We’ve started our trip up the east coast of Australia and I haven’t even posted the
final bit of our journey into Lake Macquarie. It’s half written but as usual, life got in
the way. It was pretty spectacular so I really need to finish it and post it,
even if just for the record.
We planned to leave Lake Macquarie on Tuesday the 15th April. We had an appointment for Jason from JSE Electrical to install and calibrate the new brain
for our auto pilot on Monday so we had to wait until then. On the day it was rainy
so not safe for his trip up the mast to sort out wind instruments.
The extra days were taken up with final rounds of goodbyes with family on both sides, and we didn’t even get to say cheerio to friends.
The problems with the auto pilot also robbed us of the chance to get down to Pittwater and Sydney. By the time all was working we had head winds predicted for the next week for going south. Time is getting away and we really do need to start our long voyage north.
We finally got it all completed on the Thursday, and after the sea trial we headed straight for Pelican in the recently dredged Swansea Channel.
Getting to the spot we wanted to anchor overnight for a high tide exit on Friday
we touched bottom 3 times. This was after being assured we’d have 2.4 meters depth even at low tide. If there’s a shallow spot we’ll find it every time!
We’d been planning to leave with the 8am bridge opening but after touching bottom the previous day we decided to wait for the 9am to have a bit more of the incoming
tide under the keel.
Being Good Friday, every man and his dog was out on the water. We tagged onto the end of a 10 boat line to go through the bridge. On the other side there is a sharp
turn to port to stay in the narrow channel to the coast and with a 2 meter draft we
don’t have much wriggle room.
As we came through the bridge we were met with a sea of big cruisers milling
around waiting to enter the lake, right in the channel!
It was some kind of Riviera jamboree.
We couldn’t follow the channel, we couldn’t even see the markers, so watching our depth we went straight ahead for a short distance, then, spotting a small gap in the
wall to wall fiberglass we spun the boat into it.
While Sandy made sure panic levels on Wind Wanderer were at the appropriate high,
a similar scene was playing out ahead of us. Bow thrusters started screaming everywhere and we inched forward as they made way for us.
There was no animosity and we got plenty of waives.
Hopefully in the future they will think things through a little better before blocking
a main channel!
It was 9:30 by the time we’d crossed the Swansea bar and we decided to get the
yankee and mizzen sails up to steady the boat in the big swell. It took a bit of time to find our sea legs again after 4 months, but it was good to be sailing again.
The swell was 2-3 meters and there wasn’t enough wind so we motor sailed.
There were a couple of yacht races happening, one with boats with serious racing gear. As the leaders caught up to us the No.2 boat was chasing hard with main and spinnaker wing on wing, and on a heading that would let them shake hands as they passed.
We altered course 30 degrees to keep right out of their way and got a very appreciative ‘Thanks’ from skipper and crew.
It really is a different kind of sailing and fun to watch.
The swell was still running high and the late afternoon sun was blinding as we picked up the leads for the run into Nelson Bay. They take you close to the northern headland where the sea was erupting in high, white spray against the rocky shore.
We furled the sails and upped the revs as each swell lifted us for a short surf. It was exhilarating.
Once inside we made our way around the shoal where the surf was breaking, and into Shoal Bay where we anchored. There was a bit of swell but not unbearable.
No sooner had we set the anchor than a familiar Seawind catamaran motored up.
It was Camelot. We’d got to know Alan and Steve in Lake Macquarie and they’d left about a week before. We were invited over for a sundowner and got to meet Alan’s
wife, Joan, who’d just joined them. We’re likely to cross paths a few times between
here and Queensland.
That night the swell picked up and all the boats in Shoal Bay rocked and rolled badly.
It was awful. In the morning things were bad enough offshore that the port authority started issuing securite’ warnings for the entrance every 15 minutes.
We upped anchor and made our way further in to Soldiers Point where we found flat water and gentle breezes. Maddy (Sandy’s daughter) and Jason joined us around
lunch time and stayed well into the evening.
It was a good visit and farewell for now.
Sunday was not as calm so we upped anchor again and motored to Salamander Bay.
A 20 minute hike to the shopping centre reminded us how spoilt we’d become with
the use of a car in Lake Macquarie. But it was good to be living our cruising life again.
Monday was another social day with Bek (Sandy’s other daughter), Anthony (partner) and Tim (son) coming up for lunch. The weather was perfect and the farewells teary, but only a little. We won’t be leaving the country for months yet.
In the next day or so we will be checking weather forecasts for the next hop north.
Until next time…