Around Southeastern Tasmania

---

---

Well the gearbox was fixed* mid January. The guys who fixed it said that somebody had put the main selector in back to front (*oh, there is more to come on this story – in short it is now stuffed and needs to be replaced – July 2015).



Well, now that Hakura was mobile the weather in Tassie during January, however, was not good. The first chance for a trip came over the Australia Day (26 January) long weekend when Campbell and Claire were able to joined me. We motored down to the Duckpond in Barnes Bay on the west coast of north Bruny Island. The weather was still and sunny making for a very enjoyable trip. This even included the young ones on another boat in the Duckpond who were listening (and singing along sometimes) to the Triple J Top One Hundred, apparently the thing to do on Australia Day.



The next day we needed to be back at the Hobart waterfront about noon as Campbell was due to start work at 12.30. So this called for an early start, which we managed and we made it on time. Claire then helped me take Hakura back to the Marina.



Over the next few months I did several more trips to different bays and coves in the Barnes Bay area, which is a good half-day trip from Hobart. A couple of trips were buddy boating with Fiona and Mike on their yacht Samos and once with Anne and Colin on Hakura. All trips were very pleasant sociable times. There were also some day trips, either motoring or sailing, down and up the Derwent River, a great river for boating.



One of the reasons for visiting Tasmania over the 2014/15 summer was to be part of the Wooden Boat Festival. I had hoped to entre Hakura in the festival but that would have meant signing up way back in August, while I was still in Tonga and not event sure that I would be going to Fiji, let along all the way to southern Tasmania. Anyway when I looked into signing on after arriving in Tasmania there were no places left for boats but I could help as a volunteer. Yep I would do that and so I signed on. I was in the set up and packing up teams. Day one I was unpacking tables so that Venturers from a local Scout group could assemble them. Day two I was moving these tables into their designated positions, often after re-assembling some of the more difficult ones. Day three I was assisting in the receiving of small boats in one of the old wharf sheds. Day four was positioning these vessels just before the festival opened for the public.



It was all great fun and there were many beautiful vessels that clearly showed that they very well looked after. Other vessels were in differing stages of being restored (including some where the process had not even started). There also was a wide diversity of owners, some being very matter of fact while others were quit fussy.



Claire and I walked around the festival on Saturday. The rest of the event was also full of lovely boats (including one vessel that was reported removed because it had no wood in it at all). The event is reported to bring in hundreds of thousands of visitors to Tasmania and Hobart. I can believe that as there were lots of people around on Saturday. Hakura would have fitted right in there.



I was supposed to be back on day seven to help pack up the site but I was suddenly heading back to Auckland to see my very sick mother.



Yes I even needed to fly back. She had gone down hill very fast and was not expected to live more that a few months. Over the next 24 hours this was shorted to days then less than 24 hours, as she got worse. Travel arrangements were made and I was off.



Thankfully mother did not die before I got there and as at the time of posting this blog she continues to having a remarkable recovery and is doing very well. People, remember if you don’t go you die. You know what I mean.



The main activities over the past 6 months have not been on Hakura, rather they have been spending time with my children, Campbell and Claire. These included Campbell and I having brunch at least once a week (often with Claire) and going to watch Campbell play soccer on Sunday around midday. Campbell is working as a barman in one of the bars down Salamanca while doing his university studies part time. He does lead a very full and active life.



Claire was learning to drive and she would often drive me around greater Hobart, including out to Mt Field National Park and back. Claire has started attending the Nursing College at the University of Tasmania based in Launceston (a 2 and half hour drive north of Hobart), so on Sundays every two weeks she would drive me to Launceston and I would drive back. On the other weeks she and her mother would do the trip. Claire is getting in some good miles and becoming a good driver. We had a few moments, though I hope they were useful lessons for her to learn what not to do. Such as don’t fix the iPod while driving around a corner. Keep up the good work Claire, you are getting there.



I also managed to catch up with several friends from when I lived in Hobart, including Mike for Friday and Saturday evening Super 15 rugby watching. We gave the rules a sound thrashing and saw some really good rugby and ate many great meals.



Easter was to be a big trip with Campbell and Claire, however, Campbell ended up having to work so was unable to join us and Claire had study to do over the first few days. Whilst disappointed, I did not wish to sit around during the good weather and having recently heard from a possible crew for the trip north, thought this would be opportunity for us to get to know each other. She was in Hobart and we meet for a cuppa and chat. Yes she could come out for the first few days and then change over with Claire. Great, Hakura and I were going to get out of the Marina and see more of Tassie.



The new crew was Wing Yee Li, from Glasgow. She is a first generation Scot of Chinese parents. She is backpacking around NZ and Australia and wanted to sail to the reef. We agreed to a short trial trip (Easter Friday through to Monday) and then she would have to sort her visa issues to be able to stay in Australia.



Come Friday 3 April we cast off the lines in the Marina and headed down to Barnes Bay. We ended up in the Duckpond again, this time so we could meet up with a couple of friends of Wing Yee (who I called Wingo in true aussie style).



EII finally made it back into the water and Wingo headed off to the mud flats to pick up her friends. She had strict instructions from me to stay away from the rocks as they were all covered in very sharp oyster. They arrived back safe, including no holes in EII. We had a great evening and followed up the next morning with the famous Dougie breakfast (eggs poached in baked beans) before Wingo rowed them ashore.



Next stop was to be Egg and Bacon Bay on the northern shore of the Huon River. In the light airs it was a slow pleasant sail down. On the way we caught several small barracouta (called couta by the locals), which we kept for bait. The weather was fine with light winds. The day ended with a colourful sunset in Egg and Bacon Bay.



The Sunday saw us sailing back up to Barnes Bay so as to be able to change crew at Kettering on Monday. The wind was a light head wind allowing us to do some great sailing. We even beat another 35ish yacht in a “race” up the harbour. Such races are where two boats are sailing close together on the same course and we see who gets to “there” first, wherever “there” is. There is nothing said between boats, it just happens, which of cause may be all in my mind. Oh by the way, Hakura and I won.



As the afternoon progressed the wind dropped and the rain clouds gathered over the mainland. Very dark and full of rain they looked, at the same time the wind died so it was a motor into the outer reaches of Barnes Bay.



We went fishing and Wingo caught her first fish in Australia, a sand flathead, undersize though. Later I caught one that had wrapt its line around a couple of oysters making it all appear much heavier, which was well timed as a boat was passing. It too, however, was undersized and back it went.



Then the rain arrived and we headed into Alexanders Bay (at the southern entrance to Barnes Bay). Halfway across the bay I noticed smoke in the cabin. “Not again!” and down I went. This time I got the fire extinguisher out before taking the engine cover off.



Steam was coming out the overflow pipe in the heat exchanger (like the radiator in a car). Once the cap was off it was clear there was no coolant left in the heat exchanger, so with the motor ticking over I added water and was very relieved to see that nothing was bubbling out, so hopefully not a blown head casket.



As I could not see anything else wrong, we motored slowly into the anchorage and settled down for the night. Well I tried to settle but was still agitated. I had questions like “why had the motor overheated, would it be ok, and what should we do tomorrow?” The latter was two fold – where should we go to get the motor checked and would I be able to head out with Claire as planned?



After checking the weather forecast for Monday, which was for 15 knot south westerly winds, plus the lack of berths at the nearby marina in Kettering, I decided to head back to the Prince of Wales Bay Marina. I knew I would get in there plus the winds would mean that we could sail most of the way. I doubted that I would be able to get a mechanic before Wednesday as it was Easter, so being safely in the Marina was a good option.



Having decided this I had to contact Claire to say don’t come to Kettering, but there was no phone reception, so the plan was to ring her as soon as possible in the morning. Then I remembered that I had switched the phone to flight mode (thereby saving the battery and still being able to use the alarm). I changed back to the Dougwhale profile and there was lots of reception.



I was able to let Claire know of the change in plans and could now relax before the sail back in the morning.



For those who have been following these blogs, when I need a good breeze to take me home it is usually flat calm. Well Monday morning proved to be no different. No wind until well up the Derwent and then only a very little head wind. Thus we motored the whole way. The good point was the motor worked well and did not repeat the loss of coolant.



As I suspected it took a week to get a mechanic but there was no damage to the engine except the heat alarm wire was broken. I should have hear it going off and been able to deal with the issue much earlier.



One of the good things to come out of the trip was that Wing Yee Li and I got along and she would be welcome to sail north with me. That is once she had fixed up her visa issues.



Well you know how I just said that it was looking promising with Wing Yee that was a bit too soon. She got her visa extended but was starting to run out of money so had to go find some work. See you around Wingo, I am sure we would have had a great time sailing together.



So now I was back to needing to find some crew and in the mean time I decided to get the new hatch put in the cockpit to give access to behind the engine. Easy I hear you say. Just get one of the many boat builders in Tasmania to do the job.



Not so easy, as it turned out. Most builders I talked to had too much work and one was leaving the next day for China. Now that is going to extremes to get out of doing work for me. I finally tracked down an operation that turned about to be just across the bay from the Marina and yes they could do the work.



On the first day the boat builder came and took off one of the windows into the engine room to see what was happening then started cutting Hakura’s cockpit seat up.



I do trust tradesmen to know what they are doing and to do it right. Well this time, I was right. Glenn did a great job. I now had a hold in the cockpit seat as he had taken the bits off to do then next stage in the workshop.



This work coincided with a prolonged period of cold wet windy weather that always seemed to be from the northwest. Thus, it was blowing right into the cockpit of Hakura. So I had the companionway hatch in place most of the time.



Over the weekend, I was taking some rubbish off Hakura, having placed the bag in the cockpit just outside the hatch. This was followed by a series of strong gust and I heard the bag fall. On checking, I could not see the bag so thought it had been blown overboard. Bummer. However, on further checking it was found upended in the bottom of the new hatchway. At least I was not littering the bay, just the insides of Hakura’s engine room.



What with the wet and cold the job took longer that the original estimate of three days. Some days the temperature in the cabin did not get above 6 C. Boy it was cold and I went and brought a cheap pair of fleecy pants from K-Mart. They were so good that I would not take them off after trying them on in the shop and only handed over the tag at the checkout. Come washing day, it was very hard to take them off. The push to head north for the warmth has extra effort now.



One of the many interesting features of Tasmania during autumn is the display of its native deciduous tree, which is called Nothofagus. It is the only native deciduous tree in Tasmania and can be found in many of the sub alpine regions. One of the best viewing areas is in the upper reaches of the road leading up to Lake Dobson in Mt Field National Park. I have not seen these plants during autumn for over 12 years so one day Claire and I headed up there. It was a fine sunny day (warm in Hobart but chilly at Lake Dobson) and the place and its trees were beautiful. Claire drove there and back, continuing to a great job of driving.



Tasmania was heading into winter and I had only had a few contacts re crewing and was starting to get nervous. Would I have to do the Bass Strait crossing sole again? What about the sections up the NSW coast?



Campbell had offered to help sail from Hobart to Triabunna (at least), plus a mate, Colin, was offering to sail across the Strait. Both, however, were working and so could not sit around and wait for the right weather. What to do?



Then along came Digga and Soph, and they wanted to sail all the way to Queensland. Hurrah! We had an exit plan, but more of that in the next blog. For now I am happy there is a plan and it involves heading north towards the warmth of the tropics.



I really have loved being back in Hobart. It was fantastic to reconnect with Campbell and Claire and be part of their day-to-day lives (even if Campbell did keep the scoring his hat trick and 10 nil win in soccer till after I had left).



I also enjoyed meeting up with many friends from when I lived in Hobart, including Sonya and Darren, Andrew and Sharron, Colin and Ann, Wendy and Denis, and Ali and Tim.



Everybody made me welcome and for that alone, many thanks. Including thanks to Yeutha who lent me one of her cars (it was the one we had brought just before I left). It was a great asset, especially while out at the Marina.





Overall, a great stay in Tassie over summer and autumn, which are the best times to visit the holiday isle.

---

Photos

Master and Grasshopper
I'm grasshopper. Pierre was my supervisor way back in the 1980s at the Centre for Environmental Studies in the Uni of Tas.