Monkey Mia after 9 years.
iSiS is ready 2 sail. I’m up @ 5:30 and have pre-loaded her, as still 1/2 day 2 work. It’s raining! But this the ‘Von where it doesn’t rain. Anyway, drop the moorings and motor out, noticing that the ‘Bartlett Thing’ has sailed, sails up and there’s no wind. Okey dokey, I have 2 clear the ‘Flats’ so motor 2nm offshore, kill the outboard and moping along @ 2knts…
Then the wind drops again… 3hrs later I’ve sailed 3nm and there’s a sail on the horizon… Is it the Bartlett Thing? Between fickle winds and avoiding the flats I’m not exactly having fun. The inclement weather swaps from glum and damp to a squall front… Hooting along @ 8.4knts, soaked and it’s getting late. Squall front passes and takes the wind with it. Motor into Bush Bay for the night… Pick dropped in 3m of water, anchor drag alert set @ 3m only problem is that I’m on 4m of anchor line… Reset and settle down to a gentle rock and quiet slap of water on the hulls. 1/4 the way 2 M Mia & 4 days more 2 enjoy.
Day 2. Average night, woke 4:30 n zonked til 6. Sailing by 7:30, about 3knt on a reach. Pulled out the spinnaker n decided I didn’t know wot I was doing, so shelved the idea til noon. On a reach @ 3kntn n looks like 10pm B4 I arrive @ M Mia. Jury rig the Spinnaker n start 2 ave 4knt. Peaked 8.1knt. M Mia @ 5pm. All looks pretty til it’s time to drop sail. Ah well, the ole learning curve. The Bartlett Thing saw the squall hit me, & he’d sailed thru the night thru 3 squalls and arrived here 9 hrs B4 me. That’s the diff in experience n knowing y’yacht.
Moored, paddled ashore 2 beers n Tapas… 7pm n off 2 sleep.
Sat: Northerly winds here 2 stay. Forecast is 30knts 4 run home on Monday. May head off Sun noon 4 the eastern shore of the bay so I can run up along the flats.
Hung my flysheet over the boom 4 shade n rain cover.
My mod on the rudders has failed, so mod 2 ideas are percolating.
Caprice is due Sun, tho’ with 4cast won’t be surprised if she stays in the Fascine.
iSiS is not conducive to live aboard as head room is “seated” or lying down. Flysheet is ideal 4 on anchor.
Sunday in M Mia was pretty flat – between the wind and chop plus drizzle it was spent bent over in the ‘height disadvantaged’ cabin. Tho’ finally read a book after 5 months. Mid-afternoon Caprice had to pull anchor and re-moor as she was dragging her chain. After her Skipper called to query how much chain/line I had out, my anchor alert started to scream, so I had to shift my mooring to deeper waters and rehang the pick. Spent the night alert for alarms and the ‘supposed’ worsening front.
Up n at ‘em 6:30 am and near perfect sailing weather, forecast looks good and it’s time to pull anchor and head the 60nm home. Quick adieu to Caprice and I’m away by 7:30. On a nice reach (sailing downwind) averaging 5.5 knts. Even managed to brew a perc Coffee while under sail. Life is perfect. I’m thinking I could run the Spinnaker again when a gust lifts me to 7 knts; maybe not a good idea. Next thing I’m zipping along @ 7-7.8knts when I peak at 11 knts. OK, wind has picked up and it was a bit of fun while I reef the mainsail and keep on headed NW @ 5-6knts for 20nm.
Now about 6nm offshore and I’m actually running close to the flats as the water depth jumps from 1.6m – 6m, so I ease further off-shore aiming to hold a steady bearing for the next 30nm.
Easy as, and I start to get a tad ‘mind-numb’ as iSiS is holding steady and a steady 5-6.5 knts for the past 15nm. Check the GPS and get the ETA for Carnarvon as roughly 20:30 hrs. ‘The Bartlett Thing’ echoes in my head and I add the outboard and now holding 6-7.5 knts with an ETA of 18:30.
This is my downfall… I forgot I was on a falling tide as I’d started shaving my bearing closer 2 the ‘Von and of course to the flats… it happens just 10nm out! I go from 3m to 0.6m in moments and am aground! Barely 100m from the drop off to 2.5m of water. One bounce and the unnoticed dry-rot in the Rudder Hangers exposes itself and I have basically no steerage. With on-shore wind it’s a case on throwing the pick and wait for an hour or so for the tide to turn. The upside is that I’ve time to pre-pack my gear for unloading.
No actual steerage and with the sails dropped I motor the last 10nm home, as the Channel markers come into sight my forearms & shoulders are aching from the heavy steerage over the past 3 hours. Finally run into the CYC marina, moor up, unload and unpack at home… shower and to bed by 23:00hrs.
Just gotta love life