An Escort to Waldegrave Island

 

Up before dawn after a restless night. The anchorage was fine, but the anchor alarm woke us twice as the wind shifted E to S to E again. The wind howled most of the night 25 knots. It just didn't make for good sleeping.

A bright sun popped up over the hazy mainland hills as gannets and sooties worked hard for their breakfast.

The forecast for 20-30 knot winds S/SE was delayed due to miscommunication between the wind gods and the Aussie Bureau of Meteorology. We were expecting a brisk downwind sail, instead we moped along in 3-5 knot winds until frustration got the better of us and we turned on the engine.

The dolphins were back … a huge pod of them … 20 – 30, maybe more. The word must have gotten out that we really enjoy their company because they came in from all directions for some high energy play. They left after about an hour, but within a few minutes more showed up. We had an escort all the way to Waldegrave Island and then it was evidently time to go home because they all disappeared.

The wind picked up by late morning and increased and increased until we had our “brisk” downwind sail. The Southern Ocean swell built until we had 10'+ (3m+) following waves. We were flying along at 7+ knots with just the jib. A quick 65 miles and we ducked behind a fish farm on the north side of Waldegrave Island where the water was calm, but the wind still howled at 30+ knots. Enough for today. We need to recoup and regroup and head out early tomorrow.

Point Sir Isaac - Coffin Bay

 

A drab, grey, windless morning had us motoring from behind the calm waters of Point Avoid back into the Southern Ocean. We were later than usual, perhaps due to the dullness of the day or knowing we had a short run in front of us.

We weren't the only lazy ones. We had shared the anchorage with a cray fisherman and he left just minutes before we did. We saw him later off Whidbey Point, checking and re-baiting his cray pots.

The sun peeked out occasionally along our route, enough to cause a bright glare on the water and warm our backs a bit. The big Southern Ocean SW swells were long period and now gave us a little push as we headed north up the west side of the Eyre Peninsular. Mollymawks, sooties and terns were all doing their morning thing. We could see huge sand dunes on shore.

We needed a little sparkle in this dull day … enter the dolphins. These little bottlenose dolphins are only about 3-4 ft (~1m) long. They're playful and energetic and, lucky for us, they decided Nine of Cups was a perfect place to play today. They entertained us for nearly an hour with their antics beside, below and in front of the boat. Sometimes we think we're getting jaded by “places” we visit. We're not as impressed as we used to be by rock formations, vistas and scenic views. But let a dolphin swim beside the boat and there's nothing like it. They always look cheerful and their spontaneity and seemingly happy mood are contagious. They give you feel-good moments without even trying.

The trip from Avoid to Point Sir Isaac at the entrance to Coffin Bay was only about 28 miles. We were wondering about the names of the anchorages we had chosen lately … we went from Memory to Avoid to Coffin. Anchorages in this area are plentiful enough, but few are good for all winds and thus, choosing the right anchorage with protection from the forecast winds, plus distances between them, make the choices sometimes a last minute thing. Laziness and day trips also add to that mix.

There is actually a little town of Coffin Bay, but the bar at Port Douglas heading down the channel was a bit too skinny for our draft … even at high tide … without local knowledge. We were content to sit on the tip of Point Sir Isaac, also known as Seasick Bay, for the night, all prepped for a longer, trip tomorrow.

Avoid Bay...Really?

 

You'd think with a name like “Avoid Bay”, we'd maybe try to avoid it, but we didn't. After a calm, pleasant night in Memory Cove, we were up before dawn, making ready to head through the Thorny Passage and another 65 nm west to Avoid Bay. A short-lived, gusty and thoroughly soaking morning squall delayed us 45 minutes, but netted us an extra cuppa before heading out around Cape Catastrophe.

Sunrise is after 0700 now, but sunset is not until 2000 (8pm), so we still enjoy a long sailing day. In a car you can easily travel 65 miles (~105 km) in an hour. Depending on our speed, 65 nm (a little longer than a statute mile ~70 mi or 115km) becomes an all day affair … 10 - 12 hours. Getting a really early start was not an option today. With residual raindrops falling on our heads, we hauled anchor closer to 0800.

The Thorny Passage earned its name from the myriad of “thorns” along the way. Rocks, reefs, islands, shoals, whirlpools, currents … our passage was very benign, nothing exciting at all to report. We hit nothing … nothing hit us. (We like it that way!).

As we left the protection of Spencer Gulf, we got a good taste of the Southern Ocean. Big, long period swells of dark grey ocean took their toll and though we weren't feeding the fish, both of us were feeling mighty queasy. The winds ranged from SSE 8 knots to S 25 knots with 32 knot gusts. All in all, though, we made good time.

Avoid Bay … Looking at the chart, we can guess why the name was chosen. Because of all the natural obstructions … rocks, reefs, shoals, some breaking, some not ... ships of yore would have chosen other bays of refuge. For our purposes, with good charts, GPS and eyeballs, we found it to be adequate, with reasonable holding and some roll. We shared the anchorage with one fishing boat … always a good sign since the fishermen know where to duck in when the winds and seas are rough.

I might add that before we left Port Lincoln, Gentry (our niece and blogmeister) asked for maps for our proposed route and anchorages. After two nights, we haven't been in the “proposed” anchorages at all. So much for preparing in advance and sticking to the plan, huh? We are making progress though.