Oz East Coast
Tues Jan 20th - Sydney Harbour
Having fun at Sydney Harbour
Back to Melbourne tomorrow to check a few things out for a few days before returning for the 630 nm trip South to Tassie.
I have purchased a second dinghy that is collapsible, can be put back together in 2 minutes, and tack on a Tohatsu 5 hp motor. I haven't trialled her yet as I am adding some things to her first. This is a Porta Bote made in the US, and if I can believe the write ups, it is just perfect for us. It's so light one person can drag it up the beach with ease, which we couldn't do with the Caribe.
Have had a suggestion by a fellow Nordie owner to leave the company of the VDL-C for a couple of days to go to an Island south in the Furneaux Group to stock up with crays, scallops, and abalone, which we have to dive for. Way to go!
Am doing some research currently on replacing my standard SS CQR (anchor) with a NZ made ROCNA.
I am speaking to a few guys who I respect, as they have actually been to places where your anchor is your second best friend after the main engine. I have decided to stay with what I've got for the time being because Jef Appel tells me his anchor (the standard) never moved more than an anchors length, once set, and he always dived on his anchor before relaxing.
Jef has single handed down to the Patagonian Channels south of Chile.
I have two things to fix before the Tassie trip next Thursday.
I have to get my Sat phone working on its docking station and to the handsets around the boat, and
I need to find out why the position of the boat on the Fly Bridge plotter is a couple of hundred metres out of true compared to reality, and the two Pilot House plotters positions.
We will be watching the weather for the trip south, especially crossing Bass Strait.
I asked Andy Brennan who has done this trip many times as to what he thought. His view was to just put the bone between your teeth and just go.
Tasman Island, Tasmania