Our First Leg

On Monday the 5th April at 9am we (finally!) departed from Wirrina. We had the most memorable departure thanks to our wonderful friends. On the eve of our sailing good friends Renate, Davo and the irrepressible Alistair Wood had gathered to sup with us at the Normanville Hotel, from whence a final check of the weather with our sailmaker Ray Brown on board led us to a fitful sleep in spite of our exhaustion.

A huge team of people gathered to wish us well at 6am, then we changed it to 9am! After photos and well wishes they cast off our bowlines. We even had streamers thrown and a round of applause as we rounded the end of B row. The pilot boat RD Onowa (rubber duck from Onowa with Captain Barry & Laurel) escorted us from the marina. It was the best send off and we thank everyone for their well wishes. As we rounded Cape Jervis there was Derek & Sue on Absolutely taking photos and farewelling us. As we sailed away towards Cape Willoughby towards the blue horizon, we felt very humbled by everyones amazing support for our adventure...as Derek said in his card to us, " Just remember you are living the Dream for all of us left behind. "

As familiar landscapes disappeared.. Kangaroo Island, the Fleurieu Peninsula including the Bluff and the hills behind our home at Port Elliot, we suddenly realised the enormity of what we were doing!

For Cookie it was a vista in reverse - how often had she stared at the great blue expanse whilst cresting the hills beyond the hills at Pt Elliot whilst returning from work at Mt Compass. For Colin a glance to starboard saw the craggy ramparts of Cape Hart beyond Willoughby - seas that had seen seen his father Joe with Nigel Buick pioneer crayfishing on this remote coast in the 1950's. Old Joe would have been a supporter of Calista's voyage. Of that it is certain. But soon as afternoon light turned to the gloom of our first night at sea, the breeze had fluked to a contrary quadrant and there was much to do. It would be a night of darkness with no horizon to behold.

It was a night both long and wearisome. We motor sailed under main, and after a NW squall and rain hit us about 3am it was clear that ther might be more to the "trough" than the forecasters had estimated. As a cheerless dawn broke on the low-slung coast of Cape Jaffa, it was spattering with rain and the wind was building. As we nervously sought the entrance to the new marina the sky astern lay dark and ominous, like a pallbearer's shroud. We were grateful to tie up at 7.45 as squalls hit and the marina was lashed with rain. The ABC news told of storms and mayhem in the metropolis, and at Cape Jaffa two modest seafarers were just relieved to have completed leg 1. Our intended destination felt as distant as Saturn. We await a favourable window for the next leg and at the moment, after weeks of calms, it's not looking promising for the next day or so.... but who cares we're on holidays!