Bass Strait Updates

Trip Notes for 4 March 2006

From Deal Island to Hogan Island

The other kayakers in a (relatively) clear patch in the fog.

Dinner!

No dinner!

We decide to go despite the sea fog, since the weather forecast so far has always proven correct, and it seems that we have two more days before a strong westerly front kicks in. If we manage to get to the mainland before that, we will be better off. As sea sickness prevention, we take 2 tablets each in the morning, which in turn make us feel very drowsy. Leave East Cove at 6:30am in sea fog visibility less than 50metres. "Lost in Murrays Pass" until we bump into Erith Island and follow the cliffs around. Outside of the Kent group (Deal, Erith, and Dover Islands) we come out of the fog into a beautiful calm morning with the sea fog visible as solifd walls around the Kent group and in a 10km circle around us. After 1 hour we reach the sea fog wall again and lose all visibility.

Glassy waters in the fog. The ocean today makes Sydney Harbour look like a challenge. Navigation to Hogan Island on GPS only. Just consider this thought about shipping for a moment: If we'd hear a big engine somewhere in the fog, what would we have done? Stop? backtrack? Paddle frantically? And in what direction? We are nervous: To what extend can you rely on technology? Are the GPS charts precise enough? Is our waypoint precise enough? After 40km and 5 hours of solid paddling on the water, the GPS tells us that there should be a rock to our right, 750m away. No way of seeing it. The first hint of the island is intense smell of bird shit. Still, how do we find the island?

The countdown is remarkable — we are on the water for 5 hours already, and the GPS tells us that we have 1 km to go. No hint of land. 0.8 km, nothing. 0.6km nothing. At 0.5km, the southern headland of Hogan lifts out of the fog. How can we describe our relief? We found the island purely on GPS, and we didn't have an encounter with a container ship!

Happy! Arrive at 12pm. Snorkel in harbour with sting ray, bull ray, inquisitive shark. CDMA contact to home (important since we couldn't get any messages through the previous day. After 48 h of not having heard from us, Peter would contact the rescue services). Kevin goes fishing and catches our dinner. Climb to lighthouse. Find dead cow. Noisy penguins again at night.

Stats for the day
  • 42 km in 5h, no land stop in between.
  • Average speed: 8.4 km/h
Two text messages from Claudia

Leaving Deal Island for Hogan Island on Saturday.

Arrived Hogan Island at 12 pm. Glassy water, sea fog, visibility 50m. Found island on GPS only. A, B, C, K.

Notes on the Weather (Issued at 4:30 pm on Friday the 3rd of March 2006)

A high pressure system east of Victoria will weaken tonight as a cold front crosses Tasmania then another high pressure system developing south of the Bight will extend a ridge over Bass Strait on Saturday. The ridge will weaken on Sunday and Monday as a low pressure trough develops over eastern Victoria and a cold front moves northeastwards, crossing Tasmania during Monday. Another cold front will move across Tasmania on Tuesday.

Coastal Waters Forecast (Issued at 5:00 am EDT on Saturday 4 March 2006)
Victoria East Coast, Wilsons Promontory to 60nm east of Gabo Island:

Saturday until midnight: Variable wind to 10 knots tending southeasterly at 10/15 knots in the afternoon. Afternoon inshore seabreezes around 15 knots. Seas 1 to 1.5 metres. Easterly swell to 1 to 1.5 metres. Areas of sea fog in the west reducing visibility to 500 metres.

Sunday: Southeast to northeast wind 10/15 knots, tending northeast/northerly in the east at similar strength later. Afternoon inshore seabreezes to 15 knots. Seas 1 to 1.5 metres. Easterly swell 1 to 1.5 metres.

Monday: Southwesterly wind 15/25 knots extending throughout early morning and reaching 30 knots at times. Seas rising 2 to 3 metres. Southwesterly swell 1 to 1.5 metres developing. Easterly swell to 1 metre abating.

Tasmania Central North Coast, Stanley to the Northern Tip of Flinders Is:

Saturday until midnight: Variable winds to 15 knots and inshore afternoon sea breezes. Seas to 1.5 metres. Confused swell to 1 metre.

Sunday: East to northeast winds 5 to 15 knots, 20 knots offshore at first, becoming northeast to northwest later at 5 to 15 knots. Seas to 1.5 metres. Westerly swell near 1 metre.

Monday: West to southwest winds 10 to 20 knots, increasing to 15 to 25 knots later in the day. Seas 1 to 2 metres, rising to 2 to 3 metres. Westerly swell near 1 metre.