Saturday 1st August
At 3.30 am the wind fills in from the NW as forecast and we’re able to turn off the engine. Phil has his last cigarette (again) and the rest of us hope and pray that we have enough whisky and chocolate to see him to OZ! Throughout the day, the wind increases from 15-20, 25-30 knots and we receive a further update from our weather man who advises the winds are even stronger to the South. We decide, however, to maintain a southerly course to try and make Coff’s Harbour. It’s a big sea and we’re slamming into the waves.
Early afternoon the crew manage to persuade Ian that it’s time we put in a reef as we are now in constant 25 – 30 knot winds. We lose half a knot of speed but it’s well worth it to be on a slightly more even keel and more comfortable. There are still lots of huge waves crashing over us, everyone gets a good soaking and moral is low. Down below it’s extremely uncomfortable as the boat is slamming so hard coming off the big waves you think it might shatter - it’s impossible to sleep. Ian and Annie are airborne in the front cabin – the worst place to be in these conditions! It doesn’t help that it’s also getting quite chilly – Phil announces it’s to be his last passage sail – ever!
During Phil and Kevin’s watch in the afternoon we cross the Tropic of Capricorn at 23.5 degrees South. Just before dusk, while Alex is on watch, she comes down below to warn of ominous looking black clouds ahead that are rushing towards us. We presume this is the cold front predicted by Bruce (the weatherman). Within the hour, the wind swings very suddenly round to the SSW, drops for an hour, then increases again. We tack and are now heading almost due West. Gradually over the next hour it swings more to the South - still 20-25 knots and a very confused, sloppy sea Throughout the night we manage to gradually ease the boat round towards our rhumb line to Coff’s Harbour. Later on the wind starts to abate and at 2am we switch the engine back on.