Level 1 Training

Day One

The first day was all about First Aid. Although some of us have done first aid courses over the years, it was a sobering reminder that we were depending on one another in an emergency.

Day Two

The second day focused on safety on board and equipment - where everything is (fire extinguishers, fire blankets, life vests etc etc). We were introduced to the rosters (Mothers and Engineers). As a member of Mother watch you are expected to cook and provide the three meals for the day as well as cater for teas & coffee. There is no fridge, freezer or microwave on board, so apart from some goodies in a cooler box, most of the food comes out of a can or packet. Being a Mother (and cooking for 11 people) is going to be a challenge for all of us. The Engineers look after all the daily maintenance functions; bilge inspection, engine ‘WOBBLE’ (an acronym for water oil belts bilge leads electrical) and we mustn’t forget the important heads or toilets - there are two on board which need daily cleaning and if you are unlucky, they may need unblocking. To clean the heads you are equipped with gloves, get down to your shorts & bog in! (excuse my little pun). It did happen and the crew involved were very circumspect on their lot.

Once we had covered below decks we received tuition on every piece of equipment including sheets, ropes, halyards etc that was on deck.

Day Three

The third day we were off to sea; during the day we went through various drills to familiarise ourselves with the sails, winches and all the gear. We departed the Solent in the evening about 6pm & as we left the radio forecast reported the onset of a storm; a Force 8 on the Beaufort scale; 34-40 knot gale winds.

There were moderately high waves, crests breaking into spindrift and white foam. The skipper & first mate seemed unconcerned; we novices were beginning to think “what have we got ourselves into??!!!”.

Our destination was En Fleur in France. We were split into two groups for our watches; 4 hours on and 4 hours off. When our watch came on deck the storm was in full force. We knew when trying to dress down below that it was on but our arrival on deck was met with rain, wind & the churning sea. Apart from the skipper & first mate we all experienced sea sickness. It was a good indoctrination for all of us and I’m sure it is what we can expect plus more as we travel around the world.

Day Four

We survived the night and arrived in En Fleur about mid morning. Our French speaking crewmate spoke to the harbour control and enabled us to dock in the quaint village via a lock. We enjoyed their hospitality had a meal and a quiet night tied up at a wharf. All was well with the world and we prepared ourselves for the return journey.

Day Five

Our return journey back to England was a brilliant sail; we departed about 9am and arrived back at Gosport 12 hours later. What a difference the sea conditions made, we had more wind on the way back but less wave action and maintained, for most of our sail, 11 knots SOG.

Day Six

We sailed around the Solent today continuing our drills on MOB (man over board), points of sail, raising and lowering of the yankee & staysail and learning knots. We anchored at the Marina in Cowes on the Isle of Wight. All is well.

Day Seven

Ongoing training for sail changes during the morning and returned to Gosport Marina about mid day.

It was explained to us the need for a ‘deep clean’ at the end of each training cycle. We had to pull out below all the bilge covers, galley cushions, bunk cushions, all the unused food, all 8 sails and all ropes from the rope locker. We repacked all life vests & all the oilies in the wet locker. We also had to take onto the pontoon all our personal gear.

We then vacuumed or sponged out all the bilges, scrubbed & disinfected all surfaces throughout the yacht including the heads & galley. On the pontoon all covers were scrubbed & dried. We then reassembled everything and put our gear back on board for our last night (farewell dinner at the Jolly Roger pub in Gosport). A good night was had by all; not too much to drink as swimming was on the menu for our last day.

Day Eight

Sea Survival course - Hamble.

The first part of the day was back in the classroom for tuition and instruction on the safety equipment carried onboard the yachts. I must admit we struggled to concentrate at times because of our night out but we soon woke up when we moved from the classroom to the swimming pool to put into practise what we has just learnt.

Hearing and seeing a life raft inflate is a noisy, wet affair and part of the instruction is to get on board at sea level. This is no mean feat when you have not done it before.

We where all of the opinion that the live raft is not really the place that you would want to be but it is better than any other option you can think of if you had to abandon ship in the middle of the ocean.

Sir Robins Tip. As well as holding on make sure you clip on whenever you can. It may slow you down as you move around the boat but your safety is more important.

Level 1 Clipper Training – An Overview.

The Level 1 training was conducted on the south coast of England – the sailing training was done in and around the Isle of Wight, the Solent* and the English Channel.

We spent 5.5 days on the water and 2.5 days in the classroom. We slept on board, which provided us with our first real exposure to what it’s like to live & work on board - once the sleeping arrangements and bunks were sorted, we quickly discovered who snores [I’m one] and who talks in their sleep.

Our training was onboard the good ship Serica; a Colvic 60 foot yacht. She is part of the earlier Clipper fleet and has sailed around the world 4 times.

Our crew was made up of the skipper Merv (Bristol UK), the first mate Richard (Hobart Australia) & we novices; Lexi (studying wine making in NZ), Catherine (Isle of Skye Scotland), Lesley (Bristol UK), Paul (West Yorkshire UK), Tony (South Africa) Robert (West Yorkshire UK), Peter (Aussie pilot based in Singapore), Stephan & me. Stephan is a Frenchman from the Island of St Pierre et Niquelon and is the only one with sailing experience.

The training incorporated instruction in first aid, safety on board, equipment and points of sailing. It included a variety of drills to familiarise ourselves with all the gear, hone our skills raising and lowering the sails and learning knots.

By the time we said farewell to our crew mates, we knew that most would be friends for life. The bonds that were built during the training were strengthened by the common goal of us taking part in a round-the-world ocean race; plus the fact that possibly your crewmate could make all the difference when it comes to taking on the challenge of racing (and surviving) at sea.

NB: I will upload a more detailed account of the training in the next day or so. 

*The Solent is a strait separating the Isle of Wight from the mainland of England. It is a major shipping route for passengers, freight and military vessels and an important recreational area for water sports, particularly yachting.

Tassie Circumnavigation Port Davey/Bathurst Harbour to Hobart.

18/3 Friday At anchor in Horseshoe bay Port Davey.
Overcast 15C
Woke at 6.30am departed for Recherche Bay winds W/SW and as predicted yesterday swells 5 metres plus.
As someone described it as "a bit like going up & down in a lift every minute." I guess you could say we were pumped for it and within a few nautical miles we were feeling the effects of waves and swell. Listening to the radio we soon heard that almost all the fleet that had been in Port Davey were now on the move to Recherche Bay on the S/E coast of Tassie.
We sailed almost all the way, other yachts around us, we kept pace. A magnificent coast line with large impending cliffs and the huge swell pounding in to them . If you got in closer than 2nm you could feel the undertow wanting to drag you on to the rocks. Different sets of swell coming off the rocks pushing and pulling and at times we were surfing down the waves with speeds up to 12 knots SOG. All of this with one reef in the main and no 3. headsail.
If you look at a map of Tassie you will see that during the course of this sail we changed headings three definite times; south down the coast ,east along the bottom of Tassie between Maatsuyker Island and the mainland and then North along the D'entrecasteaux Channel towards the Derwent River and Hobart.
Arrived at destination in the daylight 7.30pm. Cooked spag bog for tea. All well. Comfortable night’s sleep in a very protected spot from wind or rollers. In bed 10.00pm.

19/3 Saturday at anchor in Recherche bay
Sunny with clouds developing 18C.

Funny to wake up and to look out to civilisation or weekenders in the bay. There was even a couple of yachts anchored nearby that weren't part of our fleet. We were definitely back in the big smoke!
Departed about mid morning 30 NM to Dover seas slight motored all the way wind from the N/NE.
Arrived in Dover mid afternoon anchored just off the yacht club. Inflated the Zodiac and went in to search for showers, laundry and rubbish disposal, Showered in the yacht club and had a couple of beers. Went up town to the RSL for tea. When we walked back to the wharf to reboard the Zodiac we noticed quite a number of locals had their wood fires going. Each house sported enormous wood stacks, I reckon a Guiness Book of Records would be a definite for Dover to win in terms of wood stack size and symmetry.
All well; in bed 9pm; slept like a top.

20/3 Sunday at Anchor in Dover
Winds increasing sunny spells 19c.
Set sail for Cygnet a distance of some 15nm. We will be attending a BBQ at PCSC at 6.30pm this evening.
Motor sail, along the way we decided to explore the Huon Valley and Port Huon. We got as far as Port Huon itself and tied up to the wharf for lunch. Very pretty surroundings; ideal not many people around just a mother and three kids fishing off the wharf. We found we had water coming from somewhere near or from the engine and planned to see a Yanmar dealer in Hobart. 
We had lunch and sailed back, mostly sunny day quite a contrast to some of the weather we have had at sea.
Later in the afternoon the NW got up just as we moored off the PCSC. Used the Zodiac to go in to the BBQ; $20 for steak, sausage, burger & salad followed up with pavlova & apple crumble. Good laughs and met some interesting people. It was fun backing the dingy out with four on board back to the good ship Schnell. All well; in bed 9.30pm.

21/3 Monday moored at Cygnet
Overcast winds increasing 19c.
Weather supposed to turn for the worse with strong NW with showers and rain. We decide to bypass Barnes Bay & Apollo Bay and go direct to Sandy Bay in Hobart, about 45nm. Our leak is still with us and seems the same with the motor on or off.
As it turned out the weather was pleasant with sunny conditions most of the journey. Motor sail most of the way to the Derwent River and then we could put up the sail for the last leg. Further investigation by Chris trying to find the origin of the leak saw him disappear in the lasserette to cry out joyfully that he’d found where the leak is coming from and it wouldn’t be that bad to fix.

There was a small pinhole in a brass pipe on the outlet side of the cooling water from the engine. The fact that we now knew it wasn't the motor and where it was made everything rosier. Well done Chris – that’s worth a beer or two!
We berthed at the Royal Hobart Yacht Club, Sandy Bay. Many of the fleet where there. For many this was the end of their circumnavigation as the majority were from Tasmania and this yacht club. For yachts like our own we had completed the wild and woolly west coast with the more protected east coast yet to travel.
This was the end of the journey for me; I have other commitments back in Sydney and Clipper training in the U.K.
There were a mixture of feelings from ‘I don't believe it/it went so quickly’ to ‘how good will it be to shower on a regular basis again and not have to pull my bed apart everyday and make it up in the evening.
I thank all the crew Ian, Chris, Kevin & Tony for their patience, sense of humour, eating skills and learning experiences they gave me on this journey. Yes Ian ,I can now do a bowline under pressure. Chris thanks for the navigation tips; latitude, longitude & rhumb lines are a go. Kevin thanks, I can now furl and unfurl the headsail knowing what I am doing. Tony, part of a great team that threw out many an anchor only to be told "pull it in & throw it out again". Thanks Guys.

Tassie Circumnavigation Maquarie Harbour[Strahan] to Port Davey/Bathurst Harbour

Monday 14/3 at anchor in Pilot Bay.
Cool morning; overcast.
Woke at 4.30 am; underway at 5.00am. Rock & rolled a little last night at anchor but not nearly as bad at the same anchorage on the way in. Wind from the SE/SW during the morning with 3-5 metre swell. Some 100 nm to travel.
Had to tack all the way - sometimes it seemed we were going backwards with sideways here, sideways there, crisscrossing our rhumb line. We made slow progress and used the motor to add to our efforts. We were sailing to the wind trying to keep the sails in the 30^o power zone. My stomach felt a little precious maybe because of the days we’ve had stationary in Strahan or just due to the irregular action of the waves and swell.
Shifts Barry & Chris 8.30-10.30pm; Tony & Ian 10.30pm-12.30 am etc.
We arrived at 6am on Tuesday morning anchored just inside Port Davey in Bond Bay. All tired and cold. Had very little to eat but well.The sleeping bags were great to climb into, asleep before our heads touched the pillow.

Tuesday 15/3 at anchor in Port Davey.
Overcast day; 16C
Woke at about 10.30 am quite refreshed but low on energy. Inflated the Zodiac put the outboard on with the view that we would explore the Davey River. We travelled under yacht power to the Davey River where there is a rock & sandbar near the entrance. Because it was cold &wet with rain showers we decided to stay on board and cook a roast dinner.
Cooking on board isn’t really a chore when you are anchored or the seas are calm, however there is always the "brains trust " sitting around who will give you advice on what you are doing wrong! But no it’s a pleasure when no matter what the food tastes like, they are always grateful for any burnt offering.
The three burner gastop and oven swings on a gimble as the waves necessitate the boat to heel one way or the other. The pots on the top can be further stabilised by arms that fit around the hot pot. Our roast for today was lamb, potatoes, pumpkin, carrots and onion. We were in bed by 8.30 and slept well.

Wednesday 16/3 at anchor mouth of Davey River.
Overcast morning with sunny spells developing 19C  

Travelled back over the entrance into Port Davey towards Bathurst Channel and Bathurst Harbour. Wind from the West creating rollers like going on the Sydney to Manly ferry when ocean rollers are coming in through the heads. The journey down the Bathurst channel ended up being one of the highlights of the trip so far. We had the sails up doing about 3-4 knots with steep mountains/hills on either side. The sun was on our faces and all was well with the world.
Magnificent mountain wilderness; no houses, no people, just Mother Nature at her best. We had to rely on the GPS and depth sounder to guide us through the channel with us wiggling one side to the other as we sailed. Our destination was just inside Bathurst Harbour at a landing of an old homestead that had been built by a cray fisherman "Barnes" in the early 1900. The house is now maintained by National Parks and provides freshwater from tanks attached to the homestead. The homestead was uninhabited but open, so we signed the visitors book and walked up the hill behind the house to get a view of the surroundings. We took a self portrait of the four of us with the yacht in the bay below. On descent we filled up the water tanks and filled our fuel tanks with extra fuel we were carrying.
Travelled back along the channel under motor and anchored in Casilda Cove just outside Horseshoe Inlet. Good quiet anchorage with three other yachts within view. Slept well.

17/3 Thursday At anchor in Casilda Cove.
Showers in morning sunny periods in pm.16C
Woke at 7.30am; our idea was to go for a walk this morning up one of the adjacent hills but decided not to as we didn't know how we would get warm or dry our clothing as we were aiming to sail out of Port Davey tomorrow. BBQ planned for all that were in the fleet if they wanted to at Horseshoe Bay at 12.30pm today.

About 18 yachts turned up I counted about 65 people. Rubber dinghies galore. Jeremy our radio "scheds" liason guy arrived and duly tripped out of his dinghy, so he turned around, went back to his yacht "Rosinante" and changed.
We took onions, potatoes, saddle straps of lamb. I cooked with two beers and some red wine. Great lunch with lots of chat and “how are you mate” going backwards and forwards amongst the throng. Discussion was had by many on what’s the latest forecast for  tomorrow because it looks like if we don't go tomorrow we could be here for a few more days.
The journey we want to undertake is to Recherche Bay pronounced "research" about 65nm; the forecast is for 5-6 metre swells with winds W/SW at 20-25 knots.
The opinions were mixed about 50/50 whether to go or stay. Our skipper decided we were going. Tomorrow was going to be a challenge but we were up for it!
Scrambled eggs & bacon for tea in bed by 9pm.
            

Tassie Circumnavigation Three Hummock Islands to Macquarie Harbour.

Sunday 6/3 Anchored in Coulomb bay off Three Hummock Island. N.W. Tassie
16C Overcast & Windy.

Departed at 8am bound for Macquarie Harbour (approximately 121nm). Both the Gordon & Franklin Rivers run into the harbour. Expect the journey to take 30 hours. ETA mid day Monday. Winds from the NE at 30 plus knots swell 3 to 5 metres. We are headed south down the west coast. Winds favourable doing 7 knots or thereabouts. There are yachts in front and at rear of us - it’s good to see them at sea.
The coastline has some very imposing cliffs with a huge wind farm just south of Grim Point. We didn’t see any sign of settlement at all and we knew we would be out of telephone coverage for the next 30 hours. The west coast really is a wilderness area.
No. 3 headsail up with one reef in the main in the first 10 hours we have done 60 nautical miles and have revised our arrival time to be early in the morning; average 6 knots.
Wind suddenly dropped and coming from the south. We are motor sailing for about 40 minutes then the wind is back to the north east. In the interim we had taken out the reef in the mainsail. The winds came back to 25 - 30 knots and we achieved 12 knots speed over ground SOG.
Seas are too turbulent to cook so Mars bars, muesli bars, apples and water for dinner. All is well.
Arrived off Cape Sorell "Hells Gates" the entrance to Macquarie Harbour at 1.30am. The entrance is too tricky to navigate at night so we anchored in Pilot Bay adjacent to the entrance for an early way forward in the morning. 17.5 hours for 121 nm – a very good exhilarating sail.

Monday 7/3 At anchor Pilot Bay off "Hells Gates"
Rough Rolly night, at times I was flat out staying in my bunk even with the lee cloth down. We all agreed it was the worst night’s sleep so far.
Departed at dawn through the entrance to Macquarie Harbour and on to Strahan. The entrance in daylight was good but continually looking at the GPS for depths and guidance. It helped when we could follow other yachts that had the same idea as us. All the yachts we saw where taking part in the circumnavigation. Wind from wrong direction so we motored to Strahan about 2 hours.
Macquarie Harbour is about 6 times the size of Sydney Harbour. Inside this natural harbour the seas were calm and now that we have done the entrance through "Hells Gates" we feel confident that we would be able to do it at night if necessary.
Calm seas, red sky dawn with huge mountains as a backdrop; what a place. We were exploring something for the first time with all the elements being on their best behaviour. The water in the harbour looks brown or brackish; they say it is tannin from all the native grasses with salt water underneath and the freshwater on the top. Although it looks brown they say it is OK to drink.
The township of Strahan looks well suited for the setting with a mixture of old colonial buildings and more modern buildings with designs of early settlement. Helicopters, seaplanes and large river cats cater for the tourist dollar.
Train rides by steam engine through the wilderness from Strahan to Queenstown and river cat rides up the Gordon river are the most patronised attractions. Both run twice a day and we were amazed to see them always overflowing with tourists.
We anchored in the Harbour about 100 metres from town. Inflated the Zodiac for the first time and attached our new 4hp outboard; all good started and handled like a charm.
Chores to do : Stowed the headsail, refuelled the diesel tanks [used Zodiac to ferry fuel] and topped up the water tanks. Showered ashore and washed clothes. All well. We ate dinner at the pub; they were busy as most of the other yachties were there too. Caught up with Andrew, Vickie & Bruce off Trezor. In bed by 9pm; slept well.

Tuesday 8/3 at anchor in Strahan
Working to the indicative schedule we will be in Strahan for the next 4 days. Kevin departs on Thursday via a coach link from Strahan to Hobart then fly to Melbourne. Tony will do return journey on Sunday; both of them live in Melbourne and will be attending Tony's youngest son’s 21st birthday party on the Friday night.
We continued to ferry fresh water via the Zodiac to our tanks. Showers and sun throughout the day; a relaxing one. Ate on board tonight; in bed by 9.00pm

Wednesday 9/3 rafted up adjacent to Strahan Pub
(next to an original "wooden work yacht" friend of Ian the skipper).

We have booked a trip on the Wilderness railway for today. Strahan to Queenstown via the old copper mine railway route. Chris cancelled at the last minute this morning as he is not well. Gastro, dehydration & cough are the main symptoms.
The train consists of 4 carriages and a steam engine that travels along a very narrow rail track into the wilderness. The steep grades are handled via a railway cog system that is unique to only a few other systems in the world. We departed Strahan about 10am after taking the Zodiac across to the other side of the harbour and walking the last 15 minutes to the railway station.

Kevin , Ian & I enjoyed the journey that involved quite a number of stops where you are encouraged to get off and walk through the rainforest. The rainforest would be as it was thousands of years ago; deep undergrowth, large tree ferns, damp, sassafras trees and the iconic Huon Pine, that over the years has been heralded for its boat building qualities.
The little steam engine " I think I can, I think I can " handled the steep inclines well.
The train just cleared the cuttings that were all constructed by manual labour, convict or otherwise. Lunch was provided with beer available, we all enjoyed the trip it is worth doing again. Returned from Queenstown by coach along a very windy road.
Chris stayed in a motel this evening. The three of us ate at Risby Cove.

Thursday 10/3 at Strahan
Kevin left this morning on the bus at about 8.00am. Chris went to the local medical centre with Ian - caught a cab as Chris has little energy. Luckily there was a doctor visiting the clinic; he put Chris onto a drip and said he needed to stay there for some time. Chris returned in the early afternoon and said his prescription was emailed to Queenstown and the tablets would arrive on the school bus that afternoon.There is normally no doctor or pharmacy in town; the nurse is generally the best you can do. Chris stayed in a motel. Ian & I did a few jobs, relaxed, read a book and went to the pub for tea. Slept well.

Friday 11/3 at Strahan

I have booked a trip on the Gordon river cruise boat the Lady Franklin. If Chris had been well we would have taken the good ship "Schnell" but thought it best to leave her in Strahan. Chris is recovering slowly and Ian had done the trip before, so I am on my own. Departed at 8.30am; the cat went straight down the harbour and out of Hells Gates travelling at about 25 knots. There is no doubt it’s like being in a truck at sea - power, size & schedule keeping the cat to her day’s toil; not waiting for wind or tide, just do it now!
The trip in & out of Hells Gates was definitely for the tourist because no sooner were we out than we were back in again heading for the Gordon River. On the way we stopped and saw several fish farms. Macquarie Harbour is the first place in Australia where Ocean Trout were farmed. They also farm salmon. The ponds or farms each contain several thousand fish that are distributed throughout Australia or Asia.
Our speed was reduced once we were in the Gordon and you could see the tannin in the water from the native button grass. The riverside environment is pristine and has remained unchanged for thousands of years. We stopped at several jetties and walked over timber boardwalks to view Huon Pine trees that have lived more than 3000 years. Lunch was a smorgasbord and good value for money.
Our last stop on the tour was to visit Sarah Island, the first penal colony in Tasmania. Established in 1822, this was all prior to the establishment of Port Arthur . The guides indicated that conditions on the island were harsh and that the prisoners had named the entrance to Macquarie Harbour "Hells Gates" because of the treatment they received. Great day - wouldn't have missed it for quids. On return Ian & I ate at Risby Gove. Chris at the motel.

Saturday 12/3 at Strahan
I walked to the "Peoples Park" around the Harbour to return to visit the waterfall named Hogarth Falls. It was about 1 hour’s walk from the entrance through rainforest with the stream meandering alongside the path. Stream was again tannin/ brown coloured. Relaxing day; we are all ready for Tony's arrival tomorrow so that we can get on the move. Chris stayed in the motel for the night and is really improving in his health. He is eating more , drinking lots of water and definitely has more energy. Ian & I ate at the local fish restaurant.

Sunday 13/3 Strahan – Pilot Bay
17C overcast
Tony arrives today . We restocked last minute things (eg top up of water & food). Tony arrived at 3.45pm and we sailed out at 4.30pm. We are heading for Pilot Bay so we can leave early tomorrow morning for Port Davey/Bathurst Harbour about 100nm. It was great to see Tony and he seems quite happy with the sailing in the harbour and movement of the yacht.
Spag Bog for tea. Early to bed 9pm (Tony said he never goes to bed this early but let’s give it a few days!).

Tassie circumnavigation from Launceston to Three Hummock islands

Monday 28/2 Last day of February 2011. Weather 17C windy cloudy showers
Because we arrived later than many of the other boats we decided to stay tied up in the pen at the Tamar Yacht Club Marina. Many things to do:!!! Freshwater tank fill & check for leaks. Look at leak from the head inlet pipe. Sponge out the bilge area. Scrub the floor boards. Clean oven & gas top. Scrub down the aft of the transom for exhaust carbon from the diesel engine. Go into town to purchase an extra two 20 litre drums & fill with diesel. Unscrew the sea water inlet reservoir for the engine & refill. Change the battery in the ships clock. Do the washing at a local launderette for all crew.
All done R&R, sleep, read a book, write this entry. Going to the local cafe for tea at 7pm. In bed at 9pm.


Tuesday 1/3 Departed Beauty Point about 7am.
16C cloudy showers windy
Weather forecast not the best but we needed to be on the move because the majority of the fleet had already gone. The draft schedule indicated that we should be in the vicinity of Devonport by the end of today.
We were now headed anticlockwise from the mouth of the Tamar River 'Launceston' along the coast towards the Three Hummock Islands in the Hunter group the North West of Tasmania.
The wind & the tide where both against us travelling towards the exit of the Tamar. We had already hoisted the main and the no. 1 headsail. The weather forecast as we left was now upgraded to "Gale Force" for all coastal Tasmanian waters. We reefed in the main and changed the no. 1 to the no. 3 headsail. Winds were increasing to 30 plus knots with 4 metre swells. Bass Strait was about to live up to its reputation - winds were now 35 to 40 knots and 5 metre swell.
We pulled in the self-furling headsail but after a short while it unfurled itself and as we tried to refurl it again, the furling sheet came undone and laid on the deck. Flapping wildly we focused on how we could take down the headsail the safest way with the wild wind increasing in strength. It was decided to take the wind out of the headsail by turning the yacht so the main covered the headsail exposure to the wind. Kevin & I went forward on a pitching deck, undid the two sheets, pulled down the sail and dragged it down the main companionway. We made sure during this manoeuvrer that we were attached by our safety line at all times.
We thought we would have a breather for a while but suddenly the main reef ripped out. The reef had been put through an experimental pulley, the experiment didn't work. With the main flapping badly we slowly got it under control and put in a second reef.
Things settled down but still huge seas, swell & wind. Schnell was performing beautifully just taking all of this in her stride. There is nothing like some rough weather to start giving you greater confidence about the vessel you are on.
We were now tacking constantly and revised our plan to sail to Devonport. We decided to get off the ocean and head for a small coastal town called Port Sorrell. Our maps and the GPS indicated a sandbar with a narrow opening into the Rubicon River that led to Port Sorrell.
Arrived at 2.30 pm Low tide at 1.30pm tied up at a buoy in the river after advice from a local yachtie who saw us enter over the sandbar and wondered down to check us out like most yachties do.
Comfortable at last. Sausages & gravy, Deb potato & peas. All OK. In bed by 9pm.


Wednesday 2/3 in Rubicon River Port Sorrell
16C Windy showers sun
Cleaned out the bilge - 6 huge buckets of water. We struck gold in the fact that there was a public pontoon adjacent to our buoy and only three minutes walk from there was a caravan park. We could use the washing machine, showers & toilets. A further walk about 25 minutes put us in the middle of downtown Port Sorrell.
The town was a mixture of old & new buildings. It looks like the expansion part of town is due to the influx of retirees and a new aged care facility. We were able to purchase some silicon at the local boat suppliers to try and fix a leak in the skipper's quarters.
We moved from the buoy and through the pick out for the night. It was still windy in the river so at sea it would have been no fun. Had a beautiful roast dinner for tea. Beef, roast potatoes, pumpkin, onion, carrots and a bottle of red wine. We bobbed & bucked during the night but slept well.

Thursday 3/3 in Rubicon River Port Sorrell
17C Wind easing
Discovered the no. 3 headsail had a rip from the other day. It needed to be fixed for the rest of the journey. Looking at the cruise info, the closest sailmaker was in Wynyard. We got a lift from the caravan park manager into Devonport about 20km away & hired a car to go up to Wynyard, the journey took about 4.5 hours. While waiting for the sail to be fixed we visited "Trezor" who was rafted up to other vessels in the river in Wynyard. Trezor was part of fleet doing the cruise around Tassie & we had met them at the Tamar Yacht Club at Beauty Point earlier. On board Trezor is Andrew, Vickie & Bruce. Really nice people. They confirmed the winds were easing Friday pm.
We all hope to leave on Friday. The sail was fixed and we returned to the good ship Schnell at Port Sorrell. During the day Kevin had assembled an electric bilge pump that will speed up our disposal of  unwanted seawater from the bilge.
Sausages, mash, onion & cauliflower for dinner.


Friday 4/3 Rubicon River
17C Sun out wind about 15-20 knots
9am weather forecast reporting reasonable to good conditions at sea. Left the buoy at 11am .Manoeuvred the sand bar and departed the river at 11.45am. Good to be on the move, wind forecast 20-25 knots, 2-3 metre swell, winds W/SW. We are bound for the Three Hummock Island/Hunter group the far north west spot in Tasmania. The GPS indicates 81 nautilcal miles.
Pretty rough to start but Schnell sailed well, saw a few dolphins & another yacht well astern of us.
Shifts Chris & myself 8-11pm;  Kev & Ian 11-2am.
Engaged auto steering device after first 20nm Wind FREEZING I had nearly all my clothes on: 2 sets of thermals top & bottom, T shirt, another shirt, fleecy jumper, raincoat & then the oilskins top & bottom. Gloves, beany, life jacket, safety harness & lifeline. Head torch over the beanie, waterproof socks & new waterproof boots. I kept warmish despite the night winds. I estimated the temperature to be 8C with wind chill minus another 2C; let's say it felt like about 5 or 6C.
Ate snacks on the way; NO hot drinks as it was too rough. Salada biscuits & topping, Mars Bars with an apple & bottled water. Handed over at 11pm. All on deck for our arrival at 3am Saturday morning.
Great sail 15 hours average just on 5 knots.
Anchored off shore in lee of islands. There were 14 other yachts in the bay.


Saturday 5/3 Anchored at Three Hummock island.
Woke at 8am we rock-n-rolled a little with the swell but nothing compared to the ocean. We are all well. Jobs to do today. Electric bilge pump is a winner - well done Kev.
Breakfast of bacon, eggs, tomato & toast. We didn't go ashore. Had to fix auto steering device, it had fallen apart at the tiller. Fixed it temporarily; it will probably be OK down wind but suspicious otherwise.
Rested a bit throughout the day. Great dinner - Spag Bog. In bed at 8.30pm. Slept well.