The Lass in Winter

Now that Audlem Lass is sailing again between Audlem and Overwater Marina, have you ever wondered what the Audlem Lass and its crew members get up to during the close season? Did you think that the Lass spent its days out of the water at the Marina being cleaned and painted?

Chairman Campbell Ward was spotted by an eagle-eyed AudlemOnline reporter in Sydney, Australia, last year, and it is now clear that the object of the visit was to set up a winter venue for the Lass.

Now, as our picture shows, we can reveal that the Lass works during January and February in the sunshine of Sydney Harbour, on its scheduled trips from the Balmain ferry point to Circular Quay in the middle of the City, sailing under the famous Harbour Bridge and past the Opera House.

Joe Hoyles was heard to remark what a successful first season the Lass had Down Under, carrying 485 passengers, 27 dogs, 6 pushchairs and a kangaroo.

Rod Cottrell commented that the voyage from Audlem had been interesting, avoiding passenger vessel dues on the Suez Canal, Somali pirates round the Horn of Africa and then sharks across the Indian Ocean.

Rod was so impressed by the possibilities of Circular Quay that he is negotiating with the Sydney Harbour Authority to hold next year's Audlem RNLI Festival there, complete with a band of local didgeridoo players.

The only blot on the landscape (or harbourscape) so far has been an irritating tendency by the locals to refer to the Lass as the Audlem Sheila.

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