Gaining Position
Where Next?
Bob Williams
Wed 11 Feb 2026 02:12
Course: SE Speed: 5 knots
Wind: W, F3 gentle breeze
Sea state: 3 - slight Swell: negligible
Weather: overcast, mild
Day's Run: 117 nm sailed, 69 nm made good
The wind remained light from the south yesterday afternoon, so we continued to motor until we had cleared the Western Channel. I then found that we had a little time in hand before slack water at 1555 and the breeze, while still in the south, was sufficient to sail to, so I set the jib, shut down the motor and we tacked off to the SE into the lee of Nepean Peninsular to kill a little time. At 1455 we tacked and reached along the shoreline until we gained Port Phillip Heads. The Rip was quiet and as we approached its potential menace, the wind backed and Sylph threaded her way through our normal route on the western side of the entrance where the Rip is least turbulent ,without needing me to touch sheet or tiller. It would seem Sylph knew her way.
Outside the Heads, the wind remained a force three from the SE, i.e. a headwind, until around midnight when it went light and gradually veered into the NW. Despite the light conditions, the seas were reasonably flat so we were able to keep on sailing, albeit at only a knot or so, threading our way in between a couple of drifting merchant ships, until around 0500 when the breeze started to freshen a little and Sylph picked up speed to a more respectable four knots. Despite our desired heading being to the ESE, I maintained a SW heading for a few hours, partly to keep on reaching and thereby keep the apparent wind speed up but, as mentioned yesterday, mainly to make some southing so as to be in a good position to make the best use of the strong SW'ly winds which are forecast for later this afternoon.
Now the wind has backed into the west and eased a little, making me a little wary in expectation of the change to come. We run wing-on-wing, with the wind off the starboard quarter, mainsail to port, jib poled out to starboard, heading ESE, continuing to make a little more southing while heading mostly in the right direction.
We should round Wilsons Promontory late this evening and then we can bear away to the ENE. With the fresh breeze behind us we can expect to make good time to Gabo Island and Twofold Bay, with an ETA off Twofold Bay of Friday afternoon. The wind is forecast to shift into the north once we round Cape Howe, the SE corner of Australia, so that combined with the south setting East Australia Current means it will probably be futile for us to continue on towards Port Jackson and we will most likely hole up in Twofold Bay until conditions turn more favourable which, if the longer range forecast proves correct, looks like around Wednesday the 18th.
All is well.