James Craig - Sydney to Hobart

Eden is a little paradise nestled around Twofold Bay. The main
industries are fishing, tourism and timber, and it has a particularly
interesting history of the whaling industry.  Whaling began here in the
early 1800s when men risked their lives in small boats using hand-held
harpoons to catch the great beasts.  In the 1920s whalers were assisted by
´Old Tom´ and his pod,  killer whales who would lead the fishermen to the
humpback and sperm whales as they cruised past on their way up the coast.
Old Tom would even grab the boat´s painter (rope) and tow them out to the
whales if he didn´t think they were rowing fast enough! Tom and his mates´
reward was the tongue and lips of the whale. The tongue of a sperm whale
could weigh up to 4 tons.
When Old Tom died in 1931 his skeleton was preserved and is now on display
in the Eden Killer Whale Museum. You can see for yourself where Tom´s teeth
are worn from towing the boat´s painter. With his death the whaling industry
in the district also died, and whaling was made illegal in Australia in
1978. Their numbers are rising again now, and every October Eden holds a
´Whale Festival´ with live music and numerous other activities to coincide
with the migration of whales along the coast, which can be clearly seen from
the cliff tops.
After a night on the town and a lazy morning, we set sail at 1400. The
locals gave us three cheers and invited James Craig to return in October for
the Whale Festival. We now make our way north with the promise of a fair
wind from our friends in the weather bureau.