A magic Saturday on The Clarence ...

My Saturday crew had to pull out so I headed off to the Big River Sailing Club minus crew. I needn't have worried, Saturday is club day and there was no shortage of takers.



Before lunch I went out with Adrien and his twin 5 year old sons. Adrien owns a 44 ft yacht which he has sailed half way round the world. My afternoon crew owns a 20 ft cruising catamaran. Both these skippers were impressed with Little Dragon's responsive performance.

It was one of those magic days when everything was just right: fine sailing breeze 10 -12 knots, sunshine but not too hot or humid, no mozzies, camaraderie on board and in the clubhouse, no equipment failures and no major blunders on my part.

The new sails look very smart but as the first photo shows the luff is slack. The sail maker is going to put in an extra cringle so that I can fit a Cunningham. With luck next time it will be a photo of a taut luff.


This photo shows off the new jib and its furler.

By late afternoon everyone drifted off home and I settled in to enjoy the mozzie free dusk aboard Little Dragon accompanied by a glass (or two) of red wine and a very palatable sachet of rice and vegetable curry that just needed heating up.

Dismasted but the sails survived

Little Dragon was looking great for the start of the sailing season, the rudder painted red, the timber trims freshly varnished and the white deck all polished. The new sails arrived a week ago to replace the 30 year old ones. So I was all set to show her off at the Big River Sailing Club and put the new sails through their paces. Andrew Landenberger (Olympic NS14 sailor and sailmaker) was coming the next day to check out his handiwork and I hoped he would give me a few hints on tuning the boat up.

I arrived early and took my time rigging. No pressure. Then my crew Lee and Nicky came and we launched anticipating two great days sailing. Unfortunately that was not to be ....

There was a strong SW wind which meant we had to get off a lee shore. Easier to motor than sail - or so I thought. The outboard started (it sometimes refuses) but I couldn't get the motor down. I was being yelled at from the shore "you'll burn it out!" I didn't need telling. I knew. I was blown back onshore and the "experts" also found it wouldn't go up and down properly. End of that story seems to be that a bolt has sheared and it will need drilling out and replacing.

John Woods hopped aboard and we managed to get off the lee shore. The rescue boat took him ashore and delivered me my crew - Lee and Nicky who we had left behind.

We thought our troubles were over. We hoisted the new sails. The mainsail set really well but I think the jib could do with a bit of fine tuning. The next problem was the brand new jam cleat for the mainsheet. I replaced the old one as it kept slipping. Well it certainly jammed but it proved very hard to unjam. It is a Ronstan fitting so it should do its job. I need to have total control over the mainsheet. Um... I reckon I need to consult with more of the "experts".

We sailed for about and hour and a half. The dinghy racing was about to start. I was at the helm. We were on a broad reach. All seemed well in the world. Then wham - we were dismasted! I had no idea why. No-one was hurt and the mast and sails looked ok. I started the motor and headed towards the bank planning to anchor in shallower water. It was too deep out in the channel. Luckily Harriet and John were in the start boat for the dinghy racing. They spotted us and came and towed up back to the ramp. Thanks to you both and apologies for causing a delayed start.

We pulled the mast and sails aboard and decided that we had better get Little Dragon ashore where we could see the damage. Now for the next drama of the day (I reckon it was one too many). I backed the trailer down the ramp to exactly the same depth as usual and we winched the boat onto the trailer. However my Subaru Forrester couldn't tow her up the ramp. It was very low tide and heaps of sticky mud had been dumped on the ramp in last year's flood. So my trailer had sunk into the mud. I was pulled out by a Pajero, more thanks to club members. By the way I wasn't the only one. The Pajero had to rescue another stuck trailer half an hour later.

By this time we were all soaking wet and cold but came back to life with hot showers and cups of tea in the clubhouse.

Finally John Woods took a look at the damage. He immediately found the cause of the calamity. I plead guilty. I hadn't attached the starboard stay correctly to the fitting on the deck so the pin broke. I promise I won't make the same mistake again. It turns out that the only damage was to the mast step and the gooseneck. They both needed a bit of hammering back into shape. The sails were fine. John offered to do the minor repairs overnight at his place in Ashby. John you are a gem.

Sorry to my crew Nicky and Lee that you didn't get any Sunday sailing and to Keith and Noela that Monday was also off. Of course I also had to cancel Andrew Landenberger - sorry you didn't get the text message.

I don't reckon I can continue to launch at Harwood at less than half tide until the mud has been dug off the ramp.

Home again and time for maintainance

Home again and as usual time to hose her down, flush the outboard and generally clean up.

Only a few days later Pat flew back to England and I need to set about some winter maintainance (as well as attack the neglected garden):

* new sails

*varnish the bright work

*decide how/if to get the centre plate out and then sandblasted, bogged and repainted and find a way to hold the plate down if we capsize (a daunting prospect)

*new mainsheet fitting

*turn a large old mainsail into a boat cover

Tin Can Bay to Kauri Creek

Pat and I drove back from the Whitsundays to Tin Can Bay and were reunited with Little Dragon still perched high and dry in the yard of the holiday shack. Nicky and Noela had to fly home and start work immediately.





Again the holiday shack and Tin Can Bay proved a great spot to rest up for a couple of days.



But the sun was shining, the tides just right and the wind favourable. So we couldn't resist planning an overnighter, especially as we had found a chart in the holiday shack.




I thought things were going well when I managed to back down the wide ramp with a reasonable degree of aplomb. Suddenly I heard an ominous crunch. Instead of waiting for me a guy had backed his trailer right into my front bumper. Then he had the gall to blame his wife - her crime was not to be there to guide him!



One can only launch at the public jetty near high tide. This was late morning so we were able to take advantage of the ebb all the afternoon. We had a splendid sail reaching Kauri Creek (which is to put it in non-nautical terms) first on the left past the Wide Bay Bar.





It is time to show that even though Little Dragon doesn't have a galley we still manage to brew a decent cup of coffee. That evening after enjoying the sunset we feasted on a couple of surprisingly tasty precooked rice and curry mixes that only needed heating in their sachets.






Next day we tacked all the way back to Tin Can Bay, this time taking advantage of the morning flood tide.





The shackles keep coming off the track on the mast and the photo is of me (yet again) fixing the problem. Hopefully my new sails (due late August) won't have the same problem.

Little Dragon crew go bareboating in Whitsundays

Little Dragon is a bit small to take round the Whitsundays so Pat and I decided to charter a bareboat from Whitsunday Rent a Yacht for 10 days and invite a couple of Little Dragon's regular crew to join us - Nicky and Noela. The photo is of Amalie, a Jeanneau 37.





My sister Pat was skipper and she had her work cut out as apart from the first and last days it consistently blew around 20 knots and at one time even up to 26 knots. Luckily we practised putting in a reef on day 1. On day 2 we needed to reef and we spent the rest of the trip putting in 1 reef, then 2 reefs and sometimes shaking them out again.





Although it was windy we managed to find sheltered anchorages almost every night: Langford Reef (first night when it was calm), Butterfly Bay, Cid Island, Nara Inlet, Tongue Bay and Hamilton Island (where we spent 1 night in the marina and took on more water and fresh food).


As a bunch of ocean swimmers we were determined to get some good snorkelling. Langford Reef and Manta Ray Bay were excellent, but the western anchorage at Butterfly Bay was our favourite.






Another highlight for me was visiting the Aboriginal cultural site at Nara Inlet. Last time I visited it had been shockingly vandalised. Now it was been superbly restored and it has very moving interpretative displays - an absolute must see.

Pat was keen to hone her navigation skills and Noela proved a keen trainee.







Thanks for everything Nicky and Noela.

High and dry in Tin Can Bay

Pat was lucky enough to be offered use of an old style holiday shack in Tin Can Bay. We drove there from the Dreaming Festival. The photo shows Little Dragon high and dry in the yard only metres away from the mangroves.

We spent 3 days resting up after the Dreaming Festival, checking out Tin Can Bay with a view to sailing at least up to the Wide Bay Bar in a couple of weeks (more of that later) and preparing for our bareboating jaunt in the Whitsundays (more of that later).

Pat and I really took to Tin Can Bay - probably because it was so reminiscent of our childhood at Leigh-on-Sea (nicknamed Leigh-on-Mud) on the Thames Estuary in England.

I couldn't resist snapping Pat waiting her turn to feed the dolphin.

This wonderful road sign is on the exit from the giant boat trailer park at Tin Can Bay. If only there had been such a sign at the Big River Sailing Club... (see earlier posts about my new mast!)

Little Dragon returns to Dreaming Festival

Little Dragon was such a popular landmark and meeting place in the camp site at the 2008 Dreaming Festival that I decided we would return for the 2009 Dreaming Festival. Little Dragon performs well as almost as well as a caravan as a sailing boat!

She rose above a mini tent city comprising my sister Pat, Sue Craig, Andi and Jessie, Lesley and Susie, Cas and Nancy plus others such as Rae and her sisters plus Cathie not far away.




















This photo shows that the Stingray Ocean Swimmers pop up everywhere - there were enough of us at the Festival to wish Cathie "happy birthday".

It was a great festival and the highlight for many of us was David Page performing Page 8. Mick Dodson, Australian of the Year, gave the keynote address.

Pat sails Little Dragon at Harwood

The scaffolding that imprisoned Little Dragon in my back yard was removed just in time for my sister Pat and I to head off to Harwood for a couple of nights.


We were very fortunate as the nights we had identified turned out to be a short window of fair weather sandwiched between periods of wind and rain.


I had wanted to sail down to Iluka and overnight there but the Clarence River was still in flood from all the rains and it seemed inadvisable. Instead we pottered around up and down the river fairly close to Harwood and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. A gentle SE breeze.


We stern anchored at Harwood and slept aboard for a couple of nights but headed out in the evenings for a feed and to escape the voracious mozzies.


Although the Clarence River is amazingly underused by recreational sailors there is often something going on. On Anzac Day a flotilla of classic wooden motor boats put into Harwood for a lunch break.



I was half expecting John Woods to join us in his Hartley 16 on Anzac Day and then chase us up and down the river (Hartley 16s are rated as faster than a Farr 5000). Instead he and Col arrived in a tinny when we were near the bridge. We towed them for half an hour or so and chatted about things nautical.


It gave me a real buzz to show off Little Dragon to my sister Pat and I was pleased that she managed to tune the rig a bit so that the sails now set a bit better. Unfortunately although the wind was moderate the jib tore and we furled it up and found she sailed well under main alone. There is no doubt that both sails are starting to disintegrate and need replacing very soon.

PS Coffee drinkers: we had a seriously good coffee at Cafe Wa in Maclean.

PPS Shame I got a heavy cold and felt rotten on day 2.

Little Dragon imprisoned by scaffolding

Last October my roof was so badly dented by a wild hail storm that it has to be replaced. Scaffolders turned up 10 days ago and the roofers were due the following day. As the photos show Little Dragon is for all intents of purposes imprisoned.





The very next day it rained and there have been gales and storms virtually every day since then. What was meant to be a 3 day roofing job looks like going on for weeks. There is yet another strong wind warning for tomorrow.








Very reluctantly I abandon my plans to sail at Iluka over Easter with Beronice and Savaad.

On a more positive note Andrew Landerberger has done an excellent job repairing my mainsail. Thank you Andrew.

Mainsail blows out at BRSC regatta

This was my first time as a participant at the Big River Sailing Club annual regatta. The forecast was 13 - 18 knots SE, so Nicky and I were looking forward to a thrilling sail in Little Dragon. We planned to follow the fleet from Harwood to Iluka and back (we don't race).

The fleet was divided into six divisions from super fast cats across various fast mono hull classes such as the NS14s and finally a bunch of trailer sailors - mainly Hartley 16s.

It was less than 13 kts when we set off but the wind just kept increasing and on the way back it was gusting up to 25 kts (or so the post mortem claimed). We were having a ball and extremely pleased with Little Dragon's performance. Nicky took the helm most of the way and I kept control of the main sheet. We were trying to keep well out of the way of the race fleet - but that was easier said than done. I wished that I had a reef in but it seemed too difficult to reef while under way. I didn't anticipate needing one when we set off. Small boats were capsizing all over the place and when we returned we learnt that a Hartley 16 and a Cole 19 had gone over.

A boat overtook us gesticulating madly and yelling. We were puzzled as we weren't in their way so we assumed it was just friendly encouragement. Within seconds we realised what they were trying to tell us - our mainsail was starting to rip and before we could come head to wind the rip went across the width of the sail. It was all over for us, we got the main down and motored back to Harwood.

I spread my damaged mainsail out in front of the clubhouse at breakfast the next morning. The consensus was "repairable" and I was introduced to one of the competitors, Andrew from Grafton, who is an experienced sail maker. With a spot of luck I should have it back with a new panel within a week. Andrew confirmed that it was almost certainly the original sail so almost 30 years old - not bad.






The Big River Sailing Club members, and in particular the catering group, do a splendid job and I look forward to attending their next regatta - the Bridge to Breakers next November.

I am sorry Beronice and Savaad that I had to cancel your Sunday sail, I think the photo of the sail shows that sailing was out of the question. It might not have been such a bad thing as by early afternoon it looked like the wind was coming up to well over 20 kts just like the day before. It was also rain and shine, hence the rainbow.

Modelling the nautical caps

Caz Coffey gave me the jaunty nautical caps, so Nicky and I felt we should model them, thanks Caz. I reckon if we showed our up wearing them at the Big River Sailing Club we would be expected to shout a round of drinks!

Nicky and I decided to launch at Brushgrove on the Clarence River (between Maclean and Grafton). It is a good ramp and we launched uneventfully. However we were spooked by the high voltage power line just below the ramp. It said 10.9 metres and we clear under 9 m but they did look like instant death. So I towed Little Dragon about 100 m behind the zodiac just below the power lines and then we raised the mast.

Although it was almost 3 pm before we got under way we had a great sail almost all the way downstream to Lawrence and back again - only slightly marred by hassles with the jib furler. Nicky got heaps of practice tacking. The wind was NE initially around 6 kts and increasing to maybe 14 kts. I thought about putting a reef in and we would probably have sailed better if I had. Next day we met a Big River Sailing Club member who told me that he had capsized his Hartley 16 racing the previous day at Harwood, so it must have been blowing.

We returned to Brushgrove and anchored for the night just clear of the power lines and rowed across to the pub for dinner. Excellent. Then it was a moonlit row back to Little Dragon for a night aboard. We rapidly spread the fly wire across the entrance to the cabin as the mozzies were ferocious
Next morning it was, as seems the norm on the Clarence River, a dead calm. We had a leisurely start and sorted out the problems with the jib furler and there still wasn't any wind. I was hanging out for a cappuccino at Ulmarra, so we decided to motor upstream. It was fascinating to watch the bird life and observe rural life on the banks. We really need to learn more about the vegetation. Were the impenetrable reeds native or weeds? We tied up at the pontoon at Ulmarra and found that the trendy coffee shop was closed for annual holidays. Never mind the beer garden at the pub is gorgeous.

By lunchtime it was absolutely stinking hot so we braved the muddy water and went for a refreshing swim. At last, at 1.30 pm, the wind finally arrived, initially a light NE but it soon increased to a brisk breeze. We set sail and hadn't been under way for long when there was a heavy rain squall. Nicky at the helm got drenched and a bit chilly. It was amazing to be so hot and within an hour cold. I was snug doing some repairs in the cabin - very well timed.

We got back to Brushgrove by 5 pm with the sky looking like a thunderstorm was imminent so we packed up and got ashore as fast as possible. After enjoying a cuppa and snack we set off on the long drive home. Thanks Rob for cooking dinner for two weary, windswept but happy sailors.

The last photo is of Little Dragon with her anchor light anchored at Brushgrove.

The prawn trawling fleet

Another peaceful night aboard Little Dragon and at 7 am I had just boiled the billy and brewed up my earl grey tea and was contemplating returning to my bunk to finish the SMH. Suddenly the boat rocked violently and my cuppa was in the scuppers. A prawn trawler had motored down the river towards Iluka. I looked up river and saw about 100 metres behind a second trawler, then a third, then a fourth. They were all motoring at the same speed and keeping the same distance apart like a military convoy. I lost count but I reckon that there were around 30 and each one rocked Little Dragon violently and heaven knows what damage they cause to the banks.

Keith Mountford (another swimming friend who has sailed with me previously at Ballina) arrived for a day sail and to help me pack up. Unfortunately there was virtually no wind. Undeterred we set off under motor hoping for at least a light breeze to come up. It usually does by late morning on the Clarence River. It didn't so we anchored on the opposite side of the river and had lunch. Still no breeze and we were just about to give up and motor back when we saw cats paws. A slight ripple on the water. The sails started to fill. In the nick of time the breeze came and we set sail very tentatively upstream towards Harwood Bridge.

By the time we reached the bridge there was enough wind to start enjoying ourselves and we tacked all the way back to Harwood. Unfortunately our time ran out and we had to pull the boat out and pack up. Thanks Keith for all your help.

Beronice frees the anchor warp

At last it all came together, boat ship shape, fair winds forecast and keen crew - Savaad and Beronice - available. Three year's ago Savaad was first mate on the sailing catamaran Pelican andBeronice and I were passengers on a voyage from Darwin to Broome.

The clubbies at the Big River Sailing Club are bemused at how many different crew I have, but I really enjoy giving my friends the chance to share the unpredictable experience. Despite the mishaps described below we all had a ball and quite remarkably both Beronice and Savaad are keen to come again.

After the usual delays in getting rigged and launched we were finally underway - heading downstream towards Iluka. It was one of those magic days when everything was just right, a perfect SE sailing breeze. We kept going until Iluka was in sight but the tide turned and it was time to reach back again.

Our only adventure that day was while sailing past a formidable looking dock keeping outside some yellow marker buoys. A tug steamed out from the dock towards us at full speed. Initially we thought it hadn't seen us and was about to ram us. Then they got a loud hailer out and bossily instructed us to "Keep Outside The Yellow Markers". The whole episode was quite intimidating. Later we learnt that Yamba is a port of entry and it was the quarantine dock. The tramp steamer alongside must have been waiting for clearance.

Beronice and Savaad spent the night at the Harwood Hotel, fortunately not too disturbed by the local bucks and hens parties. I had a peaceful night aboard, stern anchored as usual in front of the Big River Sailing Club.

Next morning the SE wind came up early so we decided to forgo our planned coffees at Yamba and set sail. The wind kept increasing and swung SW. This time the plan was to sail up to the Harwood Bridge (3 km), drop the mast and motor under the bridge, raise the mast and sail towards Maclean then back again to Harwood, again dropping the mast to get under the bridge. I warned Beronice and Savaad that it would be the first time I had dropped the mast and raised it again when afloat. As I feared it was a time consuming hassle and I don't intend to do it again if I can avoid it.

When we eventually got under the bridge we anchored on the other side, lunched, raised the mast and prepared to sail off the mooring. Beronice tried to raise the anchor and it wouldn't budge. This time I realised what had happened as it has happened once before - the anchor warp had twisted round the keel. Savaad and I flattered Beronice by praising her diving skills and persuaded her to descend into the muddy, fast flowing water to free the anchor. She mentioned "bull sharks" but Savaad and I and seemed to be temporarily deaf - neither of us fancied the job! I tied a line round Beronice's middle so that I could haul her aboard if anything went wrong. Beronice saved the day. Many thanks. Although she deserved a whisky (I keep a medicinal flask among the stores) all she would accept was a cup of tea.

We decided to abandon the plan to sail to Maclean and instead drop the mast again, motor back under the bridge, anchor, raise the mast and sail back to Harwood. I should mention that by this time the wind was far stronger - enough to justify a reef but we decided not to put one in for the short sail back to Harwood. Instead we were going to drop the sail and motor back if it was too much for us. We had almost completed this manoeuvre and I was forward, minding my own business, raising the anchor for the final time. Suddenly the boat heeled so dramatically that I feared capsize. I decided that the best way to avoid a this calamity was to remove my considerable weight from the lee rail by sliding into the water. I was much relieved when the boat rapidly righted itself and I clambered aboard, dripping wet, up the swimming ladder at the stern. The specs say a Farr 5000 is self righting but I have no desire to test this. You need to ask Savaad and Beronice what happened in the cockpit...

The various repairs and maintenance described in the previous post performed well but of course there had to be at least one fresh equipment failure. One of the sliders that attach the mainsail to the mast track broke and the spare kept jamming. I'll have to get that fixed.

After that it was a bit of an anti climax. We enjoyed the short sail back to Harwood and it was time for Beronice and Savaad to leave me to enjoy another night at anchor and await Keith's arrival the following morning.