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

Time to Go Cruising

With Christmas, funerals and boat jobs now behind us at last we were ready; no, more than ready, to start our Tasmanian Cruising!

2 other styles of Derwent River cruising observed as we at last left the RYCT!

Summer 2018/9 in Tasmania proved to be a shocking bush fire season. Fires were raging since before Christmas and were not letting up. Plumes of smoke were visible from any vantage point and our decks would often be dusted with ash - even in the RYCT Marina in Sandy Bay. We were unsure how this would play out down The Channel (the D'Entrecasteaux Channel) which separates Bruny Island from the Tasmanian SE Coast. We were very keen to return to some of our favourite bays.

 

 

It became evident that we'd be confined to Barnes Bay for some days. 

Even Kettering on the western shore was too smokey. 

Huonville was being evacuated. Vessels were leaving Port Cygnet.

  

The addition of smoke created some spectacular sunrises in Quarantine Bay

The sky reflected on still water

Unable to explore further down The Channel encouraged us to go ashore to visit the old Quarantine Station. The colourful tree trunks along the track were eye catching.

  

It didn't take long for play friends to arrive and join us as we shuffled from anchorage to anchorage based on the wind direction of the day.

Smoke on the water

A sundowner rotation was soon established among the vessels we'd traveled with to Tasmania. 

Other waifs and strays enthusiastically joined in our shenanigans.

 

The Tasmanian Wooden Boat Festival was soon to commence and we were delighted to spot The Raid - an immaculate vessel crewed by identically dressed enthusiasts from the Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron. In case you are wondering, it wasn't sailed down. We later, spotted it's purpose-built crate at the RYCT in which it gets shipped down every 2 years for the WBF.

A total fire ban ruled out the possibility of a BBQ on shore but we did the best we could.

No prizes for guessing on which boat sundowners were being held?

 

A very Germanic Erika (actually Austrian) thought she'd host a late afternoon Kaffee und Kuchen and encourage an AFD (Alcohol Free Day). Her hospitality was faultless, yet she failed. We all drank coffee's and ate cake (including the ones brought) and then moved straight on to the wine we'd also brought. Mutiny? A nice thought though Erika!

Now just waiting for the fires to abate and for the Wooden Boat Festival for which a return to Hobart will be required in 10 days.

What Every Girl Wants for Christmas!

Some girls like chocolates, other prefer jewellery and then there are those that get excited about clothes or accessories. Any of these preferences form the basis of a successful and well accepted Christmas present. My girl is a little different from others, she has lived aboard a yacht for over 5 years. This has affected her thinking when it comes to what is desirable as a gift.

Being a romantic means that I am in tune with this shift in attitude and knew exactly what a girl would want for Christmas. An electronic winch of course!

It wouldn’t be a boat job if it didn’t require contortion.

Not just any winch - a Harken, 40.2 self-tailing two-speed power winch - if you don’t mind! It definitely hit the spot. The Blogmistress was excited beyond belief. In her excitement she did not even notice the complete dismay on the faces of the assembled Christmas gathering that witnessed the delivery of the handsome gift. Do you think she may have been a sea a little too long?

Chris’s height was huge advantage for holding everything up in the air until bolted into place.

Now that it is installed and working, it’s a joy to see her play with the buttons and experience the sublime pleasure of furling and trimming sails with such ease. It excites her so much that I, The Bloke, am considering a similar gift for Mothers Day. Perhaps a new sail, sailing gloves, stove or some other romantic and thoughtful PERSONAL item.

ROMANCE IS NOT DEAD !!!!

Wiring in place for the push button switch

The little breaker switch.

Harken recommended an 80amp breaker. Sadly, under load, the winch draws a little more than that so it’s been bypassed  - an argument for another day.

Heavy duty wiring. Hooray for Battery World.

Fuel Filter Duplication Project

By the time all the Christmas mayhem was behind us The Bloke was twitching for the arrival of a package containing his duel filter kit. Despite being at the end of any Australian transport routes, it arrived in Hobart promptly. 

The package arrived with filters, taps and hose clips.

A bit of shopping for screws, bolts and hoses and The Bloke was good to go.

It pays to chat about proposed boat projects because it turned out that Chris from Bilbungara had embarked on the very same one. In fact, he was somewhat further progressed. While we were at it,  why not move the entire assembly to the engine bay so the filters could be more easily accessed for checking and servicing, was his suggestion? The existing set-up had the filter beneath our bunk. To get to it all, the bedding needed to be removed and the bunk disassembled and even then it was in a fiddly spot to work on. Accessing fuel filters is hardly something you want to be attempting in a heaving sea and bad enough at routine services when tied up against something hard and stabilizing. This presented a good opportunity to improve access. 

The Bloke scavenged some marine ply from the hard-stand work area bins, cut out a mounting board with slots to accommodate the tap levers then painted it silver. Painting was intended not just to look good but to prevent it absorbing any diesel spills which would smell awful. The engine bay is separated from our cabin only by a panel.

Filters attached to the mounting board

Reverse side of the mounting board where the lever operated taps are fitted

Mounting in profile. 

Long bolts in hose cutt-offs acting as spacers to hold the mounting off the engine bay wall.
  

Of course it took a little longer than planned but there is really no such thing as quick job on a yacht. The process was estimated to take a couple of days. A week later and after the typical time blow-out obtaining extra parts and fittings it was all in place and ready for testing.

  

  

 Side profile (L) and Top view (R)of assembly within the engine bay.

Close-up of slot to operate the tap-levers.

The engineering for this job was as complicated as The Bloke had ever experienced because the entire arrangement had to fit into a particular and tight space. The tolerances were within 5 -10 mm.  The assembly had to miss an engine mount plus the panel enclosing the engine bay still need to close. Once installed it all came together, which only goes to prove luck will win out over talent every time. 

POST SCRIPT : The accelerator cable needed to be restrained with a cable tie to avoid vibration chafe. The most recent engine service proved the efficacy of the relocated filters. Winning.

Bryans Corner to Triabunna - Just Ahead of Christmas

The bunch sprint that constituted the fleet of boats that left Eden for Bryan's Corner /Passage Beach, were assembled for a couple of days getting over the 52hours passage. There is as much nervous energy as physical energy involved. Nobody claims the jump from Eden to Tasmania as one of their favourite crossings. Most of the boats moved on within 2 days. We instead, decided to linger an extra night and relocated from Passage Beach to Byan's Corner. It holds fond memories for us and visually we enjoy it too.

View looking back to the gap that is Schouten Passage.

  

Low cloud/fog drifting down the hills created an interesting atmosphere.

Rather than make an immediate run for Hobart, we chose to call into Triabunna, a town we'd not previously visited. David Read, who we'd met in 2014/15 is now a resident there so we thought - "Why not call in?". David is now the Vice-Commodore of the Spring Bay Boat Club and was able to squeeze us in on one of the club jetties. The public marina, was otherwise 'chockers' and unable to accommodate us. How lucky to be in-the-know.

Zofia perched on the end of the dock

Gail and George from Southern Belle made the Bass Strait crossing a few days ahead of us and were ensconced in the marina and had watched our progress across 'the ditch' with baited breath. While the other boats scattered to Maria Island or taking the Easterly route around the Tasman Peninsula to later rendezvous in Hobart, we took a breather and sheltered from a 'significant blow' in the cute township of Triabunna.

Recommendations to visit the pub could not be followed through due to renovations

Gail and George (Southern Belle), made great companions as usual.

The Fish Van is something of a legend and The bloke needs little encouragement.

  

David took us for a drive to a nearby high-point where we could capture the view across Spring Bay and Mercury Passage. 

Being unable to make the hop to Hobart by 18th of December meant were not going to be in Hobart to great Lucas, Amy and the grandchildren on their arrival. We were however accessible from the land and we were only 40 minutes from their planned Day-1 touring destination. A detour to the Fish Van was hardly a problem. We'd definitely make it to Hobart to host them onboard and spend Christmas together.