10 May - Photos

Sailing along

Hastings at Port Macquarie

Ian working on some steaming light problem.  Fixed

Warren helming, he and I found this very challenging in the heavy weather

Have to be quick as my battery is nearly out.  This is from Bums Bay in Southport - love being an official bum LOL.

Sailed all night, Iluka  to Southport, arrived about 7.30 am.  Great moonlit night, but winds fluky.  When are we going to charm some good steady 7 knot winds??

9 May 2012 - Iluka to Gold Coast Seaway

Hey
Am writing this aboard the windChalmer about 6 nautical miles south of Ballina.  Getting good internet connections at sea.  One day I connected to an unsecured wireless connnection and think it could have been a ship :)  Good speed.

Again, we have had very light winds - so averaged about 4 k for the first two hours while sailing, then when we dropped to 1 or 2 k we kicked the engine over.  So motor sailing yet again.  I know our lovely friend Gary who lives in QLD and sailed everywhere said he motor sailed on the NSW coast more than anywhere else.

A very large dophin - about 10-12 feet followed us for quite a while, must have been old as he was pretty scared.  Saw a few other, and a very large school of fish.  A few fishing boats out today in the calm waters (like Lake Macquarie).  While Ian had a sleep - a saw something odd in the water - junk?  whale?  right on our bearing, so altered course and a very large tree trunk went by.  Must be one from the floods in Ballina maybe?  The stories it could tell eh?

Oh yes, we got buzzed by an airforce F1 18 this morning.  Larikin who needed something to do LOL.  No was lovely.  Reminded me of my brother and what he got up to in the airforce.  

We are going to sail through the night tonight.  Past Byron Bay - should go past that in the early evening.  Full Moon by about 9 pm and then work our way up the Gold Coast.

So the next blog should be from the Gold Coast hopefully.  :)

Our first overnight sail was lovely.  Beautiful moonlit night and reasonable winds.  As we came towards Southport the sunrise on port side was vying with a huge moon on the starboard side.  Despite the concrete jungle, Southport did look good with the rise reflecting on the high rise glass.

Meet up with my cousins, Shirley, Trevor and Faye and also friend from school days Brian Dodds and his wife Jan.  They own a cat - Another Angel - and work in Vanuatu Islands delivering medical staff and supplies to very isolated and disadvanted people.  Great work Brian and Jan.  

Rob on watch, Ian sleeping

Another Angel - Medical Teams for Vanuatu

Robyn sporting her new air dried hairstyle with her cousins in Southport

Collecting the cousins

Robyn, Shirley and Faye

Also met another inspiring couple - Derek and Anthea who were in their yacht - they left England saying they were going sailing for 2 years - and that was 12 years ago.  Very inspirational couple.  Been everywhere.

8 May 2012 - layover in Iluka Tuesday I think :)

Yesterday:  Well, we had to ditch the top quality alternator and buy another one.  Bevan transported us around Iluka, we had lovely fresh fish and chips at the pub yesterday and then Bevan came out for dinner aboard the windChalmer.  We told him that we hoped he could cope with the riotous party life with us LOL.

Slept in today, then Ian  attached the new alternator and did all sorts of things like solder up wires to a globe for the charging of the batteries.  I held the solder iron - nothing like learning new skills at my age lol.  I cleaned and knitted etc and enjoyed the sun.  We popped into the fisherman's coop for a few things and they have the best fresh fish (the other one is the Newcastle Fish Coop), so we shared a fisherman's basket for lunch.  So fresh and tasty.

Ian has always wanted to learn how to collect beach worms, so Bevan picked us up at 3 pm and took us to the beach - most amazing lovely afternoon.  Camera was on the boat!  Yamba headland and lighthouse at one end of the boat and Iluka bluff at the other.  Was so lovely and relaxing.  Bevan cooked dinner for us and we boarded windChalmer early to do some packing up for the journey on Wed. 

Bevan has given me FIVE custard apples - yum.  Haven't had a decent one for years.  Great. 

Midnight - Ian chatted animatedly to me for about an hour until I gave him a couple of panadols and said, go to sleep.  Funny how you get wound up at times and the mind won't shut down. 

7 May 2012 - Iluka - wonderful anchorage here

7 May 2012

Am at my cousin Bevan’s home  in Iluka at the moment, plugged into his electricity while I charge my laptop batteries.  Our boat washing is going through his machine while he and Ian are out with an Auto Electrician, as the alternator on our boat which charges our power, lights etc is playing up.  So great to catch up with Bevan.  Haven’t seen him in years.   We had the best fish and chips here years ago when we had a holiday at Yamba and came over on a ferry to Iluka.  Ian did say we would park the pick in this harbor someday and here it is, our dreams are coming true.

Yesterday, was the most beautiful day at sea, but no wind.  So we motor sailed practically from Coffs following another yacht doing the same thing all day.  Apart from the whale and small hammerhead shark, a pod of dolphins escorted us into Iluka.  The entrance to Iluka, that is the Clarence River is supposed to be quite easy, however we got a large following wave or two and it was a little hairy.  We found the two red leads, but one petered out – just love our Garmin chart plotter, best electronic device on the boat.  We can see exactly where we are going and it gives us a line to follow into entrances.  We can work out how far we have come and what distance to go.  Also shows us how much water is under us.  Gives us our position, speed and heading in an instant.

On sunset, there was the most beautiful display of oranges, reds and pinks on our port side and an enormous full moon in a cobalt, metallic blue sky on starboard. 

Iluka is a yachtie’s heaven.  Quiet, calm and a nice little town to walk around.  Probably, not the best town if you live here, as you have to travel to Yamba or McClean for lots of services.  Bevan found a good auto electrician for Ian to check out the alternator.  Hope it isn’t too much of a problem.  But I don’t mind if we stay here for three nights.  If we get some decent weather, Ian and I might sail through the night to Southport once we leave here.

I cannot believe it, but I helmed for about two hours yesterday by myself up in the cockpit for one hour while Ian had a sleep.  It was like helming on Lake Macquarie, other than the bigger swells.  Am glad I did the messing around in water on Lake Macquarie as it has helped me get used to being on a boat, being the land blubber I am.  Getting used to helming in rough water with larger swells while Ian takes the sails in now. 

I went to school with a guy who is involved with taking Doctors and medical teams and supplies around the islands in Vanuatu.  Brian is current anchored in Southport up Bums Creek.  Hope we can say we anchored in Bums Creek – hehe.  Seeing we are bums now.  (or have we always been that?)  

Our Silverwater neighbours get back from Japan tomorrow.  I do want to travel Japan one day and would love to do it with Junko and Dave.  

I think that Bevan will come out and have dinner with us on the windChalmer tonight. 

2 May to 6 May

2 May – Port Macquarie

We HATE, HATE, HATE  Port Tacking.  Very true to its name.  The Southerly set hit us and we tacked for a couple of hours before giving up and motor sailing into Port Macquarie.  The swell was quite small so made the entrance no problems and up into Hastings River to anchor just past the ferry, near an oyster farm.

Really lovely quiet anchorage, after the noisy one at Forster. (Just noisy from the cockle shells and tide chuckling all night).   So this was totally quiet other than someone’s dog waiting for its owner and once they were home at about 7 pm, it was bliss.   The dolphins came to visit us, chasing some fish around windChalmer.

3 May – Port Macquarie to Coffs Harbour – 70 nm

Yeah, at last we had one great day of sailing.  No tacking, poled out the headsail and sailed at 7 knots most of the day.  Quite smooth and very interesting coast.  Most miles we have done so far.  We decided to leave at 6 am, when we promptly ran out of fresh water.  Tried to get some in Port MacQ but the Iron Man was on the next day and thousands of swimmers were practicing right where we needed to go.  Finally got some at the Fisherman’s Wharf and then left at 8 am.

Consequently we were off Coffs Harbour in the dark, getting in the sails ready to motor sail into the harbor.  We anchored in the harbor.  Next time we would just go into the Marina and tie up somewhere as we rocked and rolled all night even worse than Shoal Bay at Port Stephens.  I ended up sleeping on the lounge as it was more comfortable, than having head up one min and then feet up.  Anyway, Ian and I got up about twice each to check that we weren’t dragging, however we stayed fast.

Popped into the marina next morning and booked a berth for $50, including water,long hot showers and electricity.  Pity we forget to bring the electricity leads or I could have recharged my laptop batteries.  First time that windChalmer has been in a pen.

We said our reluctant goodbyes to our precious third crew member, Warren.  He caught a bus to visit his friend up north.  Pity the winds hadn’t been better so we could have sailed him there.  He had been with us from Wed, ANZAC DAY until Sat 6 May and had only intended coming for a week.

Ian worked most of the morning trying to solve a power problem.  Something wrong with an alternator.  Will get it checked at Iluka.     I cleaned, sorted, read, knitted and sat in the sun.  After lunch and a great long shower, we walked up to town did  some shopping.  Unfortunately my school friend Karrel and her husband Max are away on holidays.   Coffs is a great layover with lots to do.  Ian and I really enjoyed a good long walk.

6 May 2012

Up at 5.15 and gone out the Coffs Heads by 6 am.  Unfortunately we have lost our good winds again.  Very fickle and blowing SE and then SW.  By 11 am we have poled out the headsail twice and taken it down twice.  Motor sailing past the last of the Solitary Islands.

A young hammerhead shark came cruising along at about 11 am.  We have seen at least 4 of them now.

Hopefully, we will get to Iluka tonight and see my cousin Bevan tomorrow.

BEST BEST NEWS - our new Grandson, Euan arrived at 2.56 am this morning.  49 cm and 6 lb 12 oz.  Good, easy labour.  All well and we are overwhelmingly excited.  Wish we were there.

2 May 2012 - Camden Haven to north, maybe even Coffs Harbour

Hello everyone
Here I am sitting in bed in the captain's cabin beam of Port Macquarie writing this up.  We left at 5.45 am this morning as it is about 50 nautical miles to Trial Bay.  We can't seem to get a good wind.  It is lovely and relaxing just rock n rolling along at 3-4 knots but will take forever to get to QLD.  Ian thinks we will do an overnight sail tonight, as its moonlight and light winds and may not scare his novice crew too much.

I have been back in bed, after getting up to see us over the Camden Bar and take some photos of the sunrise.  Been reading Colin Thiele's book - Sun on the Stubble.  Good romp back into the past.  Colin came to Craigmore High School when I was teaching there and gave a talk to our students.  He was very inspiring, it was just as his Storm Boy was being made into a movie.

We had a great day yesterday.  Stayed in Camden Haven while Warren caught up with his half brother Ray.  I knitted, cleaned, cooked, fished and generally relaxed.  Young Sebastian may get his cardigan before winter and hopefully it won't be miles too big like the one I made for Hamish.  Hamish will probably wear it when he is five!

The guys are enjoying pottering around doing a few jobs here and there and watching the world go by. 

Its lovely sailing up the coast and watching the headlands move past.  The chart plotter is magic.  You can see where we are and work out how far to the next headland plus 100's of other features.  Not fun when you are in really rough weather as you watch the boat being turned this way and that. 

Hope you have a happy day rocking ' rolling too.

Hi there, am sitting in the Serviceman's Club recharging the batteries on the laptop while Warren chats to his brother and wife.

We sailed out of Forster at 8.30 yesterday morning, bound for Camden Haven - 9 hours if we did 4 knots on average.  Haven't had one day of good wind yet.  We are supposed to charm the wind aren't we?  Winds were not kind to us again, so had to work hard and had a very rolly day all the way up.  Finally motor sailed for the last four hours to get into Camden Haven right on sunset.  The bar was tricky with breaking surf, the captain made Warren and I hang on tight.  We had our life jackets on all day and Warren and Ian wore tethers every time they ventured out of the cockpit to adjust the sails.

I even made coffee twice yesterday as we sailed.  Jammed myself into the galley.  Jammed the coffee mugs between the fruit bowl in the sink and managed to get a few full cups with only spilling some of one. Haven't felt slightly sick or oomy which is amazing.

Captain enjoying breakfast

Looking up the river at Camden Haven

We chatted to another yacht next to us who is from Hervey Bay.  They spent the whole of last year in Lake Macquarie and now after doing a few jobs on their yacht here will sail straight up to Hervey Bay.

We should be on our way to Trial Bay or further north tomorrow.  Early start.   Lovely here on the river though, best sleep with no cockles or tide chatting to us all night.   One of the best anchorages yet.