It continues to be peaceful and beautiful at Lady Musgrave, with only the daily tour boat disturbing the calm for a few hours. By late afternoon it’s quiet again.
Hang out in any anchorage long enough and there’s a good chance sooner or later someone you know will show up. Jack was snoozing on the stadium seat, as you do, and I was below putzing when we heard a hail not in the distinctive Aussie dialect we’ve come accustomed to. It’s Dream Time with Americans-by-way-of-the-UK Catherine and Neville aboard, world cruisers who’ve been out for ten years so far, and whom we first met in Blackwattle Bay in Sydney last summer. Two boats are fun but three make a party and our time at Lady Musgrave took on a different tone for the next few days.
We’re now the international group we’ve grown accustomed to, representing England, Northern Ireland, Germany and the US. We have a lot to share and catch up on and the rotating sundowner venues add some much-missed variety into our cruising.
Jack is working on his embouchure and getting better every day on the trumpet shell he bought in Fiji. It’s now his sacred obligation to mark the end of the day with two long basso tones.
The crews of Blackwattle and Dream Time were concerned about my thumb, which was looking pretty gross and which continued to throb from the pressure of the initial bleeding under the nail. Neville seemed eager to break out the Dremel and show his considerable skill honed from the breathtaking carving he does on found objects, from nautilus shells to emu eggs. How could I refuse an artist with a power tool? With Peter supplying task lighting and Neville grinding away at my thumb Catherine took our minds off the procedure by recounting tales of gross injuries she’s suffered. Never let it be said that cruisers don’t have the best fun.
After a few days Blackwattle needed to move on so Peter could catch a flight back to Sydney leaving Christian to singlehand his way north. We’re sad to lose their company but we know we’ll cross paths again before too long.
