Spencer Gulf

Where Next?
Bob Williams
Thu 5 Jan 2012 02:20

Noon Position: 34 52.4 S 136 10.3 E
Course: North Speed 5 knots
Wind: South-east, F4 Moderate Breeze
Weather: Sunny, warm
Day's run: 54 nm

After a frustrating afternoon watching Starwave disappear over the horizon the wind eventually picked up just after 3 and we were soon bowling along under a full press of canvas with water streaming over the lee rail. We close reached past Althorpe Island and then were able to bear away about 20 degrees which allowed Sylph to stand up about 15 degrees straighter and made the ride a lot more comfortable. At 7 pm the wind backed into the south-east putting it more on Sylph's quarter, so I rigged the whisker pole to port and put a reef in the mainsail. At 8 pm we rounded Horny point and sailed to anchor in Whaler's Bay, Thistle Island close by Starwave. A few moments later Mark rowed over and ferried me back to his boat where I enjoyed a couple of beers and an encore to dinner (having already eaten en route).

This morning after breakfast of bacon and eggs, I departed at about 10.30 and am now heading north, running wing on wing, our next stop the Sir Joseph Banks Group, about 24 miles away. Mark is going to make a detour via Memory Cove, down to the south-west of Thistle Island, where Matthew Flinders lost some men while charting Australia's coastline back in the late 1700s. Mark is an ex-Navy hydrographer and currently runs a laser air-bourne depth sounding (LADS) charting company, so has an interest in these sorts of things; also having a faster boat he has more time to mess around between anchorages. But for now it is a beautiful day aboard Sylph and I am content.

All is well.