Time for an update. I’ve just returned for Greenwell Point after antifouling Spindrift for the first time since I’ve owned her.
Antifoul: 4L of black Altex #5. This is not enough. 5 or 6 litres would be good. GP slip is $255 up, $255 down, $9.25/m/day and $77 for gurni.
Trip back to JB: 5:50 mooring to mooring at average speed of 4.5 knots in 10-15 knot NE and a very sloppy sea. 3:25 head to head, average speed of 4.9 knots. Point perp to mooring in 1:40, 4.6 knots.
Wednesday July 11 Katrina, Nick and I set sail at 0630 in a 10-15 knot NW heading for home. Made much better progress that I expected averaging 6 knots (rather than the 4 knots I had planned).
Whales, dolphins, then the wind dropped around 3pm. Motored for about 6 hours until the wind picked up again.
Reached Point Perpindicular around 0300 Thursday morning, then the wind dropped again. Rather than motoring we continued to sail very slowly, reaching the mooring at Callala Bay about 0645 – 24 hours and 15 minutes after we left Newport.
Friday 6 July – After getting all the gear aboard (a story in itself) we headed for Patonga to meet grandma and Grandpa for lunch, then off to America Bay overnight.
On Saturday we sailed back to Bayview, fuelled up and back to the mooring.
Since I was a kid, I’ve dreamed of sailing off into the sunset in my own yacht. It all started after my dad build a catamaran in the garage, hence starting my passion for sailing. Before long I had my own 10′ Mirror dinghy and I was addicted. Meanwhile, the next door neighbour was building an Endeavour 24 in the backyard. That was a big and desirable boat to a 10 year old.
The passion continued as I crewed on 16′ skiffs for a few years, then life got in the way and the dream faded for a while, but never really went away. Lots of boat shows and Cruising Helmsman magazines, but always too busy to persue the dream. Almost 40 years on and it was time to reignite the passion.
After years of thinking, reading and research, and months of looking at boats – the dream becomes reality in the form of my own Compass. “Spindrift” – soon to be renamed “Compassion” is a Compass 29. She is a 1981 vintage fibreglass, full keel sloop, currently lying in Pittwater and soon to sail south to be moored at Callala Bay in Jervis Bay.
It’s been a long and at times steep learning curve, and I’m sure the real learning has just begun.
I plan on using this blog as a record of some of that learning. A place to record the highs and lows of the journey, mostly for my own benefit, but if you find the blog and wish to comment, then I’ll welcome your thoughts and ideas.