Leg 4: Melbourne to Wellington

Date: Sunday 28 December 2003

Day: 156 (This Leg Day 1)

Local time: 1200 GMT+11

Leg Number and name: Leg 4, "The Bullers"

Focus of leg: The role of international agreements and advocacy

Position - Latitude, Longitude: 38.17S, 144.43E

Position relative to nearest land: Approaching the mouth of Port Phillip Bay, leaving Melbourne.

Course: 104 T

Speed: 7.5 knots

Distance traveled in last 24hrs: 27 miles

Distance traveled since last port: 27 mies

Total distance from Ardmore: 14,027 miles

Headed to: Wellington, New Zealand

Distance to next port: Approx 1,490 miles.

Barometric pressure: 1029

Wind direction: SE

Wind Speed: Force F4, (11-16 knots)

Cloud cover: 0%

Air temperature: 27C

Surface sea temperature: n/a

Sea conditions: Calm

Bird sightings (At 1200): nil



Notes: The start of Leg 4, Melbourne to Wellington. Up at 0530. Calm, pleasant morning. We motored out of Sandringham YC at 0715, a handful of family and friends waved goodbye as Melbourne slept off Christmas.



By 1300 we had navigated the channels of Port Phillip Bay and crossed the Rip at the Heads, in slack water, as planned. The sun was hot and the sea blue as we motored southeast into a light head wind on the 100 mile stretch to round Wilson's Promontory, the most southerly point of Australia.



Numerous, dense flocks of dark brown, fulmar-sized birds wheeled all about as the wind rose against us and the sea became jubbly.



In the early evening, we saw just one, mangled, bedraggled Albatross, its right leg hanging limp, with jagged gaps for missing feathers in the trailing edges of both wings. Out here, it will know, only the strong survive. And it will have cursed the day it met with men.



Let's be frank, I doubt very much if many Australians will even blink if the old bird becomes extinct. But they'll certainly squeak if their 'slabs' of beer dry up. That's Christmas. And that's certainly not just Australians.



Into the mist...


John Ridgway

Date: Monday 29 December 2003

Day: 157 (This Leg Day 2)

Local time: 1200 GMT+11

Leg Number and name: Leg 4, "The Bullers"

Focus of leg: The role of international agreements and advocacy


Position - Latitude, Longitude: 38.12'S, 146.38'E

Position relative to nearest land: 10 miles south-east of Wilson's Promontory, Bass Strait.

Course: 111T

Speed: 4.0 knots

Distance traveled in last 24hrs: approx 100 miles, but not all towards wellington.

Distance traveled since last port: 127 mies

Total distance from Ardmore: 14,127 miles

Headed to: Wellington, New Zealand
Distance to next port: Approx 1,272 miles (based on GPS Waypoints).

Barometric pressure: 1023

Wind direction: ENE

Wind Speed: Force F2-3, (4-10 knots)

Cloud cover: 75%

Air temperature: 25C

Surface sea temperature: n/a

Sea conditions: Light, occasional white horses.

Bird sightings (At 1200):



Notes: A dark night, a bumpy sea and a lee shore. Transitting the Bass Strait, between Australia and Tasmania was always going to be one of the hazards of the trip round the world. The Southern Ocean bottles up there, between the two masses of land.



"We had 100ft waves off there on the Sydney Hobart Race a couple of years ago." Bruce, the Yacht Club shopkeeper had told me, nonchalantly. I didn't know what to say.



Dawn found us approaching the spectacular channel between Redondo Island (1,150') and Wilson's Promontory (2,470').



"It's calm, you'll motor clear of the whole lot in three hours" Nick's optimistic voice woke MC and me at 0540. "Then you can bear away and set sail towards Wellington."



No prizes for nearly. We spent the day motoring and sailing, trying to wriggle through the various groups of islands and rocks lying between us and the open Tasman Sea. Even at midnight we were heading straight for Flinders Island. But what a sunny, summery day, we had had, compared to the Southern Ocean between Capetown and Melbourne.



Sadly, Pete and Carol are very quiet, being sick a lot, and we look forward to their coming round. Meanwhile, the veterans, Nick, Igor, MC and me, well we look on, astonished to feel fine!



Into the mist...


John Ridgway

Date: Tuesday 30 December 2003

Day: 158 (This Leg Day 4)

Local time: 1200 GMT+11

Leg Number and name: Leg 4, "The Bullers"

Focus of leg: The role of international agreements and advocacy

Position - Latitude, Longitude: 39.35'S, 148.46'E

Position relative to land: 80 miles NNE of NE tip of Tasmania, leaving Bass Strait.

Course: 096T

Speed: 6.5 knots

Distance traveled in last 24hrs: 102 nautical miles

Distance traveled since last port: 229 miles

Total distance from Ardmore: 14,229 miles

Headed to: Wellington, New Zealand

Distance to next port: Approx 1,200 miles (based on GPS Waypoints)

Barometric pressure: 1016

Wind direction: N

Wind Speed: Force F5, (17-21 knots)

Cloud cover: 10%

Air temperature: 25C

Surface sea temperature: n/a

Sea conditions: Moderate sized waves on the beam, many white horses, some spray.

Bird sightings (At 1200): 3 Unidentified albatrosses in the middle distance, did not approach boat.



Notes: A night fiddling to avoid Flinders Island off NE Tasmania. But
at 0700 a front passed through: the wind veered north east and we set the Monitor windvane steering, complete with its shiny new steering oar and double safety lines.



And so we pulled clear of Tasmania, heading straight for Wellington New
Zealand: and by noon it was just 1,200 miles east.



50 dolphins played around us and we were enjoying one of those
peerless sailing days which should be enjoyed to the full, while the cup is still brimming over. The opportunity of a lifetime must be taken in the lifetime of the opportunity.



Predictably, the wind gradually freshened during the day. The sea
became rougher and Pete and Carol continued to be seasick, which rather took the edge off things.



Very few seabirds here.



Into the mist...


John Ridgway

Date: Wednesday 31 December 2003

Day: 159 (This Leg Day 4)

Local time: 1200 GMT+11

Leg Number and name: Leg 4, "The Bullers"

Focus of leg: The role of international agreements and advocacy

Position - Latitude, Longitude: 40.01'S, 151.26'E

Position relative to land: 160 nautical miles SSE of Gabo Island (the SE tip of Australia)

Course: 120 T

Speed: 6.9 knots

Distance traveled in last 24hrs: 120 nautical miles

Distance traveled since last port: 369 mies

Total distance from Ardmore: 14,369 miles

Headed to: Wellington, New Zealand

Distance to next port: Approx 1,040 miles (based on GPS Waypoints).

Barometric pressure: 1016

Wind direction: N

Wind Speed: Force F4, (11-16 knots)

Cloud cover: 25%

Air temperature: 23 C

Surface sea temperature: n/a

Sea conditions: Variety of cross swells making a lumpy sea. Motion of boat is throwing wind out of the sails.

Bird sightings (At 1200): 1 x Wandering Albatross, 5 x Sooty Albatrosses



Notes: Coming on at midnight in the light of a 1/4 moon, MC and I were presented with something we'd never seen before. A series of 5 narrow black pressure-wave clouds, stretching from horizon to horizon, north to south, rolled overhead at great speed, seeming almost to be steaming at the leading edge.



"They're like flying saucers!" said MC, handing the wheel over to me after only ten minutes, "I don't like things I can't understand, maybe it's a water spout."



Nick had stayed up, fearing a violent change in wind speed and direction. We kept the sails very small and he went below. The wind did veer NW but it didn't freshen too much and after an hour or so it weakened and continued on round to SW.



This is the last day of 2003 and the 159th of the Voyage. Nick, Igor, MC and I know each other very well; have been through quite a bit together, in our little home. Having two inexperienced and seasick complete strangers, join us, presents something of a challenge. Especially as they are clearly and unexpectedly, close friends, and much younger - nearly 45 years in my case.



Self discipline, routine, chores, leaving everything better than you find it, over the long haul, rather jars with self absorption and "cool". It's the age old clash of generations.



Nothing like a little test. Interesting to see how we each react. What larks!



Into the mist...



John Ridgway

Date: Thursday 1 January 2004

Day: 160 (This Leg Day 5)

Local time: 1200 GMT+11

Leg Number and name: Leg 4, "The Bullers"

Focus of leg: The role of international agreements and advocacy

Position - Latitude, Longitude: 40.11'S 154.22'E

Position relative to land: 345 nm NE of Hobart, Tasmania

Course: 072 T

Speed: 3.4knots

Distance traveled in last 24hrs: 131 nautical miles

Distance traveled since last port: 500 miles

Total distance from Ardmore: 14,500 miles

Headed to: Wellington, New Zealand

Distance to next port: Approx 1,006 miles (based on GPS Waypoints).

Barometric pressure: 1018

Wind direction: WNW

Wind Speed: Force F2-3, (4-10 knots)

Cloud cover: 10%

Air temperature: 25 C

Surface sea temperature: n/a


Sea conditions: Small jumbled cross swells throwing wind out of sails.


Bird sightings (At 1200): 1 x Wandering Albatross.



Notes: 2004 - What will it bring? Day 1 - Twisted at Wheel to glare at staysail sheet jammed in lazarette lid. Fell against port sheet winch. Funny noise from right rib cage. Lay gasping for air. Steadily became disabled during the day. Movement brings clicking sounds and coughing not advised. Still it is a little test. Better than the dreaded ennui, as the wind dies to a flat calm.



Pete and Carol recovered, bring youthful fun to the party.



What will 2004 bring for the albatross?


Happy New Year to all our readers



Into the mist...


John Ridgway

Date: Friday 2 January 2004

Day: 161 (This Leg Day 6)

Local time: 1200 GMT+11

Leg Number and name: Leg 4, "The Bullers"

Focus of leg: The role of international agreements and advocacy


Position - Latitude, Longitude: 40.14'S 155.05'E

Position relative to land: 420 nm SSE of Sydney, Australia

Course: 087 T

Speed: 4.3 knots

Distance traveled in last 24hrs: 37 nautical miles

Distance traveled since last port: 537 mies

Total distance from Ardmore: 14,537 miles

Headed to: Wellington, New Zealand

Distance to next port: Approx 974 miles (based on GPS Waypoints).


Barometric pressure: 1020

Wind direction: N

Wind Speed: Force F4, (11-16 knots)

Cloud cover: 100% Fog, visibility estimated at 300 metres

Temperature: 24 C

Surface sea temperature: n/a

Sea conditions: Light sea with long swell


Bird sightings (At 1200): 1 x large Prion, 2 x White chinned petrels.



Notes: At midnight the wind was just enough to push us half a mile towards Wellington by 0100. The glass was high and we scarcely moved before noon, on a fine sunny day, far from the coughs and colds of home at this time of year.



Pete and Carol now seem completely over their seasickness and have fitted very well into the Watch system: Nick and Pete, Igor and Carol, MC and me.



Carol gave us a thoughtful insight into the world of seabird protection. We eagerly await our visit to NZ; it is such an immediate sort of place, where it seems they are so acutely aware of the fragility of our environment. I'm sure, as oft before, we will draw inspiration from Department of Conservation, Forest and Bird and Southern Seabird solutions.



Into the mist... John Ridgway

Date: Saturday 3 January 2004

Day: 162 (This Leg Day 7)

Local time: 1200 GMT+11

Leg Number and name: Leg 4, "The Bullers"

Focus of leg: The role of international agreements and advocacy


Position - Latitude, Longitude: 40.05'S 158.27'E

Position relative to land: 668 nautical miles west of Cape Farewell, the NW tip ofSouth Island, NZ

Course: 088 T

Speed: 6.2 knots

Distance traveled in last 24hrs: 151 nautical miles

Distance traveled since last port: 688 mies

Total distance from Ardmore: 14,688 miles

Headed to: Wellington, New Zealand

Distance to next port: Approx 818 miles (based on GPS Waypoints).


Barometric pressure: 1023

Wind direction: NNE

Wind Speed: Force F4 - 5, (11-21 knots)

Cloud cover: 60%

Temperature: 26 C

Surface sea temperature: n/a

Sea conditions: Light sea with some whitecapslong swell


Bird sightings (At 1200): 1 x Wandering Albatross, 2 x White-chinned Petrels, 1 x Prion



Notes: A 150 nm day: Like a dart due east, along the 40th parallel. Starboard side of the boat dipped in the dreaded Southern Ocean, while the port side basks in semi-tropical summer, with flying fish and sharks. The balmy north wind, carefree youthful giggles and Monitor self-steering on smooth seas separate this MEL-WEL leg from CAP-MEL like chalk from cheese. With a creaking, dented chest, long may it last: x-ray.



Into the mist...



John Ridgway

Date: Sunday 4 January 2004

Day: 163 (This Leg Day 8)

Local time: 1200 GMT+11

Leg Number and name: Leg 4, "The Bullers"

Focus of leg: The role of international agreements and advocacy

Position - Latitude, Longitude: 40.01'S 161.26'E

Position relative to land: Middle of the Tasman Sea

Course: 085 T

Speed: 5.4 knots

Distance traveled in last 24hrs: 140 nautical miles

Distance traveled since last port: 822 mies

Total distance from Ardmore: 14,822 miles

Headed to: Wellington, New Zealand

Distance to next port: Approx 668 miles (based on GPS Waypoints).

Barometric pressure: 1023

Wind direction: NNE

Wind Speed: Force F4 - 5, (11-21 knots)

Cloud cover: 25%

Temperature: 25 C

Surface sea temperature: n/a

Sea conditions: Light sea with some whitecaps,long swell


Bird sightings (At 1200): 1 x Wandering Albatross, 2 x White-chinned Petrels, 1 x Prion



Notes: The luck holds, sliding due east at 140 miles each day in fair weather. Few birds. Could reach Wellington on Thursday 8th or Friday 9th January. High pressure over North Island NZ could bring calms. Nick preparing to fly back to Australia for a fortnight. Therefore ETD Wellington for Cape Horn and Falkland Islands 24 January.



Into the mist...


John Ridgway

Date: Sunday 5 January 2004

Day: 164 (This Leg Day 9)

Local time: 1200 GMT+11

Leg Number and name: Leg 4, "The Bullers"

Focus of leg: The role of international agreements and advocacy


Position - Latitude, Longitude: 40.00'S 164.59'E

Position relative to land: 300nm NNW of Milford Sound

Course: 090 T

Speed: 6.3 knots

Distance traveled in last 24hrs: 162 nautical miles

Distance traveled since last port: 984 miles

Total distance from Ardmore: 14,984 miles

Headed to: Wellington, New Zealand

Distance to next port: Approx 516 miles (based on GPS Waypoints).


Barometric pressure: 1018

Wind direction: N

Wind Speed: Force F4 - 5, (11-21 knots)

Cloud cover: 100%

Temperature: 23 C

Surface sea temperature: n/a

Sea conditions: Moderate sea with some whitecaps.


Bird sightings (At 1200): 1 x Wandering Albatross, 1 x White-chinned
Petrel, 1 x Prion



Notes: We kept a good speed, due east, all day. Another small shark
sighting. We are now into the stationary High, which persists, centred on the NW corner of North Island, NZ. A weak decaying Front reached us from a Low, passing far south of South Island, with little effect.



We are a long way from the westerlies and the Wandering Albatross.



Into the mist...


John Ridgway

Date: Monday 6 January 2004

Day: 165 (This Leg Day 10)

Local time: 1200 GMT+13

Leg Number and name: Leg 4, "The Bullers"

Focus of leg: The role of international agreements and advocacy


Position - Latitude, Longitude: 39.56'S'S 167.22'E

Position relative to land: 240 nm west of Cape Farewell

Course: 092 T

Speed: 7.3 knots

Distance traveled in last 24hrs: 108 nautical miles

Distance traveled since last port: 1,092 miles

Total distance from Ardmore: 15,092 miles

Headed to: Wellington, New Zealand

Distance to next port: Approx 408 miles (based on GPS Waypoints)


Barometric pressure: 1010

Wind direction: N

Wind Speed: Force F3 - 4, (7-16 knots)

Cloud cover: 100% Raining

Temperature: n/a

Surface sea temperature: n/a

Sea conditions: Moderate sea with some whitecaps, frequent squalls with wind and rain.


Bird sightings (At 1200): 1 x juvenile Wandering Albatross, 1 x White-chinned
Petrel, 1 x Prion



Notes: Variable wind and grey skies with heavy rain. Slow progress.



Into the mist...



John Ridgway

Date: Tuesday 7 January 2004

Day: 166 (This Leg Day 11)

Local time: 1200 GMT+13

Leg Number and name: Leg 4, "The Bullers"

Focus of leg: The role of international agreements and advocacy


Position - Latitude, Longitude: 39.51'S 170.01'E

Position relative to land: 186 nm west of Stephens island in the entrance to Cook Strait.

Course: 106 T

Speed: 6.3 knots

Distance traveled in last 24hrs: 108 nautical miles

Distance traveled since last port: 1,092 miles

Total distance from Ardmore: 15,092 miles

Headed to: Wellington, New Zealand

Distance to next port: Approx 408 miles (based on GPS Waypoints).

Barometric pressure: 1012

Wind direction: Calm, variable

Wind Speed: 0 - 1

Cloud cover: 90%

Temperature: n/a

Surface sea temperature: n/a

Sea conditions: Light but big swell coming up from SW.



Bird sightings (At 1200): 1 x Shy Albatross, 1 x White-chinned Petrel,



Notes: With morning, the wind fell away until we had to motor. But we were able to sail again by the late afternoon. Then were stopped in our tracks by NZ radio weather forecasts which offered NE 45 knots in Cook Strait. Adding to this darkness, confinement and extreme tide rips, we took the opportunity to practice lying to our Gale Rider drogue, on a 200 metre 24mm warp off the stern. It will be difficult to stream and recover but this practice is worthwhile. We need to refine the rigging of a scrap of staysail 'steadying sail' lashed fore and aft on the centre line of the boat. High hopes under grey skies.



The look out from the Dome is excellent.



Into the mist...



John Ridgway

Date: Thursday 8 January 2004

Day: 167 (This Leg Day 12)

Local time: 1200 GMT+13

Leg Number and name: Leg 4, "The Bullers"

Focus of leg: The role of international agreements and advocacy


Position - Latitude, Longitude: 40.26'S 171.08'E

Position relative to land: on the soutern side of the entrance to Cook Strait.

Course: 164 T

Speed: 2.8 knots (under drogue)

Distance traveled in last 24hrs: none towards Wellington

Distance traveled since last port: 1,092 miles

Total distance from Ardmore: 15,092 miles

Headed to: Wellington, New Zealand

Distance to next port: Approx 148 miles (based on GPS Waypoints).


Barometric pressure: 1012

Wind direction: W

Wind Speed: 5-6

Cloud cover: 100%

Temperature: 21

Surface sea temperature: n/a

Sea conditions: Moderate, frequent whitecaps.


Bird sightings (At 1200): 1 x Gannet



Notes: A good day's exercise with the drogue streamed 200 metres astern. It worked well and we recovered it safely, using winch and engine. Now we look forward to a similar, modified deployment around Cape Horn.



After our halcyon cruise across the Tasman Sea, bad weather has finally caught up with us. We are on the western fringe of Cook Strait; at the other, much narrower end, a 150 miles southeast, they have a NW storm with 50 knot of wind. So our patient 24hr wait out here has proved prudent. Now we need to slip through a window in the weather. Perhaps not as easy as it may sound.



Into the mist...


John Ridgway

Date: Thursday 9 January 2004

Day: 168 (This Leg Day 13)

Local time: 1200 GMT+13

Leg Number and name: Leg 4, "The Bullers"

Focus of leg: The role of international agreements and advocacy


Position - Latitude, Longitude: 40.09'S 173.26'E

Position relative to land:

Course: 099 T

Speed: 5.8 knots (under drogue)

Distance traveled in last 24hrs: tbc nautical miles

Distance traveled since last port: tbc miles

Total distance from Ardmore: tbc miles

Headed to: Wellington, New Zealand

Distance to next port: Approx 38 miles (based on GPS Waypoints).


Barometric pressure: 1012

Wind direction: W

Wind Speed: 5-6

Cloud cover: 100%

Temperature: 21

Surface sea temperature: n/a

Sea conditions: Rough, frequent whitecaps.


Bird sightings (At 1200): 1 x Storm Petrel,1 x white chinned Petrel



Notes:Good thing we waited and practiced with the drogue. the storms around
Wellington were the worst for 3 yrs with gusts to 140 knots. fortunately
for us it was nothing like that. We had 55 knot gusts at 0900 and that only
for ten minutes or so as the front ripped through; for the rest it was
hours at 30 knots or so, normal really.



We had a full moon in the Cook Strait and were doing 11 knots at times. But
over three watches managed the jinking through frequent high speed
Wellington to Picton ferries.



Nearly there!



Into the mist...


John Ridgway

Date: Saturday 10 January 2004

Day: 168 (This Leg Day 14)

Local time: 1200 GMT+13

Leg Number and name: Leg 4, "The Bullers"

Focus of leg: The role of international agreements and advocacy


Position - Latitude, Longitude: 41.17'S 174.51'E

Position relative to land: Reached Destination

Course: Local Pilotage

Speed: Variable

Distance traveled in last 24hrs: 41 nautical miles

Distance traveled since last port: tbc mies

Total distance from Ardmore: tbc miles

Arrived: Wellington, New Zealand


Barometric pressure: 1024

Wind direction: W

Wind Speed: 6

Cloud cover: Sunshine

Temperature: 21

Surface sea temperature: n/a

Sea conditions: Choppy


Bird sightings (At 1200): Gannets and storm petrels



Notes: SAFELY ARRIVED IN WELLINGTON ONLY ONE BROKEN RIB!



Into the mist...


John Ridgway

Now go on to our Wellington stopover 11-23 January 2004

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