Lakes Entrance to Jervis Bay

Saturday 11 April to Wednesday 22 April, 2015
We left Lakes Entrance at first light for the 135nm to Eden. After all the rain in the last week, water was rushing out the entrance at 3 knots into a small swell. This meant we had a small easily handled break, much better than others had experienced the day before. We motored until 1020 then set the spinnaker.

Motor on again at 1500 until 1800 when we stopped it for some peace and quiet during dinner. With a double reef and self tacking jib it was slow going, but we weren't in a hurry so persisted. At 0350 we were abeam of Gabo Island in 20-25 knots, seas were slight and we were making good progress. At 1000 on Sunday we had the anchor down in East Boyd Bay.

San Souci joined us on Monday

We kayaked to Boydtown on Monday as the weather was sunny with light breezes and we dug out the shorts again! Construction of Boydtown, by the industrious Benjamin Boyd began in 1843 with the hotel. Boyd disappeared in the Solomon Islands in 1851, by which time the town was a virtual ghost town and most of the residents had moved to Eden. The hotel was restored in 1957. It certainly looked like a peaceful spot to stay.

Seahorse Inn

We had 2 nights in East Boyd Bay, before a northerly arrived that had all the boats doing the "Eden Shuffle" across to Snug Cove for 2 nights.

Snug Cove

A SW change came through early Thursday morning and so we headed north in company with 4 other yachts. A couple were doing the short leg to Bermagui but San Souci and Phase2 were aiming for Jervis Bay 135nm away.

Pre-dawn start

We had good breeze all day, carrying the spinnaker for about 5 hours and then goosewinging our sails as the wind built. We put in the double reef at dusk and settled in for another night at sea.This turned out to be one of our more uncomfortable sails of the trip. We had a slight to moderate swell but it was confused and we both did not feel well as dark fell. We were happy to pick up a mooring at Hole in the Wall in the southern end of Jervis Bay at 0350 on Friday.

San Souci 

When the northerly came in late Friday, we headed to Hare Bay in the north of Jervis Bay. We had 2 nights here and a good walk around the town of Callala. When the southerly came in on Sunday as predicted we headed back south to the Hole in the Wall. An east coast low had formed and it was clear we were not going anywhere for quite a while. It is now Wednesday, and we haven't left the boat for 4 days! Constant rain and the wind has been 25-30 knots most of the time with gusts up to 40+, but we are lucky we are not further north. We are anchored in 10m of water (as required) as all the moorings are taken. We set the anchor alarm every night but we are well dug in by now I suspect.

No cabin fever......yet

The weather is meant to improve from today but it looks like it will be Saturday before the seas abate and we can continue our journey home.

Gippsland Lakes

Tuesday 31 March to Friday 10 April, 2015
We spent 3 nights on the jetty at Lakes Entrance. We had planned to leave after 48 hours as required, however with 30-40 knot westerlies and quite a few spare berths we stayed until the wind dropped.

Lakes Entrance Jetty

Our first day we washed, shopped and caught up on our sleep. On Wednesday we were invited to dinner with Julie and Hugh from San Souci by Julie's sister and brother in law. We enjoyed a beautiful roast lamb dinner at their home in Lakes Entrance.

Next night we enjoyed another great meal at the Boathouse resturant to celebrate my birthday. During the days we enjoyed many walks along the lake and across the bridge to the surfside.

Steamer Landing

Armed with the Gippsland Ports Boating Guide, on Friday we motored 14nm up to Paynesville in a light SW wind to pick up our son Ben who had come up from Melbourne to spend Easter with us. Friday night we anchored behind Wallaby Island near Steamer Landing.

Ninety Mile Beach

A trip ashore in the dinghy and we were quickly across to Ninety Mile Beach. Lots of boats without dinghies, many on the free public jetties and pontoons that are found everywhere, and some nosed into the steep shore and using a ladder to get ashore!

On Saturday, after a leisurely start to the day we sailed to Boxes Creek where we anchored off the entrance after going in and deciding it was a bit tight for comfort.

On Sunday we motored 8nm back to Lakes Entrance where Ben had organised a lift home while we spent the night on one of the floating pontoons. With strong SW winds expected, on Tuesday we motored and sailed 16nm back up the lakes to Duck Arm, one of the most protected spots in the Gippsland Lakes.

Keeping the grandkids entertained in Duck Arm during the holidays

We picked up one of the 9 public moorings here and settled down for a couple of days. Once again, Ben took the good weather with him and we had almost constant rain for 2 days.

Duck Arm

On Thursday, we motored 4nm back to Paynesville and a berth on the Raymond Island Jetty near the ferry that takes cars ($11) and people (free) between Paynesville and Raymond Island.

Raymond Island has a large koala population that can be seen from the roads and walking tracks on the island. The koalas were relocated here in 1953 when their habitat was under pressure in other areas. They thrived until eventually they started stripping all their food trees. Now there is a contraception and removal program in place to keep numbers at about 600.

On Friday we headed back to Lakes Entrance as there was a window to go to Eden on the weekend. The Gippsland Lakes were great, good depth in the places we went and with lots to see and do. The government has done a great job building and maintaining infrastructure that encourages a wide range of boats to enjoy the area. It was especially great to see the large number of trailer sailers here, making the most of the Easter break.

Return to the North Island

Hobart, Friday 20 March to Monday 23 March, 2015
We hired a car and visited the Maritime Museum, Mawsons Hut and the Female Factory. All were excellent. It was good to visit the Maritime Museum after completing our circumnavigation as we had been to many of the places featured.

Mawsons Hut is a replica of what they found when they went back to Mawsons Hut in the late 70s. It was just as it had been left in 1914 and this recreation shows the cramped conditions that 18 men endured during the winter of 1912.

Next was a tour of the Female Factory which highlighted the tough life of the women convicts sent to Van Diemens Land.  Most tragic was the 75% mortality rate for babies born at the prison.

Hobart to Lakes Entrance
23 March to 31 March 2015
On Monday we sailed back down the River Derwent in a light northerly that had gone to the SW and increased to 20 knots by the time we rounded the Iron Pot.

Half an hour later we were surfing down swells as the wind peaked at an unforecast 35 knots. We were happy to drop the anchor in a calm Lime Bay on the northern side of the Tasman Peninsular.

Hugh and I inspecting the workmanship (Photo courtesy of San Souci)

On Tuesday we motored around to the Coalmines, another penal settlement that was well worth the stop. Highlight for me of the hour and a half walk around the settlement was the underground cells.

Impressive stonework

From the Coalmines, we headed back through the Denison Canal in company with San Souci and across to Chinamans Bay on Maria Island.

On Wednesday we sailed to Bryans Beach on the Freycinet Peninsular. Another beautiful anchorage that was protected in the E breeze we had. On Thursday we decided to motor around to Wineglass Bay however we turned around when we encountered 2m NE swells that we thought would make the anchorage uncomfortable.

Bryans Beach

We headed back to Bryans Beach and walked across to Cooks Beach before moving across the passage to Crocketts Bay when the forecast S moved in.

Cooks Beach

Friday was moving day for most of the fleet with a SW that built to over 25 knots before easing back to 10-15 knots. We covered 69nm to anchor in Skeleton Bay for the night. On Saturday we had another early start in a forecast SW-W wind that had gone more to the NW by the time we got to Banks Strait. With an flood tide against the wind we had an uncomfortable crossing in steep 2-3 m waves.

We were happy to drop anchor in Lucy Bay on Badger Island at 1720 after 59 hard nm. We were now all watching the weather forecasts and trying to work out the best time to cross Bass Strait for the North Island (as Tasmanians like to call it!) Our original plan was to go to Deal Island but the forecast indicated that Monday and Tuesday were the days to go. On Sunday we therefore headed to Roydon Island on the NW side of Flinders ready to head into the strait on Monday morning.

Roydon Island

This was one of our most uncomfortable anchorages of the trip in the strong NW winds that were expected to abate overnight. We left with a double reefed main at 0740 in a 20kn Westerly that was forecast to die and move to the SW during the day.

Goodbye Tassie

Photo courtesy of David, Crispian

Photo courtesy of David, Crispian

In company with San Souci, Skellum and Crispian we had a great 2 sail reach until 1600 when we put the spinnaker up until dark. The seas were flat and conditions could not have been better.

Crispian enjoying the sail

The forecast was spot on and by dark the wind was only 6-8 knots from astern and we started a motor.

How good is this for Bass Strait!

We motored slowly throughout the night, timing our arrival at Lakes Entrance for dawn. We crossed at 0715 and motored around to tie up at the public jetty in the middle of town at Lakes Entrance after 132 nm.