Clear of Port Phillip

Where Next?
Bob Williams
Tue 12 Dec 2017 07:59

Noon Position: 38 25.5 S 144 20.8 E
Course: SW Speed: 3 knots
Wind: SE, F2 – slight breeze
Sea: slight; Swell: S 1 meter
Weather: clear, mild
Day’s run: 77 nm

So far so good. We continued tacking our way down Port Phillip yesterday afternoon, sailed through Pinnace Channel around midnight, and were spat out of the Heads by the ebb in the small hours. Since then the wind has been very light and we spent much of the remainder of the night drifting a short distance to the south west of Port Phillip Heads. Indeed, at 0645 I had to motor for a bit to maintain a comfortable distance off the beach so I could rest, and at 0820 I dropped sail and drifted as there was insufficient wind to fill the sails. Happily, I had the sails back up an hour later when a usable south-easterly breeze sprung up and since then Sylph has managed to make good about three knots.  I don’t think we are going to make it around Cape Nelson in time to avoid the westerly that is forecast for tomorrow afternoon; however, with a little luck we will make Port Fairy before it arrives.

All is well.