We didn't much like the Bass Strait last year. It may well have been a lovely short cut for the square riggers that used the Strait as a quick route round the bottom of Australia, at least those that made it. For the hundreds of wrecks that litter the coasts around here it was just a quick route to the bottom.

The Bass Strait has a scary reputation and crossing from the Mainland to Tasmania is all a matter of good timing to make the dash between weather windows. There's the northern window which will blow you down there nicely. Then there's the switch. Every few days a depression rushes in from the Southern Ocean, all poised to give those that didn't quite plan their window right, a good pasting.

Speed is of the essence and as we're only puttering along at a few knots in not many more knots of wind in a sea that's all over the shop, if we don't get our skates on, the next "Southerly Buster" is going to whack us.