Under Way Again

Thursday 12 July 2012
0830: After a month of delays due to antifouling, some hull maintenance, fitting instruments, gear faults, insurance and especially the weather, finally get a weather window.  Forecast is for a fine day with winds 15-20 kts.  Expect it will be bumpy out there but I need to make a start on this trip.
0900: Final checks completed.  Cast off lines. Say farewell to fellow marina inhabitants.  Motor out of marina into shipping channel.
1030: Still in shipping channel.  Have been raising and setting mainsail full and with 1st and 2nd reefs in it. Want to be sure how everything works when I have to do it for real in hard weather.  Had problems with the lazy jacks snagging the sail as it was being raised.  Lesson learned. Stow the lazy jacks out of the way when raising sails for the first time.
   Tide turning against me slowing boat speed by about .5 kt.  Calm water with little wind at present. Sunny.  First real sun I've seen in the last fortnight.
1100: Full sails with no reefs set. Motor off. Heading for Cape Grafton.
1130: Wind picks up as I near False Cape.  Set 1st reef in mainsail. Boat still leaning a bit too much in the gusts so put in the 2nd reef.
1140:  Tack starboard towards False Cape. Wind approx 20 kts, very choppy seas. Getting 3-4 kts.
1210: Tack port to easterly again. Get a good line towards Cape Grafton at 4-5 kts.  Water is calmer inshore.
1430: Have been tacking towards the cape and now tacking around it.  Winds are much stronger here. Waves are rougher especially in the vicinity of the cape.  Destination Fitzroy Island is in sight but dead to windward. Nibble on some dry crackers.  Make a brew. Autopilot handles the conditions well.  Sometimes hitting between 6-7 knots in the stronger gusts.
1500: Very bumpy. Constant tacking E and SSW.  Pleased to see that tightening the mainsail brings her head up into the wind a bit more. My old boat Lowana IV would never do that.
1600:  Consider anchoring for the night in Turtle Bay to the SE of Cape Grafton.  Doesn't look too comfortable in there with swells coming around the corner. A slight wind shift gives me a better line towards Fitzroy Island.  Decide to continue.
1640: Still tacking.  Wind easing a little. Have cleared Turtle Bay.  Fitzroy Island at 2.5 miles is almost completely covered in low cloud.  The mist hangs like fog out to sea.
1730: Closing to the anchorage. Motor on. Sails down. Prepare the anchor. Motor around checking the area for underwater obstructions and clear of other anchored boats.
1800: Anchored at Fitzroy Island.  Overcast here.  Still a bit blowy and water pretty lumpy from swells which is going to be annoying during the night. Secure the sails and boat for the night.  Make sure everything is handy should I need them in a hurry - torch, knife, shackle key, spotlight. Note down GPS position and depth.   Anchorage: 16°55.741' S, 145°59.263' E.
   Start to prepare dinner. Notice the old familiar tremors in my forearms and hands that started during the day had worsened.  The symptoms were back even though I'd not had anything to worry about. This is not good. I had really thought I was over this.
  1900: Go topside to make checks on position of other boats and make sure the anchor hasn't dragged.  Getting a grinding noise through the anchor chain which is common when the chain is rubbing over rocks.
  Treated the broken blisters on both hands I'd got as a result of not wearing gloves and a lot of rope handling.  A trick I'd learned as a young fettler had been to piddle on broken blisters to dry them out.  Stung like crazy.  Glad I don't suck my thumb anymore.
  Set anchor alarm. Read an ebook for a while, every paragraph twice because I couldn't concentrate. Lights out.  Restless night.

Friday 13 July 2012
   Weather not looking too good.  Still overcast and quite blowy still.  Check my onshore marks and the GPS.  Boat hasn't moved from her spot.  This is supposed to be a calmer day.  Will just have to see what happens. Low clouds everywhere.
   In addition to the tremors my heart is now racing a bit.  Do some breathing exercises as I have been taught to calm it down. Sit down to think about this.
   If I keep going I know through experience and past counselling that the symptoms are going to get worse, and there's nothing I will be able to do about it. There is no way I want to go back to those black days.
   I also didn't enjoy the day as much as I once did. Bursting through blustery water at 6 and 7 kts, with spray flying and water gurgling along the hull and rippling quickly away astern, was once my idea of a good time.  The best I could feel yesterday was a small sense of satisfaction that the boat has performed so well I suppose.  The old sense of fun is just ... gone, along with most other things I enjoyed about sailing and adventure.
   As much as my heart wants it, my head tells me my sailing days are probably over. At least for now.  I agonise over this for some time. Finally decide it would be best to return to Cairns and sell the boat.  It is indeed a Black Friday for me.
0830: Contact Cairns Marlin Marina via VHF radio.  Thankfully my previous berth is still available to me.  Turn the motor on and go forward to raise the anchor.  The anchor winch which worked so well back at the marina can now barely turn, let alone raise the anchor.  And I have 40 metres of heavy chain and anchor down there. As well, the wind is blowing the boat back hard so that the chain is quite taut.
0910: Got the anchor up. Managed it by running back and forth to the engine controls, motoring forward and pulling in a little bit of slack chain by hand. Lots of huffing and puffing. Also painful with both blistered hands beginning to bleed over the chain and foredeck.
   Motor out of anchorage. Pause once clear to secure the anchor and get sails ready. Continue to motor for a while to get some charge back into batteries.
0930: Just coming up to Turtle Bay.  Wind from astern but buggar all of it. Sometimes you get too much of it.  At other times you get none.  Put up headsail but not enough to keep it filled.  Roller furled it back up again. Continue motoring. Speed 4 - 4.5 kts. Not too bad even if we're rocking and rolling a bit as we go along.
1030: Reach waypoint.  Round and clear Cape Grafton. Crossing Mission Bay.
1115: Sun comes out for about 15 minutes.  Nice while it lasted.
1130: Clear False Cape.
1200: Enter main shipping channel into Cairns.  Final run to marina. Pass a large ship going the other way stirring up lots of mud.  Must be dredging the channel.
1300: Enter marina and secure Mirrool at her designated berth. Spend the next hour or so fiddling around running 240v power, making adjustments to berthing lines.  Fellow yachties want to know what happened of course.  Told it straight and as simply as I could.  Thankfully nowadays people seem to be more understanding about depression and anxiety issues. Invited to attend a marina BBQ later.
   Sit down with a heavy heart for a while with a fresh cup of coffee. Tidy up boat. Take a shower.
1700: Wander over to the BBQ just a couple of boats down. I guess there were maybe a dozen or more people there. Some more people come and go during the evening. It was pleasant and somewhat soothing.

Saturday 14 July 2012
Spent the day feeling pretty lousy.  Put an ad for the sale of Mirrool into the Boatpoint online website and arranged for a local boat broker to visit early next week.

Footnote
   This is the second time I've set out to circumnavigate Australia and failed.  The first time due to an undiagnosed condition and the second time because I recognised it recurring. But I simply had to have another go at it, or forever be left wondering. I think I've now found the answer and it looks like it is going to be a tick on the Bucket List that will not be crossed off.
   Since Black Friday and Saturday I have begun to think more philosophically about this experience.  Of course I must.  The good news is that although I still have the tremors, they're not that noticeable now and seem to be getting weaker.  I intend selling the boat but will stay with it until it is sold, however long that takes.
   In the meantime, my confidence is returning enough to want to take the boat out to some of the islands on the Great Barrier Reef when the weather improves.  Maybe even another trip to Fitzroy Island. Might also jump on the train and visit friends and relatives further south.
   I will not close this blog off just yet, and propose from time to time updating what's happening with Mirrool and me.  Maybe the adventure is over, or maybe not ... who knows?

Delayed Again

The sail has been repaired and is now back in place on the forestay after another trip up to the mast top to retrieve a hauling line. Was intending to head out tomorrow but it seems the insurance office hasn't received by survey report, and it was the only copy I had.  Lost in the mail and not returned to sender.  Have to wait now until next Monday to get the guy down to write up another one.  Thankfully he won't charge me for it.

First Start

Friday 22 June 2012
Serviced the motor yesterday. Had the devil of a time getting the old oil filter off. Changed the fuel filter. Took forever to bleed the air out of the system. Had to pump away for ages on the piddley little thumb sized priming lever.  Degreased the engine and engine bay. Did some last minute shopping. Climbed down into engine compartment behind the engine using a large hatch in the cockpit. Not much room in there. Cleaned out in there too.

Saturday 23 June 2012
Today's the day setting out to go around Australia. Am as prepared as I guess will ever be.  Just have to top up the water tank and jerrys. Overcast looking day.
1100: Cast off lines to catch the ebb tide.
1135: Making ready for sail - remove covers, set lazy jacks, secured hatches. Motoring on autopilot while getting familiar with the various lines (ropes).
1140: Change course easterly towards Cape Grafton. Speed 4 kts. Wind on the nose 15 kts and picking up I think.
1230: Set headsail. Motor off. Wind 15-20 kts, choppy water. Boat pulling 4 to 4.5 kts into the wind.  This is great! Far better than my previous boat Lowana could ever do, and not even a mainsail set. Actually making better time now than under motor. Heel angle 10-15 deg. Make a brew.
1300: Closing Cape Grafton.  Put in a tack to starboard. Tightening headsail to new direction and the ring holding the sheets (ropes) to the headsail rips away, leaving the sail flapping in the wind.  Looks like the straps that held the sheet-ring to the sail had perished a bit in the sun, and it was overlooked. At least can return to Cairns and get the sail mended rather than having to do an emergency repair.  Turn motor back on and turn around.
1500: Tied up back in the Cairns Marlin Marina.

On the Water Again

It's been another busy day.  Finally got the depth sounder transducer after Garmin only sent the cable but not the transducer. Fitted it yesterday and Mirrool went back into the water today after lunch. Started motor and the water cooling pump immediately jammed. Burnt the pulley belt right through. Not knowing the motor properly yet, it was really a no-brainer to get a mechanic down there.  Cost me $200 but got a repaired pump with new bearings, impeller and pulley belt fitted in a couple of hours. One less thing to worry about.

Am now safely back at the Cairns Marlin Marina. Spending the next couple of days stocking up on vacuumed meat if I can get it, fresh fruit and vegetables, plus a couple of other minor jobs.  Intend heading out next Saturday 23rd for nearby Fitzroy Island. Will spend another day or so at anchor there just checking things out e.g. the charging and anchor systems.

Getting Started

Hello and welcome to my running account of a circumnavigation of Australia in the cruising yacht  Mirrool.

About Me

My name is Russ Swan and I'm 62 years old. Some might say I'm a little old to be attempting this but I'm a believer in the adage - Use It Or Lose It.  And sailing is a great way of keeping active and mentally alert. Even the emotions get exercise - from exhilaration through to fear induced sphincter exercises, but mostly it's just good to be out on the water and meeting the various challenges that get thrown your way.

So far I have sailed on different voyages from Fremantle WA to Mackay QLD across the top end.  My previous boat Lowana IV took me several times to the Kimberley Coast of WA, the eastern regions of Indonesia and across the top end of the NT.

About the Boat

 

The boat is a 30ft Clansman sloop powered by sails and a 20hp Yanmar engine. It's quite solid with 24mm of solid glass on the hull and 2 bulkheads. I had to get the boat surveyed for insurance purposes and the bloke told me it's the best Clansman he's seen.  He gave me an excellent survey report.

At dockside in Cairns Qld

On the hardstand

The inventory is everything I could wish for with heaps of available power, including 5 x batteries, 3 x solar panels, a wind turbine generator, 2 x engine alternators (one above engine rating). For steering there's a tiller, a Fleming wind-vane and 2 x autopilots. There's even an electric anchoring winch. She's a bit short on sails with just the mainsail and genoa, but at least the genoa is on a furler. All sheets/ropes lead back to the cockpit for safe night handling.

Last but by no means least is one of the things that I really wanted, a RIB - rigid inflatable boat.  The one fault was that the depth sounder didn't work, so I've had to buy a new one. Unfortunately there's been a delay waiting for a thru-hull transducer to be delivered, but I'm hoping that will come today.  In the meantime have been going through all the interior lockers cleaning and checking everything, so that I'll know where an item is if I need it quickly. Also checked the hull. Removed some paint blisters, checked and replaced anodes, and applied antifoul to the hull. It's been a busy week.



Fwd berth

Looking aft.
Galley sink, metho stove and Engle
fridge at left. Dinette table
and quarter berth behind that.