Bermagui to Port Hacking

Tuesday 12th- Wednesday 13th April Nauti Time 037-038

Decided late last night that given the good weather window for the next 3 days we would make a run for Port Stephens which would take about 40 hours so over 2 nights. It will be our biggest trip yet! So this morning we are prepping. I have done the route plan on navionics and filled the water tanks now heading to bakery for some yummy bread and munchies so I will make up sandwiches and wraps to have as we go. We need fuel so have to ask a huge 60ft gorgeous sailing boat to move from the fuel dock, refuel and go. I’m feeling a but gun shy after our last experience but I guess we just have to bite the bullet and get back out there.

The guys on the 60ft yacht were awesome. I told them I was a novice and would need heaps of room so they left the dock completely and a couple of them stayed to help with ropes. It was a huge relief as the thought of hitting that beautiful almost new boat would have had my legs shaking! As it turned out I parked it well with them all watching so it felt really good! Unfortunately they were over confident in my abilities and redocked in front of us while we refueled. It was a very close call on departing but no contact thank goodness.

Leaving Bermagui entrance was not as scary as entering and we picked our timing well with just some moderate swell even so my heart was in my throat as we went close to the wall and fighting the swell pushing us on. I wonder if this ever gets easier?

The day from there progressed well with rolly large swell and little wind we had to motor sail but the sun was out and we were warm and progressing nicely. If these conditions held it would be a lovely couple of days.

So that should have been “IF” conditions held!!!😜

It was dark by my early watch 7pm to 11pm and the swell was gathering and the wind moving more behind us which made holding our course challenging. The wind was still light and flukey so the sail kept flapping and sometimes flicking to other tack then back again and the waves wouldn’t allow us to get a good run line so I kept the motors on to help but very frustrating so by the time it was Ricks watch I was already exhausted and the seas were very confused and rising to 2-3 meters, crashing into the hulls and tossing us around.

I headed to bed but the rough conditions made it difficult to sleep and my churning stomach demanded some air so I opened the small port window by our bed planning for just a few minutes of air but exhaustion took over and I fell asleep. Moments later I was rudely awoken as we crashed through a wave which flooded in through the window and soaked me and all the bedding!!!

I was so tired I just mopped up what I could with my towel and pulled off the soaked pillowcases tucked myself in and tried to get some sleep

I hate being damp so my sleep was fitful and I knew I needed to not oversleep as I wanted to get the bed dry before Ricks watch ended so he had a dry bed to sleep in. If only I had thought to do this when it first happened I might have had better rest.

My 3am - 7 am watch was very tough. Conditions were becoming so uncomfortable and the winds were now 22-25knots gusting to over 30 at times. We only had headsail out and were doing up to 8.5 knots as we surfed down waves.

The wind shifted from south east to south west so I needed to tack the headsail which usually is no problem but with the seas tossing me around and having to go from one side of the cockpit to the other a couple of times it was challenging.

Finally got the sail set and settled into the captains chair when the AIS showed a commercial fishing boat that was heading across my path. I could see it’s lights but had no idea if it was trailing nets and we would pass behind. It is so deceptive out on the ocean particularly in the dark and although the AIS said our closest point of contact would be almost a nautical mile it appeared so much closer. I hailed them on the radio to try and make sure there were no nets we would travel over. There was a very brief response that I couldn’t hear and asked them repeatedly to say again. Then they started to play chicken. They obviously knew I was a novice at all this and they were going to have some fun. They turned their vessel and headed on a course heading straight for us. The AIS alarms start going off and to avoid them I’m going to have to tack again and the sail is on the Starboard (far) side. I ask them on the radio to make their intentions know and what side they would cross but no answer. We were still 2-3NM away but it really un nerved me. Just as I was about to tack away they turned back to their original course and kept going thank goodness. Now I don’t know if they intended to scare the shit out of me or they may have just been resetting their gear or whatever but it definitely was no fun for me.

This was one of the longest watches ever. I couldn’t wait for Rick to appear. In the dark the waves rose and obliterated all light from the shore before dropping down. We would surf then roll then dip, turn and rise over and over. Just the movement alone requiring all my energy to counter. The auto helm was struggling to keep our course so I would try hand steering but the waves would toss us back so we had to run with the waves.

Finally the sky started to lighten and dawn was approaching although today things did not look better with the sun up.

Rick finally appeared but obviously was challenged by the motion of the boat. To make matters worse he had some work calls in about 2 hours.

I called it. I was so exhausted there was no way I could do another night like that. Shell harbour was directly inshore although the wave angle would be even more punishing to try and get there so we decided on Port Hacking still some 3 -4 hours away. I got a quick hours sleep before Rick had to work. He did his calls while we made our way to the refuge of beautiful Port Hacking. We had to trust our navigation software as we could not make out the entrance despite it being a huge bay. It is so hard getting use to the perception of things on the water as all we could see were breaking waves where there was supposed to be an entrance. Rick took the helm and we just trusted our instruments and it wasn’t long before we were finally anchored in Jibbon bay, had a cuppa and baked bread. We were both so exhausted we could hardly talk so off to bed. That sleep was amazing but I still feel a little traumatized by the last 24hours as well as our trip from Eden to Bermagui. We need to review how we are doing this but for now more sleep.

Port Hacking

Blue pool