Bulk Carriers, Dolphins and Fairy Penguins

Signal restored Mr Telstra still has a few gaps in his coverage. Sitting here at beautiful Nelson Bay, Port Stephens about 50m off a nice sandy beach calm, fine but cloudy. We liked it here back in February on our reconnaissance trip and nothing has changed our opinion. Slipped ashore in the tender this morning and did the washing and had a lovely coffee from GJ's. Following a bit of tidy up and check all fittings etc we had lunch and Lyn is resting while I keep you updated.

Yesterday was like sailing in a washing machine with 2m SE swell and 1m NE sea running over it but the wind was fair abaft the beam 12 - 15 kn SE all day so Truansea covered the 75nm in 10.5 hrs. Good little sailing ship. We hugged the rhumb line all the way so my navigation skills are still ok.

Along the way we saw a pod of 5 dolphins who chanced to play around our bows for about 15 mins and passed 9 bulk carriers between Catherine Bay and Newcastle entrance another one overtook us to Port along the northern end of Stockton Beach. We were about 11nm off the coast when we saw 6 of the carriers idling about. We sailed close enough to the Panamanian Kashi Arrow to read their paper (with my beaut Bushnells) but dropped below her stern cause they are REALLY REALLY BIG. The wind dropped to about 8kn as we turned into the entrance to Port Stephens and dropped sail before motoring the last 400m to a courtesy mooring in Shoal Bay. No sooner settled when Lyn saw a dolphin cruise by the galley window to welcome us in.

Following a good sleep we dropped the mooring and motored the 1.5nm around to Nelson Bay and lucked onto this courtesy mooring in front of the beach. On the way around off  Little Bay we saw 10 fairy penguins having breakfast, whitebait??. Cute little fella's look like half drowned ducks when there swimming.

Weather permitting we will head for Forster/Tuncurry or possibly Camden Haven or even Port Macquarie tomorrow.

Fair winds my friends.