CLIENT: Eastcoast Discovery Public Voyage
VOYAGE NUMBER: 20251019
FROM: Coffs Harbour To: Manly
POSITION: Clarence River, Iluka
DATE: 19 October 2025
REPORT: White Watch
On the South Passage, life is different. Time doesn’t move hour to hour but mood to moment. We live by the currents, plan by the tides and follow the wind.
Moods and moments that defined the first day’s sailing include: pride as we rose before the sun and hoisted sail by starlight, wonder as a pod of common dolphins rode the bow wave witnessed only by the lucky few, humour as the crescent moon smiled down on us like a cheshire cat, and excitement when humpbacks appeared breaching on the starboard side.
As the sun traces its path across the sky, we grow in knowledge and skill –
- helming/steering not only with a compass but with the wind,
- sail handling (belaying, coiling, flaking and gybing) begins to become second nature,
- navigational skills as our position was plotted and our arrival time in Yamba was calculated.
At every stage of our life, we have different experiences with the sea. It’s a lifetime connection that’s always rewarding and enjoyable. On the South Passage, there is time to sit on deck, watch the waves, forget the world and just breathe the salty air.
The day ends with the pleasure of wet sand between our toes on the beach at Yamba and a delicious dinner on board. All is well.