Friday, March 31, 2017

Wineglass Bay

Got up thismorning at our anchorage in Bryan's Corner, just prior to the wind going a tad south of West so up anchor and across from the mainland to look at our previous nights anchorage at Crockett Bay on Schouten Island. Not too hot there either, so set a jib and off thru Schouten Passage to Wineglass Bay with 20 knots gusting to 30 on our back quarter. Nice to be sailing. We arrived to see a beautiful aluminium yacht, Rickie Tai which coincidently John had taken a serious look at 2 months ago with the view to buy. French yacht built along the lines of the around the world single handers. Cost $1m. Asking price was $300,000. I detected a tear in John's eye as she upanchored and shot away under a reefed main alone.

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Tuesday, March 28, 2017

We'd 29 March

Yesterday John and I spent the afternoon fishing for flathead with Stuie, Pam, David on Patternmaker.  Got a bunch of flathead which John filleted and skinned on the way in. The other two boats which has been out on the Leland came in rafted up. Then off to the spring Bay pub for a meal. Very nice too.
This morning we pushed off and travelled up the Coast only an hour and will spend the night at anchor in Oakhampton Bay. We expect the wind to go from Nw to SW overnight and will use this to travel to Wineglass Bay

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Sunday, March 26, 2017

Glad We Are Hole Up.

It's later in the day at Triabunna and the expected front is about to hit.already have had gust to 32 knots. Gunnar be raining shortly.

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Day 3 Triabunna Stopover

A westerly gale on the west coast with predicted 6 metre seas, is expected to force a strong northerly down the East coast where we currently are located, so we will stop over in Triabunna until it clears. Tasman Island, which we passed 2 days ago and were able to get very close to the dollamite cliffs experienced 40 knots last night. Good trip planning I say.

Currently sipping van purchased morning coffee in the warming morning sun. Last night's meal was prepared by Dave, it was fresh caught salmon,  trumpeter, and tuna, (courtesy of Bill and Julie) served up with the best chips ever from The Fish Van.

As we are in town for the day will check out the wood chip mill. Purchased by a successful arts design lady who shut it down and has converted it into a tourist attraction. Cool huh.

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Saturday, March 25, 2017

Day 2

After a very quiet night at anchor at Port Arthur, SE set off for Triabunna the wind is variable from NE to NW up to 8 knots, so motor sailing with the main. The sea is a combination of NE an SW, which whilst only less than a meter and with a westerly front due late tomorrow means we will likely stay in Triabunna for a couple of days.
Bill caught a tuna and shared with us A mid ocean throw and quick Hans in the slips means technically we have 'caught' a fish.
Passing Cathedral Rock was a treat as was Cape Pinnacle. The low sea state allowed us to sail close and be overawed by the size of the cliffs. 

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Hobart to Geelong Trip

I have joined John ie,  Dave and Keiren in Hobart to bring Bundaberg back to Geelong.  We are sailing in company of Bill and Julie Newman on Matasyka, Stuie on Paternmaker, Dave on his Salar Chrispian. Day 1 we travelled from Hobart to Port Arthur in light conditions which enabled us to sail very close to the dolomite cliffs at Cape Rahul (spelling) before turning up into harbour mouth at Port Arthur.  This was a rare treat as this area usually has large swells running forcing one to give plenty of to the shore. Dinner by Keiren was a beautiful, Vietnam spring rolls and knockie.  Yum.

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Sunday, March 19, 2017

A Sunday Visit to the Manly Aquarium

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School Run

First opportunity to see Amelia go to school. She started earlier this year 2017.

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Thursday, March 16, 2017

Tuesday, March 7, 2017

motoring up the Gordon River

Aboard Bundaberg with John, Rochelle and family and Dave n Kierren and Nic. The other boat is Pattern Maker with Stuie and Bill Rae aboard. Interestingly, there are about 45 boats doing the circumnavigation of Tasmania this year and the three from Geelong are all owner builders. So cool. The river mouth is about 2 1/2 hours up Macquarie Harbour from Strahan. Depth at the river mouth is 3.4 meters and in the river it varies from 3.5 to 33 meters. we had to be careful to stay in the channel because depth changes can be abrupt. 
Very little to no wind made for excellent photographic opportunities. The reflections of the trees in the water were especially intriguing. 
This area was renound for its boat building timbers. You can still spie the occasional huon pine, blackwood (and acacia), celery top pine and sassafras. 
More pics later from when we travelled from the Gordon to the Franklin River and had sandwiches, toasted Jacs health, in the back reaches of the Franklin, {the last of the un-damed wild rivers}