Well it was a crazy week but as I write this I am finally back in Hobart with the boat. In the previous 12 months it has been from here, shipped to England , back to Sydney, then shipped to Auckland then to Tonga, sailed to Kupang, then shipped again to Sydney and now back home..What will happen to TBB now?? not sure. there was talk of having it in the wooden Boat show in Sydney but I could not find anyway of storing it till then and it cost about $4000 to get it up and back so that may not happen now. I will clean it out and put it away in our Aircraft hanger ready for the next adventure. There are a few possibilities but finding the time in the schedule is always the challenge..
On the Wed morning I went to terry Hills to pick up the trailer that was left behind at friends back in February. driving out to the container terminal I had our boat cover strapped to the trailer and was watching to make sure it did not fall off. Of course it did in the last 300mtrs when I stopped checking it, so dragging along the road it was trashed under the trailer which was a Bugxxr..it cost $3000!!!...the guys in the yard were really great helping pull the boat out. I had no idea how we were going to get it onto the trailer but it was easy. Our friends at Meridian Freight have been fantastic on all these moves and I know Graham in Kupang will be happy to know that all his work organising cradles and a cast of hundreds to manhandle and tranship the boat worked.. Thanks to all...Now the voyage really does seem to have come to an end!
I then drove that afternoon to till dark, stopping in a small motel for the night. It was 3 degrees and stormy weather and made me think..YES!! the Shackleton "James Caird" trip is going to be a bucket load of fun!!!
Driving all day Wednesday arriving in Melbourne late I then loaded onto the Spirit of Tasmania ferry to cross Bass Straight during the night, then the next morning off loaded in Devonport for the four hour drive to Hobart. I made a slight diversion to the airport there to chat with a friend about working on my ultralight float plane for a new adventure in a few years time.. ..another historic recreation!!! and plenty of fun!! It was a big deal at the time but little know today. the story of two guys called McIntyre and Goble in 1924...?? more about that after Shackleton!
While on that I should just say that Tim Jarvis will be taking on the roll of Shackleton ..I will be taking on the roll of Frank Worsley..Capt. of the Endurance and the James Caird, so big shoes to fill as he may be considered the unsung hero of much of Shackleton's endeavours. To get the James Caird to South Georgia is an epic and I have just re read Worsley's account of that little voyage...no comment!...the book is titled ..Shackleton's Boat journey by F. A. Worsley..if you can find a copy have a look...as I said ..a bucket load of fun!!
Don
