Thames Street Wharf gets a nudge and a wink
Monday 30th October 2006
I have arranged to pick up two German travellers, Anne and Francesca from the Thames Street Wharf, Balmain. I arrive at 3:30pm just as they are hopping off the ferry from Circular Quay. The north-easterly makes the pick-up from the wharf interesting. I manage to give the wharf a good nudge as I yell to the girls to “jump in”.
We motor down the harbour under the bridge. The water is very sloppy today and the wind is quite fresh. The poor little outboard has a hard time pushing us through the slop and usual ferry wake outside Circular Quay. The engine lost power a few times and I thought it was going to conk-out at one stage.
We made it to just outside Neutral Bay where I put up the number 2 and main. A typical fresh 20-25 knot NE is blowing. We put in a nice tack past Clarke Island and behind Shark Island and across to Rose Bay. We are now somewhat into the lee of Vaucluse which makes the next tack a little calmer and gives us a chance to munch on the delicious biscuits the girls have brought.
We sail past Nielsen Park, but it is time to turn around and head for the Rose Bay wharf. As we approach the wharf we lower the head sail. We have to stand off for some time while a ferry load of office workers alight at the wharf. I circle around putting in a few tacks. Eventually the ferry heads off and we go into the wharf. I luff up a little too soon and we almost don’t make the wharf. Franzesca hops off the bow, gives me her hand and we pull the boat up along side the wharf so Anne can also hop off and I can push out and sail away.
Back up with the no. 2 and I head back down the harbour. This is my first solo sail with both sails up. I am surprised at how easy it is to set the no. 2 as I go through each tack. There is a good wind but I have no problem even taking my hand off the tiller to tighten the headsail with the winches. The boat luffs up but stays on her tack. Ahhh the freedom of sailing solo handed.
From my experience so far the Hood 23 is a great little boat. I have done no tweaking of the rigging at all so far. The main does not have a cunningham. Yet it seems to hardly need one. It points well. I was concerned that the long length keel might make it a bit unruly on the run but this is not the case. The keel helps prevent the boat from rounding up and keeps it nice and stiff on the beat.
After putting a few reaches in between Shark Beach (Nielson Park) and Chowder Bay (Clifton Gardens), just for the fun of it; I sail into Watsons Bay, drop sails and pack up. I decide to go for a twilight motor cruise around Watson’s Bay and Parsley Bay. Throttling just above idle I slowly putt around the foreshore between the moored boats with a beer in my hand. The upshot of this little cruise is that I decide to anchor back where I started as this seemed the most sheltered spot. I find a mooring which is not being used and tie up to it. It is well and truly dark now.
My night time view from deck is a contrast of the city lights and the darkness of the bushland which runs from Bradleys Head to Clifton Gardens. (Does bushland run uphill or downhill?) I don’t know how long I sat on deck staring at this view and watching the Manly ferries passing every thirty minutes. Each time the city bound and Manly bound ferries passes somewhere along Bradleys Head. It took around fifteen minutes for the ferry wake to reach my boat.
In the morning, after coffee and breakfast, I spent a couple of hours scrubbing the deck, cleaning the cabin and pottering about. Then it was up with the sails. Another couple of reaches across the harbour just for the fun of it. I give a wave to the fishos anchored off Sow and Pigs reef. Then it is time to head up the harbour.
I broad reach all the way up the harbour. Along the way I make a couple of diversions. One into Farm Cove. On the other side of the bridge I head over to Balmain and sail behind Goat Island and through the dolphins off Snails Bay. Eventually I am in Woodford Bay and sail up to the mooring. Although I am hooning in on a reach the boat stops on a dime as soon as I luff it up and onto the mooring.
What a great sail. Time to head home.
