IanBat
New Member
- Nov 19, 2011
- 2,297
- Boat Info
- Pro Tournament 36' 1999
- Engines
- Twin Cummins 5.9L 370hp B Series
Boxing Day is the start of the Sydney to Hobart race, and is a fairly spectacular sight. My wife has 3 relatives sailing on one of the boats so has a personal connection to it.
I had been watching the weather the last few days, and the forecast was for flat seas with light winds, shame it changed slightly on the day but was still good.
We opened the invitation up to several friends, knowing most would have something on and some would decline because of the open water crossing. We ended up with 5 of us on the boat, and met at the marina at 1030, started the boat and ran straight to the marina for a top up.
The day started well, when I was so busy talking, I dropped the starboard fuel cap overboard. So swimmers, fins and mask, and one cap recovered.
We were out into the open by 1130 and logged on with marine rescue, we averaged 8-10 kn's and ran up the coast to a vantage point about 1km straight out from Sydney Heads. We were in position about 1pm spot on for the start of the race.
The view as the yachts, with the maxis leading, stream out of Sydney Harbour is fantastic. Sails up, cruisers powering along beside them and helicopters dotted in the sky.
Within about 10 minutes we were in the mix of it, which is about when it gets chaotic, and about the point when I just block my ears and concentrate on what so happening around us. The yachts are fine, you pretty well know where they are going. It is the sightseers in cruisers that have absolutely no fr....n idea what they are doing that is the worry.
Somewhere in the midst of this my wife says can you find Saint Jude, ok, what's it look like.....it has a dark blue hull........oh good!. Any thing else......silence........what size boat is it......don't know........colour of sails........don't know........number......don't know.
Somehow, I found it.
We cruised down the coast back to our bay with the yachts, we sat between 12 and 18 kn's coming back so it was a quicker trip.
About half way back I noticed the anchor was not sitting on the roller and the chain was off to the sided. So I switched the circuit breaker on and bought it up, tight but it was off to the side. I kept monitoring it and tightening, don't ask me how, but we hit a swell at about the right time, to jump the chain back over the roller and I hit the switch at right time to catch it and tighten it down. When we got back to the marina, I noted the safety clip had broken.
We ran into Jibbon beach at 3pm, and anchored up for a late lunch, and a chat about a great day.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
I had been watching the weather the last few days, and the forecast was for flat seas with light winds, shame it changed slightly on the day but was still good.
We opened the invitation up to several friends, knowing most would have something on and some would decline because of the open water crossing. We ended up with 5 of us on the boat, and met at the marina at 1030, started the boat and ran straight to the marina for a top up.
The day started well, when I was so busy talking, I dropped the starboard fuel cap overboard. So swimmers, fins and mask, and one cap recovered.
We were out into the open by 1130 and logged on with marine rescue, we averaged 8-10 kn's and ran up the coast to a vantage point about 1km straight out from Sydney Heads. We were in position about 1pm spot on for the start of the race.
The view as the yachts, with the maxis leading, stream out of Sydney Harbour is fantastic. Sails up, cruisers powering along beside them and helicopters dotted in the sky.
Within about 10 minutes we were in the mix of it, which is about when it gets chaotic, and about the point when I just block my ears and concentrate on what so happening around us. The yachts are fine, you pretty well know where they are going. It is the sightseers in cruisers that have absolutely no fr....n idea what they are doing that is the worry.
Somewhere in the midst of this my wife says can you find Saint Jude, ok, what's it look like.....it has a dark blue hull........oh good!. Any thing else......silence........what size boat is it......don't know........colour of sails........don't know........number......don't know.
Somehow, I found it.
We cruised down the coast back to our bay with the yachts, we sat between 12 and 18 kn's coming back so it was a quicker trip.
About half way back I noticed the anchor was not sitting on the roller and the chain was off to the sided. So I switched the circuit breaker on and bought it up, tight but it was off to the side. I kept monitoring it and tightening, don't ask me how, but we hit a swell at about the right time, to jump the chain back over the roller and I hit the switch at right time to catch it and tighten it down. When we got back to the marina, I noted the safety clip had broken.
We ran into Jibbon beach at 3pm, and anchored up for a late lunch, and a chat about a great day.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
