What a fabulous start to 2009!

We arrived at the Port, 8.30am and had a long agonizing wait in a small demountable airconditioned office/ container, before Peter received the call at 1.30pm for us to head down to the ship ready for the offloading. Peter and David from Nordhavn, Don the professional skipper, Alan and Myself hopped aboard the Brisbane Port Launches workboat for the journey a couple miles down the Brisbane River. Wow she looks so tiny against the enormous stack of containers beside her! It was not long before Opal Lady was released from the deck of the ship and lowered into the water, just before she was fully floating on her own, we all clambered onboard and the boys set about untying the slings as they had lowered her all the way down. She was now in Australian waters. Everyone was scurrying around to get all the systems checks done, the batteries were turned on, and engines started as the workboat towed us away from the ship. It didn’t take long for the towline to be released and we were under our own steam putting upstream to Rivergate berth D5. Once safely in the pen, David went to retrieve the cars and stopped by the pub to pick up a bottle of Moet Champagne, Beer for Alan and some special crystal/plastic champagne flutes. In the cool breeze on the foredeck Peter proposed a toast to Opal Lady and her safe arrival. What a great Day!!!!