Up early and motoring out of Shoal Bay, by 5.45 am, we a were all happy to leave such an uncomfortable anchorage.
Conditions didn't look great as we left Port Stephens
Of course there was no breeze, but we just want to get this leg of the trip out of the way and get to warmer destinations. It was a motor all the way, with fleeting glimpses of a headsail when a rare pressure cell appeared for not very long. Up until Seal Rocks, we had a slight current assisting of half a knot, which changed rapidly when we turned the corner and ran into 2 knots of Southerly current, later weakening to about 1-1.5 knots. Nevertheless it added a couple of hours to our passage.
The fishing around Seal Rocks is normally productive, trolling for bonito. Our lines went out without much success, but Janet on Koonya had catch of the day.
Needless to say, that was the end of fishing for the day.
It was a strange day at sea, with mild sea conditions, rain squalls all around us, but we avoided most of them, and lots and lots of dolphins. Large pods of dolphins running along side, diving under the bow, and performing acrobatics alongside. They provided great entertainment to break the monotony.
It took us 13 hours to get to Camden Haven and our arrival was in the dark and at the peak of the incoming tide flow. The current in the river must have been running at 6 knots +. Needless to say, it provided a lot of interesting experiences on the way in through such a narrow river entrance, in the dark, with many shallow spots. Everyone is still speaking to each other. And of course, the rain we had avoided all day, hit us just as we were about to anchor.
A few settling drinks were enjoyed when we were finally at anchor, in one of the prettiest spots on the coast.
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