Friday 28 December Long time no see times two

Paul at home in Artarmon

Today I caught up with two good friends from London. First I took a train over the bridge to the north shore to visit Paul who I met through mutual friends at a music concert at Hampstead many years ago. Paul is originally from Sydney but lived and trained as a solicitor in London in the 90's. I went to his wedding twelve years ago and since starting a family Paul and his wife Paula have returned to Sydney.

Paul has had a hip op in the last week so feeling poorly and not very mobile. We had a lovely catch up over tea and cake and I met Paula and his youngest son of three boys, Matt 4. The years go past but friends never seem to look older; or is it I'm older too? Today was a too short hello as I had another appointment in the afternoon with a promise for a longer catch up when he's feeling better and after their family holiday.

I raced back across town and leapt in the dinghy at the fish market and got back to the boat just as the wind was picking up. David had stayed on board because we knew this was forecast and the anchorage isn't guaranteed secure.

Cathy, just like the old days

A whoop of Jacksters

Our afternoon visitors are VIPs. Cathy is another native Sydneysider, we worked together in London, formed a strong friendship and she eventually took the spare room in my flatmate. Cathy, happy, smiling, enjoys parties and loves life. She was the person who gave me the nickname The Jackster. I'd told this story to David before we bought the boat and he was chose the name without telling me, a surprise he revealed a week before we got married.

Lily at the helm

Cathy brought along her husband Andrew, their children, Lily nearly 9, Robert, 7 and two bottles of champagne, real French Veuve Clicquot and a Tassie sparkler. I'd met Andrew before they were married when he came to London, the children I'd never met and it's about five years since Cathy came on a trip to Europe. It was a very special catch up. Memorable to see Cathy in her native habitat and because as the southerly wind picked up our stern anchor dragged. Retrieving it and on standby in case the main anchor also gave way in the soft mud and trying to make our guests comfortable was interesting. David got covered in sludgy black mud and we had to wash him down on the deck, but the good news is our Rocna held fast. Once the drama was over we could sit, chat and sip. Of course people who knew in our previous, land lubber life want to know what it's like to live on a boat. The most frequently asked question is have you had any scary moments and we explain we try to avoid them; one big storm which lasted 5 hours when we were crossing from the Tuamotus to Tahiti. That was when we were still fairly new to sailing and now in the same conditions we wouldn't like them , but would know our boat can handle far more than we can.

Cathy and Andrew typify the warm, generous welcome we received from all Australians. They took us out for dinner in Darling Harbour; the best steak I've had in a very long time, and we've invited them to join us for New Year's Eve on the harbour.