The Narrows.....

Big ships..... 

After a leisurely morning checking the boat and doing some last minute provisioning, we left Gladstone Marina at around 1430hrs.



Gladstone Harbour was just as busy today as it was last night, with vessels going everywhere.


And what a range of vessels, with everything from small outboard-powered workboats to giant barges, dredges and tugs.

And barges....

Again, the AIS system was an excellent safety aid, and we were able to negotiate the vessel traffic safely.

It was also reassuring to know that Endless Summer was showing up on the navigation displays of the vessels that we were encountering, meaning that they could see us electronically as well.

The  Narrows is a waterway which runs north from Gladstone harbour. It separates the mainland from Curtis Island and goes for about 30nm (50km).  Below the Narrows, the southern end of Curtis Island is dominated by an enormous construction site for a new Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) plant.

In places the channel is only a few metres from the bank - Image by Navman

I have wanted to navigate this stretch of water for a long time and I was not disappointed. Originally the owners of the LNG plant were going to build a bridge over the Narrows, and this would have prevented all but the smallest vessels navigating beneath it. Fortunately, the views of local people and  boaties were heard, and the bridge is not going ahead (for now).

After passing this LNG construction site, the scenery is wild. This is mud crab country, and apart from a few houses built by the crab fisherfolk, there are few signs of civilisation.

Endless Summer (black triangle) apparently out of water!

The channel is not only narrow, it is very shallow, and in parts dries completely on very low tides. Even during periods of normal tides, it is important to time the journey through the middle of the Narrows to coincide with the high tide. This was the main reason for our late departure today.

"Mutineer" exiting The Narrows

We made it through without incident, thanks to Captain Bligh's skill and local knowledge.

By 1730hrs we were anchored safely in Mosquito Creek which is towards the northern end of the Narrows. By 1735hrs we were enjoying a beer in our tranquil surroundings, with not another soul in sight.

Dinner tonight was Chilli Chicken with stir-fry Asian style vegetables on a bed of brown rice.

Tomorrow we will head back out into the ocean for the run up to Yeppoon.

By the way, we heard today that wind gusts of up to 47knots were recorded just off Gladstone yesterday. No wonder it was such a wild ride!

Good night all,

Navman

Wild in every sense of the word........

Yes, today was a wild day. We were up at 0545hrs, and had weighed anchor by 0600hrs. For the first few hours we were running up the west coast of Fraser Island, which is certainly a wild and beautiful place.

Peaceful anchorage in a wild place - Image by Navman

After we cleared Moon Point we experienced a different kind of wild.......wild wind and seas. Initially we had wind of around 25-30 knots and fairly slight seas, but as the day wore on, the wind rose to 30-35 knots and the sea to around 3m.

Fortunately it was a following wind, so the problem was surfing the waves rather than banging into them.

Endless Summer handled it well on most occasions, though there were a couple of times when she took off down a rogue wave at more speed than we would have liked.

Wild seas ahead.....

These occasions were fairly rare however and Captain Bligh slowed our pace from our initial 20 knots to a more sedate 11 knots as the wind rose.

 After lunch we switched off the autopilot and hand steered so that we would not have to reduce speed further.

The swell continued to rise until we were looking across the tops of the swells from the flybridge.


As we came on our final approach to the Gladstone shipping channel the wind and waves were at their worst, and to compound the problem, we were now beam-on (sideways) to the swell.

And behind

Just before sunset we called Gladstone Harbour Control to let them know that we were in the harbour precinct. They replied that they were already watching us on AIS. The AIS was certainly very handy for us once we were inside the harbour, as we could "see" the speed and direction of the big ships which were coming head-on to us in Gladstone Harbour.

So we are now at a berth at the Gladstone Marina. Gladstone is itself a bit of a wild town,  and every second person you see is wearing hi-vis clothing. The marina harbour is crowded with ferries taking people backward and forward to the massive heavy industry within the city precincts and across at Curtis Island.

The plan is to do some phone research on our battery charger problem first thing in the morning, then head out through "The Narrows" and get to Yeppoon (Roslyn Bay) by tomorrow evening.

Approaching Gladstone harbour - Image by Navman

One more thing.....At about lunchtime today we passed the half way mark on our odyssey north. If the rest of the trip goes as well as the first half we shall be very happy.

Two other milestones are worthy of note....The first is that today we had our 700th hit on the blog. Many thanks to you readers for taking the time to share our adventure.

The second milestone is the celebration of 31 years of marriage to my First Mate, SasSea. Thank you for the time we have spent together my love.  You are my inspiration and I am looking forward to being together again when this adventure is over.

That's all for now,

Navman

Escape from Paradise

It blew like crazy overnight, but we all slept well in our beds at Captain Bligh and Pacifica's house. We woke to intermittent rain squalls, but the weather forecast indicated that conditions would not be too bad in the direction in which we were headed.

Heavy squall coming out of Tin Can Bay

By 0900hrs we were loading the last of the provisions onto the boat, and at 1130 hrs we slipped our lines and left Tin Can Bay Marina. We sailed almost immediately into a heavy rain squall and had to reduce speed significantly so that we could safely see where we were going.

When the rain cleared we put the trolling lines out for a while, but this was not successful.

On we went during the day, cruising slowly at 12 knots along this picturesque inland waterway. Sea-Dog even had a nap while we were steaming quietly along.

Fraser Island wilderness - Image by Navman

We arrived at North White Cliffs at around 1530hrs. The rain continued off and on, but by 2000hrs it had settled to a calm and clear night. This is a very pretty and calm anchorage, and we have it all to ourselves.

Wreck at North White Cliffs -  Image by Navman

After a delicious dinner of lasagna and spinach, washed down with a fine glass or two of red, we washed up and retired early to bed.

Tomorrow we are planning to make a run for Gladstone. There is some heavy rain predicted for the weekend and we would like to be tucked up in Gladstone marina when it arrives.

Speaking of being tucked in, it's time for me to be tucked up in my cosy bunk.

Goodnight all,

Navman

Still stuck in paradise.....

We have become comfortable in Tin Can Bay, perhaps too comfortable.....

The dreaded macerator pump

After arising at a reasonable hour, and enjoying a fine breakfast, we adjourned to Endless Summer to await the arrival of the oft-mentioned macerator pump. It was a fine and sunny morning, and it was hard to concentrate on our job list in such enjoyable conditions.

The pump arrived on time (thanks Tin Can Bay Chandlery!) and we had it fitted without incident within about an hour.

We probably could have left at lunchtime, but Sea-Dog suggested that we have a beer in the cockpit, and it was very pleasant sitting in the sun in the shelter of the marina.

We did have a discussion about it, but it didn't take too long before we decided that we would wait until tomorrow before we left. The weather will be better, the tides will be more favorable, perhaps the planets will be better aligned etc etc.  You get the idea....

Tin Can Bay is a very comfortable place to stay.

New mooring lines for Endless Summer - Splicing by Captain Bligh

We spent the afternoon doing a bit of hardware shopping, then went back to Endless Summer to run the main engines. Why are we doing that? It would appear that the main battery charger has a serious fault. This device is supposed to charge the vessel batteries when we are running on the generator on shore power.

Anyway, it seems to have died, and the main batteries were down to 10% of capacity now that we have been here for 4 days. We will have to address this problem in more detail at a later stage. In the mean time, running one of the main engines for about half an hour is keeping the batteries at a satisfactory level of charge.

After topping up the batteries we headed back to Captain Bligh and Pacifica's house to prepare for dinner. Captain Bligh impressed us yet again with his rope splicing skills.

Happy Birthday Sea-Dog!

 On the menu for dinner this evening we had BBQ'd crumbed reef fish, with a fresh tossed salad, and chips. It was as delicious as only freshly caught fish can be, and there was not a skerrick left over.

Following this we had a celebration of Sea-Dog's birthday. Pacifica baked a stunning chocolate cake and there was much merriment as we all celebrated the birthday and enjoyed the cake.

All too soon it was much too late, and tonight's post will be close to midnight, but it has been another wonderful day.

Somebody asked a question about the fishing.....Well, the reality is that we have only fished once, and we didn't catch anything, so in cricketing terms that is a score of 1 for none (I think).

Perhaps tomorrow will be better for fishing... If not, then it doesn't really matter. Being stuck in paradise is a pretty nice place to be.

Goodnight all,

Navman

Stuck in Paradise.....

In a perfect world, we would have been heading north today. In reality, we can't leave here till we fit the new macerator pump, and that won't arrive till tomorrow.

Raw water filter

But if you have to be stuck, this is a great place to be. Today was a magic Queensland pre-winter day.  With brilliant sunshine, little wind and a mild 22 degrees, it was a wonderful day to be tinkering with small jobs on Endless Summer.

More jobs??? Yes, the reality is that there are always things to do on most boats.

Our job list today included sorting out a minor leak on the so-called dripless shaft seals, cleaning the raw water strainers, fitting a new float switch on the mid-ship bilge pump, and trying to fix the air-horns.

This last job was the only one which was not successful. Well, not fully successful anyway. The air-horn which was not working at all, now sounds like a cow in the last stages of a difficult pregnancy. We will have to try again!

Dripless shaft seal

Once the job list was complete it was time to relax, and relax we did. Captain Bligh's wife Pacifica cooked up a feast, and an assortment of Tin Can Bay locals came around. It was one of those happy occasions with ten people around a long table, enjoying great food, wine and company.

After dinner we were entertained with a guitar and vocals performance by the talented Miss Tracy and her friend Georgia. Just wonderful!!!

The evening then either got better or worse, depending upon your attitude to loud 1960's music, courtesy of Captain Bligh. Love it or hate it, it was a rollicking night. .......As for me, I loved it!

To other matters.... the Endless Summer audience is expanding. As you can see from the table on the left, we now have people reading the blog from a ever-increasing list of countries, including Qatar, Argentina, Malaysia and Columbia.

Thanks to all of you for taking the time to share our journey. It's great to know that we have such a diverse audience.

Thanks also to those (few) who have left comments. Keep them coming, they are really appreciated.

Tomorrow we hope to be heading north once more. We still have around 800 nautical miles (1500 km) to go, and I am sure that there will be plenty of adventures.

Goodbye from Tin Can Bay,

Navman

A few issues to sort out...

Yes, once we stopped we realised that we had a few issues to sort out on Endless Summer. Nothing too major, but still important.

First a warning, if you are eating or about to eat then I suggest that you close the blog and come back later....

OK, you are still reading, but you have been warned. Still, I would like to begin with a bit of philosophy. A boat is like a microcosm of a city. It has electricity, water and sewerage systems, all of which need to function well in order to create the comforts to which most of us in Western society have become accustomed. If any one of these fails, then we won't be happy. Today, Endless Summer has suffered failures to key components of its electricity and sewerage sytems.

Faulty bilge pump level switch

More specifically she has had a failure of her sewerage macerator pump and mains battery charger.

The macerator pump  is the piece of equipment which chops up the stuff which comes from the toilet, and the mains battery charger is what charges our batteries when the main engines aren't running.

Added to this, one of the bilge pumps is malfunctioning, and malfunctioning bilge pumps are never good on any boat.

As I mentioned yesterday, the Tin Can Bay Marina was incredibly helpful in sourcing a new macerator pump, and it will be delivered on Monday. If you need chandlery in this area check them out at http://www.truelocal.com.au/business/marina-chandlery/tin-can-bay

In the mean time Captain Bligh and I are working out how to change the pump without ending up covered in you-know-what. We think that we have a good plan, and I shall report the results on Monday.

We have also discovered that our mains (240V) battery charger is not functioning. This isn't a problem while the engines run for a few hours each day, but will be a major issue if we get held up by bad weather. We are still discussing what we need to do about this.

So what did we do today?

Firstly we changed the faulty switch on the macerator pump circuit which probably had contributed to the pump failure.

Next we changed the automatic level switch on the bilge under the bathroom.

Finally we dismantled and oiled the gear shift levers which had been vibrating at speed.

All in all it was a great day, and we retired to Captain Bligh and Pacifica's house for sundowners before going out to the Tin Can Bay Yacht club for dinner.

Here we enjoyed Bundy and coke to warm us up  as it was unusually cold at Tin Can Bay for this time of year. There was also good food and wonderful company.

The Tin Can Bay Yacht Club is a very friendly little venue and has great views out over Wide Bay. If you are in the area call in for a drink or have something from the cafe. The web site is http://www.tincanbayyachtclub.yachting.org.au/

All in all it was another great day, though we still have a few more things to sort out before we begin the next major leg of the journey.

The end of the day at Tin Can Bay - Image by Navman

And so to bed, goodnight dear readers,

Navman

Rest at last....

Well, it's been a long day.... We were up at 0430hrs, with just a quick cup of coffee and a muesli bar for breakfast. After checking the boat, we set off just before 0500hrs and we crossed the Mooloolah River bar in pitch blackness just after that. Conditions outside weren't the best, with a confused swell rocking the boat. We soldiered on in the darkness, knowing that we needed to be at the Wide Bay bar on the southern end of Fraser before noon. Why the hurry? Well the Wide Bay bar is one of the most treacherous bars in Queensland, and we needed to be there on the rising tide when the bar is at its safest.

Spooky sunrise - Image by Navman

After an hour or so the sun came up....Well it sort of came up, but it was only visible for a few minutes before it was completely obscured by the thick cloud and rain banks. There were numerous heavy squalls out to sea, and we hoped that they would stay out there away from us. Our hopes were upheld.....for a while.

Double Island Point in heavy rain - Image by Navman

By 0845 we were off Double Island Point. 

For those not familiar with the area, this is a wild section of coast with a beautiful rocky headland. The area is also home to the notorious Wolf Rock, which is an isolated rock which is just above sea level. 

Just as we rounded the headland we were hit by a heavy rain squall and visibility was reduced to a hundred metres or so. Wolf Rock disappeared in the gloom and we needed to concentrate carefully to get around the headland and avoid crashing into something.

After a few minutes the rain cleared and we made our way to the approach point for Wide Bay Bar. The rain stayed away for a while and Captain Bligh guided us expertly across the three nautical miles (5km) of confused water in the bar. It was an exhilarating ride, with Endless Summer being pushed along at around 16 knots by the following sea.

Soon we were inside, and in almost total calm in the waters of the Sandy Straits. What a relief after the rocking and rolling we had been experiencing for the previous five hours! 

Coast Guard Tin Can Bay 

We made coffee and set a trolling line so that we could fish on the four mile run down to Snapper Inlet and Tin Can Bay. No fish were caught, but it was a relief to be motoring again in such fabulous conditions. 

Not fabulous for long though. The rain squalls followed us in to Tin Can Bay, and it rained for most of the rest of today.

Tin Can Bay is a great little town, and I hope that its quiet and laid back atmosphere is never spoiled by over-development. We have a couple of minor problems with Endless Summer, and the people at the local chandlery were incredibly helpful, even offering to pick up parts in Brisbane for us over the weekend.

The Coast Guard units at Mooloolaba and Tin Can Bay were also very helpful on our run north, with clear advice and great coverage.

Tomorrow we will be getting the boat ready for its next stage north. We have a couple of electrical problems to deal with, plus some cleaning and reprovisioning to do.  

Sunday might be a day of rest. I think that we all could use one. We have now completed over 600 nautical miles since Monday morning, and most of this has been in open ocean. We also need to wait for the next good weather pattern.

It's been a long day, so I'm signing off now.....

Till tomorrow,

Navman

Not all smooth sailing......

Well,  we had our sleep-in this morning and rose at 0730hrs. After a quick breakfast we set off from Bums Bay and began to negotiate the maze of islands and channels that make up the Broadwater.  It was an amazing contrast to the last few days of high speed ocean passages. 

We were travelling at 6 knots using the Queensland Transport Beacon to Beacon "street" directory so that we knew which way to turn and which channel to take.

Sometimes we had to choose from up to five different channels, only one of which would take us on our way to Moreton Bay. Oh, and by the way, there were no sign posts, just navigation markers.

At a closing speed of nearly 30 knots you don't want to hit one of these!
Image by Navman

After a couple of hours we were out on Moreton Bay and making our way in increasing wind and chop across to Tangalooma, on the western side of Moreton Island.

Once there we made our way north up the main shipping channel which runs along the island.

About half way along we met a big container ship coming head on to us at 18 knots. It was an awesome site. Fortunately the new AIS device was able to show us the exact direction and speed for the vessel so we were able to safely avoid it.



At around 1500hrs we left the shelter of Moreton Island, heading to sea via the North East Channel. For the next hour or so it was like we were in a washing machine. Whilst it was certainly uncomfortable, Endless Summer was as sure-footed as a cat, and didn't at any stage feel unsafe.

Finally we were out of the shallow passage and into the ocean. We turned north and set a way point for Pont Cartwright (Mooloolaba). The  silhouettes of the Glass House Mountains stood out eerily in the last of the afternoon light and we were once again happy to be out on the ocean.

With the sea now on our beam, it was an easier time for all, and we arrived outside Mooloolaba just after 1800hrs.    The sky by now was pitch black, with a light wind and a confused sea state across the bar. Captain Bligh guided us expertly across the Mooloola River bar, and in no time at all we were safe and sound in the calm of the river.

By the way if you would like to follow our progress during the day, you can see reports on Skipr.net. This very clever app allows me to report the position of Endless Summer using an iPhone app. The web site is at http://skipr.net/where-is/boat-pages/?boatid=894

You can even see our approximate track as per the following screen shot.

Dinner tonight was a spicy meatball dish with a home made vegetable sauce. A fine drop of red wine complemented the dish perfectly.

I am finishing up now because we have to be up at 0430hrs tomorrow (that's in less than 6 hours - ouch).

Till tomorrow,

Navman

Queensland at Last......

Yes, we have made it Queensland, but before I get ahead of myself, I had better fill you all in on today's happenings......

South Solitary Island Lighthouse -  Image by Navman

It was an early start again, up at just after 0500hrs, so that we could depart before dawn to get fuel after yesterday's fiasco in Coffs Harbour.

I know I keep repeating myself, but it was yet another beautiful clear morning, and it was a great reward for getting up so early.

We powered north, past tiny islands with beautiful lighthouses, past families of whales, past fishing boats and yachts.

After about three hours we entered the Clarence River at Iluka/Yamba. The bar was flat, so we had no issues, though of course we had our lifejackets on as required by NSW law.

Firstly we went upriver to the Yamba Marina, only to be told that they couldn't give us any fuel because their bowser was broken. Oops, we hadn't counted on that happening and we didn't have enough fuel to get us to the Gold Coast. I also had a terrible thought that we had been blackbanned because of what wrote in yesterday's blog about poor fuel service in Coffs Harbour. This wasn't the case however and we were redirected to the fuel dock in Iluka. Here we got friendly service and very reasonably priced diesel.

The dolphins were jumping - Image by Navman

After about an hour we were on our way again. We passed several pods of playful dolphins, some of whom seemed intent on a career in acrobatics.

By 1330hrs we were abeam of Byron Bay lighthouse, the most easterly place in mainland Australia.

Surfers Paradise in the grey - Imaage by Navman

All afternoon the clouds were building and at one stage we had rain on both sides of us. It was pouring on Mt Warning and Surfers Paradise was bathed in an eerie gloom.

We had to reduce speed for a while as the sea was building, but this was only for about ten minutes.

At exactly 1600hrs we entered the Gold Coast Seaway under clearing skies. Captain Bligh suggested that we should take Endless Summer down for a look at Southport, which we did.

"I came, I saw, I concreted" - Image by Navman, caption with apologies to Julius Caesar

The city was bathed in an amazing light, which reflected off the massive skyscrapers. It was very dramatic, but we all agreed that it was not a place we would like to live. After our impromptu tour, Captain Bligh  motored us  back to the aptly named "Bum's Bay". This is a delightful anchorage within site of the city, but without the hustle and bustle.

Here we dropped anchor and enjoyed a very nice beer before dinner. Dinner tonight was some home baked lasagna which Marina had prepared. We all enjoyed it immensely, even though we were dog tired. Sea-Dog even brought out a bottle of his special red wine. This also we enjoyed and savored.

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Tomorrow we are having a sleep in till at least 0700hrs before setting off on the next part of our adventure.

Bye for now,

Navman

Day 2 - Port Stephens to Coffs Harbour.

Sunrise over Yacabba (Port Stephens) - Image by Navman

We were up at 0530hrs for a bite of breakfast. After doing our prechecks we left the marina just before sunrise and continued on our way north.

It was a beautiful morning to be on the ocean, with a clear sun reflecting from majestic cliffs and sweeping deserted beaches.

We saw dolphins playing on the edge of our wake, and a pod of whales.

Up ahead we could see a massive cloud bank hanging over the land like a giant white doona. Fortunately it cleared by the time we arrived there.

A perfect day on the ocean - Image by Navman

We were averaging an exhilarating 18-19 knots all morning and the time passed as quickly as the beautiful headlands, lighthouses and beaches.

Mid-morning we slowed to 8 knots and went down off the flybridge to make morning tea and have a short break.

While we were having our coffee, another pod of dolphins decided to join us for a while and it was wonderful to see them launch themselves from the water, obviously enjoying themselves playing in our pressure waves.

The wind and waves dropped off even more in the afternoon and the miles fell away.

By 1600hrs we were off Coffs Harbour and we rang ahead to set up to receive fuel and organise a marina berth. By 1615hrs Captain Bligh had put us alongside the fuel berth. As expected, someone was there to meet us. What was not expected was the $165 surcharge for "out of hours service". This was apparently a non-negotiable fee for any boat having the temerity to show up at the fuel berth after 3:30pm (1530hrs). We were absolutely stunned. It was not as if it was midnight, and the guy was there already, so what was the problem? Anyway, we were not about to pay such highway robbery, so we left the attendant on the wharf.

Endless Summer sunset - Image by Navman

Over we went to the Coffs Harbour Marina, which is adjacent but is a separate business to the fuel wharf. What a difference in service we got here. "Elise" came down from the Marina Office to help us tie up, and after we related our tale of woe about the fuel wharf, she offered to loan us a ute to go into town with our drums so that we could get enough diesel to get to the next fuel port (Yamba). Wow!! She also organised a trolley for us and made arrangements so that we could get away early tomorrow. We were all just blown away with excellent service. Might I suggest that Coffs Harbour needs more people like Elise, people who actually recognise what a real customer looks like.

Make sure you plan to visit Coffs Harbour marina. There are restaurants and facilities close by. The marina is a bit old fashioned, but so is the service. You won't be disappointed.

Coffs Harbour Marina is one of the Star Marinas. Their web site is:
 http://www.coffsharbourmarina.com.au/ I can highly recommend their service.

Dinner tonight was chicken and vegetables, cooked Asian style with my special spicy sauce, on a bed of Hokien noodles. The crew seemed to like it, and everyone had seconds. Captain Bligh and Sea-Dog even did the washing up!

So tomorrow we are up early again. The plan at this stage is to get more fuel at Yamba, which was not on our original journey plan. We will then proceed up the final bit of the New South Wales coast and cross into (we hope) sunny Queensland.

By then we will have had three consecutive big days, and I think that we will all need a couple of quiet days so that we don't get overly tired. More about that later.

Some people have emailed to say that they have been unable to post comments. If you wish to log comments you need to log on to Google with your Google ID.

Thanks for your continued readership.

Sweet dreams,

Navman

We have liftoff......

Yes, today was the big day. Everyone woke early with excitement and anticipation. It was a cool morning with some light fog on the river as we loaded the fresh food on board.

SasSea & Marina wishing us well

At 6:25hrs we said our goodbyes, warmed up the engines, and slipped our lines at the jetty. It was a great moment. SasSea and Marina waved us goodbye then went and had a quiet celebration (of relief?) at our parting.


We slipped quietly downriver in the predawn light, and after logging on with our local Marine Rescue, we headed to sea on our great adventure, leaving our beloved river behind.

After clearing the river bar we accelerated to our cruising speed of 20 knots, set the autopilot to steer, then followed our preplanned track for the 70nm trip up to Sydney.




The sun had risen above the clouds by this time and it was a magnificent run up past Gerringong and Kiama.

Coastline between Gerringong and Kiama - Image by Navman

Stormy skies - Image by Navman

It seemed like no time at all before we were amongst the big ships waiting to load coal in Wollongong, though the weather also began to look a bit threatening.

We were abeam of Sydney by 11:25hrs, where we slowed to 6 knots so that we could check our fuel consumption before heading onto the next leg,






After lunch the weather just got better and better. Captain Bligh settled into a commanding position in the sun on the flybridge. It was a great spot because he could keep a close eye on where we were going, and at the same time soak up the heat from the sun.

Captain Bligh surveying the calm seas

Meanwhile we had struck a problem with the generator. It started and ran OK but there was no power coming out of it! Much to our distress we had to abandon our lunchtime tea and coffee.

The fault was later found to be a circuit breaker that had tripped for some reason. It is all OK now, but the generator continues to be a point of  concern.

The only other issue of the day was that Sea-Dog managed to leave all of his fishing rods at home. As we said at the time, if this is the worst that happens we will have had a very successful trip.

By 15:00hrs we were steaming into Port Stephens. We went to the Nelson Bay marina for fuel and a pen for the night, and I am writing this to you all from here.

End of Day at d'Albora's Marina at Nelson Bay - Image by Navman

After arrival, it was of course critical that three things were done:

1. Beer rations were passed out. There's nothing like that first sip after a hard day on the water.
2. Phone calls to our various spouses to share the events of the day.
3. The blog

All done now and time for bed. Captain Bligh and Sea-Dog have been asleep for ages. I had better go too because we are up at 06:00hrs so that we can get an early start for our run up to Coffs Harbour.

Goodnight and sweet dreams,

Navman

It's now or never.........

Tomorrow is the day. Twenty years of dreams, over twelve months of preparation, it's all coming together for the climax of our departure tomorrow.

This morning Captain Bligh, SasSea and I went over to see Marina and Sea-Dog and to make the final preparations for our departure. Captain Bligh seemed well pleased with our preparation, which was a bit of a relief for me. After working so hard for so long, it was good to know that at least we were heading in the right direction.

Captain Bligh - Image by Navman

We spent a couple of hours orienting Captain Bligh with the boat, loading provisions, topping up water tanks, and securing the vessel for a long sea passage.

After this we all went up for a lunch to celebrate our forthcoming departure. It was a jovial affair with a bit of story telling and much laughter. Eventually we needed to get away so that we could complete the last couple of items on our preparation list. The first of these tasks was to log Endless Summer on at our local Marine Rescue.

After this we went  to do the shopping for the fresh fruit and vegetables for the trip. We supplemented these with fresh produce from the garden, so that we shall have fresh and nutritious food for at least the first part of our journey. Our garden yielded up the last of its summer bounty, with tomatoes, leeks, eggplant, chillies, coriander, parsley, pumpkin, celery and tarragon.

We were back in time for sundowners down on the beach, then a simple dinner with some nice wine and stimulating conversation to complete the evening. Now it is just the blog to do, then off to bed for some rest before rising early tomorrow. We will be up at 0515, having coffee and toast, then going across to   meet Sea-Dog and Marina at 0600, load the fresh food, then be ready for an 0630 departure.

This is the dawn we are hoping for tomorrow - Image by Navman

The weather forecast is good for tomorrow all the way up to Port Stephens. We are taking a route which will see us follow the coast north to a point just off Sydney Harbour.

Here we will do a fuel tank dip to check our consumption before heading in a more seaward direction to reach Port Stephens.

You should be able to watch us go up the coast on this url:  http://www.marinetraffic.com/ais/. If you search for Endless Summer or look on the map for south coast NSW, you should see us.

It's time to go now, I need my beauty sleep before the morning.

Bye now and sweet dreams,

Navman

Highway to Heaven...

Visiting yacht on the river - Image by Navman

Most evenings my wife SasSea and I  sit around with a glass of wine and enjoy the last rays of the day whilst watching the passing parade on our local river. In the past week or so there has been a constant stream of sailing boats coming into the river to pass a quiet night before heading north the following morning. Heading north at this time of year is what we call the Highway to Heaven, and I can't wait to be on it.

I can understand why boats call in here.....the next decent anchorage is some 70nm north, so this is their last chance for a quiet and secure anchorage before they hit the crowds in the Big Smoke. 

There is no marina, nor anywhere to buy fuel unless you can carry it. On the other hand we can supply an anchorage with good holding, shelter in most winds,  picturesque surroundings and friendly locals. 

The next morning the visitors head off, usually just before dawn, just as we plan to do in Endless Summer in two day's time. We shall probably see them all again when we overtake them in the next week or so.

Captain Bligh arrived today from Queensland. He has heard about how cold it has been down here, and has brought his special furry sea jacket so that he can cope with temperatures which are less than 20 degrees C. I hope he survives!

Tomorrow we are meeting up with Marina and Sea-Dog to go over the boat and have a meet-and-greet over lunch. Following that I shall be going to Woolies to do the last minute shopping for fresh food and veggies, then going up to the local Marine Rescue Unit to complete our final departure and tracking details.

The weather models (both short and long range) are both holding true, so it looks like we will all be set to go on Monday.

Wave heights for Monday - Image courtesy of Bureau of Meteorology

   The countdown is now well under way. Just two more sleeps!

    Sweet dreams to you all,

    Navman

Pacific dreaming....

Pacifique, c'est magnifique! - Image by Navman

What an absolutely magic day today on the South Coast of New South Wales!

 The air was warm, the sun was shining and the Pacific Ocean was living up to its name.

It was a great day to catch up with a few things around the house, and of course to go for a bike ride around the various headlands around my part of the world.



The weather forecast models are still behaving themselves as well. Today's chart from the Bureau of Meteorology shows that we can expect light winds for our departure early next week. This means we should get enough calm weather for us to get up into Queensland.

Image courtesy of Bureau of Meteorology

We achieved a milestone last night with the 200th visitor to the Endless Summer blog site. I am very happy to have so many people reading the blog. Thanks to everyone who has visited. Thanks especially if you came back for more!

I thought that you might all be interested to see the composition of our audience. As you can see from the graphic below, about 80% of the site visitors are from Australia, with a mix of visitors from a range of other countries, predominantly Russia.

 Поздравления и добро пожаловать в русских читателей Endless Summer. Я надеюсь, что вы наслаждаетесь наши приключения. (Try the Google translator if you want to see what this means)

Blog stats - thanks everyone for your interest

One of the things that I like most about the internet is its capability to almost instantly reach across borders, and hopefully to make the world a smaller and more friendly place. I like to think that blogging is a way create a space for such a process. Certainly we have a good mix of nationalities in our audience.

Enough philosophy,

Bye for now (just 4 sleeps to go),

Navman

All packed and ready to go....

It's great to be able to report that we are 100% on or ahead of program for our departure north. This is a great outcome for a project with as many (human) variables as this one has.

Today was spent loading non-perishables and freezer food onto the boat and topping up the diesel tanks.

Endless Summer sitting quietly after a hard day's packing
  Image by Navman

It seems unbelievable in an area with such boating and tourist potential, but there are no on-water refuelling facilities anywhere within 30 nautical miles of here. Consequently we have been using jerry cans to fill Endless Summer's 855l tank.

We knew that this would be a big task, so we started a few weeks ago, and I am pleased to report that we bought the last 130 litre consignment today.

Anyway, it's all done now, so Endless Summer is sitting quietly waiting for the big adventure to begin.

Today I also went up to the local Marine Rescue base to begin the necessary paperwork for our tracking sheet as we head north. Unfortunately it seems that we will have to do all of the paperwork again when we get to Queensland. This is yet another example of each state doing their own thing, and everybody else suffers with the inefficiency.  Don't get me started on that..........



Now to the all-important weather. The computer models continue to show that Monday will be a good departure window. The model is also predicting that Tuesday will be a good day to continue north. Let's hope that it continues in that vein. As you can see from the image below, the weather patterns after that  look very ordinary for quite a few days.

Image courtesy of Bureau of Meteorology

I have been asked by several people where to find this information on the web. The link is:
http://www.bom.gov.au/australia/charts/viewer/index.shtml?domain=combinedW&type=sigWaveHgt

Check it out, I think it's a great aid to voyage planning, though of course I wouldn't base any voyage on just one data source.

Signing off for now and

Happy Boating,

Navman