Computer Rescue to Airlie

Friday 20^th July 2012

Computer Rescue to Airlie

A peaceful morning in a calm anchorage

The past couple of days has been like being to hell and back only the adventures, outcome and ending is a hell of a lot better. Late Thursday MrJ spilt my drink over my computer keyboard; for a spit second the world stood still and then there was organised chaos. I was quite surprised how calm we both were, especially me. Maybe I was in shock?  We did the turn the keyboard over draining any excess liquid off and using the blower, hoping that everything would be ok. Well it wasn’t! The next morning when I tried typing my password in half the key were not working. :o( Try as we may MrJ and I could not access my computer; oh, it seemed to be working ok, just no way to get in there. Now was the time for the silent tears!

Crossing Whitsunday Passage

Making the best of a bad situation MrJ decided it was time for action, time to give up our comfortable anchorage to make a mad dash across the Whitsunday Passage and into Airlie to make things right. By the magic of a phone call, he had found a new HP computer on special at Hardly Normal’s and a guy that could take a look at my old computer and so we were underway traversing the passage with wind against tide, a good see running and strong winds.

It was one of those special rides, the ones that you do not stay inside, below for very long; you choose to stay up top on deck for fear of becoming queasy. It was a good sail!

Young Endervour sails past Pioneer Rock as we sail back out

MrJ and I anchored off the marina wall, dropped the dinghy, went into the marina dinghy dock and walked up town to catch the bus out to the Centro Shopping Centre. We did our business at Hardly Normal which included a new computer for me, a new USB plug-in keyboard for the old computer and a free service look at the old computer where the feller disabled the password login and we were in business again. Before jumping back on the bus I grabbed a couple of things at Woolies then MrJ bought us a couple of sandwiches and drink to share on the bus seat while waiting. Back at the marina we were into the dinghy and quickly back on AR and underway again. Underway and making our way back across the Whitsunday Passage to out quiet little anchorage in Mays Bay that we found upon arrival had been taken over by other boats and “our spot” was gone. Buggar!

See all the stuff that is stashed (stowed) for the rough ride across the
Whitsunday Passage; plants and the generator under the table, indoor plants and
anything that moves in the sink and pillows places to prevent things from jumping.

MrJ and I dropped the anchor anyway behind the “spot takers” in deeper water and settled down for the evening. As I went below to have a wonderful hot shower, thanks to the engines today, before attacking the old computer, I could hear MrJ let out a heavy sigh of relief knowing that it was better to do the mad dash than to die with the agony that would have been his world all weekend if we had have stayed in “our comfy spot”. Mission accomplished!