Position: 37 51.55 S 144 54.34 E
Alongside Ferguson St. Pier, Williamstown
Wind: N, F5 strong breeze
Sea state: 2 - wavelets Swell: nil
Weather: partly cloudy, mild
Day’s Run: 106 nm

We managed to sail for most of yesterday afternoon and evening to a gentle SE breeze. We arrived off Port Phillip Heads at 2145 at which time the tide was ebbing strongly. Slack water was not until 0200, so we gybed away and stood off for an hour and a half. At 2330 we gybed again to head back in towards the Heads. I thought I had allowed plenty of time but the breeze had now dropped out to force two and backed around more into the North, so it was once more back on with the motor to get back to the Heads in time for slack water.

This we did successfully and negotiated a quiesent Rip without any problem. We continued motoring up the Western Channel, which we cleared at 0305 and were greeted with a timely gentle breeze from the NE. I shut down the motor and we sailed for a few hours which also allowed me to get a few snippets of sleep in between keeping a lookout. At 0830 the wind strengthened requiring a reef in the main. We tacked the remaining twelve miles towards Melbourne against the fresh breeze, arriving at the entrance to the Yarra River and the Port of Melbourne at 1110. Here we started the engine, handed sail, and motored alongside the Ferguson St. Pier in Williamstown, which we secured to at 1130 .

At this stage the plan is to remain here for two days, catching up with my brother, Mark, tonight and tomorrow evening, then, weather permitting, we will attempt to continue on our way to Sydney on Tuesday.

All is well.