Tasman Crossing - Day 1

The imaginary straight line course...

The straight-line distance from Cape Moreton to North Cape is about 1,100 nm (1,500 nm from Brisbane to Auckland), but we were never going to be allowed to sail 'straight line'.

As the standard wind roses for February show, we could expect to encounter headwinds from the E or SE for about half of the crossing, statistically. So that 1,100 nm could quickly become a 1,500 nm beat if we were unlucky!

Average February winds

As it was, we departed Cape Moreton with a 10 kt E'ly, soon backing to a 15 kt NE'ly which allowed us to very quickly (quick being the operative word) jump aboard the south-bound East Australia current.

Bigeye

Whistling along at 10 kts SOG in glorious sunshine - this was champagne sailing!

Well, for some of us. A couple were still laid low by sea-sickness in the quartering sea (the swell still enduring from TC Oswald), but others got busy...

Yellowfin

Phil beavered away in the galley all PM, rustling up roast chicken with potato & egg salad and coleslaw for supper (heavy on the ginger) while Matt G had the lines out.

Sure enough, by late afternoon they'd landed a Bigeye and a Yellowfin Tuna in quick succession. Both great eating (no, really) but where the hell were we going to stow 'em? Nobody seemed inclined for an immediate sashimi. Sadly the lines were stowed, until we had need (and space) for more meat.

From the log overnight:

2200           Moon-rise. 3/4 - great viz. Lot of N-S coastal traffic on AIS
2300-2359   Change ship's time from QLD-NSW (+ 1hr)
0100           Wind backing to NNE/12-14kts, allowing COG 105 degs (straight to NZ!)
0130           Rogue wave breaks right over yacht through open saloon hatches and douses John
                  (Pt bunk), Jim (Stbd bunk) and Nav station, including switch panel, laptop, phones,
                  cameras, etc, etc. John's crackberry a write-off.

We never learn, do we...?!