Departed Twofold Bay
Where Next?
Bob Williams
Wed 18 Feb 2026 01:33
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Noon Position: 36 14.9 S 150 11.4 E
Course: N Speed: 4 knots Wind: SSE, F4 moderate breeze Sea state: 4 - moderate Swell: SE 2 meters Weather: sunny, mild Day’s run: 68 nm
The wind blew fresh from the N most of yesterday, ahead of the S’ly change. We waited until evening when the wind died out and then until 2200 when I could feel a light air from the west. I figured this would be a good time to get
underway as the light W’ly would presage the strong S’ly change due later in the morning.
We hoisted the main with one reef, weighed anchor and motored out of the calm waters of Snug Cove, out into Twofold Bay where we turned
Sylph’s bow to the NE to work our way past Worang Point. We were met with very light winds and a short chop from right ahead.
Sylph punched her way into it under motor making slow progress and it was not until ten minutes past midnight that we had enough apparent wind to set the jib, but not enough to make our way into the chop without the aid of the motor. At 0140 the breeze
had at last filled in enough from the NW, a gentle force three, for us to be able to shut down the motor and sail silently into the night.
At 0335 the S’ly change arrived. I poled the jib out to port and we ran wing-on-wing to the gradually building breeze. At 0620 the wind had shifted into the SE requiring us to gybe, and by 0800 it had freshened to a strong force
six, requiring a second reef in the main and for the jib to be furled down to 60%.
Since the breeze filled in, we have made good progress up the coast. I am glad we left Twofold Bay when we did. We have had to battle against the usual East Coast current, which has been running at about a knot and a half, obviously
slowing us down as well as creating short steep seas. It was my intention to pass outside of Montague Island but the wind and current had other ideas, so we have just passed inside of the Island. Now that the Island ise clear astern we will drop the pole and
bring the wind on to the beam to reach on a NNE heading for Jervis Bay.
The wind is forecast to go light overnight, then return to the ESE tomorrow before returning to the north and freshening later in the evening. I am hoping to make it through to Sydney on this leg, if necessary punching into a headwind
for a while. We will see how we go.
All is well.
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