Heading North - Coffs Harbour 30 18.19S 153 08.76E
Aurora_b
Mike and Liz Downing
Sun 23 Jun 2013 04:07
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The winds continued to provide an ideal sailing
wind of 15 to 20kts from the southwest. The seas still churned with white horses
in every direction, but apart from looking aggressive, never caused a problem,
and the swell was starting to ease a little. So we continued to sail all
day and make good progress against the current. But then the updated
weather forecast at 16.00 came out and that changed everything. For some
time some forecasts were showing a deepening low in the Tasman sea that was
heading for the coast and producing exceptionally strong winds - 40 to
60kts! The forecasts suggested it would be south of our position, but
we might still 25-30kts from the east and possibly northeast. By the time
it would arrive, we might have outrun it by adding another 100 miles and be
clear of it's influence, so the initial decision was to keep going. But then we
thought a little longer. It is after all just a forecast and they do get it
wrong here (it's a difficult area to forecast) which is why they always add that
the wind gusts can be 40% greater than forecast and the maximum wave height can
by twice the height of the forecast (hedging their bets just a bit!). If
they're just a few degrees out in it's track the system may come further
north and being just 15 miles south of Coffs Harbour (the only safe haven for
100+ miles in either direction) it was an easy decision to head there and
let the low pass. However, it did mean going into a new
harbour after dark, but having a big outer harbour, the full
moon floodlights on, and having all the navigation aids we have, we
thought we should be able to make it okay. As we approached, about 2 miles
out, the lights of the town completely disappeared twice as two huge swells
rose before us and blocked everything out. That did make us nervous and we
had everything crossed that we wouldn't get one of those just as we were
going in, and luckily we didn't. Swell was coming into the outer
harbour so anchoring was not such a good idea (too much rolling), so it was
off to the marina in the northern part of the outer harbour. Unfortunately it
appears the marina is closed from 13.00 on Saturday until Monday and
couldn't cope with a yacht coming in at 19.30 on Saturday! So we ended up
being allocated one by phone and it was one of the worst berths we have had
for many a year, being against piles (a bit like Poole Harbour before the
marina). The result was that one of us had to be on watch
the whole time to adjust line lengths and fenders. So it was 2 hours on and
2 hours off throughout the night. At 09.00 this morning a member of the marina
staff arrived and allocated a normal floating pontoon berth. Not the best
start to our first time in Coffs, but today turned out to be a beautiful
day - bright sunshine, blue skies and quite warm for the time of year, just
right for joining the other Sunday morning walkers going up Mutton Bird
Island to look out to sea for whales.
The passage from Newcastle to Coffs Harbour was
190.6 miles, so with the 50 or so miles from Pittwater to Newcastle,
we've travelled about 240 miles north. We still have a very long way to
go!
A few pictures of Coffs, but first a few of a
very grey day in Newcastle.
 Bleak! The empty beach at Newcastle. The day
we didn't go!
 Having been told of the high swell we had to
go and have a look ......
 ............ at
the end of the breakwater.
 Several of these intricate stone
carvings lined the breakwater.
  A fully loaded ship heads out and north
back to Asia (apparently none of the ships ever go south) and
......
 ....... an empty ship
arrives.
 Not the warmest of
days!
 That's much better - the sun came out at
Coffs Harbour.
 Taken on Mutton Bird Island that's been
joined to the mainland by
the breakwater, allowing
the marina to be built in sheltered
waters.
 Looking across the rest of the outer
harbour with the tall ship rolling from side to side as
the
swells roll in.
 The whale watching platform at the tip of
Mutton Bird island.
 On our way back to the marina having spied a
few whales blowing and breaching, but well offshore
and too far out to
photograph.
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