Select to expand quoteoceanz4me said...
Yes, the water line is what I'm looking at..... thanks for pointing that out for me there old stag.frant said...
If you look at the waterline youll notice it riding high, A light cat is a fast cat!
The quoted speeds are not embelished, in fact theyre lowered a bit so theyre believable!
And you honestly expect as to study the waterline!
Captain Cloackle... Welcome to the forum!
you get my txt 'Stag' hee hee!!! Nearly caved last night!!!! Where u?? Article comin ur way tonight.
Bloody Hangtime
No photo's of his new crew (most probably fatter than the last ones) I reckon he used photo enhancement on his last crew.
The cruising forum is getting a little quite, what's going on, my fellow sailors must have some marvelous stories to tell of exciting trips, complete stuff ups and very embarrassing moments, lets hear them. Personally I have none to tell...? stuff ups that is.
A cruising story?
The year 1988.
Decided to sail from Melbourne to Hobart to join the Tall ships.
I had completed all the paper work and registered our yacht as a "Tall Ship"
The wife and I, now with two years sailing under our belt and another couple set off from Westernport Bay at around lunch time.
Conditions going out into Bass Strait could be describes a "rolly."
Within a short time, our friends were both seas sick and I wasn't feeling the best either.
Conditions just seemed to be getting worse and eventually I succumbed to the dreaded sea sickness.
My wife was the only one doing OK.
We ploughed on, destination Table Cape lighthouse, Tasmania.
The auto pilot couldnot handle the conditions so Lyn had to steer by hand.
After we had been at sea for 17 hours I started to feel a little better and said, I would relieve her at the helm for a while, it might be a good idea if she made a brew to help us keep warm and replenish lost fluid.
Down she went and a short time later up came the brew.
On consuming the brew, I started to feel "off" again and told her that since she had "had a break" could she manage to take over again. By this time she had been on the helm for 17 hours! A ten minute break? to make a brew and back to work?
Nobody of course was navigating. Remember this was 1988, no GPS, etc.
A while later, Lyn tells me she can occasionally see a light to Starboard flashing when we get on top of the swell.
Gerry and I, pull ourselves upright and herald our skills on getting to Table Cape.
Getting the stop watch out to time the light, we discover the timing is wrong?
Where are we?
Out comes the Radio Direction Finder, distance covered and tables for flashing lights.
Everything points to Cape Wickham, King Island.
That puts us about 110 miles off course.
If Lyn had not have seen the flashing light, we would have kept on sailing down the West Coast of Tasmania without realising it before it was too late.
Our second "overseas" trip had become a nightmare.
We turned an headed for the Hunter Group to anchor and take a rest, before proceeding on to Hobart for the Tall Ships Rally.
Next episode, I will reveal what I said the the then Prime Minister "Bob Hawk."
Cheers everyone.
Dusty
GetaLife
Thank you for your story and I look forward to what you had to say to the P M
Bad Influence
You may be sad to hear that mostly my crew is just me I so enjoy sailing by myself it can be such a rush but my daughter comes sailing with Dad every second weekend and is turning out to be a most accomplished helms woman.
Badinfluence I reckon your just itchin to tell us one of your many stories you should share with us...???
Disralei, so glad to hear DD accompanies DF every second weekend!! That was me with my dear late dad when I was a young lass..couldn't get enough of the boat(s). Now there's a new generation of daughters to teach, now aged 10 and 7. Photos below are Saskia, aged 7, my extreme wildchild at the helm; and Natalya, ethereal, introvert, highly intelligent, not so into the boat but at least comes out.
I promise a story tonight......but now have to rouse the cranky beasts........even up here in Qld, it's getting cold...bbbbrrrrrrr
Okay Disralei, I promised you a tale.
Twas our inaugural pilgrimage to Lady Musgrave Island, our own South Pacific idyll right here on our central Queensland doorstep.
We left Burnett Heads on a still and misty morn and, by the most conservative of calculations, estimated we would arrive at the lagoon entrance at least an hour prior to slack water. With this fudge factor in mind, we would have time to reconnoitre the entrance, check out depths, look at the flow of water, what lay on either side of the channel markers, etc., etc.
The wind never came, the swells were long and lazy, and the girls bored. The distraction of the Coastwatch visitation overhead was actually a welcome relief. Ooh, how I will ruffle the feathers of some devotees of 'The Coastal Passage' with that comment!!!
Anyhow, we were running very late for our very important date with the lagoon entrance and by this stage, the tide was barrelling into the lagoon, not unlike, well, rapids! As well, the red and green channel markers were set in bommies, um, above the water! Fab!
Okay, we can do this thing, Skip!
With adrenalin and trepidation running in equally high measures, we make a final pass, and head out to the west to line up our final approach. Okay, this is it, we turn east and we're on our way. All of a sudden a humpback surfaces right on our bow....yes, beautiful, very nice, but can you come back tomorrow for an ambient moment? Shiver me timbers!!
We're now barely outside the channel, being sucked in fast and............splutter, splutter........our brand new Yami 25 dies, grinds to a halt. I don't know whether I need a bucket, toilet, or defibrillator, but silently and in unison, Skip and I are on to it. I stay at the helm and maintain some semblance of steerage on the rapids through the channel. But, never in my life have I seen a motor shut down, fuel lines transferred to another tank, motor restarted, and a recovery made so quickly as Skip did that day. Thank the goddesses no air got into those lines!!
My vote is to change the thread name to "Cruising yarns with pictures"
In the spirit of that will post a couple of my favourite pics and add a yarn. Tis going to be a long cold weekend and tucked up in front of the fire with the laptop and wireless dongle with a glass of red might just be what is needed.
Wow... i had a similar experience a few years back on my wife's uncle's cat...
We were about 200m from the markers, i just got to the bows with the poloroids when a whale came up directly in front only meters away, the whale eyeballed me then slid backwards into the depths...
Fast forward a few years
I'm on my own cat, on my first extended cruise to the whitsundays...
I was just about to head into hamo to send the wife home by plane, i was down to one outboard motor and after dropping the sails i started the "good" motor, put it into gear but no forwardness happening ?? (honda 4 strokes with the pressed rubber bush between the spline and prop propper, this is crap and gave way).
Anyways, the conditions were calm, not much wind against not much tide so there was no danger and plenty of time to think.... Was then i noticed some whales coming down the channel, so we grabbed a beverage each, sat down and enjoyed the encounter, the whales came in real close and checked us out for about 10 mins...just awesome...
I then started the bad motor that has flames coming out of a hole in the exhaust manifold and sounded like a machine gun, drifted straight onto an end birth, sorted
Hi Badinfluence
Thank you for your story, the whale would not half take your breath away but I imagine you would have had to change you underwear, (that is if you were wearing any..?).
Your daughters look gorgeous especially Little Miss Attitude, Natalya, She looks so much like my daughter Maddison.
Ok Cruisers we need more stories to make this the number one topic so keep sending them in and for you that have already contributed, Im sure there are a lot more to share.
Have a great weekend all, im going sailing.
Back in the early '90's when I had more spare money but less sense than now, I bought a beautiful yacht out of Cairns called ENVY II for $85,000.
She was an alloy built, Doug Peterson designed, 42 ft IOR 2 tonner with a new 4 cyl Kubota 43 hp donk fitted and in survey and operating as a 2C and 1D (sail training) charter vessel.
A typical flat topper of the early '80's era, there were 13 winches on deck not including the anchor winch. Well used but used well and in fairly good nick, it was a fairly good deal even back then, so I lashed with the cash and owned her.
Being as how my home and very pregnant wife (about a month of giving birth) were both located in Bundaberg, a couple of great mates, myself and a couple of paying punters took her south visiting a few of the high light anchorages of the Qld coast on the way to Bundy.
Daughter was born and I made the wise (not) decision to do a full refit of the yacht, costing about $40k real and 18 months time and labour. Should have just fixed what needed fixing, bundled the wife and sprog on board and gone cruising.
Having "Rose Coloured Sunglasses" on, a Master Class 5 ticket in my pocket and an ultimate yacht, it was quite obvious that making a fortune while enjoying my desired lifestyle by chartering was the way to go. To all, take a word of advice, do not let anybody, including yourself, convince you that is a good idea. It is usually a sour and bittering experience that leads to impoverishment. That includes "Pirate Chartering" too.
Anyway, the refit done, the yacht ready, wife and daughter secure at home, I set off for the "Sh1t One Days" to make my fortune with 8 backpackers aboard to help pay for the passage north. That brilliant yacht could actually accommodate 12 people with 2 double berths, 2 single berths, 2 pipe berths and 1 triple berth in the foxhole f*ckatorium. Good ole ENVY II, stand up shower and head, big fridge, great galley and plenty of bunks.
First leg of the trip was Bundaberg to Great Keppel Island which was an overnighter during which we carried the smaller flat cut tri-radial all night past Facing Island, Curtis Island and Cape Capricorn arriving fairly early in the day at Great Keppel Island. Put the punters ashore and took the zoomer (ally bottom, inflatable sides and 6 hp Johnno, a one off built right) over to "Kindred Spirit" (real nice Adams 31) to congress with old mate John who had helped me bring ENVY II south 18 months earlier. We are still great mates today and I last congressed with him at his 75 th birthday party a month ago. He is still sailing his beloved "Kindred Spirit" and his current ride is a 1000 cc Moto Guzzi. If you happen to meet up with him and his "blonde bombshell" girlfriend Heather during your travels along the fabulous Queensland coast your humour will be better and your life richer. He is just that kind of guy and I love him for it.
So during the day at Keppel we noticed that the Gladstone "Boating and Fishing and Marine Parks" patrol vessel was also present in the anchorage and that there appeared to be supernumeraries aboard (ie family looking people). Hmmmm. Out of their territory and apparently taking advantage of the tax payer (you and me) funded toys. Sure enough, the pricks went to every boat in the anchorage and generally harassed to justify their being there. Sad to say folks but that is where your boat registration money is going.
Second leg was from Keppel to Delcomyn Bay which is a gorgeous LITTLE spot between Port Clinton and Blue Pearl Bay. Tight anchorage and rolly in the best of times but definitely worth a visit. Fresh water creek runs down the beach.
So as any cruising sailor worth his salt would know, if he/she was in that general area and heading north, he/she cannot not visit Middle Percy Island's A-Frame for a beach BBQ. We anchored there in the dark around 20:00 hours, ate and slept. The backpacker punters, being the lazy lot they usually are did not rise until the late morning or early afternoon, at which time I ferried them ashore, admonished them not to buggerise around with what they would find and that I would be coming ashore with the tuccka a bit before dark. Being the duteous and responsible person that I am, that is what I did.
I don't think any backpackers could have gotten a better sailing adventure in Australia than that. They will be in their 40's now and I will bet they are still dining out on that experience in the UK now.
So for those that are following the story you would realise that with the number of people aboard (9), the days at sea and the distance travelled, that, a visit to a resupply port had become an imperative. Therefore I determined the next anchorage would be Mackay Harbour. Due to light winds there had been a considerable amount of motoring and motor sailing done so far so an assessment of fuel range was taken by the very complicated equation of:-
Litres left divided by litres per hour consumed multiplied by miles per hour achieved equals motoring range possible. Subtract that figure from the miles to the next destination and one can know where he/she has to sail to before starting the engine. There are no secrets on a small vessel so all aboard were apprised of the situation and that we would have to sail the boat to the best of our abilities until we reached a certain point.
This is where the story gets quite interesting. Two places at least where detailed charts are needed for safe entry to port are Mackay and Bowen. I will leave Bowen for another tale about heading south. This one is about heading north into Mackay.
We have gotten to the point of dropping the dacron and hoisting the iron due to the lack of wind and as it has gone dark, reading the lights. Remember also this is early '90's, you got GPS?, yes, your'e up to date. You got chart plotter? What you talking 'bout rich boy? Heading to Mackay we pick up lights. Big ones on big ships. Eventually get past them and we are heading in on the lead lights to Mackay Harbour (before the new small boat harbour and marina) and think we are on track. Still miles to go but we are on the lead lights aligning.
Hello!!! What is that feint light to starboard flashing 3. Oh, that is an east cardinal marker that we should keep to our port. OK so we alter course to round it on our port side despite the fact that we were heading in on the lead lights. We keep the light to port and the lead lights disappear and the sounder reading goes from 20 metres to 3 metres and my ringhole starts palpitating. Engine revs back and ready for a reversal but keep going ahead. Water gets deeper and we pick up the lead lights again. Whew!! Line up on the leads and go into the harbour. Get crewman to steer yacht in circles in harbour while I have a big dump in head. After that we secured and had a sleep.
What went wrong??
1. I did not have a detailed chart for the entry and thereby not know exactly where I was.
2. I failed to trust the lead lights.
What actually happened??
I rounded the Slade Rock light which put me in the shadow of Slade Island (at which point I lost the lead lights) and then I drove the yacht over Slade Reef between the rock and the island. Big tides in that area and a week earlier I would have been on the rocks.
More exciting parts of this tale to come in the next episode coming soon.
Have been watching the snow fall on the mountain today.
Might go sailing tomorrow, providing the wind is below 25kts.
Dusty
Final leg Bundy to Airlie.
Having replenished fuel, water, fresh water and beer at Mackay it was time to push on to Airlie Beach from which location I had been assured by the management of "Charter 20", I would soon be making a fortune taking backpackers out on three day/two night charters. How misinformed and conned can a person get. I was later to find out that they were the most disreputable operation in the area using yachts that had been dumped from other charter fleets. But that is another story that is not worth relating.
The weather was fine, the sea flat calm and the wind non-existent. Motoring with the boom tent up was the order of the day as we headed north past the Sir James Smith Group towards the Lindeman Group where we would anchor that evening.
Backpackers being what they are require constant feeding but worse still, entertainment!! They suggested fishing so I busted out a couple of trolling lines. Who knows, they might jag a suicidal mackerel? So we are heading along to clear Platypus Rock off the southern end of Shaw Island and one of them has pulled in something like a bony bream about 6" long which was not going to feed the multitude no matter how many loaves we had. So I suggested they put that on the hook of the macca spoon and maybe pull something bigger in, at which point I went below to plot my bearings on the chart for a fix.
While I am doing that the next thing I know is there is loud whooping and shouting from up on deck and this slap, slap, slap noise on the port topsides. I race up on deck to investigate and it turns out they had got a mackerel a bit excited and he had leaped out of the water over the dinghy on the davit which had to be 10 foot above the water, slid down the boom tent and slapped the side of the boat as he re-entered the water. I swear if the boom tent had not been up he would have come through the companionway and landed tail slapping on the cabin sole. What a lucky fish!!!
That was the end of the excitement for the day and we proceeded up Kennedy Sound to Gap Beach on the north side of Lindeman to anchor for the night.
Rising fairly early the next day we headed straight up to Solway Passage and around to that magic place, Whitehaven Beach. A beach BBQ lunch and messing around on the beach and in the water had everybody feeling pretty good about the trip and we did not leave there until mid morning the next day.
We were getting 10 to 12 knots of breeze from the south and we were heading west so the full main and the small flat cut spinnaker were just the ticket to get at least one day's good sailing out of the trip. It was beautiful with the engine only started while we rounded the southern end of Whitsunday Island via Fitzalan Passage which can have some serious overfalls.
On past Henning Island and entering the Whitsunday Passage proper heading for the south of South Molle Island and Molle Channel. It was mid to late afternoon and the breeze whipped up to around 20 knots and we were really starting to have some fun. The spinnaker pole was braced about 6" off the forestay, the sail well sheeted and good ole ENVY II just picked up her skirts and flew. Twelve and a half knots all the way across and if her bum had not been the dirtiest and most barnacled bottom ever seen on such a yacht, I am sure it would have been 15 knots. What a thrill and it is as vivid in my mind today as it was 20 years ago.
We turned up Molle Channel heading dead downwind which slowed us right down as the wind had also dropped out and pulled into Abel Point marina about an hour after dark.
I had many other great days sailing that beautiful yacht but that was the best one.
Before she sent me completely broke I sold her and she has been renamed Lady Katherine and currently operates out of Manly on Moreton Bay doing sail training and has been doing the Brisbane to Gladstone just about every year since.
If you have got this far, thanks for reading. Cheers Cisco.
great stuff Cisco, sounds like a fantastic shy kite run you and the old girl had!!!
like you said it dosent get much better than that!!! I bet the back packers remember that!
Thanks and regards James
Cisco
Fantastic story, It is amazing to think you crossed a reef and did not bottom out, you have no doubt had a great life experience sailing and we all could learn a lot from you.
Thank you for your story.
This forum has the potential to be the best in Australia but we need to get some activity happening here. it is 9.57 pm Tuesday the 17th May and there has only been one other on here other than me, please all, post your stories as we all benefit from your experiences, misfortunes, know how, and general mate ship that sailors have for fellow sailors.
I personally look forward each and every evening to logging on and seeing what has been posted, it is my evening highlight other than eating diner and polishing of a good bottle of red now that the evenings are cooling down.
I struggle in my short time as a boat owner or my previous life as a crewman on a racing yacht to come up with a story that I feel good enough to post.
However I do recall one night after racing all day and into the night around from lettelton Harbour to Akaroa (Banks Peninsula New Zealand) bloody rough, 4 plus metre swell and winds blowing a gale from the south and freezing cold. Tack after bloody tack and just when we had all had a gut full we rounded the headland and through up the kite for the reach to Akaroa. All become calm, Surfing our way down the very long harbour, fulll moon and were pushing along between 15 to 18 knots next thing we were surrounded by at least 15 Hectors Dolphins,The crew, totally exhausted from the previous 12 hours thought were in heaven, they stayed with us for quite some time, like they knew we had taken a pounding and wanted to guide us home under there guidance and protection to a safe birth. I will never forget the night as long as I live. My words do not do justice to this story, the situation, feeling and experience that was felt that night.
Why the hell would you not want to put to sea and go sailing, I love my life knowing that I can shed my mainstream life, cast off and be at one with the sea any time I feel the need, my need is often.
Thanks for the good rubs guys.
I haven't done nearly as much sailing as I should have or want to be doing now.
From what you are saying Disralei, I have a lot I could learn from you. That Dolphin Encounter must have been incredible. Only ever had three or four dolphins sailing with me on a couple of occasions.
If you are not going fast, I don't think they are interested.
You said:- "I struggle in my short time as a boat owner or my previous life as a crewman on a racing yacht to come up with a story that I feel good enough to post."
I say:- If it is a story and you remember it, it IS good enough. The best part of a story is the telling of it.
Fire away brothers and sisters.
Whales and Dolphins
There is a great dissapointment on the face of the dolphin when he gets into the bow wave of my boat and finds there is no wave.
Dolphins love to play in the pressure wave created by the displacement of water as a boat moves thru the water, You see them coming from 500 meters away when theyre not busy feeding to ride the bow wave and when they get to my boat they just dont stick around as the long bows on "Barefoot" (Catamaran) ride over the water and not through it. Every now and then though I might be lucky and they'll stick around for a while.......
I sailed a Salar 40 from Adelaide to Gosford a few years ago and was astounded by the amount of dolphins in the Southern Ocean, At times we were surrounded by Thousands of the fun loving Mammals. Watching their behaviour it doesnt take long to realize they have a social and inteligent family structure, It really is a treat to be near these guys.
Whales...
A few years ago while sailing north in July i was seeing about 20 Whales a day along the NSW Coast, I was putting little notes on Facebook about seeing so many BIG intimidating Whales, Man they are Huge when they rise just in front of you for a breath of air, Anyway there were lots of freinds on Facebook asking for photos of these whales i was talking about but it was difficult to get a good shot with a digital camera with the lag when you push the button and the short time the whale is on the surface.
Two weeks later i was motoring through unsafe passage between North and South molle Island in calm weather when i saw a very big Whale laying still on the surface I thought to myself Hmmm i might just get me a few photos as i go past and put em on Facebook to satisfy the requests of a few weeks ago. As i got close i saw a small calf breach and i thought to myself .... Mother and calf? ......... I might just get away from this scene. As i was having these thoughts the Huge mother Whale went from laying dormant on the surface to exploding into a rapid series of breaching and tail slapping on the surface, I turned away but was only doing 4 knots as i only had one motor running at the time, the mother whale was breaching so fast and so high , Scaring the crap out of me and then the calf joined in and began doin what mum was doing - Slapping its tail on the surface!
Bravely running away i pointed the camera in the direction of the two whales and held my finger on the button without actually aiming, This is what i got................
The patches of "oily" water show where the mother breached seconds bfore
I learnt my lesson and stay right away from All Whales now. I would love to see a Killer Whale up close one day though!
great pics Hangtime, i bet your glad they didnt get inquisitive about you ...and your rudder!!! or for that matter any part of your boat!!
If you think that even not great story are ok to post, I can share my little encounter.
It was last years, sailing singlehanded Spencer Gulf SA, it was bit rough and I pull over
to Whyalla marina. Not a soul anywhere. Now they here. Looking at me what I am doing. Start panicking, not a miss a shot, trying in a hurry to get lines and camera.
No need, we spend another 15 minutes have fun. Than they realized I have no fish
and they gone.
