Sailing at last

Farewell to Tassie for now.
We have cleared customs for NZ.
We have a great breeze on the stern quarter and are averaging 6 knots with just the headsail out.
Low head lighthouse is getting smaller behind us. Nelson is only 1,228 nautical miles to go.
Wayne n Kathy

Tuesday or Wednesday departure

Unfortunately the weather doesn't look too good for our planned departure on Tuesday with W to SW winds at 25 - 30 knots. So we may delay leaving until Wednesday 31st Dec. The latest plan is to sail from Launceston on Monday morning and call in to collect our kayaks at Deviot. Stay at Spring Bay on Monday night. Then on Tuesday continue down the Tamar River to Beauty Point and stay at  Low Head Pilot station on Tuesday night.  On Wednesday morning customs will travel down to Low Head to clear us and then we hope to depart about 10am for New Zealand. Our ETA for Nelson will be the 11/1/15.
We had a taste of high latitude cruising today with 5 seals at the Cataract Gorge in Launceston. They might be here for the annual eel migration?

Voyage on Wildflower Complete

TUESDAY 1st June
As the wind was still up around 20 to 25 knots. Dan and I decided to wait at Cid Harbour until the high tide around midday before setting out across the Whitsunday Passage. The tidal flow floods South and ebbs North, so with the ebbing current going in the same direction as the wind it promises to be a smoother trip.
I have sailed across here with the current  opposing a 25 to 30 knot wind before and it was a rough trip. As it was Wildflower revelled in the conditions and we surfed the manageable waves up to 8.5 knots boat speed plus another knot of current to give us nearly 10 at times.

We picked up a mooring overnight off Airlie Beach on the advice of another yachty and moved into the Able Point Marina Wednesday morning.

We did 1,077 nautical miles since leaving Sydney on 2nd June and arrived at the marina 30 days later.
We averaged over 6 knots, with the wind behind us all the way except motoring just 7 hours through the Sandy Straits in a calm and a patch of tacking just North of Crowdy Head for about 3 hours.
I am currently waiting at Posserpine for a flight back to Sydney. Dan is prepping Wildflower before Maxine joins next Monday.
Until the next voyage,
Wayne

More Bullets at Cid Harbour

Monday 30th June at anchor in Cid Harbour on Wildflower.
We have been here since Friday and have enjoyed a hike to Whitsunday Peak, fishing a nearby reef and a hike to Dugong Beach.
We plan to head over to anchor off Airlie tomorrow afternoon.
Meanwhile it is blowing 30 + at Hamilton Island and we are getting some gusts (bullets) over the hills to windward occasionally but it is comfortable enough.
Perhaps some snorkeling this arvo when the tide drops a bit.
All is well on Wildflower
Wayne and Dan

Goldsmith and beyond

We were hoping to get some swimming and snorkeling done on Scawfell Island and again on our last night's anchorage at Goldsmith but the cool windy conditions at both were not conducive.
We are currently underway with the wind behind us. The headsail poled out, the main triple reefed. Doing 7 knots as we are is a comfortable speed, any more and the steering gets challenging.
We are heading to Cid harbour where we are guaranteed a snorkel and a chance to hike up a nearby peak. The weather is supposed to moderate this afternoon then come in hard again Sunday and Monday.
Whilst the 20 knots we have had since leaving Mackay give us a pleasurable sail as we weave our way between the islands, the anchorages have been rolly and quite often we have been hit by bullets. Bullets are a term given by sailors to mean sudden wind gusts or down drafts over and through valleys on the land to windward. They are often stronger than the prevailing breeze.

All is well aboard Wildflower
Wayne n Dan

25/06/2014, At anchor 20`51.7 S 149`35.7 E,  Refuge Bay, Scawfell Island

We left the Marina at 0800 this morning and planned to head to Scawfell Island about 25 nm away. The straight line brushed the Island of St Bees so we entered a waypoint to steer clear to the south of the off lying reef and shoals.


A look through the binoculars to check that the lights on the breakwater indicating shipping movements were not red, we proceeded through the gap in the marina breakwater which leads to the shipping harbour then through the outer breakwater. Once committed, the Tall Ship Young Endeavour was turning to pass inbound, we made our way off the leads to pass port to port as I am sure she altered slightly to Starboard as well to accommodate us. Once past, we proceeded through the outer Gate. We turned seaward to see an inbound ship at close quarters with 2 Tugs and quickly got off the leads to starboard again since we had enough depth to proceed. We were given 5 short blasts after making this turn but I am sure we had already made it obvious so held my course.


Anyway once clear of all pesky shipping, phew, we set a 3 reefed main and full headsail. We got the 20 knot breeze we had expected in the forecast and we began to enjoy the ride as we beam reached at 7.5 knots. It was a real pleasure and an occasional breaking wave flopped over the windward rail. Danny got some good GoPro footage from many different points on board.


We arrived at our anchorage at lunch time and got the anchor down in 8 metres of water. Danny knocked up some Tuna Nachos and we read and rested the afternoon away. A bit too windy to enjoy a swim or snorkel and the dinghy stayed tied to the foredeck due to lack of interest. The Island is rugged and covered completely in uninviting rain forest. The water in the bay is a beautiful turquoise and we spotted a large turtle as it came up for a breath.  
All is well

Regards,
Wayne
Sailing Vessel Wildflower
sv.ambler at amosconnect.com

Digby Island anchorage

Dan and I decided to go ashore again on Middle Percy Island to find out more about the history and future of this iconic (for sailors) place. We struck out for the homestead which lies inland and the other side of Andy's Lookout. Here we were able to connect again with the outside world via the internet and thanks to Telstra mobile. We also downloaded the latest grib weather files.
Once the internet and gadgets were put away we strove on to see the new caretaker lease holder. 3 young labradors met us at the gate and heralded our coming. We were invited in by Kate and sat around discussing politics and park services. The parks service has taken over the island and plan to burn almost all of it shortly. The lease is now tenuous with Kate's name on it, she is the cousin of Andy, now deceased. The original lease holders worked and or farmed the land. The parks service now want to return it to its natural state, ignoring the heritage of the island.
We walked back to West cove with Bronte, one of the Labradors, who would find her way back to the homestead once she had delivered us safely.
We collected 2 more coconuts and headed back to Wildflower for lunch and a swim before setting  out for Digby.
Setting full sail we covered the 21 nm in 3 1/2 hours. We shared this anchorage with 2 other yachts.
We are now on route to Mackay harbour marina for reprovisioning.
All well on Wildflower
Wayne

Middle Percy Island

After the walk ashore on Great Keppel Island we decided there was nothing keeping us from heading North again sooner rather than later. Great Keppel still has some magnificent beaches but there is more and better in the Whitsunday Islands, our ultimate goal.
The weather was due to lighten off sometime this evening and tomorrows forecast didn't offer much wind either so we lunched, lashed the dinghy and readied the boat for sea to try and get as far North as we can since we still had some breeze.
We cleared the shelter of our anchorage and hoisted full sail in the 10-15 knot easterly breeze which we managed to keep until midnight somewhere off Port Clinton where the wind died. We then ran the engine most of the time, with a few forays of breeze in between, until we reached the Middle Percy Island anchorage around 9am. A swim then brunch and it was time to go ashore and explore a bit of the island.
There is a shelter just up from the beach where yachties past have placed name boards to commemorate their visit to this interesting island. I husked a coconut on the spike provided then Dan captured the moment when I managed to take the top clean off the nut with a blow from an old pair of pliers and drank the milk out of the now cup shaped nut. The flesh was sweet as well.
An afternoon siesta back on Wildflower then ashore again at high tide to dinghy up the creek once visited by Matthew Flinders. Here we found and filmed a colony of bats or flying foxes roosting in the mangroves. We also visited and chatted with some other Yachties on the beach before returning to the boat as the sun set over the sea.
Another great day in the tropics
Wayne
Sailing Vessel Wildflower
sv.ambler(at)amosconnect.com

Great? Keppel Island

After a great nights sleep Dan and I went ashore to explore the Island.
We followed beaches and around headlands to get to the remains of the old resort area which I believe was popular in the eighties with the under 30s. What remains were up for sale the pizza shop and a souvenir shop. There were many buildings and dilapidated  infrastructure fenced off. We came to do some bushwalking too armed with a map that Kathy found online and emailed to me. We found the signposted (dilapidated) track heads and they were overgrown and nasty looking so we kept to the old ratty vehicle tracks and just made our way, via a lookout, back to leaks beach and back on board for a Dans special hamburger. So that was the once Great Keppel Island. We did meet some old folk (walking sticks) off the boat for the day who were heading for the tourist shop to grab a postcard or T shirt, perhaps reliving their past journey to get wrecked as they used to say. It was a depressing mornings walk. The only wildlife observed were also intent on destroying  the place. Feral  Goats.
Anyway we decided to do an overnighter and head north towards the Percy Islands.
Bye for now
Wayne n Dan

Rolly Anchorages

Last nights anchorage behind Cape Capricorn turned out to be rather rolly and we didn't a great deal of sleep. When the anchor alarm went off twice during the night we both dove up expecting to see the boat heading away from our anchorage into the wide blue with a mind of its own and us as hostages. Instead we discover the tide just turned or the wind stopped briefly allowing us to drift outside the range ring. A reset of the alarm and back to try and get sleep again.
Dawn was a real pleasure as it meant time to go sailing again, it was raining.
We weighed anchor and headed out from under the cliffs to test the breeze and decide the sail configuration. We went with the poled head sail and full main, reefed a bit later as the winds topped 20 knots once the rain passed away to our north.
Tired from the restless night before so we are lucky we only have to go 4 hours to Great Keppel Island.
The wind veered and backed about four times so we gibed each time to stay on the shifts. There were some occasional boat eating waves to surf down, I think the tide was running against the wind steeping it up.
We arrived at 1130 and got the anchor down. A quick swim and snorkel under the boat before lunching on Eggs, Avocado Salmon and Toast. A cup of tea.
Time to go ashore and stretch the legs or maybe just stay and siesta?

Wayno

Anchored behind Cape Capricorn

18 June 2014
Well here we are on the tropic of capricorn. From now on we will be officially  sailing in the tropics.Yesterday afternoon at Lady Musgrave Island we went ashore to see the birds. They aren't afraid of people and allow one to get close.
The sail across from LMI to here was great, broad reaching with 2 reefs in the main, no pole out but we did end up poling the headsail for the last 2 hours. We covered 50nm in 8.5 hours.
We voyage onward to Great Keppel Island tomorrow.
It is currently 25 knots at the lighthouse above us 2030 anchor drag alarm is on.

All good on Wildflower
Wayne n Dan

Arrived at Lady Musgrave Island

Well we set out from the Burnett River anchorage at midnight and made good time in the building wind. We had two reefs in the main and a full head sail poled out taking full advantage of the Southerley (at anchor, now gusting up to 23 knots).
The journey across here in the still mostly full moon over the silver ocean was uneventful with Dan on watch first then me from 3am to 6am. 

This anchorage is smooth but windy. A little too windy for a swim at the moment as the boat yaws around a bit too much. It is nice to be here and we are getting another forecast to decide if we should head away this evening or stay until tomorrow as planned.
We have a spot tracker onboard the link is on Dan's facebook page.
Sent via Isatphone 0011 870776389275
All is well,
Wayne and Dan
Sailing Vessel Wildflower
sv.ambler-at-amosconnect.com

Emulsified Gear Oil

Yesterday morning whilst checking the fluid levels in the engine room, I noticed the gear oil looked a bit odd. I wasn't sure if it was aerated or an emulsion of oil and water. Test 1 taste to determine if salty, fail, not salty. Step two spit out saliva lots and clean teath.
Test 2 place small quantity of suspect oil in pan on stove, it crackled once the boiling point was reached so it is water in oil.
We found a 1/3rd of a litre of gear oil not enough for immediate oil change so we decided to press on to Bundaberg since there wasn't much we could do at anchor off Big Woody.
Having arrived at Port Bundaberg Marina yesterday (Sunday) a visit to the fuel wharf to top up diesel and locate more oil for the saildrive unit, we decided to stay at the marina to sort out the problem in the morning.
We got 4 litres of oil from the Chandlery, pumped the old oil out with a suction pump found on board, then added fresh oil.
A restock of fresh food was made easy by a walk to the IGA at Burnett Heads followed by a free ride back to the marina with goods. A refill of water then a 1300 departure to anchor in the river and siesta before setting off for Lady Musgrave Island at midnight.
All is well on board
Wayno
PS The boat is now booked to come out for a leg job once we get to Airlie

Hervey Bay Whales

Well we set off from Pelican Bay yesterday morning. We transited the sandy straits, anchoring briefly for lunch near white cliffs. A lot of navigation is required here and these days, with moving chart displays, made my 6th journey by far the easiest.
As we came towards the Northern end, a front of rain cloud to the west approached. A decision was made to head to the East of Big Woody Island. We arrived and anchored just before the rain came and enjoyed the sight of others follow us in over the next couple of hours in the misty rain.
Well here we are 3 hours South of Burnett River, we have had s close encounter with a whale leaving a footprint beside the boat, then an even closer brush this time a diving whales tail glancing our Port Bow as high as the rail.
It was travelling North along with us we think, the last sighting just 100 metres abeam of us.
We have the channel markers of the Burnett River (Port Bundaberg) ahead on the horizon.
Beautiful sailing weather with flat seas and a westerly of between 7 and up to 12 knots.
All is well on board
Wayne

Pelican Bay Anchorage

We set off from Mooloolaba at 1500 Thurs and just set the headsail since we only had about 50 nm to get to the Wide Bay Bar in the next 15 hours. A nice afternoons sail through to dusk and a full moon to enjoy the almost clear night on the silver reflective sea. It was an interesting night of variable conditions mostly about 10 knots from the south but a patch of 25 knots from the SE at 2300 with rain just after I came up on watch. We just had the head sail up and still got here 3 hours early so we hove too to wait for dawn. Dawn and another 5 yachts converged to follow us in. The wind turned westerly so on with the donk. The bar was OK being the last of the run in tide. We are anchored in Pelican Bay for a good sleep before continuing on north through the Sandy Straits.
All well on board
Wayne n Dan

Wild Flower at Mooloolaba

The weather forcast showed a following wind of up to 20 knots on Sunday and 30 knots Monday, so we decided to get going north again sooner rather than later.
Brett saw us off from Southport at 2330 on Saturday night. His journey north with us was of great value and we will miss his enthusiasm and  good company.
We motored out over the seaway bar and unfurled the headsail, 6 knots of boat speed was enough with this configuration for the rest of the night. Dan did first watch for 3 hours, enjoying the occasional surf on the 2 metre swell. I took over before dawn and conned the boat around Boat Rock then Cape Morton for a nice sunrise. Turning here to our final waypoint, Point Cartright, had us broad reaching with a wind wave from the south out of Morton Bay and the SE swell. We put up a 2 reefed mainsail and did some more surfing.
The dolphins had a play in the bow waves as we sailed over the pilot boarding spot. We had a ship out of Brisbane and the pilot boat rushing towards the rendezvous spot now behind us.
We are now anchored in the Mooloola river just upstream of Mooloolaba where will sit out the 30 knot winds now blowing.

At Southport QLD

The third night at sea gave us a few testing times with the wind coming around from dead astern at 5 knots to the SE for a while causing us to gybe then SW all of a sudden with a squall of 20 knots with heavy rain. We double reefed and got the poled head sail away. It fell light again soon after I came up for my watch, I shook the reefs out soon afterwards.

 We spotted a few more Whales around Point Danger after a very welcoming dawn.

We made it into Southport yesterday around noon and tied up at the super yacht dock at the yacht club.
We covered 414 Nautical Miles and averaged 5.5 knots.
Today we sorted some things out on board and did a re-supply. We will move off the dock here tomorrow and drop the anchor or grab a mooring nearby to wait for the weather to continue north, perhaps on Sunday.

Brett flies out Sunday morning to head back to Tassie. He has just done the deal on a Bavaria 42 moored at Geelong which I will help him sail it home to the Tamar in August.

All is well on board and looking forward to another long uninterrupted nights sleep again tonight

Great Leaping Whales

SV Wild Flower day 2
3rd June 2013 at 2100 AEST just North of Port Macquarie.
Today we had a mixed bag of wind with mostly light Westerly. It came around to a Northerly off Camden Haven of 5 knots so we drifted there enjoying the challenge of trying to capture the moment on film of a big Humpback launch repeatedly out pf the water about a mile away. Didn't quite get it.

We ended up motoring for a few hours from there and now we have our land breeze back of 10 knots from WNW.

Wayne

Wild Flower Voyage

Wild Flower is a Juneau DS 42 Yacht owned by Dan. He has engaged me to skipper it from Sydney to the Whitsundays with him. We planned to try to get to Qld non stop due to a strong current which sets to the south along the NSW coast. We needed an extra crew so we could do it safely so Brett from Tassie joined us for the first hop through to the Gold Coast.
Anyway we passed out of the harbour this morning at 8am with a light NW breeze and motor sailed for an hour.  Just past Long Reef the breeze filled in to 15 knots so it was off with the motor out with the headsail and trimmed for a close reach.

We played around with Mary-Anne the hydrovane for a few hours but she was a bit overwelmed by the sudden attention after 18 months of iddleness and was a bit sticky rather than smooth in her reactions to the wind.
We occasionally engaged Ginger the Auto Pilot but we weren't too happy with her energy consumption. So we are hand steering since we all need the practice anyway.
Both Ginger and Mary Anne were stars of Gilligan's Island.

At 19:30 we are passing Newcastle doing about 6.5 knots heading towards a waypoint off Point Stephens.
All is well on board. Dan had a bowl of cereal, Brett fancied a can of cold baked beans while I had hot roast chicken and veges for dinner.

Wayne
PS my dinner was out of a can too

Weather dictated a no go for Deal Island

We cruised the Tamar River on Ambler and did some maintenance tasks instead of stepping out into Bass Strait and getting knocked around in a predicted gale every 3 days over the Easter to Anzac break.
Ambler is to get another gadget, a wind vane self steering system called an Auto-Helm, not a raytheon product, its a mechanical device built by Scanmar.

I fly out to Sydney at the end of May to skipper/deliver a 42ft yacht "Wildflower" to the Whitsundays with the owner Dan and another keen crew member Brett from Tassie. Wildflower will accompany the Humpback Whales as they migrate North. Will keep you posted on the trip.

Another delivery from Melbourne to the Tamar is now in the pipeline on another 42 ft yacht, possibly towards the end of July. The boat is being bought at the moment and is subject to a survey inspection and a re-rig.

Wayne

Almost ready for a voyage to Deal Island

Deal Island is an Island, part of the Kent Group which is located North West of Flinders Island in Bass Strait. This one of the islands that form a chain from Wilsons Prom in Victoria to the North East Corner of Tasmania. It has a volunteer caretaker appointed by Parks Tasmania to care and maintain the discontinued Light House and the associated keepers quarters.
We plan to set out weather permitting on or just after Easter this year 2014.
Regards,
Wayne
Sailing Vessel Ambler
sv.ambleratamosconnect.com