Rendezvous with 13Beaufort

Checking on the whereabouts of 13Beaufort and how Gus is going has been a hobby for the last 6-7 weeks. We try to find him via his AIS signal on some AIS Apps and we've exchanged phone calls and emails. Since he's lone handing, Gus is happy for a little chat from time to time. We farewell'd Gus at Port Fairy at the end of September with great sadness as we'd greatly enjoyed his company for the 3-4 days he spent resting up ahead of his crossing of Bass Strait to Tasmania. He and the Bloke really hit it off. Sharing Monty Python banter is very bonding!

Over the past weeks we've been wondering where and if our paths would once again cross. This week it looked like our stars would align. Gus was held up in Hobart getting a sail repaired and we were working our way down the East coast. We had conferred and confirmed we should be at Maria Island until at least Wednesday (another 4 days). However, after a horrid afternoon and night rolling about at Southern Point at Riedle Bay we decided we were absolutely not staying for any bigger blow that was coming. This is no place to hide from anything! Launching ourselves backwards and forwards from the north side (Whalers Cove) and back to the southern side of the bay was not our idea of fun and the switches from Northerly to Southerly and visa versa are usually violent. Sunday predictions for light and variable winds was all the encouragement we needed to make a bolt for our next chosen anchorage. The 'Take it while it's going' motto kicked in again. A experienced fisherman we met later, endorsed our decision, declaring he had never, ever had a restful night at Maria Island and factually hated the place!

Gus had made it to the Dennison Canal by nightfall of Saturday intending to keep heading north and swinging out to the East side of Maria Island where we were, rather that passing it to the West through Mercury Passage. We sent the message about our changed plans with a heavy heart. At one point we were barely 5nm apart but on opposite sides of the Forestier Peninsula. We were motorsailing south and Gus was heading north. So close but yet so far!

But wait, Gus overheard the Bloke attempting to contact a catamaran called Casablanca that we'd spotted motorsailing from the direction we were going. Our AIS informed us it was them. I was very animated as I'd been viewing their Tasmanian cruise on Skipr.net. They didn't respond to channel 16 but 13Beaufort did. Gus was going to follow us down to Fortescue Bay. YAY, happy days!

A couple of hours later the radio crackled to life again:-

• "Zofia, Zofia, Zofia. This is 13Beaufort, we seem to be on a collision course, can you go 15 degrees to Port?"
• "13Beaufort, this is Zofia. Negative. Maybe tomorrow". Ha, ha, ha....

A little later a sight for sore eyes....we hadn't been so excited since being greeted by Ken, Colleen, Ian and Tina on the jetty at Wirrina!

Dousing the spinnaker.

 13Beaufort coming around the top of Fortescue Bay in front of The Lanterns.

Here he comes.... so, so excited!

 Motoring in.

Ahoy, Zofia!

Getting anchored up.

 The Bloke acting as ferryman.

 In time for 5ers too!

13Beaufort at rest in our 'pond' at Walkers/Canoe Cove.

It rates in our top 5 anchorages!

Two days later we waived goodbye wearing our silly yellow and green sombreros which made Gus laugh!

 Out into a marching sea just like Gus likes it, with his newly repaired mainsail heavily reefed.

You're a crazy guy Gus - Fair Winds!