Safe in Eden

Looking out the entrance to the very open bay at Eden - called Twofold Bay.

We made it. 

I've used that short sweet sentence many times when talking about our sailing escapades.  Why?  Because those three words encapsulate, to me anyway, just how I feel when we finally arrive at a place, put the anchor down, stop moving and relax. 

The past 3 days feel like an eternity .. a marathon of endurance ... a long exercise in self control and wilful positive thinking!  Think I'm exaggerating?  Well maybe I am - to a certain extent.  But right now, only a short time after dropping the pick (anchor) I'm still feeling the effects of 3 days sailing down the coast.

Let me give you a quick critique of the trip so far.....

First off we were really tired when we left Sydney at 7:30pm last Sunday night.  I don't know if you can get around feeling like that on the first day out because there's so much to do to get away from the day to day.  The trip to Jervis was 16/17 hours.  It was hard.  The rocking motion on a boat is soporific at the best of times but when you're dead tired it's bloody hard to stay awake, reasonably alert and be a supportive & functioning crew throughout the night.

The necessary wind ... it is never what you want it to be or expect it to be unfortunately.  For the trip down to Jervis Bay we expected mainly light winds but at least wind.  None came .. until just past the half way point it came in abundance and unexpected and unannounced.  We were hit with 35 knots (a lot) out of the blue.  No warning.  This wind "front" persisted with gust after gust growing to a max at one point of 44 knots.  Then, as quickly as it arrived it was gone diminishing to 10-12 knots.  Sailing - panic stations one minute and boredom the next!

We were able to rest and recuperate overnight in JB to get ready for the big trip of 24 hours to Eden.  I must say doing that kind of passage when refreshed is heaven!  We left JB early and were out in the ocean on the way south by 10:15.  Again the wind was not as expected.  We had absolutely no wind which meant we had to motor through the day and most of the night.  But that was OK because we were rested and relaxed.  Then, as usual, in the early morning as George and I were resigned to no wind ... with George sound asleep in the cockpit as I kept watch ... the wind gauge started to come alive ... and alive .... and alive.  From 3 knots to 25 knots in 2 minutes at 2am in the morning ... of course.  That was a wild ride but unlike the previous day it didn't diminish.  It kept going .. also gifting us with a white out of heavy rain and building large seas.

It was with this complete white out, rain and large rolling surf that we entered Eden's Twofold Bay for the first time ever in our Southern Belle.  I was steering the boat and navigating using the chart plotter while George sorted the carnage of sheets (ropes) and gear in the cockpit from our late night wild ride.  It was scary but as I said in the beginning, We Made It.

Now we're here, safe in Eden, with many other yachties on their way to the summer cruising grounds of beautiful Tasmania.

Waiting for a weather window in Snug Cove, Eden.

After the ups and downs of the past 3 days I've been thinking about quitting this part of this adventure.  I have seriously considered leaving George and our friend Bruce, who is helping us sail down to Hobart, and going home.  It would be so easy to let them sail Southern Belle down and join them once they've done the work using the good ship Qantas to get myself there.  As much as this appeals to me I can't do it. It wouldn't be fair to them and it wouldn't be fair to me.  I knew this was going to be one of the toughest thing I have EVER done.  But just like the Louisiades Rally in 2013 I know this journey will provide good times and great adventure I will take happily through the rest of my days.  So exhaustion and wind be good to us ... we'll leave at the first good weather window.  Can't wait to sail into Wineglass Bay!!!