SailingAlonevideo
Through jungles and the Roaring Forties. Sailing solo around Tasmania's northwest coast.
22 March 2025 · 11 min · 15K views · Tasmania
What this video covers
Dunkeln sails his boat, Raikia, around the northwest coast of Tasmania, navigating the Roaring Forties where low-pressure systems from Cape Horn generate swells exceeding six meters.0:22 After departing the Tamar River, he anchors in Stanley to wait for a weather window before crossing the Bass Strait into the Indian Ocean.2:18 He enters Macquarie Harbour through Hellsgate, a narrow fjord entrance where strong tidal currents frequently oppose incoming vessels.3:50 Inside the harbour, he explores the abandoned industrial sites of Kelly Basin, where jungle growth has reclaimed 19th-century railway tracks and brick kilns.4:23 He navigates the Gordon River for 20 miles, noting that the tannin-stained, tea-colored water obscures underwater hazards like submerged logs, which fouled his anchor.5:52 After failing to navigate the shallow rapids at the confluence of the Franklin River with his outboard-powered dinghy, he visits an ornithologist’s hut in Birches Inlet.8:02 He concludes the trip by sheltering in Macquarie Harbour while waiting for heavy winds to subside.10:54
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