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| Next time we must explore west of the Spit Bridge |
As always we put a reef in the mainsail just before sunset- well I put two in, as I think the first one is a waste of time to be honest, and sailed through the night. The following day the forecast had increased to 25-30 kts from the North so we went to the third reef and sailed on in increasing following seas. By 1700 the wind dropped away completely and we ended up motoring the last few hours into Twofold Bay Eden.
Most memorable event on this leg was that I finally after three and half years tracked down the source of the mystery saltwater that intermittently appeared in or around the airconditioner compartment. More on that later, suffice to say that having discovered it ,I then was able to plug the source. Hooray!
We were expecting to be spending several days in Eden as we awaited the passage of a front passing from the west to the east through Bass Strait.
To our surprise we awoke the next morning in thick fog- clearly the weather pattern had not eventuated. Despite the fog a couple of catamarans departed the harbour as we were having coffee.A quick check of the forecast indicated possibly why.The whole system had significantly slowed down. A calculation of the distance we needed to cover to the next safe anchorage indicated that all we needed was to maintain 5 knots and we would be across the aptly notorious Bass Strait before the now stalled front would reach us.
Daylight revealed that the vessel anchored nearest to us was one of our future fellow rally participants. We decide to head off across the Strait, but first thought we would top up our fuel tanks. Whilst we were doing that the couple from Time Bandit launched their dinghy and came over to say hello and asked if we had any rubbish we needed taken ashore as they were doing a run ashore, to explore. We didn't, having only left Sydney two days previously. We told them we were heading off as there was a break in the weather we hadn't been expecting. They couldn't take advantage of it as they were waiting for friends to join them in Eden, before they crossed.
It is one of the things that I have learnt, the sometimes required flexibility with plans is somewhat compromised if those plans also involve people joining or leaving the boat. Having the freedom to go when the weather is right and not stressing about getting to the next place to drop people off when it is not , adds a dimension to cruising that is not entirely understood until you are involved with it.
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| https://youtu.be/4EyU16BAsc4 |
Having topped up the fuel we departed at 0920 in thick fog. The fog lifted in time for us to see Gabo Island lighthouse and the last of the coast before it bends away to the SW.
The conditions were now almost glassy and as can be seen in the video we weren't the only creatures revelling in the benign conditions. I don't like motoring but needs must!
I have traversed Bass Strait many times in vessels far larger than K'Gari, I know what it can do.It is in my opinion one of the most under rated stretches of water in the world- other than by those who have crossed it ! Its relatively shallow depth (in the big scheme of things), its proximity to the roaring 40s and the weather patterns that force their way through between Tasmania and Victoria can at times add up to incredibly awful sea conditions, which I have experienced first hand- none of which I wanted to encounter during our crossing.
During the night we caught and passed the two cats who had departed ahead of us. Strangers passing in the night indeed.
The 0800 weather forecast indicated an easing of the wind for several hours ,but the dilemma I had was that the moment I started shake out the reef it would wake Peter who was now turned in. I decided not to bother but I noted through binnoculars that one of our nighttime companions did as soon as they heard the forecast. They sailed off on a course slightly further East of the track we were maintaining. True to form by lunch time we had actually reefed down further to the third reef. By 1500 we were in fog , but still with the reefs in the mainsail. The fog lifted just after midnight by which time we were abeam of Cape Barren in the Furneaux Group. I later picked up the loom of Eddystone Point light at 17.9nm. Eddystone Point light for those unfamiliar with it, is on the NE corner of Tasmania.
We were sailing fairly close to the coast as we were heading for Binnalong Bay.Our companions from the previous night were still further east of us and clearly heading further south
Again we checked the forecast and found that the now southerly winds we were soon expecting (having crossed the Strait the expected wind pattern would now be more from the south than the west) had slowed in their approach . We decided after closing in on Binnalong Bay to continue on to the very beautiful Wine Glass Bay where we anchored at 1900.
Our midnight companions who had sailed wider down off the coast thus carrying the current with them were also anchored in the bay.
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| https://youtu.be/NnK4U7K0d88 |
The conditions were now almost glassy and as can be seen in the video we weren't the only creatures revelling in the benign conditions. I don't like motoring but needs must!
I have traversed Bass Strait many times in vessels far larger than K'Gari, I know what it can do.It is in my opinion one of the most under rated stretches of water in the world- other than by those who have crossed it ! Its relatively shallow depth (in the big scheme of things), its proximity to the roaring 40s and the weather patterns that force their way through between Tasmania and Victoria can at times add up to incredibly awful sea conditions, which I have experienced first hand- none of which I wanted to encounter during our crossing.
During the night we caught and passed the two cats who had departed ahead of us. Strangers passing in the night indeed.
The 0800 weather forecast indicated an easing of the wind for several hours ,but the dilemma I had was that the moment I started shake out the reef it would wake Peter who was now turned in. I decided not to bother but I noted through binnoculars that one of our nighttime companions did as soon as they heard the forecast. They sailed off on a course slightly further East of the track we were maintaining. True to form by lunch time we had actually reefed down further to the third reef. By 1500 we were in fog , but still with the reefs in the mainsail. The fog lifted just after midnight by which time we were abeam of Cape Barren in the Furneaux Group. I later picked up the loom of Eddystone Point light at 17.9nm. Eddystone Point light for those unfamiliar with it, is on the NE corner of Tasmania.We were sailing fairly close to the coast as we were heading for Binnalong Bay.Our companions from the previous night were still further east of us and clearly heading further south
Again we checked the forecast and found that the now southerly winds we were soon expecting (having crossed the Strait the expected wind pattern would now be more from the south than the west) had slowed in their approach . We decided after closing in on Binnalong Bay to continue on to the very beautiful Wine Glass Bay where we anchored at 1900.
Our midnight companions who had sailed wider down off the coast thus carrying the current with them were also anchored in the bay.
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