380 sqm house to 29 sqm boat

Moving into Mingo - What a mess!

Our first week on our boat "Mingo" started mid March 2012 moored at Scarborough Marina , we were ready for a new lifestyle of relaxing times. Our thoughts were how great it will be to have no house maintenance, no mowing of lawns, no weeding, no cleaning the pool or housework, aaahh bliss – weren’t we to be mistaken.....

The first long weekend we have off from work, Andrew is a project Manager for a plumbing company and Christie is a public servant with the Qld Police, both of us loving our free time and making the most of every minute we are not at work.

Andrews stinger bites and cut finger

  We decide to head out to Tangalooma for the weekend.  So boat packed and we are rearing to go.  2.5km out to sea and smoke starts billowing from the engine. Oh shit, what’s happened?   We anchor up in the bay with about 15 knot winds and realise we are not going anywhere.  Andrew is determined to get the engine going again, so jumps into the sea with goggle and snorkel and all Christie sees is his fingers gripping onto the duck board to keep himself afloat whilst trying to figure out what’s happened. An hour later and still No luck, but he’s not going to give up, next thing Christie sees  Andrew jumping out of the water with large red welts across his shoulders from being stung at least 4 times from stingers – well that was the end of trying to figure out what was wrong.  As he is then cutting a piece of hose to try another tactic, he cuts the top of his finger off.   We now have blood everywhere, he’s in agony with the stingers welts and we are stuck 2.5km from the marina. Oh and we are not members of the Coast Guard yet!!

Steve to the Rescue...

 We get on to the phone to Steve from Capalaba who offers to come out and tow us with his 5 meter boat, of course Andrew never mentioned that we were only 2.5km out of the marina and that the winds had now lifted up to about 20-25 knots.  We sit patiently waiting the 2.5 hours it takes Steve to get to us.  What a relief when we see Steve and Paul motoring towards us in his 17 foot boat.  A big thanks Steve and Paul for giving up your Saturday to come and rescue us and tow us back to the marina, oh Jesus, how do we know manoeuvre our 9m boat into our little marina pen with no steering.  Outcome the poles and broom sticks, Andrew on one side and Christie on the other, praying that we don’t hit the million dollar boats that are marined around us.  Yeap we did it, with applause from the bystanders in marina.  Disaster Two.