Eat Your Heart Out
EASTER CRUISE 2010 - BOSS LADY –SAMANTHA
EAT YOUR HEART OUT !!
T'was a cloudy, breezy 6am morn’ that greeted Graeme and Karen Hebard as they boarded Samantha, ready to make the 24NM crossing to Queenscliff. Soon after, David and Denise Gunton awoke on Boss Lady waiting for crew members Gerry and Peter Banham to board and follow Samantha on the voyage through the centre of the Bay to Queenscliff.
Now 8.30am Boss Lady is under way with a 12 knot southerly on the port quarter. Boss Lady has settled to 6.5 knots whilst a breakfast, consisting of Crunchy Ciabata bread with Salmon pate and Smoked trout, finds it’s way to the table. Conditions deteriorated for a while and Samantha, being 2 hours ahead was finding the going quite rough in the middle of the bay. These conditions remained until the west channel for her. Boss Lady on the other hand, was motoring through ever improving seas and decided conditions were good enough to ‘ring the bell’ early to toast our progress. Only the occasional set of rougue waves attempted to spoil the toasts but fine seamanship and tight grips avoided spilling even the smallest drop of the late morning imbibe.
With the sky now occasionally clear and penguins in abundance, Boss Lady made her way to the west channel mark and changed course for the last 6NM to Queenscliff. A battle of speed between Boss Lady and the Queenscliff Ferry ( Boss Lady lost ) meant we had to enter the Marina in the wash of the ferry through the narrow entrance. We then made our way to our allocated pen, nestled in amongst the outrageous toys of Bob Jane and the bored and beautiful.
As Friday is the day of the Queenscliff Fish Festival, we have the idea to lunch on the ‘Lady’ and then visit the festivities. The untimely arrival of the crew of Samantha proved to be a distraction and eventually, it became unanimous that we delay the Festival visit until the following day - a fine idea indeed based on Samantha’s Navigators theory of Festivals. The sad fact however, was this Festival was staged for only one day!! This indeed was a major deviation and variation to the well laid plan.
Graham headed for the showers bamboozled by the tiny towel allotted to him (a Bath mat) and what's this chocolate soap ? (easter egg)..!! Confused Graham !
Saturday dawned with the unmistakeable enthusiasm of 84 year old Couta Fisherman "Lewis", a celebrity old salt around the marina. Lewis is modelled loosely on our own Ross White, (90 years old last week) and lectured he us on the catching of the fish and the importance of the Easter story.
Saturday was spent relaxing, fishing and visiting the sights of Queenscliff including the Maritime displays and ingenious temporary Restaraunt at the end of the Jetty.
Sunday sunshine dawned with Lewis offering us hand coloured boiled eggs and reminding us that ‘He has risen’. Samantha released her lines and departed mid Sunday, heading across the Bay to Sorrento and then on to Mornington and Martha's Cove. Her eventual path saw her return to Mordialloc just after dark.
Life in Queenscliff remained pleasantly relaxing and we visited other known boaties around the marina. More great food aboard Boss Lady and an early night readying us for Mondays return voyage via St Leonards and Indented Head.
What’s this?! - A stray yacht from Brighton of about 45feet and 15 tonnes managed to crash into Boss Lady at about 1.00am. The noise is incredible and immediately wakes (some) of those in the V Berth. This yacht was fully crewed and had somehow succumbed to wind and tide, finally entangling itself with the bow rails of Boss Lady. There was much yelling and gesticulation before the formentioned yacht was disentangled and with not so much as a beg your pardon, she disappeared into the night leaving a trail of damage. They don’t know it yet - but the whole thing was captured on CCTV. Ha!
Monday morning the sun rises behind a thin sheet of friendly clouds as breakfast is served in the saloon. Today we will visit a few new places. We release the lines and head to the lovely seaside fishing village of St Leonards. Here we tie to the pier and create another magnificent lunch which complimented all of the previous culinary delights shared aboard this fine vessel.
Listed below is the holiday menu aboard Boss Lady. You don’t get better than this.
Good Friday
En Route:
Icy cold beer
Lunch: Antipasta and cheese platter Geraldine – Artichoke hearts, marinated egg plant, kalamata olives pickled Bismark herring and a fine selection of cheeses
Champagne and Orange
Dinner: Cajun swordfish , coleslaw and green avocado salad and selection of cellar door wines
Easter Saturday
Breakfast: Homemade muesli with french yoghurt and fruit
Lunch: Davido's famous smoked trout fettucine with double cream and chives accompanied by garden salad and a crisp bottle of white
Dinner: Roast Kyneton sirloin of beef encrusted with two mustards, roasted jacket potatoes , pumkin and parsnip followed by Calamity ice cream pies for dessert.
Variety of white and red wine (Ouch)
Easter Sunday
Brunch: Lambs fry a la Pierre with fried bacon & eggs,hollandaise sauce and grilled tomatoes on toast
Dinner: Roast seasoned Desiree chicken, roasted vegetables and garlic snow-peas
Fenach Champagne along with a range of beers variety of wines
Easter Monday
Light Breakfast followed by an early Lunch at Sea with freshly caught Salt & Pepper Calamari, Smoked Salmon with cream cheese and capers, olives, sundried tomatoes, Cheese and delicatessen meats.
Champagne and beers maximised the palate. (So to speak)
A calm sea invites us back across Port Phillip to the comfort of Beaumaris Bay and a twilight entry into our beloved Mordialloc Creek. How lucky are we all ??
Thanks to the Captain and crew of Boss Lady and Samantha for their wonderful company.
