On to Port Arthur

 

A one-day delay due to a minor medical issue and we were down the Huon River with the wind for a change. We sped down the winding Huon at 8+ knots and were spit out across the Channel into Little Taylor's Bay. We spent a relaxing night, prepped for an early morning departure and we were off down the Channel again.

The day's forecast for early N/NW winds, backing to 25kt westerlies by midday was perfect for heading south down the Channel, then rounding Cape Bruny and heading up Bruny Island's east coast to Port Arthur on the Tasman Peninsular.

Forecasts are one thing...actual weather, well that's quite another. We did see northerlies for a short time which got us down the channel, but with less than 7 kts of wind, the engine helped considerably. When we headed east across the bottom of Bruny, the wind clocked and instead of the promised fresh west winds, we had a light headwind from the east. We motored. When we turned the corner and headed up the east coast of Bruny...that darned wind turned with us and backed to NE again and then clocked to SE and south, but light and never west...not even once did we see a hint of a west wind until... you guessed it, until we headed into Port Arthur and tried to anchor. The west wind came roaring across the bay 20, 25, 30 knots and continued to roar all evening.

We did, however, have a pleasant day despite the need to motor. It was a slate-blue kind of day. Blue hues and shades and shadows of gray pervaded the day. The water was slate-blue. The sky was overcast with massive clouds of slate blue and gray. The mountains and hills took on the same tones ... endless shades of slate. Every once in awhile, a bright patch of blue sky would open up as if someone above the clouds was peeking through.

We were in the Tasman Sea again and the bird life changed from shore birds to ocean birds. Mollymawks (small albatross) soared overhead. Yellow-headed gannets dove into the water like bullets and shearwaters in great flocks hunted for breakfast.

We passed by Bruny Light and the ragged Friars, then up Bruny's east coast past Adventure Bay where Cook and Bligh and Tasman and scores of others have sailed before, exploring a new worlds and seeking more land to claim for their countries.

We passed by the spires of Cape Raoul and West Arthur Head and entered the long south-facing entrance to Port Arthur. This particular area has been spared from the bushfires and houses and farms on the hills looked peaceful and calm. We turned the corner past the Isle of the Dead and the golden sandstone buildings of the Port Arthur historic convict site sprawled before us like a page from a history book.

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Days and Ways to Celebrate

A daily list of mostly obscure holidays and fun ways to celebrate them.

Strawberry Ice Cream Day

This one's easy. Just linger over a scoop of thick, fresh, rich strawberry ice cream. Even better, make some yourself.

It's also Hat Day

Wear a hat while you're licking your cone.

Blown Away Down the Channel

hobart waterfront

We left the wind tunnel, known as Cornelian Bay, a few days ago. With a forecast of N/NW winds for the area, we thought we'd have a great sail down the Channel. It was blowing 25kts as we raised the anchor and sailed under the Tasman Bridge. By the time we passed the Hobart waterfront and headed towards the Channel, the wind had calmed to a variable 5-10 knots. We motored on.

The wind came in spurts...5 knots, 15 knots, 5 knots, 20 knots. The jib was out and caught the wind when it came and flogged when it didn't, but the day was gloriously sunny and dry and it was good to be sailing. We dropped the hook in Oyster Cove (Kettering) and dinghied in to say goodbye to a couple of people, take hot showers, get rid of some trash and do a load of laundry. We came back to Cups lighter in trash, cleaner in body and with a dive bag full of wet clothes to hang out to dry.

faucet hole

We had intended to spend the night in Kettering, but it was still early in the day and the sun doesn't set here till nearly 10pm now, so we decided to continue on to Cygnet. Things started going awry at that point. The washdown hose had been leaking and got more water on me than on the deck or the chain. It was on the “to-do” list for repair. As David removed the snubber from the anchor chain, he lost his balance when a big gust of wind knocked him back. He slipped and managed to shear off the entire washdown faucet fitting from the deck, leaving a hole in its place. This also prevented us from adequately cleaning all the thick, slimy, brown mud off the chain as we brought it up. Buckets of water and a brush didn't do the trick like a high power spray and we had a muddy mess on the foredeck.

port cygnet haze

The N/NW wind had freshened and we were doing 8 knots with only the foresail as we headed down the Channel. It was glorious until the wind shifted and increased and we turned off the Channel for the remaining couple of miles into Cygnet. 20 knots was fine and we progressed slowly. Then 30 and 35 knots and the fetch increased. Short, square waves that had green water coming over the bow (and probably finding its way into that little hole where the faucet should be), the boat lurching and the crew feeling uneasy. The wind increased to 40 knots as we rounded Huon Island. The wind shot down the Huon River like a bullet, blowing the tops off the waves, pelting our faces with salt spray. I know, I know...we should have just gone with the wind and found another anchorage across the Channel somewhere. But we reasoned, we were so close...it couldn't take that much longer.

Wrong...it took another two hours before we finally clawed our way around Cygnet Point and into the bay. The wind was still blowing, but there was less fetch and once in the lee of the hills, even the wind subsided to a comfortable 25 knots. One last blast of 55 knots caught us as we passed a notch in the hills and then we were in calm waters.

race line

We anchored and breathed a sigh of relief. Below decks was bedlam. Cushions everywhere, baskets upturned. Anything not lashed down was on the sole. Before we even finished tidying up, a fellow dinghied over to inform us we had anchored on the starting line for the local boat races. Who knew? There's a little sign ashore, not very visible from the anchorage. We left that detail for another day. Instead, we put up the clothesline and hung out the wet clothes...even though it was sprinkling. Then a glass of wine and some relaxation before any thought was given to the faucet repair, the thick layer of salt crystallized all over everything, the mud on the deck, the water and mud in the chain locker …. and oh yeah, the forward head pump which stopped working en route.

Such is life … on a boat, in Tasmania, in the Roaring 40's.

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Days and Ways to Celebrate

A daily list of mostly obscure holidays and fun ways to celebrate them.

Fruitcake Toss Day

Yup, this is the day to get rid of that fruit cake you received for Christmas. Don't have one? If you can't borrow one to throw away, or buy a discounted one from the piles of them at the local grocery, perhaps you bake one and then toss it. Here's a recipe.

Old Rock Day

Nobody seems to know the origin of this holiday, but all agree it's an opportunity to learn about old rocks and fossils. You can discover your state's fossil, visit a natural history museum or perhaps listen to some old rock on the radio or your iPod.

AQIS - Australian Quarantine

When we first arrived in Australia, we were instructed to tie up to a quarantine dock and the first person aboard was an AQIS official, Australia Quarantine and Inspection Service. “Service” is kind of a misnomer because it implies doing something for you that you ordered or wanted, when in actuality, we would have preferred NOT to have this service, though we understood the reasoning behind it.

The AQIS guy spent about an hour on the boat inspecting nooks and crannies, drawers and lockers, food and stored goods. He was looking for 1) sick crew 2) animals, bugs, rodents and other non-human liveaboards and 3) any indication of worms, termites or other critters eating our boat. Basically, anything unwanted in Australia. Domestic animals arriving on vessels have very strict rules that apply.

We were also required to show proof that we'd anti-fouled the boat bottom within the last six months. He was required to collect any fresh produce aboard (we had none left), took away our honey and mayo and few other odds and ends. We saved our eggs by hard boiling them just before arrival and promising to eat them post haste. He inspected our hiking boots to make sure they were clean and we weren't importing foreign soil. He emptied our vacuum cleaner. All went into a large black bag marked QUARANTINE which was headed to the incinerator.

For this, we paid $330 AUD, the largest amount we've ever paid to any foreign country for entry. We received a one-year Pratique which allowed us to sail in Australian waters until expiry. We received only one year because we were considered “high risk”. We asked “why high risk. We're a fiberglass boat?” and were told “95% of boats arriving are considered high risk.” That wasn't really an acceptable answer, but we didn't press it. Well, one year is up.

Actually it expired one month ago. We did not renew the Pratique, but not from lack of trying to be on time. We began calling AQIS Hobart in mid-October. We spoke to a pleasant woman who asked why we were calling and all sorts of pertinent questions and said she'd have an officer call back right away. No one called within a week and so we called again. Another pleasant woman answered, asked the same pertinent questions and said she'd have an officer call us back if there was a problem or something we had to do. No one called. We were off the hook or so we thought. Two days ago one of those pleasant women called back. She said she'd trying calling previously, but got no answer. That would be the “no-bars on the cell phone” reception (or lack thereof) in Kettering.

She asked exactly what it was we needed. We explained once again our situation and provided all the necessary and pertinent information. She said she'd have an officer call us right back. And this time, we did. We got a phone call from one of the officers. Yes, indeed, we needed another inspection. He was certainly pleasant enough, but there was no getting around the inspection requirement. When would we be in Hobart?

We have a problem with the logic in requiring another inspection after we've been here for a whole year. We figure after a year if there was something wrong with the boat or us, we would have infected everyone by now, but evidently AQIS does not agree with our logic. Even if we accepted the logic, we had a problem with another costly charge for another inspection. It really kills the budget...and the Christmas spirit. Ah, well. Our philosophy has always been, if you don't like the neighborhood (or the rules of the country), leave. We've chosen to stay and thus the onus is on us.

As soon as we arrived on the Hobart pier, both AQIS and Customs stopped by to “say hello”. Customs inspected our newly renewed paperwork and left without issue. AQIS scheduled our inspection. As it turns out, it was not much to worry about. He did, indeed, poke around the boat and verify that anti-fouling was done, but he was quite pleasant and efficient and pronounced us “healthy” and renewed our Pratique for another year. The impact on the budget was not nearly as painful as we feared since this was a renewal. The fines for not renewing the Pratique and being caught … more than we want to contemplate. Pays to play by the rules.