Port Macquarie

Tuesday 7th August.
Arrived back in Port Macquarie yesterday after 2 days sailing from Iluka. I left Iluka at first light on Sunday, it was bottom of the tide, but the bar was flat and there was no wind. I did get a bit of a south westerly after an hour or so and I was able to shut down the engine and have  a sail for about 4 hours before the wind died and I had to get it the iron main going again. Arrived in Coffs about 1600 and anchored in the bay outside the marina for the night.

Monday was another fine windless morning, and I left Coffs at 0300. This time the wind did not materialise
and I had to use the engine all the way. There was a southerly current of up to 2 knots at times so I made good time. Chez was on the break wall to greet me and I wanted her to get a photo of me coming in with both sails up. Unfortunately, after 12 hours of virtually no wind it went from about 2 knots to 25 knots in a matter of seconds. it was right on the bow and there was no way I could cross the bar with the sails up in that wind, so I had to bring them in and get photographed with nothing up.

So, the end of my trip, not quite as planned but never the less, enjoyable most of the time, terrifying at others., but good to be home.

Iluka

I stayed in Runaway bay for 4 nights waiting for the low to move off the coast and for the strong southerlies to die down. I judged that Thursday they had started to die down enough, but it was still a pretty strenuous trip. Seaway bar had quite a swell on it, one in particular looked like a mountain coming toward me, it was over 4 meters and probably closer to 5. definitely the largest I have ever crossed. Paragon went up and up and then crashed down the far slope. Quite frightening.

The rest of the trip was pretty bad, head winds most of the way, tacking back and forward, but not making a great deal of progress, took me 14 hours to do the 48 miles to Byron Bay. Average of 3.6 knots. Anchored in the bay overnight, quite a pleasent night and a welcome rest.

Yesterday, Friday, I left Byron Bay at 0500 and had a relatively easy trip to Iluka. The southerlies have finally dropped off and at times I had some nice south westerlies and did some serious sailing. Got to Clarence River just on sunset, which was a bit of a problem because the track up the river to Iluka is west, straight into sun. Dropped anchor at 1725.

Having a day off today before tackling the last 2 legs to Port Macquarie, about 13 hours tomorrow to Coffs Harbour and 16 hours Monday to Port.