We Sailed to the World’s Largest Prison Island

Slim and Soph motored their 34-ft sailboat out of the marina pen in Hobart after bunkering down through a cold southern winter to complete university studies and tackle critical mechanical repairs. Working aboard their vessel, featured on Slim & Soph – Sailing Nakama, the crew had just finished installing a replacement Muir anchor windlass late the previous afternoon and needed to clear the dock before an incoming weather system swept across Tasmania.

With only 0.7 knots of breeze stirring the water, the crew warmed up the engine and cleared the marina, leaving dock lines, power leads, and tools to be stowed below as they got underway. After waiting out two cyclone seasons in northern Australia and an entire winter in the south, they were now just 915 nautical miles from completing their circumnavigation of the continent, facing an immediate choice of where to seek shelter from the looming gale.

Heading South Past the Iron Pot into Storm Bay

With west coast miles already logged, the crew committed to heading south and east toward Port Arthur, a 43-nautical-mile passage requiring roughly eight and a half hours of travel from Hobart. As the 34-ft sloop motored along at 5 to 6 knots over flat seas, the crew passed the Iron Pot, the historic lighthouse marking the home stretch of iconic race events.

Under clear skies, the waters of Storm Bay turned glassy, revealing pods of dolphins swimming beside the freshly cleaned hull without surface distortion. The calm weather allowed the crew to monitor their newly replaced rubber sail drive seal, which had previously sheared away from the hull just days after a prior splash and fouled the propeller with severe shuddering vibrations. Motoring through the morning verified that the re-installed seal remained intact and silent below the waterline.

Navigating the Dolerite Sea Cliffs of Cape Raoul

Rounding the southern coastline brought Nakama within close view of Cape Raoul, an immense headland characterized by 300-meter vertical columnar dolerite sea cliffs. The flat sea state provided rare, peaceful viewing conditions compared to the turbulent weather typically encountered along this stretch of coast.

For Soph, the passage offered a marked contrast to her previous rounding during the 2024 Sydney to Hobart yacht race. As she recalled: “Mom and I cursed this cape as we desperately tried to find any small scrapings of wind to get the boat moving towards the finish line of the 2024 Sydney to Hobart yacht race.” With the cape cleared, the crew pointed the bow northeast for the remaining 9 miles toward the entrance of Port Arthur.

Testing the Muir Windlass in Ladies Bay

Rather than anchoring directly in the main basin of Port Arthur, the crew chose Ladies Bay, a secluded and well-sheltered anchorage situated in the adjacent cove. Protected from the Southern Ocean swells, the bay offered flat water to wait out the heavy winds forecast to sweep across the region.

Slim brought the boat to a stop in 8 meters of water to test the newly installed Muir windlass under live operating conditions. As Slim noted regarding the repair: “We are pretty damn stoked with pulling off the installation of a brand new Muir windlass.” The crew paid out 25 meters of chain using the manual brake handle, securing the vessel before shutting down the engine. Soph reflected on reaching the quiet cove: “That feeling of dropping the anchor, turning the engine off, and tuning into our new surroundings. The satisfaction of all of these things is so apparent on day one after leaving the marina.”

Examining the Convict Settlement and Modern History at Port Arthur

After a cold morning plunge in the bay, the crew went ashore to explore the historical grounds of Port Arthur. Established in 1830 as a timber station, the outpost expanded into one of the primary penal colonies of the British Empire in Van Diemen’s Land, relying on isolation and surrounding waters to prevent escape. At its operational peak in the 1840s, more than 1,100 convicts were housed at the settlement, laboring in sawmills, felling timber, producing bricks, and building ships under the strict silent system before the penal colony closed in 1877.

The crew also walked through the memorial garden situated at the former cafe site, reflecting on the tragedy of April 28, 1996, when a lone gunman killed 20 people inside the building and 15 others across the grounds. Just 12 days after the attack, Prime Minister John Howard initiated comprehensive national gun law reforms, introducing strict licensing, mandatory training, and a nationwide buyback scheme that removed more than 650,000 prohibited firearms from circulation by 1997. The reforms established a 29-year period without a mass shooting in Australia until the Bondi Beach incident in 2025.

Marine Life Encounters Below the Surface

Returning to Ladies Bay under rare blue skies, Slim geared up for his first scuba dive in Tasmanian waters. Exploring the kelp beds, he had an unexpected encounter with an inquisitive octopus that darted directly toward him, prompting a startled retreat. Reflecting on the sudden interaction, Slim observed: “You would have thought that after watching My Octopus Teacher, I would have been ready for this moment.”

Continuing the dive along the rocky reef, the crew also observed a carpet-dwelling wobbegong shark resting on the bottom, alongside a massive smooth stingray—a species capable of growing up to 4.3 meters in length and weighing up to 350 kilos. With the incoming blow safely weathered and the vessel systems proven sound, the crew turned their attention toward rounding Tasman Island to begin their northward journey up Tasmania’s east coast.

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