Syzygy Sailing

Australia is a nanny state, the state of Queensland being the worst. They have government regulations for everything. You aren’t allowed to work on your own refrigeration system and you can’t buy refrigerant you could get at any auto store in the States. You need a license and certifications to be hired to make espresso. Australia won’t let you refill American approved air scuba cylinders. Doesn’t meet their standards. To serve alcohol you have to take a mandatory four day course. Its the law that you have to get a specific scuba diving physical before you can take a scuba diving certification course. And Australians seem to love it. They seem to love following rules. And are aghast at the notion that maybe government doesn’t need to baby their citizens. Everyone drives the speed limit.

One aspect, however, of the nanny state will please my parents, even if it is annoying to me. Boats are required to check in with the Coast Guard as they move from one Coast Guard region to the next. This happens about every 10 miles. I’ve heard boats checking in with Coast Guard just to move from one side of an three mile wide island to the other. You are required to give your origin, destination and approximate arrival time, boat registration number, number of people on board, We have dutifully checked in with the Coast Guard as we have travelled north. Other boats have told us they found us particularly humorous when we would call for a particular Coast Guard, only to have to switch to calling for “Any Coast Guard in Range!” Our VHF it seems is not particularly powerful.

Here is Justin having some fun. Doing his best Australian voice impression and checking in with the Coast Guard.

Romeo that.