Oz East Coast
August 3rd 2008 Log - 5010 nm
Steamed Melbourne 37.49'06 S - 144.57'51 E, to Whitsunday Group 20.18'54 S - 148.56'41 E - 10 days - 1539 nm.
We departed Docklands, Melbourne early to time our arrival at the notorious rip at Port Phillip heads at slack water.
Using our Virtual Passage Planner navigation software I thought we would be spot on, but underestimated the slow time getting out of the Yarra River, so we finished up in the rip 30nm away with a 4kt ebb smashing into an apposing 30 kt winds.
It was like a washing machine with waves breaking over the bow coming from all directions. This phenomonem is something you would rarely see anywhere else in the world, and the rip is regarded as one of the toughest in the maritime world (Wikipedia).
On board was my son James and Dave and Phil Reid, and the washing machine found in the rip sent "gung ho" Jamesy to retire below for the next three days - sick as hell.
Sea sickness effects most people and can be over a sustained period a very debilitating experience.
We considered dropping him off at Hastings on Westernport Bay close by and which was probably our last chance for the next 18 hours, but with a bit of encouragement from Marg over the phone, he soldiered on for the next three days, finally coming good 631 nm away just off Sydney.
He continued on for another 1000 nm up to the Whitsunday's without any further problems, so may now have this licked forever hopefully. Not the seasickness, but the "gung ho ness".
The trip westwards across Bass Strait was a little uncomfortable as we still had a heavy fetch on our starboard aft quarter, being the leftovers from a sustained trough that delayed our departure by one day. We should have waited an extra day on reflection.
Passing inside Ronondo Island at the most southern tip of mainland Australia at Wilsons Promontory was an attention seeking, and anal pucker experience, taking this route to avoid the traffic separation lane for shipping south of the rock.
Our AIS (Automatic Identification System) revealed that there were 11 ships transiting at the time, 0130 hrs, and I decided we should let the big boys have their own playground.
However getting back on course we found the Iron Monarch on a full reciprocal course with us, showing a CPA (closest point of approach) of 30 metres, and a TCPA (time to closest point of approach) in 14 minutes.
She was doing 18 kts with a full cargo of iron ore, and I quickly accepted that I knew which side my bread was buttered on, hailed her to flag our intention to change our course by ten degrees to starboard, and she replied offering the same intent, and we passed 1 nm apart finally. Phew!
We proceeded passing through the Bass Strait oilfield marveling at the wonderful light display they offered.
Claiming Gabo Island early in the morning we headed NNE to Sydney Harbour 400 nm away where we would nose the bowsprit into Doyles Wharf at Watsons Bay for just seconds whilst Dave piled off, and Jeff clambered aboard, full astern, then back out the heads to sea.
Our friends Graeme and Marguerita Weir had steamed down from Pittwater to show us their new 40' Nordhavn, which was a beautiful boat to see on the water, and they motored out of Sydney Heads with us for a while.
From Sydney we found the weather heading north became more agreeable, and motored past Seaway Tower at the Gold Coast 3 days later at about 0400 hrs.
On this leg we had blown up our watermaker circuit board (just after being serviced s usual).
Jeff, Mr fix it, opened the electric power board and got a whiff of burning synthetics, and headed outside immediately to the big chunder bucket - the sea.
Coming up past Fraser Is we were treated to the sound of screaming reels and pulled in three Stripey Tuna. Jeff gave us a lesson on the whole procedure, and James filleted the last two like an expert.
We arrived at Hamilton Island about 1200 hrs amongst a 100 boat racing fleet that was just returning to dock.
We loaded on board James' partner Paige and his daughter Chloe, took on some water quickly and went out to Dent Passage to find a mooring.
We deployed the 12 Caribe RIB dinghy to get Rick to the airport but found we had no steering, later to find the system was locked shut with salt set like concrete. Again Jeff "Mr Fixit" sorted things out.