Tagua Bay

Rusalka dug the anchor in at Tagua Bay in Carnley Harbour, ready to ride out the next blow, due on Sunday night.

While the weather was cold and wet, but not too windy, the crew decided a shore trip was in order.  A curious, but not aggressive, sea lion keenly watched Alex get the dinghy ready and then accompanied the dinghy as it dropped off the shore party.

The rātā trees and Dracophyllym were quite thick along the shore, making exploration difficult.  After wandering around for a while unsuccessfully looking for a track or way to reach the historic coast watcher’s hut on the hill above the cove, they decided to stick to the shore.  While walking the shoreline, they picked up some plastic rubbish from the beach, which will be added to the boat rubbish.

Speaking of rubbish, I thought I’d tell you a bit about Rusalka’s biosecurity and environmental management procedures.  Before leaving Bluff not only was Rusalka thoroughly inspected for rodents by the adorable sniffer dog, Mawson, but the crew also washed all their shore-going gear with a disinfectant.  Each time that they return to the boat they check for any hitchhikers and again spray their gear with disinfectant.

They have been sorting their rubbish for storage: anything with plastic is washed, crushed and stored for return to the mainland, biodegradables and plain paper is kept separately and will be disposed of when at sea.  Rusalka’s crew are doing their bit to keep this beautiful place pristine.

Paper and plastic are separated

Handy container for teabags and veggie scraps next to the sink

With the blow coming and an expected wind shift, the crew again set up an anchor watch for Sunday night.  They watched the barometer drop 17 hectopascals in 12 hours, a sure sign that a low pressure system was approaching.

The wind got up during the night, but the worst of the blow was the next morning, reaching a maximum gust of 52.1kts.  It was a bit surprising then to see a cruise ship, the National Geographic Orion, arrive and anchor half a mile away.  A brief friendly exchange on the radio to say that they are here to shelter until the blow passes.