What a place to put a cruise ship terminal

As we sat fixing Heath’s balls and other stuff, we idly planned our departure for this morning. And then realised with a jerk that it wasn’t going to be so squeezy froody. We’d planned to leave at 0500 to get to Menzies Bay and anchor to wait for the high tide slack at 1400ish to go through the Narrows. That’s maximum north flowing ebb and just what we needed. Except that there’s a massive line of very inhospitable piles and walkways about 600 ft NE of the harbour exit. VG flat out in Heathfart can just about make 2.5 kts – not enough to get us aqround the thing safely as we flowed sideways at 5.5 knots in the tide. So we left in the dark at 0315ish into a 15 kt northerly winded and half blinded by the shore lights. Safe but uncomfortable. Once we were clear and into the full force of wind over tide, VG becdame impossible to control, wanting to sit sideways to the current and drift towards the shore. And lumpy. Meh! We unfurled the headsail and regained control and arrived at Race Point in a hiccup. Tacked around it and through the race – scary in the semi dark – and the wind dropped right out. Back to heathfarting for about 3 miles into the big lumber port that is Menzies Bay. We are attached to a huge yellow mooring buoy, as big as VG as the industrial world grinds and snorts around us. A lot ov very bir diesels driving a lot of machinery and the smell of peeled pinebark. I’ve had a sleep and Megan’s having one, with the GPS anchor alarm set. Here we will sit until about 1300 when we will set off for the Narrows and high tide slack at 1400ish. ———————————