South to Yeppoon

Sunday, 23 October 2011 - Long to Goldsmith Island

58 nm on the log to cover about 35 nm to windward in 15 to 20 knot winds. Tide was also against us so this was not one of our nicer days sailing. This is a beautiful anchorage and it was a pity we only had time for 1 night but we needed to keep making progress south now that the winds have eased.

Monday, 24 October 2011 - Goldsmith to Scawfell Island

The breeze oscillated between E and SE so on the wind again and another 60 nm on the log today. Not quite as windy as yesterday so a more pleasant sail. Warren caught a 1.2m Spanish Mackerel which we released as it was too big. Lack of freezer space and a fear of ciguatera poisoning makes these fish safe from us.

Tuesday, 25 October 2011 - Scawfell to Curlew Island

We sailed and motor sailed the 57 nm to windward. The predicted afternoon sea breeze came in as we dropped anchor at 1630. We went ashore for our first walk in 4 days!

Wednesday, 26 October 2011 - Curlew to Middle Percy Island

No wind today, so we motored the 27 nm to Middle Percy which gave me time to make a flag to hang in the A frame. We anchored in West Bay with 15 other boats and went ashore to hang our flag next to last years for Next Phase.



Thursday, 27 October 2011 - Middle Percy to Port Clinton

Light winds from the E and NE had us motoring and motorsailing most of the day. We were surprised to see a whale and its calf off Island Head Creek. We thought they should be well south of here at this time of year.

Another 65nm so we had planned to spend several nights at Port Clinton so Warren could do some crabbing. No crabs but fresh mackerel for dinner again. I should mention at this point that I have become a primary producer.... of alfalfa sprouts. These help fill the gap when the lettuce runs out.

Saturday, 29 October 2011 - Port Clinton to Great Keppel Island

Motorsailing until the breeze filled in around lunchtime. We sailed with 3 other cats including a Seawind 1000 Avingot. We anchored at Resort Beach which still has the clearest water we have found at 1600 after 52 nm. Today, Sunday we had a swim, went for a walk and a kayak to make up for our lack of exercise over the last week.

Tomorrow we are going into the marina at Rosslyn Bay for 2 nights to prepare for the last leg of our trip home.

Wet, windy Whitsundays

Sunday, 16 October 2011 - Bowen to Airlie Beach

A 0900 start in a light NE breeze that went to the east through Gloucester Passage. A slow day where we alternated between sailing and motorsailing. We stopped at the public pontoon at Abel Point to top up the water before anchoring at 1700 near the Airlie Beach VMR ramp to watch the rugby.

Monday, 17 October 2011 - Airlie Beach to Cid Harbour

We sailed over to Cid Harbour to wait out the strong SE change that had come through during the evening. We spent 4 nights here under overcast skies and with showers and rain. We caught up with Billabong and Splash who we had met at Cairns and Lizard and are on their way back to Pittwater.

Only excitement was when a charter boat dropped anchor in front of us and promptly got in the dinghy and disappeared to climb Whitsunday Peak. Unfortunately they dragged towards us and Warren had to shunt them away in the dinghy while I brought up the anchor so we could reanchor in front of them. We called the charter company who sent out a Securite message. Another yachty offered to go on board and let out more chain. The people returned a couple of hours later to find their yacht about 100 m from where they had left it.

Everyone is waiting for the SE winds to ease and hopefully go to the E or NE. This included a couple from Canada we met who have circumnavigated and are now visiting their children in Australia and New Zealand.

Friday we headed back to Airlie to reprovision in anticipation of the winds easing on the weekend.

Saturday, 22 October, 2011 - Airlie Beach to Happy Bay

We visited the Airlie markets before recommencing our voyage south. The wind was still around the 15-20 knot mark from the SE and we decided to stop at Happy Bay rather than continue to bash south. Looks like it will be Monday or Tuesday before the breeze becomes more favourable.

Bowen

Friday, 14 October 2011 - Magnetic Is to Bowen

Our longest day since our overnighter on the first day of this trip - 104 nm. We left Young Bay at 0600 in a light Northerly. We motorsailed around the top of Magnetic and set the spinnaker once clear. It was down an hour later as the breeze weakened. By 1100 it was up again as we headed towards Cape Bowling Green. Several monos were heading here for the evening but we had decided to press on as the breeze had settled in and we were making good miles south.

Warren caught a 90cm Spanish Mackeral just north of Cape Upstart as we passed another couple of boats also heading for Bowen. We dropped the kite as the sun set and 2 sail reached past Abbott Point Jetty.

We motor sailed from 2000 and had the anchor down in the calm of Bowen at 2300.

We spent Saturday at Bowen, no crabs but a walk up town found a Supa IGA to top up the stores. Bowen is famous for the murals painted on many of the buildings and for being the location of the movie Australia. It was a great anchorage in the strong northerly, there is a public pontoon in the harbour to tie the dinghy and get water and we would recommend a visit if you get the chance.

Fantome Island

Tuesday, 11 October 2011 - Hinchinbrook Marine Cove

We went into Dungeness on the high tide and tied up to the pontoon. Peer Pressure was also tied up and we caught up with Rad and Chris in the afternoon. We came in here to see my friend Marie and her husband Rob who live in Ingham. After sundowners on board, we were driven to their place for dinner. Unfortunately Marie and Rod's new house at Forrest Beach has not started yet. A late night with many good stories told over a wine or two.

Wednesday, 12 October 2011 - Dungeness to Fantome Island

We left around 0900 at high tide in a slight fog. The fog increased as we approached the Lucinda Jetty and visibility was down to about 50m. We watched the radar and followed another cat out. We couldn't see the leads so went off the chart bearings. Only about 4m as we approached the fairway buoy which was further north than marked on the chart. Motorsailed most of the way to Juno Bay on Fantome Island except for an hour and a half under spinnaker.

Thursday, 13 October 2011 - Fantome Island to Magnetic Island

We went ashore briefly to look at the ruins of the leprosarium on the island. We took a few photos for our friend Peter Ludlow who has written a book about Peel Island and the leprosarium there. In this he explains that the aborigines with leprosy were moved from Peel Island to Fantome Island in 1939.

We left Fantome Island at 0930 and anchored in Young Bay on the W corner of Magnetic Island at 1530. 32nm under spinnaker in light northerlies with some motorsailing when the wind died for an hour at lunchtime. Warren has caught a nice Spotted Grunter for dinner.

We continue South

Thursday, 6 October 2011 - Cairns to Fitzroy Island

After morning tea with Pam and John from Allikat who were staying in Cairns, our departure from Half Moon Bay marina was delayed after we saw a bird walking on the water in front of our marina berth. Warren got in the dinghy and found there was only 0.4m in front! We eventually got away about 1500 and arrived at Fitzroy Island around sunset. Truest Passion had saved us a spot in a much less rolly anchorage then we had experienced last time we were here.

Truest Passion headed off early but we decided to spend Friday here and went for an early walk to the summit and the old lighthouse. Most of the walk was on the road that was built in the 50s to service the lighthouse. The track to the 268m summit included 500 steps (counting took my mind off how unfit I felt).

We also snorkeled off the beach and realized we have been spoiled with the sights on the outer reef. Lots of fish and nice coral but visibility was poor.



Saturday, 8 October 2011 - Fitzroy Is to Mourilyan Harbour

An early start in light winds before a short spinnaker run to Russell Island (19 nm south of Fitzroy). We picked up a mooring and went ashore for a look around. We were contemplating staying the night however a building northerly convinced us to continue on to Mourilyan Harbour.

The wind had risen to 25 kn by the time we entered the harbour and with a fierce tide running, anchoring was a challenge. Good holding though and we awoke to a light fog.





Sunday, 9 October 2011 - Mourilyan Hbr to Hinchinbrook Is

Motorsailing all morning in light breezes gave Warren an opportunity to watch Bathurst on TV. Note the person on watch also didn't miss out.

We also discovered that today the range of the AIS was much greater than usual. The shot at right shows large ships we were picking up 400nm away in the Coral Sea as well as a yacht we knew nearly 200nm away. Not bad given the range yacht to yacht is usually limited to about 20nm.

Here is a tip if you have a Raymarine AIS. If you have tagged a yacht as a buddy, you can set it to display their name on screen automatically. Lets you know who is out and about. That's how we identified Blue Heeler 200 nm away.

Around lunchtime a 15 - 20 kn NE breeze came in and we set the spinnaker. We anchored in Gayundah Creek in time to watch the second half of the Wallabies win over South Africa.

On Monday we motored down to Bluff Creek to try and get a few crabs. So far all we have caught are a LOT of March flies. Phase2 is all closed up with screens in the 32 degree heat as I write this. See, it's not all perfect out here.

PS. Don't forget you can register to receive an email when the blog is updated. Just register your email in the box at the right.

Cairns and Skyrail

Monday, 3 October to Wednesday, 5 October 2011

As well as the usual chores you might expect after over 3 weeks away from civilization, we made time while we were in Cairns for a trip up to Kuranda on the Skyrail. It was great although Warren is not a fan of heights and had a firm grip on the cable car door at all times.

The trip takes about 45 minutes in total with stops at Red Peak and Barron Falls. There is a short rainforest walk with a ranger at Red Peak station.

Once at Kuranda there are plenty of touristy shops including a number selling aboriginal arts and crafts including this one in a pirate ship. Not sure of the connection but it was worth a picture.

The Great Barrier Reef

Thursday, 29 September 2011 - Lizard Is to Ribbon Reef No 5

We left Lizard at 0600 in a 20 knot SE wind that eased to 10 to 15 knots by lunchtime. 8 boats left today including Truest Passion (Seawind 1160) and Allikat (Lightwave 45) who we were travelling with to Ribbon 5.

The shift to the north east that we were hoping for did not eventuate so it was hard going to cover the 53 nm to Ribbon 5. Good news was we caught 2 Spanish Mackeral while Truest Passion with 8 fish invited Allikat and us for dinner that evening.

By 1400 we were motoring in a light easterly and racing to get the anchor down before dark. Definitely not recommended although we followed the others who had forward facing sonar to assist. 71nm covered in the day.

Friday, 30 September 2011 - Ribbon Reef No 5

I think we both had a mental image of the Great Barrier Reef as being a large continuous barrier with only a few openings. We were surprised to see this morning that the reef between Phase2 and the Coral Sea was quite narrow. There are hundreds of reefs in a maze that overlap and interconnect to form the GBR. It is strange to be swimming in 4m of water knowing that about 100m away it is 1600m deep.

We had spent a calm night in the perfect conditions and discovered that the ketch Tic Tac which was beside us at Bluewater Marina was anchored nearby. Karl dropped by with some coral trout that he had speared and offered to show us the best snorkeling spots. We snorkeled most of the morning in the clearest water we had encountered so far.

Another beautiful night with dinner together on Allikat.

Saturday, 1 October 2011 - Ribbon No 5 to St Crispin Reef

0700 start so we could see the bommies and a nice 7-10 kn westerly as a bonus. We put our spinnaker up while Allikat started with screecher and Truest Passion with their code zero. Both eventually put up spinnakers as the breeze went to the NW before dying about 1030. We had some nice photos by then and we motor sailed to St Crispins where we anchored about 1500 after having covered 44 nm.

Dinner on board Phase2 where we all enjoyed Karl's coral trout.













Sunday, 2 October 2011 - St Crispins to Cairns

With a forecast of 15-20 SE, we headed out through the opening north of St Crispins to the Coral Sea to come into our planned anchorage of Michaelmas Reef through the Trinity Opening - the largest opening near Cairns. Unfortunately the breeze was soon up to 25 knots and gusting higher and the seas were quite rough. By lunchtime with no drop in the wind strength, we all decided to head for Yorkeys Knob marina. We were tied up at 1700 after 66nm.

Lizard Island

Tuesday, 13 September to Wednesday, 28 September 2011

We have heard so much about Lizard from various friends that there was a risk that it might not live up to our expectations. I am happy to say this was not the case. "Blizzard" Island lived up to its name for most of the two weeks we were there. I don't think the wind dropped below 25 knots in the first week. It didn't stop us enjoying what the island has to offer and we quickly got used to the wind.

We saved our first snorkel until the white caps had disappeared from the anchorage. The clam garden had huge clams, a range of different hard and soft corals and a wide variety of fish. We later snorkeled along the rocks, at Turtle Bay and on a very small bommie that must be the equivalent of Hong Kong in the coral reef world. The number of fish on a bommie that measured about 4 meters across was amazing!

There is a well behind the beach where you can pump good quality water that we used for washing and cleaning the boat. We also showered here after our swims to get rid of the salt. This meant our 690l of water lasted very well.

We walked to the Research Station and had a very informative tour and also walked to the Blue Lagoon on the southern side of the island. We watched the reef sharks stalking fish in close and admired the handiwork of some creative folk who had created a wind chime using bamboo.

One highlight was the climb to the top of Cook's Look where Capt James found a passage through the reef after repairing the Endeavour after previously running aground.

Hard work to climb the 359m to the summit but what a view!

The real highlight of the trip was the many interesting yachties we met at the 5pm sundowners on the beach each day. There was an average of 20 boats each night, but when the first weather window came after a week anchored, 10 boats left for Cairns. We elected to stay until the next window which was to be 10 days later. You need to have plenty of time available to wait for the right weather if you are going South.