Head to Mackay for Shelter

Saturday 20th June 2015

The weather forecast is deteriorating and strong winds are forecast for Sunday and Monday, with 20-25 knots expected for today. All of the boats at our anchorage departed at between 6 and 7 am this morning, including us. It has been windy all night and we already have a 20 knot SE breeze to help us get to Mackay.

We sailed with a mainsail only with a single reef in it and covered the 46 mile trip in 7 hours averaging 6.6 knots, and reaching 11.3 knots maximum. We had a slight adverse current due to the incoming tide which reduced our speed over ground a little. The seas were rough and the short wave frequency here can make for some uncomfortable sailing when the wind is against the tide. There are a lot of shoals in a direct line to Mackay, so we opted for a more comfortable ride and stuck to the deep water, through the Prudhoe Channel.

It was an overcast and cool day, and we were happy to be tied up in the marina at Mackay by 2 pm.

Fortunately we were able to get on the same marina arm, close to each other

Once registered at the marina, we had a late lunch, and my afternoon project was unblocking the forward head, which had inadvertently tried to consume a tissue (unsuccessfully). Once that was done, we relaxed for a while, and after a pre dinner drink, went to Georges Thai Restaurant in the marina complex for dinner. The food was good, if not a bit Australianised, but the service wasn't terrific. They were understaffed and the restaurant wasn't as busy as you would expect on a Saturday night. The whole marina seems a bit quiet, and apparently things aren't that great in Mackay economically since the large cutbacks in the coal mining a few years back.

In any case, we enjoyed our meal, caught up with a few of the people we have met along the way who are also seeking refuge for a few days, and headed back to our boats for a good nights sleep.