Australia's Cultural Blackhole

 As World Media falls over itself to create drama around the US presidential election, something mow profound had been given short shrift.  

Last week the Australian Rugby League took the front foot and announced it would not play Australia's anthem before next week's to rating State of Origin match.  This set of a social bomb so loud they backtracked within 2 hours.  

So what went on? ARL reckoned the "we are going and free" lyrics were onerous for Indigenous players.  

An article posted by ABC News details how indigenous communities were not consulted,  many "old school" Aussies thought it was just wrong to suggest not playing Advance Australia Fair.  

This reflects a cultural black hole in Australia.  A nation that refused to even acknowledge indigenous people as citizens for almost 180 years of ours short history.  The nation needs to embrace this,  the world's oldest culture which scientists are now dating even older than previously thought.  The nation also needs political leaders with heart and their heads will follow. 

Sorry.

Rain, Storm Jib & Seapeople

 Well it's the last week of October and the weather is totally wet.  It was to wet Saturday to work on the truck and it's way wetter now.  I  fact it was pleasantly wet Saturday,  a tinkling light rain falling vertically.  Today it's blowing a gale and an all pervasive wetness persists. 

So,  no work on Tiki is possible.  She sits still lashed to the Hobie trailer,  slightly down by the stern.  

I've  been reading today the a Storm Jib by Roly Taller with an area of  28 sq  feet is a useful bit of rigespecially when the wind pipe up to 25 knots.  The author of the "Little Cat" blog has found that sailing upwind a small headsail is best and downwind a reefed main is good too. I look forward to testing this out. 

Today,  I will continue reading back issues of "Seapeople" magazine, trying to glean snippets of information about refitting, sailing or living aboard a baby Tiki. 

Getting Tiki home

 

18oct

Big day we uhh Joe diem ass nuking Tiki. Mast drop, easy.good to get crusty main off her.deck, tricky floppy, vast. Beams time consuming, old lashings,new short beams too short, rem9nved rudder due to risk of damage, waterline lashing was rotted. 5 hours of graft, esp uneven trailer load easier to float on or off!! Highlight was seeing a black ram walking alo g the beach, gave him a pat, leery of joe .

I hope I never forget this day and ,either build a proper sliding trailer and or prepare a mooring. 

8am. Hobie cat trailer ready to load. Bamboo narrow beams etc

Just need Joe.(still waiting for Joe 2hrs later. But his help turned out to be invaluable)

550am. Home to unload tilman and truck. Weather in strong W cycle, L clouds to S, hope it's offshore at LTP. 

17Oct

The final day of mooring lease. I boarded KNU about 7pm after beating up from LTP in a flooding tide, 12knot ENE under greying skies with maintain alone.

Gear was transferred over, sail stowed and Tiki promoted to primary sailboat. Fresh fuel was offered and the little outboard started first pull and never faltered. 

We made the W cardinal buoy w of the mooring as the sun set behind low clouds. We headed S in a following breeze and favoring tide. A mile on approaching Taylor's Beach darkness was upon us and the nav beacons lit up.a s a I'm was seen alongside the island west of S Pt. but then nothing. A cruiser as mcgorwd off the island opposite LTP lit up as I passed in darkness apart from my headtorch. 

A boat wa sd being recovered at the ramp as we approached but was clear as we got close and beached. Amazing option, to beach a sailboat tg without fear of centreboard or keel 

I began by loading Tilman and stripping KNU. By peak tide a fresh S change arrived with spits of rain, Tiki bumped some but over sand. 

At 1020 i left her up the bank and tied off to a RMS sign ashore. To return in the morning. 

A Trailer Emerges in Spirit

 It's amazing how the mind controls feelings. Buddhists have an adage, some thing like; "It's not what happens to you in life, but your reaction to these events, that determine your Happiness".  

I have to admit that my feelings  about Knu's purchase have made me very Unhappy. Her poor condition, being dearer than the price I negotiated to buy her a year ago, and her situation in a rented mooring on an impractical location. 

However, as has been suggested, the Mind is a powerful thing. Just yesterday greatly relieved and energised by the prospect of avoiding heavy expense, improving Knu's condition and removong myself from the clutches of the Marine Consumer trap. This Brainwave came on the form of a YouTube video of a crafty Tiki 21 owner who converted a Hobie trailer to a expanding Tiki Toter. And so a Great Happiness and a

Golden Light was cast up on the Waters.