I now have my mooring location allocated in Five Dock Bay and the apparatus will be dropped by Octopus Marine in the next couple of days, so turning my mind to planning the trip to bring Enigma home.

I have no concerns with navigating, radio procedure, manoeuvring the boat under power, sailing, anchoring, picking up a mooring, etc. and am watching the weather closely for a window. Although this boat is new to me so I am sure there will still be a learning curve!

I filled the diesel tank on the weekend and have motored around Pittwater testing all of the systems. Have all of the required offshore safety gear also on board, so am pretty much ready to go.

Thursday looks OK but the mooring apparatus may not be ready. Then the weekend isn't great, so maybe it is early next week. Will keep watching as it gets closer. I want to get the boat down to Five Dock Bay before any potential new COVID lockdown so it is within 5km from home.

Just looking for some general advice and maybe some extra eyes on the weather situation.

Good plan. We sailed a Ross 930 from RMYC to Betts Bay Gladesville in Feb 2016 in 20-25kt southerly with 4ft swell and did it heads to heads in 4 1/2 hrs. 1 reef in main and no3 jib. Dropped off some waves with no backs and got some gusts to 29kts but it went well. Left at 10am, 3 on board. Am sure you have everything covered - including logging on with Marine Rescue when 1/2 way down Pittwater and log off when at the Five Dock mooring.

www.marinerescuensw.com.au/boating-safety/log-on-and-log-off-for-safer-boating/

Monday and Tuesday next week look like perfect winds.

www.timeanddate.com/weather/australia/sydney/ext

Trust you will have at least 2 on board? Suggest use auto inflate life jacket within inspection date and tether strap. Keep well clear of Long Reef (rock shelf goes out a long way) and North Head (wind gets affected by the high cliffs).

If you want to come down before your mooring is laid Roger at Abbotsford Point Boat Shed has hire moorings.

The yacht is comprehensively insured? You mention prior motoring around - have you sailed around also to check halyards and sheets are ok, main and jibs fully hoist ok? Battens secure in mainsail? Mainsail reef lines run? Check lifelines are ok - if one or both ends are nylon lacing lashings then ensure they are solid. Check tiller to rudder head bolts / nuts are tight - we had to tighten ours up 1/2 way down. Check gooseneck and main tack securing, clew securing. Check jib tack securing. Make sure anchor and chain are well lashed and secure and won't bounce around - ideally get them out of the bow locker and downstairs well secured but this might not be needed.

Just stay up here on Pittwater, much nice than that crowded harbour

But seriously, Saturday is looking pretty crap for heading south. It's such an enjoyable trip with a bit of NE'er and so miserable with any sort of south...

Thanks r13 and Jethrow. Lots of good info. The mooring was dropped today by Deniz from Octopus Marine, so just waiting on weather now.

Will come back to your questions shortly.

Thanks r13 for your comprehensive reply. Much appreciated. Here are my responses;

1. I am definitely looking for winds with some northerly in them. Not keen on being close-hauled all the way.

2. Yes I am good with logging on to Marine Rescue via VHF or their app which also allows you to logon and send periodic position updates automatically.

3. Yes I have inflatable lifejackets, although I don't like auto inflation. I have manual inflation which is my preference, so as not to get trapped in a flooded boat with an inflated lifejacket. Entirely personal preference though.

4. Yes aware of Long Reef and Barrenjoey Headland. Didn't consider the cliffs at North Head. Good point though.

5. Yes the boat is comprehensively insured, not that I think this matters with respect to when I sail it to Sydney.

6. Lifelines are good. No adjustment necessary. I also have a nice solid pushpit and the Cav 28 has a nice deep cockpit, with scuppers that drain straight through the transom. I feel pretty secure when on the boat.

7. Now to the sailing, I still have to finish the inspection. Have checked everything so far without actually hosting the main. That is the job for this weekend, probably Sunday. Will spend some time sailing around Pittwater. I know the weather won't be great, but it will force me to work the reefing system.

8. Good point on checking the tack and clew for the main and headsails. I have already traced all halyards and sheets and know which is which back in the cockpit. I can keep the tiller between my legs and manage all sail trimming and tacking single-handed.

Really appreciate the comments. Definitely helps me with thinking about all of the angles I will need to cover.

BTW I am considering doing the trip single-handed. I am waiting for my eldest son to come down from Brisbane, but want to get the boat to Five Dock Bay as soon as possible so it is within 5km in case there is another lockdown with Omicron. Of course will log-on with Marine Rescue, wear my lifejacket at all times, stay off the foredeck if possible and have also already registered my EPIRB with AMSA and my first contact will know my trip plan, route and timing.

Ok great it looks like you have it all very well covered, have a safe trip.

Hi Enigma1,

I bought a couple of PLBs for the delivery from Pittwater to Gippsland Lakes, see www.whitworths.com.au/acr-resqlink-400-buoyant-personal-locator-beacon. Another layer of protection if you do the trip on your own.

Well done on the thoroughness of your planning and preparation! I hope you get a good weather window. If you do, you'll leave Pittwater smiling and sail into Sydney shouting with joy.

Cheers,
Kinora

Thanks Kinora. A PLB is a great idea. I just had a look at the link and it looks viable. Had discounted them because I thought they required AIS/DSC with an MMSI number and my boat has none of that setup yet.

Any reason why you went for that particular model?

I can see there are a few options at Whitworths. Going to do some more research now.

Hi Enigma1,

No particular reason for that model. They were available from Whitworths, they were close by, I had limited transport at the time and the price seemed OK. And you don't need an MMSI for them to work, just register them with AMSA before you go.

I debated the AIS enabled PLB but if you're single-handed there is no benefit. If I'm watching my boat sail away, I just want AMSA to know as soon as possible.

I envy you, Enigma1. The feeling of setting out on your own boat for your first coastal trip is pretty special.

Cheers,
Kinora

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Kinora said..

[SNIP]

I envy you, Enigma1. The feeling of setting out on your own boat for your first coastal trip is pretty special.

Cheers,
Kinora

Thanks Kinora. Going to buy a PLB tomorrow. Sunday will be spent day sailing around Pittwater and then at this stage am aiming for Tuesday to do the trip, but will keep an eye on the weather.

And yeah I can't explain it to some people but there is some sort of magical pull from the sea for me. I feel most relaxed when I am at sea and it has been this way my whole life.

I am sure some posters here can understand!

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Enigma1 said..

Kinora said..

[SNIP]

I envy you, Enigma1. The feeling of setting out on your own boat for your first coastal trip is pretty special.

Cheers,
Kinora

[SNIP]

And yeah I can't explain it to some people but there is some sort of magical pull from the sea for me. I feel most relaxed when I am at sea and it has been this way my whole life.

I am sure some posters here can understand!

+1

Went sailing on Sunday. Everything went well, except I now don't have power to the plug for the tiller pilot. So delayed the trip back to Sydney.

Plan is to fix this problem on Saturday and then pending weather looks like a Monday afternoon or Tuesday trip.

Fixed power to the tiller pilot and the boat is now on her mooring in Five Dock Bay. Weather wasn't the best with a lot of southerly still in it, but made the trip safely in two legs. First leg was McCarrs Creek to Coasters Retreat where I overnighted, then Coasters Retreat to Five Dock Bay.

There was still some big swells, but the boat handled well and nothing broke (including me) so I mark that down as a success!

Tied up at the jetty at McCarrs Creek Reserve getting prepared to depart;

Sunset at Coasters Retreat;

North Head on entering Sydney Harbour;

Very well done. The boat looks to be in excellent condition, must have been one of the last built?

Well done, Enigma! Nothing broke, nothing hit, everyone accounted for. Good day's sail.

K.

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Jethrow said..
Just stay up here on Pittwater, much nice than that crowded harbour

But seriously, Saturday is looking pretty crap for heading south. It's such an enjoyable trip with a bit of NE'er and so miserable with any sort of south...

Jethrow you make a lot of sense.
Pittwater is the best waterway around Sydney. Enjoy some time up there.
Be patient. It is a trait that is appreciated by those around you.
Wait for the right weather. You only get to do this once so make it memorable.
Learn to be a fair weather sailor. you will get enough of the bad weather anyway.

Glad you made it safely.
Well done.

Glad to hear the passage went well. Look forward to catching up soon.

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r13 said..
Very well done. The boat looks to be in excellent condition, must have been one of the last built?

The boat was owned by the same person for the last 23 years and he has looked after it well. He is an older gentleman now and is getting out of boating so absolutely everything came with the boat. I even got a ring binder made up with all of the manuals, invoices and associated paperwork he had collected over the years.

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Kinora said..
Well done, Enigma! Nothing broke, nothing hit, everyone accounted for. Good day's sail.

K.

That's what I thought too!

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troubadour said..
Glad to hear the passage went well. Look forward to catching up soon.

Yeah definitely. Will bring the boat over to your bay one weekend when you are on board so you can have a look and we can compare notes. I may need to pick your brain of your Cav 28 knowledge at some stage.

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Bundeenabuoy said..
Glad you made it safely.
Well done.

Thanks BB. I have a Jibbon Beach plan sometime for the future too!