L'Eau Commotion Westabout
An (other) attempt to sail non stop Westabout around the world
| Vessel Name: | L'Eau Commotion |
| Vessel Make/Model: | Northshore 38 |
| Hailing Port: | Brisbane Australia |
| Crew: | Bill Hatfield |
25 February 2020 | Scarborough Marina, Brisbane
21 February 2020
21 February 2020 | 59 Miles To Go
20 February 2020 | 114 Miles East Of Australia
19 February 2020 | 220 Miles East Of Gold Coast Seaway
19 February 2020 | 262 Miles To Gold Coast Seaway
18 February 2020 | 304 Miles East Of Gold Coast Seaway
18 February 2020 | 328 Miles To Go
17 February 2020 | 423 Miles To Go
17 February 2020 | 423 Miles To Go
16 February 2020 | 505 Miles East Of The Gold Coast
15 February 2020 | 617 Miles To Go
14 February 2020 | 755 Miles To Go
13 February 2020 | 888 Miles To The Gold Coast
12 February 2020 | 1032 Miles To The Gold Coast
11 February 2020 | 580 Miles North Of The Waikato
11 February 2020 | 1167 Miles To Home
10 February 2020 | 1300 Miles To Home
10 February 2020 | 1309 Miles To The Gold Coast
09 February 2020 | 1460 Miles To The Gold Coast Seaway
Recent Blog Posts
20 February 2020 | 114 Miles East Of Australia
ETA Looking Likely
Day 258 6am Friday 21st February 2020
19 February 2020 | 220 Miles East Of Gold Coast Seaway
Amended ETA
Day 257 6am Thursday 20th February 2020
19 February 2020 | 262 Miles To Gold Coast Seaway
Amended ETA
Day 256 10:30pm Wednesday 19th February 2020 ( UTC+10 )
If It Ain't Broke
30 May 2019 | Macleay Island, inside North Stradbroke
10:00pm Thursday 30th May 2019
Right on schedule at 6am with Dave and Chrissie and Judy and Steve to cast off the lines and wish me well I left Scarborough Marina bound for Southport Yacht Club. I motored a little downwind from the leads heading East in a light Westerly but once round the reef had a pleasant reach SE across Moreton Bay to beyond the main shipping entrance to the port of Fisherman's Island. At 9am the boat speed dropped to below 4 knots in the light Westerly I started the motor but a constant alarm sounded so I shut it down. I was taken aback by the sight of black oil in the engine bilge and none on the dipstick so fearing the worst such as a blown seal on the crank or a hole in the sump I told Border Force and anyone else who would listen that I was calling the whole thing off. Checking with Jim Booker of Booker Marine at Scarborough he made a few suggestions and to my relief I discovered the problem - a rust hole in the oil filter. Jess and Adrian of Swift Sails, who now have made all my sails,came out to the harbour leads in a RIB to offer a hand but pride and shame for not replacing the oil filter each twelve months or 40,000 miles ( whichever comes first ) had me perform a few wild gyrations in the Marina confines under sail and apart from scaring a few seagulls and myself made it back alongside. Jim, and Penny, had the filters and I was under way again within the hour for a great sail back to where I was six hours earlier. It was pleasing that the single 80w solar panel, on a swivel to face the sun, provided all the power needed to run the instruments,fridge and autopilot in a brisk 7 to 8 knot reach in 14 to 16 knot WSW breeze. But there's more. What about your fuel filter, Bill? Yes with all the sloshing on Port and Starboard tacks it became clogged as I looked for an anchorage but why do tonight what can be put off till the morning?
Right on schedule at 6am with Dave and Chrissie and Judy and Steve to cast off the lines and wish me well I left Scarborough Marina bound for Southport Yacht Club. I motored a little downwind from the leads heading East in a light Westerly but once round the reef had a pleasant reach SE across Moreton Bay to beyond the main shipping entrance to the port of Fisherman's Island. At 9am the boat speed dropped to below 4 knots in the light Westerly I started the motor but a constant alarm sounded so I shut it down. I was taken aback by the sight of black oil in the engine bilge and none on the dipstick so fearing the worst such as a blown seal on the crank or a hole in the sump I told Border Force and anyone else who would listen that I was calling the whole thing off. Checking with Jim Booker of Booker Marine at Scarborough he made a few suggestions and to my relief I discovered the problem - a rust hole in the oil filter. Jess and Adrian of Swift Sails, who now have made all my sails,came out to the harbour leads in a RIB to offer a hand but pride and shame for not replacing the oil filter each twelve months or 40,000 miles ( whichever comes first ) had me perform a few wild gyrations in the Marina confines under sail and apart from scaring a few seagulls and myself made it back alongside. Jim, and Penny, had the filters and I was under way again within the hour for a great sail back to where I was six hours earlier. It was pleasing that the single 80w solar panel, on a swivel to face the sun, provided all the power needed to run the instruments,fridge and autopilot in a brisk 7 to 8 knot reach in 14 to 16 knot WSW breeze. But there's more. What about your fuel filter, Bill? Yes with all the sloshing on Port and Starboard tacks it became clogged as I looked for an anchorage but why do tonight what can be put off till the morning?
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L'Eau Commotion's Photos - Main
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