Better late than never!

My old mate in Cairns, Brian Darcey, who was also on Bougainville when we built the mine, phoned me some weeks ago to say that he had had enough of looking at the walls of his suburbian unit and that he was going to live on a boat instead and do a spot of sailing. Well, he's just SKYPEd me from Picton in New Zealand where he's bought himself a H28 sailing yacht.

The Herreshoff H28 is a popular New Zealand design which was originally built in timber but later, when Compass Yachts started production, in a material her designer referred to as "frozen snot".

Brian will sail "Dara" back to Australia in late January after he's renamed her "Tekani II", after an island in the Nuguria Group in Papua New Guinea with which Brian has a personal connection. Not bad for an octogenarian (you know, somebody in his 80s - like October, the eighth month! The eighth month? Well, yes, it used to be the eighth month in the Roman calendar which began in March) who's also an aviator and a self-confessed late-blooming writer.

Brian's purchase almost fell through - literally! - when he fell into the water in Nelson Harbour and lost his driver's license, money, and credit cards. However, he phoned the credit card company's hotline and good ol' Betty in Bangalore had him all fixed up within 24 hours!

Need a crew, Brian?

Clyde River Salvage Company

Nothing much ever happens at "Riverbend" except when a neighbour's craft breaks down and my trusty "Lady Anne" has to spring into action to tow the stricken vessel back to its mooring.

This is what happens just now when "Delta Lady" required a tow from "Lady Anne". It was a very lady-like affair!

Meet the Nelligen Yacht Club Committee

They are all stalwart supporters of the Club and men of ...

The mystery of Cyne Mallows Creek

Members of the Nelligen Yacht Club have expressed their concern about the fate of a certain watercraft which left its Nelligen mooring and disappeared up Cyne Mallows Creek quite some time ago.

Frantic riparian activities have been reported from the upper reaches of Cyne Mallows Creek which would suggest that said vessel is located at S 35 degrees 38.066’ E 150 degrees 09.954’ (give or take a ') where it is being converted into Noah's Ark while awaiting the next biblical flood.

An expeditionary force, made up of members of the Nelligen Yacht Club and other rubber-necking volunteers, was assembled to reach the stricken vessel. As the following video clip shows, they failed to navigate the hazards and the mystery of Cyne Mallows Creek remains unsolved.

Extraordinary Meeting of Nelligen Yacht Club

Business to be tabled:

To consider an application for membership from a boat owner who recently arrived in Nelligen - see photo below

Notice to Members

How NOT to launch your boat

A night at the ARIA

Jeff, the Bay's marina boss and would-be-member of the Nelligen Yacht Club, rang yesterday afternoon to tell me that an ocean-going yacht was making its way upriver and would probably spend the night at anchor at Nelligen. And she didn't just drop anchor but berthed alongside the Nelligen wharf which made it even easier for me to introduce myself to the skipper, Bruce from Tasmania, and his beautiful Alaskan Malamute.

Bruce turned out to be a mad-keen snooker player, and so we spent the evening at the Steampacket Hotel, playing snooker, drinking beer, and swapping yarns. Bruce has been sailing for the past year in his yacht "ARIA" and is now on his way north to the Coral Seas and points beyond. No real plans, no real time limits; as he said, "I stop when the money runs out!" I saw him off with a couple of sailing novels and Alan Lucas's "Cruising the Coral Coast" which will be of more use to him than me!

He's now heading downriver again to catch the lunchtime bridge-opening at the Bay. Good luck and fair winds, Bruce, and a pat on the back for Max the Malamute!

Minutes of Meeting of Nelligen Yacht Club

Should persons of non-Anglo and non-Saxon background be admitted as members?

Resolution: "That Greeks who bear gifts, especially retzinas, be made welcome."

Moved: Peter Goerman
Seconded: Jeff Percival

"Amber Lady"

A new boat is permanently moored at the Nelligen bridge: the 32-footer "Amber Lady", owned by a Nick Ligakis in far-away Wagga Wagga. I invited him to join the Nelligen Yacht Club but so far no response.

Nelligen Yacht Club

The waiting-list is growing but the Commodore (me!), Secretary (me!!) and Treasurer (me!!!) of the NELLIGEN YACHT CLUB are resisting the pressure of increasing its present membership of just one (me!!!!) Please don't spoil the club by joining!