A cruise to Geraldton
Since her initial launch some extra work has been completed such as enhancements to the jinker, painting locker lids, installing hatch seals, installing toggles to keep lids in place, creating extra tie down points for batteries, anchors, etc... but this sort of work is endless so I decided it was time to down tools and get in some more sailing time. 21st May saw her launched once again and headed North, bound for port of Geraldton.
The south easterly wind, which later swung to the east was such that Blow fish covered the 100 miles from Jurien Bay to Geraldton in just 22 hours. Athough the seas were not particularly big, the strong wind still had her surfing, frequently. She managed to hit 9 knots at one point, though more commonly she would sit on around 6 knots for sustained stretches. Not bad for a boat of 15' waterline carrying a double reefed main and half sized working jib. I don't have pictures of this, those attached are showing her sailing in lighter winds, but still making very satisfying progress.
One of the jobs completed since her initial launch was to make these horn cleat chocks. Previously the main sheet had been snagging on these stern mooring cleats annoyingly often. Once the chocks had been fitted as shown, the main sheet glided past the horn cleats as though they were not there. Not once in over two weeks of sailing did it hang up on these mooring cleats. A very pleasing result.
On fetching Geraldton, Blow Fish anchored in company directly in front of the Geraldton sailing club.
And very salty looking company she was. I think her owner said 32', or there abouts, built in Canada, and her owner had purchased her in Albany a couple of years earlier. She was very nicely appointed, complete with a servo pendulum wind vane.
It wasn't long before her owner, Mitch, invited me to join him and his friends, Luke, Goose, and Lucy, for a tasty dinner of chicken curry. They were keen surfers, and I was impressed that Mitch had been visiting the nearby Abrolhos islands to surf some waves over the reef in that area. Clearly a man of great courage. His friend Luke in the meantime was engaged in some construction work at the port near our anchorage, and Luke's partner 'Goose' (I don't recall what her real name was) had joined us directly from a gymnastics class. They were good company and it was a fun evening.
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Later on the night of the dinner the wind strengthened and shifted to the NE blowing right into the anchorage. It became rough and Blow Fish rolled so much there was little sleep to be had. Next morning found Blow Fish had dragged somewhat placing her in front of the nearby boat ramp. Some wetsuited spear fishermen soon appeared in a boat with very large outboard, so when they came by I asked if they wouldn't mind towing Blow Fish over a little to be out of the way of the ramp. No problem, and within ten minutes I was relocated, but still in this rolling and rapidly becoming untenable anchorage. Around 13:00 hours there was somewhat of a lull in the wind giving us the chance to hoist sail and get out to the safety of open water. The forecast for the evening was a bit uncomfortable with 25 knot E and NE winds expected and gusting up to 40% higher. About 10 miles offshore Blow Fish hove to under triple reefed main and half sized jib. This was a decidedly more comfortable night than the previous rolly anchorage night, though I did have to keep a watch for shipping. Just before dawn having fore reached about 20 miles to the north west, Blow Fish went about and made once again for Geraldton with the intention to return to the anchorage once the wind had changed direction. By the time she fetched the leads again, conditions were still no go for the anchorage, but were exactly what was needed if we were to begin heading back south along the coast. Not wanting to waste a good wind, cruising plans were altered and we sailed south with gusto.
Incidentally, one of the 'complaints' often heard about gaff rigs is too much twist in the main. On this cruise, many times I observed the set of the main, and really wondered what is the source of this nonsense about large amounts of twist? Perhaps it stems from limitations related to old fashioned sail cloth. Who knows, but if what is shown in this picture is considered severe twist, then I am happy to live with that in exchange for the many positives of gaff rigs.
After another night at sea Blow Fish fetched Jurien Bay where she found an acceptable anchorage behind some reef in the lee of the northern part of the bay. The picture above shows her anchorage with a view westward out to sea.
Next day the swell had increased somewhat. Jurien bay is surrounded by off lying reef and the swells break over this reef in a most spectacular manner. This snap is well to seaward of some of these breakers. They are quite intimidating. I imagine that the mariner unfortunate enough to sail into them would have a rather foreshortened existence on this earth.
After Jurien Bay, Blow Fish next dropped the hook at Woodman Point, a good anchorage not far from home at The Cruising Yacht Club. Woodman Point is the base from which a dredge operates in Cockburn Sound. This fascinating vessel dumps her load by hinging open her entire hull along the fore and aft axis. After dumping she reverses out and the two halves of her hull slowly close back up as she makes her way back out into the sound to continue dredging.
After a couple of nights anchored at Woodman Point it was time to get back to the club as a winter storm was brewing and it looked to be a fairly nasty one. We headed south through the sound passing a number of anchored bulk carriers which use the nearby port facilities.
On returning to the club boat ramp there was a problem. A monster sized power boat had broken its jinker and was stuck on the ramp. It was not possible to remove Blow Fish until the ramp was cleared. Note the strap running from the power boat to the ute parked on the beach in an attempt to prevent the boat falling further. See also, for scale, the man next the boat near the starboard aft wheel of the jinker. In the meantime I was directed to a nearby mooring, from where this photo was taken, and remained there for the night during the opening movement in said storm. Blow Fish moored stern to, and spent a very bouncy night. Later next afternoon, the power boat had been moved, the wind dropped off, and the waves subsided, giving a brief window of opportunity to get Blow Fish out. Friends ashore swung into action while I donned my wetsuit, and between the three of us we soon had Blow Fish safely ashore.
The following morning saw a very very red dawn which foretold of the worsening weather still to come. This photo is taken from the deck of Blow Fish now safely ashore in her hard stand bay. That night we had around 40 knot winds with 52 knots recorded at 03:00 hundred hours.
When the first light of dawn arrived, it was clear that the storm had taken quite a toll. Above are just some of the boats which had broken their moorings overnight to be blown ashore.
Dinghys which had been dragged high and dry were now found to be half submerged, and covered in sea grass. The combination of storm surge and high tide had disappeared the beach.
Some dinghys were completely drowned. And a few had appeared on the beach which had the night before been tied to their owners boats on moorings.
One of the members had his boat come ashore right at the boat ramp.
However, The Cruising Yacht Club is a good community. Everyone was quickly swinging into action first to check that that the many live aboard folk were ok, and secondly to do what could be done by way of re securing boats before this lull in the storm was over and the wind picked up again.
Above a happy outcome for this boat which was successfully hauled back to her mooring by another club member.
At the time of writing this page, winds have returned and there are several days still to get through with 35 knot winds expected. These winds will be from the west and south west, so the club will be more sheltered than the initial weather bomb which caused so much of the damage depicted above.
At the time of writing this page, winds have returned and there are several days still to get through with 35 knot winds expected. These winds will be from the west and south west, so the club will be more sheltered than the initial weather bomb which caused so much of the damage depicted above.