so when Bob and Pete were going through the systems and turned on the power that activated the microwave, on it went. It was pure luck that Pete was passing it by and noticed said piece was in action. By that time, there was only […]