The Owl’s cast came off today. He did a jig through the halls of the hospital, one that specialises in sick birds. Finally we could go and collect the boat (we had been delayed in our plans due to his fall down some steps carrying large batteries and a broken leg in result… ouch). A quick dash to Waiheke, our old home where we had tarried, a quick swim and wash of the bottom of the boat (we are not fans of sea lice in our wetsuits) and a night on the mooring enjoying the last night of sleep on the boat. Darth, the owl entertained me by climbing the mast and playing his favourite song on the ukelele, the Darth Vader theme tune..again. I encouraged him down with a bowl or mince which we ate with an ordinary spoon. The next day we headed to Half moon bay where with a tiny gantry and a friendly sailor, who owned a large hammer, we pulled the mast out of the boat. Alot of something like porridge came squirting out of the mast as it lifted into the air while the gantry bowed at a frightening angle. Once the mast was out the owl’s father came to the rescue in the Tug ‘Te Hauraki’ and towed us back to our new resting place- the nest in the upper reaches of Auckland harbour. Here we would spend four months on the boat preparing her for an ocean adventure.
Darth & Stormy 