Heading to Port Davey

Making a trip to Port Davey and Bathurst Harbour has been on our watchlist. Four years ago we didn’t have the courage to go. In the first instance, the recommendation is to go in February/March when the Tasmanian weather is supposedly more ‘stable’; whatever that actually means. The other handy tip locals will share, right after telling you how wonderful the place is and that you absolutely MUST go, also refers to the timing of such a trip and it’s this: Go to Recherche Bay and wait for a weather window. Leave at dawn and motor like crazy. Yup, that’s the advice, even from sailors who’ve completed multiple Hobarts (Sydney to Hobart yacht races)! Clearly, these waters are not for pleasure sailing or loitering.

The sight of professional fishermen racing south and out of the D’Entrecasteaux Channel is a sure sign the weather’s going to be good.

So where is this place that the locals rave about? Firstly it’s a World Heritage Wilderness Area. You can walk there along the SW Track ~ eta 6-7 days. You can fly in on a teeny tiny Par Avion plane (if the weather is bad the flights are cancelled on short or no notice) or you can go by boat. Sailing/motoring, it’s a trip of around 10 hours and passes 3 capes, Maatsukyer and De Witt Islands along the bottom of Tasmania. In the wrong weather it can be among the least hospitable stretches of water Australia has to offer.

 Navionics displaying AIS signals of other adventurers.

Supa Trooper, Sans Souci, Stray Cats and Gradiva headed for South East Cape

So we assembled together with other of our PISST (Personal Invitation Sailing South to Tasmania) cruisers at Recherche Bay as instructed, in semi-dread, despite careful analysis of  the weather and the affirmation that others of similar mind were there too. 

Dawn

We took off motor sailing at first light which gave us a lovely view of a dawn over water.  3 yachts had already left an hour before. A further 9 trailed us. We were in a convoy! 

Whale head, the first of several landmarks, appeared within the first hour and marked the place that we would loose both phone and internet reception until we returned.  Our track would subsequently take us past South East Cape, then South Cape, thread between Maatsukyer and De Witt Islands (around half way) before rounding South West Cape and then sailing northward past The Pyramids and Big Caroline which would usher us into the massive and convoluted bay that is Port Davey. 

Whale Head

The day opened up like s beautiful flower. Clear blue sky all day, a low rolly swell and just enough wind to support a sail most of the day, albeit the propulsion was mostly from the motor. The 5knot cruisers rule had precedence. Get there on schedule or be caught out!

 

South East Cape

View of South Cape. We were making good time.

 

This strange looking Island  SE of Maatsukyer resolved into two islands.

  

 The one on the left is imaginatively called 'Flat Top' and unusual because it has been undercut and some of it is actually and arch over the water. The one on the right (Round Top Is.)is descibed as looking like an old sailor in a S'Wester hat but we think it looks like Darth Vader's head!

  

Passing between De Witt Island and Maatsukyer. Known also as "The Witch", De Witt is imposing.

 

Smokey horizon and a visit from dolphins.

 

 

 South West Cape

The Pyramids just south of the entrance to Port Davey. Nearly there!

We sailed into a mysterious place full of anticipation where bare quartzy peaks very much the dominated the horizon. Bilbungara and Ciao Bella were in our anchorage at Carvers Point when we arrived, having departed over a week ahead of us. Chris was keen to impart local knowledge about our proposed Davey Gorge trip planned for the next day. Weather is KING and a rare opportunity beckoned.

Anchor Drams at dusk were the sweetest and most satisfying of many we could recall.

AUS Charts 793, 794