February 2021
Our Journey to Flinders Island was quite an adventure right from the beginning. We started our sail to Flinders Island in Coles Bay with the intention to anchor off Passage Beach on the Freycinet Peninsula, however that plan quickly changed. We were about 1-2nm from the anchorage when we saw a set of flares being set off from one of the beaches on Schouten Island. Using our binoculars we worked out that it was a medium sized power boat and it looked like it was on the beach. Since we were the only boat in the area we decided to change course and head for them to try and offer some assistance, but we were still about 30 minutes away. On the way there the boat continued to set of flares in quick succession, in total they released three rocket flares, two smoke flares and a red hand held flare. This left us feeling like they were in dire need, possible even in a life or death situation but with no radio talk we had no actual idea of what was going on. However just as we were finally getting close to the bay another powerboat appeared and went to the rescue ahead of us pulling the boat in distress off the beach. We arrived in the anchorage just as all the action finished and the boat in distress was heading off. However they were nice enough to come up and offer their gratitude for us trying to assist even though we didn’t make it in time, telling us all was good they had just got stuck on the beach. What left us completely baffled by the whole situation was the extreme amount of flares used for such a seemingly non-life threatening situation but we were just glad no one was hurt.
Since we were already there we decided there was no point in going back to the original anchorage and so anchored where we were in Crocketts Bay. We were due for a southerly change that afternoon and it was with that change we wanted to sail north to the Flinders Island group. So we spent the remainder of that afternoon getting ready for sea, as we were expecting it to be a little bouncy out there. We secured the dingy to the foredeck, cooked all our meals in advance and made sure nothing was going to move just in case the seas were still large from the last storm. Finally at about 3pm the change arrived, the anticipation was killing us but we decided to wait another hour to allow the winds to freshen and give time for the sea state to settle in this new direction. But we couldn’t have been more wrong in our expectations.
At 4pm we weighed anchor, set the staysail and second reefed main before heading for Schouten Passage. What we saw ahead of us should have given us pause and possible been an indication that we should have turned around. The entire passage was made of 1-2m standing waves as the tide raced out and the residual northerly swell met the new southerly seas. The passage was a mess and quite possible the worst stretch of water I’ve ever been in. The bow sprite plunged under more waves then I could count but thankfully Allagai didn’t falter and under Hugo’s expert guidance we made it through. After an agonising 30mins we had finally cleared the churned up sea in the passage only to realise the outside ocean was no better. We’d had hard northerlies the previous day which had kicked up a large sea and a day of calm and light southerlies hadn’t done anything to reduce it. Instead we were left with a large, confused, sloppy sea state which gave us a very uncomfortable boat motion. Within a couple of hours we were both starting to feel the affects of the confused sea as the sea sickness started to set in. We decide that I would take the 12-4am watch and so following a very light dinner I went to bed.
I had hoped this would settle my upset stomach and it had almost worked until I leapt out of bed when I heard Hugo shout for help. I had been sleeping on the couch and so didn’t have far to go but was shocked by what he said next which was “I think we just snapped the main sheet”. This left me baffled as the main sheet was in good condition but with little time to think I sprung into action. We were sailing downwind and currently had no way to control the mainsail. Also the whole weight of the sail was resting on the back stays, a disaster waiting to happen especially if we jibbed as we had no way to control the sail. So while Hugo was jury rigging a temporary sheet to pull the sail in I investigated the broken sheet which was trailing in the water behind us. What I found made me instantly relieved, all that had gone wrong was the undoing of the shackle that attached the sheet to the end of the boom. It appeared that the mousing had broken which had allowed the pin to slowly wiggle loose and come undone. This meant the problem had become a hundred times easier to fix as all I needed to do was find one of the spare shackles that we had on board. So within about 10minutes of the sheet coming loose we had it all fixed again and were able to get back to sailing, with no need to replace any lines or rigging. However the sea state and subsequently the motion of the boat was still horrible and I only had half an hour to settle my stomach before my watch. So I decided to lie down again in the hopes my stomach would settle. But I had no such luck and spent my whole watch feeling seasick on the back deck only ducking below very briefly to complete my hourly log entry before dashing back on deck to hang my head back over the side.
By morning Hugo and I were both feeling exhausted and wished we had paid more attention to the swell and picked a better window to head north. To make matters worse that morning the wind had completely died out leaving us becalmed. Due to our tight schedule, the wind was forecast to shift back to the north that night, we were forced to start the engine or run the risk of being blown back to where we had started. Thankfully that day was amazingly uneventfully and on the plus side by lunch we were both basically over our seasickness. We entered Banks Strait in the late afternoon and unfortunately the tide was not in out favour however with the lack of wind the sea state was now quite flat allowing us to pass through without issue, just a little slowly. However by the time we reached the other side the tide had changed and was now in our favour causing us to race towards our destination. That night we anchored just on sunset in Spike Cove on Clarke Island ready for some much needed food and a restful nights sleep. Both of which neither of us had much of in the 28hours it had taken us to get there.
The following morning as much as we wanted to sleep in and relax we didn’t have the time as we were due for a westerly wind change by midday. This meant Spike Cove, which was completely open to the west, was going to become very uncomfortable very fast. So that morning we sailed to Badger Island and once again had the tide in our favour, at times our GPS recorded us doing unprecedented speeds of 7-8kts. We were flying along giving us our best passage average to date at 5.5kts. That morning we only had 18nm to go and so before we knew it we were anchored off the eastern side of Badger Island all thanks to a favourable tide. When we arrived we both finally had some much needed down time, relaxing on the boat and turning off after the hard journey to reach the Flinders Island group.
But it seemed like we couldn’t catch a break as in the early hours of the next morning things got a little crazy once again. It was just after 1am when we had a wind change from the south, a change that we weren’t expecting until first light. Unfortunately where we were anchored was open to the south which meant our once peaceful anchorage didn’t take long to become bouncy and uncomfortable. Both of us were longing for a restful night and so decided that with only about 12kts of wind we would wait until morning to move. However in hindsight we should have just moved as soon as the change came in. As by 4am the swell had arrived and Allagai was trying her best to throw us out of bed, as she nearly rolled from gunnel to gunnel. Neither of us had slept and now with the uncomfortable roll sleep was a distant memory so we decided it was time to weigh anchor and move. It was 10nm to Trousers Point on Flinders Island which would offer us the best and closest southerly shelter. So we made our way across the gap beating into another uncomfortable sea the whole way, eventually making it to witness the most stunning sunrise. We arrived in Fotheringate Bay at first light, just in time to see the most beautiful sight as the first rays of the sunrise lite up the Strzelecki Mountain range that towered over the bay, the pictures not doing the memory justice.
That day we had very little energy after the sleepless night we’d had. However that afternoon we still decided go a ashore and do a little exploring energised by the beauty of the bay. Fotheringate Bay was truly beautiful with stunning blue water, white sandy beaches and huge granite boulders covered in red lichen and all this was nestled at the foot of a huge mountain range. The bay didn’t disappoint us and I wished it was warmer so we could have gone snorkeling as we rowed past many caves all filled with little nooks and crannies with interesting underwater features and marine life.
Although the following day everything changed, it was time to bunker down on Allagai again as we had strong winds and torrential rain forecast. The beautiful bay from the day before was transformed into a grey, miserable place and the mountain was so densely shrouded in cloud you wouldn’t have even known it was there. Thankfully our anchor held and by the time we went to bed that night the worst of the storm had past and we were able to have a restful nights sleep. The following day it was incredible, it was like the storm had never happened but we knew this wouldn’t last long as the forecast suggested the next front wasn’t far away. However it was set to be from the north instead of south which meant it was once again time to move anchorage. Although this time we weren’t going far, only to the other side of Trousers Point. This took us no time at all and being the only boat in the anchorage we decided to pick up the public mooring.
That morning we decided it was time to go for a decent walk, neither of us had really stretched our legs for over a week now. So with that in mind we launched the dingy and decided to do the walk back to the bay we were in the previous day. The walk went along the Trouser Point coastline and offered amazing views of Bass Strait and the nearby islands. At only 6km it didn’t take us long to get there and back to where we started but we were both feeling very happy after some easy exercise and good views. Back on Allagai it was time to prepare for the next storm and so spent the remainder of the day on board getting some jobs done.
We weren’t actually expecting the full force of the storm until the following day. However that night was another long sleepless night as the wind picked up just as we were going to bed. We were only forecast to have 15-20kts but lying in bed and listening to the wind whistling over the deck it was well above those numbers. Outside we had gale force conditions and not knowing the state of the mooring we were on left both of us feeling a little on edge, as if it broke we would fast be upon the rocks. Luckily this didn’t happen but unfortunately the storm did rage all night and the following day without a break. But to make us feel better in the morning we did decide to move off the mooring and anchor trusting our anchor more for the even worse conditions forecast for that night. That day we did little more then rest on the boat and hold on tight as we were buffeted by wind all day. Already feeling exhausted from the previous nights all nighter we were hoping for a more restful night however the wind had other ideas. By 10pm the wind was picking up again and by midnight it was properly howling, so hard that Hugo had the engine running and in gear. The wind was blowing between 40-50kts consistently and the rain was coming down in horizontal sheets. We knew that if the anchor dragged we would be spending the night hove-to at sea unable to motor back in with our little engine. This nightmare continued until about four in the morning when it finally eased enough to turn the engine off and rest.
Once again the following morning it was like the storm had never happened, not a breathe of wind and clear blue skies. However as much as we wanted to stay in bed until lunch and rest the weather was still against us. That afternoon we were due for a wind change which would put us on a lee shore so once again it was time to move. That day we were heading through Franklin Sound and into Lady Barron and we had an amazing sail. The perfect remedy for the sleepless nights and the questioning of our life choices, it was these sails that made the bad weather bearable. We reached our anchorage on the eastern side of Little Green Island in the early afternoon and spent the afternoon napping and relaxing. That night thankfully we had no more gales and had our first full nights sleep in three days. We spent the next couple of days just enjoying resting on Allagai, moving anchorage to the different islands around Lady Barron as the wind changed. Until finally the wind become appropriate to anchor off the main part of town. We actually picked up the public mooring and then spent the morning ashore in the town, reminiscing about when we had been here over a year ago. After nearly five days it felt good to get off the boat and stretch our legs and actually got stuck chatting to several locals along the way.
Our time in Lady Barron was relatively short as we were just there to hide out from westerly winds. So once the wind changed to a favourable direction it was time to weigh anchor and get moving again. This happened the morning following our walk through the town so we headed back out through Franklin Sound aiming once more for Trousers Point. We had another amazing sail anchoring around midday on the southern side of Trousers Point, as we were keen to finally climb to the peak of Mt Strzelecki. We weren’t due to do that though until the next day and so settled for a warm up walk along the beach of Trousers Bay.