FLINDERS TO PORTLAND ROADS

6 September 2023

Another early morning start, we departed from Stokes Bay before six, the sky was just starting to lighten in the east but in the anchorage it was still dark.  We arrived and departed from Stokes Bay without seeing the shore.  The reason for an early start today is that the run up to Morris Island is around sixty miles and I do like to get anchored and settled down if possible before sunset.

The forecast for the run to Morris island is ESE 15 – 20 knots.  A good forecast and we had the sails pulling well just a few minutes out of Stokes Bay.  The Yankee was poled out to Starboard, the double reefed main out to port and the staysail filling the gap sheeted in to port.  With this sail configuration we are well balanced, track well and reel off the miles in comfort.  We passed Taiwan Shoal, to port with Fife Island being passed to Starboard.

Just before four in the afternoon we anchored in the lee of Morris island.  Although there is not much relief from the wind there is no swell here.  We anchored in 10m with 40 meters of chain in the water.  It had been a good sail up from Stokes Bay, I only saw one other boat all day.  The wind increased during the night and decreased towards sunrise.  The night at anchor was comfortable, I had a good rest.

A beautiful sunrise and a light breeze coming across the reef.  I was in no hurry this morning, its only about twenty miles up to the next anchorage behind Night Island.  After a leisurely breakfast I made some fresh water for a couple of hours.  Just before midday we sailed off the anchor and we were on the way to Night Island, sailing with just the Yankee in about ten knots of wind. 

As it was a short hop and easy sail I put out the fishing lure.  After about ten minutes I had something on the line.  I furled in the Yankee and set about retrieving the fish.  It was very heavy and only putting up the occasional fight. 

When I got it close to the boat I saw it was a large shark – not what I wanted.  The fish was too heavy to get up to the rail and retrieve the lure so I had to cut it loose.  I was not happy to lose my lure and I had also bashed my shin on a cockpit winch.  So, there I was, hot, sweaty, bloody, in pain and damaged with no fish to eat.  It seems impossible to catch small fish. I am not fishing single handed underway from now on, its not productive and too dangerous.

By four thirty in the afternoon we had anchored behind Night Island in 10m of water.  I didn’t see any other boats today, there are not many people around up here.  At Night Island there was lots of birdlife.  Towards sunset hundreds of Torres Strait Pigeons flew into the island from the mainland.  They settled into the trees ashore and set up a cooing sound that came across the water to the boat. 

The next morning it was a sunrise start for the sail up to Portland Roads.  The lee of Night Island is quite protected and once again I had a good nights sleep, was rested, refreshed and was ready to go northward again.  Today we had a fresher wind, 2 reefs in the main and a couple of furls in the Yankee saw us romping along at 6 knots plus for most of the day.  We passed Dugdale Rock, Asthon Rock, Cape Direction and Restoration Rock before heading around into Portland Roads and anchoring in 7m water just after one in the afternoon.

Its been a good sailing day and I saw one other boat in the distance inshore.  There are no other boats at anchor in Portland Roads, a bit surprising as I thought it was a popular anchorage.  But its windy this afternoon and a bit of a sea is creeping around the corner to set us rolling occasionally.  There are a few houses here and a small community, I cant see anybody on shore.

I spent a quiet afternoon at Portland Roads.  I thought it was too windy to put the dinghy in the water for a trip ashore.  Instead, I made some water, wrote a blog and pondered the daily problem – what to have for dinner?