Arrived Southport
Where Next?
Bob Williams
Fri 19 Sep 2025 02:52
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Position: 27 57.94 S 153 25.21 E
At anchor off Australia Fair, Southport Wind: NE, F4 moderate breeze Sea: rippled Swell: nil Weather: clear, warm Day’s Run: 58 nm
The wind eased late in the evening but held sufficiently for us to keep sailing up to the entrance to Southport.
At 1930 we rounded Point Danger – appropriately named as a number of shoals extend out to three miles off the headland. The current and tidal stream sweeps in between the shoals and if a swell is running then dangerous seas and overfalls are the result. As
we approached the headland we were running square with the jib poled out to port. I was not feeling inclined to gybing twice to round the headland so, as the swell was slight and we were approaching slack water, I decided to take a short cut in between the
inner and outer shoals. This proved uneventful; however, a couple of threatening waves did mount up on either side just as we were clearing the shallows. I resolved that I would not take this short cut again except in the most benign conditions.
>From Point Danger it was only 18 miles to the Southport entrance. We were slowing down but I did not want to arrive too early as we would then be facing a strong ebb with the potential for some breaking waves over the shoals surrounding the entrance. Plus we
would then be pushing against a fast ebbing tide as we motored in through the channels to our anchorage. So we continued sailing enjoying the quiet of the night, so quiet I could hear whales singing from down below.
We arrived off the entrance at half past midnight. I rolled up the jib and started the motor. There was still a bit of an ebb running but not enough to cause any significant disturbance at the mouth of the entrance to the Gold Coast Seaway. Once inside its
sheltered waters I dropped the mainsail and continued on to anchor off ‘Australia Fair’, a large shopping centre which is conveniently close to the foreshore on the Western side the seaway’s Southern arm. At 0125 I let go the anchor in 2.9 meters of water,
cleared up on deck and then turned in.
This morning after a late breakfast it was, as usual, out paint pots to continue with a spot of maintenance that I had started in Coffs Harbour. This afternoon’s chore will be to catch up on the laundry that unfortunately did not get done in Coffs.
The plan is to stay here for a couple of days to take advantage of the shore facilities, though two days will be more than enough as we have already had to tolerate numerous noisy PWCs, a couple of jet boats thundering past at high speed and doing donuts to
the shrill cries of their passengers, and helicopters buzzing around like angry gnats.
The NE’ly has kicked in. Despite my noisy neighbours, it is good to be at anchor.
All is well.
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