Gypsy Cruising

1 June

We've just arrived at the Coffs Harbour Marina after a 23 hour sail from Broughton Island. 

The overnighter at Broughton proved to be a real bonus.  Although the wind was fresh all night, and made its presence known by a constant, dull roar, the anchorage on the northern side of the island was protected from the prevailing seas.  We sat perhaps 100 meters off the beach in 4-5 metres of water, and had really a perfectly smooth night.  We picked the anchor up at first light and, once we got out into open water, made surprisingly good speed for the whole trip. 

Leaving Broughton Island

It ended up being a fantastic day - better, I think, than even the previous day.  By midday we had a perfectly clear sky with considerable warmth from the sun.  Since we'd all rugged up from the morning cold (I had 6 layers of clothing on, including a woollen sailing jumper, two fleecy lined jackets and my ocean jacket), this was rather pleasant. 

I don't think coastal cruising can get better than this - flat seas, clear sky, a solid trailing breeze and an open horizon.  The Gypsy's track showing an amazing turn of speed under sail near Forster.

In all events, it was a pretty uneventful day and night sail.  We're starting to relax into the routine of life on the water.  For me, that's a pretty important first step.  We had dolphins with us almost constantly yesterday morning.  I think there's no-one who doesn't enjoy their company.  To me, they're the ocean equivalent of Labrador dogs, seemingly intent on just having a good time.  I expect this to be common, and will try to get some decent photos in future.

It's easy to get great sunset shots when there's a bush fire about.  The sun setting behind a headland at Crowdy Bay National Park.

Preparing for a night at sea

Our average speed for this leg was so good we ended up arriving at Coffs Harbour hours before we'd expected, and we were alongside in the faintest first light of day.  A little tired, but very happy.  You rarely get an overnight passage as fast and comfortable as the one we've just had.  So now, we're planning a busy day of doing nothing, topping up our diesel and writing a blog.  Dinner tonight will be at a local restaurant boasting an excellent reputation.  Two days down, lots more to go.



Technical stuff

Winds at Broughton Is were around 20 knots all night, but holding was excellent in 4-5 metres of water.  We didn't drag an inch and I felt completely confident in our position.

We picked the anchor up a little after 7am and, once we got out into open water, made 7-8 knots, peaking occasionally at 10, in a 20-25 knot SW wind with seas up to about 2 meters.  The wind moderated a little to under 15 knots but returned after sunset to about 17 knots and stayed there all night.  Amazingly, the seas just kept getting smoother.  No complaints from any of us on board!

Total distance covered was 149 miles in just under 23 hours, averaging 6.5 knots.

The engine was on for about 2.5 hours, for manoeuvring at the start and end of the passage and for a bit in the middle when the wind dropped.  This was a welcome change from the previous day when the engine was running for the bulk of the time.  We'll top the tank up today in light of the very light winds being forecast over the next few days.  The Gypsy is about to become a power boat.