Report Number 19

rip Report #19

After we sent #18 we checked the forecast and it looked good for the next morning, but going bad in the afternoon. Up at 5 am on Friday ready to go but checked forecast first - NOT GOOD! Spent Friday and the next three days just wandering around waiting, although we did make contact with an American yachting couple, Smokey (don't you love it?!) and Sonia ("Charisma") who have been travelling since 1995! They fly back occasionally to visit family, etc. but otherwise they live on their yacht in marinas all over the world. Our attitude towards the trip has changed since we decided to head for home. We now just want to get there - no delays if they can be avoided. So we found the enforced idleness quite upsetting. It could be a double whammy, too - we want to get home quickly, but when we get home the holiday adventure is over, so we don't want to face that! We did try to do the tourist thing and go out on the whale watch boat - wouldn't you guess - the day we chose it wasn't going because it was too rough!! Then on Tuesday, just a week after we arrived, we upped at 6 am and took off out of there, heading on a 7 hour trip to Trial Bay. It was pretty uncomfortable with a 2-2.5 metre swell from SSE (which crashed into the front corner of Jess) and light N/NE wind. The person not driving really had no option but to lie down because it was simply too much hard work to sit or stand. We must get seat belts fitted for next time !!. Bit of a rough night in the bay, but forecast was 6 green, so we just hung on till next morning, when we got up at 5 checked the forecast - 6 green, Beauty! Set off at 5.30 then things got nasty. Seas were 1-1.5 metres on a 2 metre swell, too much for us, so we turned around and went back to Trial Bay, but the swell was barreling in there so we headed for the Macleay River entrance so we could hide from the weather yet again. Unfortunately, the timing was not perfect for crossing the river entrance and we broached a couple of times, that got the adrenalin pumping! (Broaching is where the boat comes down a wave then flounders and turns side on to the waves, often resulting in being turned over.) However, we survived and found the Macleay to be a very pretty river which we will definitely have a good look at next time. Forecast for Thursday was OK, but looked a whole lot better for Friday and Saturday, so we chose the right tide and moved ourselves out into the bay again ready for an early morning start on Friday. Our policy now is to grab the good weather and run with it as far as possible in a day. So on Friday we set off for Camden Haven, one of our favourite spots. Didn't work out, though, because as we approached Port Macquarie, the weater turned quite nasty, so we shot into Port and found a swing mooring at the marina where we stayed for the next two days. Did manage to catch up with Paul and Helen Gibbs, colleagues of Karen at TAFE and had dinner with them, Very pleasant night which helped soften the disappointment of having to take Camden Haven off our visit list and with it the chance to see Charles and Lynda. Oh, well - next time for sure. Saturday the wind howled and the Swans lost and a very large catamaran ("Sungate") on the next mooring swung around and came within 50 cm of Jess. Very frightening and we called the VMR who came and gave us some good advice, but by then the situation had recovered and all was well (except that the Swans were still losers!). Sunday the forecasts were a bit mixed but didn't look too bad, so we left Port about midday with the tide and ran down to Crowdy Head. Saw a couple of whales not too far way, but could not get photos. Crowdy is a pretty little spot and we would like to have a better look in future, but this time it was just a very short overnight stop, and we were on our way again by 5 next morning (Monday). And then we had the most magnificent trip - flat seas, light wind and we pushed the motor up an extra few RPM, so we travelled at over 7 knots, very quick for Jess. Went past Tuncurry and Forster and hurtled down to Port Stephens. This trip would noemally be about 12 hours, but we were on a mooring in Nelson Bay by 3.30 and not too tired. Pleased to be there, though, because they are promising some pretty bad weather starting later today. Forecast is not promising for next couple of days, but we will wait and see. However, we are planning to possibly go straight to Broken Bay next, which will mean not seeing our many friends and relloes in Lake Macquarie. We will miss seeing them and we hope they will understand our feelings about just wanting to get home, especially because Karen starts work again on 16th, and wants a few days to prepare for that.

So, there we are - rushing home as quickly as the weather permits, and the next trip report could well be after we get home. Until then,

Love from Karen and Warwick