Autumn is perhaps Melbourne’s most beautiful season. It brings long sunny days, cooler evenings after the summer’s scorching heat and magnificent sailing weather. Perhaps because our winters seem so long, sailors seize upon any opportunity to get out on Port Phillip Bay at this time of the year. This weekend we were blessed with clear skies, warm northerly winds and flat sea’s. Not heaps of wind but pleasant for just gliding around watching the afternoon yacht races and enjoying the city views.
The following pictures are screen shots taken from a Go Pro camera our son used whilst paddling on our kayak.

Finally after five days we were able to emerge from our cocoon!
We left Refuge Cove at 08.00 hrs with a sunny sky, a good puff of breeze and a little residual slop from the blow. The South Eastern lighthouse village always reminds me of some kind of a mountain monastery, perched so high on its rocky cliffs.
By the time we had rounded the bottom of Wilson’s Promontary the breeze had died out and the seastate had returned to dead flat. We motorsailed past the Anser and Glennie Island groups and debated whether or not to go into San Remo to refuel. Eventually a gentle breeze filled in and made the decision for us. With a consistent 8-10 knots behind us we decided to sail on for Melbourne.
It’s a big statement to make but we found our next day of sailing to be the most consistent, comfortable and enjoyable of the whole passage from Melbourne to Cairns and back!
Never once did the wind move forward of the cockpit and never once did the swells rise above one metre. One could be forgiven for forgetting that this was the notorious Bass Strait, slayer of many unsuspecting yachts and ships!
The day progressed with several sightings of sunbathing seals, fairy penguins and large pods of dolphin. Highland Fling hummed along, almost as if she had finally figured out she was close to home. Sunshine abounded and as night fell the stars were spectacular. Around midnight the wind dropped off and we needed to motor again. Whilst we were anxious about our fuel levels we also needed to make it to the heads in time for slack water. It was our preference to not rush the passage and pass through The Rip during the low tide slack water at 02.30 hrs so we didn’t mind slowing down for a while but we certainly wanted to be there by 0830!
Once again we tracked the shipping using the Marine Traffic app on the I Pad and this time it was much more reliable, given our better internet access as we approached Phillip Island and Melbourne.
Just predawn a huge pod of dolphin joined us. They were really active, leaping out of the water and spread around for twenty meters on both sides of the boat, their backs all burnished by the predawn glow. Spectacular and so uplifting to see!
We approached the Rip at 08.20 hrs, right on slack water and were through by 0830. Not a ripple or eddy to be seen anywhere. Pure magic as far as a welcome home from our bay comes!
With six hours of sailing ahead of us to reach our Yacht Club and still concerned about our fuel we headed into Queenscliff harbour to refuel and stroll into town for some lunch provisions.
By now the tide was against us and accordingly we motorsailed up the bay via the West Channel taking it in turns to catnap along the way. The bay was so flat it seemed surreal when I awoke just after passing the main shipping channel.
By 1600 hrs we had closed the circle, crossing the finish line by tying up again at RBYC after two years and seven weeks. For the next year we will concentrate on exploring Port Phillip and Westernport Bays as, despite sailing on our beloved bay for the last 18 years we have never had the luxury of enough free time to do much more than race from one end to the other on odd weekends. There are plenty of more cruising food recipes to be uploaded also, so stay along for the sailing if you wish, otherwise, thanks for enjoying our journey!

Eventually we slipped past the red lichen coloured rocks and dropped the anchor in Refuge Cove.
Whilst tired we were delighted to have had such an easy passage from Eden. The lack of wind meant our passage had taken ten hours longer than our passage up to Eden two years peviously, and we were well happy to rest a little in this delightful National Park anchorage.
Not long after we anchored Rob Hurrell’s Buizen 48 Aqua Cadabara entered the bay. Great to see faces from RBYC again!
They came by the following day to invite us ashore to bushwalk which we lazily declined. Later we were very glad we did as our anchor dragged that afternoon in the freshening winds. We did join them aboard that evening for sundowners and had a great time catching up on news from our home yacht club. Aqua Cadabara is joining the rest of the RBYC cruising fleet on their annual jaunt around Bass Strait.
The next day another couple of RBYC yachts arrived. Sarah Patterson’s as yet unnamed Jeanneau 36i and John’s larger Jeanneau Happy J. It almost seemed like we were back in our marina!
Friday night drinks were onshore before Happy J departed the next morning to rejoin the Cruising Fleet. Sarah and Robert decided to wait out another day before continuing on to Deal Island. A smart move as the sea state took quite a while to settle after the strong winds of the last few days. Whilst most kept themselves busy with bushwalking we indulged in the luxury of reading, afternoon naps and the occasional swim. It felt like pure joy to have nothing to do whatsoever!

With the weather finally in our corner we set off. As we left Twofold Bay we encountered washing machine sea’s and the sailing was unpleasant but not intolerable. Intolerable would have been staying in Eden!

By the time we were due to pass Green Cape Lighthouse the wind and swell had dropped off considerably. The sky went from 1/8 cloud to 8/8 within 15 minutes. We had a sea fog so thick and dense it blanketed the swell and was a virtual doona! We could barely see the lighthouse from two miles out.

We watched the GPS and plotter avidly as we approached Victorian waters. How wonderful to be in our home sea’s again! Sunset had us by Gabo Island with our only concern being to be past Point Hicks by 12 pm the next day as a strong wind warning was being broardcast for that area. We expected to clear it by seven hours and easily achieved it.

Sailing that evening was both eerie and magical. Surrounded by dense fog,hazily illuminated by the full moon we had a small amount of visibility but no stars.

What we did have in spades was the presence of large pods of dolphin, all prettily lit up by the phosphorescence! Incredibly beautiful and fantastic company to keep at sea!

Night passed into day and still we motorsailed in the thick dense fog. When we could we used the Ipad ap ‘Marine Traffic’ to try and spot shipping. It’s fairly good but needs reasonable access to internet connection to be up to speed.

Later in the day we saw the first oilrig emerge from the gloom. It looked spooky with it;s veil  of mist lingering around it’s seabed supports. At times during the day our visibility was down to two hundred meters. We were happy to stay above the shipping lane.

Yet another evening and night at sea and finally Wilson’s Promontary came into view. At 0700 hrs we topped up our fuel ( we have only a 100 l tank!) and proceeded towards Refuge Cove.

As we approached we had several radio transmissions from the RBYC Cruising Fleet. They were just leaving Refuge, having been there for two days and invited us to join them at Port Welshpool, another 10 miles east.

After 48 hours of nonstop two handed sailing we politely declined.  An anchorage and a sleep were called for and the appropriately named Refuge Cove beckoned like a siren. This was our longest two handed passage in the entire transit up and down the east coast of Australia and we despite the comfortable weather conditions we really needed a good sleep!

So from a Snug Cove to a Refuge all in two very long days, most of it feeling like we were in an isolation tank from the rest of the world thanks to the omnipresent fog…….

In all we spent ten days in Eden. Whilst the weather in Eden was generally calm and sunny the winds in the latitudes below us blew and blew. One sector would ease then the strong wind warnings were up for the next. We had plenty to keep us occupied, meeting several yachts. Some were returning from the Wooden Boat Festival, another completing a cruise from Adelaide to the Whitsundays. We met our neighbour across the wharf whom we decided not to visit after he disclosed the presence of a pet seven foot python on board!
We trekked up Warrens Walk each day, getting a little bit faster and a little less puffed each time. We searched fruitlessly for a decent cup of coffee… and enjoyed the showers of the Fishermans Club. They aren’t very flash, but they at least afford a hot water shower, rather than the tepid showers at the wharf. Previous visitors to the wharf here will be horrified to know that the daily wharfage fee has escalated from $5.00  to $20.00 per day, with no discernable benefits to warrant the price hike! Everywhere we went in town people were buzzing with the news that a new floating development had finally been approved. Not a minute too soon we thought, as this small town seems less prosperous that when we passed through here two years ago and the current wharves are requiring significant maitenence to keep them functional. The fuel truck is no longer allowed to access the visitors wharf, yachts refuelling must make arrangements to tie up temporarily to the working wharf. If ordering a taxi in Eden it pays to know your wharf’s local name. The visitors wharf is referred to as the Skinny Wharf, the working wharf the Fat Wharf and the the furtherest across is the Ice Wharf.
Each day the black Mussel boat would return from across the bay, clattering fresh bounty as they unloaded. The mussels here are some of the largest and tastiest we have ever encountered. We devoured ours with a chilli tomato sauce, then climbed the hill to the Eden Smokehouse to purchase gravlax and chili smoked mussels. Good fresh local food from a pristine environment.
Friday brought another low and with it wind and rain. We hunkered down and slept little as Fling lurched around. By Sunday all was improving, clouds scudding away and finally it seemed we would have a weather window to leave Monday afternoon. We were up early and scooted up the hill to provision, our last chance before home. At 1200 hrs we cast off, receiving a final wave from the harbour seal as we rounded the rock wall.

We spent our last week in Batemans Bay enjoying coffee’s and lunches with cruising friends, old and new. Team Zolibato (Neil and Deb)  came and rescued us from boatland, taking us down to Broulee for lunch and spending the afternoon wandering around the delightful village of Mogo. Mogo is a window shoppers dream, lots of interesting places to wander in and out of. The crew of Fare Thee Well joined in for an afternoon of Bocce in the park, as did the crew of Argos. It was a tight competition, with the threat of buying coffee’s for all the next morning hanging over the head of the loser. Luckily the evening insects saved the day and it was one all for  each team! Fare Thee Well had been headed for Hobart’s Wooden Boat Festival but came into the bay to sit out ex T C Oswald. Unfortunately when they attempted to leave they hit the bar and damaged their steering, ending their cruise. They headed home the day we left the marina and we wished for a fair passage on their way north. We remembered seeing them at Eden two years previously, also on their way to Hobart.

With a good deep tide we exited the marina and headed over to the moorings under Square Head to sit out the worst of the southerly. Pre-dawn two days later we headed down to one of our favourite ports on the NSW coast, Bermagui.The day was dark and cloudy and the wind always within thirty degrees of the bow but the scenery great and the sailing easy. Fling made good speeds as she picked up the East Australian Current. We rafted up third boat out and sat back to enjoy this pretty harbour.

Next morning a text message from Team Zolibato, who were headed south to go camping saw us at Mr Jones for coffee’s. Mr Jones is a tiny hole in the wall coffee shop run by no other than Mr Jones, an artist and ex Melbourne Barrista of renown! We sat on our upturned milk crates and laughed that the last good coffee we had enjoyed together was at Mr Bones, another establishment run by an ex Melbourne Barrista. Mr Bones is at Airlie Beach in Queensland. So on  from Mr Bones to Mr Jones! Coffee’s morphed into a long lunch on the deck of the Fishermans Wharf. Fantastic fun and so good to catch up! Neil and Deb headed off to the dubious comfort of their tent somewhere on the south coast and we retired to Fling.

Another perfect day of Bermagui weather kept us harbour bound whilst the wind blew. We tramped up the hill to visit the Blue Pool, an ocean bath, but the strong winds didn’t encourage swimming. Dinner at the downstairs Asian restaurant back at the wharf completed Valentines day perfectly.

Up early and off to Eden, after a slow start we had a great sail again riding the tide and current almost all the way. As we entered Twofold Bay a lone Laser sailed out near us. We tied up to the wharf and waited for a yacht to depart from the only fishing boat to raft up to. Just as we were casting off out lines a friendly voice offered to jump on the fishing boat and take our lines.

Lo and behold it was Gote, our cruising companion from two years ago! He and Rosalind were here in Eden for a weekend Laser regatta and he had recognised us sailing in! Their yacht Veedon Fleece is currently in Borneo awaiting their return. Today Rosalind has so generously driven us up the hill to reprovision and refuel. The visitors wharf here is under refurbishment  which prevents the fuel truck from driving on it, so this kindness saved us hours of back breaking labour! We look forward to catching up this evening to hear of Gote’s progress in the regatta.

It constantly amazes me how tiny our sailing community is. We bump into fellow sailors in all sorts of unexpected places.  A wooden yacht returning from Hobart is rafted outside of us today. One of the crew remembers our yacht from when she was first imported into Australia, when she was berthed in Pittwater. Feeling Yachts are rare in Australia but this man was able to recall seeing her both in Pittwater and from when she sometimes was based in Townsville some ten years later.

I enjoy spending time in a working harbour and this morning’s special joy was watching the spectacle of the Eden fleet being visited by the Bishop of Goulburn and Canberra. He arrived by boat and received a large wooden cross and visited the working fleet to celebrate the Dioscese’s 150th anniversary. The cross will be carried in a pilgrimage up the south coast and will complete it’s journey in Canberra. Nothing like a religious spectacle at 7am on a quiet Saturday morning!

 A quick scan of the weather sites had us requesting a move deeper into the marina. By lunch time on Australia Day we were snugly tucked into the quietest corner of the marina in a space which, although it isnt really a pen provides two good poles, a couple of bollards and a floating pontoon to allow us to jump on and off Fling. It feels much more sheltered and we ready Fling for the expected strong winds.

Australia Day evening was spent onboard the beautiful square rigger ‘Argos’ owned by Sue and Peter Watt. Sue and Peter and their children are on a slow circumnavigation of Australia and are currently based in Batemans Bay for several months. They jumped into offshore sailing at the deep end, sailing Argos all the way across the Great Australian Bight on their first leg! Also onboard were a couple of their friends, weekend residents of the marina. It felt lovely to be welcomed into this small sailing community, especially after living amongst the commercial harbours of Woolongong and Ulladulla!

The Australia Day fireworks were abandoned by the presence of natures own fireworks and we all scattered to check the boats as the thunderstorm rolled through. Ex Tropical Cyclone Oswald was beginning to make his way south towards us. At the very last minute he took a turn out to sea leaving us with only heavy rainfall and strong winds. A great relief! We thought for those in our sailing community further north and worried for those in the severely storm affected areas in Queensland and NSW. The weather gradually abated and we ventured out, enjoying several good walks and catch ups for coffee with the Argos crew and Neil and Deb,our cruising friends from last year. Neil and Deb have now sold Zolibato and are land based just down the coast from here. Fantastic to catch up again. Today we had a reunion lunch at a great seafood restaurant across the river. From here we were in prime position to watch the opening bridge lift up to let the afternoon ferry through.

During the week another couple of yachts have blown in. One in particular is a viking longboat, sailed all the way down from Russia. They, like most of the cruising fleet in the immediate area are headed for Hobart for the wooden boat festival. There’s a bit of a log jam of yachts in the ports at present as strong southerlies have replaced the tropical low weather! At Bermagui we hear of yachts rafted four deep so we will wait here some more until the weather gods smile again. That seems to have been the recurrent theme of this passage, short intervals of sailing followed by long intervals waiting for weather windows.

Entering Jervis Bay we were accompanied by dolphins and in seven metres of water I could clearly see the bottom. Such a beautiful pristine cruising ground! We headed over to our favourite anchorage, ‘Hole in the Wall’ and settled in for a blissful evening.

At two am the wind shifted a little and when I got up to check the boat I was delighted to see tiny phosphorescent wavelets all around us, just magic!

Looking at the forecast at six am the next morning we reluctantly departed for Ulladulla. As I cast off the mooring buoy I looked staright down to the seabed, crystal clear in 5 metres of water. A large ray was just astern of us, drifting lazily along. I wished I had had the foresight to put the underwater camera just under the surface, the photo would have been so much better.

No wind at all for the start of the sail but it eventually built to the low twenties, gusting to mids but happily from behind. We had a heart stopping moment as we motored over a kelp raft just as we entered the harbour. The engine coughed, the rock wall loomed then Fling picked herself up and surfed on in!

After a night on the outer wall we sought refuge in the inner harbour, tying up to the wharf. I love a working harbour, so much to see. Mid morning I was surprised to hear a low engine growl behind us and looked up to see an eighty foot tuna boat looming over us! We felt quite tiny…The catch was quite small but the season has only just begun and the locals tell us the water temperature isn’t yet high enough for good yields just yet.

The next weather window opened up and we quite happily departed for Bateman’s Bay. Several really big dolphins accompanied us out of the harbour this time. The wind stayed stubbornly on the nose until the last 4 nm, and we then had a five hour wait for the tide to get us across the bar into the harbour. After tying Fling up as best we could in a catarmaran pen we settled in to watch hundreds of Flying Foxes migrating back to their evening colony north of us.

This next week’s weather will bring us strong winds associated with the tropical low that has been causing havoc in Queensland so we plan on staying put for a good few days.This marina will offer us more shelter than Bermagui to the south, so best to wait here we think.

After a long day dealing with the hot weather we were the very happy recipients of some most generous local kindness. Graham, the owner of the Swan 51 next door kindly drove us to exchange a gas bottle and reprovision. All with door to door service and so much kindness, thanks Graham, we hope to offer the same generosity to you should you visit Port Phillip Bay!
We watched the twilights that evening from the yacht club deck and met a family who only visit the yacht club once a year but who have a family tradition of coming down to watch the twilight racers, examining the boats as they leave, then placing their interfamily bets. Wonderful to see! They enjoyed a family dinner which must have easily spanned four generations and had a grand evening speculating! No sheep farms lost, but lots of fun!
The very strong southerly was booting Fling under her stern and making life uncomfortable so we moved to another pen, again with Graham’s assistance and support. It’s great to be in a marina which is all about sailing and sailors, as opposed to the many which are not affiliated with an active sailing group and are thus, just a ‘marina facility’.
Craving quietness we retreated the next day to the upper reaches of Middle Harbour.
Here after waiting to scoot under the opening bridge we sailed past enormous and impossibly placed waterfront mansions and in the blink of an eye we turned the corner to the greatest respite one could ever have from Sydney Harbour.
Bantry Bay is completely surrounded by Garrigal Nationsl Park. From even the midst of the eight public moorings you can see no houses, and hear only cicadas and birds calling.
In fact the only sound you might crave is the gentle and predictable sound of ‘Mr Vittoria’, the newspaper and coffee boatman who visits at eight am and four pm. Coffees and papers in the morning and ice creams and soft drinks in the afternoon. All is good in paradise!
I’m sure I have read somewhere that Bantry Bay became isolated from the public because of the raucous parties held there during the late 1920′s, but don’t quote me on that. It just might have been because this was the site that the government decided was a safe place to store munitions during the last two centuries.To this day it is forbidden to walk on the western shore, yet somehow the national trust has manged to re-roof several of the buildings!
After leaving Bantry Bay we headed across to the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia where we spent a day relaxing over lunch on the deck (a tradition for us) and catching up with our beautiful niece Nicole and her partner Scott for dinner. Happily they live a mere 800m from the CYCA!
We enjoyed a grand dinner, much credit to Scott who just seems to have the knack with pork crackling, then wandered back home through the park to Fling.
This morning the weather looked ok, sounded ok, but was in fact cold and rainy, and as ever, on the nose. We left the heads with two warships accompanying us, as we did two years ago. (Do they not trust us I wonder?) By the time we were off Coogee Beach the weather had improved, the sea and sky sparkling.
The naval vessels headed out to sea and we headed a short 21 nm down the coast to Gunnamatta Bay. Currently enjoying a mooring and watching tomorrow’s weather to decide if we should enjoy this lovely inlet some more or set sail south once again.