Caught out

 I had been promising to go out on Chris's Stornoway for a while, Gerard couldn't make it, so I agreed to meet Chris at the Warmies on Tuesday and ship as crew on his boat "Ysolde", a Stornaway18.  The weather forecast looked ok, the green arrows on Willy weather all showing round 10 knot northerlies for much of the day.

We actually got caught out off St Kilda when the wind turned.  I have been running through lots of postmortem dissections in my head since, as to what we could have, might have, and should have done.  It certainly was a serious learning experience, and I have made a list of personal resolutions to hopefully avoid any repetition.

The upside was the opportunity for some extraordinary wildlife encounters.  A pod of dolphins swam with us for over 10 minutes.  After they moved on, a seal took over, and seemed almost to be guiding us back to Williamstown.  

We tacked back and forth outside the breakwater at Williamstown.  A large red tanker, the Vide Casiopia, was moored just behind the breakwater.  It took us three long tacks to move the length of the boat. With jib and main, the Stornoway is not great to windward especiallyinto that sort of wind and chop.. We were getting cold, and a bit worried that the weather might get worse still.  I had suggested, half in jest, that we could always run for Altona, and in the end, that was what we did.  I stayed with the boat, while Anne drove Chris round to collect his car and trailer. I put the spray dodger up, huddled down behind it with the end of my thermos of tea, and wondered about hypothermia.  

Rafting up

 Queens Birthday Monday I was walking Oz down by the Altona Yacht club, and saw much to my delight Peregrina my old Mirror all rigged up on the lawn waiting to be launched.  I bumped into Campbell who was getting his Mirror ready to take out his kids, Mary and Duncan, and there was another boat, a Spitfire, with another Dad and two kids, getting ready to get out.  I went home, and did a rapid pack of the Skerry, and drove back down to launch as well.

As I was getting ready to rig up, I discovered I had forgotten rudder and centreboard!!  That will teach me to hurry.  But given the wind, or lack of, it was no big deal.  I could see the three boats bobbing around only a mile off, so I rowed over.  I gave Peregrina with a dad and lad combo a tow over to join the other boats.  The kids really enjoyed the raft up.

After a very pleasant cuppa in the sunshine, and some close interrogation by the young lad on the front of the boat in the second picture, I bid them goodbye, and rowed off to Kororoit creek mouth.  The tide was good for getting in there, and I rowed up past the boat jetty of the Angling club, and out again.  It was a really nice day on the water.

Mission accomplished

 

A break in the weather and low tide at a sensible time yesterday,so we got the Skerry out from the local beach and rowed over  to see if we could extract the rusting shopping trolley from the mouth of Skeleton Creek. Succeeded but we both got wet feet and Oz and Anne got cold just sitting. 

It was round 6 miles rowing. Could I row as far again, then do that the next day and every day for the week after? Hmmm. Probably not. Is that what the Tawe Nunnugah would be like? Probably yes.

Metung #2

 

It rained quite a bit overnight but a beautiful sunny clear morning. I got down and emptied water out of the boat and dried it off while Anne made our picnic. Not much wind so we left mast down so I could row from the front spot.

We rowed over to Silverstone jetty, which is the start of the Bunga arm track. Landing we upset a large congregation of swans including a family with six tiny new cygnets. The whole flock formed a defensive formation to protect the little ones, and swam off indignantly up the coast a bit.

We walked a bit of the bunga trail, being closely observed by a pack of kangaroos. We met a nice group of walkers, one chap very complimentary about the Skerry and us rowing there, tho it really is not that far. They told us an hour's walk to the Bunga arm, so we headed back. Another day maybe.

After  morning tea we slogged round Shaving Point against the current and found another quiet beach for a lunch stop. A wetlands behind, a thin bank of sand, only kangaroo foot prints. It would be a perfect stealth camp spot in the Skerry. 

After lunch we set off again, had a minor bingle when the current swept us down on a buoy, and got homepretty fast thanks to wind and current assistance.  A bit over 4 nautical miles round trip but good value for those miles. 

I still managed to do some stupid things packing up, lucky we didn’t have far to drive. Skerry is all packed and ready to go tomorrow. 

Metung #1

I have long has a hankering  to rent a place down at Metung and take a small boat down for some days sailing. Even the smallest charter yacht costs over a thousand for a weekend. We got a very nice place with mooring for $550, and government voucher will bring that down further. 

I launched the Skerry in a little ramp over the road, and after the rain cleared we went for a slow row down Chinaman Creek, admiring the diverse array of boats moored along there.

When we got out into Bancroft Bay there was a bit of wind, enough to get to Boxes Creek with a bit of oar assistance.

We  explored Boxes Creek and the sun came out, a good spot for a picnic.

The wind had picked up a bit and we thought the public jetty over the other side of Bancroft Bay might be a good destination, but the current running over that side and easing winds defeated us. At one point we were literally sailing backwards.

We headed back. I made a hash of mooring between 4 poles. Not easy, and I was tired, even tho the gps says we only covered 6 Nautical miles.

I don't think I have the stamina for Tawe Nunnugah. I am totally stuffed tonight. But it was a really good day.

Row, row, row

 Melbourne in Autumn is splendid for rowing. I have got in three lovely rows in the last week. And a couple more swims as well.

Sunday was the WBA sailing day at Albert Park Lake. Mostly rowing, tho I did get the sails up when a breeze came in later in the day.

It was the RSPCA million paws walk round the Lake. Poor Ozzie was nearly beside himself, with all those daschunds and poodles sacheting past. 

Absolutely gorgeous morning Monday, so Anne and I got out for a couple of hours, trying out the Skerry as a twoareen.

And this morning Kate and I rowed down into the mouth of Laverton creek and back. Really really good. I am enjoying rowing more and more, a magic exercise.

I am tossing up whether to go to the Tawe Nunnugah next year, taking the Skerry. 

 

Immersion

 

I accidentally took this selfie this morning after my swim. A group of annoying noisy cyclist came and hooted at one another on the rock wall. They are visible to the extreme right of the photo. I really enjoy the peace of immersion in the water when I can get the place to myself, it is magic. It was still good today, just a bit short of the marvellous total immersion.