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It's not all beer and skittles

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Sometimes we have to work it's not a bad office though Just to let you know it's not all 'fun and frolicing' on the water,  we also do some work while on board.  Since we got our Starlink it's a bit of a game changer for us as we can extend our weekends away and work onboard.   It's lucky we are both able to do some of work whilst away.  I actually think I'm more productive on the boat? Still running the Starlink on 240v via our inverter which is not very efficient so I have bought the components to convert it to 12v....will keep you posted on that project
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The weather looks terrible, lets go sailing anyway

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Alright alright, we should have known better but it's been so long since we've been sailing and had a few days on the boat. Sure the forecast was saying 20-25knots (and gusts a little higher) which in itself I have no problem with.  In fact it's 'spirited sailing'  The issue was, we wanted to go to Fitzroy Island.  It's our little escape location.  But sadly it lies directly upwind of us once we get out of the harbour. Our little Westsail 32 is a heavy full keeled boat that does go to windward 'OK' but she has a bluff bow.  A bluff bow is great because she's a pretty dry boat as any waves we hit are pushed to the side and dont come raining down over the top and onto us in the cockpit.  One the other hand, the energy used to push the water to the sides is taken from the forward motion....meaning we go slow down and in some sever cases if the waves are steep and tall enough she will nearly stop.   So to try and counter this we would bear away (point a
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New rigging and then 'SNAP'

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  'Woohoo', the rigging is replaced by the Guru's Mal and Pete from Port Douglas.  Then Fi and I wander up to the club bar for a well earned beer.  Not more than an hour passed and as we returned to the boat and I see this boomkin stay dangling in the water.  Wait, that's not right?? Yikes!!!  One of our chainplates has broken, which is very bad.  But also very good in the it happened whilst alongside at the marina and not under way which could have resulted in losing the mast. So after calming down from escaping a near disaster we work out whether to buy new chainplates from Bud (former Westail GM and now supplier of parts) and get them shipped to Cairns from the USA.  Or get them made locally.  After chatting to a few people we ordered them from Bud and they were here the following week. "Westsail 32" you say, "the chainplates are external so easy to get to".  Sure the plates are easy, you can see them but what about the bolts and nuts on the insid
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