We spent the rest of yesterday under sail, reefing the main and taking down the jib just before sunset as the wind built to 25 kts gusting 30 kts. Sailed through the night, then early this morning started the motor and are now motor sailing. We are so close now - with an ETA of around 2 pm into Fremantle Sailing Club.
What an adventure! There have been a few scary moments (for me anyway) but I am really proud to have made it the whole way. Craig and I would like to thank Peter and Phil for helping us bring Napea home, your guidance, knowledge and calmness was much appreciated. Also thank you for taking on longer night time shifts when I piked out!

To all of our Blog followers - a very big thank you xxx
Knowing that we had family and friends keeping an eye on our progress and watching out for us was wonderful. Sitting down and writing an account of our day was a much needed distraction and reading your comments back to us always made my day. We look forward to showing off and sharing Napea with all of you some time soon.

So for now, this is Napea signing off xxx

We have put up the MPS having just rounded Cape Leeuwin. Hopefully this will keep the boat speed up around 8 knots. Sunday afternoon looking promising :) xx

Position 1400 Saturday 6 December

Our lovely 15+ knot southerly continued for most of yesterday, which meant we were able to sail for most of the day. The wind died out a little around 4 pm, motor started and we then motor sailed (jib down, main reefed) for the night. This morning brought light winds and sunshine, a lovely way to start our final full day at sea (hopefully!!) we continued to motor sail until 1:30 pm, when the jib was hoisted and motor turned off - it is still a beautiful day only now much quieter. As I write this post we are sailing past Cape Leeuwin, the sun is still shining and we again have a lovely 15+ knot southerly. We enjoyed a very nice glass (or 2) of Cape Clairault Chardonnay with lunch, which was ham, egg & lettuce sandwiches and toasted chicken & cheese sandwiches. I have already prepared the Tuna Pasta Bake for dinner so can enjoy the sunshine (it is the first day since we left Sydney that I have had my shorts back on!). This is the sort of cruising that I like!!

Position 0830 Saturday 6 December

A hitchhiker last night

This little guy enjoyed a much needed rest from the wind last night. He stayed there until 4:30 am this morning, didn't like the commotion of the jib being put up!

Photos from previous days

Feeling like a very bad Aunty and Uncle -we forgot to say Happy Birthday to Steven on 3 December
Hope you had a wonderful day. And in case we are not back before you and Bree leave, have a fabulous trip to Canada - enjoy. Love Janette & Craig xxx

Happy 50th Birthday Richelle. Hope you have a wonderful night out with the girls tonight. Sorry I can't be there to help you celebrate. Love Janette & Craig xxx

I don't know why meteorologists bother giving us weather forecasts - they are so often completely wrong! Yesterday, what should have been a strong (but not too strong) easterly turned out to be a strong (25+) SW, which meant that we were once again punching into it under motor, and the sea was again washing machine like. I spent several hours sitting in the inside helm chair listening to Mamma Mia on headphones and aparantly singing badly! By late afternoon the wind had shifted around a little more to the south so we were able to turn the motor off and sail. We had pies for lunch and I managed to heat up the beef stroganoff that I had prepared the day before and some pasta for dinner, without it ending up on the floor in the very bumpy conditions! We sailed through the night on main only, then at around 4:30 am the boys put the jib up which meant our speed increased to 6-8 knots. We are now still sailing with jib and main with a nice 15 knot southerly breeze, and the sea has calmed a little, so a much more pleasant day (so far).

Position 0800 Friday 5 December

We are on our way out of Esperance Bay, not much breeze so are motoring for now. Had a lovely dinner at the Pier Hotel last night and an OK nights sleep tied up to the Yacht Club jetty.
Didn't end up getting fuel at Bandy Creek, the entrance to the marina was looking a little shallow to us so decided not to risk bumping the bottom! We are not going to call into Albany, as we did enough provision shopping in Esperance to get us home and the fuel was more "to be sure to be sure", figure that we could motor the rest of the way to Fremantle on the fuel we have, and hopefully we wont have too, as we would like to sail some of it!!
So, we really are on the homeward stretch - although I wont quite believe that until we have turned the corner at Cape Leeuwin.
xxx

A "Where's Wally" style challenge!

I know we have more time on our hands than the rest of you, but we thought we would give you something to do in your "spare" time. The photos above have Maneki cat hiding somewhere - can anyone find him?

Crew Photo and Craig & Peter on the way into Goose Island

Happy Birthday Rachelle
Hope you have a fabulous Garden Champagne Party, wish I was there to share a glass (or 2) with you!
Enjoy
Love Janette & Craig xxx

Heading into Esperance for fuel at Bandy Creek, then staying at the Yacht Club overnight, provision first thing. Maneki is enjoying the WA sunshine!

Not quite big enough to keep - but at least it was a fish!

By the way - I did seriously consider your offer Linda to come and pick me up from Albany but I am so close now, I really want to make it the whole way!

Position 1950 Tuesday 2 December

Yay - we are back in WA!

What a week - I know I told you that it would take us 7 to 10 days to get across the bight from 

Portland, but I didn't believe it - was sure we would do it quicker!!

We have had the full range of weather, some beautiful sailing days, a lot of motoring days and then yesterday I have to say was 24 hours I do not want to repeat, ever!

The day started nicely with a good breeze and we were sailing at 8 to 10 knots, then we were hit by a front which brought down the sails and started the motor, a short while later the front had passed and we were back sailing only to have another front do the same thing to us - both luckily short lived and not too threatening, apart from the dark skies and electrical storm! Unfortunately that was not the end of fronts for us, just after dinner last night a severe easterly gale hit us, luckily we had already taken down the jib, but we had to quickly reef the main all in 40+ knots of wind. The rest of the night I didn't sleep at all, and the boys tried to get sleep in between their shifts. The morning brought more of the same but from a different direction (SW a true southern ocean storm) which meant we were motoring into 30+ knots of breeze and a sea that resembled a washing machine. If there had been any way I could get off the boat I would of taken it! After spending the morning getting bashed around and only travelling at about 4 knots we decided to high tail it (it wasn't that quick!) to Goose Island from where we were, it was about eight hours of motoring.

Goose island bay is next to the larger Middle Island, just south of Cape Arid, they were named by Flinders and his crew who caught 25 geese on Goose Island in 1802. Apparently according to the WA Cruising guide a grave was discovered on Middle Island in 1999 which is believed to be the oldest marked grave site in WA, it is inscribed Charles Douglas HMS Investigator May 1803. Flinders commented the group of islands around Esperance, the Archipelago of the Recherché was an "extensive mass of dangers".

So we are now safely on anchor, have just finished dinner had a shower and getting ready for bed - looking forward to a very still night. 

Tomorrow the weather looks better for us, so we will either call into Esperance to get some supplies or go on to Albany, then we are on the homeward stretch - yippee!