Pippin sails to Batemans Bay

[Rod]

PIPPIN sails to Batemans Bay (formerly Leoden)

Purpose of cruise was to collect my new/old Top Hat Mk1 from Callala Bay, Jervis Bay and deliver it to Batemans bay. The last weekend in January was chosen but as the date drew nearer it became obvious that it would be far too windy and dangerous, which it was.
Next weekend of the 7Feb was then chosen. To make things a bit easier for my wife Laura I decided to use her small car so she could drive the car back to Batemans Bay from the drop off point at Callala Bay, after dropping me and all my gear off.
First mistake, I had to take the tiny 2 metre inflatable which I hadn’t used before.
The car trip went well, got to destination on time. All my goods and chattels were ferried out to the boat which was on a swing mooring. Just as my daughter was stepping from the dinghy into the boat to help with the loading I had that terrible feeling when you know that things aren’t right but you have no choice but to wait it out. I was sitting too far back and felt the whole dinghy tip, next minute I was in the water and dinghy with outboard upside down. Outboard straight to Power and Sail at Batemans Bay to be overhauled before the effects of salt water set in.
The trip begins and all is good, sunny day, southerly light breeze veering around NE as the day progressed. Being my first time on the boat I was unfamiliar with how things are set up so to the mast to check out the main sail and reefing etc. The Navico 5000 keeping a good course enabling me to tend to other things. I decided not to use the main but rather the 140% headsail only. A couple of hours and I was heading south, next stop Batemans Bay. ESDUR 12 hours or so. My small inflatable dinghy in tow and the wind directly behind, swinging just enough all day to be a nuisance and necessitating a lot of mucking about with the sheets. A real pain in the proverbial.
Soon discovered that the soft-ware for the navigation application on my mobile wasn’t working. Just as well I have the trusty old E-trek. Turns out that wasn’t working properly either. It had a mind of its own and would not turn on unless it wanted to . Progress wasn’t as rapid as first anticipated and it was about 3Pm before I got near Ulladulla although probably a good five miles offshore. My chart work was all dead reckoning with a few guesstimates thrown in. I didn’t want to be too far off the coast with any GPS or good navigation tools so decided that I had better stay in Ulladulla for the night and changed to a westerly course.
With the setting sun blaring at me I couldn’t see much details of the Ulladulla let alone the lead lights. Called coastal patrol on ch16 and they helped with confirming my position once closer to the harbour. Ulladulla wharf should be avoided if at all possible. It’s impossible for one person to come alongside without help from the wharf. There are no cleats or tie-off points and the bollards are too big for one person to be able to throw a rope over without assistance. Being low tide it was ten foot to the wharf and with no readily accessible ladder I wasn’t going ashore. I really should have got another ten litres of diesel as I wasn’t sure whether there would be enough but having no transport or way of scaling the wharf I bit the bullet and left early next morning without refuelling, anyway, I wouldn’t need much with the expected NE 10-15 knots behind me.

Early start Sunday morning at 5:30am and all was good heading for a quick run to BB. Bugger! The tiller pilot has locked up and the depth and speed gauges also. No wind all day so I motored all the way not leaving the tiller once. So ssssllllooowww, sun sapping my few brain cells that I have left through my balding head, as I had forgotten to pack a hat. I didn’t check the diesel level, just prayed that it would last the trip.
A kilometre from the Tollgates a lovely easterly come up and a great sail back to my mooring at Square Head. Tied up at 1300.
Not the best sail. Lessons learnt. Anybody know how to reset a Navico 5000 tiller pilot? Arm doesn’t move but has a constant alarm, pressing any buttons does nothing.

[Shaun]

That was a good read, thanks Rod.
I hope your outboard is ok, seems owning a TH & turtleing your dinghy goes hand in hand, some sort if 'right of passage'....
You can receive "The order of the tipping Dinghy" ,
cheers

[Phillip]

That's why we sail Top Hats Rod, It's for the adventure!

Well done