Position: Moored Rushcutters Bay, Port Jackson
Wind: Calm
Sea: calm Swell: nil
Weather: sunny, mild

For now we remain moored in Rushcutters Bay, Port Jackson.

Over the last month or so I have come to the conclusion that Sylph's house batteries need replacing as they do not appear to be holding a charge, but I continue to monitor them to see if we can extract a bit more life out of them. I have been investigating buying replacements, in particular lithium ion batteries which have become much more affordable over the past few years, so I have been researching the pros and cons of replacing the AGMs with these more efficient batteries. There are a lot of different brands out there with varying degrees of quality so it is all a bit confusing. Hopefully I will have worked out a way ahead this coming week.

Something else I have been investigating relates to Sylph's next adventure. One thing that has been in the back of my mind for a long time is to participate in the Sydney to Hobart yacht race (I say participate rather than compete because I hardly expect old Sylph to be able to compete with the light modern boats). In her early years Sylph completed six Sydney to Hobarts but, apart from participating as radio relay vessel while serving in Young Endeavour, I have not yet competed in the race and now seems a good a time as any to see if it is feasible to enter Sylph. While she is clearly more than capable of completing the race, there are now a lot more hoops to jump through to get her qualified. Probably the most difficult (and expensive) is obtaining a stability rating for her. So that is the immediate objective and is the main reason for my remaining in Sydney for the time being.

I expect that if we are able to tick all the boxes and compete in this year's S2H, that Sylph will most certainly come last, but that is hardly the point. I will be happy if we make it to the start line, very happy if we get across the finish line, and bordering on ecstatic if we make it to Hobart for new year's eve.

Meanwhile, maintenance jobs continue. This week I have made up a new teak grate for the back of the cockpit and started attacking a few rust spots that have appeared around the transom.

All is well.