Tiare Taporo III - update May 29th.

We are still at Morris Island 60 miles south of Portland Roads. There is a strong wind warning still current and the wind forecast is marginally worse than yesterday with winds up to 35 knots and the reminder that they could reach 40% higher which is 49!! This warning extends for the whole length of the Queensland coast.
We were going to leave this morning about now (0500) but in view of the forecast just heard have decided to delay for at least 2 days. This anchorage, although a little jobbly at high tide, is one of the best on this stretch of the coast so it seems to us to be prudent to stay until the wind intensity dies down which, as the high moves east, it will eventually do. Fortunately there is a deepening low down south following the high which will have the effect of dampening the wind up here.
We are concerned that we are steadily getting shorter of time for our Darwin arrival but there's nothing we can do about the weather. We have been bedevilled by the weather ever since we first planned to leave Cairns at the end of April. There was a late cyclone which eventually fizzled but caused us to stay put and then that was followed by a week of similar weather as we are experiencing now. So, after another week's delay we eventually left on May 13th. (not a Friday!) and have generally had strong wind ever since. 3 days at Lizard Is. in a screaming gale and now this. Sailing this coast is an experience we never want to repeat and we will be heartily glad to be shot of it. Strong winds, poor anchorages generally and big distances between anchorages in very confined waters make decision making extremely difficult. If we had winds 15 to even 25 knots it would be different but we don't have that at the moment. However, once we have a reasonable forecast we will leave and proceed with all the speed we can muster for the Cape. It may be necessary to curtail our Northern Territory plans but our primary goal is the rally to Indonesia and Malaysia, so we will be there. Hopefully in time to get our genoa repaired which lost its clew 2 days ago. We have a spare - although smaller.
We'll keep you informed.
Jim and Gina
s.v. Tiare Taporo III
Morris Is.
Queensland
Lat. 13 degrees 29.4' S Long. 143 degrees 43.4' E
www.tiaretaporo3.blogspot.com

----------
radio email processed by SailMail
for information see: http://www.sailmail.com