Sydney to Moreton Bay

Monday, 1 April to Saturday, 13 April 2019
We left our mooring in Middle Harbour in beautiful weather in time to go under the Spit Bridge at the first opening at 1015. We headed off with a forecast of 10-15 knots so set the main and genoa for the short trip to Broken Bay. A rain squall that saw gusts over 30 knots hit us as we rounded North Head so we quickly furled the genoa and ran downwind with the squall.

Unfortunately that kept us in the squall as it headed up the coast so it was a wet trip all the way to Coasters Retreat in Pittwater. On Tuesday, we headed into the Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club Marina for 2 nights to catch up with Jenny and David on Kailani who had circumnavigated Tasmania with us in 2015. We celebrated my birthday with dinner at their home on Tuesday night. Warren sorted through some boat maintenance issues and we did the necessary washing and shopping while we waited for the northerlies to pass.
On Thursday afternoon we left the marina and picked up another mooring in Coasters Retreat in readiness for a early start the next morning. It is about 80nm to Port Stephens, so we were glad of the 10-15 knot SSE wind that pushed us along. More squalls meant we didn't fly the spinnaker but we still had the anchor down in Shoal Bay at 1800.

On Saturday morning we climbed Tomaree Head. This is a popular walk on good tracks that include lots of steps. The track rises 160m but the effort is rewarded with spectacular 360 degree views from the summit.

On the way down, we detoured to Fort Tomaree and the remains of the WWII gun emplacements. These are all that is left of the fort that was built in 1942 to prevent enemy forces entering Port Stephens and reaching the steelworks in Newcastle.

In the afternoon we sailed further into Port Stephens and anchored in Fame Cove. This is a popular all weather spot with 5 public moorings (all taken unfortunately).

On Sunday we got our exercise by kayaking up the creek as far as we could go. When we came back a few boats had left so we picked up a mooring.

Fame Cove

On Monday we motored 2nm to Soldiers Point to see if we could buy some fresh bread. We enjoyed the walk along the foreshore however no luck with the bread so returned to our mooring.

We spent our last day in Port Stephens with a long paddle across to North Arm Cove where we found a nice spot for morning tea where we could watch the yachts participating in the Sail Port Stephens regatta. With over 100 yachts it was quite a spectacle.

On Wednesday morning, with a good southerly forecast, we left Port Stephens bound for the Gold Coast Seaway, 330nm away. 53 hours later, we entered the Seaway. It was a good passage but not particularly fast with the wind directly behind and a 1-2 knot current against us much of the way.

Seal Rocks

Second evening at sea off the NSW north coast

With an incoming tide we decided to push on to Canaipa where we dropped anchor for a good sleep before the final leg home. On Saturday we sailed the last 13 nm home to be greeted as always by Mum on the rock wall of Raby Bay. We had traveled 2651nm in the 3 months we were away.

Eden to Sydney

Saturday, 23 March to Sunday, 31 March 2019

We spent 4 nights in Twofold Bay, the first 3 in Snug Cove, Eden which is well protected from the northerlies that blew. 

Eden Whale Museum

We walked to the shops and around the headland and enjoyed the antics of the local dolphins.

Mussel farm in the background

Good view of Saturday racing in Eden

On Monday, we motored over to East Boyd Bay when the wind finally switched to the south east. This is a very pretty anchorage and we would have liked to stay longer but we wanted to make progress north while the winds were favourable.

Misty morning to leave Twofold Bay

At 0700 on Tuesday we left, intending to sail the 120nm to Jervis Bay. The winds were light and we alternated between sailing under main and genoa and motorsailing. We got the spinnaker up for an hour and a half in the afternoon which helped our progress. When we received the updated weather, we realised that after tomorrow the winds would stall our progress for a while and we decided to push on another 70nm to Sydney. We dropped the sails at 2200 in light winds and were abeam Jervis Bay at 0300 on Wednesday.  We had passed a few fishing boats during the night but the fleets are much smaller than on previous trips up and down the NSW coast. The sails went up again at first light and we enjoyed a good sail until after lunch when the wind died and we were back motoring. 

About 3nm south of Botany Bay we clicked over 30,000nm on our log.

South Head Light

We entered Sydney Harbour at 1710 and picked up a public mooring in Hermit Bay. 

This was a great place to unwind after 34 hours and 207nm sailing, watching the twilight fleet sail by, and taking in the view of the bridge and Opera House.

Great view day or night

On Thursday morning, we enjoyed a walk around the foreshore track to Shark Beach and the historic Greycliffe House in Vaucluse.

Dressing Pavillion built in 1932

Tunnel to the beach to guard the privacy of  swimmers

Greycliffe House, Vaucluse

We then sailed under the Harbour Bridge to Rozelle Bay to where Multihull Central have their office and marina. They run a Thursday night twilight race and asked us to join them.

This swinging bridge was replaced by the ANZAC bridge

Multihull Central marina

About 9 Seawinds and 1 racing cat sailed (and won with daylight second). Racing on Sydney Harbour is chaotic! We did have a close encounter with a Manly ferry when we tacked towards them before quickly tacking back. Locals said if he didn’t blast his horn at us then it can’t have been too close but we kept a much better watch after that. 

Manly ferries are BIG up close

We were second Seawind just a boatlength behind the Seawind 1160 Lite Pegasus. A BBQ afterwards ended a great day in Sydney.

On Friday morning we sailed back up the harbour and into Middle Harbour, where we went under the lifting Spit Bridge. It opens 5 times a day and was easy to negotiate. 

We spent 2 nights in Bantry Bay and then another night in Sugarloaf Bay. This area is a mix of expensive houses built on steep blocks of land and native bushland.

Bantry Bay is the site of munitions magazines built during the first world war. They replaced old hulks that had been storing explosives on Sydney Harbour. The facility was closed in 1973 so boats are now welcome in this protected bay.

Munitions magazine built into the hillside

On Saturday we had some rain in the morning and very strong northerly winds. In the afternoon, we planned to do the walk up to the Bluff Lookout and were all ready to go when we heard an enormous crack. I turned in time to see a huge gum come down in the area we were going to walk. Needless to say, we decided to wait until the next day when the winds had eased a little for our hike.

Return to the North Island (Bass Strait at its best)

Monday, 18 March to Friday, 22 March 2019

After our Channel cruising, we had a night at Constitution Dock and then a night at the Prince of Wales Bay Marina for washing and restocking for the trip home. Our original plan to take our time going up the east coast of Tasmania was amended when we looked at the weather for the next week. There was a good window to cross Bass Strait if we left as soon as possible, if we delayed at all, then there was no opportunity for the coming 10 days. 

Farewell to Hobart on a beautiful afternoon

We therefore left Hobart after lunch and refuelling at the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania, sailed down the Derwent past the Iron Pot and anchored at Lagoon Beach in Frederick Henry Bay.

We left the anchorage at 0745 on Wednesday and motored to Denison Canal. Luckily the tides were in our favour and we went through the canal about 0930. 

Looks narrow as we approach

Canal was dug by convicts so is not wide

After exiting the Marion Narrows we raised the main and motorsailed towards Maria Island. Lots of dolphins came to say goodbye but they weren’t impressed by our slow speed in the light easterly wind. At 1730, we were abeam of Schouten Passage and by nightfall we had dropped the main. In comparison to our trip south it was a calm first night as we continued to motor in slight seas. We needed to be in Eden by early Saturday morning to avoid the predicted northerly, so at 0730 we raised sails. We had between a knot and a knot and a half of current against us so set the spinnaker at 0800.

Champagne sailing in the slight seas

We carried it all day and while our log speeds were good, an adverse current meant we had not covered as much ground as we would have liked. We dropped the spinnaker at 1730, changed to the jib and put a double reef in the main – about an hour’s hard work.

We had good 15-20 knot ESE winds all Thursday night and we were going well but with the frustration of a 2 knot current against us. We had the Iridium Go satellite phone to get weather updates and send and receive text messages and emails. Our friend Eva (SV Zofia) was keeping me company with current updates and news of friends still in Tassie. Her hope that we might get favourable currents soon did not eventuate until we neared the mainland on Friday afternoon.

We were abeam Gabo light at 1740 and Green Cape at 2030. By 2200 however, with the wind directly behind us, we decided to start an engine and motor the last few miles to Twofold Bay. We dropped anchor in Snug Cove, Eden at 2355 on Friday night with a light NE breeze just starting to blow.

We had 447nm on the log and had covered 384nm over the ground in the 64 hours since we left Lagoon Beach. Our time from Schouten Passage to Twofold Bay was 54 hours (38.5hrs sailing and 15.5hrs motoring) compared to 47 hours coming down.

We awoke Saturday morning to a moderate to strong northerly and we were glad we had taken the decision to leave Tasmania when we did. It meant, however, that we sailed past Wineglass Bay for the fifth time. Ah well, maybe next time.

Sunset over Wineglass Bay

Channel Cruising

Tuesday, 5 March to Sunday, 17 March 2019

We spent Tuesday morning making some investments at the array of outdoor shops in Hobart and picking up some last minute fresh supplies before leaving Constitution Dock. Our plans for the next couple of weeks included joining some friends for a Bellerive Yacht Club (BYC) cruise over the long weekend and then cruising further south in the D’Entrecasteaux Channel. 

The Channel was named after Bruni D’Entrecasteaux who entered it by mistake in 1792 and realised that Bruny Island was separated from the rest of Tasmania. We spent a few days here last trip, but you could spend months exploring the many sheltered anchorages, enjoying the flat water sailing and the numerous walks.

Classic wooden boat in The Duckpond

We had to motor all the way to The Duckpond anchorage on Bruny Island, a secure anchorage for the range of winds expected over the next few days. Boat jobs and cold, rainy weather kept us busy for 2 days but on Thursday we were joined by Folie a Deux, Ezibeat and Aurielle. On Friday, we sailed south to Rabbit Island in Port Esperance in a fresh NW to W wind. 

Folie a Deux looking good with full sails

Folie’s head pulled out of their main in one of the 30 knot gusts so they were handicapped with no mainsail for the rest of our cruise. We then motored over to Dover for sundowners with the BYC crews, where we all enjoyed the hospitality and the fire at the Port Esperance Sailing Club.

Port Esperance Sailing Club

On Saturday, the BYC fleet of 12 boats (including a Phase Three) headed to Mickeys Bay for a BBQ lunch. 

On Sunday, with their guidance we finally found our way to Cloudy Bay Lagoon and then scrambled over the rocks to Cloudy Bay. 

Cloudy Bay Lagoon

Cloudy Bay

Most of the BYC fleet left Sunday afternoon for anchorages to the north but we enjoyed sundowners on Aurielle. On Monday morning, Aurielle headed north while Folie and Phase2 sailed south to Recherche Bay in a light NNW wind.

Recherche Bay is massive

D'Entrecasteaux had anchored here in 1792 and again in 1793 with 2 ships that were floating laboratories. Physicists, botanists, zoologists, navigators, surveyors and philosophers explored inland gathering specimens and having friendly meetings with the local Aboriginal people. The French names of many places are a reminder that they were here 10 years before the British. I wonder if I would now be writing this in French if they had chosen to settle the area rather than study it.

This is literally the end of the road

We anchored off Cockle Creek but our plans for walks were thwarted by rain on Tuesday so we had a lazy day.

On Wednesday, we walked to South Cape Bay, the first (or last) stage of the South Coast Track to Port Davey. The track was diverse with forest and boardwalk components.

We were lucky to enjoy lunch at South Cape with little wind but overcast skies.

South Cape Bay

We had some rain on the way back, the track became quite muddy and we were glad to have our walking boots and gaiters. We slept well on Wednesday night after our 16 km trek. On Thursday, Maurice and Karen joined us for an 8km walk with a mixture of forest, beach and rock scrambling to Fisher Point.

Whaling was an important industry here

After 4 nights at Cockle Creek, we left early on Friday for Taylors Reef in Great Taylor Bay. We stopped at Southport on the way for lunch and a walk to the Southport Lagoon.

Southport lagoon

With our time in the Channel coming to an end, we had one more walk we wanted to do to Cape Bruny Lighthouse. It was a perfect day for the 8km return walk from Jetty Beach, with great visibility in all directions.

Saturday night was spent at Adams Bay in perfect conditions. On Sunday morning we had morning tea at the Bruny Cheese Factory to say farewell to our friends Karen and Maurice on Folie a Deux before sailing back to Hobart to get ready for the trip home.

I thought I would finish this entry with some of the great wildlife we encountered in the channel.

One wallaby peeping

Two seals a waving

Three dolphins leaping

Four cockatoos a chewing