Hell’s Gate to Port Davey, Tasmania

Heading to Hell's Gate, Macquarie Harbour

fish farms in Macquarie Harbour

Hell’s Gate to Port Davey

The passage out of hell’s Gate proved to be a calmer one then the entering. At first the exiting looked bad from the inside as all MrJ and I could see were the waves awash over the shallow Kawatiri Shoal on the eastern side. We were following the marked beacons in the Kelly Channel. On the chartlet Beacon #1 is shown to be halfway along the inside port side long training wall that leads to Wellington Head and Bonnet Island. In June 2004 a stray sperm whale destroyed it; the whale survived the beacon didn’t. Another one up for Mother Nature! Once AR was abeam the Bonnet Island Lighthouse we had a better view past the Gate and Entrance Island and the seas were much calmer along the West Breakwater. I had prepared the inside of the boat by stowing a few things away, lying some things down and covering other things with a towel or cloth. AR maybe a catamaran but she does bounce around in bad seas. Once outside MrJ headed AR west to round Cape Sorell and Whale Rock before heading south down the western coast once more. The mainsail was hoisted with two reefs in her as a precaution against any slapping of the sail in the 2mt swells that were coming in from our STB bow.

outside of Hell's gate the dolphin came over to say goodbye

There is an anchorage inside Hibbs Pyramid (S42’ 35.812/E1145’15.997) approximately 25n/m south of Cape Sorrel; good in light S to SE winds and SW swell in light to moderate condition which is what we had been having. Not more than 5n/m north of this anchorage MrJ and I had spotted two fishing closer inshore travelling in the same direction; at first we thought that the two boat were fish which they probably were. By the time all three boats had come within a couple of miles off Hibbs Pyramid, the two fishing boat were making a fast b-ling for the anchorage and when AR arrived the best spots had been taken, it was deep (14mts) on the outside of the fishing boats, too deep for us to anchor in safety. MrJ turned AR around to head out to sea once more and we motor-sail on through the night getting to Port Davey early the following morning.

and the winner was...................................not us
overtaken by a fishing boat in a hurry to get to the anchorage at Hibbs Pyramid