Brisbane to Nelson 2010
Alvei was high and dry on the hard at Brisbane; there were 14 days of dawn to dusk work while we were hauled out. The guys at Brisbane Shiplifts: Ben, Ramsey, Willy and Jeff, took good care of us. They are all experienced, capable and helpful; not to mention the best yard prices I’ve found in the South West Pacific. Also, the people at J.S. Gilbert Chandlery, Debbie and Sue, gave us good prices and good service.
After all the work we were back in the water. It was time for our crew to have a look round Australia. Most everyone hit the road exploring the coast from Bundaberg to Sydney. A week later back in Brisbane we bought food stores and prepared to set sail.
Leaving Morton Bay there are 42 miles of narrow channels. Customs would not allow us to anchor for the night and finish the next morning. It is a memorable event having a 10,000-ton bulk carrier pass close beside you doing 12 knots on a dark night.
We cleared the bay about midnight then motored 49-hours to get well clear of the coast. During that time the main engine consumed 40 litres of lube oil. Ten litres during that time is normal. (The engine has a waste oil system where oil is injected into the cylinders.) I don’t know the cause of the excess oil consumption. My best guess is the oil seals in the blower.
The bottom line was that we had 40-litres of oil in stock and 3.5 tons of fuel in the tanks. So, we had plenty of fuel, but only about 50 hours of oil to feed the motor to finish the voyage. That is what our sails are for.
People often ask why we don’t use the engine when the wind dies. The answer in this case is that we were low on oil, however in general it costs $400 USD per day in fuel and oil to run the main engine. The wind is free and diesel isn’t, so we wait for the wind.
Since Customs and Maritime New Zealand tend to get their knickers in a twist whenever we drop off the radar we have started checking in with “Rag-of-the-Air” a maritime mobile net on 8.173.0 KHz at 1900 Zulu. Jim, the net coordinator, records the position of yachts on passage and broadcasts both general and specific weather forecasts.
The first 10-days of the passage we had light to moderate sou’easterly head winds. We didn’t get much over 100 miles off the coast and were blown over half way down to Sydney. This included a 30-mile day backward.
During that time Australian Customs flew past us 3 days in a row with their twin engine Dehavelin dash eight. That aircraft is a flying fuel tank with a 3000-mile range.
We hadn’t seen the sun for 5 days. Then on the 10th day we had a fresh northerly. This is the wind we had always hoped for and it happened. We had sunny skies and a fair wind, doing hundred mile days, in the right direction, good stuff.
By the time we reached 35 degrees south we were back in Albatross territory. There were mostly Wandering with a few Royal and Grey Headed. These big birds have a 3-metre wingspan. One morning there were no fewer that 30 of them around us. As the high moved to the east and the wind died away these birds would land in the water ahead of us, then paddle around and watch us slowly sail past.
Nearly becalmed the wind changed from nor’west to sou’west. We furled the square sails and set the fore and aft sails with a single reef. There was a sou’westerly gale on the way.
I love a clear air gale. The sea is deep blue; the breaking waves are sparkling white. This time we had a confused southerly sea running 4 to 5 metres. The Tasman Sea has a way of doing that. You may get thumped now and again, but with the sunshine, it is more of a sport than an inconvenience. It was two days on a beam reach to Cape Farewell. As we entered Tasman Bay the wind died away.
We had an ETA of three in the morning. I rang up customs on the cell phone to ask if it was allright to wait till oh-eight hundred. Not a problem. We hove to with a 10-knot northerly. It was a bit of a giggle, heaving to with almost no wind. Several albatross landed, then paddled around the boat watching us. Those birds are a curious lot.
We tied up on time, 08:00 at the super yacht dock. Cleared customs and quarantine. Then we motored into our usual berth in the mud hole.
During our 2010 sailing season we sailed 6327 miles with an average of 58.5 miles a day, 108 days underway, 48 days on the anchor, 16 days tied up on the Brisbane River and 14 days on the hard. Our best daily run was 135 miles in the right direction worst daily run was 30 miles backward. Our last passage across the Tasman Sea was 1249 miles as the albatross flies, but 1579 miles as the schooner sails, it took 26 days. It was our first time crossing the Tasman in less then a month. Way cool.
There were many smiling faces in Nelson to welcome us ashore. The rest of the day we connected to shore power, covered the sails, launched the shore boats, cleared and scrubbed the deck.
This summer there will be lots of steel work repairing the bulwarks and taffrail, plus 4 new hawser cleats and the usual rust busting and caulking the deck. And maybe a couple of new gaff-topsails; if we can find the money.
In the 2011 sailing season we are planning to offer scuba diving instruction and coral reef ecology. Have a look at the Castaways web site: www.castaways-pacific.com We are still in touch with the Project MARC people, they have a small project in southeast Malecula. Eight of our 17 bunks have already been booked for next season. We will be setting sail again next April. Our itinerary is still being discussed. Check with us in January for more details.
Thank you & fair winds,
Evan
After all the work we were back in the water. It was time for our crew to have a look round Australia. Most everyone hit the road exploring the coast from Bundaberg to Sydney. A week later back in Brisbane we bought food stores and prepared to set sail.
Leaving Morton Bay there are 42 miles of narrow channels. Customs would not allow us to anchor for the night and finish the next morning. It is a memorable event having a 10,000-ton bulk carrier pass close beside you doing 12 knots on a dark night.
We cleared the bay about midnight then motored 49-hours to get well clear of the coast. During that time the main engine consumed 40 litres of lube oil. Ten litres during that time is normal. (The engine has a waste oil system where oil is injected into the cylinders.) I don’t know the cause of the excess oil consumption. My best guess is the oil seals in the blower.
The bottom line was that we had 40-litres of oil in stock and 3.5 tons of fuel in the tanks. So, we had plenty of fuel, but only about 50 hours of oil to feed the motor to finish the voyage. That is what our sails are for.
People often ask why we don’t use the engine when the wind dies. The answer in this case is that we were low on oil, however in general it costs $400 USD per day in fuel and oil to run the main engine. The wind is free and diesel isn’t, so we wait for the wind.
Since Customs and Maritime New Zealand tend to get their knickers in a twist whenever we drop off the radar we have started checking in with “Rag-of-the-Air” a maritime mobile net on 8.173.0 KHz at 1900 Zulu. Jim, the net coordinator, records the position of yachts on passage and broadcasts both general and specific weather forecasts.
The first 10-days of the passage we had light to moderate sou’easterly head winds. We didn’t get much over 100 miles off the coast and were blown over half way down to Sydney. This included a 30-mile day backward.
During that time Australian Customs flew past us 3 days in a row with their twin engine Dehavelin dash eight. That aircraft is a flying fuel tank with a 3000-mile range.
We hadn’t seen the sun for 5 days. Then on the 10th day we had a fresh northerly. This is the wind we had always hoped for and it happened. We had sunny skies and a fair wind, doing hundred mile days, in the right direction, good stuff.
By the time we reached 35 degrees south we were back in Albatross territory. There were mostly Wandering with a few Royal and Grey Headed. These big birds have a 3-metre wingspan. One morning there were no fewer that 30 of them around us. As the high moved to the east and the wind died away these birds would land in the water ahead of us, then paddle around and watch us slowly sail past.
Nearly becalmed the wind changed from nor’west to sou’west. We furled the square sails and set the fore and aft sails with a single reef. There was a sou’westerly gale on the way.
I love a clear air gale. The sea is deep blue; the breaking waves are sparkling white. This time we had a confused southerly sea running 4 to 5 metres. The Tasman Sea has a way of doing that. You may get thumped now and again, but with the sunshine, it is more of a sport than an inconvenience. It was two days on a beam reach to Cape Farewell. As we entered Tasman Bay the wind died away.
We had an ETA of three in the morning. I rang up customs on the cell phone to ask if it was allright to wait till oh-eight hundred. Not a problem. We hove to with a 10-knot northerly. It was a bit of a giggle, heaving to with almost no wind. Several albatross landed, then paddled around the boat watching us. Those birds are a curious lot.
We tied up on time, 08:00 at the super yacht dock. Cleared customs and quarantine. Then we motored into our usual berth in the mud hole.
During our 2010 sailing season we sailed 6327 miles with an average of 58.5 miles a day, 108 days underway, 48 days on the anchor, 16 days tied up on the Brisbane River and 14 days on the hard. Our best daily run was 135 miles in the right direction worst daily run was 30 miles backward. Our last passage across the Tasman Sea was 1249 miles as the albatross flies, but 1579 miles as the schooner sails, it took 26 days. It was our first time crossing the Tasman in less then a month. Way cool.
There were many smiling faces in Nelson to welcome us ashore. The rest of the day we connected to shore power, covered the sails, launched the shore boats, cleared and scrubbed the deck.
This summer there will be lots of steel work repairing the bulwarks and taffrail, plus 4 new hawser cleats and the usual rust busting and caulking the deck. And maybe a couple of new gaff-topsails; if we can find the money.
In the 2011 sailing season we are planning to offer scuba diving instruction and coral reef ecology. Have a look at the Castaways web site: www.castaways-pacific.com We are still in touch with the Project MARC people, they have a small project in southeast Malecula. Eight of our 17 bunks have already been booked for next season. We will be setting sail again next April. Our itinerary is still being discussed. Check with us in January for more details.
Thank you & fair winds,
Evan