Tasman 2025 – Update 27th March, Nearly There!

Written for Grant and Luke by John Mitchell, Project Manager

Grant and Luke are preparing for the final hard push towards the coast overnight.

Grant & Luke’s progress up to 8pm 27th March

Once through the East Australian Current (EAC), with luck, they will have a slightly easier row down the coast to Coffs Harbour, hopefully with a following wind. The forecast is moving around a lot and locally not the best over night. We will see what tomorrow brings.

I will leave Grants messages from today to describe this final push.

From Grant 8am 27^th March

A good night’s progress but tough rowing in the pitch black and bumpy seas with cross swells again.

A huge 24 hrs ahead to get over. First the EAC and shipping lanes followed by threading the needle, getting an 800kg ocean rowing boat in through a 400m entrance in up to 20 knots of wind with a strong current pushing us south.

We are quietly focussed onboard and a little on edge as we prepare for the final push.

8pm 27th update from Grant

We have an interesting 6 hours coming up with building beam on seas with strong 20 knot SE winds, gusting 30 knots. We have prepared boat for possible capsizes and have altered course slightly to get away from beam on. If conditions worsen we will go onto para-anchor. The wind is supposed to drop later tonight when we will also find strongest southern current. All could be back on track then.

In preparation for their arrival the Australian members of the team have been busy. They have organised the Australian Border Force to be on site to clear the Pavlova and rowers into the country. Also sourced is a safety vessel to be on standby at the entrance. This boat is only there to assist if they get into an unrecoverable emergency. Apart from being on emergency standby they will not give any support to Grant & Luke, as this expedition is a fully unassisted.

Coffs Harbour with its narrow entrance

Predicted winds for 4pm 28th (position 8pm 27th)

Predicted currents for 4pm 28th (position 8pm 27th)

As of 8pm 27th March they have around 100km to go to reach Coffs Harbour. Averaging 5-6kph would mean arrival some time between 3 & 6pm tomorrow overnight conditions allowing.

This is just my guesstimate but having just received Grant’s latest update, arrival is likely to be delayed till later on the 28th or 29th and even possibly altering the arrival location. Plans are still very fluid.