Departed Narooma
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Noon Position: 35 22.6 S 150 15.9
E I have enjoyed a very pleasant stop over in Narooma waiting for the next favourable weather pattern, which is now on our doorstep, with E'lies expected to arrive in Bass Strait tomorrow afternoon. So, with the intention of getting Sylph in a good position to take advantage of them, we got under way this morning at 0715 towards the top of the tide. Conditions at the entrance were fair with a small swell running and a light wind from the SE. Once clear of the entrance I set sail but the breeze initially proved to light and fickle, especially with a short SE'ly swell running, so we ended up motor-sailing until 0950 when the breeze filled in sufficiently for Sylph to have enough power to hold her head into the swells. While swimming over the side in Narooma I had discovered that Sylph has developed an encrustation of small barnacles on her bottom. I tried to scrub them off when the tidal stream was slack, but only got perhaps a fifth of them off, with the combination of the strong tidal stream and the cold sea temperature (14.5 degrees) severely reducing the length of time I could remain in the water. These limpets of course will not help Sylph's light wind performance, especially upwind, which will be the situation for the next 24 hours or so. In that time I want to work our way sufficiently south to be able to pick up the E'ly as soon as we can so as to make the most of it as it is only going to last for some 48 hours. I am hoping to make Melbourne on this leg but it is likely that we will only get as far as Wilsons Promontory before the winds turn against us. Hopefully the contrary winds will not prove too foul but, if necessary, we can pull into Refuge Cove for a while until the next favourable breeze. All is
well. |