Phase2: 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.