Sailing Werrina from Brisbane to Port Stephens
Well I've been flat out since I've returned home a week ago aboard our new Compass 28 Werrina.
Overall the trip went well despite a less then ideal start. First off I bought the yacht sight unseen, due to circumstances and relied on a Surveyor who was independently recommended to me. Let's just say I am lodging a formal complaint to the Associations to which he belongs. Fortunately I still would have bought this yacht albeit I would have negotiated harder on the price.
For a sail-away ready-to-go yacht it cost me around the six 18 hour days; plus around $4000 just to get her ready for the voyage home. All stuff the Surveyor missed.
Anyway with bad weather all around we rushed to get her ready and in position to shove off when conditions were right. All was good and the only thing needed was a storm jib (that was advertised but did not materialize and in the end the broker claimed a Number 3 jib was the storm jib. Despite the fact this 3 looked like a working jib from a smaller yacht having lighter fabric. I copped it sweet and ordered a storm and we steamed from Manly Qld to Southport. Dave and I left with a bad forecast for rough weather on Moreton Bay; we felt this was good to test the yacht in some rough stuff before heading out to sea. This proved wise and at Southport we addressed a few issues that raised their heads.
The next day we did final provisions, addressed all issues and received our storm sail delivered by one of the brokers that had some empathy for us (thanks Derek). I had been watching the weather closely and after a small discussion the decision was made to head out the next morning at high tide. The local forecast was for rough conditions but looked like it would hold for about 36 hours before deteriorating due to the two cyclones to the north.
We knew if we could just get around Byron Bay all would be well. We headed out through a moderate and building sea with no issues. We sailed ESE heading for the Continental Shelf to catch the current and be in deeper more stable water. On the way within 10 hours of departure the Number 3 headsail we started with, shredded and fouled the halyard. In the worsening conditions we just hand furled it up and flew the new storm jib on the back up halyard. With a single reef in the main, all was good again.
The seas were confused with wind from the south and waves breaking from the north from the Queensland cyclone and east breakers from the Fiji cyclone. The weather was not real heavy perhaps 3-4m swell with 3-3 ½m waves and 25-35 knot winds. With the confused state she was as choppy as I have ever seen.
So how did my Compass 28 handle? Like a dream, no pounding and great motion I never once felt unsafe in her and am now convinced she was the right pick. We caught the current off the Shelf and decided to sail all the way to Coffs before tending to the fouled halyard and headsail issue. Conditions improved as we expected as we moved down the coast and dramatically improved after we rounded Byron Bay. Now with a strong current and good breeze we had a great sail to Coffs Harbour.
A day in Coffs and we were ready to proceed. Clear sailing the rest of the way with a following sea and light breeze and strong current we still averaged 7 knots for the whole trip! Even when we felt we were only moving a around 3knots through the water we would get 8knots on the GPS! Having said that this, the Compass likes to move and she seems quick to accelerate. I did not expect her to be a fast sailer being a yacht that lends itself to heavy weather. I was pleasantly surprised. In the end we made Coffs to Port Macquarie, head to head in 24 hours.
We had Dolphins flipping off our bow for almost two hours as we came south.
When I arrived home the family was on the breakwall to greet us. You could hear my 2 ½ year old yelling "Daddy" through the bay for the whole time we pulled in and tied off. All and all our family is very happy and now I have a jump on the work she needed.
Shawn C28 Werrina 2010