R & R Day Bermagui NSW

Mt Freycinet TAS

Bermagui NSW

1st May 2009

Spent the day catching up on sleep, shopping and washing after our Bass Strait Crossing.
Caught up with Reg & Judy Le Compte “Judy Lyn” - Chamberlin 13.5 Cruiser). A great day, 25 degrees blue skies – shorts and tee shirt weather.

Bass Strait Crossing

Iron Pot, Entrance to Derwent River TAS

The Hazards, Freycinet Peninsula TAS

Wineglass Bay TASDaggerboard Vibration

28th April 2009

POS S -36 25.537’

E +150 04.361’

Departed Chinaman’s Bay @ 0730, wind SW 20 kts. Heading outside Schouten Island with double reefed main and jib – wing & wing. Diverted to Wineglass Bay with a huge vibration in the port rudder, wind was now blowing 30 knots and we dropped the jib.
Dropped the anchor in Wineglass Bay @ 1315 for a late lunch and checked out the rudder problem. A quick alignment check for the rudders, all OK. Found lots of weed around the dagger boards instead which caused the vibration.

Departed Wineglass Bay @ 1550 after final checks for the strait crossing. Wind SW 20 knots changing to S which peaked at 35 knots during the night. Triple Reefed Main only for the rest of the night, very rough with a large swell and breaking crests. Wind gradually easing during the day, 15-20 knots for rest of the trip across. Arrived at Bermagui on Thursday 30th April @ 1200 after a crossing of 44 hours, covering 416 nm’s.

Farewell Hobart

Fuel Jetty RYCT Hobart

Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania

Snow Mt Wellington TAS Mt Wellington TAS

27th April 2009

POS S -42 39.0780’
E +148 02.368’

Departed RYCT Marina @ 0830 heading for the mainland and some warmth.
Awoke to snow on Mt Wellington, it was only 8 degrees inside the boat. The wind SW 12-15 kts, with a large swell. Glad we are heading through the Denison Canal, its blowing 45 knots at Tasman Island. Sailed with a double reefed main and jib. Dropped anchor in Chinaman’s Bay on the inside of Maria Island @ 1510, after covering 57.1 nm in 6 hrs 51 mins @ AVE 8.3 kts (MAX 15.1 Kts).

Hobart or BUST

Whale Head TAS

Recherche Bay TAS

Coalbins Bay TAS

Heavy Rain, Kettering TAS

14th March 2009

POS S -42 53.909’
E +147 20.086’

Departed the Bins, Recherche Bay @ 0845 and motored into a thick sea mist. Played dodgem’s with the extensive kelp beds out off Actaeon Island and Black Reef. The mist cleared and the wind was from NNE, still very light. Put up the sails for brief periods of time, still not much wind. Looks like we will be motoring all the way back to Hobart. It’s either too much wind or not enough wind. At 1430 hit by heavy rain and very low visibility, it’s blowing 40+ knots from the South. Just off Kettering dodging the ferry that’s heading back from Bruny Island plus a couple other boats, radar on and eyes peeled. Started sailing @ 1540 with main, reacher and staysail now heading up the Derwent River with Hobart in sight. Arrived back @ 1720 to the RYCT Marina, covering 58.1 nm in 8 hrs 47 mins @ AVE 6.6 kts.

Back to Recherche Bay

East Pyramids, Port Davey TAS

South West Cape TAS

Maatsuyker Island TAS

South East Cape TAS

POS S -43 33.965’
E +146 53.593’

13th March 2009

Departed Spain Bay @ 0630 with a stream of Circumnavigation boats all motoring out into Port Davey in the dark. Motored until just before East Pyrmids then pulled up the mainsail and motor sailed. Passed SW Cape @ 0845, and still NO WIND. Had to motor all the way to Recherche Bay, it either feast or fame with the wind down here in Tassie. Lots of weed to dodge and off Whale Head we hit a large patch of weed and damaged the stbd outboard impellor. Headed around into Snake Point, Recherche Bay arriving @ 1615 and anchored in shallow water. Bruce and Tom jumped into in the dinghy and pulled the bottom of the stbd outboard and changed the impellor. One hour later the stbd outboard was back in action and we moved over into Coalbins Bay, Recherche Bay @ 1755, covering 70.1 nm in 9 hrs 57 mins @ AVE 7.0 kts.

Spain Bay – Port Davey

Clayton's Corner, Bathurst Harbour TAS

Clayton's Corner

Tom @ TV Hill (Mt Rugby - Background)

Spain Bay, Port Davey Harbour TAS

12th March 2009

R & R Day post Mt Rugby Climb. Had a good sleep in and awoke with very stiff and sore leg muscles. Spent the night in Claytons Corner with boats from the 2009 Van Diemen’s Land Circumnavigation. Went ashore and visited the Clayton House and Jetty.
Had a short walk up the nearby TV Hill to stretch our legs. Meet up with people from the Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife doing a park visitor survey. Left Claytons Corner heading for Spain Bay in Port Davey. Time to leave before the weather changes and traps us. Spent the night with 20 other boats from the Round Tassie fleet all with the same idea.
What an amazing couple of days in a very special hard to reach part of the world, well worth the visit. We will be back to spend more time in here in the future.

Mt Rugby Climb Instructions

Mt Rugby, Bathurst Channel TAS

Mt Rugby Climb START

Mt Rugby 1st Ridge

Bathurst Harbour

Climbing Mt Rugby is a challenging excursion with 2,534 feet (or 772m) of vertical-up and is not for the fainthearted. On a good day, the view from the top is one of the finest in Tasmania, if not the world.

Leave the dinghy at the beach in the little cove across the channel from, and NE of, Iola Bay. Head NW and pick up the track along the top of the razor back ridge leading you N up to the first saddle. NOTE that this part of the track is quite steep, slippery and treacherous – especially when tired legs are returning downhill. Like most such tracks in SW Tasmania they are kept open by passing wombats. Parts of this are more like a knee-high tunnel so you cannot see your feet – they have to be put one in front of the other, not side by side.

From the saddle, the route turns NW around and through some rocky outcrops. Once through them, in dry summer weather, under a very large boulder you will find the last accessible fresh water. From here the route sidles round the E face of the mountain and the summit is approached from the NE. The last hundred (vertical) feet is around, over and through a mass of boulders and brush-filled cracks.

Mt Rugby Climb

Tom & Leanne - 1st Ridge Mt Rugby

Frog Hollow (BWR), Bathurst Channel

Bathurst Channel/Port Davey Harbour

The TOP of Mt Rugby

11th March 2009

Up early @ 0730 for a visual weather check, its ON, Mt Rugby is clear. All systems go!!
A breakfast of porridge was eaten; our packs with food, chocolate, drinks and warm clothing were packed. Into the dinghy and off we went motoring from Eve’s Point (Frog Hollow) across the Bathurst Channel to a little cove with a small beach. Suzanne sighted a Pot-Bellied Seahorse in the fresh tannin water layer. Climbing commence @ 0900 and took four hours to reach the top. It was a steep narrow, wet muddy track but well worth the effort. The views of Port Davey and Bathurst Harbour were awesome, a highlight of the trip. Downhill was a long and slow trip, on much tried legs. Lots of falls, either sitting on our bums or toppling over on our sides, no injuries except for stiff sore legs. No snakes sighted either – bugger. Arrived back at the boat, @1600 for hot showers. Upped anchor and shifted into Claytons Corner in Bathurst Harbour.

Port Davey or BUST

Coal Bluff, South Cape Bay
Furthest South, S/E Cape
Entrance of Bathurst Channel
BWR @ Frog Hollow, Bathurst Channel

Mt Rugby in Background

POS S -43 20.870’
E +146 06.140’

10th March 2009

Early start this morning @ 0650 first light, heading for Port Davey, wind W 10 kts 100% cloud cover with .5m wind wave and 1m SW low swell, sea smooth. Departed Rocky Bay inside Recherche Bay motor sailing with mainsail using one motor at a time to conserve fuel. Sighted Pedra Branca (Eddystone Rock) way out to sea, 13.5 nm away. Rounded South East Cape (Pos -43 38.575’ S, +146 49.587’ E) @ 0830, the furthest South in Tasmania/Australia. Sighted the Coal Bluff @ 0920 in South Cape Bay, our walk destination from yesterday. Motors off and finally sailing with Main & Jib. Passed Maasuker Island @ 1150, motors ON again. Rounded South West Cape @ 1330 and arrived at the Port Davey Entrance @ 1550. Entered Bathurst Channel and dropped anchor around Eve’s Point in Frog Hollow @ 1700 after covering 80.9 nm in 10 hrs 10 mins @ AVE 7.9 kts.

The Great WALK – South Cape Bay

Southern Wright Whale, Recherche Bay TAS
South Coast Track Sign, Recherche Bay TAS
Brush Track, South Coast Track TAS

Broad Walk, South Coast Track TAS

POS S -43 34.830’
E +146 53.612’

9th March 2009

Departed Deephole Bay, Southport @ 0640 very early start, Plan A Port Davey/Bathurst Harbour or Plan B Recherche Bay. Wind very light 5 kts - motor sailing with Main only, bugger Plan B. Arrived @ 0850 and anchored in Rocky Bay after covering 13.5 nm in 2 hrs 22 mins @ AVE 5.7 kts. Sat down to a hearty breakfast of bacon and eggs before heading ashore. Walked the South Cape Bay Track (part of the South West Track to Port Davey) out to the Coal Bluff a distance of 7.7 km’s taking 2 hours one way, walking thought the bush then out onto a board walk across the swamp lands into the coastal bush. A neat view at the Coal Bluff looking out to South East Cape and a great walk to the furthest south in Tasmania/Australia.

Oh NO another SW Beat

Deephole Bay - Southport

Hunting & Gathering

POS S -43 27.195’
E +146 58.333’

8th March 2009

Departed Quarries Bay @ 1230 heading further down the D’entrecasteaux Channel. Wind SSW 15 knots gusting to 20 knots, sailing with a Double Reefed Main and Staysail. Head winds again, so decided on an easy afternoon sail to Southport. Anchored briefly near the jetty to allow hunting and gathering party (Tom & Leanne) ashore to find water, hot pies and ice cream. Arrived @ 1535 and anchoured in Deephole Bay after covering 24.8 nm in 3 hrs.07 mins @ AVE 7.9 kts.

Still anchored in Quarries Bay.

Tom & Bruce

Quarry Face

Quarry Prop

7th March 2009

Went ashore in Taylors Bay (Bruny Island) and walked along the beach until we found the track that goes along above the quarry face to Ventenat Point. We climbed down a very steep track into the quarry and explored. The old sandstone quarry was opened up in the 1860 to supply sandstone for the Melbourne General Post Office and other public buildings and ceased operation in the depression of the 1890s.Of the old workings, some are now full of water and with old props still showing.

What a Difference a Day Makes

Tom & Leanne

Salmon Fish Farm - Bruny Island

Quarries Bay - Bruny Island

POS S -43 21.383’
E +147 11.420’

6th March 2009

Departed Barnes Bay @ 1130 heading further down the D’entrecasteaux Channel. Started out motoring with the generator running, not much wind. Ended up beating our way down to Quarries Bay in a SW wind with no more 15 knots. Nice afternoons sail with full main & jib. Arrived @ 1640 after covering 31.9 nm in 4 ¾ hrs @ AVE 6.6 kts.
A big difference from a gusting wet and cold 35 kts, with a treble reefed main then finally no jib!

BWR on the Road Again

POS S -43 08.538’
E +147 19.139’

5th March 2009

After a week of suffering the delights of Hobart waiting for a 974 low to pass, we departed with Cousin Leanne and friend Tom into a cold Antarctic 35 knot south westerly to bring us back to yachting reality! Anchored at Rosebanks Beach in Barnes Bay, Bruny Island tonight, and will continue heading south exploring D’Entrecasteax channel over next few days.

W/Ending 1st March 2009

The week started with the hugh task of taking the main off the boat to deliver to the sailmaker, and then we finished the week with the fun of putting the main back on the boat. It’s very heavy and hard to handle, the reef lines have to be disconnected, then reconnected and the battens have to be unbolted and then rebolted and also need to be tensioned. Bruce spent time repainting the boom of Steve’s and Paul’s Chamberlin 14 Storm Bay plus rolling primer and antifouling on the hulls. Spent a few more nights catching with old friends.

Boats Galore

Diamond Princess

Blizzard Expeditions
David Pryce & Hannah Mickeand
http://www.blizzardexpeditions.com/index.html


Vendee Globe Open 60 Monohull
Derek Hatfield - Algimouss Spirit of Canada
http://www.algimoussspiritofcanada.com