Through Sydney Heads!
Fleck
Thu 22 Oct 2009 22:21
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20 October, 2009
Position 33:52.37S 151:13.97E The Cruising Yacht
Club of Australia, Rushcutters Bay, Port Jackson (or in ordinary speak, right
next to the Syndey Opera House).
Because of the constant southeast swell, leaving
all the east coast harbours has proved daunting. Port Stevens was no exception,
particularly as we were leaving on a falling tide, and we were soon crashing
into steep seas as we motored out. Time to hoist the sails and slide off to the
South I thought, but the main halyard had other plans, and had detatched itself
from its cleat at the foot of the mast, and was now swinging drunkenly from the
masthead with a heavy shackle on its end, just like a demolition ball on a
crane. Finally it came to a sort of rest, winding itself round and round the
backstays, with its end about 10 feet above the cockpit. Stupidly I didn't
retreat to the calm of the harbour, but rescued the halyard by standing on
Fleck's transom, and hooking the shackle, at arms length, with my fishing
gaff (thing big meat hook on a telescopic pole). It took a long time to unwind
the mess, because I needed two hands to hold myself onto the backstays, and
another two hands to unwrap the rope turns. But we managed, and no one got
gaffed in the process.
Soon all this was literally behind us as we ran off
downwind towards Sydney. We were making excellent progress under reefed main
alone, hitting eight knots at times. I became concerned that we would arrive in
the middle of the night, but as usual it became quieter after dark, and we
struggled to keep way on. Our speed hardly registered on the log (the
speedometer), but over the ground the GPS showed that we were maintaining about
three knots with the help of the current, and we ended up by sailing for ten of
the twelve hours of darkness. Fabulous dawn once again with the Sydney
Skyscrapers on the horizon, and flat seas from the overnight calm. Unfortunately
out hopes of a dramatic arrival under full sail and spinnaker were dashed by the
wind which chose this moment to die completely. So we motored in instead,
cameras flashing, and legs and faces burning in the sun as we abandoned the
shelter of the Bimini to enjoy the views. We did a lap of the Harbour sights
before tying up at the Cruising Yacht Clubs Marina in Rushcutters Bay. Thanks to
Chris Gregory for this suggestion, which puts us within walking distance of
everything. We got in just before the expected Southerly change, and
the CYCA ' Wednesday Twilight Race' was a boisterous affair, lots
of stubbies, and lots of wind, and lots of noise in the bar afterwards. I fell
asleep during supper on board, having been up all the previous night, and
Charlie was unable to wake me: so I was left sitting in my bunk, snoring
heavily, until I woke at 1am, to find everything tidied up around me, and the
crew safely ensconsed in the forcabin.
Sydney Harbour is a bit of a turning point.
Although more than halfway round the globe, it marks the start of our plan to
return eventually to the UK, and it is also our most Southerly Destination:
We are now more than one third of the way from the Equator to the South Pole,
and the seawater temperature is down to 23 degrees, that would make for a
bracing enough swim even without the warning notices that sharks have been seen
in the Marina very recently. I haven't been to Sydney for twenty years. It will
be an excellent place to enjoy for a few days, untill anxieties about returning
up the coast against the current overwhelm my hedonistic streak, and force me
back onto the high seas.
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