Diary of a virgin #2: Opportunity knocks

Chesterfield, or not?

Iridescent blue patches sparkle across the waves and faculties of flying fish burst from the water, the gossamer wings opaque as they flow simply above the sea. Floating throughout the tops of the waves for loads of metres they disappear with tiny splashes. 2 stroke vs 4 stroke

Seabirds wheeling and plunging headfirst into the water as they chase baitfish, or maybe flying fish, tells us that we are closing in on Chesterfield Reef. A small darkish chook wings its way beyond the strict, dipping its breast into the water periodically. It doubles returned several times to test out the boat for a capacity resting spot, but modifications its mind and flies on. 

The forecast: 25 knot to 30 knot winds and 4 metre swells in coastal offshore waters around Bundaberg inside the next 3 days, has sat heavy on my mind overnight. An easting wind has forced us to push our path in addition south into a attain to hold velocity, so our contemporary heading will miss the lead waypoints into Chesterfield. If we are going to Chesterfield, we need to reach before darkish.

proper now, we are on target to reach around 2pm, however we've not but determined if we will stop and wait, or try to outrun the climate.

A broken restrainer

The morning schedule call with Gulf Harbour radio completed, Paul brews espresso whilst Nik catches up on a few sleep. it is quiet onboard, conditions are excellent: a constant 15kn with 1.5m swell.

The calm is shattered through a loud noise, like something below excessive anxiety letting pass suddenly. Springing out to the aft deck, Paul and i start trying to find the source of the noise. we discover it quick. The increase restraint block has given way on one facet, it is slightly placing on.

We flip in addition into the reach, disconnecting the restrainer and centering the growth.

Taking the damaged block below, Paul reappears a few moments later with a alternative block. I watch on in amazement as he quick gets rid of the antique block and replaces it with the new one.

less than 20 mins later we are operational again, resetting our path.

choice time

Our arrival time at Chesterfield creeps in the direction of late afternoon as fluctuating wind makes it tough to maintain a consistent pace. We genuinely do no longer need to barter the entry thru the reef and the numerous miles via the lagoon to the south-japanese anchorage in the dark.

Mid-afternoon an 1ec5f5ec77c51a968271b2ca9862907d arrives. EasyTiger, a catamaran that left Vanuatu a few hours beforehand of us, has snapped its prodder. with out the huge multi-cause sail within the easing winds they can't hold the wanted boat velocity to overcome the weather device. They propose they're diverting to Chesterfield to attend it out.

Bossanova, another huge catamaran, plus magnificence 7, a smaller monohull, each some hours ahead people, decide to maintain pushing. Bossanova has calculated they will need to maintain a n 8kt minimal for the next 3 days to conquer the growing gadget. they've complete sails and cars helping.

We appearance over the weather data again and redo our calculations. based totally on the forecast, there is no way we will hold the boat pace had to beat the weather. We make the selection to stop at Chesterfield and wait it out.

Our arrival time has slipped out to 5pm.

A damaged most important block

anxious approximately arrival time, we push into the reach to hold exceptional pace. while any other loud bang is heard, it sounds ominously acquainted.

This time it's far the boom vang block. 40-eight hours of 25kt to 30kt, along with a couple of hundred sea miles, has taken its toll.

The block is holding on, but simplest simply. With every person already on deck we fly into motion, rounding up into the wind for the second one time these days as we comfortable sails. we're dropping precious time and we do now not have it to spare.

growth secured, we run out the headsail, kick over the vehicles and turn downwind. we have driven south to preserve velocity, so this slide north is wanted to line us up with the reef entrance anyway. Now looks like a very good time to do this. We preserve 6kt as we track north.

with out a alternative double block to be had, Paul improvises, developing a jury rig the use of a part of the broken block and a chain of D shackles to get the sail operational again.

Resetting our course over again, our ETA is now 6.30pm. it'll be dark.

Chesterfield at last

i am chewing my fingernails on the helm. a lift in the breeze through the afternoon has our envisioned arrival time now between five.30pm to 6pm, it is going to be close.

We verify the waypoint accuracy with EasyTiger's skipper, Steve. Anchorage is in round 8m of water off the north-west tip of the island. He mentions some isolated bommies.

At 5pm we can see the breaking waves to our port as we input the lagoon, flip south into the calm waters alongside the internal of the reef edge. As we follow the waypoints on the navigation system, scanning the water for any hint of coral bommies, the sun eases in the direction of the horizon behind us. we are able to see smooth Tiger and two other boats at anchor inside the distance.

eventually, because the sun sinks below the horizon, we discover a clear patch of sand in 10m of water and drop anchor.

we are anchored behind a sequence of small sandy islands with low plant life. the subsequent morning we study any other island inside the distance to the south and, at the back of us, a chain of white sand cays that disappear on excessive tide. Chesterfield Reef lagoon covers some 2000nm² and we are eager to explore.

Anchor winch

Heading south first, we drop anchor in 4m of crystal clean water over white sand and head inshore.

a few hours later, after exploring the island and surrounding reef, we're preparing to up anchor. As we hit the anchor winch to tug the anchor up, we discover a brand new hassle. The winch is popping below the deck.

inspecting the winch and locating the problem, it fast turns into clean that professional assistance can be required to restoration it. The best manner the anchor is coming up today is via hand.

I pull on my gloves and get to work, thankful for years of game and gymnasium classes. operating as a team, Paul throttles ahead as I haul inside the chain and Nik coils it into the anchor locker.

We head without delay returned to the greater blanketed japanese anchorage and search hard for a clear spot in 4m to 5m of water, to minimise the amount of chain required. The winch issue will positioned an cease to our exploring however we do manage to pick out up a medium-sized barracuda at the way.

whilst are we able to depart

The wind progressively will increase and squalls deliver grey skies and rain. It is reasonably calm in the anchorage. The weather forecast suggests 3m to 4m swells outside and the waves are overtopping the japanese reef edge on excessive tide. however the low islands among us and the reef side shape a wave break.

no one is keen to get into the dinghy for travelling, so the VHF crackles with communication among the waiting vessels. there may be no truth of when we might be capable of leave. The weather machine sits stubbornly off the Queensland coast producing the predicted 4m swells and 35kt winds from Mooloolaba to north of 1770.

finally, at the sixth day, a weather window appears in the forecast. we will leave within the morning. The forecast indicates it will still be quite unsightly, but have to drop out rapidly.

With clean sky above as the solar rises over the islands, we haul the anchor in through hand and flip west. it's been ten days on account that we left Vanuatu.

We head out via the small gap inside the western side of the reef passing via long island, the largest of the islands in the reef device. Years ago it housed a whaling station.

As we clean the brink of the reef a strong 3m to 4m swell reveals our beam because the wind barrels through at 20kn to 25kn. Rainbows dance around the boat as early morning solar refracts through the spray from the occasional wave breaking towards the side of Skellum. clean Tiger is barely beforehand people on a tighter reach, they're heading directly for Brisbane.

some banter floats across the radio waves and there is a feel of solidarity and comraderie having spent per week isolated together in one of these far off and exquisite area.

As new york speedy falls away in the back of us, I secret agent the largest loggerhead turtle i've ever seen within the water beside us. His extensive green again underneath the surface looks like a tiny remoted coral bommie. His head pops up inquisitively to observe us pass, maybe bidding us farewell.

Frustration

it's far a short begin to the final leg as we skip along the large swells. by using 6pm, 12 hours in, we've got protected 120nm.

by the time I take the helm for my watch at 3am, the wind has eased. there's no moon but there's bioluminescence glow in our wake.

i've been away for a total of 15 days now. i am missing domestic.

through 9am we are bobbing in the nevertheless massive swell making 2kn to 3kn. Paul begins the outboards and we control 5 knots with the headsail still pulling now and again. The wind dies completely. We grind away at 3kn to 4kn on vehicles as the miles crawl through.

overdue inside the afternoon, I experience it against my cheek. Wind!

We throw up the primary as the wind strengthens, blowing in from the NE for the primary time in this ride. primary up, headsail out, we hit the top spinning high speed of seven.5kn.

Then, just as , it is long past again. via 5pm we've got restarted the outboards and sunk go into reverse to 4 knots.

A pre-dawn drama

My alarm wrenches me conscious at 2am and we have wind.

Paul is on the computer, wet climate gear on. we are on a decent attain and it's miles pelting down. He has one reef in. because the squall blows via we settle out to round 7kn. He heads beneath for a few sleep.

boats seem at the AIS. One, a fishing trawler, stopping and beginning, occasionally with bright lighting fixtures blazing, occasionally darkish about 6nm north of us.

the alternative a deliver, steaming south throughout our track about 10nm beforehand of us.

all at once Skellum surges, choosing up velocity and we surf at 9kn to 10kn. A squall is blowing in. The wind will increase and we touch twelve knots. I stick my head out and flick a torch over the sails.

Stepping back in beneath the aft deck cover, a loud noise above me has me ducking for canopy as the bottom of the mainsail balloons out over my head. there's sail fabric and lines spilling down from the cabin roof. I cannot at once see what has given manner. I dive down the companionway to wake Paul.

He follows me up, nevertheless half asleep. i am seeking to work out what has occurred. I understand the reefing line has given way and the bulging sail has added the lazy jacks down.

We start engines, rouse Nik, turn up into the squall and try to drop sail.

without the lazy jacks to keep up the sail bag, the mainsail comes down across the cabin roof. Paul cannot comfy it within the wind by myself.

Nik throws me a package of rope and takes the helm. Clipping onto the safety lines along the pitching cabin roof inside the howling wind and rain I speedy climb as much as assist. On our knees on the wet roof we dangle to the growth as we work to bundle the sail and wrap the rope around it.

it's miles after 6.30am and the squall has passed by the time we are secured. The darkness has became to a dreary grey. 2 stroke vs 4 stroke