dream passage

   In my head for some years I've dwelled over the goal of sailing into Sydney Harbour.
   Now I m beginning to sharpen up on the idea. Mainly because the NISs biggest wheel, Robert Ayliffe is sailing the race to Hobart on Boxing Day on his NIS29. This boat is currently at his shed on Adelaide 1500k west of Sydney, undergoing a refit. For the race, she will be named the Bruce Kirby. Bruce designed the NIS boats as well as the Laser dinghy and a few of Canada's America's Cup challengers. He passed fairly recently, and having enjoyed the design and its heavy weather skills, Robert wants to pay a small tribute: by entering a NIS in what many call "the worlds toughest ocean race".
I liked Robert from the first, he's a romantic old guy, loves an F bomb, and who talks about little else than boats, mostly NISs. He makes his income selling plans and supplies and until recent decades, making boats. My boat Clancy was the last boat  Robert built, and he confirmed with me today that hes "very fond of her". 
   So I'll pay Robert the respect of seeing him off on his voyage south to Tasmania. Some people who know Robert are doubtful that he'll be able to race, so it'll be a poke in their eyes twice over to see Bruce Kirby entered and being cheered off by Clancy. 
   Well that's the plan. 
Screenshot of Straydog Boat works NIS homepage: designer Bruce Kirby and Clancy.  

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

a skin thing?

As a surfer from my childhood years I escalated to surfing most days. If i wasn't surfing I was just going on or out of the surf, or at school or in latter yesrs work. Some school days would see me run home from the beach dripping wet, stuff cereal down & jog to school. At lunch break I would grab a bike & get a surf in.  On my twenties i took up sailing. If I wasn't actually sailing I would be working on my boat getting things ready. I spent two enjoyable winters on the tropical north.  In later life, I've mowed lawns for an income & continued to swim & sail when I can.  As old surfers know, there's a toll on your skin. Some surfers I know have died or been treated for skin cancer, so it's a vocational hazard.  Added to this, I have a genetic weakness towards skin cancer. My great grandmother passed in midlife & her daughter, my grandmother, had several skin grafts on her nose to manage skin cancer.  Last month my younger brother Pete had a ...
Read more

the american dilemma

Image
Ever willing to criticise  The Pres with the Snake Eyes When he calls out "Fake News!". The media lead a people's chorus of boos.   The same singers when at home Before the neon god they lay prone Soaking up bullshit ads & sculpted boobs Glitzy endless crap on the tube.
Read more

mass political deception

Image
On the day a gunman nicked ex president Trump's ear the world politcians decried violence as evil, undemocratic & so on, more than 39 people were killed in Palestine. These events highlight mass hypocrisy across the world with regards violence & race.  No one in the media industry will ever mention this hypocrisy.
Read more