Port Stephens to Lake Macquarie (The Home Run)

Tuesday 21 Sept 2010

Rounding Cape Horn, or maybe Point Stephens Lighthouse

Its flat at 'The Cape' today

Another and the last 0500 rising, for a time, a quick cuppa as the boat is readied and its off at 0605. We dropped the courtesy mooring in Shoal Bay after a slightly rolly but not hummocky night, (for those in need of a hummocky night the Capricorn Coast is the place to be at Hummocky Island), and started motoring. Oh wonderful!! The gearbox starts its old trick of slipping above 1400 rpm until warm. By the time we reached the heads all was well (or at least wellish) as we were able to do 2000+ rpm without the gears slipping.

Saaremaa disturbing the birds

The day started off overcast (sorry no great sunrise picture) and the sea fairly benign with a 1m SE swell and no chop. Wind was very light and with full mainsail we were motor sailing at 5.5 knots. Raelene steered for most of the day. Around noon the sun was shining and the water was glassy with no wind and light swell. No whales were sighted and the welcoming dolphins took a while to turn up but did not stay long. Although Saaremaa did manage to disturb a flock of shearwaters using the ocean as a duck pond.

They are big aren't they??

We sailed through the anchored bulk carriers and only had to concern ourselves with one headed for Newcastle (shades of Gladstone again), but the vessel passed us 0.5 nm to port.

The scenic Moon Islet

Passing the very scenic Moon Islet (at least it looks scenic when home is very close).  The Swansea VMR station was also a welcoming site.

Swansea VMR a welcome sight

Arrival  at Swansea bar occurred at 1300 just after LT 0.45m at 1245 so the current was still running out as Annie steered us up the channel under full main with gearbox still behaving itself, we picked up a mooring and waited for a 1400 bridge.

A nice flat Swansea bar

Green means go through the jaws of ............!!

On our lonesome we held up the traffic but had no time to stop and sell calendars to the motorists (that's besides having no calendars anyway, but its the thought that counts).
The bridge opened to either welcome us in or grab us in a pincer movement. Fortunately the former was the case as we did not want to make the evening news tonight.

We motored up to the Lake Macquarie Yacht Club and there were thousands (tens actually) lining the dock to welcome us home but we could not see the PM in the crowd, such a disappointment Julia!! Kevin was there for Jessica after all. It turns out that the 'thousands' were attending a wake in the marquee BBQ area and not waiting for us after all. Well, well, such disappointment!!!

The jaws close and we are safely in the lake and home.

'Mukluk' a Fisher 32 motorsailer was on the dock in the same position as when we had left 3 months earlier in June. Not a long stayer apparently just a regular.


We unloaded the boat Annie crew jumped ship to sleep at home leaving the skipper to tend to Saaremaa. A lonesome dinner was had in the LMYC bistro and then it was back to tend to the home afloat.