Sat 20 July to Mon 12 August 2019 Port Stephens
In Port Stephens we caught up with friends and family members. My sister Janice and husband Daniel were up doing some work on their house on top of Wanda Wanda Head and we anchored nearby to visit them. We also kayaked along a fair bit of the shoreline and found another Cape Barren Goose called Wybalena on a mooring at the entrance to North Arm. Nearby is Fame Cove which has some courtesy moorings and is almost land locked by a native bush reserve with lots of bird life.
We did a lot of day sailing and testing of the new cable steering connected to the Fleming wind vane, it was like magic. We bought some plywood and made some more vanes as the lightweight plastic ones that it came with are reported to be a bit too light by friends that have used the Fleming wind vane. Also we were visited by pods of dolphins many times during our stay. They are permanent residents in the port and there are around seven charter boats that fill with tourists, from all parts of the world who arrive by bus daily.
We weathered a big blow during our stay and chose to tie alongside the public wharf again for protection for 6 nights. Even the large dolphin spotter boats found manoeuvring difficult in the strong winds and seas and their customers on return, looked relieved to be back on land.
We summited Yakaaba head with friends Andy and Narelle which was a great day outing as it involved a big drive around the port to Tea Gardens then a walk along the beach to the base of the climb. A very good track leads to the summit where there are some ruins, perhaps from one of the world wars. It would have made an ideal lookout post as the views of the coastline north and south are extensive. On Monday evening the four of us found the local club and enjoyed a big dinner of roast lamb and baked potatoes and all the trimmings, delicious.
Tue 13 - Wed 14 August Port Stephens to North Haven
On a good forecast it was time to head north again. We departed at 09:30 and made our way towards the entrance of Port Stephens with just the head sail deployed as we had a 15 knot south westerly. Once clear of Yakaaba Head we set the mainsail as well and poled the head sail to run wing and wing. We ran with this configuration until 19:00 when a shift to an 8 knot westerly took over. The breeze then went north westerly at the same strength just before midnight. We were able to keep this breeze, close reaching through to our destination arriving off the Camden Haven River at 05:00. As the conditions were ideal in a few more hours to enter with the tide, we hove to until first light and got under way with the engine on at 06:20. The bar way was smooth and we came to anchor off the North Haven boat ramp at 06:40. We had covered 78 nautical miles in 22 hours.
In North Haven we caught up with good friends Phil and Cheryl who had been collecting our mail, including Ambler's new shipping registration papers from Canberra. We also topped up with LPG and diesel from the nearby service station. We stayed Thursday and Friday and did a drive to Port Macquarie for some more provisions too. We had spotted a good weather window developing next week for a voyage departing customs at Coffs Harbour to Noumea, New Caledonia. I phoned Customs also now known as Australian Border Force at Coffs Harbour to give them advance notice of our departure, they would let us depart as early as Monday if the conditions remained favourable.
Sat 17 - Camden Haven River to Coffs Harbour
We weighed anchor at 07:00 and found the bar way smooth again for an easy exit. Once at sea we set sail with a 10 knot north westerly which we made use of through to midday. We sighted whales off Port Macquarie and we came closer into the beach to escape the southerly setting current again. Along this leg we experimented with the new plywood wind vane blades and gained some more experience with different steering settings in the light breeze.
We were expecting a southerly change during the day and it came around noon when abeam of Point Plomer. We turned into the strong breeze and dropped the mainsail then turned back on course allowing the 25 knots to fill the head sail and pull us north. At 14:40 we were abeam of Korogoro Point where the current against wind was standing up the seas making for a great ride as we surfed along. Also enjoying the conditions were numerous humpback whales which were all travelling south with the current, they were leaping right out of the water into the wind and crashing back down in the waves. It was a spectacular sight and fortunately no whales came too close to us this time.
Just after dark the strong southerly eased off and turned south west allowing the mainsail to be re hoisted and the head sail to be poled out. We carried this configuration through until 23:30 when we altered course to enter Coffs Harbour. We came to anchor near the south west corner of the bay right on midnight. We had covered 89 nautical miles in 17 hours.
Sun 18 - Coffs Harbour
After dawn we weighed anchor and moved over to a courtesy mooring next to the jetty. We had breakfast then went ashore to check out the markets in the nearby park. There were plenty of fresh fruit and vegies so we stocked up on a few good bargains. We then caught a bus into Coffs and found the main supermarkets open as well. We completed the list of products we needed for the voyage ahead. The next bus back was another hour away so we decided to walk back to the boat following the bush track next to the creek, appreciating the birds and smells of the bush. We spent the rest of the day preparing Ambler for sea.
Sunday, 29 September 2019
Wednesday, 18 September 2019
Eden to Port Stephens
Tues 21 May 2019 - We weighed anchor at 06:10 from our comfortable Eden anchorage, the forecast looked perfect for an overnight passage north along the coast to Ulladulla. We had to motor on and off while a westerly breeze petered out until 11:30. Then a south easterly filled in at about 8 knots. We took advantage of this breeze by hoisting our half ounce spinnaker with a full mainsail and we carried this through to sunset abeam of Bermagui. The breeze then veered south then south westerly at still less than 10 knots which would carry us through the night to Ulladulla with our genoa and full main.
Wed 22 May - We arrived on the leads of Ulladulla harbour at 06:00 where we dropped sails and fired up the perkins to enter, guided by a single dolphin in our bow wave. We found an anchorage spot just inside the northern breakwater and had breakfast. The fees for even tying up for the day were exorbitant and many warning signs for doing so were observed along the vacant wharves in the outer harbour. The plan for the day was to catch up with my sister Christine and Nic who live nearby. They joined us, via a short dinghy ride from the public boat ramp, for the morning and brought along a delicious quiche for lunch and fresh greens from their garden. The pelican population of the harbour were all present in the area, each occupying its own pole, waiting for the return of the many trailer fishing boats that we saw exiting before first light. We weighed anchor at 13:15 and exited the harbour then set sail in a 10 knot south easterly bound for Jervis Bay. The afternoon sailing conditions were enjoyable and we arrived at the entrance at 17:30 then sailed south to a public mooring located at the "Hole in the wall" bay.
Thur 23 May - We launched the kayaks and paddled along the shoreline then circumnavigated spectacular Bowen Island which forms the southern part of Jervis Bay entrance. The sheer sea cliffs of the east face rise to the north cut off by the entrance and the land slopes from the top of the cliffs down to the western shoreline. The island is a nature reserve and it is prohibited to land according to the many signs. The water was crystal clear and we could see the bottom for most of the paddle.
Fri 24 May - We sailed off the mooring and headed over to Huskisson where we picked up another courtesy mooring just off the mouth of Broughton Creek. We then explored the township via a short dinghy trip to the shore.
Sat 25 May - Broughton creek beckoned so we launched the kayaks and headed many kilometres upstream with the tide. We could have kept going but we would have had to camp ashore overnight.
Sun 26 to Tue 28 May - were spent aboard here on the protected courtesy mooring where it blew off the land from the north west.
Wed 29 May - The wind was due to come in from the south west so we motored the short distance to another courtesy mooring off Vincentia, then went ashore to reprovision for the voyage north tomorrow.
Thur 30 May - At 07:00 we hoisted sail, dropped the mooring and sailed with just our head sail out through the entrance then turned North with another yacht, Mojo from the Tamar River. The wind picked up to 25 knots from the west by the time we were abeam of the drum and drumsticks. Here two small grey coloured whales popped up right beside us for a breath. We had to furl the to half a head sail when we cleared the headland to turn north west towards Seven Mile Beach. The plan being to keep the waves from building and to stay inshore of the southerly set current. We unfurled the head sail off Geroa as the breeze moderated but left the main sail bagged for the rest of the voyage to Wollongong. We motored in and came alongside Ven Lee, a friends charter fishing boat. We took Mojo's lines to tie up to another fishing vessel in front of us.
Fri 31 May - We caught up with a few friends who dropped by and we walked to the local outdoor store and supermarket.
Sat 1 June - A southerly was blowing around 25 knots so we left Wollongong Harbour for a brisk sail to Sydney with a reefed main and full genoa poled wing and wing. Brisk it was and we arrived in the harbour and headed to another courtesy mooring this time near the middle harbour yacht club. We caught up with some friends on their boat here and stayed overnight.
Sun 2 June - A gale with rain was predicted over the next few days so we headed through the spit bridge and sailed to Crag Cove to anchor until Thursday. We had a few excursions ashore over the next few days and also walked to Chatswood for some fresh provisions.
Thur 6 June - We weighed anchor and sailed to Bantry Bay in the morning, picked up a courtesy mooring and went ashore to explore the bush tracks in the area, including some rock engraving sites and followed a very challenging mountain bike trail (by foot).
Fri 7 June - We departed Bantry Bay and motored through the Spit Bridge again to anchor in Farm Cove to experience the Vivid Light show for the night. The evening became extremely uncomfortable as I think every charter boat in Sydney Harbour came in to the bay, around us and back out numerous times until midnight. The lights were good to see but perhaps better viewed from land.
Sat 8 June - We weighed anchor at 08:30 and sailed towards Sydney Heads in a light westerly. Then we had to motor north through the wind shadow of North Head. We set sail again off Manly Beach and continued on north to Broken Bay where we entered at 13:30 then motored south to an anchorage near Scotland Island for a few days.
Mon 10 June - A friend called Jack drove us to the Boat Locker (a second hand boat accessory shop in Warriewood) to pick up an almost new cable steering system for Ambler which I had bought over the phone 6 weeks earlier. This would enable the connection of the Fleming wind vane steering system I had bought second hand and mounted to the transom earlier in the year. The advantage of this new cockpit wheel is it will be mounted to the aft bulkhead of the cockpit and then the wind vane control lines won't effectively cut the small centre cockpit in half like a conventional pedestal mounted wheel does. We weighed anchor at 14:10 and began a cruise over the next 5 days exploring the many bays, creeks and anchorages of Broken Bay.
Fri 14 June - With a spring tide high enough in the evening we were able to con Ambler into Mullet Creek to an anchorage adjacent to Wondabyne train station. We began the hour long journey at an hour and a half before high water and arrived in the dark at 17:50 to anchor in 6 metres of water with 30 metres of chain out. On the way upstream we ran over a bouyant poly pipeline on the surface across the channel which we managed to roll over succesfully and also avoided some yellow buoyed silt screening that was set up adjacent to some rock walling that was being done by the railways to protect their infrastructure.
Sat 15 to Sun 30 June - We accomplished many jobs aboard such as fitting the steering and servicing the engine. There were many trips by train to pick up extra supplies for these tasks and visiting both our relatives in Sydney and the Central Coast.
Mon 1 July - The exit on another spring tide was accomplished in the dark and we got under way at 18:00. A mention to the local waterways officer during our stay in regard to the obstructions we encountered on the way upstream had payed off, he said he would have a word to the workmen. We found the channel clear this time and negotiated the barway entrance to the creek with 0.2 of a metre under keel clearance.
Tue 2 to Thur 18 July - was spent again cruising around Broken Bay, Cowan Creek and Pittwater. We spent a fair bit of time testing the steering system between bushwalks and kayaking in Kuringai Chase National Park. We had decided to correct some errors in the Australian ship registration papers that had crept in during the transfer from the British ship register in 1988. The length of Ambler should have been 11.30 instead of 10.50 and the tonnage measurement is not required on a pleasure yacht which can cause extra charges levied as a cargo vessel in foreign ports when calculating port fees and charges due. A new plaque had to be made and statutory declarations witnessed which we were able to have done and posted away prior to leaving the bay. The new ship's papers were granted free of charge and would be posted to a friends place in Camden Haven in a few weeks time.
Fri 19 July - At 04:15 We let go the mooring in Coasters Retreat, Pittwater and motored towards the entrance to Broken Bay where we picked up a light westerly breeze and set sail for Port Stephens. We sailed along close to the shore to avoid the southerly set (current). Just off Swansea we were rewarded with two humpback whales suddenly surfacing just off the starboard bow for a breath then they resurfaced alongside us on the port side for their second breath, then just astern for their third before kicking up their tails for a deeper dive. That was way too close!
Just off Newcastle we altered course for Port Stephens and were able to set the sails wing and wing as the breeze had changed to a south westerly. After sunset the breeze started fading and we started the Perkins an hour and a half later when we were off the headland of Point Stephens due to the lumpy backwash sea and what little breeze there was, just wasn't enough to shape the sails to create any drive. We entered the port and headed to Shoal Bay to anchor at 21:00 guided by our friends on Mojo who lit up their deck lights to help guide us into the anchorage. Distance travelled 82.5nm.
Sat 20 July - It was a bit rolly during the night but we slept well after yesterdays long day sail. We weighed anchor at 09:30 and went alongside the free visitors wharf in Nelson Bay where there is enough space to moor 4 vessels under 12 metres in length. We met up with an old sailing friend Andy and his partner Narelle who had just settled in town around 3 months ago. Andy had bought a dental practise and with Narelle as the practise manager, has taken on the challenge of fixing as many of the locals teeth as possible (and a few blow ins like myself) to get them all smiling at each other again.
Wed 22 May - We arrived on the leads of Ulladulla harbour at 06:00 where we dropped sails and fired up the perkins to enter, guided by a single dolphin in our bow wave. We found an anchorage spot just inside the northern breakwater and had breakfast. The fees for even tying up for the day were exorbitant and many warning signs for doing so were observed along the vacant wharves in the outer harbour. The plan for the day was to catch up with my sister Christine and Nic who live nearby. They joined us, via a short dinghy ride from the public boat ramp, for the morning and brought along a delicious quiche for lunch and fresh greens from their garden. The pelican population of the harbour were all present in the area, each occupying its own pole, waiting for the return of the many trailer fishing boats that we saw exiting before first light. We weighed anchor at 13:15 and exited the harbour then set sail in a 10 knot south easterly bound for Jervis Bay. The afternoon sailing conditions were enjoyable and we arrived at the entrance at 17:30 then sailed south to a public mooring located at the "Hole in the wall" bay.
Thur 23 May - We launched the kayaks and paddled along the shoreline then circumnavigated spectacular Bowen Island which forms the southern part of Jervis Bay entrance. The sheer sea cliffs of the east face rise to the north cut off by the entrance and the land slopes from the top of the cliffs down to the western shoreline. The island is a nature reserve and it is prohibited to land according to the many signs. The water was crystal clear and we could see the bottom for most of the paddle.
Fri 24 May - We sailed off the mooring and headed over to Huskisson where we picked up another courtesy mooring just off the mouth of Broughton Creek. We then explored the township via a short dinghy trip to the shore.
Sat 25 May - Broughton creek beckoned so we launched the kayaks and headed many kilometres upstream with the tide. We could have kept going but we would have had to camp ashore overnight.
Sun 26 to Tue 28 May - were spent aboard here on the protected courtesy mooring where it blew off the land from the north west.
Wed 29 May - The wind was due to come in from the south west so we motored the short distance to another courtesy mooring off Vincentia, then went ashore to reprovision for the voyage north tomorrow.
Thur 30 May - At 07:00 we hoisted sail, dropped the mooring and sailed with just our head sail out through the entrance then turned North with another yacht, Mojo from the Tamar River. The wind picked up to 25 knots from the west by the time we were abeam of the drum and drumsticks. Here two small grey coloured whales popped up right beside us for a breath. We had to furl the to half a head sail when we cleared the headland to turn north west towards Seven Mile Beach. The plan being to keep the waves from building and to stay inshore of the southerly set current. We unfurled the head sail off Geroa as the breeze moderated but left the main sail bagged for the rest of the voyage to Wollongong. We motored in and came alongside Ven Lee, a friends charter fishing boat. We took Mojo's lines to tie up to another fishing vessel in front of us.
Fri 31 May - We caught up with a few friends who dropped by and we walked to the local outdoor store and supermarket.
Sat 1 June - A southerly was blowing around 25 knots so we left Wollongong Harbour for a brisk sail to Sydney with a reefed main and full genoa poled wing and wing. Brisk it was and we arrived in the harbour and headed to another courtesy mooring this time near the middle harbour yacht club. We caught up with some friends on their boat here and stayed overnight.
Sun 2 June - A gale with rain was predicted over the next few days so we headed through the spit bridge and sailed to Crag Cove to anchor until Thursday. We had a few excursions ashore over the next few days and also walked to Chatswood for some fresh provisions.
Thur 6 June - We weighed anchor and sailed to Bantry Bay in the morning, picked up a courtesy mooring and went ashore to explore the bush tracks in the area, including some rock engraving sites and followed a very challenging mountain bike trail (by foot).
Fri 7 June - We departed Bantry Bay and motored through the Spit Bridge again to anchor in Farm Cove to experience the Vivid Light show for the night. The evening became extremely uncomfortable as I think every charter boat in Sydney Harbour came in to the bay, around us and back out numerous times until midnight. The lights were good to see but perhaps better viewed from land.
Sat 8 June - We weighed anchor at 08:30 and sailed towards Sydney Heads in a light westerly. Then we had to motor north through the wind shadow of North Head. We set sail again off Manly Beach and continued on north to Broken Bay where we entered at 13:30 then motored south to an anchorage near Scotland Island for a few days.
Mon 10 June - A friend called Jack drove us to the Boat Locker (a second hand boat accessory shop in Warriewood) to pick up an almost new cable steering system for Ambler which I had bought over the phone 6 weeks earlier. This would enable the connection of the Fleming wind vane steering system I had bought second hand and mounted to the transom earlier in the year. The advantage of this new cockpit wheel is it will be mounted to the aft bulkhead of the cockpit and then the wind vane control lines won't effectively cut the small centre cockpit in half like a conventional pedestal mounted wheel does. We weighed anchor at 14:10 and began a cruise over the next 5 days exploring the many bays, creeks and anchorages of Broken Bay.
Fri 14 June - With a spring tide high enough in the evening we were able to con Ambler into Mullet Creek to an anchorage adjacent to Wondabyne train station. We began the hour long journey at an hour and a half before high water and arrived in the dark at 17:50 to anchor in 6 metres of water with 30 metres of chain out. On the way upstream we ran over a bouyant poly pipeline on the surface across the channel which we managed to roll over succesfully and also avoided some yellow buoyed silt screening that was set up adjacent to some rock walling that was being done by the railways to protect their infrastructure.
Sat 15 to Sun 30 June - We accomplished many jobs aboard such as fitting the steering and servicing the engine. There were many trips by train to pick up extra supplies for these tasks and visiting both our relatives in Sydney and the Central Coast.
Mon 1 July - The exit on another spring tide was accomplished in the dark and we got under way at 18:00. A mention to the local waterways officer during our stay in regard to the obstructions we encountered on the way upstream had payed off, he said he would have a word to the workmen. We found the channel clear this time and negotiated the barway entrance to the creek with 0.2 of a metre under keel clearance.
Tue 2 to Thur 18 July - was spent again cruising around Broken Bay, Cowan Creek and Pittwater. We spent a fair bit of time testing the steering system between bushwalks and kayaking in Kuringai Chase National Park. We had decided to correct some errors in the Australian ship registration papers that had crept in during the transfer from the British ship register in 1988. The length of Ambler should have been 11.30 instead of 10.50 and the tonnage measurement is not required on a pleasure yacht which can cause extra charges levied as a cargo vessel in foreign ports when calculating port fees and charges due. A new plaque had to be made and statutory declarations witnessed which we were able to have done and posted away prior to leaving the bay. The new ship's papers were granted free of charge and would be posted to a friends place in Camden Haven in a few weeks time.
Fri 19 July - At 04:15 We let go the mooring in Coasters Retreat, Pittwater and motored towards the entrance to Broken Bay where we picked up a light westerly breeze and set sail for Port Stephens. We sailed along close to the shore to avoid the southerly set (current). Just off Swansea we were rewarded with two humpback whales suddenly surfacing just off the starboard bow for a breath then they resurfaced alongside us on the port side for their second breath, then just astern for their third before kicking up their tails for a deeper dive. That was way too close!
Just off Newcastle we altered course for Port Stephens and were able to set the sails wing and wing as the breeze had changed to a south westerly. After sunset the breeze started fading and we started the Perkins an hour and a half later when we were off the headland of Point Stephens due to the lumpy backwash sea and what little breeze there was, just wasn't enough to shape the sails to create any drive. We entered the port and headed to Shoal Bay to anchor at 21:00 guided by our friends on Mojo who lit up their deck lights to help guide us into the anchorage. Distance travelled 82.5nm.
Sat 20 July - It was a bit rolly during the night but we slept well after yesterdays long day sail. We weighed anchor at 09:30 and went alongside the free visitors wharf in Nelson Bay where there is enough space to moor 4 vessels under 12 metres in length. We met up with an old sailing friend Andy and his partner Narelle who had just settled in town around 3 months ago. Andy had bought a dental practise and with Narelle as the practise manager, has taken on the challenge of fixing as many of the locals teeth as possible (and a few blow ins like myself) to get them all smiling at each other again.
Tuesday, 10 September 2019
Hobart then North to Eden
Friday 5 April - We stayed anchored at Prosser Bay on Tasmania's East Coast near Triabunna ticking off more jobs on board. On Sunday we weighed anchor and sailed 25nm through to Dunnalley via Marion Bay Bar. The keel came close to the bottom a few times but we made it through.
Mon 8 April - We waited at Dunnalley for slack water which came at 1300 and then passed through the swing bridge at the Denison Canal. We then sailed 7nm to anchor at Monk Bay and waited a few days there at anchor while a front passed over.
Wed 10 April - We sailed at 7.30 around to the Iron Pot which marks the mouth of the Derwent River. We crossed the Derwent River and entered the Dentrecasteau Channel and turned south. We had a mixed bag of wind directions and wind speeds up to 25 knots which gave us a good work out winching, tacking, reefing and hauling sails about. We were bound for Cygnet but had to give up when we arrived at the Huon River mouth as it got dark. We anchored in Randalls Bay having covered 54nm in 11 hours.
Thurs 11 April - We motored 6nm in the calm reflective water to Cygnet where we caught up with a sailor friend Susanne and also met some local sailors at the yacht club over the next 4 days.
Mon 15 April - We departed Cygnet for some cruising in the Channel and anchored overnight at Randalls Bay again, Snake Island, Kettering and then caught up with friends on Wild Goose and Snow Petrel 2 at Gentleman's Corner and the Duckpond over Easter.
Tues 23 April - We departed the Duckpond for Hobart and arrived to anchor in Cornelian Bay 25nm later. The weather didn't look too promising over the next week. So we booked a week at the Prince of Wales Bay marina to try and get our windvane and steering system sorted out.
Wed 24 April - We sailed 3nm to the marina where we actually ended up staying two weeks ticking off jobs and catching up with friends and family.
Tues 7- Fri 10 May - We sailed from the marina and spent nights at Cornellian Bay, Hobart visitors dock, Sandy Bay and King George Sound visiting friends.
Sat 11 May - We again transited the Denison Canal and anchored off Rheban for two days on the east coast opposite Maria Island.
Mon 13 May - We sailed 7nm around to Prosser Bay.
Tue 14 May - With a good forecast ahead we weighed anchor at 00:30 and motored into Mercury Passage to pick up the south westerly change that had just rolled over us. We were soon running wing and wing before it. We passed to the south of Schouten Island and at 07:00 we were east of Freycinet Peninsula where we watched the granite mountains turn from a deep purple to pink as the sun rose. We adjusted our course to Cape Howe on the NSW/ Victorian border.
At noon we had covered 65nm but had to motor from 11:00 to 16:00 through a wind shadow of the NE coast of Tassie, as per the forecast. Once north of this area the westerly was to fill in as we arrived east of Banks Strait. Indeed it did but the sea became really rough in only 10 knots from the west. On examining our position we were passing over the continental shelf where a strong southerly current met a southerly swell and a westerly wind wave. (The direction of wind, swell and waves are described as coming from, whereas currents are descibed as going to). We altered course to stay west of the shelf until the wind abated.
Wed 15 May - Unfortunately the wind built to 30 knots from the west through to 02:00. We had half a headsail and no mainsail at this point. The seas were crashing over us from beam on and we were thankful to be in a sturdily built 70's model where the deck is just as strong as the hull. It needed to be. The wind and seas began to abate at first light and soon after we unfurled the headsail completely. At 10:00 we raised the mainsail with 2 reefs. At 16:00 we shook a reef out and at 22:00 we raised the full main.
Thur 16 May - At 00:00 we had just 10 knots from the west, then 10 knots north west at 08:00 with Cape Howe in sight. At 10:30 we were abeam of the cape with less than 5 knots and batteries that needed charging, so on with the Perkins for a few hours until a north easterly filled in. We arrived at Eden at 17:30 and went alongside the wharf briefly to wash the encrusted salt from Ambler with a fire hose then off to anchor nearby. The distance covered was 367 nm in 65 hours. Our average speed was 5.6 knots.
Friday 17th through to Monday 20th May was spent washing and drying all clothing and gear affected by the Bass Srait crossing.
The next installment is coming soon, who knows we might even catch up to where we are now in New Caledonia.
Wayne and Kathy
Mon 8 April - We waited at Dunnalley for slack water which came at 1300 and then passed through the swing bridge at the Denison Canal. We then sailed 7nm to anchor at Monk Bay and waited a few days there at anchor while a front passed over.
Wed 10 April - We sailed at 7.30 around to the Iron Pot which marks the mouth of the Derwent River. We crossed the Derwent River and entered the Dentrecasteau Channel and turned south. We had a mixed bag of wind directions and wind speeds up to 25 knots which gave us a good work out winching, tacking, reefing and hauling sails about. We were bound for Cygnet but had to give up when we arrived at the Huon River mouth as it got dark. We anchored in Randalls Bay having covered 54nm in 11 hours.
Thurs 11 April - We motored 6nm in the calm reflective water to Cygnet where we caught up with a sailor friend Susanne and also met some local sailors at the yacht club over the next 4 days.
Mon 15 April - We departed Cygnet for some cruising in the Channel and anchored overnight at Randalls Bay again, Snake Island, Kettering and then caught up with friends on Wild Goose and Snow Petrel 2 at Gentleman's Corner and the Duckpond over Easter.
Tues 23 April - We departed the Duckpond for Hobart and arrived to anchor in Cornelian Bay 25nm later. The weather didn't look too promising over the next week. So we booked a week at the Prince of Wales Bay marina to try and get our windvane and steering system sorted out.
Wed 24 April - We sailed 3nm to the marina where we actually ended up staying two weeks ticking off jobs and catching up with friends and family.
Tues 7- Fri 10 May - We sailed from the marina and spent nights at Cornellian Bay, Hobart visitors dock, Sandy Bay and King George Sound visiting friends.
Sat 11 May - We again transited the Denison Canal and anchored off Rheban for two days on the east coast opposite Maria Island.
Mon 13 May - We sailed 7nm around to Prosser Bay.
Tue 14 May - With a good forecast ahead we weighed anchor at 00:30 and motored into Mercury Passage to pick up the south westerly change that had just rolled over us. We were soon running wing and wing before it. We passed to the south of Schouten Island and at 07:00 we were east of Freycinet Peninsula where we watched the granite mountains turn from a deep purple to pink as the sun rose. We adjusted our course to Cape Howe on the NSW/ Victorian border.
At noon we had covered 65nm but had to motor from 11:00 to 16:00 through a wind shadow of the NE coast of Tassie, as per the forecast. Once north of this area the westerly was to fill in as we arrived east of Banks Strait. Indeed it did but the sea became really rough in only 10 knots from the west. On examining our position we were passing over the continental shelf where a strong southerly current met a southerly swell and a westerly wind wave. (The direction of wind, swell and waves are described as coming from, whereas currents are descibed as going to). We altered course to stay west of the shelf until the wind abated.
Wed 15 May - Unfortunately the wind built to 30 knots from the west through to 02:00. We had half a headsail and no mainsail at this point. The seas were crashing over us from beam on and we were thankful to be in a sturdily built 70's model where the deck is just as strong as the hull. It needed to be. The wind and seas began to abate at first light and soon after we unfurled the headsail completely. At 10:00 we raised the mainsail with 2 reefs. At 16:00 we shook a reef out and at 22:00 we raised the full main.
Thur 16 May - At 00:00 we had just 10 knots from the west, then 10 knots north west at 08:00 with Cape Howe in sight. At 10:30 we were abeam of the cape with less than 5 knots and batteries that needed charging, so on with the Perkins for a few hours until a north easterly filled in. We arrived at Eden at 17:30 and went alongside the wharf briefly to wash the encrusted salt from Ambler with a fire hose then off to anchor nearby. The distance covered was 367 nm in 65 hours. Our average speed was 5.6 knots.
Friday 17th through to Monday 20th May was spent washing and drying all clothing and gear affected by the Bass Srait crossing.
The next installment is coming soon, who knows we might even catch up to where we are now in New Caledonia.
Wayne and Kathy
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