27/07/2008, En route to Kupang
Monday morning at dawn, the sun has just come up across a flat and calm sea! After a VERY slow day yesterday we drifted into a lovely sunset under MPS and Main but not much breeze. At close to midnight it was TOTALLY CALM with the wind direction indicator as gravity took over from wind and we slightly rolled on the flat water. (Damn that wind generator - how long was the warranty!).
So we dropped all the limp sails back to their places of storage and motored for a few hours with one engine just on idle to chill the fridges and at least keep us pointing in the right direction.
About 0400 there was a slight breeze tight on so we put up the main and genoa to cover just a few more miles. Now with the sun coming up we have about 2.5 knots of breeze.
At this average speed it might take us about 230 hours to get to Kupang!
A good chance to read a few books, read one through last night, and at least cooking, eating and washing etc is easy as we slowly drift towards Indonesia. Fortunately the current is running that way!
Some boats must be motoring as they are moving ahead more quickly, but we don't want to burn all our diesel yet so are just running enough to keep the fridges and freezer cold - batteries are holding up well even with all instruments and autopilot going all night (and all day!) not that there is much to steer but it is keeping us pointing in the right direction.
Too slow to even put a fishing line out!
But as the old saying goes the worst day on the water is still better than the best day in an office - no egos and alter egos to deal with out here! just a happy dolphin or two, the sharks stay mainly out of sight!
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Comments [1]
Bruce
26/07/2008, Cairns
Saturday morning dawned a beautiful day in Darwin. We were up early to help a Singlehander Norbert on Sunny Side a Lagoon Catamaran out of Bayview Marina Lock. Knowing the difficulty of getting out in a wide cat and that he was a single hander we offered to go and assist. So it was up at 0600 across to the Beach into a cab and over to Bayview. We then came back to Fannie Bay on his boat and he dropped us at the beach at about 0930. This just gave us time to go and tidy things up at "home", raise the mainsail and weigh the anchor to leave with the fleet at 1100.
Vessels started ambling off at about 1030 and soon the bay was a wave of movement as 130 odd yachts set off for Kupang and some for Ambon. We had a light S=C9aster to start with and soon set the MPS (spinnaker) as did most of the other boats so it was a colourful and comfortable exit from Darwin.
As the day wore on the fleet broke up into two main groups with the cats and fast monos leading the way and the balance loping along in the light conditions.
We flew the MPS until about 1930 when the wind moved around a little to the front before dyeing off. It was a very quiet night at sea with little breeze and flat conditions but just enough to cause the mainsail to "slat" back and forth so we ended up dropping it. We motored for two hours with one motor just to bring the fridges down but didn't go very all night.
It was quite unusual to see so many lights on the water at night, at one stage with a string of lights off into the horizon looking like a highway to Indonesia!
Sunday morning we set the main in 4 - 6 knots of breeze, which in Charmar is hardly enough to fill it and reset the MPS at about 0900 after morning radio scheds etc. We have all of about 4 knots of breeze at present and after nearly 24 hours have only covered about 80 nautical miles so it looks like being a very slow crossing as similiar weather is forecast for the next few days.
Whilst we like the flat seas we could do with a few more knots of breeze to at least set the sails at present. But other than that all going well.
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chris
Fannie Bay with the Fleet on Friday
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24/07/2008, Fannie Bay
We finally escaped from the Marina on Wednesday night. Friends from Tiaka Peter, Jenny and Patrick came over for Pizza and to help us out at 9:00pm.
With less than three inches either side and some flat fenders we had acquired we managed to reverse through without damage and make our getaway. It took then a couple of hours to motor around to Fannie Bay.
Yesterday we fuelled up and completed more preparations and today we clear customs.
The wind generator has really worked, there has been a lot of wind here the last few days although it drops off at night (why we left the lock at 9.00pm). Not as bad as the east coast though which seems to be getting a flogging.
Tomorrow we have offered to go and help a single hander from Austria on a large Lagoon cat escape from Bayview Lock, as we did. It would be impossible to do it yourself without damage.
We are pretty much ready to go, although there is still 100 things we could/should do, but that is always the way.
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Due to leave the lock this morning but cancelled out due to the wind, which would only exacerbate the 10cm freeboard we would have to get out! Pretty much loaded up with the groceries etc, still have to get the diesel tomorrow (if we get out of the lock). Most other plans on track.
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21/07/2008, Bayview
Yes - comment came from a guest on board many years ago - What is that?"; "it's a wind generator" -- with a look of mild amazement, "Does it really work?'
Busy days here, amazing how much you have to do when you go away to do nothing for a while!
Water pumps to fx; fenders to get (thin ones for the lock exit on Wednesday, dash here, dash there, fix that, put the sail on, liferaft, oops nearly dropped it into the water, paddle canoe, roll up the old sail, between all that attend to some log books and sailing instruction for past participants. Doing nothing is not really nothing!
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18/07/2008, Darwin
Back on Board in Darwin. Preparations continue. The Wind Generator is installed. It didn't generate much wind it is pretty calm here. A power winch still to fix, a genoa to put on, water to fill etc etc. A beautiful moon here tonight after a dramatic sunset. Great weather and conditions for the "crossing" if it stays in.
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So thats where the wind is generated from!?
Final preps are still underway with a full day work in Darwin last Sunday and now lots of paperwork getting submitted for visas, permits, clearances etc etc etc. However we are getting set to go and this time next week we will be attending to final documents and "getting the covers off" as we fuel up and start to attend the briefings and so on. In the meantime Kirsty our daugther will be getting four teeth out and "Mum" will go and spend 4 days with her to help out over this period.
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Not much to update, Charmar's wind generator tower should be ready this week for a bit more amps top up; a new battery coming, some minor changes to wiring and final preps taking place. Not much to say but there still a few little jobs to do as we finalise arrangements.
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26/06/2008, Darwin
Charmar is currently having a layover in Darwin. On 19th July there are briefings and functions over the following week in relation to the Rally and then a departure on the 26th July for Kupang.
Time for some maintenance and servicing over the next couple of weeks as we prepare for a possible departure.
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17/06/2008, Bayview Marina
Today we have been going all day cleaning and sorting and washing and cleaning and servicing - its midnight and time to knock off
THERE ARE MORE PHOTOS UNDER PHOTO GALLERY to the right - for those interested click on it and then the Cairns to Darwin Folder and there some photos of events and places on the trip
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Today we managed a booking into Bayview Marina for the layover. So off we went, farewelling Brad from Townsville on our way past as he is leaving for Indonesia tomorrow. Bayview is a marina in a lock around inside the inner harbour of Darwin. The people who we booked with didn't know how to get there from Fannie Bay so we set off and it is the furthest Marina up a long run of Mangrove Creek. Anyway an interesting passage as we slalomed through the yachts anchored and moored in the very narrow channel. Sometimes a port and starboard buoy close together with boats moored between them and then passing through rows of front and end moored boats until the end of the creek is near! Then we see the lock an interesting manouvre away.
Now they know our beam, 7.24 metres, and they said they take boats to 7.25 metres and welcome Rally Boats. Anyway to cut a long story short the marinas here are all basically run off the back of real estate agents who look after the adjoining properties and units. It would be fair to say I think that the Marina part of the business is just a nuisance to them, they don't understand it, nor understand boats - and probably don't care.
With the narrow entrance they had not allowed for the barnacles and oysters that were growing profusely on the entrance to the lock and narrowed the gap by more than the tolerance allowed as well as presenting an abrasive surface. It was just impossible to get in without a few scratches on the oysters.
The old timers told us, AFTER we were in that, that you only go in on the top of the tide so your boat is above the oysters. Well we could have done that as it was only a couple of hours till high tide - but the "Marina" office instead of telling us that urged us to go through asap. They could have even had a couple of plastic curtains to hang down over the oyster clad entrance, OR if they really cared they would keep the oysters OFF, but any way we are in and tied up. Not looking forward to the exit.
So today has been cleaning, flushing bilges, cleaning engines and carpets, hose down etc.
Of course before we could get into any Marina we had to get treated for Green Mussel by a shot of steriliser up all sea inlets and then left to stand for 14 hours.
So if going into a Marina in Darwin make sure you understand the implications and DON'T rely on the staff to help or provide any advice OR indeed to be able to even tell you where the Marina is. A brief description of the complexity of getting through the moored boats in the narrow channel would also have been good!
Anyway, here we are all tied up and half cleaned up and plenty to do tomorrow!
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15/06/2008, Fannie Bay
After rounding Cape Don we still had some ninety miles to go to get to Darwin. What a massive waterway this is behind Melville and Bathurst Islands and has some great channels leading down into Darwin waterways.
With careful planning one can "run" the tides down into Darwin and pick up possibly several knots of boat-speed. As we were out there and had not anchored up we decided to continue on regardless, although we did calculate and plot the tides, we did find that "without careful planing" there is still a chance of picking up the tides!!
We sailed on under good breezes and just about where I had predicted we would be crossing shoals the water might get a bit rougher - of course the sea calmed out, the wind dropped, try the main - not enough breeze, try the MPS, the wind dropped further!! We started in calms and it seemed we were destined to finish in calms so late afternoon the iron topsail was set, with just a knot to fill the MPS until that died out and we motored the last 40 miles to Darwin arriving and anchoring at Fannie Bay at midnight. Still if you have to motor, it is not bad at ten knots with a couple of knots of tide giving a 'free-ride' on a mirror surface.
This leg was a 600 nautical mile straight sail through from Seisa at the tip of Cape York, and completed the 1,000 mile trip from Cairns. From Seisa across was 4.5 days. It was a nice moonlight night, fortunately, and the approaches are easy, and made easier by locking in behind a small ship on the AIS to take a few shortcuts.
The Darwin Sailing Club could be heard kicking on last night. It is just about time this morning to go and investigate.
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14/06/2008, Cairns to Darwin
Andrew joined Charmar undertaking the Yachtmaster Inshore program and gaining sea miles and night experience. Experienced all conditions from flat calm to strong winds and clocked up some useful miles. A good part of the Charmar crew!
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14/06/2008, Cape Don
After a great night sail with smooth and gentle seas and 20 +/- knots of breeze we had a good sail, good night and for those sleeping a good night sleep! We covered some good distances. Again we are only sailing under Genoa, last night we gybed twice the first sail change for several days!! There is certainly something to be said for sailing downwind. This morning is a beautiful sunrise as we head for and then round Cape Don, the crossing of the Gulf and Arnhem Land now complete. As we round Cape Don we start heading down towards Darwin - about 80 - 90 miles to go in protected waters and bays. We go down behind Melville Island and below Bathurst Island to pass through Clarence Straight and then down to Darwin. Conditions are excellent and we should be close to Darwin tonight all going well! Haven't seen another boat for days - indeed haven't seen anything much for days but we are in sight of Cape Don now. Coastwatch called up again last night but we couldn't see or hear the aircraft anywhere. Apart from that just passaging on! This is about our fifth day without a stopover so we have made fairly good time, but it would be good to visit the many bays and anchorages across the top of Arnhem Land so we have that for another day! Many of the boats are still waiting to cross the Gulf and a number are going to Gove and working their way around via Elcho Island and the various day stops.
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13/06/2008, Arafura Sea
A good and friendly sail all day yesterday with reasonable time, but we are sailing for comfort not speed. Last night was ok, about 2030 the autopilot packed it in and we thought that was the end of it. It was extremely difficult steering conditions running square in a rolling sea that became quite choppy, some think the worst night out so far. However in an effort to detect the problem it seems it was only a weak connection of the power cables and oh how fortunately it came back to life by about 2300 so the night became much better although a slapping sea did not provide for much relief. Today we are cruising on across the top of Arnhem Land but well out to sea. We haven't seen a boat for days and only the buzz and radio call from Coastal Surveillance last night to know that there are people out there. We are well out of the sight of land at least 60 miles offshore crossing a straight line from Cape Wessel to Cape Don around New Year Island. Today is pleasant although our boat speed not all that good as we sail under genoa alone in around 20 knots of wind. For the crew onboard this leg is the equivalent of sailing half way to New Zealand! This morning called customs in Darwin to report a vessel having some problems out near Ashmore Reef, about three hundred miles from us so we cannot offer assistance, but via a series of radio relays through Sheila Net on 8161 we satphoned their plight to Customs Darwin who relayed it to Canberra where it is being followed up.
All well and we should be nearing Darwin waters late tomorrow night after doing a full all nighter again tonight - Friday 13th.
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12/06/2008, Cape Wessel
After the first day sitting in the "washing machine" of confused seas just past Cape York it is great that as yesterday wore on the seas became calmer and with a regular pattern. Last night was a great night sail with fairly smooth seas and a regular breeze of 20 - 25 knots a bit less at times and a bit more at times. The wind and seas are from behind so we are still cruising on just under the headsail or Genoa. Still we are making good time with averages of 6 and 7 knots and very comfortable and stress free, although not breaking any speed records. The sun is out and sky is blue! We haven't seen a boat, plane or anything not even Coastwatch for well over the last one and a half days! This morning we are nearing Cape Wessel which is the first point of contact after crossing the Gulf of Carpentaria. We have taken a wide northern passage that will take us around the top of Cape Wessel and the Wessel Group of Islands so we will not be stopping to enjoy the group of Islands and Anchorages here but proceeding through more open water tracking directly to Port Essington, near Cape Don which is rounded before going into Darwin in a couple of more days. If everyone is up to it we may continue on this down this track and do another overnighter as we still have over 250 miles from the next waypoint at the Cape to Cape Don. A great night, everything going well and no dramas! This is pleasant sailing ------Andrew at the Helm at present.
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11/06/2008, Gulf of Carpentaria
We left Seisa at 0700 to approach the Gulf of Carpentaria. Conditions were good with about 10 knots SE and flat water. A few monos had left earlier some as early as 0530 and the small flotilla in Seisa was disippating. But it did give us some boats to chase, which we did. We went out through Red Banks to clear the shoals before the Gulf. Good conditions for the morning and we were sailing with Main and Genoa before changing just to MPS in the afternoon. Caught a big mackeral mid morning to refill the freezer. At dusk it was still light winds 8 - 10 knots so we needed the MPS but as inevitably happens not all that long after dark the wind and a cross swell built up and we had to drop the MPS and go back to just a genoa for the evening. Wind speeds picked up overnight to 25 - 30 knots and a lumpy side swell and the confused seas the Gulf is famous for! Early this morning, after overnighting, sent the generator going to recharge batteries and chill the freezers and fridges and went down for a kip. Only to find two hours later a cooling water hose had blown off the generator where it enters the exhaust and had been happily pumping 18 litres per minute into the boat! A big bailing job was one way, but not the best, to start the morning! Today, the second day in the Gulf we are continuing to run under Genoa alone and the seas have settled a little. The wind has eased back to 10 - 15 knots which is hurting our speed under genoa alone. We are just about at the half way mark at noon between Seisa and the Wessel Islands our next destination. Good radio reception this morning on Sheila net, but have lost contact with the other boats we were "sailing with" yesterday. Mostly they are going to Gove so are going further south than us. Hoping the wind will stay in so we don't need to change sails, and getting ready for another long night! All well except for the few "boating" happenings that occur from time to time.
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