Port Jackson

I am writing today in the huge and beautiful Jervis Bay where we have had a bit of Albany style weather. It had been raining and cloudy for several days since we arrived on Tuesday and then finally turned into a beautiful sunny day yesterday.

Gorgeous sheltered mooring at Hole In the Wall, Jervis Bay

But I need to back up a bit to when we left Pittwater over a week ago on Saturday the 10th.

Sailing south from Pittwater to Sydney, overtaking some Americans in their 50 footer. 
Two yachts always equals a race!

We had an opportunity to try a bit of open water windward sailing in a fresh breeze, not that we are thinking of making a habit of it of course. We set off with the staysail up for the first time in its life, a reef in the main and a good solid 25kts of wind. The boat sailed very well like that until the breeze dropped a little bit and we needed to put the staysail away and go for the genoa. It was a bumpy sail in the steep seas common in the area in a southerly wind but the wind kept backing and we made it on one tack.

Jenni hanging out and hanging on to tighten the jib leach cord

Sydney Harbour [Port Jackson] was really delightful. Easy to find a mooring or a space to anchor and such an interesting diversity of places and activities around the shore line. We had lunch one day hanging off a mooring about 200m upstream from the bridge and Kirribilli House in the bush with an old boatyard nestled in among the trees and surrounded by old wooden boats in the process of decay and/or restoration.

The iconic opera house and bridge from our self-guided harbour cruise

Under the bridge we go

Berry Bay, Sydney Harbour.  Old world maritime charm right in the city

We stayed as usual until Tuesday when the weekly northerly wind arrived. We left just before dawn to do the 87 miles to Jervis Bay with Roz and Nigel on board.

Our last night in Sydney, squeezed in amongst the millions at the Cruising Yacht Club.
Upstart between the blue and yellow yachts.

Leaving Sydney Heads at dawn, we passed our new friend Murray who was sailing in from the south and snapped a few photos  for us.  Thanks Murray!

We had a brisk run down to Jervis Bay, hoisting the asymmetric kite not long after clearing the heads. We flew that for about 6 hours til the wind got too fresh for comfort and then switched to poled out headsail only (no main all day). Averaging 8 to 9 knots in the afternoon with top speed 15.5. We got to Jervis in 11 hours - 90 miles. Pretty good we thought!

The lovely asymmetric spinnaker driving us south.

15.5 knots top speed with just this sail up!

Nigel and Chris enjoying the fresh downwind run to Jervis

We copped some very strong gusts as we turned into the Bay around the appropriately named Point Perpendicular,  30-40 knots which blew out our wind generator - unfortunately it should have auto stopped itself but didn't. The cliffs had a massive acceleration effect on the already strong wind and I think also some katabatic effect as well, it was very strong for a while.

Rounding Point Perpendicular into Jervis Bay.  Looking fairly benign but we are about to cop 30 - 40 knots on the nose!

Jervis Bay has been a good stop for us.  Great to catch up with Nigel and Cecilia who live here and to check out the beautiful bay and national park where we are moored.   Whilst it kept us down below reading books for a while, the soggy weather allowed us to top up our water tanks with lovely rain water.

Grateful thanks to Nigel and Cecelia for their wonderful hospitality and fabulous shore-crew support. 

Port Jackson Shark spiral egg -  a common find amongst the kelp on the shores of Jervis Bay

The crew exploring the wild coast of Wreck Bay just outside the Jervis Bay.

Sundowner with good friends - Roz, Nigel and Cecelia.

Even though its Monday, we are heading off south again today to Eden.  Last stop on the NSW coast.