These are images taken early January 1982 & 1983, on the return trips from Hobart to Sydney. This was following the Sydney to Hobart ocean yacht race which starts in Sydney on Boxing Day (26th December). We were returning in the yachts in which Bruiser crewed for the race & it is a more relaxing time. Not for the weather, though. The distance, in a straight line which are incapable of doing, is 630 nautical miles or 700 regular miles. The pics were taken with my trusty Kodak 500 film camera & scanned to my computer. Unfortunately, the images have degraded somewhat.

Starting with the trip down the Derwent River, from Hobart, in Helsal II Of Our Town. This was the 2nd of January 1982 & we were on our way to Triabunna to compete in the fun race, The Crayfish Derby. It was just up the east coast of Tasmania. There are a few of us leaving the delights of Hobart.

This is Condor of Bermuda, another maxi yacht. It is bigger than the maxi we were on & had all the comforts of home. A very luxurious yacht indeed. Some of the suburbs of Hobart in the background.

More views of the Derwent River.

The mountain is Mt Wellington & it looms over Hobart. Can have snow on it at this time of the year, even though it is summer.

More views of Hobart. This is Wrest Point casino which was one of the first legal casinos in Australia.

Looking back up the Derwent River towards Hobart.

Brooding Mt Wellington. The river is getting very choppy too. If I remember correctly, we were travelling at a good rate of knots, too.

The Iron Pot Lighthouse. It stands at the entrance to the Derwent River & is the oldest lighthouse in Tasmania. Is, also, the second oldest in Australia.

This is a favourite image of mine. As I was taking this pic, a shaft of sunlight beamed onto the lighthouse during an, otherwise, overcast day.

The Organ Pipes,Cape Raoul, Tasman Island in Storm Bay. These are dolorite formations & were damaged by naval gun practice during the late 19th or early 20th century.



To be continued.

Before going to Triabunna for the Crayfish Derby, we headed to Port Arthur for an O/N stop. The images of that stopover are in their own topic. A pic of the easy sailing we encountered during this part of the trip.

The marina at Triabunna.

Images of the Crayfish Derby. "Trophies" are boxes of cooked crayfish (lobsters). Helsal II Of Our Town won a few boxes. Locals come on board as guests for the races.

Bruiser up the bow.

Another two of the crew.

Other yachts in the fun race, under spinnakers.

Maria Island, Tasmania.

Starting on the trip back to Sydney.

But there was a problem.

A halyard was out of action & we needed that for sailing. It had disappeared inside the mast. Who will come to our rescue??? Why, intrepid Bruiser of course.

On his way up the mast.

At the top.

This looks a lovely peaceful place, doesn't it??? Bruiser is still up the mast.

Schouten Passage. It was freezing here & it was 4th January. Summertime. Locals were holidaying on the beach in tents & were water-skiing behind tinnies!! The girls were in bikinis & I was wearing Bruiser's balaclava & a heavy duty woollen jacket, known as a miner's bluey, he had bought in Hobart for winter wear. I was still cold. As one of the bikini-clad girls said as they passed by in their tinnie. "We're Tasmanians!!!". Think she knew we though they were nuts.

This is very rugged looking country. Next was a rough Bass Strait crossing & no more anchorages until we arrived back in Sydney.

The following year Bruiser was on a smaller yacht, Piccolo, while competing in the Sydney - Hobart yacht race of December 1982. This time on the return trip we were able to go through the Donnelly's Canal to Triabunna for the Crayfish Derby. Helsal II was too big.

The first image shows us waiting for the bridge to open so all the yachts could motor through the canal. This canal was dug, by hand, by the early convicts. A huge ditch was dug then the ends knocked out to allow the water to pass through. This was a short cut for boats to travel to Triabunna & Spring Bay. The water before the canal has quite a few shoals & the yacht just beside us in the pic, has just run aground. You can see its bow is down.

We were both members of Lake Macquarie Yacht Club which was where Piccolo was from. The boat which Piccolo is towing through the canal is Styx which was built, strictly, as a yacht to sail around Lake Macquarie but its owner decided he wanted to do a Hobart in it. Its engine had conked out & you couldn't sail through the canal so a tow was needed. You would always help out club mates.