Wednesday The crew brave the Franklin.

Woke after a quiet night,some showers but only light.Had a bit of a lay in.Probably a mistake as at about nine it started to rain .The wind had made during the night and turned westerly.We were well sheltered but had little wavelets slapping now and then.The anchored out boats had swung on their anchors to face down river.

Then it really rained,with horizontal sheets going up river against the green background made a sight to see.I had elected to stay on the boat when the Franklin trip got under way.Three in the dinghy enough .

We waited for a break in the weather before they set out.Two other boats at the landing getting ready as well.One left before and one after.

Pottered around the boat,finished my blog,washed up the tea cups and had a fellow over off Finesse who's daughter used to come down home for sleep overs with my youngest when I was building the boat.That is Tassie ,we are all connected in some way.The owner and his wife's son is dating Cheroz's daughter.

They had a good  run up the rivers ,only a couple of strandings and managed to find an overhanging rock for shelter when the worst rain squall came.

Got a call on the handheld to get some meat out of the freezer for lunch and dinner.Noticed it was well and truly frozen with a little whispy smoke when I opened it.Keeps my icecream just right.

They returned full of beans about the run in the dinghy and not too wet.We had sausages in bread for lunch washed down.

The sea plane had arrived and was up river when two other boats arrived,we advised them to keep over our side to avoid his runway just as he came roaring down the gorge,The wind in his favour today he was flying well before the landing.It was spectacular seeing the almost vertical bank to get around the corner.

After lunch we piled into the dinghy to do St Johns falls and Jill O'Rielly's grand fathers house remains.

We did not get the landing place quite right and had quite a scramble to get up the bank.We were too far down the river but did not like to take the inflatable in between the two nasty looking steel stakes in the river.Much puffing all round when we arrived at the old winch.

Had a look around the area the hydrangers well out this time ,most likely not but seemed much larger than two years ago.

Went back to the boat and vacated the jetty,two other boats ready to take our place,Montague had left an hour ago.

The visibility now not very good along with the light in my eyes full astern required at the first corner,Huon Pine leaves on the foredeck but thankfully managed to stop before any contact with the shore.Much ragging by the crew who obviously did not see it coming either !

We motored down the river passing quite a few boats which had elected to wait out the forecast blow either anchored out or tied to the bank.You can tie for and aft if you find a little indentation in the river bank,the trick is to find one in a sheltered spot.There were two boats at Heritage Landing which would be ok for the night as the cruise vessels had finished for the day.

We elected to go out of the river to Farm Cove.I knew a very sheltered spot which I called the duck pond.Asked the locals and evidently it does not have a name .John Brettingham Moore calls it South West Arm.It looks like a boot so it could be boot bay also.

Although quite straight forward the entrance to Farm Cove is ringed with rocks.One is guided first with a pile and afterwards by a white buoy anchored on the end of a reef

The bay we were headed for is in behind all this and is very sheltered from the South and then the SW blow expected.We passed Fargo making good time heading in the same direction with a headsail drawing nicely,one helmsman on deck.no plastic goose coups for them. He did not see me coming as he was concentrating on his steering in the now  20 knot breeze.We steamed past at 21 knots .Decided to give her a blow out after a couple of hours crawling down the river.Must have been a sight.

They elected for the next bay in.

We anchored with one meter under us as it was low tide and would only get deeper.No sooner had we anchored when the rain began.Showers of varying weight,wind squalls also,this went on all night.We were very comfortable but the wind in the tree tops was something else.Just before dawn we were awoken by hail on the deck ,the wind now gone to the SW.Getting quite cold now ,called for long strides and sox.

There was much mirth at the expense of the skipper when Biggs tried to light the BBQ for our steak.He failed and after a while I said I will fix it.I use a lighter rod to get it going ,I went out and pressed the start knob and clicked the lighter and bang with sheets of flame coming out of every opening,he had left it on.,fortunately the lock catch was in place to hold the lid on otherwise the result may have been very different ! Biggs banned from the BBQ now.

We had another steak and salad meal,the butcher has excelled him self with the meat,Cheroz to tell him.Probably only make him zealous he was not here though.

Turned in reasonably early at 9.30 to rain on the deck.

Sorry about the horizontal rain photo Folks,mine did not come out.I hope to add it later when Cheroz works out how to get it out of his camers and send it to me.