Hello,
I hope everyone had a great thanksgiving dinner. Mine turned out wonderful.
All the waiting around in airlie beach and boat switching was well worth it. I ended up on a boat called Iluka, and normally it takes 16 passengers--we had six people plus three crew. That meant i got my own room (something that should have cost me another two hundred dollars! man, the free stuff just kept coming).
I few nights before i met a cool girl from the UK, helen, and found out that she was also going to be on Iluka. it was a good thing for both of us because sometimes its weird when you're the only non-couple. the other people were: an american couple studying in australia, sandra and john; and an english/australian couple, marie and jerry. the crew was: jess, the hostess/chef; cat, the deckwoman; and bryan, the coolest cap'n on the sea. (my apologies for any names incorrectly spelled).
The weather wasn't the greatest on the first day but it made for some interesting boating--so much rocking. we used only the motor so we could sail down wind the next two days. the boat brought us to whitehaven beach, which ranks as one of the coolest beaches i've ever seen. it was 100% silica; it made it incredibly white and had a quicksand feel to it. since the weather wasn't the best, we had the massive beach to ourselves. that night we had great food and great conversations about everything. trying to sleep was extremely difficult. i have never tried to sleep in such heat ever in my life. i slept on the single bed that was right next to two portholes and all i could think about was when the next breeze was going to bring me a brief moment of happy cool air. the good thing is that with all of the time awake, i got to think a lot about how cool it was to be sleeping on a sailboat the day before thanksgiving.
The next morning everyone was so honest about having a craps night sleep but we all laughed about it. the day was half beautiful sun / half clouds and showers, but i was happy to take it. we suited up in the stinger suits and went for some snorkeling. We used the sails for the first time and its the greatest experience when they turn off the motor and all you can hear is the wind pushing you along. For thanksgiving dinner we had a wickedly good (and incredibly hot hot) chicken curry.
that night i was not going back to the boiler room of doom and decided to sleep out on the top of the boat. there were some mean looking clouds coming but i thought either be awake and hot or awake and wet...awake and wet seemed the better option. the clouds scared everyone else back to their rooms so i was left solo. i couldn't be more happier with my choice and i think sleeping there was one of the highlights of australia. mean cloud after mean cloud would make its way over the boat and slowly disappear. that opened the sky to stars (some shooting), bright light of the full moon, and an amazing moonset over the water. the wind was crazily fast but where i placed my sleep mat i could only feel a nice cooling breeze (pjs and a t-shirt was all i needed). sometime after three and before four it started pouring down rain--but that was alright because i had prepared everything in case it would happen. a few drops later i was in the boat on a sofa/bench and finished off the nights sleep nice and dry.
for the last day we did some snorkeling at a place where the fish have been used to people coming around. everytime we swam in one area a big group of bluish-silver fish would come and form a school around you. anywhere you went, they would come along. also, there were some smaller dark striped ones that would come right up to your mask and stare right back at you (it was checking out the reflection). i had to keep coming up to empty my mask because i couldn't stop laughing at them.
now, i'm back on land and its hard to shake off the sea legs. i had to brace myself in the shower whenever i closed my eyes because it was tough to stand. tonight we are going to a bar with everyone from the boat (expcept for the american couple. they're on their way to hervey bay).
have a good day, and take out the christmas tunes (its officially christmas music time!)
your friend
chad
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