He's getting closer! From the Northern Beaches of Sydney to the far south coast of NSW...

Pete did drop anchor at Palm Beach about 4am Thursday morning, June 11th and had a little nap. Then he motored up to Royal Motor Yacht Club in Newport, near where I grew up, and caught up with some friends in Avalon for dinner - thanks Kris, Ben, Spencer, Cosmo and Mabel! My sister Glenda (pictured below) and her husband Adam brought Pete a coffee and a bacon and egg roll - the breakfast of champion sailors - on Friday morning and he headed out early, back through Barrenjoey heads and south towards Sydney...

The clouds lifted by Northhead (pictured above) and Pete kept going past Syndey Harbour, bound for Botany Bay! Well actually, there was nothing at Botany Bay for him so he carried on to Woollongong Harbour and picked up his old mate (and Whitsundays sailing buddy) Kylie Woods who had driven from Moss Vale/Bowral to meet him. They sailed on through the night to Ulladulla but unfortunately, since having her twin boys, Woodsie's disposition towards sailing has deteriorated and she was throwing up within minutes of being aboard Gradiva - sorry to hear that Kylie :(

Friends from Merimbula, Pete Brannelly and Drew Blaxter, were waiting in Ulladulla for Gradiva!! They managed to get a lift up from a friend that was driving to Sydney so he picked Kylie up and dropped her back at her car in Woollongong and the boys got on board and have been sailing with Pete since Saturday morning, after Pete had a quick visit with his dad George who lives in Ulladulla, just up from the harbour, and came down to check out Gradiva :)

Got to go make the girls some lunch and will continue update with the latest photos of Merimbula - they are just pulling in to Eden Harbour now at 2pm Sunday, June 14th (Pete's Mum's 80th birthday!!)