Running Before the Wind

As a rule, running before the wind is a nautical term referring to sailing with the wind behind you, often as a means of reducing the apparent wind when the wind is strong. We have adapted this concept.

We spent a couple of nights in Barnes Bay feeling well pleased to have evaded the stronger and more miserable weather further down the D'Entrecasteaux Channel. Getting to Southport was not to be and we have resigned ourselves to this. Our morning trawl of the weather situation was very affirming of our earlier decision but also made apparent that anchoring out would not be pleasant. I dropped my lip and thought that shore power would be a comfort when the wind would be howling 30 something knots and the temperature forecast to struggle to 13 or 14C...what the? The Bloke agreed. When to go; morning or afternoon? The Bloke thought the morning best when conditions were still mild.

The BOM Met-eye site displaying wind direction and strength.

The orange denotes 30+knots lashing the SW corner of Tassie.

It was lucky that we decided to take an easy ride across to Kettering while it was going. By the time we got there, not only was the Westerly fresh enough to blow us off the collector jetty, but there was only 1 space left! So here we will sit until the 3rd or is it the 4th front this week, crosses over and this is only the 5th day of autumn!

A few things have changed since we were last here hiding from the worst of the January bad weather. Jerry's roses have started to bloom outside the Marina office for one thing.

January, 2015

March, 2015

The Swan family have prospered too.

We took comfort in a pub dinner at the Oyster Cove Pub and met the crew from Southern Belle. We'd waived at one another previously but not been able to actually get together. Gail and George had just returned from Port Davey and were clearly pleased to have got back ahead of the forecasts. As it was they'd had 60knots across their bow whilst on anchor in Bathurst Harbour. The Bloke nodded knowingly at this news and felt vindicated in never having Port Davey on his wish list.

Gail from Southern Belle.

Being tied up alongside is not all bad. The Bloke is getting ahead on his projects. In anticipation of future times he's installed a 12v fan in our cabin today. 

Not only have we run to safety ahead of the big winds arriving we'll be able to create a bit of wind inside too but at our own discretion. And now to wait and see if it really does snow on Mt Wellington tomorrow....it's actually predicted. Make no mistake, we are looking forward to heading north!