Noon Position: 38 49.5 S 145 26.2 E
Course: WNW Speed: 3 knots
Wind: NE, F3 – gentle breeze
Sea: slight Swell: negligible
Weather: partly cloudy
Day’s run: 92 nm

The highlight of the last 24 hours was an encounter with three humpback whales in the vicinity of the Seal Island Group. We were approaching the islands which lie twelve miles to the East of Wilsons Promontory, sailing slowly under mainsail and code zero, making around three knots in a light S’ly breeze. I was down below and heard the unmistakable sound of whale song through the hull. I went on deck to see if I could see them and sure enough I spotted some whale activity about 300 meters to the SW of us. They were too far away to see very well but I have found that often when whales are about and conditions are light they will come and pay Sylph a visit, presumably out of general curiosity. And an hour or so later, at around 1800, I heard the sound of one of them blowing. I went on deck and was rewarded with the sight of three large whales swimming about twenty meters off Sylph’s port side. The three whales spent a good hour swimming around us, diving ahead of us then reappearing astern and then heading straight for us before diving again and then reappearing somewhere else, always in perfect unison dancing around us performing synchronised swimming.

Towards sunset the whales took their leave and continued on their way, presumably eventually South to the Antarctic for the feeding season. By this time the wind had also left us. Consequently, as we were getting perilously close to a couple of the small rocky islands, I started the BRM and we also continued on our way towards Wilsons Promontory.

We motored in the near calm conditions until 2130 when the breeze started to pick up. I was expecting light winds during the night so initially I set the code zero to port and the jib poled out to starboard; however, an hour later the wind had freshened to force four, so I set the main and doused the code zero, continuing towards the Promontory, running wing-on-wing before the fresh NE breeze.

We duly rounded Wilsons Promontory at 2200. While the forecast was for light winds overnight, I was hopeful that maybe the Bureau had it wrong and that the fair breeze would remain with us for the night. But I was to be disappointed, the Bureau was right and by 0100 the wind had faded to a force two, barely enough for Sylph to maintain steerage way. I contemplated starting the motor but decided that as long as Sylph had steerage we would keep on sailing, then I could get a bit of sleep in between poking my head up for a look around every half hour.

We drifted before a ghost of a breeze until 0500 when even this faint air faded. We motored for an hour. The breeze returned, now with a little more power, which had us chortling along, sails full, the BRM quiesent, at a steady six knots. We have been sailing since then, though the wind has eased to a gentle force three.

We have fifty miles to go to Port Phillip Heads. A cold front is expected to pass through sometime tonight and slack water at the Rip is at 2343. While the Bureau’s forecast is for winds of only around 15 to 20 knots around the front, no doubt there will be gusts significantly higher than this and likely from the NW which is the direction we want to be heading. Ideally I would like to be inside Port Phillip before the front passes over, then the wind will be behind us as we head up Port Phillip towards Melbourne, but at our current speed of four knots this is unlikely. More likely we will not be able to negotiate the Rip until the next slack water at 0120. Maybe by then the front will have passed over and conditions will have moderated. It will all be a matter of timing. Regardless it is going to be a long night so I reckon I might try and get a few zeds in while conditions are nice and peaceful.

All is well.