The Lady Nelson rekindles the magic
By Margaret Muir
It is five years since I sailed as a
passenger on a tall ship and almost
ten years since I furled a sail or
hauled on a line, and until I saw an
advertisement for short cruises on the
Lady Nelson, I thought my tall-ship
sailing days were over. So when I
read that the replica brig was to
spend a week at King’s Wharf,
Beauty Point in the north of the state,
I jumped at the chance to go for a
short sail. The ship’s cook pumping
out sea shanties on an accordion and
it was a fine afternoon when I walked
across the gangplank to the deck of
the small wooden ship.
Within ten minutes we were heading down-river, towards George Town and after speaking with
the crew, I was invited to join the Tasmanian Tall Ship Association and, if I wished, to assist on
deck while the ship was in the north of the state.
The following day, proudly sporting my new Lady Nelson shirt, I was delighted to help
welcome aboard groups of school children and seniors, a charter of cancer survivors and even the Northern Tasmania ABC Radio crew. The short river cruises took each charter out across the
broad Tamar River which HM Colonial Brig Lady Nelson explored in 1804.
Unfortunately for northern Tasmanians, the Lady Nelson only visits the north every second year
and after a week she returns to Hobart, her home port. Two days before she was due to sail south,
one of the 18-member crew pulled out due to illness. Much to my surprise Captain Mal invited
me to take his place.
What an opportunity!
To sail along Bass Strait as the original Lady Nelson did in 1800.
To spend five days aboard this historic replica brig which played such a significant role in the
settlement of Tasmania.
To sail around the south east coast of Tasmania and see scenery unchanged since the days of
Van Diemen.
Wow! We sailed on Good Friday and even leaving
Inspection Head was an event to remember.
The departure was scheduled to coincide with
the Hydro Tasmania Three Peaks Race and
thousands of spectators lined the wharf. When the
starting gun was fired, the thirteen competing
yachts, accompanied by a flotilla of small craft,
headed down the Tamar River. The weather was
perfect and Lady Nelson, with Captain Alan as her
skipper, sailed out in style, the crew dressing the
yards and bowsprit.
Ahead was Bass Strait where the Three Peaks
Race competitors would head to Flinders Island.
For their runners, Mt Strzelecki was the first
challenge. Lady Nelson however was heading east
along the coast of the mainland. We were not to
see the yachts for another two days.
That night as we sailed along on Bass Strait, the
sea was rough and despite all my seasickness
precautions, I succumbed to motion sickness.
Feeling too unwell to go below, I spent the whole
of the first night on deck – my only consolation was that I was not the only crew member
suffering from mal de mer.
When morning eventually arrived, we dropped anchor in Binalong Bay providing everyone
with the opportunity to sit down to breakfast at a horizontal galley table.
After filling my empty stomach and with all signs of seasickness gone and forgotten, I was
able to look forward to the days ahead – golden sunrises and sunsets, 360 degrees of blue ocean
broken only by the seals and dolphins splashing through the water.
Before daybreak on day three, I left the deck to catch a couple of hours sleep and was woken
to the rumble of the anchor chain announcing that we had arrived in Coles Bay. On the tiny
wharf, people were gathering and tents had been erected to house the supporters of the Three
Peaks Race.
While we waited for the first boats to arrive, the younger members of the crew assembled the
Lady Nelson’s new dinghy and put it to the test. An interesting exercise!
At midday, Slingshot, of Neil Buckby Subaru was the first boat to enter the bay. According to
the Three Peaks Race rules, competitors are not allowed to use their engines and with virtually no
wind to assist them the crew of Slingshot resorted to oars and rowed their catamaran to the wharf.
Not an easy task. No sooner had they docked than their two runners were despatched around The
Hazards to climb Mt Freycinet.
It was about two hours before the next yacht arrived and the sun was almost setting when a
large group of race competitors sailed into view. For the runners it would be a daunting task to
tackle Mt Freycinet in the dark.
At 9.00pm Lady Nelson weighed anchor and we resumed our voyage south.
Though the moon was almost full, the night was black when we navigated around the Isle de
Phoques and Maria Island. Unfortunately with a southerly wind blowing, it was necessary for the
little brig to go under motor. I slept well for four hours and when I woke we were in the tranquil
inlet of Fortescue Bay, the water broken only by the dolphins which circled the ship.
After a brief stop for breakfast, our heading was Tasman Island at the tip of South Eastern
Tasmania. Sailing past the Candlestick at Cape Hauy and south to Cape Pillar, more dolphins
danced in the bow waves, seals serpentined through the sea and young albatross fed on the
schools of fish which at times ruffled the surface.
But when we rounded Cape Pillar, and headed west into Maingon Bay, the sea rose and heaved
with a near four meter swell. The little brig pitched and heeled, burying her bow in the oncoming
wall of water and sending foam rushing across the deck and pouring from the scuppers. Riding
each trough was electric.
Ahead was the dragon-like promontory of Cape Raoul and as we sailed by the swell eased a
little. We had entered Storm Bay which was to provide four hours of pitching and heeling to the
sway of the Southern Ocean. With the homeward journey almost complete, there was time to overnight at the wharf in
Woodridge on the D’Entrecasteaux Channel. It was time for the crew to unwind and celebrate a
successful voyage.
On the final morning, I was on the helm as we headed north along the channel to Hobart. Off
the starboard side was Bruny Island and from the port side I saw the small shipyard where the
replica of the 1789 colonial brig, Lady Nelson, was built over 20 years ago.
Hobart lay ahead and by the time we sailed into the harbour, the competitors in the Three
Peaks Race were already home, the
runners having climbed Mt Wellington,
the last leg of their ultra marathon.
As I gazed along the wooden deck,
mind drifted. I imagined what Van
Diemen, D’Entrecasteaux and Boudin had
thought when they first witnessed the
spectacular scenery of the south east coast
of this southern island.
Standing on the deck of a tall ship
provides an opportunity to step back in
time and sail in the wake of the
adventurers.
Thank you, Lady Nelson, for giving me
that opportunity.
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