The Grand Launching that was'nt.

[Antony Harvey]

It was a beautiful frosty morning with thin ice in the cockpit, but when the Princess 22 "Cirrus" is finished, it just has to be launched despite the season.

It had warmed up a bit by the time I got to the lake and caught up with my mate so we rigged it and prepared for the plunge. Unfortunately Lake Eucumbene (which is really a very large dam that provides water for irrigation and hydro and part of the Snowy Scheme) was so low and the ramp so flat that I had the exhaust pipe under and bubbling with the hull still high and dry. We waded further out (it was freezing!) but it was just too flat and shallow. So we had to give up, unrig and drive home. (And now I can't even get hold of the little yellow crying face icon). The "ramp" is really the main street of the old town that was drowned as the dam filled and has now re appeared. The proper ramp is now miles from the water.

So, I will have to drive to the coast (about 3 1/2 hours but it is well worth it).

When I started building the lake was at the optimum level. It was huge! 25 km long and very much bigger than Sydney Harbour. This is all the result of the worst drought in our recorded history. Makes you see the reality of global warming.

Cheers,

Antony

[Garry]

Consider it a practice run?

[Greg Luckett]

Antony,

At first I thought you were having a bad spring, but now I realize you are having an early winter/late fall.