Worth a try even though the traffic on the Pacific Highway was likely to be horrific (it turned out not to be a problem).Diana James and I set off for Harwood at 7.30 am on New Year's Day. We became friends over 30 years ago in Central Australia. My image of Diana used to be of someone completely at home living and working in remote Aboriginal communities and I never visualised her as having a nautical past. But recently I found out that she grew up sailing with her family and as a youngster raced dinghies. She was keen to get afloat again and volunteered to crew on Little Dragon. We agreed that the ocean (let's include The Clarence River) and the desert have many similarities. They both deserve respect and one has to learn how to survive in or on them.
On arrival at the Big River Sailing Club we found that two members, Paul Hargan and Col, were staying for the weekend so the clubhouse was open, a real bonus. We were underway by midday and it was one of those fairly rare sails from Harwood down to Iluka when the conditions were just right. The new bimini made summer sailing far more comfortable. We reached all the way and made almost record time pushed along on an extremely strong ebb tide.
At Iluka we spotted Rob Crosby out sailing in his picturesque boat SV Whisper (see photo above). We exchanged shouted best wishes for the new year and Rob suggested that we anchor near them for the night in one of his favourite haunts about half way between Iluka and Harwood (see below Whisper anchored in one of Rob's haunts). Unfortunately I misunderstood the directions and ended up stuck on a sandbar. Rob says that he watched our efforts to get afloat again while enjoying his sun downer beer. He was thinking of rowing over when we got ourselves off. The tide turned and I headed into deeper water and retreated back to Harwood for the night on a flood tide.
Rob gave me some specs for SV Whisper. 9.75 m hull. 12.3 m rig. 2.5 m beam. 0.6 m displacement. CB down 1.4 m Displacement 2750 kg. Ballast 1250 kg lead. Designed by Rob Crosby 1992 as a Shoal draft Canoe yawl, derived from Sharpie/Dory types. Closest to a Rozinante yawl. Built by Rob Crosby and Claire Daily with help of friends. Launched in 1995.
This sign is upstream of the Goodwood wharf and on the southern bank. I have never known why someone felt the need to threaten such drastic measures to protect what appeared to me to be a cane field. Rob tells me that it is a prawn farm that has at times been plundered. OK, now I understand the rationale for the sign but shooting trespassers is just not on.
The next morning was, as usual, a dead calm. Paul offered to drive Diana and I to the Wombah Coffee Plantation for a coffee while we waited for the wind to come up around midday. Phil has a classic Austin 1800 Mk2 and it was a real treat to ride in it. The coffee shop is well worth a visit, I had no idea that a German started growing coffee at Wombah in the 1850s.
After an early lunch we sailed up to the Harwood Bridge, I didn't want to get caught down river with such a strong ebb I wanted to be sure I could get back in good time to pack up and head home. The wind strengthened to a fresh 15 knots (Paul and my estimate) and we had a lively sail. Quite a contrast to the day before. Although it is a long while since Diana has handled a boat it must be like riding a bicycle, it all came back to her. I enjoy taking out complete novices but it is nuch easier with an experienced crew who knows what "head to wind" means and can do it. Thank you Diana. In fact Diana sailed us back to the ramp under full sail with great aplomb. The two of us made a great team for the pack up in, for me, a record 50 mins.
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