The wind has turned, the rain has cleared and with luck we can remember which strings to pull and which buttons to press to make the boat go.

It's about 550 miles to Tasmania and that gets us down, or indeed, up into the Roaring Forties. Jings, crivvens, help ma boab!!!! (for Gunter, that's Oor Wullie for "ogottogott". For Oor Wullie, see Eric)

We can almost do it just day hopping. Which is appropriate given we're in the land of bunnies and kangaroos. Port Hacking is first up tonight. However, the winds here are a bit like Scotland, low pressure follows high, follows low in a regular cycle. The key apparently is to ride the northerlies and hide out when the southerlies blow. Pretty straightforward but there's not that many places to hide and the weather changes real fast. Forecasts I suspect are part science, part crystal ball.

However, it's very pleasant to be underway again, cruising gently south along the coast past such iconic places as Bondi Beach and Botany Bay, all in 10-12 knots, sun blazing and a peaceful sea....... but mostly pleasant because I can leave behind Sydney's Fine Dining as if we'd stayed much longer we'd be skint. $22 for pudding!!!!! Are they nuts?!!

Tasmania is much talked about. Much recommend. And mucho scary. Try this from the Tasmania Cruising Guide,

"Caution in Murray Pass.....Strong winds against tide can produce standing waves of up to 6 metres". Aargh. Maybe we should have gone on the Constellation of the Seas after all.