With a day and a night in the offing Tegwen left the sheltered bay at the top of Three Hummock Island at 6:30 am Thursday with a SW wind of 14 knots. Given the experiences off Stanley we motored until the waters between Three Hummock and Hunter Islands opened up so we could assess its full force before hoisting sail.
We then sailed almost to Albatross Island but on tacking found we couldn't hold a fair course so it was initially back to motor sailing. It quickly became clear we would have to just motor if we were to utilise our intended weather window for entry into Macquarie Harbour.
As Tegwen proceeded around the western shore of Hunter Island it seemed with every heading change the wind followed her around - very frustrating. Finally off West Point we were able to carry sail again although we needed the motor as well to achieve a reasonable speed. As evening ensued the winds dropped off to 6 to 8 knots and increasingly variable in direction. By early morning the wind had swung to the NE for a period but with little strenght. By 7:00am it was back to a S - SW wind of around 6 knots and we were 16 nautical miles from the Macquarie Harbour breakwater.
Approaching Macquarie Harbour the seas were all but smooth and the swell was gentle. For all its fearsome reputation we ran down the breakwater and through Hells Gates in very benign conditions. Having read the relevant guides and poured over the charts, we had each twist and turn required to get into the broader expanse of Macquarie Harbour well documented and followed them easily. A trawler followed us in from the breakwater all the way to Strahan itself and it was reassuring to see it pretty well taking the same course we had.
By 12 noon Friday we had tied up safely at the Strahan town wharf and quickly had the facilities sussed out and power connected. It was then a stroll around town and a visit to the bakery for curried scallop pies for lunch. The afternoon was occupied with more mundane persuits - taking a shower then a trip to the laundromat around the point in West Strahan. We finished the day with fish and chips in the park overlooking the wharf area.
