Departed Portland
Noon Position: 38 23.8 S 141 20.5 E We got under way this morning at 0740, setting sail to the light northerly breeze as we cleared Portland Harbour entrance. It has been a pleasant stopover. Simon, the marina manager, was very helpful. In particular, I appreciated him driving me to a service station to purchase fuel and oil. Apparently the marina is slated to eventually have a fuel dock but, in the meantime, this is part of the service the marina provides. I was also given use of the showers at the nearby Portland Sailing Club and enjoyed the club’s hospitality on Friday evening when it was open for drinks. On Sunday I went for a sail on a local Koonya, Raider’s Moon. After all this time sailing Sylph, it was the first time I have had the opportunity to sail on another Alan Payne designed boat. And in between quite a lot of wet weather I even managed to get a little painting done. The weather forecast is for light to moderate northerlies, easing tomorrow, then turning into the west before returning to the north on Sunday. This is going to make for a mostly upwind passage, but the winds are supposed to remain light to moderate, so it shouldn’t be too uncomfortable, and it seems as good a weather pattern as we are likely to get at this time of year. I have decided to make Victor Harbor our next stop. An old school friend who now resides there has arranged a mooring for us. Sylph and I have never visited this picturesque spot together before, largely because it is not the best shelter on the South Australian coast and also because it is a bit of a detour from the rhumb line between Investigator Strait and Cape Nelson. However, the weather looks favourable for a brief visit and I have not caught up with Tony for several years now, so we will give it a go. With luck, we should arrive late Saturday. The plan is to stay there until Monday then continue on our way to Adelaide. All is well.
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