I decided on bringing her back last Tuesday due to the southerly which was 15-20 & 20-25 for a few days consistently. Took the Greyhound from Southport which is a great 5 hr trip I'm now getting used to. In my bag I had a fuel filter, impeller, extra sail slugs & a toothbrush ! I had a mechanic lined up down there to service the engine but there was no reply to my email I sent him a few days earlier and he couldn't tell me when he'd get to do the work (check out the fuel system / service etc)- just too many variables for my liking, so one has to take matters into one's hands and do the job one's self ! The bus dropped me at the marina at 10:50pm Monday and I got straight to work - the last job I did was re attaching the full length of the starboard gunwhale rubber which blasted off on the trip down. I left at noon with the outgoing tide (half out) and I knew it would be "fun", but I also knew the tide would minimise the amount of stress time in the messy stuff if you know what I mean. Once committed in a bar like Yamba there is no turning back- no shortage of steep curling nastys almost everywhere you look ! The heartrate up and hands sweating you just say a little prayer and draw on every ounce of knowlege and experience you can muster, along with a little courage.
Once out it was smooth and slow for 3 hours before the predicted southerly came in - once it was up it was downhill with a following sea & up the bum with the breeze all the way home via a stopover in Byron Bay anchorage - this time no bad rolling swell - a great half night's sleep after arriving at 3am. Day 2 was a constant southerly 20+ knots and I found myself regularly surfing down waves at speeds up to 9.9 knots - what a feeling - the little Roberts truly is a "little ship with a big heart!"
I was through the Southport Seaway at 6:15pm Wednesday after 25 hours of sailing bliss.
Important to note that I had the main reefed all the way home and it was a great decision - Westwind was happy and well powered.
Til the next adventure.........