House Sitting

Paul and I have been given the opportunity to have a few weeks off the boat to house sit for Paul's brother and his wife. So last week we packed our bags, and after work we moved out to Taurikura to stay in their house. It is a beautiful spot overlooking the Whangarei Harbour entrance, out in to Bream Bay. The house is an Architectural dream, with big windows, double glazing, tiles, remote and sensor everything. For us it is nice for a break away from boat-life, but it is not really our "cup of tea".
     Both Paul and I like the simple things in life, we are not into grandiose or super trendy, we feel a bit uncomfortable in that sort of environment. That is not to say we are hill-billies, but everybody has a different take on life, some like it posh, some don't. It would be a sad world if we were all the same, so we respect how the other half lead their lives.
     Today, unfortunately I am sick, so I have spent the day reading, lazing around, knitting and being totally BORED. I am ashamed to say that I am looking forward to getting back to work. I HATE BEING SICK.
    After we left Kabuki (the yacht) Paul noticed that the build up of condensation in the forward berth was not evaporating like it should. A few years back I had put some insulation up in the cavity created by our bulwarks. Paul found that the insulation was holding the condensation in on the sunrise side of the boat. It all had to do with one side getting sun in the morning and the other not. So Paul pulled the insulation out and hey presto the damp was gone. This boat life can be pretty damn hit and miss.

Not always beer and skittles

We have been back at work for 4 weeks now, and winter is slowly setting in. We got the heater up and running last week after we had a mild frost. But this week has been wet and warm. The rain is the only downside to living on board, it makes trips to and from shore a wee bit wet. If you time it right you can make it in between showers/rain, but if you time it wrong then you get drenched.
   The weekends disappear so quickly for us, this Sunday was Mothers Day and we had breakfast at a Marina side cafe with some friends, then I took my own Mother out to lunch. The rest of the weekend was used up in washing, baking, riding on the bike etc.
   Working at "Arthurs Emporium" is a wee eye-opener, it amazes me how much junk people spend their money on. At the moment there is a big "Themed Party" craze, all these people coming in to dress up for a themed party. Wigs, costumes, fake jewelry, makeup the whole shebang, what a waste. I thought we were going through hard economic times, everyone was struggling to make ends meet, "yeah right". Anyway I won't get started on that!!
      The last couple of weeks has seen the departure of a number of cruising boats, heading up to the Islands. We have had a few good weather windows for them to leave in, with no major weather events to throw a spanner in the works. There are still quite a few catamarans here in the Whangarei Town Basin, but I would say it won't be long before they head off. We have noticed a marked increase in the number of cruising catamarans this year, it could be because Whangarei has a reputable haul-out facility for catamarans at Norsand. What ever it is it is all good for Whangarei, the money/business the cruisers bring in to the city is great. Paul and I both watch the cruisers leave with envy, as we wish it was us, and it could be if we really tried. Our time will come.