Location: Tuncurry NSW S 32:10.738  E152:30.097

It has been 6 months since we did passages, but last Monday we pulled out of Newcastle on the Mid North coast of NSW (New South Wales) Australia and started our trip north with Gijima and family to Yamba.

For the last 3 months Gijima has been in Newcastle getting repairs done, and waiting for a new windlass, while we as a family travelled South Africa, Spain and Asia.But last Saturday I arrived back and went to the boat to find everything installed mechanically but not electrically, which is maddening after determining that designated electrician has just checked out, we decided to stock and get wire and we would head north to Port Stephens 36 nm up the track. There we knew we would have to wait out storms, and I needed to do a lot of calls for work, so needed a good marina.

The sail up Monday started out very rolly leaving the harbor, and guess what the boat was not full cruising ready so it was not long before it was a washing machine downstairs, and it was raining.  But we made good time, and saw the great site of Albatrosses skimming over the quite big waves, and site we had not seen on Gijima just in Panaga of Galapagos last year. Their hinge wing span arching, never taking a flap pf the wing, and in so much control, they followed us, slicing through the air and our rigging. We arrived in Port Stephens at the Marina Nelson’s bay just before the big storms came in, and we were in for a bumpy night.

It continued to rain most of the week, but their was a park for the boys, and places to ride their bike, and laundry mat to wash the inside of the boat, and stored everything away, as well as we located a great electrician who had parts who installed the windlass correctly.

So this morning after letting the seas lie down for 2 days, in 12 knots of wind and clear skies we pulled out and headed out of the port. The seas outside were 2 metres (6 feet) and reasonable period, but we found ourselves in a MAyday off Seal Rocks where a sail boat had caught fire and the guy went over board. We were on standby, but the local rescue guys were fast and the boat was lost but the crew saved. As we rounded Seal Rocks well known as one of the points on the coast that changes weather, the weather did change getting warmer and calmer as we headed north. The boat was going well and family fitting back into the routine well, and we relaxed. We had a whale going along with us just off to port for a couple of miles we were both heading north, and doing about the same pace, it was nice site to see. Then on this sunny day to see albatrosses again gliding around us, the wind died and we pushed on, but the forecast had changed that there was front moving through early hours of the morning which would take the winds 35knots+ so we aborted our plans for an over night run, and headed for Tuncurry, Forster, and lovely coastal town. The challenge in our way was we had to cross a river bar, and then we had to tie up to pylon jetty, both firsts. The bar was nothing, but getting on to the pylon jetty was a bigger challenge with the current running, but it is a loverly place, and we headed for the Bowling Club for dinner always a good price and simple.

Nice to be back on the boat now for a week, and our first 100 nM under our belt on the west Pacific.