A nice day on the harbour

Enjoying the nice winter sunny day, temp about 20, light breeze, perfect.
The bit of the boom you see here is off the aft mast, called the "Mizzen".

I went out yesterday on Rona, a beautiful wooden Ketch built in 1895 ("Ketch" = boat with two masts, the aft one shorter than the forward one.  If the aft mast is the taller, then it's a Schooner...).
She was berthed next to Xena, and when I was there on Tuesday, Gilvin, Rona's "boat boy" (as they're called here; don't get upset...) asked me if I'd like to come out for a sail yesterday as they were going to test the new repairs to the main mast.  Gilvin was a guy we'd tried to get a visa to work for us on Xena, but we'd been unable to get visa for him -- cause we went about it the wrong way it turns out, whereas the owners of Rona went about it the right way (details way too boring to get into here....).
There are more photos of yesterday over at the Xena blog, here.
BTW: if you want to download this, it's better at the Xena Blog site, as it's a higher resolution there...

Pigs, Griffins, Farms, Coast, Segues and Boats....

5th Jan: Siena One Village Owner's Committee (VOC) has a roast pig to
celebrate the beginning of our refurbishment project. It's part of Chinese
Feng Shui, needed at the beginning of every project in this part of the world

Alison Dack, the VOC Chair, cuts the pig.  Alison was first Chair in 2002,
then it was me (05-10), and now it's Alison again.  The pork was yummm.

Photo of our courtyard Griffins guarding the house
taken from my new bamboo bench through the window

7th Jan at Banyandah, looking wonderful (all)

9th Jan: lovely gum (and beautiful people) on the cliff walk,
behind Annette's Parade, Mossy Point

10th Jan: PF showing top skills on the Segue ride, near Commonwealth Park

13th Jan: The Tilley Friday Crowd: David Edmunds on left, Padge on right
and Mark Thomas 2nd behind Padge. Others TBA.

17th Jan: back at the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club to check out Xena,
come across Gilvin and his brother (we'd tried unsuccessfully to have Gilvin
as Xena's boat manager).  This is 115-year old Vandistad-designed ketch, Rona.

Gilvin on the stern of Rona. I'm just about to head out
for a sail on her, today.