Thursday, June 23, 2011
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
News from Geoff and Janet
Gnaraloo, now there's a place worth going straight past.
The C-map show no detail inshore of 20m contour and the 'mud map' in
the cruising guide says steer to a red track and then change course
to the white track. Neither are visible at all. Waves seem to lump up
all over the place and some even break exactly on the approach path
which has depths of 9m well offshore and there's no particular
difference in depths from where they break and where they don't. The
dilema is whether to try and be inshore of the breaks or seaward.
Then as if that's not enough you arrive at the anchorage and its 4m,
3.5, 2.9 changing each boat length. Quite nerve wracking. Fortunately
we arrived in daylight. The bottom is all rock and we had 20m out in
3.5m and dragging all over the place. Snubber hook straightened out
again and I spent the night checking, checking, then put out 30m.
Fortunately its a large space so you can drag pretty well all over
the place without much trouble. But not relaxing. And did I mention
the swell? Bloody rolling all over the shop.
The C-map show no detail inshore of 20m contour and the 'mud map' in
the cruising guide says steer to a red track and then change course
to the white track. Neither are visible at all. Waves seem to lump up
all over the place and some even break exactly on the approach path
which has depths of 9m well offshore and there's no particular
difference in depths from where they break and where they don't. The
dilema is whether to try and be inshore of the breaks or seaward.
Then as if that's not enough you arrive at the anchorage and its 4m,
3.5, 2.9 changing each boat length. Quite nerve wracking. Fortunately
we arrived in daylight. The bottom is all rock and we had 20m out in
3.5m and dragging all over the place. Snubber hook straightened out
again and I spent the night checking, checking, then put out 30m.
Fortunately its a large space so you can drag pretty well all over
the place without much trouble. But not relaxing. And did I mention
the swell? Bloody rolling all over the shop.
After getting in I remembered going in there before on the S9.7 with
Angie and having a similarly anxious time. The 9.7 is deeper so even
harder to find a spot and we bumped most of the night. That was
several years ago and when we later got to Carnarvon we heard that
two blokes had rolled their dinghy there and been drowned. Counting
back the days, it was the day we left and we remembered seeing these
two guys heading out in their dinghy as we were leaving. Poor sods,
but its exactly the place where a surprise wave would spring out and
get you.
I left Janet sleeping and back tracked out at first light - to save
her the drama of it all, and now we are on our way again. Motoring
though. Winds 5knts SSE. Will back to East and fade so it’s a chug chug
to Carnarvon. Smooth seas at least.
I read on the Carnarvon yacht Club website that they do meals Friday
evenings so we will re-provision and maybe have a meal then head off
at night and possibly keep going till Geraldton provided the change
due Monday isn't going to get us.
Angie and having a similarly anxious time. The 9.7 is deeper so even
harder to find a spot and we bumped most of the night. That was
several years ago and when we later got to Carnarvon we heard that
two blokes had rolled their dinghy there and been drowned. Counting
back the days, it was the day we left and we remembered seeing these
two guys heading out in their dinghy as we were leaving. Poor sods,
but its exactly the place where a surprise wave would spring out and
get you.
I left Janet sleeping and back tracked out at first light - to save
her the drama of it all, and now we are on our way again. Motoring
though. Winds 5knts SSE. Will back to East and fade so it’s a chug chug
to Carnarvon. Smooth seas at least.
I read on the Carnarvon yacht Club website that they do meals Friday
evenings so we will re-provision and maybe have a meal then head off
at night and possibly keep going till Geraldton provided the change
due Monday isn't going to get us.
Yesterday we saw 8 whales. I figure they are couples as one in each
pair was doing acrobatics - breaching and flapping their flippers.
Who ever said they stick to the 20m contour? How can a 15m fish build
up enough speed to lurch itself into the air in only 20m of water -
unless they are actually pushing off the bottom with their tails. We
were weaving between then in depths from 20 - 100m. At least when they
jump out of the water they might notice us so although it feels like
we are swerving to avoid them, they probably have us sussed.
Hate to say it, but its shaping up to be another glorious day here.
yesterday was perfect with an easterly that backed throughout the day
to north then west and we sailed most of the day doing easily 6knts
average poled out. Today will be motor sailing but still very
pleasant at $4.80 per hr for diesel.
pair was doing acrobatics - breaching and flapping their flippers.
Who ever said they stick to the 20m contour? How can a 15m fish build
up enough speed to lurch itself into the air in only 20m of water -
unless they are actually pushing off the bottom with their tails. We
were weaving between then in depths from 20 - 100m. At least when they
jump out of the water they might notice us so although it feels like
we are swerving to avoid them, they probably have us sussed.
Hate to say it, but its shaping up to be another glorious day here.
yesterday was perfect with an easterly that backed throughout the day
to north then west and we sailed most of the day doing easily 6knts
average poled out. Today will be motor sailing but still very
pleasant at $4.80 per hr for diesel.
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