Saturday 5th February was spent mooching about the town checking out some of the lovely timberand timber items for sale and talking with the locals. One in particular was the skipper of Storm Breaker, a charter yacht based in Strahan, who shared his local knowledge with us on our anticipated meanderings around Macquarie Harbour and the Gordon River.
An easy start to Sunday, after taking on diesel we left Strahan Harbour around 11:00 am. There were some clouds amongst the blue sky and winds were from the SW at 12 knots. Once out into the broader Macquarie Harbour, we put up sail and proceeded down to Kelly Basin. The wind was surprisingly variable in both strength and direction requiring tacking several times for the first time on the trip. The variability confused the autopilot somewhat and we ended up at the helm most of the way.
By 4:15 pm we had cruised around Kelly Basin and anchored in the magnificently protected spot behind St Leger Point. Although experiencing showers at times, it was a good trip down the harbour and Kelly Basin looked pretty as the sun came out at times. We enjoyed a serenely quiet night with no insects to disturb our slumbers despite dire warnings from locals.
With it being quite overcast and showers coming through, we got off to another slow start on Monday before exploring Kelly Basin. Finally the weather cleared for a while and off we went in the dinghy. First to East Pillinger where some duckboarding and interpretive signs have been set up by National Parks and Wildlife. There were some brick kilns and boilers to be seen as well as the remains of a railway carriage in a very sorry state. We walked along the Bird River track a little way as well. Then it was back into the dinghy and across to the small wharf near "Raindeer Lodge", an old shack adjacent to West Pillinger. We looked around there a little but decided not to trek over to the town site itself, given the amount of regrowth that has reclaimed the whole area.
After a hot lunch, we set off at 12:45 for the Gordon River. The wind as is becoming normal was dead ahead and gusting over 20 knots at times. We saw one of the tourist boats enter the River and Tegwen entered around 30 minutes later. The river was very subdued both current and wind wise and this enabled the evening's casserole to be started early and to cook slowly as we progressed upstream. We anchored near Heritage Landing and dinghied over to "do the walk" through the rainforest there. After this interlude, we glided further up the Gordon until we stopped for the night in the stretch of river a lttle past Horseshoe Bend.
Tuesday morning started with cloud cover and some morning mist rising along the banks around us like wisps of smoke from camp fires. The river was very still with everything reflected perfectly in it. We headed further up river around 9:00 am. Subsequently, having slipped around Butlers Island that has featured so often in calendars, we were hugging the shore through a section of the river which is shallow in the middle, just before Warners Landing, when a low flying float plane appeared out of nowhere as he climbed slowly and wound his way down the river valley. They say you get little advance warning of the appearance of these float planes and it was certainly the case for us. No panic though as we were well over to the side of the river. Warners Landing was upon us and we cruised slowly past the sight of so much commotion during the Franklin Dam protests to tie up at the wharf for Sir John Falls. The falls were very picturesque and even more so when the sun came out highlighting the surrounding rain forest.
After a quiet lunch, we headed off down river again, still with little breeze but now with the current of the Gordon assisting us. Near the mouth of the Gordon, as the wind gained strength and chilled us somewhat, we passed Storm Breaker the large charter yacht based in Strahan. Trevor the skipper, who had lent us an out of print archaeological study on the King River and Kelly Basin to enhance our visit, was on his way up river to pick up a party of rafters coming down. Trevor also offered us use of his mooring at Sarah Island which we gratefully accepted.
Out of the Gordon and straight for Sarah Island. We were tied up on Storm Breaker's mooring there by 5:15 pm. Into the dinghy and off to Sarah Island which we had all to ourselves. Its been made very easy to visit and get around the island but with all the regrowth and pleasant paths, it is hard to imagine the barren, harsh and cruel place it must have been when in use as a penal colony. Tegwen looked a picture from Sarah Island, backed as she was by Mt Sorell, Farm Cove and the entrance to Kelly Basin with sun gleaming off her white hull.
The wind had dropped off overnight. We saw one of the large tourist vessels proceeding towards the Gordon entrance, then Storm Breaker returning to Strahan after the night up river and were preparing to leave ourselves when the morning took a turn for the worse. The skipper did the unthinkable and managed to block the toilet plumbing. Some two hours later having discovered lots about the toilet system pump, hoses and valves but neither able to remove the hose nor internally reach what seems the most likely spot for the blockage with the implements we had on board, we set off for Strahan formulating what must by now be plan H. The wind was 2 knots from the S so it was motoring time again. One of the things you appreciate heading back up Macquarie Harbour is the enormity of it. Although the surrounding land at the north western end of the harbour is relatively low, it completely disappears when you are down the south eastern end as a result of the curvature of the earth. What you see is water all the way to the horizon with a gradually vanishing shore either side.
Back into Strahan in the early afternoon, we topped up the fuel then tied up again against the trawler Elizabeth on the town wharf. Time to regroup, take on supplies and sort out the plumbing . . .
After a nice grilled snapper and salad at one of the Strahan cafés we wondered back to the boat to face the plumbing. In the end plan H worked and was deceptively simple. For all the angst we retrieved surprisingly little from the hose but it mattered not, it now all works. Took a while to clean up and wash down various places with chlorine but all is now fine, if somewhat clinical smelling. If there is a next time we will try plan H first.
Finished the day with route planning for the next leg to Port Davey. We anticipate a mid-day departure and an overnight sail. Thew weather looks to be very mild and we will probably have to motor sail most of the way.
