Aggro in extremis

Will no one rid me of this troublesome Examiner? Salted porridge for a week in a coal mine? Wrap around sound Vogon poetry and throw away the key to the loo? Anything to get her out of circulation for a few days. We are Old and Farty and this sort of aggravation is superfluous. OTT. Past its use by date.

We've been in the poo more or less since we left the Iron Pot - nothing unusual really for around here. At the mo. we are hove to in 30 - 50 kt NW - soapy green/blue milky water, froth everywhere being blown horizontally (the froth) with terminal force into the eyes, codpiece or whatever gets in the way. Position where we set it up, for the record 4200 14824 and we are fore reaching SE at about 1.8 kts. For the nautically challenged, heaving to is setting the boat up so that it is stopped and beam-on to the wind and waves and basically having a rest. Some boats sail forwards a bit when hove to and this is called fore reaching. This s a Good Idea as long as the waves are not too big and definitely not breaking. If either, then it's often better to sail the boat so as to minimise as far as possible the effects of the conditions. We will stay hereish until this nonsense abates, probably in about 12 hours. Absolutely no point in headbanging into it - better to preserve the boat, Consult with proper seriousness with the Doctor from Cork and get some sleep. Which (both) will be nice.

Malcom has corrected one of my earlier blogs in which I lamented the lack of Aboriginal place names. Tribaunna, the name of a fishing village not far from here is an Aboriginal name for a small bird. As is Berrimilla. and I've been to Triabunna so I should have remembered.

Carla - well done and to Rocket too. Was Lerizhan aboard? See above re enjoyment!

A rather scruffy albatross with a grey face.

More later.

----------
radio email processed by SailMail
for information see: http://www.sailmail.com

Creeping up the coast - 60 miles to St Helen's

One for Gordy and the Falmouth gang - next time you are on google earth, go to 42d 20.043 S 148d 19.854 E. It's between Cape Sonnerat and Cape Baudin on Schouten Island. Just sailed past it and took a photo which I'll post on the blog if the Examiner ever gets out of our faces and lets us get north to Sydney.

Ferals - there we were, once again under the Examiner's whip, all sorts of nastiness happening, ethereal albatrosses in the dusk, Stygianlike murkitude, NEaster blasting in, Turneresque cloud up near the Hippolytes yesterday evening. I look up and see big buzzy insect - no real feel for size or geometry but perhaps an inch at least in bodylength, flapping busily 2 miles out to sea. Must have done the full circle of the low pressure system or somehow got carried out to sea much earlier and getting a ride more or less towards Tasman Island. Hope it made it - otherwise a long cold flight to nowhere.

Dolphins - hundreds of them - some big and slow moving, a slow rolling glide, others frisky tails lapping and jumping all around Berri. I often wonder f they are really playing or just carrying on trying to say - Go Away, this is MY bit of ocean.

Coastlines - seen a few in the last umpteen thousand miles and Tasmania is up there with absolutely the most spectacular. Sir John Franklin, ex Governor of Tasmania, not long before he died up in the NW Passage in about 1850, named some islands in Peel Sound the Tasmanian Islands. Immediately obvious why when you see them - a poignant link to the mind of a ghost we were conscious of all the time up there.

If anyone's interested, we were interviewed on the ABC at 0635 this morning, 9th March. [Berri ground control note: the podcast will be here once it is uploaded. Likely overnight]

After the bashing

Position 0715 9th March 4230 14825, trip 97, DMG 93. A bit later than usual after being on the electric wireless breakfast radio thingy. Just - only just squeakily - in mobile range and got a text saying 'Anarchy Rules' so someone was listening. Tks J & S

Getting around Tasman Island in a north easter is about as bad as it gets and we had a rugged few hours headbanging wind, swell and rain and avoiding some serious rocks called the Hippolytes. The names down here reflect the European history of the place - Hobart, Gellibrand, Raoul, Tasman, Fortescue, Forestier, Maria, Schouten, Freycinet - Dutch, English and French but, sadly, as far as I can see on the chart, no reminders of the original owners.

The wind has backed to the west during a lovely dawn and as the sun rose, the cliffs on Schouten Island turned from grey gloom to gentle pink and now their normal rocky beige. We are due for a south westerly gale later today - should help us home just a bit!

Bacon sando and Dr Cooper's recommended emollient just demolished for breakfast. Noice, after dry biscuits...

Matt - Ames just an idea at this stage. I'll keep you posted.

Bleeeah!

We're just south east of Cape Raoul - Storm Bay having been its usual obstreperous self with blasts and holes and rain - the works. Should all blow away this evening. But no fun going to windward after all those months of the easy stuff.

There are dolphins around and a Black Browed Albatross - and lots of Gannety birds once again pretending to be albatrosses.

From here to Sydney I will use Australian Eastern Daylight Saving Time which is UTC + 11. The laptop is set to this time as well - using the backup as the original seems to be a dead parrot.

We should round Tasman Island and turn north in a couple of hours, all going well. For the Sydneysiders and those who can get the abc.net.au internet stream, we might be on breakfast radio with Adam Spencer tomorrow - but at 0545 ish.

We're off again

We left the yacht club in Hobart at 0900 local this morning. Weather looks reasonable for a quickish trip up the coast to Sydney but who knows?
I'll keep you posted.

Dr Cooper is aboard again running an excellent dispensary ably supported by the good Dr. Gordon. All ok so far - we're still in the Derwent approaching Half Moon Bay.

Old Farts last leg.

The photo is Cape Horn - just for fun.

Looks like we'll leave Hobart about 0900 tomoz. Mark Dawson and Peter Campbell have been stirring the local media and  ABC, Mercury and Southern Cross have been to talk to us (me only, unfortunately - Pete was up the hill wiring a roof...) and ABC will probably run the story tonight, tho perhaps not nationally.

Hoping to get to Sydney by the weekend, Examiner permitting. Keep em crossed - we'll run out of medicinal compound if it drags on. Will keep one for passing Wollongong.

Carla, were you home or still in Abilene?

a.

Launched!

Some full on days - but we seem to be ready except for some shopping
and general sorting. There is a bit of media interest so we intend to
leave on Monday morning around 0900 local to give the ABC and the rest
a photo opp. Timing is good because there's a north easterly
(seriously adverse, for the meteorologically challenged!) up the coast
until Tuesday - so we can get ourselves down to Cape Raoul and Tasman
Island by Monday eve, duck into Port Arthur if it's still pearshaped
and out into the southerly due on Tuesday. 6 days or so to Sydney -
seems like a walk in the park except for the last time - when we got
rolled south of Gabo. There's a link somehwere to that story.

Photos self explanatory. The hoist, top to bottom is NZ, Chile,
Argentina. Falklands, Cornwall UK, USA, Alaska (with the Great Bear
and the Pole Star), Canada, Nunavut (the people, the ice, an inukchuk
and the pole star), Greenland (ice and fire), Nuuk yacht club burgee,
UK, Republic of Ireland, Royal Cork YC, RNLI, Portugal, Republic of
South Africa (symbolising the convergence of diverse elements within
South African society, taking the road ahead in unity, according to
Wikipedia - and it's upside down in the photos; my apologies and I
will fix tomorrow), TAAF Kerguelen, Royal YC of Tasmania and RANSA. I
gave my CYCVA burgee to the Royal Cork, so if anyone wants to bring
one out to us in Sydney, I'll add that for the ride up the harbour.
I've lost the 2009 Fastnet battle flag but will have a good look
tomorrow - if I can find it, we'll fly that too.

If we get away Monday and the Examiner is kind we could be in Sydney
on Sat 13th on Sun 14th.

But you all know how it is!

Looking forward to another coming home party. And we will tyry to
resurrect the Bash, for the initiated.

Ferals in the garden

A bit of grass and some goose barnacles along for the ride. Today we antifoul.

and more

Those of you who know the Derwent will see the Iron Pot in the background in one of the lfare pics.

arrival pics

Courtesy Dave Davey and Chris Palmer in Wayfarer 2. - afraid they are not in chronological order but you'll get the idea.
Sorry for the delay - it's been a bit full on getting things sorted and photos downsized and all that. Berri now on the slip - she was about a foot lower in the water than normal. Lots of weight on board. Now blasted and the cockpit drain venturis replaced and getting the new prop organised to replace tomorrow.

just a few photos

Lots more to come - takes for ever to edit and convert...arrival and flares from Wayfarer 2 when I get the cd tomoz.

where to from here?

1st March, in Hobart. Next stop, top right, Sydney.

Radio Interview 28 Feb

Macca has a radio show on Sunday mornings across Australia, not surprisingly called "Australia All Over". He has called Berri a few times, and here is the latest link to the sat phone interview with Macca on ABC Radio. Alex & Peter are from 4:20 to 13:05.

And so it was...

In the Derwent 4 miles to go. Permission was granted for the flares and pics will be posted - but we forgot to release the checkstay - duuuh - so Berri will look awful. Pink thingy in the rig with the flags and lots of photos. Chris arrived at Southport to scort us up the channel to the Derwent and Malcolm has just arrived in Wildfire - super tweaky Farr30 to get us the last few miles. Malcom steered Berri to the finish of a couple - at least - Hobarts - cos he's good and he lives here.

And so it came to pass. Quarantine bods due as we arrive at RYCT, Customs have asked us to sit tight for them because they are out at the airport. Lots more to come but I'm just a bit busy.

And not a little weary. I'll try to get some photos up tomorrow.

Love yez all and thanks for being out there - special thanks to all those who have been following silently as it were but have written in to say how sad they will be when it ends.

So will we, but that's a few weeks away yet.

Hooooley dooooley we seem to be in the channel.

We surfed past Whale Head, just east of SE Cape on some of the biggest waves I've ever seen - and very short wavelength. We are on the 90 metre depth line and the big SW Southern Ocean swells are climbing the shelf and amplifying, just like surf on a beach. Yeeehaaa - exciting. Tiny heady poled out and the engine running in case it gets really pearshaped. We must avoid the Deepwater Banks just to our north, where these monsters break.
SE Cape, Whale Head and Cape Bruny must be pretty much as Tasman, Cook and all the rest saw them more than 200 years ago. I have a mental image of a bit of Australia that Cook might have carried as well.
Long Consultation with Himself the Doctor from Dublin and we've exhausted our supplies of his medications. Dr. Cooper is in the offing - in loco parentis.
And we are being entertained by gannets pretending to be albatrosses, reigning over all they survey. Except that they run out of lift just when an albatross gets into gear and they have to flap. Exit stage left, gannet, egg on face.
Gordy in Falmouth and Alan in Crosshaven - I've heard that the errant T shirts turned up back in Australia. Do I still owe either of you or did we sort it before we left? Anyone else over there not got one that I promised? txt +61418243600.
Past Cape Bruny and I think I can see or escort - Yay Chris!
Gotta go - watch this space.

Landfall

Moon in and out of black looming clouds. Maatsuyker light loud and clear on the port bow - W fl(3)30sec16ml - and I've spoken to Hobart Coast Radio on the VHF - there's a repeater on Maatsuyker. SW Cape in the moonlight to the north and I can see Maatsuyker Island but not the Mewstone to the south of it. We'll thread the needle and I think that's the Barn Door. So we're here, sort of.

Still about 100 to go to get to the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania, so perhaps 20 hours before we get an official handshake with Dr Cooper. I know at least one hardy soul has braved the weather and is waiting in Southport to escort us into town. A Brolga owner too but sort of ex - he needed a bigger boat...no accounting for taste!

We will ask permission to let off a couple of white flares when we cross our outward track in the Derwent and so complete the NWP circumnavigation and all that other stuff. Just like last time! Then Customs and the paperwork and perhaps a real bed tonight.

John, thanks for message and Landcruiser. Don't need anything thanks - I'll call you when we're in mobile range.

Still a horrible sea - really big waves but they have stopped breaking and the wind is back to 20. Now for SE Cape and the D'Entrecasteaux Channel - we'll wave to Recherche as we pass - and to Adventure on the other side across the sandspit. The forecast for tomorrow is lousy and we need to keep moving. Pity - I'd have liked to anchor once again in Cook's track.

Thanks to everyone who has sent us nice messages - even you Fenwick - have you washed since we last saw you?

There will be photos and the bloggery will continue while we are in Hobart - don't all go away! Longish to-do list but nothing huge unless we find anything when we go up on the slip.

Gordy, if you are reading this, what was that antifoul again? Text my Oz mobile +61418243600 please.

Maybe a light in a few hours.

Position 0740 UTC 28th 4342 14527.
About 35 miles west of Maatsuuyker Island, huge following sea, still breaking with attitude but signs that it's easing a bit - but only due to go down to 25 kts so not much respite. Just had a big one break over us. We are trying to lay Maatsuuyker - I think just ok - else we'll have to claw our way out to sea in extreme discomfort.
ETA Maatsuuyker about 1530 UTC, 0230 local. Should see the light about 2 hours earlier and there should be moonlight too. There's a nasty great rock called the Mewstone 5 miles south and we hope to pass between them and then head for SE Cape.
Tense and interesting - the sea in all its power and indifference.

Predictions! Pshaww!

Last night at sea out of sight of land, I said. Nope. This little doozy is nasty - 35 - 45 knot SW gusts over 10+ metre swells and they are breaking with attitude. We have slowed right down, tiny bit of furler on the pole and we are just trying to ride it out. A couple of near knockdowns and I had to eat my lunch (last 2 slices of bacon fried in olive oil with a can of baby corn cobs - ok if that's all you've got, though the can was a bit chewy!) standing strapped into the galley. Way too hairy anywhere else.

The system is taking us ENE and as we really don't want to be driven into Taswegia's lee shore, missing the barn door completely we will just wait it out where we have sea room. It's supposed to ease any time now but there's no sign of it yet. Tedious in the extreme. Once it does ease we'll be reasonably set to prod the door open once we can reach it.

Macca this morning left me feeling dull and slow witted - what do you think about out there? Duh! Shoulda' said life, the universe, everything, what's the question? why 42?. Anyway...
Watch this space!

The Cooper's coming down...

Well known Australian bush ballad, played this morning by Macca, no doubt because the Cooper really is coming down after the rains in central Australia. One of the lines is 'I'll go dancing with the Brolgas when the Cooper's coming down'.
Not inappropriate under the circumstances - this old Brolga is dancing and wouldn't it be loverly if we were to find an abandoned dinghy somewhere near Recherche with some come-down Dr. Cooper's abandoned with it. There was one down here last time - some medical person must have lost his kitbag. Noice.
Rainsqualls, 30 - 40 kts here in the almost not any more boonies, big following sea, bleeah! Only moderate hoonery - seas too big for the serious stuff.
We heard about the tsunami - won't notice it in this - just a half metre blip in amongst all the rest.
120 to go - ETA SE Cape around 0400 local tomorrow, 1700 UTC Sunday 28th.

An unintended Consultation

What a night! Possibly our last one out of sight of land - three quarter moon, big rolling swells with broken reflections constantly changing, Berri's bow wave surging past making a harder line angling away into the moonshine and flicking reflections off the spray. Wispy clouds, high ice crystals in layers to the south, the Southern Cross piercing the frosty haze above the masthead. Only a few first mag. stars visible. No Milky Way - just glowing haze. Hooooning.

Later - And so enter the Examiner - there I was prodding this thing doing the lyrical wax and suddenly the world goes awry. Berri sideways, water surging past my left ear on the other side of the window. Big wind - roll in headsail, slow everything down. Except that the heady won't roll (and if it won't, never ever try to winch it - find out what's wrong first) - so we've got this huge sail poled out in 30 knots and rooster tails blasting past the cockpit as I go forward to try to work out what's wrong - but I think I already know - and so it is - the top of the furler has fouled the outer forestay and sorting that will be tricky. Wake Pete and with a bit of give and take, twiddle and muddle we get it free and gybe and - hooooning again, barn door in the frame.
Quick inventory and there's enough of the good Dublin Doctor's Compound for a quick Con to celebrate less that 150 miles to go. Yeeehaaa!.