- Tribute has been included in the National Shipping Register, of course I'm still awaiting the paperwork but that's one potential unsurmountable obstacle out of the way.
- And it looks like I've got insurance! Pending this, that and the other and mindful of the fact that their idea of 'Indonesia' stops at 10' S which leaves some islands and a lot of ocean uninsured. Not having insurance and sitting on a boat >200K would make me think VERY hard about cancelling the plan so this is very welcome. Insurance is 4% of boat value, which makes me think that they have calculated that less than 1 in 25 boats go total loss on this trip. Nice thought. Inspires confidence.
- The shadesail is a work of art in black and marine blue and installs in minutes over the foredeck . We'll give it a test-run ( G&T at midday) over Easter, when a Monkey Mia trip is planned.
- BUH has picked up the new 2.4m RIB tender in Perth, reckons it will fit 3 or even 4 adults with a payload of 450 kg, and weighing 36 kg should not be too hard to stow on the back deck.
- The Australian Government has generously decided to subsidise the purchase of a satphone for Carnarvon Medical Centre.
- Haulout is planned for the 2nd of May, Craig will service the Yammy while Tribute's on the slipway which saves hours of akward lifting and carrying.
- The Indo, Oz and Q flag will be testflown today!
****** STOP PRESS***** Tribute is now officially the quickest boat in Shark Bay in 2008/9 and took the T-shirts home after a great weekend of racing. I know Ray Ellis and whoever owns the Shotover at Monkey Mia will doubt or protest this statement BUT having a big mouth is cheap. Please contest this on the racecourse- you've gotta be in it to win it.
And while blitzing the CYC cup in a haze of adrenalin and testosterone, Tribute also won a far sweeter, sociable and mellow trophy- that of having taken the most people along racing over the season.
I should explain that Division One of CYC consists of two boats- Tribute and Echo. And Echo was absent on a number of races, on one of which we had 12 or 13 people aboard.
Were there a prize for best catering and amount of alcohol consumed, we'd be up for that too.
