Introduction

Hi all downunder. I have been PM with Peter and he suggested I introduce myself here. I have a Polarus 35 sundeck, moored in Middle Harbour Sydney. I believe there were only about 7or8 Polaris imported in the 80s and at least one other is in Sydney. Ours is the same as "Pineapple Girl"found here on TF. If you know of others I would appreciate it if I could make contact.

We plan to retire from our business at the end of this year and spend a year getting the boat updated ready to do some cruising up the east coast getting as far as we are able toward the Whitsundays but the journey for us is the aim not the destination. I have been"lurking"here on the forum for a while and have really enjoyed the flow of info and practical ideas.

I look forward to meeting up maybe sometime

John

Arcturus

Hey Mate,
Welcome onboard.
You will find this a friendly and informative site.
Not a lot of us here but enough to give a different slant to stuff.
When you eventually head north give us a yell.
I am up and down the coast (Qld) most every year.
Presently out of commision But should be back in full flight in a few months.

Welcome
Benn

Hi Benn.

*

Thanks for the welcome. I have been reading your saga with the repower. Hopefully its coming to an end and you can resume some cruising time as against money spending time although in my* experience that is never ending with the old adage BOAT= Bring Out Another Thousand should these days be thousandSSS!! We are planning on taking our time getting north and may have to do it over a couple of seasons as while I have been boating since I was 5 my wife is not so experienced and is somewhat nervous of the distance we would like to do. She has been introduced to the idea on an old Hartley 30ft that was probably one of the ugliest boats on the harbour but she loved it and that good experience has enabled her to love the idea of long term cruising and the present boat with its generous aft cabin and galley down which were her 2 criteria has made it possible. Now we are doing the bits and pieces to make this possible. We are adding 4x85w solar panels, LED lighting and we are having to think about nav systems which at this stage are thinking lap top. I would be interested in other comments on this. The twin 6354 Perkins only have 1900hrs on them and they have been well maintained over the years so we are hoping an injector service is all that will be needing. But that is a little bit of an unknown

I think I have blathered on enough

John

Ah, yes, good you got on here John. I'm in the UK at present having had an interesting detour to Abu Dhabi to take in Ferrari World via Dubai on the the way. I will try to keep in touch here using son's MacBook, but may be sporadic. Hope you get your engine in asap Benn, it must be killin' yah having her out of action so long. I know how I was beginning to feel. Now Lotus is all set to go and I'm not there to do the going...but watch out when I get home. That's another of the great things about having a boat - even when away enjoying yourself, it is there in a background as something to look forward to about going home, I find.

We are heading for France to pick up a canal boat for a month of cruising from Briare to Auxerre and back with 2 friends so that is going to be fun but like you Peter I am looking forward to getting back to the boat in July for the Sydney Boat Show and some more work on the boat.

Gee everyone is heading to Europe.
I am heading out on may the 30 th for London, straight on the train to paris for 8 days down the Dordogna for a week up to Champagne for another week
and the I am home.
Most likely time to go back to WA for a bit of work to make boat dollars.
I will get the Sancutary Cove Boat Show in before I depart.

That canal cruising sounds fantastic. What sort of boat are you hireing, traditional or modern

Benn

Hi Benn. It is a boat owned by an Australian couple that I saw advertised in Afloat and I think in Cruising Helmsman. It is an ex hire boat that this couple use in the off season and then hire from April to September for a month at a time. The cost was half the regular hire boats. I have been corresponding with a guy in Sydney who has taken the boat for up to 3m at a time and he is rapped in it. It is 35ft long with a double berth at each end and a saloon and galley in the middle, a sliding roof and a pair of bikes standard in the price. They pick us up in Montargis and take us back to their place at Rogny for lunch and then Valerie takes the girls shopping for supplies and the boys go with Geoff for a shakedown on the boat and a run through a lock. Sounds very civilised to me. It has been a dream for me for years so am pretty excited. We head off this Saturday arrive Paris Sun am meet up with 2 friends Tue and head for the boat. Cant wait!!

John

Wow, looks like we are all doing the canal boat thing. We go on a narrow boat in the Northampton area canals from 19th May for a week. I got some great tips off Marin re the doing of, especially locking, as he has done it a number of times. I'll let you know how we get on as we go along. Off to Madam Tussauds today.

Guys,
We could have organised a meeting at a nice bar in Paris or something.

John must get thge detils off you as my Boss and i would be really interested in something like that.

Peter enjoy the narrow canals of the UK they are one of the great unknown pleasures of Merry Yuk.
Benn

Will do Benn

John