A Long Trip from Iluka to Southport

Monday 29^th May 2017

It is going to be a long day, but this is the best weather window we will get for  the next week, so it is all on deck to weigh anchor just before 8am. High tide this morning is at 11.05 am, so we will cross over the bar at the entrance to the Clarence at around 8.30am just past half way through the incoming tide.

This is also about the earliest we can leave to ensure we have enough water under us to get out of Iluka Bay. We have had a great 3 days in Iluka but are happy to be on the move again.

The westerly is already building strength and we have everything up, having a reach to Byron Bay in around 10 to 15 knots. As it gets up around 12 knots we are moving along at around 7 knots (8 through the water), unfortunately the east coast current is still against us.

Yamba / Iluka behind us

In typically westerly form, the wind is gusty and comes and goes, but we have a good sail to Cape Byron, with a few whales sighted just to the South of the cape, and a large pod of dolphins joined us for quite a while.

 Carole dolphin watching

Here come some more up behind us

As we rounded Cape Byron , at around 4pm the wind dropped and turned North. We were thinking about anchoring at Byron over night as one option, but the easterly swell (although modest) was rolling straight into the bay.

Cape Byron behind us

Soon the motor had to be turned on and the seas became glassy. We took the sails down whilst we were still in daylight and motored the rest of the way.

The breeze flicked allover the place but never got back above 10knots. The still persistent east coast current, now running at 1 -1.5 knots slowed us down considerably.

 Sunset as we pass Mt Warning

Getting from Point Danger to the Seaway seemed to take forever. However, it was a good opportunity to have dinner, a chicken curry that we had pre prepared for dining when under sail.

We were through the seaway safely by 11.30pm (the VMR station there closes at 9 pm, so we had to log off with Southport).  We had to dodge a few tinnies in the seaway fishing with full navigation lights on but hardly moving (probably drifting). They seem to have little understanding that deep keep boats need to use the centre of the channel.

A gentle motor down towards the Southport Yacht Club till we reached the anchorage off Seaworld (affectionately known as Bum’s Bay), which was where we dropped anchor and had a nightcap and a good nights sleep.

We will go to Southport Yacht Club tomorrow where we have a berth booked for the next few days until the expected Southerly system passes. We are also waiting for good timing for the Mooloolaba bar, which has silted up badly on the eastern side, so going in in the dark is not an option.