36:36:57S
175:47:00E
Monday 14th.
A lazy sail up the coast to the Mercury Islands. There was a Tsunami warning but nothing was felt here. Today is a typical late summers’ day and a gentle sail, stop to catch a fish for supper and we’ll be in another anchorage tonight. In such light winds we aim to anchor in all the places that are marked in the guides as fair weather only. It is still legal to dredge for scallops here. Don’t they realise what damage they do the sea bed?
47:14:07S
167:37:26E
Thursday, 24 February 2011
Stewart Island and in particular Port Pegasus is one of New Zealand’s best-kept secrets. Where else in the world can you find such unspoilt wilderness and isolation? Here is Duet moored in Disappointment cove strangely named, as it has the best all-round shelter. No wonder the locals call it Peacehaven.
Port Pegasus is a huge inlet at the southeastern end of Stewart Island. It is divided into a north and south arm, a kind of watery T-junction with many branches off its main arteries. It is possible to find an anchorage somewhere whatever the wind direction and the distances are not large so it is easy to move quickly. Local fishermen have been using the area for years and have set up lines across many of the bays so that you can drop your anchor and tie your stern to the rope. In many of the bays it is also necessary to have lines ashore as well. In general the bays are small so two or three boats can shelter using this method of mooring rather than swinging to an anchor.
As well as being a stunning scenic location, there are plenty of walks ashore and the fishing for blue cod is fantastic and unlike Fijordland, No Sandflies!.
46:58:16S
168:10:13E
Saturday 19th February
The first three days of the passage from Hobart to Bluff New Zealand had fantastic winds and Duet loved every minute of it. As a high-pressure system moved over us the wind dropped and we motored for 2 days before the wind filled in again. We kept the pressure up knowing that bad weather was coming up behind us. Someone once said, no one sits around waiting to be shot. We arrived off Bluff at about 0930 on Friday 18th . Total distance from Hobart of 990 miles in 5 days and 21 hours.
To make life easier when handling the mainsail we made an extra bar to fit on the bars around the mast. The photo shows Simon adjusting the leech line.
Sometime after we passed Puysegar point. A landmark and lighthouse that marks the entrance to Preservation Inlet and Fjordland, we turned on the SSB to listen to local legend Merie who has been running Bluff Fisherman’s Radio for about 20 years or more. This is an entirely voluntary service she provides for the local lads at sea. She broadcasts not only the weather information but also an evening roll call of fishing boats and yachts that are around so she knows where everyone is. Meries’ is the wonderful friendly voice of Southland. That evening we heard her call us up. How on earth did she know we were around? She told us that she would contact customs, arrange a berth for us in Bluff and she said she’d see us in the morning.. In the morning she called us up again and said she’d be down to take our lines having directed us to the wharf. You will recognise me, she said I’ll be the one in the pink shirt. And there she was, good as gold.
Bluff is not a harbour we wanted to linger in. After customs and bio security departed we raced off to the local supermarket to replenish our fresh stocks then fled over to Stewart island, tucked ourselves into a protected anchorage and slept for the following 10 hours! If we hadn’t pressed on when we did we could now be coping with 50 knots of wind.
45:53.61S
162:53:51E
Another day of anti-cyclonic gloom. Not even a glimpse of the sun and not a breath of wind. a large high pressure system is cantered above us so we are windless. After the sun set the sky cleared and now we have a nearly full moon to lighten up the night. How I love our Yanmar 100hp engine that rumbles away giving us a steady 6.5 knots at 1500 revs. Today it’s been a day of maintenance. Simon has checked all things to do with the engine. We have checked running rigging for signs of chafe, fishing lines set and put away again. 100 years ago we would have chipping the rust off the rigging, calking the deck, whipping ropes and anyone else that gets in the way but today it’s sorting the itunes libraries and photographs archives that takes all day. 100 years ago we would have had our rum ration – and several pints of ale. Today it’s a cup of tea and cocoa after supper. There are only 148 more miles to go before the entrance to the Foveaux Strait. We can expect the wind to pick up by early morning and then we should have a fast passage to Bluff. I never expected the southern ocean to be so calm.
45:22:31S
157:15:89E
Tuesday 15th February.
Yesterday was St Valentine’s day. No, there were no red roses or cards dropped off by a wandering Albatross. Actually there were very few birds at all. Those big soaring birds need wind to give them lift and we have had light winds for the last 24hrs. Dull aluminium grey all day with a light misty drizzle at times. Duet needs little wind to keep her tracking along at 7 knots, the direction has been favourable and the swell diminished so it’s been comfortable and effortless sailing. Time to replace whipping on various pieces of rope, check for chafe and any number of small maintenance jobs that frequently get put to the bottom of the jobs to do list.
A sign of the times. Instead of marking our noon-day position on the paper chart we simply drop a pin on the Navionics App on the ipad.
44:32.48S
153:49.00E
Monday.
Yesterday we had plenty of wind. With two reefs and the staysail we were hitting top speeds of 11 knots at times. Squalls came and went but the sun came out. Albatross, Mollymawks, Shearwaters and Prions kept us entertained. They are difficult to photograph but we are having a competition to see which one of us snaps the best Albatross. The seas were impressively big and the water temperature dropped to 9C. It’s chilly.
We are getting used to the motion and stopped most of the annoying rattles and clanks. The wind continues to ease and with the yankee poled out we are still making 7.5 knots.
44:00.13S
149:54.04E
We could have spent a glorious sunny day at the wooden boat festival in Hobart, instead we had checked out with customs and were motoring down the channel and out into a confused and lumpy swell. After 6 weeks of cruising these protected waters it was a rude awakening. Everything that is loose rolls around, tins bang in cupboards, and it is hard to keep your feet when the boat is rolling from side to side. Dinner was a non-event.
Eventually the wind filled in and we were able to sail, albeit in a drunken rolling manner as our course was dead down wind. A rolly polly uncomfortable first night. Dawn and the sun broke the horizon with a smile. A gybe and the course is more comfortable so now we are flying along.
44:00.13S, 149:54.04E
We could have spent a glorious sunny day at the wooden boat festival in Hobart, instead we had checked out with customs and were motoring down the channel and out into a confused and lumpy swell. After 6 weeks of cruising these protected waters it was a rude awakening. Everything that is loose rolls around, tins bang in cupboards, and it is hard to keep your feet when the boat is rolling from side to side. Dinner was a non-event. Eventually the wind filled in and we were able to sail, albeit in a drunken rolling manner as our course was dead down wind. A rolly polly uncomfortable first night. Dawn and the sun broke the horizon with a smile. A gybe and the course is more comfortable so now we are flying along.
43:07.56S 147:15.07E
Duet says farewell to Hobart. On our last day we visited David Walsh’s private Museum, Mona. (Museum of Old and New Art). It is an astonishing experience that engages all the senses. It is the architecture and how the exhibits are displayed that has the biggest impact on most of the people. I could write pages about the place but I won’t. Instead here are some of the photographs from cruising in Tasmania.
We sometimes needed the third reef and can reef a 4th one if we have to making a proper trysail. Thirty five knots always looks like nothing in a photograph!
Some of the highlights were visiting Port Arthur – the abandoned flour mill turned in to a grim gaol.
Apart from the devils, we spotted a spotted Quoll.
We had a great time and here are a few more photos.
43:07:56S
147:15:067E
Our landfall was memorable. Incredible stacks, basalt organ pipes on a grand scale and very dramatic.
We left Duet in Hobart for a week whilst we heading off up to Cradle Mountain. A high mountain land of wild scenery not dissimilar to New Zealand and home to the last of the remaining Tasmanian Devils.
The Devils are on the highly endangered species list. This is because the so far incurable TDFT or Tasmanian devil facial tumour cancer is infectious and kills them in the wild. Researchers think that the problem maybe genetic due to interbreeding. There was never a huge population in the first place and when white man arrived in Tasmania they succeeded in killing a large number of these extraordinary mammals.
The research team at Cradle Mountain team are working on a selective breeding program to see if they can eliminate this cancer. It looks like an uphill battle, the gene pool is very small but there are pockets of wild Devils in Western Tasmania that they hope will be their salvation. They are extraordinary looking creatures – sort of a jaw on legs with a mouthful of teeth. They can open their jaws to a 90 degree angle, the intent is to scare off the opposition, that along with it’s extraordinary sound it makes, a cross between a pig being slaughtered and a screaming dog.
No wonder the new settlers were scared to death and then of course killed them. They were also used as a threat to the convicts that the devils would find and eat them if they tried to escape… Actually I thought they were rather cute looking especially the ‘imp’ we were allowed to pet after the introductory talk before visiting the enclosure.
These mammals are mostly solitary creatures and only get together to mate or to enjoy a nice bit of road kill. We were lucky enough to see two of these strange creatures in the wild at dusk as well as various wombats and the Devils closest relation, the spotted Quoll…
We had great fun with Tim and Ginny, good sailing, excellent weather and a lot of laughs. Tim had brought his fishing gear but fishing is not as good as in New Zealand. Port Arthur is a place that we knew we had to visit. This is the site of the once notorious penitentiary. Lady Franklyn described her first impression of it in letters home in 1888 as being …’quite like an English country village with neatly kept gardens and pleasant lawns and not in the least like a prison.’ The goal had once been a flourmill that had been abandoned. Situated at the far end of the Tasmanian peninsula it was ideally situated for solitary confinement. The soft sandstone bricks looking warm and mellow in the sun belied its grim purpose.
Our plans, like all cruising plans have changed suddenly as I have to return to New Zealand and the dentist – no don’t ask. Goodbye to Port Davey, Hello to Stuart Island!