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Flinders Passage |
To Flinders Island
Saturday 1
st March 2014
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once again we sail out as the sun rises |
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hand winching is no fun |
How appropriate to be start a new leg of our journey on the first of
the month! We were heading for Flinders Island it was to be an overnight sail. As
much as I love to be doing day sailing the NE part of the Tasmanian coast lends
itself to either north anchorages or south anchorages and nothing in between or
allowing for any changes in the weather. MrJ and I could not risk the chance of
being caught out in one of these anchorages so we decided to sail right
through.
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morning light on the cliff faces |
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we had wonderful dolphin moments |
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the sun was setting across the land, something we had not seen in a long time |
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with nightfall came the end of my watch |
Night fell and Nancy went to bed!
Sunday: 2nd March 2014
Midnight: I had taken over the watch, my graveyard shift as I like to
call it, just after Eddystone Point. I had AR motor sailing with sails reefed
and one engine going on a course following the coast about 2n/m out. I was
heading for between Salamander and Eucalyptus Rocks which lie just off Cape
Naturaliste, then to head NNW making a rum line for the western side of Clark
Island near Lookout Point. This was a guide to get us across Banks Strait
without any hic-ups. Sometimes on watch when there is nothing much happening I
manager to do a bit of reading in between check around and checking sails. This
night all I did was watch for fishing boat lights. I’m sure that the whole
fishing fleet was out!
So slow going, making not much better than 4.5knts and only getting as
far as off Swan Island at the end of my watch and MrJ could take over again.
MrJ crossed Banks Strait reaching Clark Island just after daybreak. By this
time I’d had a short nap and was up and about to see a rather dull start to the
day. It was not long before we were rounding the western side of Cape Barron
Island to enter Franklin Sound between Pig Head Point on Flinders Island and
the Little Anderson Island.
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Approaching Flinders Island |
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small islands near the entrance to the Franklin Sound |
We were motoring; the wind had dropped out the sea
was dead flat, a glassed out sea which gave us a special treat of seeing
several groups of Fairy Penguins frolicking about on the sea surface. When AR
came closer the penguins would dive below to resurface some distance away.
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entering Franklin Sound |
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fairy penguins |
MrJ and I cracked a beer; we sat back to relaxed for the first time in
over 30hours.
FLINDERS ISLAND - in photos
2nd – 4th March 2014
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a great place to kayak |
Wednesday 5
th march 2014
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the morning starts on the wharf |
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and the sun woke |
Things I found around the wharf
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craypots |
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fishing boats |
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a working jetty |
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a simple way of life |
And then we leave:
At 1715 MrJ and I leave our wonderful Tasmanian experience to sail across Bass Straight and back to the mainland of Australia
Tasmania - to sum
it up: beautiful and a well keep secret!
There is something of attraction all
the way along its coastline.
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