We were only waiting around for a parcel, the weather predictions were looking fine - clear skies, low swell. The email, received in the early morning, cancelling the delivery was the trigger. All we needed was some water under the keel to exit the Marina channel. With high tide predicted for 13:17 the Bloke said "We'll leave today, be ready by 12:00". We did one last rubbish run across the Marina by dinghy and had a coffee and read of the paper in town before focusing on raising and securing the dinghy etc, making good below and getting kitted up in the (by now) usual double thermals plus outer gear!
Mentally I was ready for a Wednesday departure, so I once again had the sensation of being fired out of a cannon. I should be used to it by now. With lunch taken care of by the Bloke's Robe Bakery 'farewell sausage roll' we set off under a sunny blue sky and on a calm, calm ocean wondering how long it would be before we'd even be able to sail. One thing was for sure, the recent tinkering with the motor was going to tested.
Robe Marina channel.
Taken a few days before.
Goodbye to the Obelisk and Cape Dombey
This fishing trawler followed us out an hour later using every mm of the high tide
Sunset at sea
Our trip was an overnighter. Even with the teeny-tiny swell both predicted and experienced, we were not intending to call in to either Beach Point nor Port MacDonnell. Too much 'excitement' to only end up in a rolly anchorage for a night. Besides, a midday depart due to being effectively 'locked in' by the tide, would make a tricky after-dark approach, even if assisted with sectored lights etc...
We managed around 5 hours under sail and motored the rest. A colossal and persistent high pressure system had settled over Tasmania and although giving us breeze from great angles for downwind sailing - even after turning the corner past the south eastern corner of South Australia, it was never more than 12knots and mostly under 5. To be honest, considering this is still winter, we'll accept that with gratitude -"Thank You Neptune!"
The moon was absent for the whole night but clear skies and still waters allowed the stars and planets to reflect off the water. We saw plenty of shooting stars but no planes on this occasion. Our proximity to land and the number of coastal settlements meant there were lights and beacons to be seen almost continuously. This night passage was a busy one with east -west shipping. We passed our first container behemoth at sunset.
This 'block of flats' slid past at dusk, the first of several for the night
I was woken from a sleep down below by the electronic bleeping of our AIS announcing a predicted head on collision with a freighter in 45 minutes and closing! This is extremely unusual. The alarm goes off when approaching vessels are inside 2-3 nautical miles, but this one was precisely on our course! We think that both our and their alarms must have gone off at the same time because we both made a course adjustment simultaneously. Although it's normal for vessels to pass port-to-port we had no intention of entering the shipping lane and we headed in-shore. This probably had the ship's skipper confused in the first instance. The Bloke said the container ship eventually slid past in the dark but across the calm water he could hear the engines as clear as a bell. Chilling. I on the other hand, off duty and confident with the knowledge that my Bloke was in charge, slipped straight back to sleep!
We crossed into Victorian waters shortly before dawn and immediately became vigilant for cray pots. The Portland Marina Manager kindly warned us that their craymen were already active. (Did you know that predictive text changed this to 'crazy men'? Ha ha ha -spot on!). By the time we were approaching Portland and the Capes that precede it (Cape Bridgewater, Cape Nelson and Cape William Grant) we were grateful for the heads-up. There was plenty to dodge.
We knew we were getting close to our arrival when some of the super structures of the Portland Aluminium smelter began to emerge behind a headland. It was built a little out of of town although not so far that ore couldn't be delivered by enclosed conveyor belt directly from the port wharf.
Evidence we were approaching 'the big smoke'.
A properly handsome example of a lighthouse at Cape Nelson
Squadrons of sea birds were doing a 'home delivery' to the nursery.
We chose to swing wide of Lawrence Rocks.
The passage between the islands and headland is only 6m deep.
Peppered with craypots, a Good Call!
Strange helter-skelter support for southern entry beacons into Portland harbour.
'THE Portland'.
She shuttles to and from WA delivering the bauxite for processing at the smelter .
As we approached our berth at A7, Scott Eason the Marina Manager, was on the dock to take our lines and had also thoughtfully given it a spray to clear off any bird droppings. A lovely welcome.
We are 'parked' among crayboats. Ironic!
The customary beer on arrival. Aaaaaahhhh!
From the the water, Portland has an 'Albany look' and I'm sure that we'll have a few fun filled days ahead exploring the oldest European settlement in Victoria.
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