SUNDOWNER Y86 east coast Australia

[Peter57]

Hi Rob, you are having an interesting time. You mention an Aries and I am chasing one as my boat used to have one but it is long gone but still has the 2 attachment pipes. if I can't get one I will most likely get a Fleming. Also considering Mr V - made of plastic but can get for around $1400 and may be worth a try as my boat is very light on the helm as she is well balanced. Have fun cheers Peter

[rob.lovelace]

Jervis Bay to Crookhaven Heads.

nice short run, the entrance to JB puts Bass Strait to sham for confused seas, it was better than when I arrived but still mighty sloppy. Crookhaven bar is a piece of cake we came in just after low and it was still running out. Plenty of water under the boat easy 5m all the time.

[rob.lovelace]

Crookhaven River to Nowra (almost) then Shoalhaven Heads.

today I went aboard a tracker26 with some friends to have a look upstream. There was some overhead power lines upstream at 12m which the topper would have got under but as it was a social day we all went on the tracker which is shoal draft bilge keeler. There is a man made Chanel that bridges the Crookhaven to the Shoalhaven as the Shoalhaven has a shallow bar that inhibited trade in days of old. Anyway after an hour under steam we almost made Nowra but a second set of power lines at 9.5m put us about. So we went down to Shoalhaven heads for afternoon tea. It was good to get back to see Sundowner still swinging off the pick in the strong tidal stream at Greenwell Point.

Now just waiting on some wind to get up to port Hacking.

[Phillip]

1530 hours.

Just spoke to Rob who is off Port Kembla heading for Cronulla [tonight, Port Hacking] under motor into a headwind on the nose.

[rob.lovelace]

Crookhaven heads to port Hacking

yes just dropped the pick off jibbon beach, only got to sail for about 2hrs. the forecast for NW-W turned out to be NE-N and going NW about 1800hrs. Lots of lights coming into port but a very clear white sector to come in on. Fair bit of ship traffic around P Kembla. 12hrs steaming don't want to do that again.

[Ianb]

Rob,
Welcome to Sydney, and congratulations on ariving safely.

Noting your comment on 12 hours steaming, if it is not too much trouble, and when you get a chance, could you please advise rough numbers:
Size and type of your motor
Guess at what power setting you were running at
Average boat speed
Average headwind speed and sea state
And most importantly, Total fuel consumed.
I think this data will be very interesting, as it will feed into the perennial discussion on motor size and type, and provide a good yardstick.
Thanks!

[rob.lovelace]

4.5 - 5.5 kts head wind about 10 - 15 kts Yamaha 8hp in well at about 3/4 throttle, using about 2lt per hour.

[rob.lovelace]

PORT HACKING TO PORT JACKSON

awesome sail today 15kt westerly most of the way, 25kts on the nose rounding south head had to tack a couple of times to get in then puuurrrrfffect sailing man you Sydney Siders have it good. sailboats everywhere and ferries ferries ferries wow. spending the night in Athol Bay on a public mooring then into Blackwattle Bay tomorrow. I'll spend a few days in port Jackson before moving off again. I've een sailing in company of some Tasmainians since Eden one of them is in a 26' Tracker. it's a new Zealand design boat made of timber and is a bilge keeler. Man can that thing sail, or should I say he can sail. The topper would be at 25 degrees and the tracker isn't even starting to heel.

[storm petrel]

Rob,

Let us know if you intend to call into Broken Bay for a few days (there are heaps of available moorings at the Basin and Refuge Bay) and I will try to catch up.

Cheers,
Mark
Storm Petrel

[rob.lovelace]

PORT JACKSON to BROKEN BAY

to easy, 15-20kts SW I can't believe the amount of sheltered water and awesome scenery around this place. It would take a couple of years to check out all these waterways properly. Anhored in mackerel bay now and going up into. Brisbane waters today to visit in Gosford. I had my cousin fly over and take some photos yesterday which was cool. I posted a couple on top hat FB is you're interested. Looks like a NSW low strafing to form so I'll be here for a week looking around.