#85 NOW January 15, 2006 1000—UTC +11 hours (New South Wales, Australia) Underway South of Eden (S37’09 E150’02). Temperature 67’ (wonderful)\ Greetings from South of Eden, My departure from Batemans was without incident. The all night run was rough at first, but then smoothed out the further South I went. I dropped anchor in Twofold Bay (Eden) at 0830 and turned in for a couple of hours sleep. Since I was planning to stay here for several days, and it was a bit far to kayak to the wharf, I dropped the dinghy in the water. Eden is a delightful town, a bit touristy, but still retaining its historical seafaring charm. It was a major whaling station for almost 100 years. Today, a large fishing fleet operates from this lovely bay. I walked into town where I met “Old Tom.” He is quit a legend in these parts. Actually, he is just a bunch of bones resting in a museum, but his story is remarkable. It goes like this: “The success of Eden’s whaling station in the 1800s was largely due to a pod of killer whales that returned each year, known to the locals by their markings and named Tom, Hooky, Humpy and Stranger. These killer whales would herd baleen whales into the shallow water of Twofold Bay and alert the whalers by ‘flop-tailing’ (thrashing the water with their tails) in front of the whaling station. The whalers would harpoon the baleens and the killers would nip at the whales’ bodies, throw themselves over their blowholes to stop them breathing and swim beneath them to prevent them from sounding for help. The mutually beneficial relationship resulted in the killers feasting on the whales’ lips and tongues, leaving the rest of the carcasses for the whalers to bring ashore.” “This association continued until whaling ceased in 1928. The final farewell came when Old Tom, the leader of the pod, was found dead in the bay in 1930. His was brought ashore and his skeleton was cleaned and mounted.” I really enjoyed the little town of Eden. It had all the necessities needed for a cruising sailor: a good grocery store, bakery, Delo 15-40 engine oil, a connection to the internet at a reasonable price, and a peaceful harbor. Each day I would get the latest weather report for my next leg, the big jump across Bass Strait to Tasmania. I plan to do this by first going to Gabo Island, which is just off the very Southeastern tip of the mainland. I am hoping to tuck in behind the island, and get as much sleep as possible. Then it will be a full-speed-ahead dash of about 185 miles across Bass Strait to Flinders Island. I anticipate arriving there (town of Lady Barron) around noon at high tide on Tuesday. The weather forecast looks perfect for this crossing with a high-pressure area and light winds out of the NE most of the way. The trick will be to get some good sleep off Gabo Island tonight. I am really looking forward to Tasmania. I have heard nothing but great reports about this picturesque island, which is known for its remote wilderness cruising areas. Unfortunately, I have just one month (February 15 is our planned departure for New Zealand) to enjoy this region. There is so much of the world to see—and so little time. Life is a Cruise, Larry -- Larry Rick Done Dreamin' Nordhavn 40 #33 Site: http://gricknet.homedns.org/Dads%20Web/doneDreamnHome.htm http://encarta.msn.com/map_701510889/Bass_Strait.html