This event is somewhat of a "Classic Blue Water Event". The rules are few but one of them is that you must book a mooring at L.H.I.

The next rule is that you must have a yacht and crew capable for the RETURN excursion. My advice is do not attempt this unless your yacht and crew are very well prepared. The Tasman Sea is what freaks many of the Americans out from coming to Australia and results in yachts being for sale in Fiji.

MorningBird unashamedly shamed me into going on this trip. He, HaveFun and I sailed (I wish. Motoring 99%) "Second Wind" up from Lake Macquarie to Bundaberg Easter last year.

The three of us struck up a very good relationship on that trip and knew we could sail together again without one of us cutting another's throat. Worse has happened on other vessels but the crew on Morning Bird were in harmony and that is the only way to travel.

The last time I have blue water sailed was 36 years ago on a 43 footer similar to an S&S 34 in form in 1979 from Fiji to Sydney during which passage, near to LHI, we suffered a 180 degree rollover from a wave (not a knock down from wind) so I was quite well aware of conditions that may be experienced on this voyage.

I must admit to trepidations the first couple of days out on this trip which were noticed by my fellow crew. One must remember that if you voluntarily put your self in the situation, you have no cause for complaint. Cop it on the chin and do your job.

Overall I have to say this trip was a great experience which strengthened our friendship beyond the normal. HaveFun and MorningBird are both Champions. I would sail with them any time.

What follows is a pictorial essay that I hope I get in sequence with some descriptions.


Question:- What about these currents John??

Answer:- Don't worry about the currents. It is the raisins and sultanas that will get you.





Fuelling up at Royal Motor Yacht Club Pittwater just prior to lunch at aforementioned club and HaveFun contemplating "I did this trip last year with huge dramas. Do I really want to do it again?"





Exiting the Pittwater towards Lion Island.





Exiting Broken Bay. Thank God and John's bank account for that dodger with hand holds that made life bearable later.





We were looking good at 7.9 knots and definitely in the EA current at 22.2 degrees. That was one of the few times it was favourable to us the way over. It can and does run at 4 knots at times and becomes really frustrating when uyou are sailing at 6 to 7 knots in the water but making only 2 knots over the ground.



Sailing and HaveFun on watch.





Sunset first day out.









About a 2 day gap in pics as it was boring punching currents and wind just to get there.

This is land fall early on the fourth day. We could not go in till about 10:00 am due to tidal restrictions.















These shots are just general from the mooring but notice in the second last the "lenticular clouds over the peaks" and in the last the luckiest copper in NSW using his toy.





We stayed in the Liander Lei for two nights which I thought was expensive at the time but in retrospect I think good value. This is the view from our balcony. Quite serene.
















T









The above are just general shots around this very laid back island. Four days there was enough for me. I get bored easily. However you can make of your stay there what you want limited to surfing, fishing, diving and of course, bush walking which to me is as interesting as watching paint dry.

There seems to be a preponderance on the island of old women with wide brimmed hats, back packs and tramping boots. Shudder.

The economy of the island is based on tourism so expect to pay tourist prices if you go there but in comparison to other destinations I think LHI is not that expensive.























These shots are at "Ned's Beach" named after Ned who got buried there. For $1 you can buy a bit of fish food and feed them. Obviously catching fish there is not kosher.





This is the only photo I took at the BBQ. The guy with the guitar and the one in the white shirt were at the "Anchorage Restaurant" the night before as were most of the yacht crews and kept us hilariously entertained with sailing ditties into the wee small hours.

The guy right on the left of the pic with blue shirt, white cap and beard is 88 and sailed to LHI with Ian Hansen on a 24 ft fetch. He sailed around the world in 1948 to 1952 with his wife who just died last year.

If you do this trip, you will meet some legends.





Mister Christian.



Catmarat.



The channel.



Smokey Cape. A 24 ft ketch.

Great shots Cisco, takes me back to a holiday I had there few years ago.
I would put LHI on everyone's bucket list.

I can recommend the Qantas flight as alternative method of transport to the 4 day sail.

Thanks for that. Nice photos. I prefer cruise ships personally.

Damn that ketch is small!

Thanks cisco, good write up.

How did you find the ocean?, the seas & swell looks under 2m from the photos was that typical of what you got on the whole trip?

And how did you find the entry to the lagoon?, any worse than entering Pt Macquarie for example.
cheers

Good work Cisco. So glad it was a success.

Excellent post Cisco and great photos.

Cisco only took shots on the champagne sailing moments. In truth we had little time with the wind abaft the beam and a lot of time battling currents with no wind or it near to on the nose.

The trip over was long and frustrating, going up near Port Macquarie before heading east. In a small boat you must plan to accommodate the currents as a 4 kt set, and 4 kts is quite common, almost stops you. The currents at one stage looked like they might stop us dead, a breeze came up in the nick of time. 66 hours motoring on the way over, used 100 litres of our 140 litres of diesel. By comparison, last year's passage took 3 1/2 days and we motored for 30 hours.

The 12-15 hours after departing LHI were the best sailing, 7.5 knots for over 100nm. Cisco took a good video of the boat powering along with a wake you could surf on. From the forecasts it looked like we would have favourable winds for the entire journey home but the wind then strengthened and backed to the WNW at 25-30 kt average with gusts over 40 kts in a breaking sea. This lasted for 12 or so hours and forced us south and tested my seasickness drugs (they failed at this point. I used a new concoction and re learnt a lesson, when you have something that works reliably don't bloody change).

We had swell up to maybe 3 metres, usually less than 2. The swell was never a great problem on this trip. Last year we had 5-8 metre sea and swell when we broke the boom, that was a trying time.

The strongest wind we experienced was when the front hit us at 0200 on the Saturday morning about 100nm from Pittwater with gusts well over 40 kts, maybe as high as 50 kts but only briefly and I was too preoccupied to be looking at it, with lots of spume and spray but, fortunately, no breaking waves as it only lasted an hour or two. We were warned by MRS on VHF well before and from a satphone call to my sister, also a sailor with her Valiant 40. I guessed we would hit it during the 0200-0500 watch and I wanted to be on watch when it hit. As I came up to relieve Cisco at 0200 he said "I think the front is here, we have just altered course by 50 degrees". By the time he went below for a well earned kip I was getting hammered. We had storm sails up and MB and the Fleming handled it brilliantly. When Havefun relieved me at 0500 he was probably wondering why I disappeared below and collapsed on a bunk as all was pretty good by then.

It isn't a great epic sail but it isn't easy and not for a novice crew. Most importantly, you must have a boat designed and prepared for it.

Thank you Cisco for your company and work on the trip and for the excellent post.

And to Havefun who has done it twice with me now, sucker for punishment.

I didn't think my cheap Aldi camera had a microphone it being waterproof, but it does.

This vid is about 30 or 40 miles out from Lord Howe which you can see in the background. It slipped below the horizon at about 50 miles out.

.be

Videos and photos don't really show rough the sea gets but this will give a bit of an idea.

.be

@ BlueMoon

Comparison with Port Macquarie is probably close to the mark. There are lead markers but they are fairly close together so you need to stay right on them. There wasn't much water under us transiting the passage.

I believe if it is blowing a westerly they won't let you in.

@ seabird

Certainly the Qantas flight is an easier way to get there but that can be scary too with cross winds and or weather. While we were there one of the flights went around a couple of times before he came in.

@ Ramona

Smokey Cape is TINY. She is owned by Ian Hansen who passed out of Nirimba as a shipwright about 1968. He did his 12 years and paid off because he was making better money with his art work than as a Chief. He is one of Australia's leading marine artists and gets commissions from the Navy among others.

@ MorningBird

You are welcome and I thank you for prodding me into doing the trip. It was a great trip that had it's moments and tried us all out. I don't know how you or anybody else can still go to sea if you get sea sick.

Nice vid I found of the Island.

Thanks Cisco for the great photos and write up. Makes me want to do it next year!

Select to expand quote

cisco said..

I didn't think my cheap Aldi camera had a microphone it being waterproof, but it does.

This vid is about 30 or 40 miles out from Lord Howe which you can see in the background. It slipped below the horizon at about 50 miles out.



Videos and photos don't really show rough the sea gets but this will give a bit of an idea.

50 bucks well spent! I have a small tube made out of wet suit material I slide over the microphone to reduce the wind noise. These videos will give you lasting memories.

well done cisco . huge effort and great result from all involved .

Great write up and fantastic trip
Well done to all who sailed and great to see Morning Bird performed faultlessly

Thanks Cisco nice photos and video, don't expect a phone call from LHI tourism asking you to be their promotions agent anytime soon. Does seem a long way for a BBQ when a coastal cruise north from Bundy gets you to places like the Whitsundays and other tropical islands dotted with twenty-somethings wearing not much at all.

Thanks from me too Cisco, great photos and story. I want to do some similar sailing. In 2002 I sailed around the NZ North Island on a 39ft boat I had at the time and did notice big seas can be a worry. We took 1m of green water across the decks once completely filling the cockpit, and our dinghy which was lashed to the davits on the stern was smashed off and drifted away. My GF at the time got off the boat at the next port and flew back to Oz on the Qantas method :-)

Before I do more there are some questions in my head re preparation..... With your experience (and others please join in) did you ever unfurl the life raft to test it and get in it. I had one on my NZ boat but no one knew how to use it and we never tried it because I believe its a once off, then a big deal to repack.

Second question. On Trek I paid a lot of attention now to what would happen if the boat rolled over 180 deg. My NZ boat was pointing bow down 45 degrees when we took the 1m so I came to realise the risk factors. Also my cousin was rolled 180 deg. on a 44ft boat he had. So everything that would fall and make a mess if that happened is now strapped down. ie. Batteries, carpet, hatches etc. ie. If the boat was upside down it would be fine. Did you and your crew worry much about that? Last question! Im making up my backup steering at the moment. Did your boat have backup steering, if yes how was it rigged? Thanks, end of questions!

G'day Trek. A few answers to your questions. I note you are in Elvina, MB is across the way in Salt Pan.

You can't "unfurl" the life raft and repack it. They are encased in a membrane inside the canister by the service agents, once inflated they are then unserviceable until repacked. Havefun and I have done the Sea Safety and Survival Course, a few times each, and I have survival and life raft experience from my Navy days. At the last service I did inflate it and checked its construction, features, boarding points and contents. Photos above.

I have thought about a boat rollover but I don't consider it a major risk with my boat and the conditions I sail in. The S&S34 has an angle of vanishing stability (AOVS), the angle of heel beyond which the boat will continue to go inverted, of 140-145 degrees. This is a massive righting moment and makes it very hard to get inverted and, if it does go over, the return to the upright is very rapid. Experience is that rig damage etc will happen as she comes up. I have not seen MB over about 40 degrees even in the very big seas Havefun and I had off LHI last year where we had up to 8 metres in 40+ knots.

They can't be compared to many modern cruisers which have an AOVS of 115-125 degrees. Once they go a bit beyond the horizontal over they go and then they need a big nudge from another wave to get back upright.

Having said that all heavy gear like batteries, raft, dinghy are secured. Loose stuff like clothes, food, charts will make a terrific mess. Water ingress while inverted, even for a short period, is arguably the biggest danger. MB has an electric bilge pump and two good manual pumps.

MB has tiller steering for a skeg hung rudder. Steering failure is not a major concern. The S&S34 can usually be steered with sail trim. Actual answer to your question, I do have a para drogue and adequate rode for emergency steering.

In summary, the inherent design features of the S&S34 of stability, stiffness, rugged construction, simple rig and tiller steering make emergency planning a much simpler exercise.

@ Trek

Re liferafts. I think if anybody is going off shore it is a good idea to do a sea survival course beforehand and by that I mean a practical in the water course. Our crew all had previous experience of this.

You need to be familiar with how to deploy a life raft before hand, especially how to right it if it inflates inverted which Murphy's Law says it will. Further each crew member must be allocated specific tasks for the abandon ship situation.

MorningBird emailed us a detailed safety plan prior to the trip which is excellent. I am sure if you ask nicely he would send it to you to use as template for your own customised safety plan.

In the big blue briny it is unlikely you will get a knock down from wind but entirely possible you may suffer a rollover from a breaking sea or broach. A self righting keel yacht is unlikely to remain inverted for more than a few seconds. The closer the ballast/displacement ratio is 50%, the more self righting it will be. This also means the righting will be more violent which will put huge strain on the rig.

I have been blue water sailing only twice. This trip and from Fiji to Sydney 36 years ago. That trip was on a very strongly built "Phillip 43" called "New Morning". How is that for coincidence?? Two trips on the Tasman on New Morning and Morning Bird. Anyway on that trip we were a bit west of the line between Lord Howe and Elizabeth Reef in a gale with storm jib only and on Airies self steering. Wash boards in and hatch closed, it is the middle of the night and I am clipped on and alone in the cockpit.

We got three big greenies in a row each of which flooded the cockpit adding well over a ton of water each time and you could feel the boat dragging itself out of it as the water exited through the drains. I could hear the fourth one coming as it was a breaker. Over she goes the full 180 degrees, everything goes white, I am thinking I can hold my breath for 30 seconds and if she does not come back up by then, I am letting go!!!

Back up she comes and the soft pack liferaft under the rear cockpit seat has gone over the transom and is inflating itself. The 6 ft 2 ", 110 kg skipper has flown across the cabin landing on his 55 kg wife nearly killing her and oily bilge water has soaked all the bedding as part of the general chaos below.

I call out to Phil that he better come on deck while I am trying to haul the liferaft back in with it's painter line as the boat starts sailing itself again. I had three goes at getting the raft hauled in but the boat kept sailing and the last time I let the line out as it touched the rail it snapped tearing the skin right off my fingers. If I had wrapped the line around my fingers it would have taken them off.

The mast which was a massive keel stepped tree of a thing was not lost and the side stays were stretched to loose, no tension. The VHF ariel and tri light on the mast head were torn off. We obviously survived for I am here to tell the tale.

Preparation for catastrophic events like a rollover needs to be to the whole of the yacht, not just the rig or the batteries etc. What about the anchor locker? Will the lid fly open and the anchor and chain start sliding around the deck, go over the side and foul the keel or rudder???

I believe you need to go over every inch of the yacht and analyse what might happen if it turns turtle so a lock clip for the lid of the anchor locker. Another one for the chart table lid etc, etc ad infinitum.

As well as Morning Bird was prepared (very well), I am sure John will admit she was not 110%. No yacht ever will be but that is what you aspire to.

Back up steering has to be specific to the yacht in question. Morning Bird had standard S&S 34 tiller steering, rock solid and hard to back up with anything else. We had discussion about the S&S 34 lost last year. It had been modified to spade rudder configuration with out sufficient strengthening of the rudder post mounting. We agreed we would never sail on an S&S 34 with a modified rudder.

My previous Peterson 42 (IOR 2 tonner) had a saloon table top that was shaped like a rudder and supposed to be the emergency rudder. It was only token to meet the rule. If I had to use it I would have had to drill holes in it, bolt in pintles, attach a tiller and goodness knows what else. If you lose your rudder, you are in a crisis and need to be able to deploy an emergency rudder quickly and easily, like in 5 minutes.

Blue water sailing is a serious business where chaos awaits the unwary and unprepared. Spectacular achievement is ALWAYS preceded by unspectacular preparation, Jessica Watson being a case in point.

Blue water sailing is a fantastic experience for those that are youngish and have the desire. Better if you do it on someone else's boat first time around. I am 65 and though I have been on the beach for over a week now, I am still in recovery mode.

As Phil the skipper on the first trip said, "Ocean passages are a necessary evil attached to coastal cruising." to which I heartily agree.

You can get any kind of sailing you want within 100 miles of the Australian coastline.

You beat me to it MorningBird but we are in confluence.

Great post Cisco. I'm almost glad that I think I'm too old to go ocean sailing ( I don't have to 'think' I'm too old.....I KNOW I am.)

Select to expand quote

cisco said..

@ Trek

Re liferafts. I think if anybody is going off shore it is a good idea to do a sea survival course beforehand and by that I mean a practical in the water course. Our crew all had previous experience of this.

You need to be familiar with how to deploy a life raft before hand, especially how to right it if it inflates inverted which Murphy's Law says it will. Further each crew member must be allocated specific tasks for the abandon ship situation.

MorningBird emailed us a detailed safety plan prior to the trip which is excellent. I am sure if you ask nicely he would send it to you to use as template for your own customised safety plan.

In the big blue briny it is unlikely you will get a knock down from wind but entirely possible you may suffer a rollover from a breaking sea or broach. A self righting keel yacht is unlikely to remain inverted for more than a few seconds. The closer the ballast/displacement ratio is 50%, the more self righting it will be. This also means the righting will be more violent which will put huge strain on the rig.

I have been blue water sailing only twice. This trip and from Fiji to Sydney 36 years ago. That trip was on a very strongly built "Phillip 43" called "New Morning". How is that for coincidence?? Two trips on the Tasman on New Morning and Morning Bird. Anyway on that trip we were a bit west of the line between Lord Howe and Elizabeth Reef in a gale with storm jib only and on Airies self steering. Wash boards in and hatch closed, it is the middle of the night and I am clipped on and alone in the cockpit.

We got three big greenies in a row each of which flooded the cockpit adding well over a ton of water each time and you could feel the boat dragging itself out of it as the water exited through the drains. I could hear the fourth one coming as it was a breaker. Over she goes the full 180 degrees, everything goes white, I am thinking I can hold my breath for 30 seconds and if she does not come back up by then, I am letting go!!!

Back up she comes and the soft pack liferaft under the rear cockpit seat has gone over the transom and is inflating itself. The 6 ft 2 ", 110 kg skipper has flown across the cabin landing on his 55 kg wife nearly killing her and oily bilge water has soaked all the bedding as part of the general chaos below.

I call out to Phil that he better come on deck while I am trying to haul the liferaft back in with it's painter line as the boat starts sailing itself again. I had three goes at getting the raft hauled in but the boat kept sailing and the last time I let the line out as it touched the rail it snapped tearing the skin right off my fingers. If I had wrapped the line around my fingers it would have taken them off.

The mast which was a massive keel stepped tree of a thing was not lost and the side stays were stretched to loose, no tension. The VHF ariel and tri light on the mast head were torn off. We obviously survived for I am here to tell the tale.

Preparation for catastrophic events like a rollover needs to be to the whole of the yacht, not just the rig or the batteries etc. What about the anchor locker? Will the lid fly open and the anchor and chain start sliding around the deck, go over the side and foul the keel or rudder???

I believe you need to go over every inch of the yacht and analyse what might happen if it turns turtle so a lock clip for the lid of the anchor locker. Another one for the chart table lid etc, etc ad infinitum.

As well as Morning Bird was prepared (very well), I am sure John will admit she was not 110%. No yacht ever will be but that is what you aspire to.

Back up steering has to be specific to the yacht in question. Morning Bird had standard S&S 34 tiller steering, rock solid and hard to back up with anything else. We had discussion about the S&S 34 lost last year. It had been modified to spade rudder configuration with out sufficient strengthening of the rudder post mounting. We agreed we would never sail on an S&S 34 with a modified rudder.

My previous Peterson 42 (IOR 2 tonner) had a saloon table top that was shaped like a rudder and supposed to be the emergency rudder. It was only token to meet the rule. If I had to use it I would have had to drill holes in it, bolt in pintles, attach a tiller and goodness knows what else. If you lose your rudder, you are in a crisis and need to be able to deploy an emergency rudder quickly and easily, like in 5 minutes.

Blue water sailing is a serious business where chaos awaits the unwary and unprepared. Spectacular achievement is ALWAYS preceded by unspectacular preparation, Jessica Watson being a case in point.

Blue water sailing is a fantastic experience for those that are youngish and have the desire. Better if you do it on someone else's boat first time around. I am 65 and though I have been on the beach for over a week now, I am still in recovery mode.

As Phil the skipper on the first trip said, "Ocean passages are a necessary evil attached to coastal cruising." to which I heartily agree.

You can get any kind of sailing you want within 100 miles of the Australian coastline.

Excellent post Cisco. I would love a copy of your safety plan too Morning Bird

Thanks Guys Nice ready