Sydney

Pulled into Sydney yesterday about 10.30am and it feels like the trip starts now. You find yourself thinking about those poor bastards sailing out in the first fleet. Six months or whatever at sea and so excited to pull into Botany Bay and get off the bloody boat only to find this spots no good, so back on board and up to Port Jackson. Magnificent spot but your troubles only beginning. We tied up and broke out the G&T's and I stopped thinking about the convicts!

650 miles from MeLbourne (about the same as by road) and it's taken us two weeks - Cliffy Young was faster than us and I read once where they walked Archer from Sydney to Melbourne for the cup in less time, but he WAS a racehorse. Anyway it's not about the time but the experience and we are taking it slow on purpose. Called into Jervis Bay for a couple of days and it would be a good spot to spend a bit of time, particularly in the SE corner (Darling Roads, pictured)where there are 5 public moorings (rated to 40 tonnes) and from which you could explore the bush at your leisure. It rained on us so we got going. Instruments didn't like the rain and wind data as well as Telemachus the auto pilot played up for a while. Seemed to sort itself out to a degree so not as bad as it could have been. Electronics bloke coming tomorrow with mask on and gun in hand to rob us blind, we're in Sydney!

I replaced Nav lights with LED's today. What's the only mistake you can make with Port and Stbd lights? CORRECT, and I did, so take em off and get red to port and green to the right this time. I was facing astern when I did it first time!

Aside from cleaning and maintenance today it was too windy to sail so we plan to sail up to Opera house and under the bridge etc tomorrow pm when the weather looks a little kinder. The BOM's been having a little trouble lately getting it right. I think everything's moving a bit faster the the models allow so we're relying on looking out the window and we're doing pretty well so far.

From here I think it gets a bit easier. Shorter hops and day sailing mostly which will make for a nice change - hard to get used to night sailing with the three on three off routine. Around Sydney Harbour for a few days then up to the Hawkesbury for another two or three (depending on how many pubs we can tie up to) then to Newcastle and Port Stephens. Perhaps a car to the Hunter Valley to replenish the vitals. 

All going well thus far, no mutinies, no dummy spits so we're pretty happy with ourselves, and it's getting warmer!  Go Swannies