SV SEAKA: CRUISING AUSTRALIA IN 2019.

Vessel Name: SEAKA
Vessel Make/Model: 1969 Top Hat Mark 1
Hailing Port: Camden Haven Inlet NSW Australia
Crew: Phillip Bowman
About: Sailing the Australian East Coast towards Lizard Island, 2019
Extra: The Top Hat Mark 1's were built by Baker in Sydney from 1965 to 1971. Seaka was built in 1969 and launched in 1970 from the boat ramp under the new Tom Ugly’s Bridge in Sydney.
09 December 2019 | Dunbogan in the Camden Haven Inlet NSW
04 October 2019 | Lawrie's Boatyard.
11 September 2019
30 August 2019 | MacKay Marina.
19 August 2019 | Airlie Beach
06 August 2019 | Airlie Beach
06 August 2019 | Approaching Pacific Creek and SunHill 9th July.
01 July 2019 | The Narrows.
23 May 2019 | Dunbogan in the Camden Haven Inlet NSW
01 February 2017 | Approaching Port Stephen Heads
23 October 2015 | Camden Haven in sight at last.
14 October 2015
09 October 2015 | Moreton Bay
26 September 2015 | Off Pancake Creek
19 September 2015 | Sunrise beyond Round Island at the entrance to Port Clinton.
13 September 2015 | Island Head Creek
05 September 2015 | Outer Newry Island anchorage
01 September 2015 | Crayfish bay
30 August 2015 | Cape Gloucester
Recent Blog Posts
09 December 2019 | Dunbogan in the Camden Haven Inlet NSW

Mooloolaba to the Camden Haven Inlet and home.

On the work dock at the boat yard in Mooloolaba.

04 October 2019 | Lawrie's Boatyard.

Gladstone to Mooloolaba.

Moored on the working dock at Lawrie's Boat Yard.

11 September 2019

Sitting in Gladstone Marina.

The Tidal Range at MacKay Marina

30 August 2019 | MacKay Marina.

Waiting at MacKay Marine for better weather

On the 8th August we set off from Airlie Beach to find the sea like glass as we made our way to Hook Passage and down the eastern side of Whitsunday Island to the Whitehaven Beach area. We finally anchored in Windy Bay on Haslewood Island, going ashore for a refreshing swim before dark.

19 August 2019 | Airlie Beach

Photos Added.

New photos have been added in the photo folder called:

06 August 2019 | Airlie Beach

Airlie Beach to 7th August. Pearl Bay Beach

On Monday [22nd July] we were away at 0645 for the sail across to Curlew Island. This was one of our better sails with gentle winds, the tide with the wind and a low general swell. I arrived at noon in company of Lewie and Third Man. A lunch of pasta on Third man was enjoyed by all. We also found Sylphide [...]

At Yamba.

14 October 2015
Fine with Thunder Storms.
Dolphins greet us we come back into NSW.

On Saturday 10th October we left the Horizon Shores Marina at 0545. We proceeded to the Goldcoast Seaway with only one incident when an approaching large motor boat crossed to my starboard side, the wrong side of the channel for him, to ensure I got his large wake. Unfortunately, or fortunately for him, I could discern no name or registration numbers on him. We logged on with Marine Rescue for the trip to Yamba by phone and called up on the VHF to confirm our departure from the Seaway at 1000 hours. With an outgoing tide fully developed it was very rough in the Seaway and it here that I think we hit 9.1 knots as the maximum for this trip. Once clear of the Seaway things settled down and we sailed for Danger Point arriving off there at 1400 hours and so we slipped back into NSW with the clocks going forward one hour.

We now settled into a very fast trip with speeds of 6 and up to 8 knots, arriving off Cape Byron just before dusk at 1800 hours. Here we found that some northern Marine Rescue stations were lacking enough radio operators to operate 24/7 with Kingscliff closed down and Ballina, Yamba and possible Coffs Harbour only operating between 6 am and 6 pm. For the rest of the night we reported our progress to Marine Rescue Bryon Bay.

Just before midnight a check of our progress discovered that over the last 18.5 hours we had covered 100 nautical miles at an average speed of 5.4 knots. This is a record for Seaka and I. Just after 0200 hours, when 4 nautical miles offshore, we observed a meteorite fall between us and the land. I was later to learn that the sonic boom from this meteorite had shaken towns well south of us. By 0430 we were off Yamba but with the large swell running I decided that it would be best to wait for daylight before crossing the bar. Eventually around 0600 we headed in and found that the bar was smooth but with that swell from the NE present. About a mile off we got a fright as two large whales surfaced almost alongside Seaka, they sounded and we didn’t see them again. The only other whale seen was a full breach just south of the Seaway. Safely crossing the bar, we moved upriver and soon anchored in Iluka Bay where we hit the sack for a well-deserved sleep until noon. We did the 120 nautical miles [Jacobs Well to Yamba] in 24 hours and 20 minutes with an average speed of 5 knots. This includes the time spent hanging around waiting for dawn.

On Monday 12th October our plans of getting home this week crumbled with the latest BOM weather predictions. I decided then to go up to Maclean where I could tie up to the town pontoon which gave me better access to the shops than at Iluka Bay, where I would have to get the dinghy out. We got a booking for the Haywood Bridge on the Pacific Highway at 1800 hours and motored up there during the afternoon. Once under the bridge we moved up to Maclean and moored to the pontoon just on dark. Over the last two days we have been doing small jobs and reading. We have had visitors of course, being on the pontoon.

On Thursday 15th October we have a 1000 booking to return under the Haywood Bridge to Iluka Bay. Because of the weather we plan to leave Iluka Bay on the same day around 2000 for an overnight sail to Coffs Harbour where we will await the next lot of northerly winds.
Comments
SEAKA's Photos - Main
Photos of SEAKA's 2019 voyage
53 Photos
Created 8 June 2019
Towards Lizard Island 2019
1 Photo
Created 23 May 2019
Solo Voyage to the Whitsunday Islands 2015
65 Photos
Created 23 March 2015
The refit of Seaka in preparation to sail around Australia.
16 Photos
Created 28 December 2014
Seaka's Voyage Towards Tasmania.
36 Photos
Created 6 December 2012
4 Photos
Created 18 September 2011
2 Photos
Created 31 August 2011
4 Photos
Created 15 August 2011
6 Photos
Created 14 August 2011
18 Photos
Created 14 August 2011
5 Photos
Created 18 July 2011
5 Photos
Created 13 July 2011
8 Photos
Created 10 July 2011
7 Photos
Created 10 July 2011
14 Photos
Created 10 July 2011
2 Photos
Created 10 July 2011
77 Photos
Created 20 June 2011
18 Photos
Created 24 May 2011
17 Photos
Created 24 May 2011
6 Photos
Created 21 May 2011
18 Photos
Created 15 May 2011
6 Photos
Created 13 May 2011
5 Photos
Created 12 May 2011
10 Photos
Created 9 May 2011
13 Photos
Created 8 May 2011
8 Photos
Created 6 May 2011
3 Photos
Created 5 May 2011
8 Photos | 1 Sub-Album
Created 22 April 2011
6 Photos
Created 21 April 2011
7 Photos
Created 20 April 2011
5 Photos
Created 18 April 2011
3 Photos
Created 12 April 2011
The voyage from Camden Haven to Trail Bay.
10 Photos
Created 7 April 2011
Showing the Camden Haven River, arrival of Seaka in Laurieton in 2002. Seaka's interior layout and Seaka at anchor.
10 Photos
Created 30 March 2011

About & Links

SailBlogs Groups
Australia
SailBlogs Friends
Argos