Out and back

Monday had a reasonable forecast, under 15 knots in the morning decreasing as the day progressed.  I could get the car, so no logistical shuffles required, so I got the Core Sound down to the boat ramp round 11.  Thanks to my new checklist I managed not to forget anything important. 

Rigging is still taking a while, plus people like to come up for a chat, which is fine by me, but it does slow things down.  A nice chap who is restoring a Hartley TS16 pulled up in his van.  He had his dog in the van.  Ozzie barked. We had a conversation which went essentially along the lines of "What sort of  [bark bark bark] ? "  Me:  "Sorry?"  Him; "[bark bark bark] is that?"  Me: "Pardon?"

Michael also swung by, and helped me launch. He probably wisely declined an offer to come along for a sail, as the wind was already seeming to get stronger rather than easing.   I got on the the water a bit after 12.  He took a photo as we headed out.  The boat is there, honest.

I put a reef in each sail and headed out, beating into the wind on the basis that it would be easier once it was time to come home.  Here is the track for the day.

If I had been hoping to make it to Werribee River, it would have taken a bloody long time I suspect. I was about 7 miles off, but tacking into the wind would have more than doubled that.  The wind was gusty and quite a chop built up.  At one point a pilot boat came hurtling towards us, and I wondered if we were about the be rescued from something.  But it kept on to one of the freighters anchored out there, perhaps dropping off a pilot.  A lot of diesel to deliver one person though.

The Core Sound was bounding off the top of one wave and crashing into the next, with some impressive spray and a lot of pounding. 

Looking on the BOM site when we got home, it was gusting up to 18 knots, and it felt like it.  When we turned for home, it was difficult to keep the boat flat without hiking out, and with the bouncing about I wasn't too keen on doing too much of that.  I dropped the main, and we ploughed our way home at about 5 knots on mizzen with the first reef alone. 

I discovered that somewhere along the way my anti inversion mast head crab pot float, which I carried all the way after finding it on the Great South Western Walk, was gone.  Probably just as well I didn't notice that while I was out there.   I have bought some new ones. but they are a bit soul-less.  I also spent a while trying to simplify rigging, so hopefully next time will be a bit less of a tangle.