Middle Harbour Mooring

After a week or so at the Catalina Anchorage, Tegwen was taken to a mooring in Quakers Hat Bay, Middle Harbour, as a base for a couple of months while we got used to her and her ways before heading south for Batemans Bay.  It was also the start of enhancing Tegwen, commencing with the autopilot. 

Cruising around Middle Harbour was a good way to get to know how to handle Tegwen under power and in close quarters. Christine took the helm early on and to her joy found it to be easy.  We spent time in Bantry Bay and other little corners over this time.

Handover & Early Days

26th January 2008, Australia Day, Tegwen was handed over for sea trials on Sydney Harbour.

January 28th some of Stephen's family came to check Tegwen out.  Here are Christine and Stephen on that day.

Commissioning & Launching

Shipped to Port Kembla from Florida, Tegwen was then trucked to Woolwich Dock for initial commissioning.  Here is Stephen's first sighting of Tegwen at Woolwich 29th December 2007.

With the wiring and rigging in place, the mast was stepped and Tegwen's keel  touched water for the first time on the 8th January 2008.

From there she was motored around to the Catalina Anchorage in Middle Harbour to complete the commissioning process.

The Order

I attended the boat show with a view to seeing what sort of deal could be struck with a successful outcome.

Last day of the Sydney Boat Show, 7th August 2007, and the order for a new Catalina C320 Mk II is signed with the Australian Catalina agent looking as pleased as I was.

The Dream

Many years of Sydney Boat Show visits, much reading and hanging out on the C320 owners email list crystalised the dream into the form of a Catalina C320.  After unsuccessfully scouring the secondhand market for a suitable recent example, the favourable currency exchange rates and the introduction of the Mk II model brought on the decision to possibly getting a brand new boat!