Approaching Brisbane

Monday 5th August 2013

Well, what a time we have had of it!! Had to heave to twice more with really bad squalls, the mainsail has been reefed and unreefed, the front sails in and out, and the wind has stayed firmly on our nose and we have had 24 hours of adverse current that held us back 2 miles every hour. (Now it has decided to go with us!). So the trusty engine has been doing its business. This morning early we had our first real time of ship dodging, and then there was the spectacular Aussie sunrise.

We are now on target to get in to the marina at Rivergate for the officials some time tomorrow. Trying now to tidy up and make sure we do not have any banned food items.

26deg21S and 153deg50E

Motoring along

Coral Sea, 3 August 2013

Well, after all the misery of the previous week, we have now gone to the other extreme - no wind. We had to spend 36 hours hove to as the wind was strong and right from where we wanted to go. That and the heavy seas made progress impossible, even if we had used the engine. So we stopped for the first time in over 16,000 miles. Not much could be done except read and twiddle thumbs as the motion of the boat, while much better than when we were bashing into the seas, was still rocky. But not too bad. So we kept looking at the forecast and lo and behold we were able to sail a further 24 hours quite briskly, albeit to windward (that is the leaning over with water coming over the side decks kind for the land lubbers - where we walk like haggis around the mountain with one leg shorter than the other). Then as predicted it all stopped. 

So here we are in the sunshine at last, cool breeze, motoring along. It has been a productive morning sorting out the things that has been bounced out of place, a bit of dusting and wiping down, some washing hung out to blow dry in the sun, bread made for the first time this trip (Ryvita biscuits are OK - but not every day!). Then there was the planning for the entry into Brisbane. This is not the easiest to work out. The passage will take us about 10 hours after getting to the fairway buoy at Caloundra Head, which is longer than a tide, so we need to time it to minimise the adverse ebb tide as we come in. So we look as though we will have to start the passage down the fairway at about 2 AM (ugh). So we have now written all the marks and direction changes so we can tick them off as we pass them and by this means get to the marina without going aground on the shallow bits. Should be in by lunchtime. We have done the notification procedure, got rid of most of the forbidden food - the last of the rice will go tomorrow or the next day. 

Dead excited.

Dave is continually doing sums to make sure we have enough diesel. At the present rate of consumption, a bit less than that of the Queen Mary, we should be OK.

Best of all for me is the cooler weather. Dave is wearing his woolly fleece and the blankies have come out for night time! This took a bit of exploration of the deep stowage as they were thought redundant to requirements!

24deg34minS and 156deg13min E

STILL in the Coral Sea!

1 Aug 2013

We are having a bit of a trying time. We have had to heave to for a day (yesterday) which means we basically stop, except we are drifting backwards!

The problem is that the wind is against us and is relatively strong, and the waves are big and against us. We can get to Cairns or New Zealand OK, but not to Brisbane. We may have to wait a bit more, but the arrival looks to be Wednesday - perhaps earlier if the wind changes as the gribs say it should. This is the first time in over 16,000 miles we have had to heave to!
Will keep you informed.

22deg54minS and 158deg42minE