5 June 2010 Quarries Bay, Bruny Island, Tasmania

It might be winter but there is immense satisfaction in an anchorage
that is all ours to share only with the wildlife. There is no other
boat to be seen and yet we're just 2 hours sailing from illywhacker's
Kettering homebase marina.. The Tasmanian waters of the D'Entrecasteaux
Channel and beyond form marvellous cruising grounds which will take
quite a while to fully explore. Illywhacker is once again a cruising
yacht. With me is Alison, an experienced sailor and an old friend from
Sydney. It's good to have someone aboard who can take this 20 tonne
yacht into a berth with confidence and who knows how to throw a line.
Together we have planned an altogether different waterborne adventure
too. In a few weeks we will fly to France and live aboard a friend's
canal barge for 3 months. It's something I've always wanted to do,
especially when the weather at sea made me ask "what are am I doing out
here?" Hopefully the swell in the French canals will always be
manageable. I'll do me best to keep this diary updated as we go along.