Backstairs Passage

Where Next?
Bob Williams
Tue 17 Dec 2024 01:52

Noon Position: 35 43.1 S 138 06.2 E
Course: NW Speed: 4 knots
Wind: SW, F3 - gentle breeze
Sea: slight Swell: S 0.5 meters
Weather: mostly sunny, mild
Day's run: 132 nm

The wind picked up early in the afternoon and at 1300 we making way again at a steady four knots in lieu of bobbing around going nowhere. By mid afternoon clouds had gathered in the west and the wind had freshened to force five, which had us close reaching with two reefs in the main and half the jib rolled up. As the sun settled on the horizon the wind was up to force six from the SW. The seas slowly built to the strong breeze and by midnight Sylph was now bashing over the seas, rolling regularly and occasionally being thrown off a larger wave heavily onto her starboard side. Fortunately the sea-berth is on the starboard side so, with these sharper waves, Oli, who likes to seek security next to me in heavy weather, and I were thrown deeper into the bunk rather than out of it.

I had been hoping that the wind would have a little more south in it so that we would have a better angle to the waves, but this was not to be and we continued through the night close reaching for a bumpy, noisy ride over and through the building seas, throwing spray high over the cockpit and occasionally smashing into the port bow with a loud sharp slap. However, our rough night was rewarded with a fast passage and this morning, shortly after sunrise, we sighted Cape Willoughby, the eastern most point of Kangaroo Island.

As we gained the shelter of Backstairs Passage, the sea and swell dropped and the wind eased, and now we are back under full sail, though when I shook out the reefs I was disappointed to see a small tear in the leech of the main, caused by a jam in the second reef-line where it passes through the reef ring. Fortunately it looks like the tear is not going to rend any further so I will be able to continue using the full main, and it should be easy to repair when we are alongside.

The forecast is for the breeze to remain moderate to fresh so I expect we will arrive Outer Harbour, Adelaide in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

All is well.