14 November 2009:
Those once-a-year sailors from St John's have been at it again. This time the
odyssey to Patonga was even more eventful than last year, with no shortage of
excuses being bandied around for their bad luck. Clearly, someone must have shot
an albatross! Anyway, the blokes in boats finally made it home safely, the only
injuries being to nautical pride. That old sea-dog Davey (arrrgh) Warren-Gash
was on-hand with his waterproof Box Brownie to record the saga for maritime
posterity...
Crew of the SS
Minow. 
Running before a stiff sou'-wester, before becoming...
...becalmed!

An ancient mariner in his natural element
Man overboard! 
We are not amused by these childish St John's antics...
"No Harry,
they're from St John's Church, not St John's Circus"... 
"Those pelicans are not getting any of my chips..."
15 November 2008:
It was supposed to be the "Blokes in Boats and on Bikes" day - but the
weather was slightly inclement, so the bikies weren't prepared to brave the wet
hairpins coming in to Patonga. It was left up to the stalwart old sea-dogs of St
John's naval flotilla to ferry others who may have been more nautically
challenged, from the barnacled barges of Brooklyn to the pelican-poohed perches
of Patonga.
Thanks to Able Seaman Dave
Warren-Gash for the photos. Click on the small "thumbnail" photos
to view the full sized image. Then use your browser's "Back" button to
return to this page.
Careful
preparation was required... 
...in fact, we got wrapped up in preparation.
We got loaded
up, and ready to go... 
...but in which direction?
So we set sail
on stormy waters ... 
...in search of freedom, adventure, but mostly lunch.
Arriving in the
New World (Patonga) ... 
...
we heard words of wisdom under a native shelter.
Some of us came
in vessels built for comfort ... 
... whilst others were built for speed.
One came with a
four-wheel drive tractor ... 
... whilst another had a four-wheel drive trailer,
and yet another
was left to eat the bait ... 
...for as Ratty said to Mole, there's never quite so much fun to be had, than in
mucking around in boats!