King of the Derwent

Today was the 2013 King of the Derwent Yacht Race. Some years, the tall ships get their own race. There wasn’t a race for us this year, but that wasn’t going to stop us getting out on the water! We were handling sail for almost all of the day, trying to get the most out of the ship. By the time I’d noticed the fleet sailing towards us and got the camera from my cabin, they’d all rounded the mark and were sailing away. Even so, I did manage to get this lovely shot of Tasmania’s other tall ship, Lady Nelson.

That was the last of our daysails from Waterman’s Dock. Once the racing yachts and temporary fixtures are cleared out, we’ll move back to our usual berth at Elizabeth Street. It’s been an interesting couple of weeks. Because the berth is so narrow, it’s easier to ferry the linesman in with the powerboat than try to have him jump ashore from the ship. I’ve been doing the boat driving, and it feels really good to be able to use my ticket. If the wind’s unfavourable, I need to make like a tug and give the ship a shove. It must’ve looked pretty funny from the wharf, but it worked.