Yes, we set off for the Harbour but a few things got in the way. We had a minor issue with the headsail (too embarassing to detail). The wind was from the South. It was forecast to be from the North on New Years Day. And the old saying goes, Gentlemen only sail downwind…
So we decided to head for Hardys Bay instead. It’s been quite wet, but we’re cozy and we had a very nice meal at Yum Yum last night, so all’s good!
We’re currently halfway between Camden Haven and Pittwater. We’re making excellent progress with speeds up to 9 knots. At this rate we’ll be back on the marina by 3.00 am Sunday. We’ve had persistent drizzle all the way sofar, but we’re in good spirits (even had a small glass of red with dinner just now).
The photo was taken by Jeanette from Reeflection as we leaving Laurieton this morning. Jeannette and Doug are not just good company, they also take nice pictures!
If you are going to get stuck somewhere, Laurieton / Camden Haven is the place to be.
No doubt some time the rain will stop and the wind will abate. At which time we’ll miss dinners at the Laurieton United Servicemen Club!
Meanwhile, the crew of Reeflection has been experimenting with their wet weather setup.
When we left Iluka, the Volunteer Marine Rescue (VMR) station reminded us about a strong wind warning for the day. We had looked at the forecast NE at 20-25 knots and decided it would give us a quick run down the coast. While the wind indeed got up to around 25 knots during the day, the sea state was very modest and Te Moana enjoyed the conditions, averaging 7 knots for the day. We wondered about the effectiveness of the hourly strong wind warnings which we kept getting from the VMR stations while we were enjoying a great day out at sea.
After driving back to the boat yesterday, we covered the last few miles to Grafton and we’re now anchored close to the bridge. The local cruising/racing yacht club put on a barbeque for us last night to welcome us. And of course, it’s Jacaranda Festival time.
From here, we’re focused on the return journey. Joy is driving back and Bruce and I will take Te Moana back to Pittwater in a few hops, starting Monday. Watch this space.
Te Moana is on the public jetty at Ulmarra, just a few miles down river from Grafton. It's a convenient spot for me (Marius) to dash back to Sydney for a couple of meetings while Joy looks after Te Moana. I'll be back on the boat by Saturday afternoon together with Bruce Dell, who will help get Te Moana back to Sydney.
We’ve had a fair bit of rain over the past 24 hours and the countryside around here looks like that is a regular occurrence. We’ve sailed past lush green paddocks and canefields. Tomorrow I fly back to Sydney for a day to attend some meetings and to pick up our crew for the return journey.
