The Second Bruny Classic

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Gannet
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Joined: Mon Feb 27, 2012 9:47 pm
Location: Cirencester

Re: The Second Bruny Classic

Post by Gannet »

Hope the weather forecast hasn't changed significantly and all is ready for your start on Monday.

All the best!

Jeremy
Adrian Dale
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Location: Tasmania, Australia

Re: The Second Bruny Classic

Post by Adrian Dale »

Every thing is prepared, we will be putting fuel, safety equipment, engines and navigation lights on the dingy sunday evening for a quick start at 0500.

Weather is holding although one forecast noted the possibility of a light frost!!Guess winter is just around the corner down in South Tassie.

We are very confidant after a couple of sea trials in pretty rough & windy weather. We are estimating a speed of 4.25 knots average which will see us in the pub at 2130!!

Hope there will be a couple of posts during the trip. stay tuned, its better than watching England play cricket!

AJ
Horsley-Anarak
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Location: Surrey

Re: The Second Bruny Classic

Post by Horsley-Anarak »

Adrian Dale wrote: its better than watching England play cricket! AJ
You could always watch us play rugby :lol:

Bon Voyage.

H-A
Adrian Dale
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Location: Tasmania, Australia

Re: The Second Bruny Classic

Post by Adrian Dale »

its 3 30am here and we are heading to the boat after breakfast. wind is light and a 1/4 moon is just rising. The temperature out side is a barmy 4'C. just the right sort of morning for messing about in boats.

AJ
allegra
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Re: The Second Bruny Classic

Post by allegra »

Father Christmas?
Father Christmas?
Morning from my bunk on 'The Good Intent', hoping Adrian isn't rolling as we are in the slop. It's supposed to be perfet, a bit like a holiday sail he said, hmmm heard that before. We launched exactly same as last time 0507. Sched with AJ every 2 hours. Skip Richard Bennett, renown Sydney Yacht Race ariel photographer is at helm, it's about 6 degrees, the diesel is purring, but sea state is nothing like predicted. Fishing boats headed out. A good sign. Adrian fixed a stern all round light to 'Lollipop' so is easily seen this time. Posting from my phone this time, never before. Way it looks and feels, I hope he isn't soaking wet already, for this will be another very long day.
Father Christmas?
Father Christmas?
sorry about the pics on their side, Jon are you able to fix?
Posting will be easier by phone, than my LTop. Cheers!
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Hugz
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Re: The Second Bruny Classic

Post by Hugz »

Excellent..
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adrian clinker.jpg
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allegra
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Re: The Second Bruny Classic

Post by allegra »

Rounded Dennes Point one hour ahead of sched, he us waiting for us! Calm D'Entrecasteux Channel, vast contrast to Classic I. We're getting tanked up on food for last leg, another 31nm. AJ is definitely a happy sailor, my guess he'll be looking for a huon pine dinghy built by Viv Innes. Viv also built the Caprice of Huon, an Admiral's Cup Aussie entry. Some very clever folk down under!
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Collector Inspector
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Re: The Second Bruny Classic

Post by Collector Inspector »

ADVENTURE!!!!!!!!

B
A chicken is one egg's way of becoming others
Adrian Dale
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Location: Tasmania, Australia

Re: The Second Bruny Classic

Post by Adrian Dale »

Success.. just under 16 hours in some pretty atrocious conditions in the morning and off the south coast with swells up to 4 meters. from sea level, that is like blocks of flats approaching!! Great stuff.. Back up crew, dinghy and seagull preformed perfectly.

Ill write a report and get a few photos up.

AJ
Adrian Dale
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Re: The Second Bruny Classic

Post by Adrian Dale »

A few photos of the trip looks very calm!! But now the report on what would not be the longest Seagull trip nor the only circumnavigation of Bruny in a small boat and certainly not the only continuous circumnavigation, but perhaps it is the only continuous, non stop, single handed circumnavigation of Bruny Island in a small dinghy (14ft) powered only by a Seagull (a WSPC). Hope you enjoy the read.

Bruny Island Circumnavigation ‘Seagull’ Challenge Classic II
16 March 2015
I might have expected the conditions would not be as forecast; on waking at 0200 on Monday morning the sky was punctuated with a million stars the air was cold and very still but in the distance, like thunder, the steady crash of the surf against the cliffs of Cloudy Bay could be heard.
By the time we had arrived at Alonnah Jetty things had changed, the stars and moon sliver was now shrouded in cloud and a brisk NW breeze was whipping up the seas against the outer harbour wall with an eeery whistling through moored boats.
‘The Good Intent’ with skipper Richard Bennett and crew members Dom, Pat, and Joe looking fresh after a night at the pub were ready for the off, and so after dropping my food, tools and grab bag, consisting of flares, EPRB, water, torch and signal mirror into the ‘Lollipop’, I too was ready.
Pushed off and engine started first pull slipped in gear and slipped through the still sheltered water out of the harbour entrance to a washing machine of breaking short steep waves that tossed the dingy about like a crazed rocking horse, dumping gallons of water over the gunnels as each progressive wave hit. A great start this, temperature 6”C and everything soaking wet.
The run down the channel on a pitch black night with breaking waves encroaching unseen was a bit of a wakeup call, if like this on the inside what awaited us in the Southern Ocean? Despite all the arrival in the Partridge Island Passage was bliss and amazingly had been achieved at an average speed of 4.5 Knots despite running at half throttle for much of the way. Like the first time, day break greeted us as we moved into the calm waters of the passage and it was time for a brief stop to pump bilges, check storage of equipment, ensuring everything was lashed down, and have a cup of hot soup.
Only then did I survey the passage entrance that in the morning gloom looked a little different. ‘The Good Intent’ was taking the longer route around Partridge and it soon became clear that I should have also taken this track even though it would add 4 NM, The strangeness at the entrance became all too clear, the heavy swells moving in from the SE were being pushed up over the shallow entrance forming a significant bar. Taking a firm grasp of the tiller and tucked in tight against the engine and, after waiting for what looked like a lower set, headed south, the first wave passed by and the dinghy lifted sweetly over it, but tracking in were much larger swells that had to be met head on, any faltering of the engine or fall off of the bow, would spell disaster with everything ending in a splintered wreck. Now I have crossed many bars but never in such a small, low powered vessel, so this to me was a learning curve!
The second wave rolled in and as it approached towering over us it looked almost vertical but we started to climb, straight, holding line, bow raising into clean air, it seemed at an impossible angle, to the pivot point as it came crashing down over the back…. Another tracking in, looks even bigger, same tactic can’t falter now and, three waves later we were through. Well that got the adrenalin going. A later comment from the Crew on the Good Intent who had missed action was an understated ‘must have been a bit tricky getting out of there?’
Once clear we were experiencing very large swells and a fair amount of back wash from the rocky shore on the Southern side of the Labillardiere Peninsula, but the wind was light and sun giving a warm feel to the air, drying out wet gear and altogether making for a more cheerful scene. The dinghy, actually called the ‘Lollipop’ by Richard’s children was proving to be the finest of sea boats, now in the longer swells and away from the short chop, it was riding beautifully making steerage a pleasure.
The engine though was not happy despite not missing a beat when it really mattered it was losing power. It was time to stop and take stock and if necessary place the 1961 Seagull Century LLS used as the main engine for first attempt, on the stern. A thoroughly tried and tested engine which had already completed a sixteen hour, non stop odyssey. And so, in the middle of Cloudy Bay some 4NM from shore in 3 to 4 meter swells, I assembled my tool kit to do some checking. First thoughts were to dirty fuel stirred up from the fuel tank or worse one of my axillary tanks, but the actual problem was much simpler and entirely my fault. The top of the carburettor had vibrated loose allowing the engine to flood. When cleaning after a bench test, I had hand screwed the top on but neglected to apply a spanner. The devil is in the detail and my negligence could have resulted in the loss of a cabby top. It didn’t and the fix was simple. From that moment on there was never another single mechanical hiccup.
Excluding stops, we averaged 4.9 knots and at times much quicker, faster in fact than ‘The Good Intent’!! This meant that every few hours, I would lounge about dining and drinking and generally act as if on a gin palace while awaiting my safety boat. One such time, on the extreme inside of the Friars, protected from the swells and back wash, I enjoyed the spectacular view of ‘The Good Intent’ against the backdrop of the Friars through Key Hole Rock. She looked magnificent with her burgundy sail moving purposefully through the rough seas.
Once around the Friars swell and sea aligned providing magnificent surfing with the ‘Lollipop’ surging forward with a bone in her teeth tracking straight and true with just a caress of the tiller. One of the Bruny Island Cruises boats came to visit, giving the Asian tourists a special view of local culture, and of ‘The Good Intent’ “Are they pirates’ they asked?
Finally rounding Denne’s point, we were greeted by a flat calm giving an easy and relaxing trip down the channel with only the last hour in darkness, and with calm seas and good navigation lights it was an easy process to locate and enter Alonnah Harbour at 2100Hrs only seconds off our forward estimate and 16 hours from the wet and windy start at 0507. The champagne was opened to accompany a fitting meal prepared on board ‘The Good Intent’ to round off a splendid adventure.
Combined average speed 4.4 knots Excluding Stops 4.9 Knots. Fuel used 29 litres.
Total distance 70 NM

AJ
Attachments
Engine Repairs south of Cloudy Bay
Engine Repairs south of Cloudy Bay
Just cruising off the Friars
Just cruising off the Friars
Skipper of the Good Intent
Skipper of the Good Intent
Off Cape Bruny
Off Cape Bruny
The Good Intent and crew  Photo: Sophia Fazackerler
The Good Intent and crew Photo: Sophia Fazackerler
THCL500J8
Posts: 366
Joined: Wed Jan 08, 2014 8:34 am
Location: Logan City QLD Australia

Re: The Second Bruny Classic

Post by THCL500J8 »

AJ a magnificent effort, i'm shore all of us wish we couild have joined you.

First came Slocum, then Chitchester, the great solo curcumnavators of the world, But They only went around once.
You have circled the might island twice, setting records no sane man will ever atempt.
But seagulls seam to bring out a sort of devine madness, that we all share to degree.

And you have done as all very proud, the sole of the seagull still lives in your voyage,
and thats wonderfull to see.
A segull in its ellement working hard, like they were intended to do.
Reminds me of the old seagull catalogues with those old salts heading out into the sun in boats that seamed way to small.
I made me want to be one of them and you are.

thank you for sharing your wonderfull adventure with us all.
TC - 1960 LLS - 1961 LLS - 1966 THCL - 1968 EFNRL - 1986
croweater
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Location: South Australia

Re: The Second Bruny Classic

Post by croweater »

Congratulations wish I could've joined you (in a bigger boat) 130kms in one day in the southern ocean that's going to be hard to top.

How did the boat perform what would you do differently next time?

John
Adrian Dale
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Joined: Wed Apr 16, 2014 7:58 am
Location: Tasmania, Australia

Re: The Second Bruny Classic

Post by Adrian Dale »

Thanks John; no after the first effort there were plenty of changes that all worked well, best of all was the Dinghy what a beautiful seaworthy boat, wish it was mine!
Only point, on a wooden dinghy there is no venturi bailer so need to pump or bucket and chuck. This proved difficult as the pump discharge hose had to be held over the side which while steering and pumping proved I was one hand short. So I would have fixed the overboard discharge permanently. I would also probably rigged a bungee on the tiller to hold it against the natural turn to Starboard due to the prop rotation, this would have made steerage easier and would have provided a method of hands off steering for short periods of time.

AJ
Gannet
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Re: The Second Bruny Classic

Post by Gannet »

Adrian,
A terrific effort, with a really interesting description of the trip accompanied by some great photos.
Well done!
Jeremy
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Hugz
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Re: The Second Bruny Classic

Post by Hugz »

I wonder if an autohelm attached to a seagull tiller and gunnel would be in the spirit of adventure? Would certainly let you wander around the boat at your leisure. I had an analogue one many decades ago on a Tophat.... it was my best friend and I regret I sold it with her. To set I just turned a dial and off the boat would go. They probably have a remote for them these days :shock:

http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/norman-p ... 1073611602
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