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.
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