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13 April 2013

Monday 8 April Long time no see

Yesterday afternoon we sailed up from Macleay island to anchor outside the entrance to Manly marina. Last week we noticed we had a hole in the mainsail and a stitch in time repair was required. Friends had recommended a sail maker and he was on standby to collect the sail this morning, do the repair and return same day. We'd taken the sail down last night and it was in it's bag waiting to go. On a ketch the main is smaller than the head sail and we've carried the head sail in the dinghy so main was being transported the same way together with a bag of laundry I wanted to get down while we were in town.
The sailmaker was right on time and took us with him to the sail loft so we cold go through what work we'd like done. Getting to the loft was quick by car, an hour back on foot. A pleasant walk and easy so no a problem. Back in Manly we collected the bag of washing we'd left in the dinghy (who'd steal dirty clothes?) and popped into the Backpackers laundrette (a nifty suggestion from the information bureau) which happened to have open access from the car park next to the Visitors Information shop). Even better there was a coffee shop on the other side of the road to pass the time with a coffee and the papers.
It had been our plan to go straight back to Jackster with the washing and wait for the sailmaker to call and come and collect but we ran into first one friend then another we haven't seen for a long time. First we saw Don and Marie from Freezing Rain who we last saw in Opua, NZ and spent an hour with them catching up. Our sail was brought down to the marina and then we had a quick visit with Pam and John on Passages who we last saw a year ago in South Island, NZ. They were busy preparing Passages to be shipped back to Vancouver in the next two weeks; the mast was down and lying on the deck and they packing up below too.
A long time since we've either Freezing Rain or Passages and likely the last time our paths will cross as both are returning to Canada.

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