Year One
Date: 3/2/2008 16.00
Weather: overcast weather has just closed in.
Location: Adelaide Bay Flinders Island 40 12s, 148 15e
Author: Peter

We had a terrific sail up the coast from Wine Glass Bay and entered Banks Strait first, just before sunset which was so placid you thought you were on a lake. The moon then arose in time for us to enter Spike Bay and lay anchor just before 01:00. We had a great run of 100nm in under 14 hours. We then had a nice sleep in followed by a relaxing day exploring the bay while we waited for the rest of the fleet to catch us and Nirvana back up.

We are now sitting at Lady Baron Flinders Island with the first real weather that has kept us in the boat. Not bad 1 day in one month. We have been traveling round lots of the lower islands and bays of the Furneaux Group doing short explores around the surrounding bays. The scenery is so different to what we are used to. We have islands that look like volcanos and weird rocks the grow bright orange lichen that stands out from miles away. The rocks themselves are granite and weather into strange shapes that look like they would fit into any modern museum. Some of the other boats just go to shore to look at the rocks and name them after what they look like. Rabbits, human heads,etc.

The islands are not that wooded having been cleared at some stage for farming. The beaches vary some with pristine white sand and others being made of tiny little pebbles as you would find in fish tank gravel. The surrounding rocks just seem to drop deep into the water and there is really very little growing on them unlike at home.

The tides here are the biggest we have yet encountered, at around three and a half meters. This along with the tricky waters of Franklin Sound (numerous shallow banks, rocks and islands) make careful navigation and timing important. It is easy to see why some many ships have come to grief in this area.

Last night the fleet got together at Lady Baron hotel for dinner. The food, most of which was local was stunning. A fun and rowdy night was had by all. Some of the boats to our surprise are heading home tomorrow as they could only get two weeks off work. The majority of those of us left will then start to head up to Deal Island once the weather clears and then Kylie and i are looking forward to slowing the pace down a little and spending some more time at some of the anchorages. We are hoping to be able to spend some time at Deal and at Killiecrankie Bay. Maybe even finding a Killiecrankie Diamond!!!!!!

The wind is currently blowing in the high 20s in the anchorage and allot higher outside so we are having a lazy day at the moment with Kylie painting and me on the computer. Allot of the rubber duckys have been flipped over out the back of anchored yachts over the last two days, ours being one of them. Many of the yachts are now experimenting with painter lengths while we are back to lifting ours back out of the water. Ours was only in when it flipped as we were getting ready for a BBQ on shore when it flipped.

See you.

Ps I'm sick of Kylie beating me at all the games we play; dominos, pigs, uno.
Sunset at Trousers Point

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