MB has just come off the slip with a clean bum, polished topsides and a mod to stop an annoying leak through the rudder post riser tube.
She is booked into Joe Walsh for a rerig, new wind instrument and some electrics repairs.
The headsail has been repaired by Steve Jackson at Sydney Sailmakers.
She should be ready by early October.
Havefun and DrRog are the crew this year. I really welcomed all the volunteers and would have liked to have you all but I have met Rog before and wanted to give him the opportunity to be 'wet, homesick and frightened' as the old Navy advert promised ('and the pride of the Fleet will be you')
Of course Cisco was onboard last year and Havefun and I have done the trip a couple of times before.
Looking forward to the adventure and the camaraderie of those who do the BBQ.

Congratulations John on being able to do this voyage again. From the sounds of it Morning Bird will be the best prepared for it as she has ever been.

Congratulations also to DrRog for getting on the crew. In MorningBird and HaveFun you will find no better crew to be sailing with. It will be a great experience for you and you will meet some sailing legends at the BBQ.

The dinner the night before the BBQ is not to be missed either. There are a couple of musical types who will have you laughing till you cry.

Bon Voyage to the crew of Morning Bird.

Oh, I am tempted to sail over myself this year

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MorningBird said..
... wanted to give him the opportunity to be 'wet, homesick and frightened' ...

Oooo, sounds lovely.

Thanks MB. Thanks Cisco. Very excited!

Had the first BBQ meeting tonight at SASC. At this stage I believe there are only 11 moorings booked so there could be some still available.
Get in quick if you want to go.

Morning Bird has finally completed the rerig at Joe Walsh's. She is looking very good so DrRog and I will take her for a shakedown to Pittwater tomorrow returning to my new Drummoyne mooring tomorrow night. RMS found me a spot just off the Sailing Club, very handy and only 5-10 minutes from our new place.

All going well on the shakedown the two of us depart for Lord Howe on Tuesday. The wind looks to be light but we should get a bit of lift with a southerly that night to get north of the rhumb line. It is best to get north of the rhumb line so you can bear away when the inevitable NE/NW winds come in.

The east Australia current is about 100nm out and 60nm wide at right angles to our track, not on the nose like last year. We should get through it in about 12 hours. Not much adverse current after that on current pictures.

So it should be a straight out rhumb line run this time. Better than last year when we had to head up to near Pt Macquarie before we headed to the island.

MB, where do you find the EAC info and good data for passage planning such as this?

Is the LH adventure just a locally run thing or bigger organised?

Best of luck with the EAC MorningBird. The more times you do this voyage it appears to be easier, touch wood. HaveFun must be disappointed not being able to go this year.

With the new rig and all the engine work that you did over the last 18 months she is as well prepared as she could ever be. Second Wind is about to get a new rig as well after I have fixed the worm damage in the skeg and rudder. The furler is coming off but I am keeping it in case of future need.

I hope you are taking a decent camera and blog us from LHI. Bon Voyage.

Here is a URL to the IMOS current charts I use. I expect there are others but this model suits me.
oceancurrent.imos.org.au/LordHoweS/latest.html

The LHI BBQ rally is not organised, likely skippers/crews meet up for a quiet little drink in June and again in September (at Sydney Amateurs for the last couple of years).

Boats make all their own arrangements for departure, crew, equipment, moorings and departure details etc with the aim of being on Neds Beach on the 2nd or 3rd Tuesday of November for a BBQ. You're the skipper, you're responsible. The BBQ is organised by the local school as a fund raiser.

There are only 14-15 moorings and depth restrictions on most which limits the numbers. No anchoring in the lagoon. It is unusual for all those who have booked to get there, last year I think 2 or 3 didn't make it. You could take the chance a mooring will be available and set off without a booking but might have to go back without stopping.

No clubs, no rules, - just a get to LHI for a BBQ.

I saw roger the other day. Id like to wave you off and bring you a nice french rose if i can on tuesday

I'm not sure when we will embark or depart. A bit of a nasty front is coming through Tuesday night, might be better to wait until it has gone through. I'll see how it looks at the time.
We will set the boat up on Monday at Drummoyne Sailing Club, and probably depart from there when we do, or Birkenhead if we have to get more supplies.
If you can make it down would love to see you.

It looks like we will get away from my mooring off Drummoyne Sailing Club late Tuesday morning and depart Birkenhead marina about midday, if we can. Probably a bit later knowing how last minute issues crop up.

Ill be loitering at birkenhead and will be on my motorbike if you need last min things quick

Thanks Cisco. A hectic few weeks wondering if MB would be released from the riggers in time. Havefun pulling out was a pity but he didn't have much choice.
DrRog and I have become a team and with luck the weather and currents are a lot more favourable than last years trip. I can't forecast how we will go but we have prepared well.
Looking forward to the challenge and catching up with the people at LHI.

Waved to you off Portugese beach on Friday night, but you were deep in conversation, or taking in the scenery.

Trust the shakedown went well. Have a safe trip.

S and S 34's don't wave they just sail past you

Thats pretty cool, a picture or two of the mooring site and list of boats would be great...congrats on everyone who made it across

Well done!!!!

Had a feeling you were back. Was gonna go see if mb was at her mooring this arvo.

Not yet Steve. We have been delayed a day due to weather so plan to leave LHI on tomorrow's ride. Back at Drummoyne Sunday night/Monday.

Ahhh thats good in a way as you get to hang out for a bit.

Congratulations, MorningBird does it again!!

Maybe next year

MB tied up in Drummoyne last night about 2100. 3 days 10 hours for the return journey of 430nm.

We had a horrible departure from the Lord Howe lagoon on Thursday and the first 12 hours out were pretty awful. It was supposed to be south 15-20 but was south west up to 35 kts. The sea and swell were nasty. DrRog was watching the reef, my eyes were firmly astern on the new leads. When we got clear we managed to get the main up with a double reef, some of the other yachts didn't even try to get their main up it was so bad.

The conditions improved and we had some stellar sailing. Saturday night the stars were brilliant, Sunday night we were scooting along at up to 8.5 kts with the Fleming steering nicely.

It didn't last and we were becalmed yesterday so about 100nm out Rog suggested it so we stopped and went for a swim. The colours of the bottomless ocean against MB's hull were startling, just beautiful. A short time later we came across a couple of killer whales basking.

DrRog had all the gadgets and says he will do a full feature length movie incluing GoPro footage of some of the action.

MB did brilliantly. She could go again tomorrow without any work. The new rig from Joe Walsh was excellent and some of the improvements he made simplified the sailing. She is a wonderful sailing yacht and well set up for short handed offshore lengthy passages.

Having said that, I am not planning to do this trip again next year. The camaraderie among the sailors who attend the bbq is something to be treasured but I think the three is enough, maybe time to move on.

Please Morningbird,
if the whim takes you, give us more info. I always enjoy reading about other peoples experiences. Every year i read this and you write well, it makes we want to do the trip.
It is interesting how different boats handle different wind conditions, by the sounds of it MB was in her element!

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shaggybaxter said...
Please Morningbird,
if the whim takes you, give us more info. I always enjoy reading about other peoples experiences. Every year i read this and you write well, it makes we want to do the trip.
It is interesting how different boats handle different wind conditions, by the sounds of it MB was in her element!

I agree