Let the festivities begin!
Celebrations!
Docklands area in Melbourne has been putting on fireworks during the winter months to cheer people up, it works!
We kept missing the fireworks close up because we forgot they were on till we would see them in the distance from the yacht club on Friday nights. Last week we decided to take action and take Bela Vida up the river into Victoria Harbour to get up close and personal. And what a spot we had,... front row seats! :-)
Catch up was with the usual Friday night suspects, The racing crew from Astarte, David and Greg; Jerry from Red Dog and the two wives from Take one, Micko and Robbo.
Cast off was to be around 5:30pm, but Robbo got stuck in the bar, so we had a scape goat if we got there late. Drinks were aplenty and the variety always interesting. Food was enough to feed a maxi yacht and the chicken wings (thank you Colin, shame you could not make it) were yummy.
A lovely motor sail into the channel chasing an interesting sunset, quick duck under the West Gate bridge, past Melbourne's container dock, keep to port under the Bolte and into Victoria Harbour. Sun had set and darkness crept over revealing the city lights. A quick dock at Melbourne City Marina at 7:02pm. Lucky the fireworks started a few minutes late, apparently due to a yacht heading into the restricted zone of the fireworks pontoon. Lucky really or Robbo would have never heard the end of it!
This gave me time to catch up a little on the drinks as I behaved on the way up. ;-)
Mandy, Greg's wife also made the pilgrimage from work and graced us with her presence just in time to enjoy.
What a spectacle! Less than a hundred meters away was ground zero and we copped the full brunt of light, noise, smell and smoke. My hat of to the city of Melbourne, I never expected to see that many people lining the foreshore right around the harbour there to enjoy the fabulous light show. Many other boaties were also there and all were rafted up partying along. It had the atmosphere of a new years eve celebration.
The light show continued for well over 10min and it was a great spectacle that my words fail to describe to do it justice.
Time to settle in for some more food, drinks and shenanigans, enjoying the scenery of city lights reflecting in the waters around us. One person was still missing due to work commitments, but by 8 o'clock Danni was on her way down to meet up with us. By this stage Danni was designated skipper and I knew this would be a new experience for her. On Bela Vida by night was a first and to navigate us out of the harbour was also new.
It is always fascinating seeing our regular surroundings from a new perspective and seeing the large ships close up is awe inspiring.
Out of the channel and heading straight for home we motored when I heard a familiar change in sound from our boat. A small water leak in the engine's cooling hose had begun again and it was time to pump the bilge dry. A quick setup of my pump contraption that was developed in the middle of Bass Straight on Bel Vida's delivery home had this sorted in no time. By this time Matrix, another yacht from St. Kilda Harbour was hot on our heels and catching us. Time to unfurl the genoa and fight them off till we neared the entrance to our breakwater. Danni got her first taste of racing strategies from all of us tacticians on board. Matrix got past us just after we furled the genoa back in, but went wide at the entrance marker, which gave us a chance to tuck back inside to get across our imaginary finish line first. Sure they were docked first, but only due to geographical realities of our individual pens.
We are still claiming this as a line honours and handicap win!
Another visitor arrived. Damo, who had sailed on Matrix for the evening came by, no doubt to congratulate us on our graceful win.
More drinks!
Disembarking was gradual and dignified with not one person falling in.
I recall Mandy and Danni expressing their expectations to travel home from work like this from now on.
A great night and a huge thank you to all the race crew for being the professional sailors they are and making it a truly memorable evening.
Cheers!
