Cruise: Upwind to Eyre Peninsula

Preparing for a big sailing trip always seems to take longer than expected. During final boat checks, I noticed that the inverter was not working. I cursed myself for overlooking it, but we seldom use the inverter on our regular sailing trips. However, with over two weeks of sailing head and multiple laptops and other devices to power, including a stick blender, AC power was essential. That meant a two hour excursion back to the nearest electronics store.

Double handed: Paul (right) and me (left).

At 17:46, we finally departed Wirrina Cove. In truth, it was not the best time to be sailing west, but we were keen to get underway. Investigator Strait threw 26-knot westerly winds and 2m seas at us, a good shakedown test. We sailed for Ballast Head on Kangaroo Island, covering the 30 nautical miles in five hours. Our reward was a marina-calm anchorage.

The strong westerlies continued the following day, so we tacked back and forth across Investigator Strait. Marion Bay on the south coast of Yorke Peninsula was our anchorage that evening.

Day Three, and the westerlies finally started to abate, so we decided to motor rather can continue sailing upwind. Passing Althorpe Island (top photo courtesy of Paul Clouston), we caught our first fish of the trip, a large snook that made for an excellent ceviche that evening.

First fish of the trip - a snook.

Snook ceviche with Mexican salad.

At 16:15, the wind shifted slightly to the WSW, which was just enough for us to sail under main and gennaker for the last hour. At 17:36 we pulled into the gorgeous Memory Cove, in the Lincoln National Park.

Memory Cove.

 Day Four, and we were greeted by very light winds and a calm Thorny Passage (below).

As I write this, the wind has finally swung to the southwest and we're headed for Pt Whidbey, the westernmost point of the Coffin Bay Peninsula, under mainsail and gennaker. Here is a map of our progress to date.

Next stop, Flinders Island!

OVER.