Harwood to Iluka and back next day is becoming a favourite jaunt

Helen Tom and Valentine Sowenko

Helen, Val and I have been friends since the late 70s in Central Australia. Back then we spent our weekends camping in dry river beds - the antithesis of the Big River. Helen and Val flew up from Bendigo to experience a couple of days on Little Dragon.

The tides were favourable for my favourite overnight jaunt. We were able to sail downstream from Harwood to Iluka on an afternoon ebb tide and back again the following morning on the flood. I was so pleased that The Northern Rivers, which has had more than its share of wind and rain this year, was on its best behaviour for my interstate guests. Dry and light winds.

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Helen and I have sailed together before in the Whitsundays but it was all a new experience for Val who is more frequently to be found playing his classical guitar. However the conditions made it easy for me to hand over the helm to both Helen and then Val. I just said things like "pull it towards you a bit more" then "no, too much, now push it away a bit". All went well until we hit the large red navigation mark near Iluka - the only obstacle for hundreds of metres in any direction. I will draw a discreet veil over the exact sequence of events. Suffice it to say that this mark is new and unlike the old marks turns out to be made of plastic. So we just bounced off totally unharmed, the only dent being to our pride.

Off to Koala Cottage which is close to Sedgers Hotel. We rented it through Iluka Wombah Real Estate and happily recommend it to others.

Helen and I have signed up to crew on a friend's catamaran from Tonga to Fiji in October. So we put in some practice on rope work, tying bowlines and attaching lines to a cleat and suchlike. Not much similarity between a 19 metre ocean going catamaran and my Farr 5000 but these basic skills could come in handy.

Finally the pack up and long haul home

We made record breaking time on this Harwood to Iluka regatta

What strange weather. I arrived at Harwood on Friday to prepare Little Dragon for the race on Saturday from Harwood to Iluka and return. There was an unexpected NE wind which some claimed reached gale force. Around 100 sailors got soaked pitching their tents. The wind blew all night and the next morning more rain. Miserable.


Neil McKenzie crewed for me once in 2011 and asked to come again. This time his wife Lorraine came as well planning a quiet time catching up with her work on her computer. Unfortunately the computer went on the blink, but that is another story...

Come the start of the race at 1.30 pm the rain stopped, the wind swung round to E then SE and moderated to a fine (at least for Little Dragon) sailing breeze.
I was the skipper but Neil was keen to take the helm and did so for much of the time on both Saturday and Sunday. I certainly found that crewing is hard work and I was exhausted by the end of the second day.

We were able to sail much of the way downstream on a narrow reach and a broad reach on the return with the tide. I have to admit that our personal best time had more to do with the conditions than our skill. We came in 4th out of 4 in our division but there was only 3 mins between us and the winner on corrected time. We consoled ourselves that that wasn't too bad.

It rained again on Saturday night and all through Sunday morning. However, lo and behold, at around noon when the racing started the rain stopped and there was another fine sailing breeze. I suppose some of the spectators may have found it a bit tame - hardly any capsizes or breakages but we enjoyed ourselves.

On Sunday we tried hard to improve our start - but failed badly for the first race. So we tried even harder for the second race. This time we were so keen that we were over the line and had to do a penalty restart. Clearly we need to practice starting.

You can just see Little Dragon on starboard behind the large yacht heading toward a dinghy on port. There were 69 entrants in this regatta ranging from a windsurfer to the substantial yacht in the photo. One needs to keep really alert in such a mixed fleet.

At the prize giving Neil and I were amazed at being called up for 2nd place in our division. The race committee was very generous and I will treat it as an encouragement award.

All in all despite the strange weather it was a most enjoyable regatta.

Summer hols on the Clarence

Tuesday 3 January
The BRSC has a break from racing over the Christmas/New Year holiday season but members just can't keep away. They come down to enjoy using the  tranquil facilities and social sailing. I arrived and rigged Little Dragon ready for the first of my many crew the next morning.  As usual I stern anchored Little Dragon to the bank and slept aboard enjoying being gently rocked to sleep, Col and Jan were staying in their caravan, Paul was in a small tent and John, who lives at Ashby Heights nearby, showed up most days. The previous week had been far too windy for much sailing and I was lucky to arrive at the start of a few days of settled fair winds and tolerably cool days.
Wed 4 Jan - Crew Noela Yates and Nicky Greenlaw

4 January 2012 Noela and Nicky

Nicky, Noela and I had a magic day just sailing up and down the river. One of those comparatively rare days when all went well. Well almost - we did break the tiller (which had rotted). A huge thank you to John Woods who fashioned a new one overnight.

John Woods tries out his newly restored classic wooden Heron dinghy

John Woods was out sailing his superbly restored old Heron dinghy and asked us to take a few shots of him underway.

Thur 5- Fri 6 Jan - Crew Cathy Jones

Dawn at Harwood

It really is worth waking for sunrise. The river is glassy calm, an occasional fish jumps, sometimes a pod of dolphins cruise by and maybe a sea eagle soars overhead. Then some ... stink boat wrecks it all. Time to make an early cup of tea.

5th Jan - the bike just stows in Little Dragon

Cathy arrived in time for us to set sail and catch the ebb tide down river to Iluka. We had to tack most of the way, but no problem. Good practice for Cathy!

At Iluka we tied up at the new pontoon in front of Sedges Pub. It was a busy hub of healthy holiday fun, kids swimming, dinghies coming in and out. We could have done without the jet boats....

We enjoyed an excellent fish dinner at the pub, an ocean swim the following morning and an unexpectedly good coffee in the village centre before catching the afternoon flood tide back to Harwood. It was a real bonus to find that there is just room to stow my folding bike in Little Dragon.

As we left Iluka harbour I was surprised to find John and Paul in their single handed Sabres. It had taken them 3 hours to sail down from Iluka and it was going to be another 3 hours back. The BRSC's Sabre fleet has expanded in a year from 3 to 8 boats, becoming popular with slightly arthritic former Laser sailors.

Cathy crewed from Harwood to Iluka and back

Sat 8th Jan - crew Nicky (again) and Barbara Stewart

Another peaceful dawn at Harwood

Beronice and Savaad were the Saturday crew but they had to cancel at short notice. Nicky was keen for a return visit and she recruited another ocean swimmer, Barbara Stewart. Barbara had been hoping for a sail for a while and this was her chance. Barbara is an ecologist and she was particularly keen to see how much native vegetation remained along the banks. Her assessment seemed to be not bad in some places but none at all in others where manicured lawns reach right down to the water's edge.

There was less wind than the day before but still a pleasant NE breeze. We sailed down the river and then Nicky practised helming on a run without gybing. The conditions were such that an accidental gybe wouldn't have been a drama.

7th Jan - crew change - Nicky and Barbara Stewart

Sun 8 Jan - Mon 9 Jan - Crew Lewis and Martin Bail
On Saturday afternoon Theresa arrived and set up camp for herself, her 15 year old son Lewis, his 15 year old cousin Max and his mate Jake. Martin doesn't like camping and came early on Sunday for the day. The plan was that Martin and Lewis would sail with me on Little Dragon and Theresa would take the Max and Jake surfing at Yamba.

8 Jan - final crew change - Martin and Lewis Bail

The plan went like clockwork. At first there wasn't much wind but still enough for Lewis and Martin to get the feel of the tiller on a gentle reach up to Harwood Bridge. We met up with Kingsley in his Noelex 25 waiting for the bridge to open at noon. We sailed around each other for a while exchanging pleasantries. I warned him I had novices at the helm. He mischievously told them that the larger vessel always has right of way.

The wind was forecast to pick up to 28 knots in the afternoon. By the time we got back to the clubhouse  there was a lively breeze. I gave my enthusiastic crew a taste of heeling and having to move faster when tacking. Sadly the wind kept rising and I decided that enough was enough. Drop the sails and motor back. In retrospect a wise decision as not long after it really did blow up.

On Monday Theresa and Lewis were my designated crew but that wasn't to be. The weather changed. Stinking hot and not a breathe of wind. Thanks Lewis for helping with the pack up. We all struck camp and headed homeward.

Huge River Sailing Club Christmas Party

Sarah renames the BRSC as Huge River Sailing Club

Saturday 17 December
At last, a dry day forecasted and a pleasant 6 - 9 knot SE wind. Little Dragon would enjoy a relaxed social sail. I went down to Harwood on Friday afternoon planning to rig and then enjoy a quiet evening watching sunset over the Clarence River. I had a hunch that the forecast wasn't accurate when the wind failed to die away at sunset and continued to blow all night. Normally there is hardly a ripple at dawn but on Saturday there was already a good sailing breeze at 7 am.

By 9.30 am club members were rigging dinghies for a crowd of excited and enthusiastic youngsters. The breeze increased and there were plenty of capsizes before the lunch time sausage sizzle. No-one seemed to mind. It was a gloriously sunny fun day.

Naomi, Cooper and Matthew

John, one of the adults who had been helping launch the dinghies, came out with me and a trio (Naomi, Cooper and Matthew) of youngsters for a pre-sizzle sail. Thanks John, we needed two pretty hefty adults as well as our lightweight crew to keep Little Dragon reasonably upright. The wind had backed to a southerly so we were able to reach up and down the river and never attempted to come right on the wind. The youngsters all had a (closely supervised) turn on the helm and learnt how to handle the jib sheet. It was a pleasure to have the youngsters aboard and a relief that they all said they had enjoyed the experience.

By the time we had finished the festive fare there was too much wind for relaxed social sailing - so I packed up early. NB I checked the Yamba observations when I got home and it recorded a gust of 28 knots during the afternoon.

2nd place in Bridge to Breakers Regatta 2011

My sister Pat was so keen to compete that she delayed her return flight to England for a couple of days. I always intended that she should take Little Dragon's helm as she is far better at racing than I am. I would have been quite content to crew, but it didn't work out that way. I was still feeling a bit down from some pesky virus so opted to watch and photograph the event from the BRSC deck.

(Above) As usual Commodore Hariet Woodrow and Mark gave the briefing for this marathon race. Over 60 boats had entered ranging from a windsurfer to a 15 metre yacht. Little Dragon is in Division 7 for slower yachts. The catamaran fleet just gets bigger and bigger and it is pretty scary meeting an A class cat even if one has right of way.

(below) Pat was concerned not to dent Little Dragon's topsides.



















(above) Pat concentrating

(below) Luckily Denise Walker from Lake Keepit Sailing Club was keen to crew. Thanks Denise for stepping into the breach. You and Pat did extremely well in what turned out out to be a tough race.









There always seems to be a strong northerly for this November regatta and this year was no exception. Pat and Denise opted to give it a go under full sail. However just before the 1.30 pm start the wind freshened. They decided to anchor while they put a reef in and as a consequence they were late over the start line. (Note: I must get the reefing lines sorted out so that it is easier to reef underway.)  Others also decided to reef and it was clearly the right decision as shown in the photo below. It was a beat all the way down the river against the tide, hard going with gusts estimated to be up to 25 knots. They got well beyond the Goodwood mark and were on the way to the turning mark at Iluka when the rescue boat instructed them to head for home. They finally did so somewhat reluctantly. They arrived back weary but without damage to themselves or Little Dragon.  Others were not so fortunate and there were many capsizes, broken masts and retirements but luckily this year no serious personal injuries.





On Sunday the forecast was for wind gusting up to 30 knots so the organisers decided on two short races before a late lunch, hoping to finish before the wind really picked up. My friend Robin Crosby (photo below) agreed to be Pat's crew (Denise was crewing on another yacht). I was delighted as Robin is an experienced competitive sailor and boat builder. He built his yacht Whisper that he moors at Wombah. Robin helped trim Little Dragon's sails better than ever before as well as offering valuable tactical advice. Andrew Landenberger must have been relieved to at last see his sails setting well (see the last photo). Second thoughts - I doubt he had time to notice anything while he was racing his A class cat.

Despite the forecast the wind didn't pick up to anything like the strength of the previous day so Pat and Robin didn't reef. They did really well coming second in the first race and winning the second race on corrected handicap times.

At the prize giving Pat almost burst with pride (and surprise) when she heard that Little Dragon had come second in Division 7 for the series of 3 races over the two days. Congratulations to Little Dragon, Pat, Denise and Robin.

As always thanks to everyone at the BRSC who as usual made this such an enjoyable event.

Whales frolic in Platypus Bay

19 to 24 October 2011

* Wednesday 19th tow Little Dragon from Byron Bay to Urangan, launch and stay overnight in Marina
* Thursday 20th Urangan to Moon Point on Fraser Island and overnight at Arch Cliff
* Friday 21th Platypus Bay - whales -  into Wathumba Creek
* Saturday 22th Wathumba Creek - overnight offshore off Moon Point
* Sunday 23th Kingfisher Bay Resort
* Monday 24th Kingfisher to Urangan

My sister Pat and I had been preparing for this trip for ages. We had the charts, a Garmin 72H GPS (no maps) and an EPIRB as well as heaps of food, water, bedding and wet weather gear. Quite a tight fit in a 5 metre boat.

Peter had set off a few days ahead of us in Just Farr Us, his Farr 6000. He enjoys fishing at Wathumba and we planned to rendezvous there with him. Unfortunately there was no way we could communicate with him at Wathumba as he has a 27mh radio and we have VHF and he doesn't have a Next G phone which is the only network with coverage.

It was a long day towing Little Dragon to Urangan, rigging, launching and at dusk motoring round into a casual marina berth for the night. The next morning we put the car and trailer into storage for a week, had a very disappointing egg and bacon roll and coffee at the marina cafe but then set off in high spirits. The wind had been blowing well over 24 knots SE the previous few days but at last it was moderating - or so we thought. Once we left the marina the wind strengthened and the observations show gusting 23 knots at 1300. We fairly flew across to Moon Point on a broad reach. Exhilarating and slightly scary. We considered reefing but I need to rearrange the reefing lines to make it easier to do underway.

From Moon Point we sailed close to the Fraser Island coastline NE, in the gutter, reaching Arch Cliffs just before dusk. These cliffs provided excellent shelter from the strong E - SE wind and we had a pleasant happy hour then turned in early. It may be tight quarters but the bunks are excellent.

Next morning we set off again under sail towards Wathumba Creek in a 10 - 12 knot SE with plenty of time to do a spot of whale watching and still arrive at Wathumba bar around midday on half flood.  We headed several miles out into Platypus Bay and I was so pleased for Pat that several whales turned on a splendid performance for us, jumping, breaching, flapping their tails - the works.

We were feeling very pleased with ourselves as we located and approached Wathumpa. However, the first problem to arise was that the jib furler wouldn't work, and it was a head wind. So we anchored and removed the jib entirely, deciding to motor in across the shallow bar, negotiate the shallow lagoon and fix the furler problem once we were safely anchored in Wathumpa. Next problem the motor wouldn't start. Yes, I did check the fuel. Yes it had worked earlier that morning. It was getting close to high water. Pat was game to try and sail in under reefed main but I wasn't so I radioed to see if anyone nearby could tow us over the bar and into the anchorage.

Luckily for us Headmaster responded immediately and offered a tow. She is also just 5 metres but has an over 100 hp engine and is owned by the Wooli NSW Marine Rescue unit commander. He and his wife had gone away to take a break from rescues! They took us under tow and right into the lagoon alerting Peter to our plight. He had just emerged from fishing up a creek in the mangroves. Then they zoomed off just in time to avoid getting stranded on a sandbank or the bar as by this time the ebb had really set in. Thank you so much.

Headmaster.

Preparing to be towed

Little Dragon under tow by Headmaster. I certainly hope it is a long while before I need to call for help again, but it is reassuring to know that help came so quickly when needed.

We rafted up with Just Farr Us for the night.

 Next morning we sorted out the furler problem and with Peter tried to find out why the engine wouldn't start the previous day. Plenty of fuel. No water in the fuel line. Prime suspect oily spark plug (yes I did have a spare but it wasn't needed). The engine worked again. Thanks Peter

Peter wasn't having much joy with catching fish or crabs and reported swarms of sand flies. I hate sand flies. By late morning it was raining. So instead of enjoying Wathumpa for a day or two we decided to leave in convoy on the lunchtime tide. Before then Peter and Pat took the zodiac over to the camping area (yes, it still has water taps and loos working, but no showers) as well as walking over to the beach. 

 I was keen to show Pat the Kingfisher Bay Resort but we knew that we would need to anchor overnight on the way. The rain stopped and we enjoyed a comfortable reach back down the Fraser Island coast all the afternoon. I normally anchor well before dusk but we were "quite close" to a better anchorage near Moon Point. Peter suggested that we follow him arriving in the dark. I was somewhat out of my comfort zone but agreed. I refilled my 3 litre tank before dark. As darkness fell we seemed to be heading way out and at full revs to keep Peter in sight.  It was further than I expected and my engine stopped having run out of fuel. I immediately anchored and Peter suggested we stay put for the night. We spent a pretty uncomfortable night bouncing around in a strong current. With the aid of the GPS we found ourselves on the chart and realised that we were very close to the charted anchorage .

Above Wathumpa lagoon.

Sailing in convoy with Peter on Just Farr Us.

We set sail very early, happy to get going in the last of the flood - but not before a cup of tea. Again we enjoyed a moderate SE wind and made Kingfisher Bay Resort by mid morning and in a SE it is a very protected anchorage. Pat and I had a cappuccino and shower at The Sand Bar in mind. At last the sun came out. We rowed the zodiac ashore (across a strong tide) ahead of Peter who was due to follow in his kayak. Very unfortunately we missed each other ashore, especially as we decided to stay there until high water at about 5pm.  Peter we are so sorry, we should have rowed out to tell you our plans.  Anyway by the time we rowed back late afternoon planning a happy hour and dinner aboard with Peter he had sailed away. We assumed, we later found out correctly, that he had decided to leave for River Heads and start up the Mary River to Maryborough where he had left his trailer.

Next morning we left early to catch the ebb tide along Big Woody Island and into Urangan. It was a flat calm when we left and we expected that the forecast 10-15 knot SE would spring up - but it didn't. So we anchored off  Big Woody Island and had a leisurely breakfast hoping for wind but ended up motoring all the way back to Urangan. Then it was back into the marina, pack up and start the long journey home.

All in all an excellent voyage.  

Clarence River Classic Cruise 2011

I wanted to show off the Big River - The Clarence - to my sister Pat. What better way  than joining the Clarence River Yacht Club annual Classic Cruise (also known as Classic Pub Crawl)? The Clarence has become my favourite sailing base for the last 3 years.

Sunday 2 October.  When we arrived at the Clarence River Yacht Club  (the Scout Hall) in Grafton and it was raining. A spot of deja vu as in 2010 the same event was virtually rained out. Ignoring the rain we rigged and then socialised with other damp trailer sailors at the BBQ. We learnt that 16 boats had signed up.

Monday 3 October. After a leisurely BBQ breakfast we launched and set off down river. Our mood had lifted as the rain had gone and the sun was out. Observations record that there was a 10 knot gusting 14 knot southerly at 11 am. We had a great but all too short sail to Ulmarra - our lunch stop at the Ulmarra pub. This was the only time we anchored and rowed ashore. The rest of the week we were able to raft up at each stop or tie onto a wharf or pontoon. Ulmarra is a gem and Pat was suitably impressed.

After lunch we sailed on downriver to Brushgrove. The observations show that the wind rose to 17 knots gusting 23 knots at around 1400, but I don't reckon it was that strong. We were easily able to stem the flood tide. We puzzled some boats with our erratic progress. I was testing out my new GPS using Brushgrove as a way point.

At Brushgrove we rafted up outside Big River Sailing Club members Col and Jan Hinbrook's riverside house next door to the pub. Perfect. Then we enjoyed an excellent pub dinner and got to know Sue and Jenny who spoke enthusiastically about their experiences crewing that afternoon.

Tuesday 4th October. Another fine morning and a good southerly sailing breeze. So off we went on the ebb tide to Lawrence for lunch. By this time the fleet was all over the place doing their own thing which is fine as the event was billed as a "leisurely cruise". We didn't want a large lunch so settled for just a cuppa at the pub.

Next it was on to Maclean for the night. All was well until about 2 km before Maclean. There was only a light breeze and it was on our nose. The flood tide got stronger and stronger. We tacked backwards and forward many times but just couldn't make it. Defeated, we motored the last bit. I was delighted to find that my favourite spot on the inside of the town pontoon was vacant. It felt like it was just waiting for me.

At Maclean most of us headed off to the local Chinese restaurant. The company was good and the food cheap - but I don't reckon it is likely to win any awards. However the egg and bacon roll and coffee deal at a local cafe the next morning was worthy of an award.

Wednesday 5th October. The organisers had arranged for the Harwood Bridge to be opened at noon for us to sail under as a group. It was such a short distance from Maclean to the bridge that most of us motored then anchored waiting for the moment. It is a strange feeling knowing that all the traffic on the Pacific Highway has been held us just for us.

Once under the bridge the wind died away and many of the fleet decided that it was hopeless trying to reach Iluka under sail against the strong flood tide so on went the motors. We stopped at the Big River Sailing Club for a quick shower. Several times during the afternoon the wind came up briefly and we hauled the sails up but each time it was short lived and we reluctantly put the motor on again. We only have a 5 hp outboard so not surprisingly most of the fleet were lined up along the beach in front of Sedges Pub when we finally arrived. We were the only boat with a stub keel meaning we don't dry out flat, so we tied up to the pub's new pontoon. It is meant to be for 4 hrs only but they seemed OK about us staying overnight. It was a week night out of season.

Thursday 6th October. The organisers planned this as a free day in Iluka and despite the light rain people were heading off on the ferry to explore Yamba. The official plan was for everyone to sail back the next day to Maclean reaching Harwood Bridge at a prearranged time for another opening. We decided it was time to head home,  and I was quite prepared to drop my mast to get under the bridge - I just can't make it safely with it up.

We thought we had timed our departure from Iluka late morning to catch the beginning of the flood tide, but somehow the ebb tide kept running against us for quite a way. The forecast wind didn't materialise and the light rain continued. All in all it wasn't the best trip back to Maclean under motor, but we made it uneventfully and again found space at the pontoon. I suppose one has to accept that it isn't always going to be fine weather.

Friday 7th October. Bruce from Woolgoolga wanted to get his car from Maclean back to Grafton and I wanted to get to Grafton to pick up my car and trailer so we could pull out in Maclean. We came to the obvious arrangement which suited us both.

My old Helly Hensen sailing jacket had lost any pretence at being waterproof, despite reproofing it. Helen had kindly arranged to loan me one after I got soaked on arrival but it was time to buy a new one. So we went to the chandlers at Yamba on the way home only to find that their jackets had been such a bargain that they had sold out.

Saturday 8th October. This is a postscript as on the Saturday we were safely back home in Byron Bay hosing Little Dragon down ready for her next voyage. We watched with horror on the radar a severe storm approaching Grafton. We now know know that the race back from Maclean to Grafton was abandoned. Initially there was absolutely no wind then they were savaged briefly by up to 40 knot winds as well as hail. I gather that they all survived pretty much unscathed. Well done.

Finally a thank you to the organisers of this most enjoyable event and to all the other participants. I hope to meet up with many of you in the future at other trailor sailor events. In fact we have already met up with Ian Flappers Reid at Manly where he showed us round Bayside Sailability.

Pat gets good starts at BRSC Saturday afternoon racing

24th September 2011

Over the last couple of months I had fitted out Little Dragon ready for the new season and and I wanted to be sure that all was well for the Clarence River Classic Cruise in a couple of weeks. Sister Pat had just arrived and the weather looked ok if a bit blowy. So we headed off to the Big River Sailing Club at Harwood for the Saturday afternoon racing.

There was quite a strong SE blowing and the word was that it was likely to increase so we put a reef in. As it turned out it were over cautious and we shook it out during the second race.

Pat has far more racing experience than I have and I was extremely happy to let her take the helm. For the first time at Harwood Little Dragon got excellent starts. Well done Pat.

In the second race Pat was a bit miffed when she misjudged rounding the buoy, not far from Palmer's Channel, and we had to do a penalty turn. Good practice.  When back on shore we learnt that there is a strong current ebbing Palmer's Channel while the Clarence River is still flooding.  I'll know next time.

As our competitors ranged from an Impulse dinghy to an Access Liberty the results really depend on the vagaries of the handicapping yardstick. I reckon the whole afternoon was a great success - largely because Little Dragon seemed to be in fine form.

Now Coxswain Pam

Some of you may have wondered why in my last post I was practising "close manoeuvring" - well it was for my "close manoeuvring" practical exercise which is part of the TAFE coxswain course. The exercise took place on the 18 metre Yamba ferry which is chalk and cheese to my Little Dragon, but I learnt heaps both days  and passed. I wanted to jump all the hurdles and become a coxswain before mentioning it on this blog. Well last Friday I jumped the last hurdle, the dreaded "orals". I had already  passed the TAFE course and had my sea time assessed and accepted by NSW Maritime. 

This photo is a joke take on what I know is a huge responsibility. I am now deemed to be competent to be the commercial master of a 12 metre vessel up to 15 nautical miles out to sea with 12 passengers and a monstrous great engine.

So many of you have supported me in different ways and of course I have much more to learn (especially practical engineering). It is great to be going to sea on SV Pelican next week to put some of this book work into practice, but that will be the topic for another post.

*  Peter Barnes of the nameless Farr 6000, You have helped me so generously with maintenance and passing on your many years of experience, close manoeuvring skills and so much more plus those sea time stat decs.
*  Jim Marco of Intention, you taught me so much aboard Intention in Vanuatu and Fiji, wrote references and stats decs and always had words of encouragement.
*  Peter Styne, your reference from Marine Rescue Byron Bay impressed the Maritime Authorities.
*  Hariet Woodrow, Commodore of Big River Sailing Club, you wrote a supportive reference.
*  Gary McKecknie of Pelican, you completed stat dec forms for my sea time and now are taking me on as crew - thanks.
*  Graeme Richardson of Double-o-Seven who trained me for my day skipper some years ago. You generously scanned the stat dec form and returned it from Sweden
*  Peter Thorne and Helen Vorrath of Nahani, you completed a great reference for sea time but when it wasn't acceptable in that format you redid it as a stat dec.
*  Helen Tom who wrote and confirmed I was master on Cloud, a bare boat charter
*  Rae Wills who completed a stat dec confirming my sea time on One and All and Apollo 111
*  Sally Gearin who also wrote confirming we were masters on a bare boat charter Big Pictures
* Brad and Rhett, my TAFE Ballina lecturers who were so supportive throughout
* Dave and Ben of Maritime Safety Queensland who went out of their way to help overcome bureaucratic hurdles.
* Finally my ever supportive ocean swimming friends who bought a cake to celebrate my success and sang "happy coxswain to you".

Thanks to all I have named above. Thanks also to other masters who I have been unable to contact, especially the masters of Angelique, Amadeus, Eagle Rock, Jean de la Lune, Soren Larsen and One and All; you all appeared in my sea time assessment.

Close quarters manoeuvring

Saturday 4 June 11,

We have had rain, rain and more rain for weeks, months, in fact almost a year. At last a magic early winter day with sunshine and light winds. Peter Barnes and I launched Little Dragon and joined the fishermen (didn't see any women) and kayakers who were out in force on the Brunswick River.

We didn't put the mast up and just  went up and down the river under power. I shouldn't complain about my outboard. It started first pull and didn't miss a beat all day. Why did the outboard start first time when Peter is aboard but need a dozen or more pulls when I need it in a HURRY and there isn't an engineer to be seen? This is purely a rhetorical question.

The object of the exercise was for me to get the hang of what is officially termed close quarters manoeuvring but is primarily focused on getting into and out of a marina berth in all wind and tide conditions without causing mayhem. We spent the whole morning with me practising while Peter explained the finer points. We both got a bit frustrated when I didn't always catch on quickly. It was easy to come alongside a buoy (pretend berth) going forwards stemming the tide so he then made me do it going astern with a fast running tide which is far harder.

 After a lunch break I went back out on the river without Peter and repeated all the manoeuvres. I suspect he was watching from the bank. I was quite proud of my improvement in one day.

Thanks Peter for giving up a whole Saturday to this exercise. I learnt heaps.