SAILING LOG MARCH 2011

Note reverse date order.  This is the bureaucrat coming out in me.

Passage: Coffs to Yamba-Iluka 62NM

Left Coffs just before dark, on Wed 23^th March and had really nice night sail to Yamba-Illuka, 10-15 knots abeam, 1-1.5m swell.  Storm jib and reefed main up most of the night.  There was phosphorescence in the wake, brilliant sunset and sunrise, and moon all night.

Timed arrival at Yamba-Iluka perfectly to cross the bar, arriving about 11 am, just before the top of flood tide.  On approach, it looked as if the bar was breaking right across, and the fishing vessels were being piloted across.  VMR told us to stand off and watch before we picked an approach, which we did, getting increasingly apprehensive.  It wasn’t made any better by observing the pilot boat appearing to play dare-devil with breaking rollers at the north end.  Eventually the VMR guy couldn’t bear it any longer and more or less indicated that we would be OK if we came in on the south leads keeping close to the centre and NOT to follow the pilot. We did that, and only had a few non-breaking waves to push us in.  Phew.  Then proceeded to anchor in Iluka Bay, dead calm, balmy. Champagne and beer at the best hotel in Australia (Sedger’s Bay) at sunset.  Gorgeous.

Mucking around in Boats at Coffs Harbour

March 15^th – 23rd

Trial Bay Goal.  Convicts seemed to spend 9 years
building a very short breakwater. Nice holiday spot?

Spent the first day, Tuesday, catching up on sleep and drying things out, on the pick in the bay. Next day, took a berth in the marina (not really a nice marina but OK) after a visit by a diesel mechanic to fix the blocked filters.  Will need to clean the fuel tanks I think, probably in Brisbane.  Spent a lovely week exploring Coffs Harbour and its hinterland.  Trial Bay Goal a real highlight but also Bellingen and the rainforest at Dorrigo and the weekly growers market in Coffs. Lovely area.

Passage: Port Macquarie to Coffs Harbour 72NM

Moonraker in Coffs Harbour

Left Port Macquarie on the evening of March 14^th to arrive at Coffs on 15th.  This passage was very thoroughly planned, as we were worried about the bar crossing and had decided to do an over-night sail. It was certainly the most eventful passage so far.  Getting over the bar was a nightmare (see blog Some Real Life Adventures) and the night sail was not that much fun.  Swell was up over 2 metres, wind had more northerly than anything else, and we were shaken by the bar crossing.  Did two hour shifts turn-about .  Only a little real sailing.  Fully reefed main up all the way, mainly for stability rather than momentum, and an uneventful entry into Coffs.

Mucking around in boats at Port Macquarie

Tuesday 8- Monday 14th March 2011

Busy time at the Port Marina in Port Macquarie, on mooring and berth.  Work completed on bilge, engine exhaust, electricals, sails etc.  Dean adores the shipwright Neil Wallace: his new hero? Move over Stanner.  I went to Sydney for two days for Choice and other matters. Port Macquarie is a great town: friendly; good shopping; the post office works; everyone seems to be friendly, fit and into exercise (go the Dragon Boat ladies of a certain age who invited me to join!); lots of community activity; great  historical record; plenty of markets; great concert hall; functional port; modern facilities; great beaches; clean; charming teenagers; reasonable nod to Aboriginal antecedents; great marina staff; 40 min on plane to Sydney. Wow. 

Passage : Laurieton to Port Macquarie 17.32 NM

Monday 7^th March

Left Laurieton at first light, got across the bar and it was very bumpy.  Forecast  5-15 knot SE with 2m swell, but actually NNE to 30 knots with 3m swell at least. Checked with VMR Laurieton and Port Macquarie. They gave no red lights so we went on.  Nice sail for parts of it but kept the motor going so we would arrive at high tide at 10.30 hrs or earlier .  Crossed the bar with a reefed main as staysail,  on the documented leads. The leads turns out to be what you should NOT follow. A 10 ft wave broke behind us with a scary roar but Moonraker and Dean at the helm handled it with aplomb. Locals later told us the correct bearing for entry and exit is the  subject of local bureaucratic wrangling but no action. Apparently you should line up about 10-15 degrees north of the leads to miss the bar.  Oh well. No wonder they have so many wrecks on that bar.

Mucking around in boats at Laurieton



Saturday 5th-Sunday 6^th March 2011



Mary-Ann (busy as always), Ken and Mary (cheerful
as always), and Dean hiding from the camera (as always).



Mary and Mary-Anne arrived to join us in Laurieton (very picturesque).  Poured with rain on Saturday but we had a nice dinner in the CS (Combined Services) Club, which has a culinary style (but not architecture) uncannily like every other RSL Club. Natalie phoned to tell us about the bended knee, the sparkly rock and the great happiness of engagement. Great joy and lots of congratulations (weirdly) to me followed from all and sundry. Full breakfast next morning for 5 on Moonraker, a trip to the top of North Brother with a walk down the mountain for Dean, Mary-Ann and me, then the three visitors left for Sydney.  Mary’s goodies will keep us fed for weeks.

Passage : Broughton Island to Laurieton 72 nm

Friday March  4^th 2011

Low tide at Laurieton, so a sand bar we couldn't see in the
dark shows itself next to this yacht.  Look carefully and you
can see the 3 nav. lights that were not lit.

A long haul with winds flukey and from N to NE.  Thw wind sometimes veered to the east so we had some sailing some of the time.  Main up to steady us in following swell and genoa sometimes.  Dolphin squad spectacular.  Left the anchorage at first light (6 am) to get to Laurieton by top of the tide (7.30 pm).  Arrived at perfect time for the tide but it was dark by the time we got into harbour, heading for a mooring we had arranged from the Boat Shed.  Horror! Ran aground before finding that the green and red channel markers are powered by solar panels that are bit unreliable.  Three dead green lights on a dark, cloudy, moonless night,  an s-bend in the river and Moonraker was high and almost dry. MR Lauriton very kindly hauled us off (side-ways with much roaring of their engines) and we anchored (with some radio support from VMR and an anchored yacht) near the CS (combines services) Club.

Passage : Port Stevens to Broughton Island 8 NM

Thursday 3^rd March 2011





Ken loves sailing but never misses a chance to
 have a snooze (this was in rolly conditions on
the way to Lauriton).  ....Then
he's always up for the next challenge, see below



   Tuesday March Left Port Stephens in good order and sailed with Ken to Broughton Island.  Flew the MPS.  Beautiful anchorage off Providence Beach.  Dean and I went ashore and tramped a bit over the island which is windswept, more or less uninhabited and with low tough scrub.  Felt like Robinson Crusoe.  Only one other boat in the bay and so we had Rob and Steve from Magnum (not the gun, the icecream or the champage but a nice sloop on its way to CYC) on board at sunset and shared some wine with them.