Posted on 12/25/2023 5:58:41 PM PST by BenLurkin
In a first for the iconic Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race, a cat named Oli has made history as a unique participant. This event, which started as a casual cruise down Australia’s east coast in 1945, has seen various colorful competitors, but 2023 marked the first time a feline has joined the ranks of the sailors.
Skipper Robert Williams and his cat Oli participated aboard the yacht ‘Sylph VI’ in the 78th running of the 628 nautical mile race. Oli, approximately 10 years old, has been part of Williams’ life for five years and has adapted well to life at sea. Initially prone to seasickness, Oli has since become an adept sea cat, often found commanding the ship or napping in the cockpit. Williams, a retired navy officer with extensive sea experience, considers Oli a vital part of his crew.
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Kitty ping
Ships’s cats are good luck.
I just hope there’s never a “cat overboard” situation.
Bah! The cat was just a passenger.
Cats have served with distinction on ships of all kind pretty much forever.
I once saw a cat on a catamaran.
From there we could see the boats beating out of the bay for the Melbourne - Hobart Race. It was blowing a whole gale (~45KT) out of the South. It was hard to stand on the headland. The boats were hard pressed to make in out of the bay without tacking. That was going to be one hard race.
Those are not small boats up close but they were going to feel awfully small once they got out into the Bass Strait. It is almost a straight shot from the mouth of the bay to the Antarctica with nothing but water. It's about 450NM from Melbourne to Hobart. My friends said it was not unusual for someone to die each year despite the RAN and Coast Guard keeping an eye on everyone.
afterwards we headed to the penguin rookery. The Aussie wildlife officials warned everyone that there was to be NO flash photography once you entered the elevated walkways that had to use to get to the viewing stands. You would lose your camera, you would NOT get it back, and it and any lenses attached would be physically destroyed on site. They were nice enough to provide a few lit areas for people to take photos of the nests.
It calmed down towards dusk when the penguins come ashore. At first there is just one or two but then there are little penguins everywhere surfing ashore and coming up the beach.
Fairy penguins are the smallest of the penguin species. They are so cute.
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