Albany at Last
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Another day of forecast light winds with no winds at all. We were up early, hoping to take advantage of some early morning breezes, but we found none at all.
We regretfully motored all the way to Albany, our next port of call. We're feeling a bit anxious about rounding Cape Leeuwin while we still have reasonable weather windows to do it. Soon, the prevailing winds will be westerly, making the passage a bit more daunting. By the way, the name of the town is pronounced Al-bany, like “Al” in Albert, rather than AWL-bany, New York. It's been hard remembering the correct pronunciation, but we've had many people only too glad to remind us.
The day was absolutely gorgeous … warm temps, the swell was down, the sun shone brilliantly and lent a sparkle to the water. Mare's tails in the early morning sky gave way to brilliant, clear blue by midday. Despite the fact we were motoring and gobbling up fuel (cha-ching $$), it was a lovely day to be out on the Southern Ocean.
We busied ourselves with passage plans and discussion of priorities on the many items on the to-do lists. We saw only one other boat in the far distance and the route was pretty much free of navigation obstacles until we reached King George Sound. We spotted Breaksea Island Lighthouse from miles away, standing sentry at the gateway to the Sound since 1858.
Entering the Sound required a bit more concentration than earlier in the day. There was ship movement, several ships at anchor and several outlying reefs, rocks and marine farms to watch for. The wind picked up to 20 knots as we made our way across the Sound.
We worked out way through the circuitous channel past Emu Point and into the protection of Oyster Harbour. The cardinal marker indicated that we should stay west, but the shallows on both sides of the channel were easy to read and left no doubt as to our route.
We had anticipated an available mooring at Johnson Cove, but alas, they were all taken. We quickly decided to proceed a bit further into the harbor and anchor off the tiny Green Island Reserve. Friends, Jack and Jude on Banyandah had e-mailed that there was an alternate, seldom-used courtesy mooring between Green Island and the Emu Point Marina. Sure enough, it was available and we tied up, tidied up and settled down for a calm, peaceful evening.
We'll be here in Albany for a week or so. Get ready for some adventures … and some chores! Bring your traveling shoes.