Solo Ventures

gearing up for the Big Dance requires that I prepare everything at home prior to Dancing.  When not working for myself, I busy myself about the property. yerterday i felled a dead tree amd sized it firewood and fenceposts. as firewood it can be used here or sold. in the meantime it reduces the fuel load in case of bushfire and makes it safer for us and horses grazing about the hillside.    today I fitted another solar PV cell to help the off grid electrical supply cope with the short winter days and longer nights. I also bought some test pots of paint colours ready to repaint the house.  this may not seem much, but  being able to leave things to the children for weeks, months or years is what I need to do and this all helps.  Meanwhile I am reading up on the Haines trailer tramp, a 19' GRP folding trimaran. with watertight compartents, stability and good speed she may be a good entry point into offshore cruising on a tri. being low slung the tramp is a wet boat, but bal

1/5  Kep#4.      Ved/Mar/97 8.    Ben*.          97 15.  Pam.         Olh/Mary 22. Mel/Jo.     Olh/Veda 29.  97.             Kep#5 June 5.    9.             0 / Ben 14.  Mary/97.  20.  Veda.      Mel/jo 27 ben ^^^^ WINTER HOLIDAYS ∆∆∆ July  26     97 & mary AUG 2.     OLH & Veda

On or around 15/5/23 I did some of my first ocean swims, teo each at Boat Harbour & Fungal Bay. 28/5: after several weeks of increasing cold and wet conditions I took another swim. Today, less than a week from winter, I took my longest swim so far, in very cold conditions, and without a wetsuit (water 19.8°C, air 20°C but unknown chill factor *).  Anyway, I was reluctant to submerge myself straight off, so I waded chest deep the length of the beach. This allowed me to acclimatize and build an adrenaline flow. From there I swam two laps of breaststroke, before a final freestyle lap.  To say I felt invigorated, proud, and more in love with the sea would be an understatement.  I felt unreal. *  The swimming season in Newcastle lasts from November to June. During those months, Newcastle water temperature does not drop below 20°C and therefore suitable for comfortable swimming. The average water temperature in Newcastle in winter reaches 18.5°C, in spring 19°C, in summer the

MGTOW is a declaration of ownership over sovereignty’.  It is the right to say NO. It’s rejecting the preconceived notions and silly cultural habits that define a man today.  I've just discovered I am a member of the MGTOW movement and up until a few minutes ago I didn't realise that choosing not to have any more women in my life was making me something. I just thought I don't want the hassles and encumbrance that comes with a relationship, I just want to sail, swim or ride without judgement or having to please anyone else.  Here is the MGTOW manifesto:- " Do not try to fit into social norms. Refuse to kneel down and be enslaved like a common object.  To live first for one’s own interests in a world where this is not appropriate ". as usual, in this fake news era where endless baseless information is traded like a virus, various strong criticisms of the " movement" have emerged such as anti feminism, blah blah blah. For me it doesn't fit. My belief i

I will make this a running post of events. 2/7 ride to dungog. Speed has increased 15kph, sound by,a lot, fun factor massive. Silencer Comparisons OLD.         vs.    NEW Cats open one eye vs Run Dogs watch  vs Bark in alarm Old ladies look away vs cringe Rider chuffed vs Balls tingle Exhaust rumble vs bark 1/7 fitted Goldstar silencer. Boom! Loud & gutsy. Lighter too.  28/5/23. . Currently awaiting delivery of; Goldstar silencer, stem head clock & used leather jacket. . Topped up engine oil yesterday, again !? . Rode to Boat Harbour, swam four laps in cold water!, stopped at Maccas and headed home in really cold conditions. Had three men ogle over the bike, and an OAP wanting a lift. Slight mouse squeak ... in rear axle? 24/5/23 Rode to Morpeth for groceries. Met Paul on Harley 1997 wideglide.

House Prep Solar bump  Seal windows, walls, maintain. Clear house space for letting Driveway repair, manage stock  Boat Prep.  Hull water light, skin fittings,  and secure Rig & renew bolts @_chain plates Engine > service +_Chartplotter, AIS, Windvane, sea anchor, Finances.   Super >> boat 23-28' (wee b, W28) Invest for income stream Prep small boats for sail Sail Plan A season along coast before offshore Family Joe to mow or Mia, support at home Charlie, online school or temp care Influences Robinetta (one track mind) Sam Holmes (cheap, cheerful, go) Bill Tilman (fearless & relentless, enjoy setbacks) Valentine Howells (basic seaman)  

The Joy of Small Boat Sailing Country Life in America/August 1, 1912 A SAILOR is born, not made. And by “sailor” is meant, not the average inefficient and hopeless creature who is found to-day in the forecastles of deepwater ships, but the man who will take a fabric compounded of wood and iron and rope and canvas and compel it to obey his will on the surface of the sea. Barring captains and mates of big ships, the small-boat sailor is the real sailor. He knows—he must know—how to make the wind carry his craft from one given point to another given point. He must know about tides and rips and eddies, bar and channel markings, and day and night signals; he must be wise in weather-lore; and he must be sympathetically familiar with the peculiar qualities of his boat which differentiate it from every other boat that was ever built and rigged. He must know how to gentle her about, as one instance of a myriad, and to fill her on the other tack without deadening her way or allowing her to fall

no sooner had I got The Duck scrubbed and polished and we set off for town, I heard of a grumpy hail storm approaching and we turned back. Do not want these (photographed in Merewether earlier), buggers knocking us about! Good news is that I found a dress rim my sister lost by local potholes yesterday. The rim will beat back into shape. I met a Harley rider earlier this week that refused to ride in this area and do the pothole dance.  The Duck freshly scribbed.

so easy to find YouTubers on REs, and quite a few Australian ones. I was surprised however to discover a local guy cruising the back roads around here on a 350.  the vid's are not highly manicured which I'd good, just raw footage of a baby Royal bring shuffled about on local roads. I was particularly wrapped with a run along Welshnans Rd. Looks quite boring online, but I like the road and never knew it pushed so far south. I might ride it this weekend and take a steak and coffee maker along for the ride.  Happy 22nd Birthday to my hardworking daughter Mia. A champion at life and on horseback. Xx

A short ride to a little village that clings to its history today. There outside the bakery I met "Harley rider" Paul. He was a nice guy, aged 57  and a long term public housing tenant. But he saved up to buy his 1997 Wide Glide, paid cash then put it in his shed until he got his Learners and then Provisional licenses on a smaller bike until he was qualified to ride his 1300 plus cc Harley. He talked about riding every weekend to the bakery or deli across the road. He was a happy Harley rider.  Afterwards, I found the church of the Immaculate Conception, on the she colours as my Royal!

Ok, so when I had a slow leak in my front tyre a few weeks ago I managed to misalign the Speedo hearing assembly at the front hub. that caused the cable to snap under the stress.  thankfully the Indian postal service is run by ninjas on minimum wage and for $13 I got a new cable within a week or so.  If been a little worried about the replacement procedure as it may have meant dismantling the "dashboard". But, typical for RE, the YouTube watching took longer than the job. One acre to remove the headlight and the rear of the speedometer is revealed. Job done!  It had been way windy for any adventures, so today the last and I went for a quick ride to the shops. While dining on sweet breads a fellow RE owner with a chrome and bronze 350 regaled is with his love of his bike. I happened to have a block splitter hanging out of my saddlebags, which he thought was "very mad Max". (He thought it was an axe. ) So now the mile-o-metre has popped over to 8000 klms. We've ea

"And if a man is a born sailor, and has gone to the school of the sea, never in all his life can he get away from the sea again. The salt of it is in his bones as well as his nostrils, and the sea will call to him until he dies."                                 Jack London It's fruitful to read this kind of narrative of only to break away the calcification of the soul that develops from exposure to modern sailing culture, especially via Facebook and YouTube. The you will see "sailors" battling the seas on so called "small boats" of fifty feet or more with every kind of electronic device and bucket loads of cash behind them.  The dearth of literature about hard men sailing boats less than 25 feet on tight budgets means that the deluge of overinflated ego's afloat hog the limelight and become normal.  Who cannot be heartened by the antics of the ageing Swede Sven Yrvind or Val Howell's solo transAtlantic race in a pokey Folkboat, or Bill Tilman&#

Airfare             1500 Purchase.     12000 Windvane.       5000 Refit.                2500 Seagear, oil skins, ground tackle, storm sails, parachute anchor.           1500 Total.             22500 Plans:  Buy. Brompton to help navigate towards used boats & en route. 

15 MAY 2023 : I met a younger lady from Keralla, Upon seeing my Bullet was made merrier, Said they're popular over there as the wind caught her hair As I bowed and admired her derriere. Please explain! Well, as is my wont, I prefer to not use a car to get groceries. All I ever think about is riding my Bullet.  At a mother's day picnic yesterday, the first without my mum😔, my niece expressed a need for a cold climate sleeping bag. She's going camping this weekend to the Barrington's, the same place I rode my Bullet too last Friday. So today, that was enough reason to take a 45min ride out to deliver that and a lightweight pack I have spare.  While I was in the area I decided to hit ALDI, again it's a Bullet thing; I can see my bike from inside the shop. 😀 After stocking up I was packing my whares into the saddlebags when a pleasant Indian woman said "Nize built". It took me a second to catch on & translate her accent: nice bullet. "Oh yeh, I love

14 MAY 2023: Barrington Tops contains the last remnants from the once vast Gondwanaland forests. well that's what the tourism materials spout. My personal attraction to the place is complicated; partly to do with my adventurous adolescent ramblings, my place to escape and go fly fishing during years of marriage prior to children,  and more recently a status symbol  of my personal freedom.  for months and years I had daydreamed about cycling, hiking or even driving to Polblue Swamp, Ground Zero of the Tops. But the excuses tripped me up; no time, too much on, or the expense. But today, all those obstacles feel by the wayside. My only son Joe recently got his motorbike licence and bought himself a racey little Yamaha 125, a low slung thing with full fairing that fails to protect even party of his 6'4" frame. I had recently bought myself a near New Royal Enfield Classic 500. We wanted to ride together, and I grabbed the opportunity. The overall mileage would be an issue, but

okay i slipped again! Yeh well,  when you're on a good thing. this time,  with swimming goggles and ear plugs, i went further. if the swim here earlier in the week was great,  today was greater  perhaps the water was not as clear,  and there were fewer fishies, but it was such a spankingly beautiful day.   before i swam we hiked walked up tomaree head. the main trail to the lookout was closed for repairs. A detour took what turned out to be a trail used by rock fishermen to access secret speed on the south east face of the headland.  the view across to fingal island and tasman sea beyond was spectacular.   after a refreshing swim we cooked  bacon and egg rolls using a minimum of barbecue gear that was carried in the saddlebags. Cooking and eating in the park gave us an opportunity to share eggshells with resident crows who were unfortunate that the number of rashers equalled the number of breadrolls.  Feeling refreshed by the "exercise" and recharged we mounte

i discovered a few things overnight, a new podcast and some insights into some humans' natures. The new podcast details are above.  You'll notice it reads "ocean swimming", not "wild swimming". the difference in wording expresses the way in which one is about competitions,  training and comrades through clubs, teams and organisations.  the other is more wild,  often solo,  for pleasure,  with little fanfare.  and this highlights my second lesson,  human nature.  perhaps its a modern internet- based phenomenon, but wording is super critical to one's public persona and financial livelihood, dare i say one's ducking branding! one episode introduced a couple of people that linked themselves with the title "where we swim". try punching this into google and the screen floods with merch', advertising and various links to their various social media profilsoprits all about the branding.  and so it seems, scrolling through the episode

8 MAY 2023: Today I rode my little motorbike from home, early and alone,  to the coast.  I wasted some time looking for some swimming gear and in the end decided to just go swim.  There was a stiff NW, so i elected to go to the sheltered FB, see photo. The bay looked majestic with late autumn's soft light glistening off the clear aqua-coloured waters. I wriggled with anticipation of the refreshing seawater on my skin and the promise of a good physical workout.  I dressed quickly and thankfully my spring suit zipper decided to play fair. the wetsuit was perhaps not essential,  just a layer of comfort and insurance against those fish that attack men's balls. Alatm bells rang as i entered the water and saw many mullet in the warm shallows by the southern headland. my immediate concern was about "sharks", they like schools of normally fast moving fish in great numbers. I was a little relieved to discover that it was not a full on school, as away from the shore