segment 54: Gold Coast to Yamba/Iluka

Segment 54:  GOLD COAST TO YAMBA /ILUKA
MONDAY 3 DECEMBER 2012,  102 nm.

After Capt Barry had returned home to spend 3 days in Sydney,  for John Boyd's wedding, Capt Barry and Ray Gent flew back to Surfers early Monday morning to commence the trip back to Sydney in LAST WORD.

We arrived at the Gold Cast airport and were collected by the invalid, Graeme, still recovering from his left knee and lower leg surgery.

On route to Oceanus at Marina Mirage, we stopped for some food provisions, and to fill Graeme's car with fuel , as a contra  for taxi fares, then after being dropped off at Marina Mirage , Capt Barry settled the marina berthing account (19 nights less the two nights at GCCM ), collected his boat keys and organised  his missing extension lead to be sent to Sydney,  by a local marine electrician who like many in the marine industry , promised  more than he could  manage . In this case it was a simple job of replacing plug ends. The electrician took the lead over two weeks ago and promised to do the job at home and drop ff the lead the next day. Two weeks later, and no extension lead, and LAST WORD is leaving for Sydney.

Capt Barry and Capt Ray checked the BOM and Buoyweather sites and discussed the sea conditions and decided to leave immediately, in the hope that the two Capts can plan the legs south to miss the several southerlies working their way north.

As we were only getting away at 10.45 am , and had about 7.5 hours of daylight we decided to head for Yamba / Iluka and spend the night on anchor inside the Iluka harbour.

This meant crossing the bar about 1 hour before low tide, but prior knowledge meant that LAST WORD should have about 0.6m under the props inside the Iluka harbour just inside the wall.



The Gold Coast seaway was quiet, and after crossing the bar and heading south Capt Barry opened the throttles to 1885 rpm and LAST WORD made about 17 kts using 162 L/HR , with a 15 kt northerly wind from behind , and 1 to 1.5 m seas also from the NE.

LAST WORD MAKING 16.9  KTS

LAST WORD was accompanied by several pods of dolphins on route and the trip was really very comfortable. Capt Barry changed one of the stabilizer settings , and the new fin seemed to be operating properly.

it was fairly calm at sea.

LAST WORD crossed the Yamba bar at 5.10pm , and anchored in the Iluka harbour at 5.30pm.,

the ILUKA inner harbour is behind the red breakwater on the right hand side

It was shallow inside the ILUKA inner harbour, showing about 1+m under the props

LAST WORD at anchor in the ILUKA inner harbour

Capts Barry and Ray had a couple of hours to relax, enjoy a drink and BBQ chops and sausages with marinated eggplant , tomatoes, fetta and capsicum.

There was a soft rain / drizzle for an hour or so after  arrival at Iluka, which was just perfect as it washed LAST WORD of the salt residue from her passage south.

Capts Barry and Ray retired at 10.00pm in preparation of our early trip south next morning.

TRIP: 102 NM, 6.75 HRS, 946 L, AV SPEED 15.1 KTS , AV FUEL 140 L/HR.