can we help
+44(0)1983 296060
+1 757-788-8872
tell me moreJoin a rally

Menu

Cleone - Leg 12 Day 11 - The Last Few Miles



The last miles are the longest.
 
The Great Barrier Reef, which guards Australia's Eastern shore, is iitself guarded by an outer reef.  True, this is intermittent, but the early explorers must have ridden their luck, because some 250 miles off the coast, there is a ragged line consisting of many little patches of coral, not all of which break the surface.  These days, they are all pretty well charted, but it was still in some trepidation that Cleone approached our chosen gap in the middle of the night.  It was a gorgeous star-lit night, with the myriads of stars blanked out occasionally only by harmless fluffy clouds.  But that fickle pulsing wind was still with us.   The spinnaker was up (and was dropped again later in the night by a sleepy crew in another text book manoeuvre), and the helmsman had his work cut out to keep the spinnaker from wrapping itself round the forestay and to maintain the course.  We kept eyes and ears strained anxiously for the sound or sight of surf, for the gap we were headed for was "only" eleven miles wide.  Although this sounds huge (over half the width of the English Channel), there are only large-scale charts for this area, they are known not to be complete in every detail, and we also know now that GPS positions don't always relate to where things are on the ground (or in the water).  In the event, all was well, though we did have to drop the spinnaker smartly when the wind shifted and we started heading towards a nearby reef.
 
Now we are through the reefs, and heading hard for the finish.  I don't think we'll be there in time for the party, but we are giving it our best shot.  The engine is helping, and we are about to give Cleone a bit of a clean to ensure that the Australian Customs, Immigration and Health people don't get too much of a culture (get the pun) shock when they come aboard.
 
We will let you know when we arrive.  Cairns is reputed to have every modern convenience (mobile phones, washing machines and showers, shops with shelves full of what they say should be there, and broad-band internet that works), and so you should hear individually from us soon.  You might even get a phone call from your own sons, daughter, husband, father, friend or how ever you view us!  And we all look forward to talking to you - it's been very difficult in the past few weeks.  And forgive us if it's in the middle of the night.  It's hell trying to work out the time differences between here and home!
 
All well with us, and best wishes to everyone. 
 
James, Elizabeth and Will
Yacht Cleone
At Sea
16o39'S 147o03'E
 
 
 



Previous | Next