Sunday 22nd May
Lynne Keep, David's cousin, and friend Peter came aboard for lunch. Fabulous, sunny, warm day.
Monday 23rd May
Down to Rushcutters Bay, and a convenient Police Emergency Mooring will do us, Off to Jo and Paddy’s for dinner and a sleepover, in a real bed.
Tuesday 24th May
Marina Berth at Cruising Yacht Club but at $55 per night, it will be just the one night. Nic Katie and Eloise pop in for dinner
Wednesday 25th May
Ian from Outlook Sonar is checking our sonar. Its never worked. This is the first opportunity to get it looked at. Seems the Transducer is U.S. Darn! They are full of excuses, and it must be our fault! Marine suppliers are a bunch of used car salesmen in disguise We will probably make all future purchases at West Marine in America The are cheaper and guarantee their products. We heard good things from other cruisers. Weather update to a gale warning so won't head to Pittwater this afternoon. Denis and Jenny, from Adelaide, on SUMMER SOLSTICE, introduced themselves on the jetty, so we are meeting later for drinks. I’m on water! Sydney. The shops are overflowing with stuff. The service is appalling. So offhand, and they don’t have any product knowledge. Its just sell, sell and tell the customer whatever they think they want to hear. Its consumerism gone ballistic
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Thursday 26th May
Tickets, Brisbane to Perth, booked. Need to get moving. Gale warning downgraded to strong wind warning, so were off. Fairly exhilarating out here. 2 reefs in the main, and its 25 nm to Pittwater. Pretty good swell. Following wind and seas up to 25kn. 3.30pm and we're in, and moored off Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club, at the south end of Broken Bay. Thousands of boats here. Ashore for a quick visit with Magic and drinks at the flash clubhouse. S&S 39 on the hardstand. Something familiar. PRELUDE ll Seems there is someone aboard. Its Davids old boat!! TURKEY CONNECTION!!! Shock shock. She’s in great nick except for all the ugly cruising paraphernalia of furlers, solar, and wind gear. Denis Payne is the owner as of 6 months. Drinks and roast pork on Taipan with Magics.
Friday 27th May
Quick walk to Newport, half-hour, with Daun chatting away, so it's going to be a while. Guy Mathews furniture and art gallery is fabulous in the main drag. Vegies procured, and now quick look in the most extensive 2nd hand book shop on earth. Overwhelmed. Buy 0! Photos to get, of Turkey Connection on her mooring, then off to Coasters Retreat for the night. Early start tomorrow
Saturday 28th May
Alarm 5.30! Gawd! Weather report. Darn. Strong wind warning to 33knots! To go or not to go??? Its 75 miles to Port Stevens. A long day if it's crappy. Well, the weather forecasting has been a bit off so we will chance it. Great running. Midday and we are over halfway. Wind only around 15 to 20, perfect sailing wind. Cold though. The coast is wall to wall housing. Hard to tell where Sydney ends. Seems we could have got into Port Hunter at Newcastle after all. If we come down this coast again we will have to get Cruising the NSW Coast by Allan Lucas. I photographed the relevant pages of Magics copy, for this run. It worked pretty well too, but the book would be easier. Coastal Patrol is very vigilant. No rest from the radio for more than 1 hour. We are in, and on one of several courtesy moorings at Lemon Tree. Great run. Averaged 7knots for 11 hours. Fairly comfortable too even though the swell is getting up around 3m. Whales ahoy. Wondered what that large catamaran was doing going around and around in circles. Can see they are whale watching.
Sunday 29th May
Christine Polar and Joyce Kerrisons birthdays. Sleep in morning 7.30. We were in bed by 800 last night. Whacked. To go to not to go?? Wind warning the same as yesterday but the swell is up to 4 meters with 2-meter seas. Its at least a 24hour run to Coffs Harbour. Not going! Coffee shop and card writing A Launceston yacht called FREELANCE with Jim and Jane Rogers and a Sydney yacht CONSENSUS, Oyster 55, Peter Foster, has arrived. Introductions. The Rogers know the Richards, Elizabeths family, and their daughters rode horses together. Lee has horses on her farm, inland from Port Stevens.
Monday 30th May
Off at 900. Swell is still quite large and as we head between the island it's a bit stressful with great plumes of dirty brown water rushing up the cliff faces and exploding in a brown spray. The sea is streaked with froth and foam from the battle. Soon enough, however, we are tracking nicely with 24 hours to go Uneventful night. That's how we like it. Powder pink dawn, with a pod of whales to accompany us for a while. Finally warm enough to divest myself of thermals. Its Tuesday, though and quite when that happened during a night sail, I’m never sure. Coffs is a mere 17nm away as it write. Freelance is on the horizon ahead. Wind very light and flukey The hinterland is becoming more mountainous after miles of flat sandhills around Newcastle it's a welcome sight. 1.00pm and we are furled up and tied up in our pen. Coffs still a very reasonable $25 per night. Good shops and showers and laundry onshore.
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| Coffs Harbor |
Wednesday 1st June
Winter! It's pretty Ok here for winter, but north will be better. We are only about level with Dongarra. Jobs. I'm busy with Gelcoat filler patching chips and scratches in the hull but mainly fixing the big chunk out of the bow. About 100mm chunk right down the pointy bit. Caused by a mooring line at Lady Barron during a storm. David is tracking down a leak under our robe. Well, it's a void which has filled with saltwater, probably drained through leaking stanchion. (fence post) And being almost watertight its taking ages to drain out. Upside, we discovered another space to store wine!! Now walking up the Muttonbird Hill. We are a lot fitter this time!
Tuesday 2nd June
Yamba here we come. 600 am start. “TAIPAN”!!! Shit! buggar! bum! what are you doing…!!!. “dont yell at me”!! the breeze has us side on to the boats on the finger behind. Taipan has decided she doesn’t want to leave and is being very piggy about backing. She hates backing, at the best of times. Right!! well, we are finally on our way to Yamba. Tempers are back in control but the tension is still palpable. Whales again. Freelance is in front with a cat and another yacht all heading to Yamba so …you guessed it. The race is on. No hold barred. ie Engine!! The breeze in minimal. Well, we haven’t caught them but they are obviously motoring too. Kay Cottee owns the marina here and Lynne Keep has advised her of our arrival so we are on the marina.
Friday 3rd June
Awoken by Kay popping in to introduce herself. The river here is the Clarence and its huge and goes all the way to Grafton. Sugar cane alongside, very flat. There are 200km of waterway and 100 islands. Must stop next time we pass. Shop jobs today. Ley and Neil Langford are on a boat called CRYSTAL BLUES and we are going to their boat for dinner BYO in yacht style.
Saturday 4th June
Up the river for the day. So many fishermen and women Must be 100 people around us during the day and at nightfall they’re all still there. It's a beautiful evening
Sunday 5th June
They’re still fishing! Very keen. Maybe there's a competition on? Enquiry. No it's just normal weekend on the Clarence. 5pm and we are heading out the channel for Southport. A night sail. No wind. Rock and roll our way over fairly flat water
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| FREELANCE crew Jim and Jane aboard. |
Monday 6th June
We are in Southport by 1.00 pm Freelance is here. They tried the channels but gave up. We have talked them into giving it another go behind Taipan. They draw less than us but are anxious about banging their keel. They are coming to dinner
Tuesday 7th June
Pop into the marina chandler for charts and now we are off. 300pm Freelance close behind. There are hundreds of miles of channels between Southport and Brisbane at the southern end of Morton Bay. North and South Stradbroke Islands form the eastern perimeter. Many of the islands are National Park. We will spend several days traversing these channels. Pouring rain. Visibility is suddenly so poor. Drop anchor. Soaked. At least it's not cold. At 800pm tonight we have to negotiate the “shallows” That's the only tide big enough for us to get through. (2M on the Brisbane Bar. half-hour after Brisbane Bar time) The rain has stopped. Freelance still hot on our tail, less than 1 meter under us.. oops 200 under… now nil…. However, we are pushing on and it's not enough to stop us. Must be silt. Few tense moments, but we are through the shallows. Celebratory coffee on Taipan at Jacobs Well. Freelance is off early. We are going to take a look around here.
Wednesday 8th June
Bit of rescue to do, houseboat adrift. There are heaps of houseboats on this waterways. No wonder, its a great place for them. Mud crabs aplenty but we don’t have a net. Jacobs Well Tavern does great steak night on Wednesday Lucky. Its only $5.50 each. Must be the cheapest steak in OZ. Good though. They have some really good art on the walls too. A bloke from here called Donald James Waters. Jacobs Well Gallery. Would really like to take a look at his work but time and tide wait for no man or woman and we must be off early tomorrow. Next Time!
Thursday 9th June
Leisurely motoring down the channels to anchor off Karragarra Island. Very small and mostly just holiday homes. Macleay Island next. Population about 800. Again a lot of holiday places. Not that inspiring. No fish. Raining but not cold.
Friday 10th June.
Off to Tangalooma. Rain. Change of plan. This will do fine Blakesley's Anchorage. Westside of North Stradbroke Island. Ashore for a walk. So many varieties of Banksia and the bird song is amazing. Really pretty spot. couple more boats arriving. Evening. There must be 20 boats here now and half a dozen camps on the beach Oh! It's a long weekend!!
Saturday 11th June
Anchorage steadily filling up. Small fishing boats everywhere. Very lovely spot though and we have front row seats. Kids everywhere. Nice to see families out camping with their kids and dogs and the whole disaster! Great weather and not a National Parks officer in sight. Hate to think what they all do for toilets onshore. Last night we caught 2 small hammerhead sharks The first we let go. Baby and all that. The second was slightly larger and looks like he’ll be dinner tonight.
Sunday 12th June
Up up and aweigh! to Scarborough where we will leave Taipan for 3 weeks while be visit the West
Well, we’ve been there and done that. 6 weeks later its the 28th of July and we’ve been back since the 25th. Took a couple of days to catch up on sleep after the midnight flight.
Thursday 28th July
Well, we’ve just left Scarborough Marina. It's a good marina. Laundry Chandler, Boat lifter, very close to Morgans big wholesale fish shop with the best choice of fish anywhere. The rate for the month $360, so a very good price too There is no wind. Its pleasant 24° and Tangalooma on Morton Island is our anchorage for the night. David put a new impeller in the big Jabsco pump before we left and he also replaced the water filter box on the inlet to the Genset because the existing one was too small. Hopefully, it won't clog up so often now. While we were in Perth I bought a new Sewing Machine. Reasonably heavy duty. I did a few repairs yesterday and have lots of projects on a very long list, Deck cushions covers, Saloon cushion covers, rope bags, outboard cover. Clears for the cockpit, and a wind soc for Dads airstrip, to name a few. Started by repairing some clothes. Finally into Tangalooma. Dark.
Friday 29th July
Tangalooma to Mooloolaba. Stunning morning. Cane fires have caused a smoke haze which all but obliterates the mainland Morton Islands a stealthy smear of blue on blue not quite real The beach neatly anchors the scene in reality. No wind so motoring. The Volvo needs a work out anyway after 6 weeks of enforced idleness. Wharf Marina due for a big revamp. You can buy a pen in the new development for $120,000, lease for 20 years!! I don’t think so! Mike and Jannet, the helicopter pilot from Strahan, Tasmania, are living aboard their Roberts Mauritius 44 HANACO. We will have Thai at the cheap cheap thai with them tonight.
Saturday 30th July
Return the faulty whale gusher pump to the chandler. They’re not too happy about it though. It has a crack in the housing and leaks. Only 6 months old Dinner with Rob and Sally off TRUE BLUE. They live at Caboolture.
Sunday 31st July
They’re off to sink the Brisbane this morning at 10.00am. Rob invited us to join them on an outing on True Blue but we declined the offer and opted instead, to make our way to Frazer Island, while the weather was holding. 5.00am start. The inevitable dick head fishing boat, coming down a crowed inlet, with 4,000,000 candlepower spotlights blazing. Ignorant, incompetent idiot. No one could see a thing and then he thought he was being smart by yelling at us …Get a real boat!!! Really some fishermen have no brains!!. Next time we will talk to them on the radio and make sure everyone hears the conversation. Wide Bay Bar is looking fine. Only about 1/2 meter sea running Our sea legs are bit shaky so it will be good to get inside Great Sandy Straits. 5.00pm and we are anchored just inside, north of the southern entrance. TOTAL ECLIPSE a yacht from Port Lincoln is anchored close by.
Monday 1st August
Jamies Birthday. Cloudy but warm. A walk ashore while the trusty bread-maker makes a crusty fresh loaf for lunch. Waiting for the incoming tide so we can progress up the straits. 1.30pm and a pleasant, if cool, breeze behind us, as we are making steady progress north. Flinders Island is the largest sand island in the world. Its quite heavily wooded, but was logged before it became World Heritage area There are several resorts and millions of sandflies. Oops, Total Eclipse is totally stopped. They ran aground this morning so sat here most of the day. Just beside Stewart Island. We are no use so we will continue on. 5.30pm. Uneventful journey, and anchored near North Whitecliffs. The straits are busier this time than on any previous trip. All those baby boomers buying boats.
Tuesday 2nd August
We have moved only a few miles north to Kingfisher Bay Resort. There are a lot of boats anchored here, so must be something to do.. A quick trip ashore, late in the day, to check out walking opportunities. Looks promising for tomorrow. Good coffee. The resort looks fairly old but appears well run and clean and very welcoming. There's a shop and garage which sell most basics. There’s a visitors bar and cafe called the Sandbar. nearer the beach. It has a lovely pool and visitors are welcome
Wednesday 3rd August
Threatened walk ashore. Striding up the beach Oops.. soft soft ..gawd..4 km of this will be testing. Lucky most of it is reasonable, so in beautiful sunshine, we step it out. Jetty ruins are the remains of a prolific logging operation Blackbutt Tallowood Siniaire or something like that I’ve never heard of, and several other species. There were out 30 houses, all long removed. Then onto a site where a Z unit of special commands trained for operations behind the lines in WWll. There is little remaining, except for some old vehicle junk. YIKES!!! Well I gave him a fright!! A beautifully marked Python on the track. About 8 km round trip. Another coffee at the resort. Afternoon visit from Phil off SOUTHERN MIST, a Zeston 40, invited for sundowners, Chris his wife. Very nice people from the Gold Coast. Keen to catch up with us on our way south. They are cruising for 3 months a year now. Cruised a Perry 43 Cat for 2 years permanently but Chris was keen to keep contact with the grandchild.
Thursday 4th August
Kingfisher Bay to Bundaberg.Glassy morning with a bit of a change forecast for this evening. We are heading into Hervey Bay out of Great Sandy Straits Should start to see some whale action any time from now on. No whales. The wind has picked up and we are approaching Bundaberg Port Marina. Its 5pm so we have made pretty good time. Good motoring!!
Friday 5th August
Bundaberg Port Marina is fairly new Good access with plenty of room to manoeuvre. Floating concrete docks and a great haul out facility although quite expensive Pens though are only $33 per night which is good. Bus to town courtesy of the marina but town bus home. Last one is at 3.25 which we miss so a taxi is $25 Yikes! Don’t miss the bus!!
Saturday 6th August
Bundaberg Port Marina. Market day. Washing, sewing, cleaning. Rebuilt a lazy jack being chafed by the topping lift. Refill with jerry’s because the tide is too low to get to the fuel wharf. ZULU CHIEF a Steinman 50, we looked at 4 years ago, came in today. David, the new owner, gave us some Yellow Fin Tuna and we bought some nice prawns from the fish supply at the marina.
Sunday 7th August
5.30am start. Leave Port Bundaberg 6.30 Destination Pancake Creek 63nm northeast and south of Gladstone. Zulu Chief left about half an hour ahead of us. No fish. Ive still got my thermals on! I thought this was sunny Queensland. pancake creek is quiet and easy entry and a lot of boats are here. Zulu Chief, David and his nephew Joel bringing Spanish mackerel for dinner.
Monday 8th August
5.30am Owch! Those Zulu’s poisoned the wine!! What they need a jump start!! Really??? So we started them and they’re gone but were back on the anchor with a malfunctioning in the autopilot. Rudder sensor. Ok so we’ve got that sussed but now it 9.30 and 67nm to Kepple and headache SERIOUS Today is cancelled due to lack of interest. Me to bed. David to play with the WC Macerator pump Fun! 5pm. pump now working. Its rained. I’ve slept and worked on my fish painting. David off hunter-gathering. OYSTERS Wow!! 2
Tuesday 9th August
5.15am. Stunning morning. The rain has gone and a light breeze and Kepple Island is in our sights Spinnaker up and very pleasant.
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| David Simmonds. Zulu Cheif. |
Wednesday 10th August
Kepple to Rosalind Bay to refuel then to Port Clinton. No wind till we are nearly in. Very protected anchorage.
Friday 12th August
Port Clinton to Pearl Bay. Its a beautiful spot with pine trees and steep rocky islands offshore. This is a part of Shoalwater Bay Military Training Area They are training with live ammunition just north of us We had coffee with ZULU David and Joel and now we are headed to Island Head Creek to sit out a forecast strong wind warning. It's very rainy and gloomy. Such a contrast to yesterday. Smack Bang… there's the change! Should have left a couple of hours earlier. We’re wet, cold and bedraggled. We anchored twice and now I think we are ready for the weather.
Saturday 13th August.
Dawn. Sunny, the wind hasn’t lived up to the promised 30+ knots which is fine by me. The Zulus came for a curry last night. I’m putting a false floor in the knife and fork drawer. They are so deep I can store spare ones below. David doing paperwork again Wind has come and gone a few times but looks OK for tomorrow.
Sunday 14th August.
Quite an exercise getting the main up in the rolly conditions, after the strong wind outside the bar. Still too strong for the spinnaker but making good progress to South Percy Island 45nm N/NE 4.00pm and we were in Pretty fast run left at 7.00am Beautiful island anchorage rally but sheltered. Walk on the beach. Zulus beat us by about 1/2 hour.
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| Zulu Cheif. |
Monday 15th August
SANAKAN a Murray 60 came in during the night. We left about 5.30 this morning. Even earlier than ZULUs The race is on. Spinnaker out, beautiful conditions. 67nm to Scarwfell It's north of us. We're still fighting off the Zulus. Our motor is ticking over …batteries to charge. Scarwfell is lovely anchorage and pretty beach Out of the swell good shelter except for North. In at 4.30. A very good run. Walk on the beach and drinks with Tom on Sanakan. That is one BIG boat. They were very appreciative of our help on their approach to South Percy the other night. Such a nice cheese, wine, beer, and champagne!! They are on their way to the Hamilton Island Race Week. Starting on the 20th.
Tuesday 16th August
Whitsunday Island Group Here we come. Its 70nm from Scawfell to Airlie Beach. Our provisioning destination. Phones are working again after weeks. Fantastic wind. Lucky our wind instrument is on the blink or maybe it would be too strong for the kite. However, were trucking along up to 10 knots Bit of current helping but 70nm between 7.30 and 3.30 pretty darn good for an old Taipan.
Wednesday 17th August
Airlie Beach Chiropractor. Shopping. Chris and Daun catch up with oysters for our arrival last evening. CAMELION from Hobart, Brett and Jacinta and 2yr old Georgia. Jim and Anne on Insatiable, anchored beside us. Dinner at the Sailing Club $15. Roast and desert. Very good. Airlie Beach is a beaut little town. Very packed with tourists but built on the side of quite steep forested hills overlooking the large bay and islands. There's a great Lagoon, pool facility, right on the foreshore, with lawns, trees and all manner of lovely freeform pools, and quite popular as the beaches here are absolutely crappy. As is the weather. Tides are quite big here, but dingy access is pretty good. Water is difficult though because the marina will let you pick up water if you purchase fuel, but otherwise, you have to carry it all in jerry cans in the dingy from the sailing club. That's about a mile round trip in the dingy. Oh for a watermaker!!
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| Fun. Racing aboard Zulu Cheif |
Saturday 3rd September
The weather has finally improved Whitsunday Fun Race Day and Miss Figurehead. Racing on Zulu Chief. Quite a crew. Much fun. about 200 boats racing and we are 2nd fastest Monohull. The weather is beautiful today first decent weather in weeks.
Sunday 4th September
Fathers Day Off to try to catch a fish armed with new Rapala lures and a Halco crazy deep. Our last Rapala, $25, caught 1 small mackerel quite quickly, the next strike, a big one shortly afterwards, took the lot and broke the 55lb line
Tuesday 6th September
A couple of nice days in West Double Bay yeehaw. Fish fish fish. Lovely big spotted mackerel and one a little smaller, and a tuna mackerel, all in just one day! We’ve broken the duck and live to eat fish again. Yum. Sunshine sunshine sunshine Wind has now dropped, water warm. Heaven.
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| Cids harbor |
Tuesday 13th September
Hmmm. Calm, great forecast. Caught up with Magic in Stonehaven for dinner last night. Off to Hardy Reef today. We’ve spent the past couple of days at snorkel sites. Blue Pearl Bay, a bit disappointing but it was overcast. Border island on the eastern side of the island Group. I think its worth spending some time here. Beautiful beaches and very pretty fish. Hardy Reef our destination tonight and maybe tomorrow night is on the outer edge of the Great Barrier Reef. There is an extensive area, apparently well charted, frequented by tour boats from Airlie. Hook, Line, and Bait Reefs all form part of the group
It is possible to enter a lagoon inside Hardy Reef and anchor In good weather. In reasonably shallow water. Around here we regularly anchor in 16m of water so our chain locker is frequently fairly empty. OK!! So that's the entrance?? Well admittedly we are a little early but honestly, you wouldn’t take a dingy up that… let alone a 50-foot yacht. The reef is exposed on either side of the “entrance” and the water in the lagoon is about 3/4 meter higher than out here in the channel. The channel is 50m deep and a mass of boiling, swirling, eddies, whisking us about like a leaf in a creek. Perhaps we will wait a while. La la la la it's now 2.00pm. A McGregor 25 trailer sailer with a 50hp outboard and drawing 9 inches has just whisked inside on their 2nd attempt. The current in the channel is about 5 knots and in the waterfall entrance about 7 knots. 2.30 and we reckon it's down to 2 or 3 knots against us now. Off we go. Magic behind us. I tell you, this gap is VERY SKINNY. Certainly not a boat width at 2m deep The depth, however, is fine although I have taken a couple of large gulps as we pass over very pretty coral heads. No time to admire them now. Onward and inward. There's a chopper, large, filled with gawping tourists from the ReefWorld facility about 1 km away. We are the cabaret act this afternoon. It must look pretty awesome from above. But it's nerve-wracking, to say the least, having all those rotor blades swishing and clacking so close, while Taipans Volvo is exerting quite an effort, to take us in against the rushing current. EXCITING! Anchored at last in the most beautiful aqua blue lagoon
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| The McGregor went before us. You can see how narrow it is! |
Wednesday 14th September
Snorkel on the outside of the lagoon wall. Very pretty, and another lovely day Another snorkel on the inside of the lagoon just east of the entrance is extremely lovely. Another night in the lagoon fantastic weather. Not a cloud. Met people on a Nicholson 45, PURSUIT ll, Dick and Jannet. Magic dined on Taipan. Look out for the Beach and Bush recipe. We’ve got a beautiful yellowfin tuna and a shark mackerel in the fridge. Yum
Thursday 15th September
More snorkelling and now we are off back out the cut; this time the current is with, us but still pretty hairy. A couple of the boats, cats, have looked at it and sped off in the other direction. The anchorage inside Line Reef pretty bouncy.
Friday 16th September
Bait reef. So gorgeous. Got out the Power-dive and had a great time. Off back to the islands for some shelter. The forecast is for increasing breeze 20+ knots so we will go for cover.
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| Magic anchored at Bait Reef |
GAP! There is a whole book missing here........sigh.
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| Brisbane city skyline from across the river. Botanical Gardens Anchorage. |
April 27th, 2006
Brisbane to Darwin
We are sailing again. Following wind, sunshine, although there's a nip in the air and its blankets at night. Time to be heading north. We’ve sent our nomination for a place in the Darwin Kupang Rally, Leaving Darwin on the 22nd of July, so that's our deadline. We’ve been in “The Bay”, Morton Bay, since coming south last Christmas. Vern and Jo made our Xmas by coming to join us for a week and it was a fabulous time.
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| Vern an Jo on Magic for Xmas Day. |
Work on Taipan commenced towards the end of January. Refurbished both heads. One now has a macerating toilet. This was a drawn-out project, with much pipe replacement and painting to be done. I replaced the brass skirting in the saloon with She Oak we bought back from the West and it looks really good with the teak. On the hardstand at Morton Bay Trailer Boat Club, to clean and antifoul, while David removed more pipes and cleared some space for the water maker Mammoth task. Batteries to move, and all manner of new fibreglass to be done.
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| Christo and Captn Dave. |
Easter and Anne-Marie came to spend it with us up in the city, on the anchor, at the Botanic Gardens. Another lovely few days not working. Although Matt was busy rebuilding a new computer for us. The old one, just 2 years old, blew up. Watermaker came together up the river. Tested, so now we're off. We also removed the Furlex furler and replaced the forestay and serviced the Furlex new bearings etc.
Altogether Morton Bay is a great stopover. Plenty of good anchorages and although there’s a shortage of marina berths during the summer, it is still very usable as a workplace. We haven’t seen as much as we’d have liked. Too busy. The bikes we bought in January, have had some use, but not as much as they should have had. So much to do. So little time
Boats and people we met for re-met Isle Rua, Bob and Jackie in the river. Mat, of MAZURIA, at Caniper Passage. Jan and Arnold on HELMSMAN. John and Pam on TWEED. NARDU with Carole and Jeff. JARAMAN, John and Sally-Anne Potter. Bryce and Martha SILVER FERN. Rooster and Jaffa on BONITO GOLD.
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| Jim and Helen Sea Treck lll |
Hellen and Jim, SEA TRECK lll, with whom we stayed on several occasions. So many lovely people, and so much helpfulness. Magic, of course, was about also. Joko and Wendy, SYNERGY, busy working like bilge rats. Never going out. MARIKI John and Aileen
Approaching Scarborough Marina where we will catch up with Jocko and Wendy again. Magic and SILVER FERN have gone north, and Mazuria is hot on our tail.
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| Recovery at Horseshoe bay on Boxingday |
April 28th
Scarborough to Mooloolaba. Gassed up coffee, and a final farewell to Synergy. Full of wine. And at 11am, and with the tide, we are slipping noisily north to Mooloolaba. NO wind. Magic, Silver Fern, and Zulu, in town. Mat had a big drama and is still at sand dunes. No steering. No autopilot, 2 crab pots around his shaft and water in the oil. Very bad indeed. We found out last night, we’ve been accepted for the rally. Wendy sent off an expression of interest this am. to join as well. She’ll have to convince Jocko but is very keen herself. They are only accepting 100 boats and already there are 88 registered so they’ll need to decide fast. The wind has completely gone. Now it's flat calm and silvery. Nice to be back on route to somewhere. A huge amount of rain was dumped on the Kimberley by Cyclone Monica recently so if we get to Darwin early, it would be great to duck over and see the waterfalls actually running.
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| Jocko and Wendy SYNERGY. |
May 3rd Wednesday
Mooloolaba to Frazer 2.00am and we are motoring out the channel, good-bye Mooloolaba, and good friends Rob and Sally Wilson from True Blue. Also David Simmonds of Zulu. had a meal and caught up. Swopped stories and contacts. Sally is a pharmacist and has offered to keep track of our drugs. Well, Davids drugs. It's really cold tonight… thermals. Get north. No fish biting although they are jumping about everywhere. Wide Bay Bar at the entrance to Great Sandy Straits is the destination for today. Sailing. Its flat and SW land breeze is keeping us moving. Now the bar. Totally benign today. No delay. Dropping anchor at Pelican Point for a sleep. Got a small Bonito for lunch. Sushi. Delicious. Magic to dine with us. The last supper. David and I have both been upchucking. Something we ate!
Thursday 4th May
Great Sandy Straits Beautiful weather. We are on our way in search of the sun. High tide at Sheridan Flats is 200pm, so we left at 10.00, and it's now 1.00. Just crossed the shallows. It's well marked and the tide is still in-coming Lunch of spotted mackerel we caught an hour ago. Fresh, hot, homemade, grain bread. Motor surging. Change the fuel filter. Fixed
Friday 5th May
Big Woody Island To Pearl Bay. 3.00am mmm decent sleep, pleasant SW wind last 14 nm of Great Sandy Straits and we are off. Destination Kepple. Tomorrow some time. Desalinator going, refilling our back tank. I've done the washing, now and it looks like a Chinese laundry ship. It's relatively light weather so the autopilot is working OT. 3.00pm and the kite is up. Big Bonito. Darn, he’s got the lure. David is sleeping. Another one…bingo I will let him go if I can. Yep gone. He took the skirted lure. We are sailing through the night. Good wind and flat sea. Plenty of fish.
Saturday 6th May
Arriving at Pearl Bay for a welcome nights sleep. We’ve sailed all night and this afternoon it got a bit hairy. 11 knots with the kite up!! The boat has developed a real vibration at low revs, which is a bit alarming, with a long way to go to anywhere. Pearl Bay is a beautiful anchorage. Remote. Shoalwater Bay Military Reserve, North of Yeppoon and south of Thirsty Sound. Very rolly at night.
Sunday 7th May
Dawn. We must have missed it. Where did all the boats go?? Oh well a change of heart and we’ve decided to head to South Percy 50 nm
Monday 8th May
Less rolly at South Percy than Pearl Bay, and another good kite run up here. A good-sized yellowfin tuna in the fridge too. We’ve let several Bonito go The Mackerel we caught in the straits is nearly gone so we need another. We are on route to Skawfell Island, East of Mackay. The engine still vibrates at low revs. Belts also need tightening again. Wind astern so bit rolly. Kite up again Every day since Frazer. Good run.
Tuesday 9th May
Skawfell to nowhere. Pretty late start Weather forecast for strengthening weather for the next few days. Be good to be “stuck” in the Whitsundays so we are heading out again. NOT!! There is a yacht coming in. It looks darn blustery out there. So instead I’ll make delicious bread and we’ll go ashore for an oyster hunt and beach BBQ. …Well, we went ashore, in the nearly dark for a BBQ, made water did washing processed a heap of oysters.
Wednesday 10th May
Early start. Scawfell to Airlie. 17, 18, 20 knots, so no kite. A bit rolly. Long run and against the tide at Whitsunday. Another Mackerel. Yum. Airlie 8.30pm Talked to Tweed and Magic on 4146.
Thursday and Friday 11th and 12th May.
30 knots. Just as well we came straight here last night. Its not very pleasant We are anchored amongst the moorings, outside to the north of the Marina Able Point Marina is now $60 per night and mostly empty so we will save $180 here, not having to get water etc. Bikes ashore for a cycle to the chandler. More pipe, and to BILO, for some more veggies. Average dinner at Mangrove Jacks. The Internet doesn’t work outside the marina. Good opportunity for transistor repeater outside Whitsunday Sailing Club.
Saturday 13th May
Market Day. Rained out Everyone is packing up early We’ve decided to run across to Double Bay East and catch oysters. Its only 2 hours, so we're comfortably anchored on the east side by 400pm The fridge is full of oysters again. No fish though.
Sunday 14th May
Mothers Day. I arranged for some flowers to be delivered to Hare Street for Mum, but as I am still persona non grata, I am not sure where she is for Mothers Day. Late start, for a short sail to Gloucester Island. Bona Bay. Oysters, fresh and pickled, pate, homemade, and crackers, accompanied by a Sav Blanc. Beautiful distant mountainscape, grey on grey on silver. Roo fillet for dinner, and a perfect Mothers day. Phone! here?? It's Mum! First, call for 4 months. Flowers arrived!
Monday 15th May
Gloucester Island to Cape Upstart. South of Townsville and heading that way to examine/repair the nasty vibration in the engine, maybe injector or injector pump? We’ve got 20 to 25 knots up the clacker so pretty rolly. Yikes, another fish. Quick here comes another spotted Mackerel! Yum. Jason and Simon called yesterday and left messages of love and affection for me their mother! Nice. Dad just called again. We are all off to Bowen. Cape Upstart 4.45pm 46nm
Tuesday 16th May
Cape Upstart to Rocky Headland with a smattering of houses and shacks in a ragged line along the foreshore. Beaches, scattered rocky patches define the edge, and create a series of private beach fronts. One other yacht, and a power cat, XTC, at anchor here. 9.15 There is an engine going. Oh, its ours. We are finally making moving noises. Only 36 miles to Cape Bowling Green but probably rolly again in 25knots SE wind Cape Upstart is a National Park so quite how the housing evolved is a mystery. However, one can guess that they go back to fishing shack days, before the Park. There doesn't appear to be a road to this northern side of the park. Pleasant place
Next Book to transcribe…. when I find it!!
Somewhere amongst all that we fitted in a trip to Myora Springs and St Helena Island in Morton Bay
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| Lime kiln at St Helena Ruin Morton Bay. |
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