Friday, 22 October 2010

In Coffs Harbour tonight after a really good run down from Iluka. Left there at first light, the bar was quite flat. Wind came in from the north east about mid morning and I was able to sail right down to Coffs doing between 6 and 7 knots.

There were large numbers of shearwaters (mutton birds) all around and I had to laugh at them. When flying they are superb, skimming the water with their wings only a couple of centimetres above the water, but when they come in to land they just do a belly flop; their head goes under the water and they look quite funny. When on the water they are completely oblivious to the boat and do not move out of the way, they just get pushed out of the way by the bow wave, then give me a dirty look as I pass them.

Today’s piece of succinct advice – “When in trouble or in doubt, sail in circles, scream and shout!”

Tomorrow’s winds look really good and I intend leaving here at about 3:30 and be in Port by about 15:00.

My trip is almost at an end quite sad, but there will be more.