Monday, 25 October 2010
I got back to Port Macquarie about 15:00 on Friday after a really good trip down from Coffs Harbour. Left there at 03:30, there was a full moon and it was good weather, not much wind until late in the morning when a good north-easter came in and with that plus the east coast current running at about a knot and a half, I was making 7 – 8 knots over the ground. I tried putting the blooper up instead of the jib, but it wasn’t successful. It is far too big to get a spinnaker pole on and sailing downwind without a pole meant it was all over the place. I have used it once before when the wind was just abaft the beam and it worked very well then.
I was a bit concerned about the bar at Port as my ETA was just on the end of the run out tide, the worst time to cross. I made the boat ready, stowed everything that was loose and put the washboard in. The wind was just on my starboard beam when I lined up for the bar, so I left the sails up to help go against the outgoing current which can be around 3 – 4 knots. It was a bit frisky again, but not too bad, she tried to broach a couple of times, but with the extra speed from the sails, she responded well to the helm.
Chez was on the sea wall waiting for me and Nicole cadged a ride in the sea rescue RHIB and came out and meet me just inside the break wall. She took some photos on her phone and I will put a couple on to this blog. Chez had quite a long walks from the wall around to the marina, but was there to help me berth. Nicole transferred on to Paragon and took the helm for the trip up the channel to the marina while I took the sails down. Couldn’t get Paragon to back into my berth due to the fresh nor-easter, so had to put her in bow first, but turned her around yesterday morning before the wind came up.
Sad, but this is my last blog, until next time. Overall I thoroughly enjoyed it. The weather wasn’t too good and sometimes the winds weren’t as I would have wanted, but you’ve got to take the bad with the good. Over 400 hours underway and logged over 2000 nautical miles.
Thank you to all my loyal readers and I will let you know when we’re off again.
I got back to Port Macquarie about 15:00 on Friday after a really good trip down from Coffs Harbour. Left there at 03:30, there was a full moon and it was good weather, not much wind until late in the morning when a good north-easter came in and with that plus the east coast current running at about a knot and a half, I was making 7 – 8 knots over the ground. I tried putting the blooper up instead of the jib, but it wasn’t successful. It is far too big to get a spinnaker pole on and sailing downwind without a pole meant it was all over the place. I have used it once before when the wind was just abaft the beam and it worked very well then.
I was a bit concerned about the bar at Port as my ETA was just on the end of the run out tide, the worst time to cross. I made the boat ready, stowed everything that was loose and put the washboard in. The wind was just on my starboard beam when I lined up for the bar, so I left the sails up to help go against the outgoing current which can be around 3 – 4 knots. It was a bit frisky again, but not too bad, she tried to broach a couple of times, but with the extra speed from the sails, she responded well to the helm.
Chez was on the sea wall waiting for me and Nicole cadged a ride in the sea rescue RHIB and came out and meet me just inside the break wall. She took some photos on her phone and I will put a couple on to this blog. Chez had quite a long walks from the wall around to the marina, but was there to help me berth. Nicole transferred on to Paragon and took the helm for the trip up the channel to the marina while I took the sails down. Couldn’t get Paragon to back into my berth due to the fresh nor-easter, so had to put her in bow first, but turned her around yesterday morning before the wind came up.
Sad, but this is my last blog, until next time. Overall I thoroughly enjoyed it. The weather wasn’t too good and sometimes the winds weren’t as I would have wanted, but you’ve got to take the bad with the good. Over 400 hours underway and logged over 2000 nautical miles.
Thank you to all my loyal readers and I will let you know when we’re off again.
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