Tasman Island

Tuesday, 29 September 2015

Despite the fact that I've never landed on, or lived near, or even had my parking spot taken by Tasman Island, I've held a grudge against it. Let me tell you why..

 


In the summer of 87/88 I was preparing to start my first year of Fine Art at UTas (or Ye Very Olde University of Van Diemons Land as it was then known). I was also preparing to participate in the Tall Ships race on my Grandfathers boat, the Delphis.   

The preparations generally involved a great many alterations to the boat.  One of which was the addition of a figurehead to the bowsprit.  This was a dolphin shaped thing that extended an extra foot or so from the existing bowsprit. It wasn't just decorative, it was also so that we made the minimum length requirement of an official tall ship - 40 feet.  

So we were the littlest of  boats, in a fleet of giants.   We weren't alone though, Grandfather had a group of cohorts, all in various states of decrepidness, and all captaining their own quaint, elderly wooden masterpieces.   

Sailing with Grandfather was always a very shouty experience. As kids, we'd always be sent down below decks when we were heading out of, or into port, but as we grew up we were expected to contribute in more active ways. This meant occasionally having to help repaint the anitfouling on the boat (a dreaded task), but it also meant knowing what the hell grandfather meant when he would command us to do various things with great urgency as the boat careened sidewards towards Constitution Dock.  I am pleased to say that by the time of the Tall Ships race, I could understand roughly half of his instructions. It's not that I didn't know how to sail - I'd sailed my own little boat for four years, it's just that Grandfather and I seemed to speak a different sailing language.  

Anyway - after a summer of intense preparation which included a fair bit of actual sailing, the "race" day arrived and we coasted down the River Derwent amongst a huge fleet of participants and spectators.  To be honest, it wasn't really a race, it was really just a way of getting a whole lot of elderly boats up to Sydney, in a semi supervised fashion, in time for the Bicentennial Celebrations on the 1st of January 1988.   
 

Our progress was good down the Derwent as we had a stiff tailwind behind us. Unfortunately  this was actually the worst thing that could possibly have happened.  What we had was a Northerly. What we we needed to in order to make it to Sydney with the least amount of effort, was a Southerly.  

And if there's one thing Grandfather's striking huon pine schooner couldn't do very well, it was sail upwind.  In fact most of the fleet couldn't sail upwind very well and we all found ourselves being pummelled by high seas and headwinds.  By the time the sun set  on the first night of the race we'd made very little progress up the coast of Tasmania at all.  I remember  darkening skies and Tasman Island looming above us and a scary looking section of coast nearby. In fact we were  told during our recent tour from Port Arthur that there were no known survivors of the hundred or so shipwrecks which had occurred of the so called "Black Coast".   I can easily believe that.

 

So we headed out to sea and into the darkness.  Despite my many nights at sea, this was my first night out in the real Southern Ocean and boy did I feel it.  It was the first and only time I've been really sea sick in my life and it was horrible. Horrible and dark and scary.  The northerly was relentless so we were forced to head west-north-west and we tacked at about midnight to head back towards shore, ideally east-north-east, and ideally further up the coast.  

 

The above photo is from a different trip, but it's what I imagine we looked like that night.. 

 

After a long and sleepless night, dawn finally came, and what did it reveal? Tasman Bloody Island.  In the exact same spot it was before - of course I wasn't expecting it to have moved, but I was certainly hoping that we'd made some progress.  But we hadn't - not a bit.  Words can't express how disheartening that was.  I was sick, the toilet was blocked up,  we were going no-where, and to top it all off, Tasman Island was just sitting there mocking us. Stupid, hateful Tasman Island. 

 

By midday that day we'd made no progress north despite a succession of tacks and me and my cousin Rohan leaving a trail of berley in our wake.  By 3pm almost the entire fleet had abandoned the race and had turned on their engines so they could motor north to Sydney in order to make it on time. We also turned on our engine but the Delphis' engine had all the horse power of a miniature pony so we knew our Sydney adventure was over.  We pulled out of the race we'd been preparing for for months, after only one night of sailing. One very memorable, and truly horrible night but only one night.  It was really disappointing.  None of us wanted to return to Hobart straight away so we sailed up to Maria Island and spent some time relaxing and recovering.  I remember those few days as really good fun actually - our intergenerational 6 member crew got on really well and my cousin Rohan, my boyfriend Philip and I had a good time playing cards and enjoying our thwarted adventure.  It wasn't all bad, but that's why I've always shuddered when I've heard the words Tasman Island. In my mind it was just a big black looming hulk of an island with an extremely bad attitude.

So I was really glad that the Tasman Island I encountered when we did the seal tour a few weeks ago was a whole different place. With the sunny skies, calm winds and seals frolicking at he base of the sea cliffs it looked more like a holiday destination than a harbinger of doom.

2015summary
Bringing back the Caprice Wednesday, 30 December 2015
and now for somewhere completely different.. Monday, 28 December 2015
Pizza by the Book Challenge - Week 5 Sunday, 27 December 2015
End of primary school Thursday, 24 December 2015
Suitcase Cat Thursday, 24 December 2015
Pizza by the Book Challenge - Week 4 Thursday, 24 December 2015
Simplicity Saturday, 12 December 2015
Pizza by the Book Challenge - Week 3 Tuesday, 8 December 2015
PIzza by the Book Challenge - Week 2 Tuesday, 8 December 2015
Mt Rufus Circuit Tuesday, 8 December 2015
December Flowers Tuesday, 8 December 2015
Pizza by the Book Challenge Monday, 30 November 2015
South Cape Rivulet Sunday, 22 November 2015
Meanest mum in the world.. Sunday, 15 November 2015
Before and After #34 - Green Room Take 2 Wednesday, 11 November 2015
Why Jon is not allowed a credit card - Part 2 Monday, 9 November 2015
60 Walks Challenge - Walk #27 & #28 Sunday, 8 November 2015
To Do.. Saturday, 7 November 2015
Cathedral Rock Monday, 2 November 2015
Silver Linings Part 2 Monday, 2 November 2015
Silver Linings Part 1 Monday, 2 November 2015
Hey Pinto.. Monday, 2 November 2015
Derby River Derby Saturday, 24 October 2015
Cake Saturday, 24 October 2015
What goes around comes around.. Friday, 23 October 2015
cake teaser Tuesday, 20 October 2015
Tarn Shelf Monday, 12 October 2015
Tasman Island Tuesday, 29 September 2015
60 Great Walks Challenge - Walk 26 & Before and After #33 Monday, 28 September 2015
60 Walks Challenge - Fail Monday, 28 September 2015
Before and After #32 Wednesday, 16 September 2015
60 Walks Challenge - Walk #26 Monday, 14 September 2015
Pennicot Wilderness Cruise Monday, 14 September 2015
Glamping Sunday, 13 September 2015
60 Walks Challenge - Walk #25 Sunday, 13 September 2015
60 Walks Challenge - Walk #24 Sunday, 13 September 2015
60 Walks Challenge - Walk #23 Sunday, 13 September 2015
Jett is 10! Sunday, 6 September 2015
Patriotic Chocolate Wednesday, 26 August 2015
Snowday! Tuesday, 4 August 2015
Before and After #31 Saturday, 1 August 2015
Before and After #30 Monday, 13 July 2015
How to improve the Tour De France Sunday, 12 July 2015
Unjustness-ness. Saturday, 11 July 2015
Everyone Loves Onesie & Device Day Sunday, 5 July 2015
Homework Wednesday, 1 July 2015
Mt Amos Monday, 29 June 2015
Snow Day Monday, 29 June 2015
Less complaining, More Watching.. Sunday, 28 June 2015
Amazing India Friday, 12 June 2015
Indian Food.. Thursday, 11 June 2015
More Bikes Thursday, 11 June 2015
Routines Wednesday, 10 June 2015
Bicycles Wednesday, 10 June 2015
Goa Day 3 Monday, 8 June 2015
Goa Day 2 Sunday, 7 June 2015
Is this India? Friday, 5 June 2015
Chennai Day #5 Thursday, 4 June 2015
Chennai Day #4 Wednesday, 3 June 2015
Chennai Day #3 Wednesday, 3 June 2015
Chennai Day #2 Tuesday, 2 June 2015
Contrasts Sunday, 31 May 2015
Landing in Chennai Sunday, 31 May 2015
Sparkling Singapore Saturday, 30 May 2015
60 Walks Challenge - Walk #22 Sunday, 24 May 2015
Hollybank! Saturday, 23 May 2015
Stitched Rock Tuesday, 19 May 2015
Literal Translations Monday, 18 May 2015
Two Mountains Sunday, 17 May 2015
It pays to be alert.. Saturday, 16 May 2015
Sick Day Friday, 15 May 2015
Public vs Private - Part 2 Thursday, 14 May 2015
Public vs Private - Part 1 Wednesday, 13 May 2015
Desperate Times.. Tuesday, 12 May 2015
Setting a price.. Monday, 11 May 2015
American Grammar Sunday, 10 May 2015
Happiness Saturday, 9 May 2015
Cat Tree Update Monday, 20 April 2015
This is why Jon isn't allowed his own credit card Thursday, 16 April 2015
KittyCam Sunday, 12 April 2015
Commuter Girl Saturday, 11 April 2015
Flinders Island Day #5 Thursday, 9 April 2015
60 Walks Challenge - Walk #21 Monday, 6 April 2015
Flinders Island Day #4 - Part 2 Monday, 6 April 2015
Flinders Island Day #4 - Part 1 Monday, 6 April 2015
Flinders Island Day 3 Sunday, 5 April 2015
60 Walks Challenge - Walk #20 Saturday, 4 April 2015
60 Walks Challenge - Walk #19 Friday, 3 April 2015
Flinders Island Day #1 Friday, 3 April 2015
More Questions Thursday, 26 March 2015
What's the story.. Thursday, 26 March 2015
Quick Quiz Monday, 23 March 2015
This is an unspoilt beach.. Monday, 9 March 2015
Binalong Bay & Scamander Sunday, 8 March 2015
Old times.. Sunday, 1 March 2015
1 week back Friday, 27 February 2015
Packing Wednesday, 18 February 2015
Goodbye Malaysia Wednesday, 18 February 2015
Penang National Park Tuesday, 17 February 2015
I'm not afraid of parasailing horses.. Sunday, 15 February 2015
Random Photos Friday, 13 February 2015
Goodbye Drammen & Norway Friday, 13 February 2015
Putin the Norwegian Forest Cat Thursday, 12 February 2015
Goodbye Geilo Thursday, 12 February 2015
Ice Fishing - what's not to love.. Wednesday, 11 February 2015
Remains of the day Tuesday, 10 February 2015
Mountain Views Monday, 9 February 2015
uvær Monday, 9 February 2015
Melting.. Monday, 9 February 2015
Lessons Saturday, 7 February 2015
Ice Music Festival Day 2 Saturday, 7 February 2015
Wait for Meeeeeeeeee!!!!!! Saturday, 7 February 2015
Drammen to Geilo Friday, 6 February 2015
I can't believe it's come to this.. Thursday, 5 February 2015
We've come a long way.. Thursday, 5 February 2015
Mesnaelva Wednesday, 4 February 2015
Postcard Perfect Wednesday, 4 February 2015
Free days Tuesday, 3 February 2015
Point to Point Tuesday, 3 February 2015
Norwegian Forest Cat - Update 2 Monday, 2 February 2015
Ski-Every-Day team Monday, 2 February 2015
Kjelke Kjøring and Butt Racers Monday, 2 February 2015
Norwegian Forest Cat - update Sunday, 1 February 2015
Getting through the list.. Sunday, 1 February 2015
Forest Cats and Snow Dogs Sunday, 1 February 2015
Yes. We should all move to Lillehammer. Sunday, 1 February 2015
Lillehammer Day 2 Saturday, 31 January 2015
Hmmph Friday, 30 January 2015
Hurtigruten: Day 7 & goodbye Tuesday, 27 January 2015
Hearts and minds Tuesday, 27 January 2015
Hurtigruten: Shiplife Tuesday, 27 January 2015
Hurtigruten: Day 6 Tuesday, 27 January 2015
Hurtigruten: Day 5 Monday, 26 January 2015
Hurtigruten: Day 4 - part 2 Sunday, 25 January 2015
Hurtigruten: Day 4 - part 1 Sunday, 25 January 2015
Hurtigruten: Day 3 Friday, 23 January 2015
in our hearts and minds Friday, 23 January 2015
Hurtigruten: Day 1 & 2 Friday, 23 January 2015
Goodbye Bergen, hello Hurtigruten Thursday, 22 January 2015
Going Undercover.. Wednesday, 21 January 2015
Beautiful Bergen Wednesday, 21 January 2015
Norwegian Breakfasts Tuesday, 20 January 2015
Over the hills and far away Tuesday, 20 January 2015
Quick Update Monday, 19 January 2015
Ice Hockey! Monday, 19 January 2015
Ski trip #2 Monday, 19 January 2015
Handsome Norwegian Boys Monday, 19 January 2015
This is why.. Sunday, 18 January 2015
Ski Audit Saturday, 17 January 2015
Tourist Day Saturday, 17 January 2015
Snow Day Saturday, 17 January 2015
Thank you Oslo. Saturday, 17 January 2015
Plugged Wednesday, 14 January 2015
I think it's Friday. Friday, 9 January 2015
Happy Birthday Zali!! Friday, 9 January 2015
The Nook Wednesday, 31 December 2014
Fluted Cape Wednesday, 31 December 2014
Kicking goals together Wednesday, 31 December 2014