Hugging the South Coast (Jan 07, 2016)

Hugging the South Coast (Jan 07, 2016)

With a Sou’East wind on a southern shore there is no escape – you are in southern climes on a southern seaway. With dinner for a polite 4 last night, (instead of 7), our mobile diner will certainly not run out of food anytime soon! Luckily, we only have a seaway and no significant swell running.

Sea Spray. 30-35 knots of south-east wind is not helping our visual surveys.

Trillions and zillions of stars in the night sky, like diamond dust on black velvet, frame us to infinity. Feeling very, very small.

Winding our way along the south coast we ventured from Cape Leeuwin, passed Flinders Bay towards Point D’Entrecasteaux. The extent to which the French explored our southernland several hundred years ago is evident in many ways, including this point so-named by Baudin after the explorer D’Entrecasteaux. Also in WA there is the D’Entrecasteaux National Park and in Tasmania, south of Hobart the D’Entrecasteaux Channel. I ponder that in these days of the endless selfie, when faced with naming possibilities would people take to naming a peak or bay after themselves rather than someone else, as was done by the explorers a couple of hundred years previously.

Peak Head. Granite headlands abound on this southern coastline.

At 0226 we passed Cow and Calf Rocks. Steering well away, it is very clear on the RADAR that these are two rocks side by side, and as evidenced by their name, have the appearance of a pair of surfacing humpback whales.

Our destination and activity today has been more coastal hugging. We have tried to avoid the 30-35 knot SE and have moved towards a nice bay east of Albany, in which to anchor for the night.

Albany Port. The entrance to King George Sound in the early evening light.

We are travelling to SA to haul out for bottom and propeller painting and along the way with any transit, we always take the opportunity to look and listen for cetaceans collecting data. Thus far, the winds have hampered our efforts but not dampened our spirits. One or two overnights in a suitably, sheltered anchorage will allow an High Pressure atmospheric system to pass and provide calmer water conditions in the next few days and thus a better chance for our visual and acoustic surveys when deploying a second long-term acoustic logger. Here’s to hoping! Holding concentration for extended periods of time is all about the hope of a possibility. Curt and I have hung our lives on this and are not in any hurry to change this practice.

Shearwater Silhouette. Rounded knolls of granite pepper our vista in this beautiful region.

Gorgeous granite headlands dominate the scenery on our port side. High cliffs covered scattered vegetation of mid-green hues give way to round, eroded rock faces at sea-level. The Southern Ocean caresses this coast with power and grace.

Skippers’ Anchorage. Skipper approves of this anchorage! We expect this substantial granite outcrop to block the strong south-east wind for a peaceful overnight sojourn.

Passing the entrance to King George Sound around sunset we made our way to a lovely anchorage beneath a huge granite headland providing ample shelter for the night.

Resting easy tonight!