Runaway Bay (Gold Coast) to Coffs Harbour

Sat 11 to Tues 14 Sept 2010

Runaway Bay sunrise

Saaremaa resting at sunrise

Firing up the crematorium

The Gold Coast is 316nm south of Rosslyn Bay and 322 nm north of Swansea channel according to the GPS and as the crow flies, hence we are halfway home more or less.

The weekend was spent around Runaway Bay with a little side trip by foot up to Paradise Point for coffee on Saturday morning. Life in Paradise was just too hard to take, in the sunshine, along the coffee bar strip and just chilling out watching the passing parade!! Michael fired up the crematorium and burned snake, oops steak that was enjoyed aboard. Not a lot was happening aboard Saaremaa other than checking the weather, entering the way points in the backup GPS and planning for maybe Byron Bay, Yamba or, perish the thought, overnight to Coffs.

The one compensation for sailing overnight is you do not have to get up at 0500 for an early start

Annie celebrates another safe arrival

Bye, bye gold coast

Coffs Harbour was the chosen destination after much forethought and the fact that there is no bar. The BoM forecast was not the most encouraging with up to 30 knot winds and 3m seas predicted around dawn Tuesday in Byron waters. However the BoM wind map, Willy Weather, Buoy Weather and Tide Forecast all gave encouraging inshore conditions.

Cape Byron at dusk

Annie before the long night

We left Runaway Bay at 0900 logged on with the Seaway Tower crossed the bar at 0945 heading south towards home.  A flat bar and sea with a light NE wind had us making 6 kts even with 2 reefs in the mainsail (caution rules aboard Saaremaa) and the engine on of course. It has been said that Saaremaa means motorsailer and after this trip it may well be the case. Our speed climbed to 7 then 8+ knots (maxing at 8.7 kts for a time) until 1500 as the fortuitous current pushed us on. Our ETA of 1600 Tuesday at Coffs was a bit conservative seeing as we were all tied up and done by 0950 (we work on averaging 5 kts which is 30 hours by our reckoning as in when we went north in July). The motor was on for the entire 25 hour trip and we occasionally had the genoa joining in the fun but wind and seas were light the whole way.

Michael before the long night

Michael After the long night

We saw a lot of whales blowing, breaching, tail and arm (maybe flipper) flapping and waving. At one time Saaremaa had to slow to allow a couple of whales to cross our bow (right of whale, 50 ton beats our 7 ton). A few dolphins toyed with us during the night but did not stay long. At 0300 a big ship was coming straight for us, at 8nm distance it looked like an island on the radar until after shifting 20 degrees to starboard and a little later the lights could be clearly distinguished. It did not take long before the ship passed us by to port as it must have been making 20+ knots.

South Solitary Island with a rock arch and lighthouse

Our settling on 2 hour watches and the much warmer and calmer conditions meant that Raelene could steer full time, Benny Boy could rest on his back perch and Tina Turtle hung around the cabin. We were less buggered upon arrival due to the calm conditions and the faster time. When South Solitary lighthouse appeared with its light flashing just before dawn we knew that Coffs was not far off.

Giving Saaremaa a 50L tot of diesel

Saaremaa was a bit thirsty after the long motor sail and had used 50L of fuel so she was given a good drink.

A strange rig on this aluminium yacht

There is an interesting looking aluminium  ketch in the harbour with the strangest looking rig we have seen on a sailing vessel and we can't quite work out how the mainsail goes up.

An ocean sunrise

It is only 182 nm to Swansea so we are not too far from home ( a couple of nights on the ocean and we are there)! On Thursday the plan is to head out early for Port Macquarie about 70 nm south so its back to the old up early, early again but this time leaving at 0500.