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August 22, 2000

Solomons to Australia voyage - Update #29

Date: Tue, 22 Aug 2000 08:07:12 -0700 (PDT)
From: Jason Lewis
Subject: Australia U/D #1
To: joman@goals.com

Sorry for the delay here John. Computers all dead.

Both computers are dead from the last voyage so I'm rubbing shoulders with the backpackers here in the Port Douglas Internet Cafe trying to get this update thrashed out. So much water got into the boat the last few days of the crossing that even the ruggedized Amrel Rocky 2 has died along with much of Moksha's electronic gadgetry that we're now rinsing of salt and testing to see what will need replacing for the next voyage (see photo). But that's a long way off now - at least 6 months. As an expedition were running on fumes financially. The last two voyages have been paid for on plastic, so it was with a feeling of elation and trepidation that I stepped off onto Australian soil last Friday. For while I was at sea I was in a sense protected from the base reality of how to pay for the continuation of this odyssey. But it's now time to face the financial music.

But enough of this serious stuff! Our final approach into Port Douglas the end of last week was pretty intense. We rendezvoused with our support craft 'WeeJock' at mid morning of Wednesday the 16th. Our hunch that we'd hired the local cowboys (the distance these guys had come to assist us through the Great Barrier Reef was not inconsiderable) became a firm conviction when April and I looked up from the cockpit at around 10.25 a.m. to see skipper John White pulling the aquatic version of a donut in the ocean just 50 yards upwind of us accompanied by a cloud of thick, black soot. Looks like we called out the Coral Sea Cavalry alright', giggled April. Joking aside we are indebted to John and Dave for coming out to help us out. Few other boats would have ventured out so far. Having studied the charts since getting off the water I am convinced we would have been hard pushed to get through the reef unassisted. Without more ado we tied the towline through the front eyebolt and WeeJock began the laborious process of pulling Moksha southwards towards One and a Half Mile Opening and into the shelter of Lizard Island. Even at a meagre 7 knots Moksha spent more time under water than above it, so for the duration of the journey April and I hung onto to a hand hold for dear life with one hand while furiously bailing with the other. At Lizard Island Bob from the Research Center met us with a dinghy to take April away to dry land and medical attention. However, the customs and immigration laws of this country prevented me from stepping off onto dry land until clearing all the necessary formalities. So it would be a little more time before I was to indulge in the one thing I longed for more than anything else: a long, hot shower.

Our entry into Port Douglas couldn't have been better. Kenny Brown - who had flown in a few days previously from the UK to document the arrival - worked wonders to arrange local media and a location for us to arrive at the Port Douglas Yacht Club. At around 12 noon WeeJock came belting out to deliver April to pedal the last few miles with me. During our final approach we passed a number of the commercial yachts and dive boats heading out to the Great Barrier Reef filled to the gunwales with punters. It was while passing one of the 'Quicksilver' boats that a volley of full beer cans came whistling over Moksha's bow. Not wanting to react inappropriately to this obscure Australian greeting custom I dived in with Moksha still underway to grab one of the cans of Castlemaine XXXX before having to swim full bore to catch up with our swiftly disappearing vessel. What a turkey I would have looked to get left behind at this stage!

As we rounded the final bend into Port Douglas every other person lining the channel seemed to be waving or yelling messages of support and congratulations - word seems to get around quickly here in this town. We even heard a couple of car horns honking us in. After meeting with the press and posing for photographs we had one more hurdle facing us before officially taking leave of the pacific to become land lubbers once more: customs, immigration and quarantine. However, what I assumed would be a tedious process of jumping through official hoops and having to eradicate every last scrap of food from the boat turned out to be a totally painlesss affair. Even the wooden paddle that April bought from Tulagi in the Solomon's was given a clean bill of health.

And so, a few hours after setting foot onto Australian shores, I found myself at last gasping and spluttering in ecstasy under a torrent of hot water in the yacht club's wash house. There's something very symbolic about taking a shower with fresh water after a long voyage. I think it's the ritual of removing the salt from ones skin for more than just a few minutes, for me even more significant a transition from water to land than the actual stepping onto Terra Firma.

April and Kenny fly out of here tomorrow back to their respective 'other' lives leaving me to get stuck into visiting schools with Moksha and fundraising to cover some of our basic costs of the voyage. To hire WeeJock for the three and a half days cost us a little over $4,000 USD, so if you've enjoyed reading the updates and wish to contribute in some positive way, we'd most grateful if you could send any donations to the one of the following address.

I'd also like to thank the following for making the last crossing possible (sorry if I've missed anyone out!):

* John Oman - GOALS - voyage logistics and webhosting
* Sebert Lewis - voyage logistics
* Kenny Brown - arrival logistics
* Andrew Edwards - arrival logistics
* Bob and Tanya - Lizard Island Research Centre - arrival logistics
* John and Dave - WeeJock - support craft
* Dorelle Downs and Ray - Port Douglas Yacht club www.users.bigpond.com/pdy - arrival support
* Close Haven Marina - free berth and boat storage

As well as the update that April is planning to send in sometime over the next few days I'll be sending back an update every 3-4 days, so stay tuned. Indeed, the next time I get to write something I'll have most likely bumped into that pirate Mick Bird who is reputedly in Cairns. Maybe I'll even get a chance to help kick his chubby little behind out on his next marathon leg to Africa.

Thanks for watching folks. The Pacific has been pedaled!

Jason Lewis

Posted on August 22, 2000 3:01 PM