The morning news told us there was wild weather about. Road closures, flooding, disrupted transport
(frankly when isn’t transport disrupted?), king tides and dangerous surf! Just
the sort of day you will find the intrepid B&B mob out for a swim.
Actually, a modest 53 swimmers took the plunge today. It was a real winter morning – wet, grey and somewhat dull in the pre-dawn light. Undeterred, there was excitement at the thought of crashing into the surf. Some were a little more excited than others. . .
Despite all the warnings about king tides and dangerous surf, only an occasional wave disturbed our smooth entry into the water today.
Today also marks the anniversery of our farewell Bruce Paterson. A year ago, 200 swimmers gathered to sing “Wish Me Luck As You Wave Me Goodbye” as his daughter, Margo, scattered his ashes. As a tribute
to Bruce, we held a minutes silence at the point.
The gathering at Shelly provides the opportunity to get to know your fellow swimmers and indulge in general silliness – all in the name of keeping the blood flowing and sharing body heat.
The boat is still there!
As far as visibility – forget it.
Lots of debris in the water made the potential for fishy sightings very
low.
At one stage on the return to
Manly, I saw what I thought were plastic bags, only to be a little surprised
when they blinked at me!!
Returning to Manly it is smiles all around. We’ve beaten the elements and edged another swim closer to that winter badge.
And don’t forget!! Jules is back on Thursday. Make sure you come on down for a swim with our fearless founder. For those of you who have not had the privilege of meeting Jules – there have been over 1,000 new swimmers since she moved to Perth – you have a few days to get to know the inspiration behind this amazing swim squad.
For your Diary
The B&B monthly dinner is a great
chance to catch up with your B&B friends at an informal gathering. The cost
is excellent value at $20 for two courses, with $5 drinks, $5 desserts and no
corkage for BYO wine.
Bluewater also now offers $25 special meals in addition to our standard $20 deal. Bookings
are essential so Click
here to book early and
avoid disappointment. Don’t forget,
the next batch of 500 km badges will also be presented on the night.
Did I hear
something about a Ball?
Yes! Saturday 27 July, 3 course meal,
music, fun, drinks and entertainment ……all l for $85.
Themed as The Great
Gatsby with a touch of Pink, enjoy a night out with your fellow swimmers
at the cinematic home of Jay Gatsby, St Patricks!!
To book go
to:
https://bnbball.arrangemyseat.com/
You will
need to select your table and detail any dietary requirements. If you have any
questions, ask Stephen, Nick or Sharon (Snorkels) at any swim!
Staying safe
In case you see a wave as a result of all this weather, do read
these excellent tips on staying safe in the surf. To read, or even download, click here.
See you soon
Mary
The Stats
Regulars: 53
Newbies: none
Temp: 18.2 degrees
Sunrise: 7.00am
Sunset: 4.54pm
18 comments
Vanessa
24/06/2013 at 12:01 pm
Thanks John for letting me do the ‘Lets Go’ at Shelly.
Lips
24/06/2013 at 2:15 pm
Great blog Robbie. In fact, your best blog yet! By far..
Agree, media reports made it sound like the world was ending today. When in fact conditions turned out quite pleasant. It’s always summer at Cabbage Tree Bay!
I’m almost certain I spotted a few swimmers sipping Pina Coladas at Shelly..
lesbubbes
24/06/2013 at 2:41 pm
Yeah agree Lips – that was Robbie’s best ever blog!
:-p
And agree – conditions were way better than you would have though. Coming back into the beach took forever tho – especially as I was cold and a bit scared I’d get dumped by waves but it all worked out! yay!
Mary
24/06/2013 at 2:41 pm
Humm, don’t know who should be more miffed – Robbie or me, Mr Lips!!
Elaine de Jager
24/06/2013 at 2:51 pm
Good old Mary stepping in to fill in for Robster with tomorrow’s blog to do too. Lovely that you all remembered Bruce too. see you tomorrow!
Mary
24/06/2013 at 2:59 pm
Hey! A little less of the old. . . Actually Lovely Lesley is doing tomorrow, then I will do Wednesday and totally confuse the readers.
Marije
24/06/2013 at 3:08 pm
Choppy swim this morning. Nice photos.
Snorkles
24/06/2013 at 3:08 pm
Mary – thankfully they gave the Monday blog to someone who knows what they are doing (I do realise that following sunday is a hard task) but you nailed it!
John S
24/06/2013 at 3:20 pm
Sort of like a beauty sandwiched between two angels?
;-0
Vanessa
24/06/2013 at 3:44 pm
I was frozen in a cold patch at the corner of Shelly as I was trying to swim ‘up the hills’, then made sure I had a buddy coming back into Manly with as I too get scared of the big waves lesbubbes.
Robbie Byrne
24/06/2013 at 3:53 pm
Best Monday blog ever, by a country mile.
Mary
24/06/2013 at 3:54 pm
Silver tongued smoothie 😀
Robbie Byrne
24/06/2013 at 3:58 pm
Just because it is true, doesnt mean that it doesnt hurt Lips.
Harsh.
True…but harsh
Little Sarah aka LSA aka HKTQ
24/06/2013 at 4:15 pm
Mary, great job! I recommend a sign-off to avoid trouble:-)
Sorry to have missed the the tribute for Bruce. What a wonderful farewell it was last year – one of my most memorable swims ever!
Good blog-tarting Lips, Lesley, Mariah & all …… just been to see a Chinese dr, so hope all the disgusting-tasting medicines get me back in the water very soon!
Little Sarah aka LSA aka HKTQ
24/06/2013 at 4:18 pm
Marije not Mariah…..
Mary Stollery
24/06/2013 at 4:34 pm
There is a sign off. They are just being rude!!
DWSS
24/06/2013 at 6:01 pm
agree!
Marije
24/06/2013 at 6:18 pm
Marije/Mariah – I use both. Hadn’t even seen all the photos im in. I’m in 4 of the last 6 photos. Swimming with Rainer has probably caused this!