Spent the morning readying ourselves and Tegwen for departure for Port Davey and Bathurst Harbour and left Strahan harbour around 2:00 pm. It was heavily overcast, drizzling and the winds were very light from the SW.
By 4:30 pm Tegwen had cleared Macquarie Breakwater and the wind was up to 13.5 knots from the N. We waited until abreast Cape Sorell before hoisting sail and started to motor sail as the wind had dropped to 9 knots. By 8:15 pm the wind had died away to next to nothing and the sea was almost glassy with a low underlying swell. Then around 10:50 pm the motor was off and Tegwen was sailing at 5.5 knots. Later through the night there was more rain with the wind going more W and easing. By 1:50 am it was back to motoring. Very frustrating wind wise but the Tasmanian West Coast is known for its extremes and this was preferable to its wild and woolly reputation.
The rain cleared when just off Port Davey and Tegwen approached it with low clouds and mist hanging around the mountains but clearing from behind. We anchored in Casilda Cove at 10:45 and caught up with some of the previous night's sleep. Mid afternoon we up anchored and moved further down the channel to Ila Bay where we felt the anchoring was more manageable in the forecast strong winds to come.
