Safely in Sydney Harbour!

Well, the journey north has been eventful. Kylie Woods joined the Gradiva crew in Ulladulla on the Sunday night and sailed with them on the short and pleasant trip to Jervis Bay the following morning. They spent a lovely Monday on the white sandy beaches and while it was so calm they decided to head north to Woolongong about 9pm Monday evening and dropped Kylie off there.

Pete and Lucy carried on from Woolongong towards Sydney on Tuesday. The photo below was coming into Cronulla - the calm before the storm...

Gradiva is tied up safely in Cronulla Royal Motor Yacht Club below for Tuesday night...

Just before 11am the next day (Wednesday 16th December 2015) Kurnell and Cronulla (of all places - go figure??) were hit with a hail storm with winds gusting to 213km per hour! The strongest winds ever recorded in Australia! Check out the Syndey Morning Herald report here: http://www.smh.com.au/environment/weather/severe-thunderstorms-forecast-to-hit-sydney-20151215-glohb3.html

This is Pete's snapshot of a piece of hail below but you'll see the size of some of them in the SMH report. Apparently the hail cracked holes in the plastic window covers so they'll need replacing but other than that, Gradiva held up great. So did Pete and Lucy (I think Lucy slept through most of it??)!!!

Anyway, after the storm subsided, they carried on North past Captain Cook's old hunting ground Botany Bay...

And here she is - Gradiva heading into Sydney Harbour...

They are currently tied up at Rushcutters Bay thanks to the lovely Peter Moxham, a friend I've know since kindy and the husband of one of my friends Megan, who I have known since Year 7 in high school! They are staying there now until Ayla and I fly up to Sydney on Saturday night and meet them on board and begin our first trip on Gradiva from Sydney Harbour to Careel Bay in Pittwater on the Northern Beaches of Sydney where I grew up and I get to see my Mum!!!!! Yay!!!

Below are a few boats preparing for the Sydney to Hobart race on Boxing Day.