Sunday 5th April
Well today I am reflecting in the sunshine, anchored in Bum's Bay Southport, mind you we are not going anywhere at present, let me explain.
As I have posted earlier I decided to wait until the weather window on Saturday 4th, this was in Iluka Bay, and then going on the Friday 3rd as the weather guru's had changed their minds, proved to be the right one. Unfortunately they forgot to tell the wind about it and during the entire voyage we had only light winds and in fact on Saturday in the Coral Sea, virtually none at all, which was important as you will see.
On that Friday morning with very light winds I raised the Main and Genoa sails while still at anchor then proceeded out of Iluka Bay into a flood tide against which we slowly proceeded to sea. By 0915 we were clear of the bar and motor sailing at just over 4 knots in the very light wind. I had to maintain 4 knots to arrive at Southport for the flood tide at 0800 on Saturday.
Conditions were very calm so out went the fishing lure but there would be no bites and we retrieved it late the next morning. Generally the sailing was good and by late in the afternoon, after 40 nm, we were passing Ballina and reporting into MR Ballina. The bar look OK from 2 miles out, but there was no way I was going in there after my last short visit in 2011, maybe I should have. Just after dark and 15nm later, we were off Cape Byron and reporting into MR Bryon Bay.
The next 25nm would take us up to Fingal Head and Danger Reef, which we would pass on the east side. During this part we had the first real AIS/R [Automatic Identification System/Receiver] warning. This turned out to be a large container ship approach from my stern but some 2nm to our starboard side. It passed safely, but without the AIS/R I would never have known it was there.
Now about 0300 that morning I was sitting inside when all of a sudden there was this smell of hot metal and steam! I immediately stopped the Nanni diesel engine and lifted the engine hatch. I was greeted by the smell of hot metal and steam. All was too hot to touch but I determined that all the coolant had been expelled from the engine. Shit! Well there was nothing I could do with everything so hot so got back to the cockpit and trim the sails, as that was all that was going to get us to Southport.
On Saturday morning at 0700 I reported into MR Point Danger and gave them an estimated time of arrival at Southport of 1500 hours and reported my problems asking that to be passed onto VMR Seaway Tower. So the gods are angry, then the wind dropped to nothing and here I was with no motor and only a slight northward current to get me to Southport. During the day I stripped off the windvane gear and set up the 2-stroke outboard motor to provide some sort of propulsion. We had 2 or 3 rain bands go through during the day and these provided just enough wind so that by 1430 we were off the Seaway.
Looking at the situation I thought I may be able to sail in right around to Bum's Bay and as I thought that the wind died for good, as it turn out. The decision was made when I observed that a yacht had doused all sails before going in, the ebb must still running which meant I wasn't going to sail in.
So for the first time I radioed into a rescue service with rescue in mind. VMR Seaway Tower was very businesslike and got all my details and Lat/Long saying they would send someone out as soon as possible. I used that time to clean up, lowering all sails and putting in two reinforcing lines back from my bow bollard to the winches on each side. It was not very long before they arrived and organised the tow.
"Keep directly behind us and pointed at us at all times" they said.
Telling them my hull speed was 5 knots [a little white lie, as it's actually 6.2 knots] we proceeded for the bar. They did keep to the 5 knots and we made it over the bar without incident. We were then towed up to Bum's Bay, crowded because of the Easter weekend, and found a place to anchor. I thanked the VMR boys and they got out their paper work and at $50 per half hour for one and half hours work with me I considered the cost very cheap. Never, never would I have made it in by myself without at least 10 knots of wind, which we still haven't had since I have been here, and a flood tide.
I spent the rest of the day tiding up, having a meal, and crashing for twelve hours sleep.
l this mean? Well I won't get a diesel mechanic before Tuesday at the earliest, so watch this space on that one. I have to get up to Horizon Shores at Jacobs Well to do my anti-fouling, that's on hold also until we see what's happened to the diesel engine, thou that might also be done at Horizon Shores.
One decision that has been made is that the round Australia Voyage will be limited to the Queensland coast this year, continuance will depend on how we are going later in the year.
Couple of short videos here:
http://youtu.be/H3PBZ8UFjrchttp://youtu.be/_PAJgiUGuHA New photos in Gallery.
PS anyone know a good diesel mechanic in the Southport area?
