That's pretty much what you can call it.
Paid the nitwit at Marks Point Marina $300 to get me out of Swansea Channel at a time chosen by them and I end up with my yacht on its side with the underwater centerline exposed and the prop out of the water. I was a bit panicked for the 45-minute saga so only snapped the below picture of the skeg rudder and prop shaft. He kept telling me to apply more power until the spray thrown up into the air and blowing over me alerted me to the fact that my prop was mostly out of the water . Thought he was going to drag my mast out of my boat when finally a combination of Marine Rescue and the Marks Point workboat got me off. It's pretty much just sand but my 5 month old antifouling job will be toast. The port side deck was completely underwater for over a half an hour with water lapping at the bottom of the windows. Fortunately the staunchin, chain plate, deck prism and jib track penetrations seemed to be watertight and the only water that got in the boat was up the toilet sink.
Set off for Pittwater at 6 p.m. and after rounding the island and turning south with the diesel fumes blowing straight back into the boat I raised the sails and managed 3.9 knots with the main sheet blocks and main making terrible snapping noises as the swell and waves relieved and applied tension to the main roughly. After about 20 minutes of this and I was seriously considering motoring (much though I abhore it) the wind seemed to rise a little as I decided to head more off shore into the long line of lit up cargo ships waiting for Newcastle and by tacking down wind improved the situation after about 40 minutes to where I was making 6 or 7 knots. After about an hour and three quarters as Norah Head Lighthouse was beckoning me from afar the wind shifted slightly and and increased although never reaching 15 knots (or whitecaps) started pushing me along at 9 knots and 11-11.5 knots down the waves.The dinghy surfed crazily behind hitting the boat on one occasion. All the while it was pouring but it was such good fun that I forgot that I was freezing and wet. This good breeze and point of sail lasted almost until Barrenjoey. Probably would have pulled even better speeds had the dinghy not been full of water after about a third of the trip due to the rain. After it hit the boat I had to untie it to add an additional line and couldn't believe the drag it was causing being a catamaran dinghy with its bridge deck now in the ocean pushing water due to its weight of collected rain water within.
The full moon was never even faintly visible and there was heavy cloud but somehow the moon still seems to keep enough brightness in the sky so that visibility was reasonably good despite the rain. So exhilarating and so good to be out of the lake after a year I forgot about the beaching ordeal earlier in the day. Akin to being released from jail I think.
Phoned Marine Rescue at Pittwater four hours earlier than my estimated ETA and had a nice chat to the guy around midnight who started out by saying "Well you're really early". Think he must have been having a lonely vigil. Phoned them rather than contacting by radio as the rain meant the companionway hatch and boards were always closed making it difficult to go below to use the radio (I hate dodgers).
Took a while to find allocated mooring at Avalon Sailing Club and was a bit disappointed today to not have been told but to learn from a boat next to me that a cruiser had sunk about a week ago two boats away and lies only a couple of feet under the water. Had to do quite a few circles to find my morning in the dark so extremely lucky I didn't hit it. Anyway stoked to be back on Pittwater and have ready access to the sea.
Select to expand quoteBushdog said..
Quite enough for one day. And you wonder why sailors drink Rum:)
Yes haha definitely a full day (and night). Actually it was a blessing as sitting around contemplating the beaching would not have been good and getting straight into the sail gave me some great highs to counteract the low. Not really much choice anyway as once you are through the channel/bridge apart from spending the max allowable 24 hours on the bridge moorings there is nowhere to go but out. Did spend a few hours on one of the three moorings outside the bridge though to check for damage/water and go ashore to collect my wits (thankfully 2 were vacant as the current entering/exiting the lake really rips through). The RSL, Woolies and fast food are right there.
What time were you stuck at the dog leg??
They should have known about the track out!!
Select to expand quoteLazzz said..
What time were you stuck at the dog leg??
They should have known about the track out!!
9:30 a.m.. I asked him if he knew about the airport channel and he said he didn't know anything about that way. Going to ask him for my money back on Monday and donate it to Marine Rescue.
Actually a friend of mine recently had a new through hull put in by them for a water maker and they epoxied other fittings on to the through hull-elbow, seacock and reducer. Who ever heard of that? Talk about F..k the next guy! Now he needs to substitute a different angle elbow to make the watermarked fit and can't get it off.
