It feels like years ago that I left Vanuatu, to escape the approaching cyclone season, but it was less than 6mts ago.
The amazing experiences I shared with Lisa on our UK ROAD TRIP, is probably the reason, it feels like so long ago
Before I went on ROAD TRIP, a heap of boat jobs needed to be crossed off the job list.
The starboard dagger board needed to come out
and go over to the welder, to fix the crack, that was letting it fill up with water
(fingers crossed, that third time lucky, it does not need welding next off-season).
The forestay and genoa furler needed replacing, after the forestay broke, a day out of Noumea, on the way home
the anchor winch gear box was full of muddy water, so it needed a lot of replacement parts and a good tidy up, were it went through the deck 
The sails went off to the sailmaker for a service, the boom bag was replaced as were the reefing lines. Luckily the wind generator only needed rewiring, not replacing.
Intermixed with the boat jobs, were all the annual health stuff.
The blood test analyses was all clear, including liver function, which was an improvement on last year’s figures. My doctor joked that I can drink more alcohol next year (would have been interesting to do another test, after ROAD TRIP).
plus the dentist, for a few more minor fillings.
The dermatologist biopsy of the small pimply looking thing on the crease in my nose (that had been there for years) came back positive for a Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC). The only way to surgically remove it was by a Plastic Surgeon, with a skin graft.
My stock of skirted fishing lures needed some replacements for the ones the wahoo and barracoota had destroyed, and the bigger fish had stolen.
I leant a lot last season, on which lures, colours and rig set ups worked, so I needed some spares lures and replacement skirts with a pink bias.
The ideal boat speed for trolling lures is 5-7kts, significantly slower than Logic likes to go. So I have had to go through my own leaning curve to identify which lures to run at 8-10kts. Luckily wahoo like high speed trolling with metal headed lures.
there was a days work rigging them up, with traces and hooks 
to have them ready to go, so as to maximising the chances of filling the freezer with yummy fresh fish
(on of the downsides of my cruising lifestyle is, the fish I eat away from the boat, tastes nowhere near as good as the fresh fish, I catch and cook on board).
I went back to see were the property developers were up to, putting townhouses on the property I sold them 3 years previously 
The dream home I had built 20years previously has been bulldozed, as has the laboratory I used for my business, plus all the improvements that had keep me busy for the 24 years I lived here.
There was a lot of emotions flowing backwards and forwards inside me as I wondered around, remembering were building had been and the effort and planning that had gone into them.
It was a lovely time of my life, with a lot of found memories. But I am now very glad it is in my history, not my present.
The Marina I had Logic moored it, had a lovely sleepy country town feeling to it, with a café that served good coffee, 15mts from the boat, if one could walk on water, or 100mts if one could not.
by now it was mid summer, and the sounds of the crying, recently fledged young birds, begging for their next feeds, was ever present. The nearby osprey nest was very noisy, until the 3 chicks fledges, and quickly leant how to catch their own fish.
the downside was them attempting to land on the top of the mast, bending the wind director, enough that it jammed, so some straightening was required. 
before I knew it, Christmas has arrived, with the family dinner (my parents, daughters and son-in-law).
I very much enjoyed being a parent, like all parents, there are things that in hindsight I would have managed differently, and to quote Frank Sinatra “I did it my way” (Although I feel the Sex Pistols’ Sid Vicious rendition would work better for my wake). I was very chuffed to receive this Christmas card message from Kate, my Precious Eldest Daughter (PED)
My Precious Youngest Daughter, Phoebe was up for Christmas, and we spend a day father-daughter bonding, doing boat jobs. She was not impressed after we pulled the genoa up the furler, to find that I had run the furling rope the wrong way, and all 20mts of it now needed to be unwounds 25 times around the drum and then wound 25 times the correct way.
Kate and Jackson, spent the New Years’ week-end out in Morton Bay with me.
When I came back from ROAD TRIP, there was a new additions to the family, Winston an 11 week old Australian Shephard 
one of the things I miss in my cruising life, is a regular exercise endorphin fix, via my much loved mountain bike, so I exploited the opportunity to get a few rides in, while I could 
the landscape back home is so different from what I experienced on ROAD TRIP
I caught up with Bruno (of course, it was in a pub)
It was great to be back in my galley, cooking lower calorie food, as I pulled off the ROAD TRIP podge (that is kangaroo)
while I had a car, I stocked up on soccer and volley balls, for trading with the villagers, when I get back in Vanuatu
it was time for Logic‘s, annual antifouling, so back down to The Boatworks, I took her.
they have a purpose built, trolley that picked Logic up between the hulls
next up, a water blast to get the worst of the grime off
then onto the stands
then it was time for me to wet and dry sandpaper the old antifouling
it must be my working class roots, but I do enjoy the feeling of achievement, I get at the end of days like this, dirty, sweaty and my muscles telling me they have been exerted.
my crew for the passage to Vanuatu, joined me for the 2 days of painting.
Nick 
and Bridgette
applying the antifouling was a lot quicker with the 3 of us on the rollers and paint brushes
while the boat was on the hard, I had a visit from one of my mentors from my adolescence, Pforry, who was in need of a boat fix.
On a wonder around the yard, checking out the other boats, I came across a boat that looked very similar to Logic, but wasn’t exactly the same.
I am reliably informed that it is the first alloy catermeran, that Tim Mumby built, 20 years ago. I gave it a good inspection for structural repairs, but could see none, which reinforced my thinking that Logic will be going strong for decades to come.
With a clean bottom
it was time for Logic to go back into the water
Now that I am “retired”, there is no need for stressful deadlines. So I don’t do them, just allow plenty of time, to comfortable get everything done. I had left myself way too much time to get the boat ready for a late April departure and was ready a month early (next year I’ll do Saint Patrick’s day (17th of March) in Dublin, before coming home).
The wind was coming from the south, so I went north, ending up in the Mooloolaba Marina for 3 weeks
from Logic to the beach was only a comfortable 5minute walk
In my teens, my parents would moor our 23ft yacht in the same marina for the Christmas Holidays, to give us a base for a summer beach holiday. 45 years later I am back doing the same thing, with all the attached memories.
I joined the Mooloolaba Surf Lifesavers Club, to enjoy their balcony overlooking the ocean, for a sundowners beer.
within 15-20mins walk of the boat, there must have been 100, high quality eateries
The ospreys were catching fish, so big they had a lot of trouble getting back in the air
PED came up for a night. Not surprisingly we ended up on one of Dad’s pub (and wine bars) crawls. 
the quality of her smile should tell you what a fun night we had
a walk on the beach in the morning and she was off, back to her responsibilities
a few updates.
Bridgette still has too many loose ends to make the passage, so she will join Logic after we get to Vanuatu. Miriam a 30yo German lass has signed up for the passage. I an confident that she will add to Nick and my enjoyment of the passage.
for those of you that were thinking positive thoughts for Lisa’s surgery, they had the required result.
The surgeon removed the cancerous lump 3 weeks ago. The biopsy results, showed that there was a good margin around the tumour, so no more surgery is required.
5 lymph nodes were removed at the same time. The biopsy results are due next week, which will determine whether chemotherapy or radiation is required. So keep those positive thoughts coming, and hopefully Lisa gets to keep her hair.
I have fired the Satphone up, so the GPS tracker on the above “our location” menu item is now working again. The phone number has changed, but this time it is only an overseas call cost to text and ring it (free if you plan included them). If you want the number to communicate with us, while on passage, email me at my gmail email, and I send it to you.
Logic over and out