Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Cape to Cape




Well that was a major hurdle accomplished.
After the calm of Geographe Bay it was a little nervous rounding Cape Naturaliste to head down the surf coast. Stormy looking clouds actually only gave moderate offshore breezes and so other han keeping out from the surf breaks, rocks and points it was interesting sailing. This is unlike further north where sand dunes low lying coasts prevail. Rugged cliffs and boulders make some pretty scenery from Cape Naturaliste down.
With a hope to reach all the way to safety of Augusta I was timing it fairly close. About 60nm was the target.
That seemed weel in hand, but forced out wide around cape Hamelin rocks, the wind didn't favour the approach to Caspe leeuwin. The ending was close on the wind and tiring since i would ease off in the gusts on wave tops then haul inand bear away off the backs.
Fairly confident amongst swells (being a bodyboarder), it was still a bit sketchy when the chgart says incompoletely surveyed.
Anyhow after snapping a clew line and dropping sail I tacked around the reefs under the lighthouse while darkness fell.
hankfully some cray boats were moored nearby and the obvious safe anchoring place would be somewhere ovewr there.
A slightly sleepless night was thanks to the openness of Flinders Bay to the SE.
All was rosy come morning and some helpful directions of morning joggers to find riversand bar.

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