Moondriven

Small z provides Public Housing for Worms. Our thing being ‘Worms’ at the moment. Each day, two or three lucky squirmers get dug up out of the back garden and carried *gently* through the house to the front garden. New ‘homes’ are constructed and the Worms given the keys. There is often an ode or a simple Wormish Song to help settle thier nerves.

Note baggy eyes. Z awoke at 5am with a fever. “Dadda Dadda dig worms…”

The song Small z is tricking up in the above Vid is ‘The Garden Song’ by David Mallet. I teach her these old folky tunes that mean so much to me. Luckily, since she is two and a half, she digs them too

A wintery morning. Overcast. 20 to 25 knots.

Noodling South down Cannons Creek. 40mins to the Bay.

Cut the motor and up goes the jib. 2NM to go until the Bay.

Westernport Bay is wintery and bleak. Wild and kinda lonely.

I’m by myself and am a little spooked that there no boats at all out here. A reef in the main and the little Tri scoots along at around 10knots. Wind is around 20knots. A beam reach. We sail the length of French Island to leeward of a sandbar, so the water is flat. Nevertheless I keep both sheets in my hand… just in case.

Past French Island. Bass Strait swell sneaks in.

East for 10NM to San Remo. A broad reach. Keeping an eye on bullets, but an easy sail/surf for an hour or so. Tricky to get into the dock. Tide is racing against us at 5knots under the Phillip Island bridge. Water pushed up onto the pylons. Sail under then out toward the Strait. Motor back with current and get the pier and cafes to myself. You gotta love winter.

Back on the boat early arvo and a quick poke out toward Bass Strait. Rough as guts. Ouch! Turn tail, shake out the reef and crank up the boat, it’s getting late! Sunset at 5pm. A tough 6NM beat across to Rhyll where I anchor for the night.

Next day, Sunday, it’s 10 to 15knots. Sunny. I planned to eat on board but sneak an awesome breakfast at a cafe in Rhyll. Skim along the northern Phillip Island coast to Cowes. A long run to Stony Point. A poke around the Navy areas and industrial side of the Bay. Finally see my first and only other yacht and also one fishing boat.

Back to Warneet in late afternoon. 50Nm under our keel.

Up early and chase the tide to the top of the creek. Snug Surfarosa to the dock and drag myself back to work.

Sunny days with light winds were forecast for this weekend so I organised a camping trip. 2 of our mates and their kids came along. A bit brave perhaps as it is getting a tad colder… L and small C had a fun sleep over at our house then we hitched our wagons and noodled the 20 km up the road to the Point.

Nice to sit next to the beach on a chilly night warmed by a fire.

The dog health supplement
next day was simply gorgeous. No wind, blue sky. Da Bone and I took J fishing in a gloomy valley creek with a huge reputation for bream, but after an hour all we had to show for it were very icy hands. So I took small Z and J down to where the creek flows into the sea and we spent 2 hours falling off 'cliffs' and building sandcastles. Exhausting but fun. Small Z is on a creativity jag. She got the whole 'drippy castle' thing down. If you have no idea what a drippy castle is then picture dripping wet sand to make tiny spirers, towers and dragon lairs...

A lunch, a walk, a bit of talk, then home via Flinders and Chips and Chia. A bit bogan a tad hippy.

Small Z and I have been going on train expeditions lately.

We get on a Two Carriage Diesal Rattler at a our local station – Hastings and travel to the end of the line at Stony Point. 15 mins away. Wait 10 mins (Go see the pelicans on the peir) then return.

Nice for me as we get to laugh and play while fun stuff happens around us. I like that Stony Point Station is a few meters from the water too!

She is obssesed with all things train, so is in train heaven the whole time. I should get her a regulation ’spotters’ raincoat and a notebook…

Got Surfarosa on the water for Mothers Day.

Small Z had a hoot. She loves the idea of a party and opening presents. A day for mum was fine by her. Her Nana and Nanas partener came too.

We left from Warneet peir at around 11am after a surprise motor swap. Getting out onto the bay was such a balm to my soul. Small Z knows all about boats. She knows her port and starboard. Knows what a mast does and a boom. Names the sails. Knows bow and stern and rudder and anchor etc etc. She was in boaty heaven as we sailed out onto Westernport Bay and over to Hastings to anchor and eat cake and drink coffee.

Wind was around 15 knots all day. Both sails up and a clean bottom saw us hooting along nicely.
B slept on the net.

Dropped family off at peir in late arvo. I slept on boat and noodled my way back to boatyard in morning.

Old fashioned fun. A carny ride on the Hills Hoist.

We had a family day on a train recently. As you do when you live in a wonky ‘Toddler Land’. Next to a wonky Diesel Train line.

I must admit it was a great day. Starting at Hastings Station, ending up back at Tyabb Antique Packing Shed after a return trip to Stony Point.

“Is this the right Station?”

The train line terminates at Stony Point. All surrounded by water and kooky with its general store, caravan park and pier right next to the station.

However the train only stops there for ten minutes!

If you don’t get back in time it is a 2 hour wait… *gulp*, i’m not sure Stony Point is that captivating.

On the other hand, Tyabb Antique Packing Sheds are a wonderland. No problems drifting through 2 hours there.

Note: ‘Train Cafe’ at Tyabb