Southwest Tasmania: Bathurst adventure
From Strahan, we got sailing southwards again. We were looking forward to sailing to Bathurst Channel, and anchoring at that location. It’s not possible to reach these places except for by boat, or maybe helicopter. There are no car roads, this is true wilderness.
We knew that as soon as we’d come out of Macquarie Harbour, we would get hit by waves. Considering that a few people have been seasick, the night was promising to be a bit uncomfortable. But, to my surprise, all of the crew gained their sealegs after the last passage! It was great to see the energy come back, together with appetite and smiles.
Kevin enjoying the breeze. The temperatures have been down to about +12 C
The wind was expected to back from 150-180 degrees to 80-145 degrees. It actually started backing at the right time, about 2 or 3 o’clock at night. But it did not stop at 80, and continued all the way to 45 dergrees. As unexpected as it was, that was great for us, because the wind took us right around the SW corner of Tasmania. Instead of the whole night of tacking, we just tacked twice.
The new direction of the waves, together with a lighter wind, made the sailing much more comfortable. We watched the moon rise, first the top of the crescent, then the rest of it. Moonrise is often red or orange, just like the sunrise. This makes the top of the crescent first look like a port lantern - just a shining red speck on the horizon. As the crescent rises, it looks more like an illuminated red sail, or a sailboat on fire. Many a sailor have been fooled by this.
Approach to Bathurst
We had some very enjoyable meals on board. It’s great to have crew that are keen to cook, or help with anything that is needed. Chicken with tomato and coriander, pear salad with blue cheese, or how about that lamb roast. Afternoon tea with cheese platters is also a highlight of any day!
We entered the Bathurst channel in the afternoon, together with Salt Lines, and anchored just next to them in Clayton’s Corner. The approach was amazing. Sharon found that this place looks like South Island of New Zealand, and I would say that it reminds of the Arctic fjords of Norway.
The wind was blowing at 20 knots, and it was not very comfortable, especially if we wanted to use a dinghy. We decided to re-anchor, and it was such a good call - it was hardly 10 knots at the new spot which was protected by a hill. This is a very beautiful and remote place, and both Silver Fern’s and Salt Lines’ crew were looking forward to hike around this area a bit. We would take the rib ashore, bringing both crews.
Beth preparing the anchor as we are approaching Clayton’s Corner
As we were prepairing to go ashore, we lowered the rib and tried to start the outboard. The outboard was dead. We took turns trying to start it, which made a decent upper body workout. It did not start. What options did we have?
We could attempt rowing, but we were too far off the landing spot, and the breeze was a bit too strong. We did not want to miss out on the walks either. Then, a solution appeared! Sailt Lines launched their rib, and despite the bow being deflated it did its job. Jess gave us all a ride to the landing spot, near a tiny house that is today museum of sorts.
The two sister boats anchored near Claytons Corner
The walks here are stunning. There are a few summits that deliver a fantastic view. The water and the landscape, with the clouds wrapping around them.
We did also encounter some wild life. To start with, we spotted cube-formed droppings, telling us the wombats call this place home. Then we saw fresh pawprints right next to that. There definitely was a wombat hiking on the same trail. We also saw Tasmanian Devil droppings, Ken showing us how to recognize them. This was a great reminder that we are just visitors in this beautiful place - the nature is full of life and it’s important not to disturb the balance.
We saw a sea eagle over the water. A green parrot hopped past us. And the most dramatic encounter was a tiger snake basking in the sun right on the hiking track. It slowly moved away and disappeared into the vegetation. For myself, this was very exotic. There is just one poisonous snake species in Sweden, and it’s not too dangerous for people. Here, it’s hard for me to fathom the amount of critters that are ready and willing to kill you.
Ken at the cloud level. Thank you for spotting the tiger snake, Ken!
A few of the crew decided to take the longer hike towards the top of one of the hills. The clouds were rolling in, and by the time we were at the top, we were level with the clouds.
Beth is taking in the views from the top
The walk took almost 2,5 hours, which was great for stretching our legs after the sailing. Back on the boat, we had hamburgers and went to sleep early. The day after, we were to sail towards Hobart. There will be light to no wind, however the swell will still be there. We’ll need to motor or motorsail a lot, which is a shame - but the next time there will be more wind, it will be very strong so we need to time everything right.
Happy hikers!
Getting into bed early was apparently a good call. At about three in the morning, things started happening - the salt water pump would not work properly, and as a separate problem, the batteries aren’t charging the way they are supposed to. Sharon’s been working on it the rest of the night and the morning, and is still doing it at the time of writing. More about that in the next blog post!
A windy day in SW Tasmania, as seen from the summit.
