Looks like an extended stay in Bundaberg

Thursday 30th September




The southerly change has arrived and looks like the forecasts about the intensity of the winds is spot on. I check the wether forecast and it looks like the bad weather could be with us well into next week



I decide to top up the fuel tank with Diesel and do a few jerry can runs to the bowser nearby to fill us up, and have the usual 40 litres in reserve.



We have extended our stay at the marina now until next Tuesday. We may leave earlier if the wind abates, but this currently appears unlikely. Lee has decided to go to Ipswich for a few days to catch up with her mother and come back when the weather looks favourable for departure from Bundaberg.



We decide we may as well have a game of golf, so we rent a car and drive to Coral Cove Golf Course near Elliott Heads. It is now blowing about 25 knots from the SE and the course is right on the coast, so it should be challenging. Carole revelled in the windy conditions, I just watched the balls picked up by the wind in the air and blown into the nearest water hazard. She won the day convincingly with 34 points versus 28 points given her a very strong 13 point lead in the Mica Cup. The greens had just been renovated, so putting was a bit of a challenge.



After golf we drove to Elliott Heads to get some lunch, and by this time the seas are really rough whipped up by the strong SE wind.

The entrance bar at Elliott Heads

When we got back to the marina, I went over to see how the sailmaker had fared and the repair was complete and the workmanship appears very good. I will have to wait for a break in this weather to get the sail back up again, but saw it all laid out in the loft where he took me through the work he had done.



We caught up with Rod for drinks before dinner. Lee had already arrived in Ipswich in a hire car. We had dinner on board and watched a couple of DVDs.



It is now blowing 20 – 30 knots and looks like this will be the case till early next week at the least.

Maintenance day in Bundaberg

Wednesday 29th September




First task this morning is to get the headsail down and in it's bag to take it across to the sailmaker for repair. Carole and I managed to get it down and loosely in the bag. Then we settled in to bacon and eggs for breakfast.



Rod came around at 9.30 to give me a hand to lug the sail across the road to the sailmaker. He gave it good going over and commented that it was a very well made sail, but they appear to have not used a good quality fabric. I will take this up with North Sails when I return to Sydney. It looks like the sail was made in Turkey from the markings in the sail bag. To repair the tear in the leech he recommends running a 75mm reinforcing take pretty much the length of the sail where to double thickness of the UV protection strip meets the single thickness of the sail. He will also permanently patch the area I repaired with tape.

Sailmaker inspecting the tear in the headsail

Next job is to remove Rod's hot water heater and get it across to the stainless steel fabricator across the road so he can fix the leaking weld. This was fiddly and time consuming, but the heater is now sitting in the workshop awaiting repair.



The weather has been a bit overcast but the strong southerly change is yet to arrive and it is raining on and off. A few more yachts arrive at the marina, one we have seen on and off since Port Clinton, and a 54 ft Hanse “Moksha” from Pittwater also arrived late in the day.

As the weather is miserable we end up watching a DVD in the afternoon, before calling the courtesy bus to take us to the Lighthouse Hotel in Burnett Heads for dinner. We also caught the courtesy bus home with another patron. The bus was driven by a kid who had never driven anything like it before, and after a colourful trip home, we left him and the other patron in the marina car park, trying to work out how to get the bus to co-operate so they could complete their journey.

On to Bundaberg

Tuesday 28th September




Up early and motoring out of Pancake Creek at 6am. Once again it is low tide, a bit lower than when we came in last night, and to stay in the deep water the GPS shows us travelling across the land. When we got up there were only 3 boats in the anchorage, it looks like everyone is off to an early start. We could see 4 of them just going out of the entrance.



When we get outside the sea is like glass, only a very light NE breeze and a strong current against us. Kyeema made radio contact with Cooinda, and it seems they are about an hour ahead of us, also headed for Bundaberg. Everyone is motoring.



As we approach Cape Capricorn a thick sea fog rolled in and visibility was very limited. We had a couple of hours of this, so the radr got a bit of a workout, and then the breeze picked up to around 10 knots and we put up the mainsail and motor sailed the rest of the way. When I pulled the main up, a couple of bits of metal rained down , fortunately they didn't go overboard. Carole spotted one on the deck, and I could see it was part of the coupling that connects the barrens to the slide car in the mast track. I had a hasty search in the sail bag and found the other half, but the pin that secures it must have gone overboard. Fortunately it was off the very top short batten, so being unsecured in a light breeze wasn't of great concern.



We passed Kyeema along the way, they were doing about a knot less than us and expected to be in Bundaberg by 6pm.



We arrived at the marina a 3.30pm, just before it started to rain. I went up and checked it, went to the chandlery to get a new pin to secure the wayward batten, and wandered over to the sailmaker to see if I could organise a repair on my headsail. Weather permitting, I should be able to get it down in the morning and take it over to his loft.



We are going to be here for a few days, as tomorrow a strong southerly change is expected and it looks like a few days of 20-30knots before it settles down again.

Heading to Pancake Creek

Monday 27th September




Up early , and at 6 am, Cooinda headed out of the marina. We waited another 20 minutes to get a little bit more tide under us to clear the entrance shoal.



It was a calm day with light SE winds ( less than 10 knots), so it was a motor all the way job (again !). We pushed against a 1 to 1.5 knot current most of the way. It was a pretty uneventful trip and we arrived at Pancake Creek and had the anchor down at 5.45 pm. We came it at low tide so had to be a bit careful coming in. It was quite crowded in the first bay where we anchored, last time there were 3 boats , including us, this time 8. There wasn't much room for anyone else.



Another CCCA member, Kyeema, was already there. Rod and Lee know them, but it was late so didn't make contact.



We ate on board and got an early night as tomorrow we intend heading to Bundaberg (another 60nm) so it will be another early start. The forecast says we can expect a NE breeze. I'll believe it when I see it !

Still in Yeppoon

Sunday 26th September




Today the weather was a bit better, so I decided to re furl the headsail as it was a bit untidy. When I pulled it out I discovered a couple of tears in the sail, one I could reach and repaired temporarily with a bit of sail repair tape, but there was a larger one along the leech of the sail hear the top. So I decided to furl it back up and wouldn't use it till I could get it repaired, probably in Bundaberg.



We had organised to have the marina courtesy car for a few hours this afternoon from 12.30 pm, so headed off into town to do the usual shopping run. Once again we didn't seem to have trouble filling the boot with food between the 4 of us. After shopping we returned to the boats and the girls packed the groceries on board whilst Rod and I wandered off to the local service station with our jerry cans to get some diesel. I did a second run and the tank is topped right up again.



We had the courtesy car for a couple more hours so did some sightseeing.



We decided to go into town for dinner and caught the local bus into the Sailing Club and had a good meal, before getting a taxi back to the marina. The sailing club was packed, as obviously the Sunday buffet is a bit hit with the locals.

Dinner at the Sailing Club

The weather forecast for tomorrow looks favourable, so it is likely we will head off for a long trip to Pancake Creek (72nm)

A wet day in Yeppoon

Saturday 25th September




Today it rained all day, quite heavy at times, so any outdoor activity was out of the question.



I went up to the marina office to check in and was pleased to see that my depth sounder transducer had arrived in the mail, so at least there was something indoors I could do. Replacing the transducer was relatively straight forward, but when I put power on the system to see it was working the screen came up blank. After a bit of fiddling around I realised that I had to reinstall the data input sources on the computer so it recognised the new transducer. The keel depth offset had also been lost so had to be reset. After this it worked and at this stage the problem appears to have been solved.



Carole went off to do the laundry, and I set the TV up as it looked like we may be sitting around watching it. I then found out the AFL Grand Final was on this afternoon, so Rod & Lee came around and watching it filled in the afternoon.



We decided on having seafood on board for dinner, so Rod & Lee went off to the local (frozen) seafood shop not far from the marina, and returned with oysters, prawns, calamari, a mud crab, scallops and fish which formed the basis of a veritable feast. Carole cooked the fish, scallops and calamari and we had a great meal, followed by more football – the League match between the Tigers and St George (the girls played scrabble).

Finally at Yeppoon

Friday 24th September




We were up early and the wind was already approaching 15 knots from the SE, but the forecast remained unchanged, so we decide we have seen enough of Port Clinton and agree to head off to Yeppoon, despite the possibility of an uncomfortable day at sea.



We leave at 8.30 am as we want to arrive at Rosslyn Bay marina at around 5.30pm to have a few hours of the rising tide with us as went enter the shallow entrance.



The motor out of Port Clinton was comfortable enough, but once we crossed the entrance shoal we were back into a lumpy sea. It gave us a good opportunity to check the antifouling on each others boats as a good part of both of them were out of the water at times.



Four other boats also decided to leave but only one of them was going South and he left about early.



After a couple of hours we could alter our course more south as we would clear all of the headlands and other obstacles along the way, and we were able to carry a headsail for the rest of the way which gave us a bit more speed ( and used less diesel) and greatly reduced the rolling. From then on it was a reasonably comfortable trip motor sailing.



We got quite a surprise anong the way when a large whale suddenly appeared behind our boat , only about 20 m behind us swimming in the direction we were sailing. We can only assume we went straight over the top of it, as we were moving much faster than it was.



We passed the yacht that had left over an hour earlier than us, as he was sailing on his headsail. We found out later talking to him at Rosslyn Bay, that he was desperately low on fuel and wanted to save it to get into the marina. He arrived in the dark an hour or so after us.



A couple of hours out from the marina we were well ahead of Cooinda, who can't sail quite as high as us, so couldn't carry a headsail with any success, and  had a rolly ride under motor only for most of the way. We were going to arrive at the marina too early, so slowed down to wait for Cooinda to catch up. We turned the motor off and sailed for a while until they passed us, as were are still dependent on following them through the shallow water until our depth sounder is fixed.



We arrive at the marina right on 5.30pm and go straight in to our berth as there should be enough water under us now to get in.



We tied up next to a 44ft Island Gypsy and after they helped us secure our lines, had a bit of a chat to the couple on board. They had come up from Hervey Bay with a plan to spend some time in the Whitsundays. They abandoned that idea given the poor weather and have based themselves here to explore the nearby islands, if the weather ever improves. Brian de Boos may know this boat, it originally came from Sydney and has been heavily modified as you can see below. Apparnetly the modifications were done at Woolwich dock

Our neighbour at Yeppoon

Rod and Lee are on the other side of the marina, so we catch up for drinks on Mica after a well earned shower, and head up the road to Beaches restaurant, where we ate with Kathy and David last time we were here, as there was a wedding on at the restaurant at the marina.

Another Day at Port Clinton

Thursday 23rd September



We are staying at Port Clinton another day, as the weather forecast has not improved 15 to 20 knots from the SE and isolated showers.



No one else has moved other than a catamaran that has gone further downstream.





It is still a bleak day, so Carole decides to bake some bread, and as there will be plenty of residual heat in the Cobb, make pizzas for lunch.

Carole baking bread at Port Clinton

After lunch we finally get the dinghy off the foredeck and go ashore to stretch our legs on the beach. After about 30 minutes it looks like it is going to rain, so we head back to the boat.

Erosion from the heavy rain

Port Clinton at low tide looking from the beach (Mica & Cooinda on the right)

We went across to Cooinda for predinner drinks and had BBQ pork ribs back on Mica for dinner.



Tomorrow the forecast is for SE winds 10 to 15 knots, so we will head to Yeppoon if it is true.

Slow Progress, but a new anchorage

Wednesday 22nd September




We have had no luck getting a weather forecast, but the last one we saw said 10-15 knots SE/NE. It is blowing around 10 knots in Pearl Bay which is reasonably sheltered, so we decide to head to Yeppoon, but expect it might be a bit rough.



We left at 8.30am, and as soon as we got away from the coast the wind was blowing 15 knots plus, in lumpy seas. Over the next half hour it increased to 20-30 knots and the seas were steep and very uncomfortable. We were making little forward progress, so after an hour or so decided to head for Port Clinton, the next anchorage down the coast only about 5nm from Pearl Bay. It took us 2 hours to cover this distance and after clearing the entrance shoal into the Port, we found ourselves in relatively calm, deep water. There was not a great deal of relief from the wind but at least it was comfortable.



We anchored in the South arm of the port in 14 m of water. We still have no depth sounder, so followed Cooinda over the shoal and used our portable unit, and some advice from Cooinda on the depth they anchored in, to establish the depth at the anchorage.

Anchorage at Port Clinton

It continued to blow up top 30 knots all day and there is a 1.5 to 2 knot tidal flow where we are anchored. At last count there were 10 boats in here waiting for better conditions. It has been raining on and off all day.



At least here we have mobile phone, internet and VHF reception so have now seen the forecast for the next few days, and it looks like we might be here till Saturday.



Port Clinton is part of the Shoalwater Bay Military Training Area and is often closed for exercises which includes firing live rounds and bombing. The exercises start again on 26th September, but as far as we can ascertain the area we are in is not included in this exercise.



Hopefully we will be on our way to Yeppoon on the 25th.

Continuing South to Pearl Bay

Tuesday 21st




Just had a look outside at 6.30am. It is overcast with about a 9 knot SE breeze. Seas don't look too bad at this stage. We head out at 8 am and as soon as we round Hexham Island and head south the wind is already 15 knots from the SE , once again it is futile putting up a sail as we are heading due SE, and it would take us forever to get to our destination tacking. We saw so many whales along the way we lost count

Cooinda motoring to Pearl Bay

For the first half of the trip the sun is out and the seas are only around 1.2m. Then it started to rain and visibility reduced to a few hundred metres at best. We arrived at Pearl Bay around 2.30pm, with the help of a strong current for the last 2 hours, and as we were entering the bay we had to contend with a whale slowly swimming across the entrance.

Our depth sounder wasn't working and it is quite a shallow anchorage, so we followed Cooinda in and chose a spot roughly where we were before. I used the portable depth sounder I had bought as a backup to check the the depth before anchoring.



Once settled, we changed into dry clothes and had lunch.



Today is Mike's birthday, so Carole is cooking a baked lamb roast on the cobb and has made an apple pie for the occasion. We have invited Rod & Lee to dinner to join us. The rain is still coming down steadily. They arrive just after 5pm in full foul weather gear.

Roast Lamb for dinner

We had an excellent meal and soon forget about the rain, until it was time for Rod & Lee to go back to Cooinda, once again in full foul weather gear.



We plan to go to Yeppoon tomorrow. We cannot get a weather forecast as there is no mobile, internet or VHF reception in Pearl Bay. Rod is going to try on HF. All we can be certain of is that it will be wet and blowing strongly from the SE.

Off to the Duke Islands

Monday 20th September




Once again we planned to set off at 6 am and we awoke to fairly still conditions, no significant breeze and menacing skies. Nevertheless we decided to head off and motored for the first few hours with a bit of light rain, but the seas were not up, so it looked promising. The breeze picked a bit from the SW and we put out the headsail to save some diesel. We saw a few more whales along the way.



An hour or so later the story had changed significantly. We found ourselves in 15 -20 knot SW winds, torrential rain and some thunder and lightening. Visibility was about 100m. Our progress steadily slowed from around 6 knots to less than 3 knots.

Looks like we might get some heavy rain !

To approach Hunter Island we had to cross a large area of shoals, which looked less and less like a good idea, given the foul conditions and poor visibility. Cooinda who were leading, the way, ( they have a reliable depth sounder), called in on the VHF, suggesting we abandon any thoughts of going to Hunter Island and head back out into deep water and head to Hexham Island, where we had anchored before and was reasonably comfortable in a howling southerly.



The torrential rain continued most of the way to Hexham, where we arrived at around 2.30pm, saturated and ready for a hot shower and change of clothes.



Listening to the radio after we arrived, we discovered that heavy rains right up the coast started last night and continued most of today. Mackay had 140 mm, the Bruce Highway is closed near Proserpine due to flooding and we must have had more than 100mm ourselves. It was later confirmed that yesterdays rainfall broke all previous records.



It rained lightly for most of the rest of the afternoon after we anchored, appearing to fine up at sunset.

Sunset at Hexham Island

We stayed on board and had pizzas for dinner, which were very good, cooked in the gas oven with home made base.



Tomorrow the forecast is currently SE/NE winds at 10-15 knots with possible isolated showers. The reality could be anything but that, although the showers look assured. If it half reasonable we will head further south to Pearl Bay.



Conditions overnight were bumpy with a persistent NE swell, not a great night for sleeping.

Finally leaving Mackay

Sunday 19th September




We planned to head off at 6 am, if the weather was OK. The promised NE breeze had not arrived but it had moved to the east, so we decided we would head out. The plan was to head to the Percy Islands.

George the autopilot having a sail out of Mackay

The breeze was light so a bit of motor was required to keep us moving at a reasonable speed as we had 62 nm to cover. We soon left Cooinda behind and took a long tack out to sea to lay a line for the Percy's. At around midday we received a message from Cooinda that they were heading for Curlew Islands as they weren't making sufficient way to get to the Percy's before dark.



We altered course back to Curlew Island and anchored there for the night. We saw several whales along the way. The wind never got above 12 knots and it was due east tending South in the afternoon.



We caught up with Rod that afternoon to discuss plans for tomorrow, and it was decided to move further South to the Duke Islands and if conditions were suitable, anchor off Hunter Island for the night. The current forecast is NE/SE winds 10-15 knots.

Cooinda at anchor at Curlew Island

Curlew was a much more comfortable anchorage onernight than we experienced on the way up. Whilst there was a bit of rolling, we slept well



Overnight there was some rain and a big thunderstorm on the mainland.

Another Day in Mackay

Saturday 18th September




We were up early to check the weather forecast, and it wasn't good, 15 to 20 knots from the SE and 1.7 m seas. After a quick discussion with Rod and Lee we all decided to stay another day at the marina.



Steve Smith sent us an SMS that he was on his way in the Maritimo and they expected to be in Mackay at 9.30am. They plan to refuel and keep going, even though conditions are pretty unpleasant. We caught up with Steve and Kim at the fuel wharf, and they had a pretty rough trip down, Kim was seasick and just wanted to go and sit on some solid ground for a while. We were glad we hadn't bothered to go out.



Carole and Lee have gone into town to wander around the shops, whilst Rod and I are doing a bit of maintenance work on our boats.



The girls arrive back laden with bargains, and Rod and I had polished the stainless steel, and lunch at the pub.



We had the usual evening drinks (on Mica this time) to discuss tomorrows plans, and what we would do for dinner. We ended up back at the Yacht Club.



Tomorrows forecast looks encouraging, so hopefully we move on.

Still in Mackay, time for Golf

Friday 17th September




Today is another day at Mackay, so we decide it is time for a game of golf.



We caught a taxi out to Mackay Golf Club, and whilst it was pretty windy, it was a good day for golf – not too hot. Carole immediately got off to a strong start with 4 points on the par 5 first hole ( she did the same on the par 5 tenth). The end result was a 2 point win to Carole (34 points vs Mike's 32), to increase her lead in the Mica Cup now to 7 points. We had a sandwich at the golf club and caught a taxi back to the marina.



Carole went up to the laundry to do some washing and met up with Lee and Kathy from Mee Too, which resulted in an invite for predinner drinks on Mee Too. We had already planned to have a roast dinner on Cooinda, so only stayed an hour.



Lee had prepared Roast Duck and Carole had baked some veggies in our over. We had a great meal washed down with a wine or two.

Roast Duck  on Cooinda

As usual we discussed plans for the next few days and the current weather forecast looks a bit marginal, so a few more days in Mackay may be on the cards.



We also had a call from Steve Smith, who is currently in the Whitsundays on a mate's Maritimo 50 foot motor cruiser. They are bringing it south and expect to be in Mackay tomorrow. If we are still here we may catch up with him.

Off to Curlew, then back to Mackay

Thursday 16th September




The plan is to head off to Curlew Island. The forecast looks favourable but the wind appears to be building from the SE, which is not what has been forecast.



Nevertheless, Cooinda headed off to the fuel wharf, and we left left our berth soon after (around 8.45am) and headed out to wait for them. It transpired that they were going to be delayed as Rod had left his credit card at the Yacht Club last night , so we decided to go ahead.



After about 30 mins the wind was passing through 15 knots on its way to 20 knots, from the SE. As always dead on our nose. It wasn't long before we had a radio call from Cooinda, suggesting we head back to the marina. We didn't need much convincing, as bashing into this for 10 hours had a low level of attraction.



A tug pulling an oil rig created a bit of an obstacle as we headed back as it occupied most of the space around the entrance leads, but there is deep water everywhere so it was not such a big issue.



By now my depth sounder had given up completely, and after a few phone calls, I have a new transponder on its way to Rosslyn Bay, which will be our next stop. I have also had a long discussion with Navico about a few issues with the wind instruments and auto pilot, hopefully I can rectify them when we are next under way, based on some suggestions from one of their engineers. Tomorrows forecast is worse than today, so we book in for 2 nights and now hope to leave on Saturday. When we went up to pay for the extra night we were told 4 boats, including us, had turned back and there were probably a few more later.



“Mee Too” arrived in the afternoon from a nearby island.



We had a lazy lunch of seafood at a cafe on the marina, and had a BBQ on Mica for dinner.

Restocking in Mackay

Wednesday 15th September




Today is put aside for restocking supplies, refuelling, giving the boat a good clean and getting ready to head off tomorrow.



We hired a car (2 door Getz) and the 4 of us headed off to the Canelands shopping centre (via the butcher) to restock our groceries. By the time we had loaded the car up it was clear we would have to do a special run to Dan Murphy's, as there was no space left anywhere after meat and groceries were on board.



Rod and I headed back to Dans to get our essential supplies after dropping the girls and the groceries back at the marina. I also loaded the jerry cans on board to get some diesel on the way home as well. Firtst we had to go via Bunnings to get a few bits and pieces, but mainly a range of putties, adhesives suitable for repairing hot water tanks, as Rod is still working on a suitable solution.



After loading up at Dans and getting the diesel, we were pretty much ready to go for tomorrow.



I have been having a few instrument problems, mainly the depth sounder, so also took the opportunity get a note off to the supplier seeking advice.



When we returned to the marina we noticed that “Mystique” had arrived ( the couple we met at Goldsmith), and we all ended up having dinner at the yacht club. I continued our search for the best calamari in QLD and the Yacht Club scored well.

Calamari at MYC

Motoring to Mackay

Tuesday 14th September



We awoke to dead calm conditions and everyone in the bay was moving on. “Mee Too” and “Mystique” were off to Brampton Island, whilst Cooinda and ourselves headed for Mackay.

Mee Too leaving Goldsmith

There was zero breeze (about 1 knot) and the sea was like a lake. Once again it was not even worth raising a sail, but it turned out to be a great day for whale watching. We saw 4 whales on the way down.



We left Goldsmith at 9 am and arrived at Mackay around 12.30pm. We trailed a lure for about two thirds of the way with no luck.



When we arrived in Mackay it was very hot and humidity was in the high nineties. Carole and Lee set out for the laundry, at least it is air conditioned, and Rod made some further repairs to his hot water tank.



We have organised a car for tomorrow to do our shopping and do a bit of sightseeing.



We had dinner at a Tapas restaurant at the marina, which was not bad and retired to mica for coffee.

Return to Goldsmith Island

Monday 13th September




We headed off to Goldsmith at 7 am as planned and as soon as we left the protection of Cid Harbour we had a 15 knot SE breeze on the nose. Once again the Yanmar did most of the work taking us South. The seas were only 1.2m but the wind chop made it uncomfortable.



As we passed Shaw Island, a whale appeared alongside ( about 70m away) and swam along also going South for a short time before disappearing.



We arrived at Goldsmith island at around 12 noon and conditions there were much better than our previous visit. We saw 2 turtles nearby as we were setting the anchor and there was only one other boat in the bay.

Peaceful anchorage at Goldsmith Island

Cooinda arrived about 20 mins later and a catamaran sailed in not long after our arrival. It turned out to be “Mee Too”, one of the CCCA members, so we all caught up on the beach when everyone was settled. We also met the people from the other boat, "Mystique" owned by a Victorian couple from Queenscliff. We all ended up on Cooinda for pre dinner drinks.

After a walk on the beach to sttech our legs, we motored over to Farrier Island, a small Island protecting the bay we anchored in to have a look at what seemed to be a row of cabins built close to the beach on the bay side.

Cabins on Farrier Island

Tomorrows plan is to head to Mackay.

Sitting out the Southerly Change at Cid Harbour

Sunday 12th September




Today is Michelle's birthday. We gave her a call at around 9am to wish her happy birthday, not wanting to call too early, and she was already at Manly with Cody.



The southerly change is now well established and it is blowing 15 to 20 knots. Today we will sit out the change at Cid Harbour and the wind is forecast to drop to 10-15 knots tomorrow, so we will head off then if the forecast holds.



The highlight of the day was a visit from a turtle which came quite close to our boat.

 

We had morning tea on Cooinda whilst I helped Rod patch a leak in his hot water heater, the rest of the day spent doing odd jobs around the boat etc.



We had pre dinner drinks on Mica and decided we would head off to Goldsmith Island at 7 am if the weather looked OK.

Off to Cid Harbour

Saturday 11th September




A southerly change is expected today, so we decide to progress South only as far as Cid Harbour to sit out the change before heading further south.



Before leaving we went ashore a went for a walk and a bit of exploration of the end of the inlet in the dinghy before returning to the boat and moving on.

Carole at Nara

We motored over to Cid Harbour in a little over an hour and once safely anchored, decided to go ashore at Sawmill Bay for a BBQ lunch. We took our portable gas cooker and some sausages and set up on one of the many picnic tables available there. As soon as the sausages were well under way we were joined by a goanna who had no intention of leaving until he got a feed. It was so fearless it was unbelievable, circling the table all of the time within a metre of us.

BBQ at Sawmill Bay

A couple of crows were watching from above also in case something was on offer. We had an enjoyable lunch and managed to keep the goanna at bay.

Unwanted lunch guest

After lunch we headed back to our boats for a restful afternoon. Also the change was starting to come through and the wind was strengthening quite a lot.



Cid Harbour is a good anchorage for anything from the south, so we slept well.

Time for some snorkelling

Friday 10th September




Today we are off to do some snorkelling and head off from Nara Inlet around 9am with a plan to go through the Hook Passage and pick up a mooring off Dumbell Island and then on to Whitehaven Beach. Where we anchor overnight will depent on how the forecast NE breeze develops.



As we exit the Hook Passage and head towards Dumbell Island it appears that both moorings are taken and it is not practical to anchor there, so we change plans and head for Cataran Bay on the Northern end of Border Island. It was not crowded, probably because of the Northerly forecast, so we were able to pick up a mooring and Cooinda anchored.



Once settled we took the dinghy into the shore and were in the water soon after. The tide was getting close to high and the Northerly had stirred up the seabed a bit, so visibility wasn't as good as we had hoped, but nevertheless we spent about an hour looking around before returning to our boats, and pulling up anchor to head for Whitehaven Beach.



As we came around the top of Border Island, all of a sudden 2 whales appeared only about 50 metres from our boat. As usual by the time we located the camera, the had dived almost under us.



In the meantime the NE breeze was strengthening and by the time we got to Whitehaven it was blowing around 15 knots. We dropped anchor and had lunch, but it was too bumpy to get in the dinghy to go ashore. It was unanimously agreed that we were not staying here for the night, as the forecast was for the breeze to hold at around its current strength overnight.


On our way back up to the Hook Passage, we again saw the 2 whales ( we think they must have been the same ones), this time just to the South of Border Island, but now a lot more active putting on quite a show leaping out of the water and slapping their tails.

Whale Breaching off Border Island

In the end we ended up back at Nara Inlet, a bit of a long haul, but a very comfortable anchorage in all conditions.

We got back to Nara at around 5.30pm and lit up the BBQ again for dinner in very calm conditions.
 

Anchored at Nara Inlet

Butterfly Bay

Thursday 9th September




We had decided to go to Nara Inlet on the Southern end of Hook island to day to find an anchorage were it would be devoid of swell and well protected, but first we went ashore at Butterfly Bay for some snorkelling.



The coral was not as good as Blue Pearl Bay, and fish not as abundant, but nevertheless enough there to make it worthwhile. The best snorkelling had to be done from a dinghy which you are not allowed to anchor on the reef, and we were drifting over a promising patch when the heavens opened and we retreated back to the boat. It rained on and off for the rest of the day.

Butterfly Bay (before the rain)

We had lunch at Butterfly Bay and then motored to Nara Inlet, where we anchored right up the far end in a very tranquil spot. A good nights sleep was assured.



We had drinks on Cooinda and returned to Mica for a BBQ.

Off to find Cooinda

Wednesday 8th September




We left Abel point marina at 9 am with a light, but building SE breeze. Soon out of the entrance channel the breeze had lifted to 10 knots, so we put up the sails and looked forward to a reach to Stonehaven anchorage on Hook Island where we are to reconnect with Cooinda. The breeze quickly built up strength to 20 to 25 knots (forecast 10-15), and we were a bit overpowered but doing 8-9 knots we stuck with it and were at Stonehaven in record time.



A quick check on my phone after getting the sails down, showed a message from Cooinda that they had gone to Blue Pearl Bay at Hayman Island, so we motored around there and picked up the last available mooring.

Catching up with Cooinda at Blue Pearl Bay

After settling in we decided it was finally time to go snorkelling, which we were able to do from the back of the boat because the reef was only about 100 metres away. And it was a clear day and relatively sheltered from the breeze. Rod & Lee had been snorkelling most of the morning so were keen to move on. We decided to go to Butterfly Bay on the Northern end of Hook Island, and told Cooinda we would catch up with them.



Butterfly Bay was crowded and no moorings were available, it was also not as protected from the SE breeze as expected, but nevertheless we were there., and after a brief exploration of Maureen's Cove as an alternative, we decided to drop anchor in Butterfly Bay in 16m of water. We put out 50m of chain and held well in a strong breeze and a very annoying NE swell to which we were beam to all night.



It was another rolly anchorage, not as bad as Cleveland Bay, but not a lot better. Needless to say were did not intend spending another night here. It was too windy to snorkel.

Still at Abel Point

Tuesday 7th September




More maintenance today. The diesel mechanic turned up at 7 am to service the engine, and did a very professional job at a reasonable cost.

At around 10am the sailmaker appeared with the replacement battens. It took both of us about an hour to fit them, but I am very pleased with the end result, once again the cost was reasonable.


Having completed our maintenance tasks, we decided it was time for a game of golf, even though the weather was a bit ordinary. Isolated showers seemed to be the order of the day.

We headed off to Proserpine Golf Course, not expecting a lot, and we were not disappointed. It is a typical country course, probably not at the better end of that category. Nevertheless, we were there, and it was time to progress the Mica Cup. Fairways were narrow and well wooded both sides, so the driver had to be retired in the 2nd nine as Carole was heading to a commanding lead.



Fortunes changed on the 2nd nine with the end result being Carole 31 points and Mike 32 points, reducing Carole's lead in the cup to 5 points.

Mike in front of the Proserpine Golf Clubhouse

We returned the car after golf and had dinner in town at a nice restaurant called “Capers”.

Maintenance Day

Monday 6th September




Today the focus is on cleaning up the boat and getting some basic repairs under way. The engine service is now confirmed for 7 am tomorrow morning, made contact with a local sail loft regarding replacement battens and spoke to the rigger who I had organised to replace the damaged backstay block.



The rigger arrived at around 10 am, with the block that I had organised to be sent up from Sydney. The repair only took around 30 mins and at least that issue is now out of the way.

Block damaged by topping lift catching the cheek plate

At noon the sailmaker arrived, had a quick look, commented that the battens look a bit light , but took away the damaged ones with a promise to return in the morning with replacements of some sort. They are a Doyle Sails Loft and I am sure he will come up with something suitable.

Broken Sail battens

We then set about cleaning the boat, which was pretty grubby after spending several weeks in sugar country where they burned cane every night almost always followed by a bit of rain to ensure the ash stuck to everything. A couple of hours later she looks as good as new.



We have organised a hire car for tomorrow to have a look around, maybe get bin a game of golf if the sailmaker finishes early, and to make it easier for shopping etc.



We picked up the hire car this afternoon at 4pm and did a few trips to the local Caltex to get diesel, and then off to the supermarket for a big shop.



By the time we got back to the boat it was around 7 pm, so we had a BBQ on board and relaxed watching TV.

Motor to Airlie

Sunday 5th September




A more relaxing day ahead of us with a few hours motoring to Abel Point Marina at Airlie Beach where we plan to spend the next 3 nights, replenish our supplies and get a few minor jobs done. We have booked in for an engine service, have the bridle block on the backstay replaced and get some new battens for the mainsail (if possible in the timeframe).



We were in no hurry so pulled up anchor at 10 am and decided to motor along the coast on the inside of Grassy Island, and past the various bays leading up to Grimston Point and then around into Pioneer Bay to Airlie.

Grassy Island

I was a calm sunny day so a very pleasant trip.



We arrived at the marina at around 1 pm and with formalities of checking in out of the way, we wandered into town for lunch. By now it was getting very warm and very high humidity. We thought we were back in Asia.



After lunch we returned to the marina and it was off to the laundry.



We went back into town for dinner and had a terrific seafood meal at a restaurant called Fish D'vine.

Another long leg South

Saturday 4th September




We planned to head off at around 7 am, and rose to a 15 to 20 knot NE breeze. By the time we had the anchor up and were on our way it was 7.30 am. On this breeze we had a brisk sale out to see to lay a line to clear Cape Edgecumbe. After an hour heading east we tacked and headed South. Within about half an hour the wind had moved around back to the SE and once again the breeze we dead on our bow.



So the motor once again did most of the work. We ended up dropping the sails about half way through the trip when I noticed a batten had broken and was poking out of it's pocket.



So it was motoring the rest of the way finally anchoring off Olden Island, one of the most Northerly of the Whitsunday Islands. It was a very well protected anchorage, so I took the opportunity to pull the mainsail up and assess the batten damage. It turned out that 2nd and 3rd battens from the top were both broken, and the 3rd one down had poked a hole through the pocket retaining it and was sticking out. Removed both of the broken battens and lowered the sail. Looks like I need to find a sailmaker at Airlie.

Anchorage at Olden Island

We had a great nights sleep in very calm conditions.

South to Upstart bay

Friday 3rd September




Another early start as we head South for Cape Upstart. We left at 6.15am. We didn't even consider stopping at Cape Bowling Green, so settled in for 70nm trip into a 15 knot SE breeze. We could motor sail for most of the way, tacking our way down the coast where necessary, but the motor ran all day, finally arriving at Cape Upstart at 5.30pm.



We saw a whale in Cleveland Bay, ut other than that it was an uneventful trip.



We anchored in Shark Bay, at around the same spot as on the way up, but in much milder conditions.



At around midnight a NE change came through with gusts over 20 knots. This soon livened up the swell and we were back to the rock & roll that Upstart Bay delivered on the way up.



Nevertheless we got a reasonable nights sleep and plan to head to the Whitsundays in the morning on another long leg, bypassing Gloucester Passage where we stayed on the way up.



If the NE breeze holds we should have a good run.

Exploring Magnetic Island, again

Thursday 2nd September




Well rested, we were up early and went for a walk around the breakwall to investigate the considerable amount of landscaping etc that was going on. We also were curious to check out a stainless steel dome “sculpture” that we could see from the marina which had a multi coloured light show each night.

Sculture on Breakwall (Peppers & Marina in background)

We returned to have breakfast on the boat and plan the rest of the day. We decided to catch a bus to a stop on the way to Horseshoe Bay, where the was a walk to “The Forts”, which were fortifications put in place in the 2nd World War to defend against attack from the Japanese. Whilst it was a bit of a climb, it was very interesting historically and the views were sensational, culminating from the view at the top where you can see Townsville, pretty much all of Cleveland Bay and all of the East Coast of the Island.

Forts Command Centre

Wildlife sightings along the way added to the experience.

Koala resting in a tree on Forts walk

Having completed the walk up and back to the main road we decided we would then walk to Horseshoe Bay along the coast to Radical Bay and then up over the headland to Horseshoe. The scenery was fantastic, but there were many headlands to traverse and it was a bit more strenuous than we perhaps expected. Nevertheless we got to Horseshoe Bay around 2.45 pm, having set out on our original walk to the forts at 11.15 am.

Athurs Bay

Florence Bay

Radical Bay

A few beers and lunch at the pub in Horseshoe helped ease the pain a bit. We caught the bus back to Nelly Bay at 4pm, readied the boat for an early morning departure and went out for a pizza for dinner.

Return to Magnetic Bay

Wednesday 1st September




The forecast is not great, but probably bearable. Wind 15/20 knots, maybe easing in the afternoon. The strong wind warning has been lifted. As we are heading almost due SE it is not going to be comfortable. However, we head off for Magnetic Island at 6.30 am. As soon as we got out of the lee of Casement By, we were hit by 15 knots immediately which continued between 15-20 knots for the rest of the trip with seas at 1.7 m.



We tried to hold a headsail and motorsail, but we were too close to the wind and motored all the way, with a bit of help from the sail for a few hours. It was a bumpy ride, bashing our way through the choppy sea. We were pleased to get to Magnetic island and were settled into the marina at Nelly Bay, by 1pm.



Magnetic Island Race week starts on Friday, so berths at the marina are scarce. We are tucked away in a far corner as the race boats have already booked the main area. They are expecting 76 boats. Also on our leg is another CCCA member, a catamaran called Phlat Chat.

Safe in our berth at Magnetic (3rd from the right)

Yesterday a few race boats went out for a practice. Obviously they had the winds we had a Great Palm Island as one boat ripped their headsail and another lost a mast.



We went out for dinner to a little restaurant we found on an afternoon walk only about 500m from our marina berth, called “Man Friday” . It turned out to be a great find, we had a good meal (but too much food) and it was BYO. Possums running through the treetops and Curlews walking through the outdoor area between the tables added a bit of entertainment. We will sleep well tonight.

A Curlew on Magnetic Island

Great Palm Island

Tuesday 31st August




We woke up to a bit of rain and the usual SE wind, but only around 15 knots, but expected to rise to 30 knots with a strong wind warning in place. We decided to leave for Great Palm Island whilst the wind was lighter and as it is only 10nm we are hopeful we will not get more than 20 knots on the way down, with the lee of the islands providing some shelter.. We had little interest in spending another uncomfortable night at Orpheus.



The trip to Great Palm was reasonably comfortable (motored all the way) and we were safely at anchor in Casement Bay a few hours later. It is a much better anchorage with good protection from the swell and some protection from the breeze. There was a catamaran also anchored in the bay, but no-one else.



Great Palm Island is inhabited by an aboriginal community and you are not allowed to go ashore without permission.

Aboriginal settlement on Great Palm Island

We are getting low on bread, so Carole baked some bread rolls on the Cobb.

Bread Rolls cooked on the Cobb

It rained on and off most of the day, and as promised the wind started to build until by about 10pm it was howling above 30 knots. As we had anchored over a rocky bottom and the anchor too k a long time to set, a few hours on anchor watch was prudent, until I was convinced we had a good hold in these conditions. Otherwise it was comfortable despite the conditions and we had a much better nights sleep.

Back to Orpheus Island

Monday 30th August




First task is to bail out the dinghy which has about 6 inches of water in it, and then it is off to check if we have any crabs. Unfortunately both traps are empty, so I brought them back to the boat.



The weather forecast is still grim, strong wind warning SE 20- 30 knots. However it is expected to be a bit lighter early, so we decide to leave Hinchinbrook and head to Orpheus Island. Only about 10nm of open water, and 8 nm of relative shelter in the channel. Given our experience coming in and the leads taking us over a shoal, we decided to trust the chart plotter and plotted a course that ignored the leads, as we had 0.4m less tide than on the way in and about 0.5m a least in wave troughs that could have had us bouncing on the bottom on the leads.



It was very rough coming out the entrance but we stuck to our course and never had less than 1.2m under the keel. The open water was really chopped up by the wind and we had a pretty bouncy and uncomfortable trip to Orpheus where we anchored in Little Pioneer Bay. One of the other Coastal Cruising Club members Sub Zero was also there.



The strong winds persisted and it was a very rolly and uncomfortable night. If the wind drops early tomorrow we will make a run for Casement Bay on Great Palm Island where the anchorage should be more comfortable. It rained most of the night.



The high point of the day was the mud crab omelette we had for dinner.