Sahula: Passage Report No.5

There are many challenges in cruising. While cruisers aspire to live somewhat outside the real world, in reality, it's an illusion. While the wind is free, the "iron maiden" requires fuel and so does the crew. So while cruisers claim to live off an "oily rag" they have expenses. They reluctantly live to a budget anchored to shore costs. Discussions often broach this topic.

These discussions are with a variety of cruisers. One of delights of the cruising life is the people met.

Today Sahula had three sets of visitors. Fred and Lesley of "Cheesecutter" have circumnavigated the globe and owned and built seven yachts. Bruce, a medic, works on ships doing Atlantic seismic surveys. His lovely wooden yacht "Deseado" could do credit to the lounge room.

A delight today was to again meet Eve and Ray, old friends from Mackay days, aboard their beautiful Swan 44 foot yacht. These "senior citizens" are tomorrow, intending to head off to New Zealand or, if foul winds, to Tasmania. They've already sailed over 135,000 nautical miles of the world's oceans; most while in their 60's.

Sahula's "To Do List" is postponed to tomorrow. Meeting interesting people, learning, being inspired is much more important.

Today, Sahula's electronic "bank" had added "UGrib". A free computer program that gives web weather forecasts seven days ahead anywhere in the world. This is four days past the Weather Bureau's projection. A marvellous tool to plan a cruise.

Now, Sahula's crew will consult a different god as a "prayer" for those fair winds. Saturday is "gribed" as the departure day.

Thank heaven, Friday of course, would have been tempting fate; been there done that!

Sahula has two days to arrive in Pittwater. On Monday, the Bureau forecast another "vigorous" 30 knot southerly. Interestingly, the "grib" forecasts light winds for the same area. The weather charts seem to favour the "grib."

However, the prudent sailor plans for the worst.

So Saturday came with good intentions. The Weather Forecaster, however, was not cooperative. Saturday dawned with a vigorous south westerly and dark rain squalls. Westerlies, however, are a land breeze. They ameliorate once the day warms. Maybe the much loved northerly was to come later in the day.

So Sahula went to sea on what may be the last leg to Sydney.

True to form, the Northerly came in after a frustrating morning of headwinds requiring the "iron maiden" to keep the course. Motoring in any form is a poor substitute for sailing.

Rarely, however, is being at sea, all bad. In the silence of sailing, two magnificent schools of dolphins were playing in the bow wave and seabirds swept the valleys of the long, blue green, south east swell.

It was slow going until the strengthening northerly in the late afternoon. A ruby red sunset over the coastal ranges completed the day.

Now to see through the long night.

Solo night sailing is not for the faint hearted. Especially if numerous "iron mammoths" decide upon a similar course.

A good start is a hearty high protein meal and keeping active. Frequent satellite positions on the chart and a good lookout at least every 10 minutes. It's worse if the wind dies and the "iron maiden" is called upon. So far tonight the northerly is just enough to make five knots. It's a lovely evening sail.

But it soon changed, in the late hours the wind "died" so the "iron maiden" dutifully drove Sahula south. She checked in with each passing Volunteer Coastguard.

It was a long night made longer by the failure of the electronic self steering. There was tonight to be no restful power naps, just a long tiring vigil at the wheel.

The ports and headlands checked by: Port Macquarie, Camden Haven, Tuncurry, Sugarloaf Point, and the Broughton Islands.

Finally, Sahula was passing through the towering entrance peaks of Port Stephens. A welcome respite for a tired crew. The strong afternoon northerly, welcome otherwise, was no excuse for a calm anchorage and a long, oblivious, sleep.

The "final leg" would have to wait another day.

Wonderfully, northerlies were forecast for the rest of the week. A day of rest was declared, so with the sun setting, Sahula headed to Fame Cove in the inner Port.

Fame Cove holds many memories. It was the first anchorage after the first ocean voyage from Sydney in "Katie," skipper's first yacht.

It soon was obvious that its fame had spread; arrival found a bay crowded with "plastic fantastics" and smoky, loud, deck Bar-b-Q's. It was Australia Day public holiday, after all. How easy the cruiser forgoes the shore calendar.

After a night anchorage at the bay's mouth, Sahula moved to within "cicada" range. The fleet had returned to suburbia.

It's a delight of such anchorages to be so close to the shore that the sounds of the bush, the cicadas and the birds, become as much part of the marine environment as the morning school of dancing dolphins.

It was midday in paradise, when I thought I heard voices calling "Sahula." It was Fred and Lesley, Coffs Harbour friends, aboard "Cheesecutter."

The delight of finding fellow cruisers in unexpected anchorages is one of the true gems of cruising. Stories are told, voyages dissected and future ones discussed amid the unique camaraderie born between fellow cruisers.

First amber light dawned, Sahula's was away, her mast seemingly touching the fog cloud threatening to engulf her through Port Stephens. It cleared and soon the day dawned cloudless on a sparkling sea.

Nothing is settled at sea. An "iron mammoth" steaming to Newcastle threatened Sahula's course. Then it disappeared, completely; was it there, an illusion, a morning mental aberration. The trusty radar settled such foggy doubts. It soon loomed too large, too close, only a kilometre distant.

No wind came, the "iron maiden" again being pressed into service, driving Sahula to its date with Sydney.

Then, as if answering the need, the forecast northerly swept in. Sahula for the first time winged out the Yankee headsail with the full mainsail. In 15 to18 knots, she sensed the bit. It was a sleigh ride to Sydney.

Tonight, Sahula's in Towler's Bay, Pittwater. She's again in a "cicada" anchorage, seranaded by kookaburras.

She's made it.

Memories, flood in of the trip it meant and was to be. Over two months she's wended her way from Townsville. The trip has included the full gamut of cruising's challenges, adventures and experiences. Most importantly it has been fun despite the breakdowns and later crew concerns.

Now for a month at ease, on Pittwater and Sydney Harbour. Good friends and some repairs. Then, in March, Sahula will again wend its way north. She'll eventually depart from Darwin for the Indonesia to Thailand yacht rally, the first ocean crossing to Sri Lanka and onto Europe.

Ah dreams and reality, can we ever find the perfect blend.