http://www.illywhacker.com/ en-us http://www.illywhacker.com Storm clouds are still above but a glimmer of hope is shimmering on the horizon. Lyndall's specialist returned from an overseas conference quite upbeat over the trials of a new drug designed almost specifically for her condition. He is now negotiating with the supplier here for a small quantity for our own trial at an affordable price. They are hugely expensive but we see no option save "give it a go". We expect to begin treatment in late May and the first 2 months will see Lyndall at her lowest point. After that, there is a 50% chance of improvement and a happier outlook. On the strength of such news I am arranging for friends to take over my caring duties while I fly to Townsville and spend a week preparing illywhacker. She is currently in cyclone rig and needs to be readied for sailing. Trusted friends will meet me there and sail her to Sydney while I fly back to the patient, all the while pacing the floor, worrying that all will go smoothly on the 1020nm passage south. After illywhacker was completed in 1996, we headed north immediately, thinking that cruising the waters around our home port could wait, we had to see the world first. Hopefully, we will now get to see some of those cruising grounds others travel to from distant ports. http://www.illywhacker.com It is heartening when friends email us asking for more information on Lyndall's condition. These diary entries seem so far away from their intended purpose of recording sailing stories that we feel like we've lost the plot! However, we find comfort in the idea that for various reasons most cruisers spend some time ashore. So our excuse is that while illywhacker is OK, we're putting ourselves together - a kind of medical refit. How she does it I don't know but Lyndall has the ability to remain optimistic at the same time as suffering the ups and downs of her leukemia. Life is delicate balance between supreme tiredness, abdominal pain and nausea as the chemotherapy and blood transfusions apply benefits as well as side effects. Where is that miracle cure? Her specialist thinks she has achieved wonders by merely surviving this long but our measure is different. We'd rather be sailing! http://www.illywhacker.com 2008 begins tomorrow and I'm delighted to report we are both here to enjoy it. Despite the gloomy predictions of her specialist, Lyndall is defying their odds and continues to enjoy every new day.She is fully transfusion dependent which brings it's own set of problems, apart from the essential hospital visit every 10 days - it's like walking a medical tightrope but we've become very experienced and have learnt to identify the signs and know the necessary responses. Dying sure sharpens the senses though. Somehow the water outside here looks bluer and sparkles more than it ever did and being able to see yachts tacking up the bay from our verandah is hard to beat. To all the readers of this site, may 2008 be a safe and happy one with many a smooth wake astern. http://www.illywhacker.com This is the season for Northerlies along Australia's east tropical coast and conventionally, anyone who has been cruising the area over winter is well advised to make the run south before December, the onset of the cyclone season. However, this is the second year in a row where cruisers have found these great sailing winds (15 knots abaft the beam) run out of puff halfway down the Queensland coast and are replaced by generally lousy weather. Yesterday's news was of a mini-cyclone in southeast Queensland that caused widespread damage to property and this followed on from another severe hailstorm a week previously. Sadly the amount of rain from these storms does little to help the generally drought-ravaged country south of the tropics (which is most of Australia). Weather patterns are definitely changing and we consider ourselves fortunate to be in a relatively benign place. "Just wait until they get a cyclone." I hear you say! http://www.illywhacker.com Illywhacker's crew are housesitting a yachtie friend's place in Sydney. Considering it's Spring we are freezing down here but we can put our feet up on the couch inside and gaze across the ocean and out into the pacific. We are using our time to catch up on friends and family and make plans for a few short cruises when we get back. http://www.illywhacker.com What a beautiful time of the year it is here in the tropics! While winter rages down south, we have sunny days with blue skies and SE Trade winds blowing at 15 - 20 knots over the sparkling waters of the bay. Many yachts drop in to our marina, some just cruising the Barrier Reef, others on their way to faraway ports, so it is a busy and social time for us. Illywhacker is ready to go ... somewhere. We are determined to cast off our lines as often as we can despite the constraints of 3 weekly hospital visits for Lyndall. At least we are able to cruise easily to nearby islands and reefs and drop anchor for a few days. It seems rather ordinary cruising to us as we live here, but other yachts travel halfway around the world to experience the Great Barrier Reef - so we resolve to be more apprecaitive of our own backyard and to include more photos and stories of our present cruising life on this site. We hope you like the revamped site layout - there is much more to be done. If you find yourself lost when navigating through the pages, just click on illywhacker to find your way home. http://www.illywhacker.com We learnt today that sadly our dear friend John Crowley passed away peacefully in his sleep. He and Dolores were about to drive north that very day from Santa Rosa near San Fransisco to Cordova in Alaska where they had so royally welcomed us on illywhacker's arrival there in 2000. That we stayed so long in Alaska was in no small way due to the fabulous hospitality we received, much of which was thanks to John and Dolores. There were a few of us yachts in Cordova that year and we formed the very exclusive PWSYC - the distinctive burgee still flies proudly from our spreaders here in North Queensland. In 2001, we cruised Prince William Sound in company with PK and Julia on SY Fairhaven out of Bellingham, WA. The burgee we both sported then had a special meaning last week when we were fortunate to have them aboard illywhacker for a cruise out of Townsville. As defrosted Cordova yachties we rejoiced in many stories of our time there and last week we rang John on his 80th birthday. We sang happy birthday to him from the Australian chapter of the PWSYC - we were so glad we did. http://www.illywhacker.com A miracle has happened. Cyclone Larry veered slightly north and slammed into the sugar town of Innisfail causing great destruction. All sugar and banana plantations are flattened, every building is damaged but fortunately no one was hurt. Townsville was just on the edge of the destructive wind zone and received gale force gusts without too much tidal surge. We were very lucky. However, cyclone Wati from Fiji is now on its way and following the same track. It is currently a category 2 but we are keeping a wary eye on it. http://www.illywhacker.com Of all the times to be away from illywhacker! We are in Sydney visiting family and friends and to enable Lyndall to see a specialist. The news from Townsville is not good. A cyclone of 935 hectopascals which is a category 4 and increasing, (5 is the max) is heading for Cardwell just 40nm to the north. Townsville expects extremely high tidal surges and destructive 280kmh winds tomorrow mid morning as it crosses the coast. I stripped the boat before I left although I can think of more I'd like to do now. Our son James has added more lines and friends are checking nearby craft. The big danger is the marina structure itself. If the water rises with the low pressure and a high tide, the walkways and pontoons may lift off or snap the piles which would cause havoc and possible loss of our priceless floating home. Nearby, friends minding our apartment some 100metres away are bringing in all outside furniture and battening down. Supermarkets and petrol stations are choked. Our car is in the garage which could flood. This is going to be a bad 24 hours. http://www.illywhacker.com/gmaps/maps.php?lat=-19.1816833333333&long=146.8412&depth=7 It's a hot day in town so we're out here for a day's sail with family and friends. Not only have we escaped the madness of Xmas shopping but we have found another magic anchorage. There is a beautiful beach here with clear water and white sand surrounded by huge shady trees and those smooth rounded boulders that Magnetic Island is famous for. We sailed on smooth waters in 20 knots to get here and my energetic crew have just finished diving to clean the hull and propellor. Lyndall and I are so pleased with ourselves, we plan to do it more often. I've been busy filling her (Lyndall) up with fresh juice every day and she is doing quite well at present so we are upbeat about a new adventure next year. We'd like to wish all our sailing friends and readers of this website all the best for the season and if it's not too optimistic, have a calm and happy 2006. http://www.illywhacker.com Sad but true. We have moved into a 6th floor apartment overlooking illywhacker at her berth in Breakwater marina. From here we can watch lucky cruising yachts heading north or south until they disappear into the distance some 30nm away. We are hoping the move will be a temporary one for although this an expensive rental, it offers a high degree of comfort for Lyndall's recovery and we hope to be back aboard by March when the heat of Summer has passed. We are happy to have completed a cruise this year - please see the "Barrier Reef Cruise" story for some photos of the yachting paradise right at our door. http://www.illywhacker.com On the eastern side of Hinchinbrook island, this is a magnificent but seldom visited bay. It is exposed to prevailing Trade winds from the SE but at this time of the year, light northerlies occur and we luckily found ourselves within sailing distance when one such forecast gave us the opportunity to try out the now calm waters of the bay. We anchored yesterday in 5 metres beneath tall volcanic bluffs thick with rainforest right down to a long, pure white, sandy beach. At the southern end is a walking track which leads to a waterfall and a freshwater swimming hole which we visited today for a refreshing cool off from this increasingly warm weather. Our passage yesterday from the overnight anchorage on the southern side of Dunk island was a great sail - just 10 knots of quartering breeze which had us lazily reading in the cockpit with the fishing line trolling behind . Unbeknowned to us we had sailed across a Barrier Reef zone boundary and into one where fishing wasn't allowed. A National Parks launch hailed us and we were "detained" for an hour, a mile or 2 offshore. We were read our rights not to say anything as it would be taken down and used against us and advised the matter would be referred up the line. We felt really bad. We support the zoning plan as a means of preserving valuable reef resources but hope it ends there as a warning not a fine etc. The sad thing is our enthusiasm for fishing was never that great - we only caught two fish this season so to avoid any more embarrassment I'll keep the line in the locker for our next ocean crossing where there are no "green zones". http://www.illywhacker.com Greetings from this land-locked cyclone-proof harbour in North Queensland. It is almost possible to sail past and miss the entrance even though it is a shipping port for sugar transportation. Leads take you inside without difficulty provided the tide is slack. Current from the Moresby River empties through the harbour and can create quite a rip at peak ebb and flood. Illywhacker is making her way slowly south from Cairns back to home base in Townsville. The aim being to arrive before Lyndall's next hospital session. Her weakening condition prompted the specialist to suggest we find an easier lifestyle - he obviously hasn't been aboard and sampled the liveaboard comforts. However, we did decide to rent a pad ashore and test out the theory that she would find life more comfortable. http://www.illywhacker.com A great stretch of calm weather has allowed us a relaxing time at this Great Barrier Reef island National Park about 15nm from Cairns. There is a low-key resort here, plenty of rainforest walks and some good snorkelling over the fringing reef. Fish abound and at night we watch them splashing around the boat, attracted by the anchor light. We chose to take things easy this way rather than making too many more miles north or even driving the beautiful Cairns hinterland as Lyndall has very limited daily bursts of energy. Sitting and enjoying the view is about it! http://www.illywhacker.com Illywhacker is back in Cairns Marlin marina after a few days anchored at Vlasoff Cay. That was the ultimate paradise, a tiny patch of pure white sand set in a turquoise wonderland of coral patches scattered across a sand bottom. The anchor looked very close in a depth of 5 metres as we swung between the "bommies" - mounds of coral that were home to a delightful assortment of brightly coloured fish. A few strokes from the boat's swim ladder and we were able to snorkel over these living pictures with a minimum of effort - just ideal for Lyndall. It was brought home to us just how fortunate we are when a seaplane landed one morning and a young Japanese honeymoon couple alighted for a quick swim and a glass of champagne. I spoke to the only other pasenger, a young German man. He was completely knocked out by the beauty of the place - "this is as good as it gets - anywhere" we mused together, "and to think I have to be back at work in Berlin in 3 days!" he said. http://www.illywhacker.com A cruising glitch occurred last week. After an easy trip to Cairns the wind strength increased and it rained ..... almost continuously for 5 days. We were glad to be resting in port but for some reason, Lyndall began to feel very weak necessitating a drive back to Townsville for a week early blood transfusion. We arrived back aboard today with the Admiral "topped up" and both of us looking forward to discovering the local hinterland while this unfriendly weather persists. The reality of Lyndall's condition is reluctantly dawning - future cruises are destined to be within 2 weeks of home. How long can we continue? http://www.illywhacker.com Sunny skies and clear blue water, that's what great cruising is all about. Orpheus seems weeks away as our subsequent anchorages at Gayndah Creek at Hinchinbrook and inside Mourilyan Harbour were calm and peaceful. The last 2 days have been 40nm days over sparkling seas, we even saw a humpback whale and her calf heading south. Our fishing has been woeful, I'll have to take lessons or give up being the ever-reliable provider of ship's tucker. Our northerly passage-making will ease tomorrow when we tie up at Cairns. This will give us the opportunity to catch up with friends and to arrange the next hospital visit for Lyndall. It's a fun place and we're looking forward to it. http://www.illywhacker.com We are away at last. Just the 2 of us on a slow gunkhole north, hoping for no health dramas and fine weather. So far this season we have had much more rain and strong wind warnings than last winter and many cruisers are thoroughly disillusioned. Maybe the good weather will start from now? Illywhacker is currently anchored for the night as we wait for the high tide to cross the bar at Lucinda and enter the inside waters of Hinchinbrook Passage. Or maybe we'll head up the outside to Dunk Island ... ah the joy of not making up one's mind! http://www.illywhacker.com We are away at last. Just the 2 of us on a slow gunkhole north, hoping for no health dramas and fine weather. So far this season we have had much more rain and strong wind warnings than last winter and many cruisers are thoroughly disillusioned. Maybe the good weather will start from now? Illywhacker is currently anchored for the night as we wait for the high tide to cross the bar at Lucinda and enter the inside waters of Hinchinbrook Passage. Or maybe we'll head up the outside to Dunk Island ... ah the joy of not making up one's mind! http://www.illywhacker.com Illywhacker is getting back into cruising mode. We had a few days at Magnetic Island to test her systems and ourselves. Our youngest, Matthew and his new bride Julie were with us as we sorted through the minor repairs that always result from long periods of inactivity. A seized clutch on the anchor winch and a scratchy VHF were the major glitches, both due to the ravages of salt air, frequently found around boats. Our plan is to head north slowly and test the idea of finding the nearest hospital each month for Lyndall's treatment. Matthew has re-established this web diary to allow me to update it from remote anchorages or at sea, using winlink email via our HF radio. The weather is great so by mid August, we should be underway - we'll keep you posted! http://www.illywhacker.com Whew, what a few months those two were. Lyndall spent May in hospital and she is still recovering now. The minor infection in her toe really took over as her leukemia-compromised immune system was unable to provide the resources to fight back so she was given antibiotic drips for 6 weeks. As a result she is pretty weak, with about 4 hours a day of energy available. During that time she moves about fairly economically but typically seems to achieve her job list for the whole day. Together we are getting the boat ready for a trip north, hopefully leaving around the end of July. As for me, my role as carer has me achieving the usual daily miracles. I do admit to the occasional slip-up though, the worst being a hard-disk crash on this computer which had me wishing I'd been far more diligent in backing-up. As a result, there may be a number of good friends patiently wondering why we don't reply to their e-mails. If that is you then please give us one more chance and resend, we'll do our best not to lose it! One of the exciting toys we now have aboard is super hookah setup. Running off 12V it is capable of supplying 2 people at 18 meters depth or 1 at 25 meters. So far I've cleaned the prop in the marina (2 meters) but we're all looking forward to sailing to the outer reef and exploring the coral wonderland there. http://www.illywhacker.com This diary is in danger of becoming an ongoing medical report, but since Lyndall's health problems are determining the outcomes of our cruising lifestyle and occupy much of our time this is how it is these days. She returned back to illywhacker today after an 8-day stay in hospital. She had picked up a minor infection in her toe but her immune system is so compromised she was unable to fight it and required surgery and intravenous antibiotics. Our Haematologist tells us this is the result of her bone marrow problem and will be the pattern from now on. We must be very vigilant against cuts and scratches and airborne infections - it's a hard call living in a marina. On the brighter side we are having a beautiful winter with sunny skies and fair winds. Our many friends living aboard are paying frequent visits for a chat to the patient who lounges in the cockpit like Cleopatra as the "boatboy" busily keeps house and serves the tea! I was once the Captain ... what happened? http://www.illywhacker.com The cruising season is underway here in Breakwater marina. New yachts are arriving daily, using Townsville as a base to prepare and stock-up before cruising the maze of reefs and islands to our north and south. The hardstand is becoming busy too as owners undertake antifouling and hull repairs in readiness for this year's cruise. There is an air of anticipation of great weather and great sailing in the months ahead. Illywhacker and her crew are content to watch these comings and goings while we slowly make our own plans to cruise the outer reef and maybe sail north later in the season. Friends and family have heard us speak so highly of this fabulous place we are expecting quite a few visitors this year. Time to make the forward cabin habitable - but let's not rush things, we'll have a cuppa first. Life can be tough in paradise! Lyndall is doing quite well currently, helped by the abundance of fresh tropical fruit and vegetables, walks and a daily swim. Some very kind person gave her an electric folding bike for her birthday recently so her mobility is much improved - in fact he has to run alongside to keep up with her!3