Day 215, Year 2: Leaving Bundaberg Tomorrow Morning
Date: Sunday, November 25, 2007
Weather: Rainy, Rainy Night; Beautiful Day
Location: Bundaberg Port Marina, Australia

Last night it poured the rain while we were having dinner on Ranger, and the rain continued off and on all night. We had one last rain early this morning, and then the sun came out and we had a beautiful day. Unfortunately, we spent the whole day inside the boat doing more to get her ready to leave. I’m afraid I inherited a trait from my mother that I just can’t shake. Before leaving for a trip, everything has to be “ship shape.” In the midst of cleaning, Marie called for me to come over to
Ranger. She was also cleaning out her cabinets and she had boxes and boxes of canned food to give away. She thought it would take longer to sell their boat than it did, so she had bought provisions for the next four months. After choosing provisions to bring back to Windbird, I think we have most of the canned goods we will need for our next cruising season. Mark and I worked together to get those things put into our food database, and just when we thought we were about finished we discovered
that our electrical system was not charging. We need that system working to make sure our bilge pumps are working while we are gone, so he had to hurriedly do some troubleshooting. He found that our voltage regulator for the alternator was not working. Fortunately, we had a back-up. We were supposed to meet Paul and Marie for dinner at 6 PM, but that got delayed slightly. But by sundown, we were finally ready to go. We had a last dinner together at Kacy’s in Bargara.

It doesn’t seem quite real yet that when we return, Ranger will no longer be here and Paul and Marie will be “boatless.” The sale of Ranger should be finalized in the next two weeks and then they will start exploring Australia on land. About the time we return from the US, they will be going home. Home for them will be in Rockaway Beach, Oregon. When they left for their trip across the Pacific, home was aboard Ranger in Marina Del Ray in Los Angeles. Since they knew they would be selling Ranger
in Australia, they bought land in Oregon and had a new home built. So moving into their new home once they return to the US will be their next adventure. We have really enjoyed getting to know them and have had a fantastic time cruising with them this season. Paul and Marie, we will miss you, but we wish you the greatest happiness in your return to your new home in Oregon.

We heard from another couple today that we were very close with last year–Doug and Sylvie of Windcastle. Windcastle is in Opua, New Zealand, and Doug and Sylvie have been in the United States since August. They returned for the wedding of Sylvie’s son in San Francisco, followed by another very special wedding. Doug and Sylvie were married on October 20. They are now at Sylvie’s home in Mexico City and will be through the holiday season. In January, they will return to New Zealand to do some
land travel. Unfortunately, they will be a year behind us so we won’t see them next cruising season, but we will keep in touch and hopefully get back together sometime before the end of our respective circumnavigations. So congratulations to you, Doug and Sylvie. We will be in touch once we return to the US.

I’m going to write a log tomorrow and try to send it from Brisbane. We leave Bundaberg on a train at 10 AM tomorrow and then fly out of Brisbane on Tuesday around noon. I’m figuring that I will be able to find an internet connection in Brisbane and can send my final log of the 2007 cruising season from there.