Start Loc: Newport (27o 12.56'S, 153o 05.61'E)
Narrative: We have now been back for three weeks. We did our removal from storage back into the house, moved all our stuff off the boat, got the kids back to school and myself back to work. We have also had three weeks of rain, so we didn't get around to refuelling and cleaning the boat. We took the opportunity of fine weather today to do some of that, and headed up to the boat.
The kids needed a little bit of reminding to get their pre-sailing jobs done, but we cast off at 11:15am and motored out of the marina. There was a huge amount of rubbish that had accumulated around the water line over the last three weeks, so it was good to move the boat and wash that off as well. There were plenty of boats on Deception Bay making the most of the fine weather, but we motored straight into Scarborough Boat Harbour to refuel. We were tied up at the fuel dock at 11:50am.
Refuelled: 32.03L @ 175.0c/L = $56.05
Economy since 11 Jan: 32.03L for 14 hr 13 min = 2.25L/hr
Economy overall: 684.45L for 336 hr 12 min = 2.04L/hr
I think it's safe to say we averaged two litres per hour for the trip.
We left the fuel dock at 12:22pm, motored back out of the harbour and were back in our berth at Newport at 12:52pm.
Our next step is to finish getting her cleaned up and then put her on the market; but we still use her until sold ...
End Loc: Newport (27o 12.56'S, 153o 05.61'E)
Distance run: 3nm (cumulative: 3131nm)
Engine hours: 1 hr, 11 min (cumulative: 140 hr, 45 min)
Ship's Log
Saturday 4 February 2012
Sunday 15 January 2012
15th January, 2012
Start Loc: Mooloolaba (26o 41.20'S, 153o 07.67'E)
Narrative: We spent yesterday relaxing at Mooloolaba, including a trip across the road to the beach so the kids could boogie board. It was a good, fun day.
We dropped the mooring lines at 7:13am this morning and motored out of the Mooloolah River. We motored east to clear the headland, and I was pleased to see that the winds were just about perfect for our sail. We had E winds at around 16kts so we set the sails with one reef in the main and full head sail and sailed on a close reach. This is probably the boat's favourite tack and we made good speed.
We passed the Caloundra headland at 8:45am, came off the wind slightly onto a beam reach, and dodged a ship as we crossed the shipping channel and sailed back into the coast. It was then back to a close reach and we sat around 8-8.5kts over ground as we sailed down the coast of Bribie Island. We got up to 8.1kts through the water and 9.3kts over ground at one stage, and it was just great sailing.
We rounded the bottom end of Bribie at 11:05am and ran wing on wing across to Deception Bay. This was our slowest leg, making about 5.5kts over ground. From there it was just a few miles on a close reach down to the start of the channel, where we put the sails away and motored into Newport Waterways at 12:40pm. We were berthed by 12:59pm.
The wind had remained basically from the east at around 16kts for the duration. Sailing on a close reach allowed good speed and we averaged a little over 7kts over ground. It was a fantastic sail, good fun, and a great way to finish the trip.
We had phoned Mum and Dad, and we checked in and started cleaning the boat while they brought our car up to us. We now have wheels for all the running around we need to do to get our furniture back in the house and the kids ready for school. Heather and I will spend next week giving the boat a good clean before I go back to work, and we will soon reluctantly put her on the market.
There will be one more entry in this log, as Heather and I will go to Scarborough to refuel one day next week and I will close off the fuel usage for the trip.
End Loc: Newport Marina (27o 12.56'S, 153o 05.61'E)
Distance run: 39nm (cumulative: 3128nm)
Engine hours: 0 hr, 53 min (cumulative: 139 hr, 34 min)
Narrative: We spent yesterday relaxing at Mooloolaba, including a trip across the road to the beach so the kids could boogie board. It was a good, fun day.
We dropped the mooring lines at 7:13am this morning and motored out of the Mooloolah River. We motored east to clear the headland, and I was pleased to see that the winds were just about perfect for our sail. We had E winds at around 16kts so we set the sails with one reef in the main and full head sail and sailed on a close reach. This is probably the boat's favourite tack and we made good speed.
We passed the Caloundra headland at 8:45am, came off the wind slightly onto a beam reach, and dodged a ship as we crossed the shipping channel and sailed back into the coast. It was then back to a close reach and we sat around 8-8.5kts over ground as we sailed down the coast of Bribie Island. We got up to 8.1kts through the water and 9.3kts over ground at one stage, and it was just great sailing.
We rounded the bottom end of Bribie at 11:05am and ran wing on wing across to Deception Bay. This was our slowest leg, making about 5.5kts over ground. From there it was just a few miles on a close reach down to the start of the channel, where we put the sails away and motored into Newport Waterways at 12:40pm. We were berthed by 12:59pm.
The wind had remained basically from the east at around 16kts for the duration. Sailing on a close reach allowed good speed and we averaged a little over 7kts over ground. It was a fantastic sail, good fun, and a great way to finish the trip.
We had phoned Mum and Dad, and we checked in and started cleaning the boat while they brought our car up to us. We now have wheels for all the running around we need to do to get our furniture back in the house and the kids ready for school. Heather and I will spend next week giving the boat a good clean before I go back to work, and we will soon reluctantly put her on the market.
There will be one more entry in this log, as Heather and I will go to Scarborough to refuel one day next week and I will close off the fuel usage for the trip.
End Loc: Newport Marina (27o 12.56'S, 153o 05.61'E)
Distance run: 39nm (cumulative: 3128nm)
Engine hours: 0 hr, 53 min (cumulative: 139 hr, 34 min)
Saturday 14 January 2012
13th January, 2012
Start Loc: Inskip Point (25o 48.88'S, 153o 02.68'E)
Narrative: We got an early start this morning, raising the anchor at 7:03am and motoring around Inskip Point. A large motor vessel had gone over the bar about half an hour before us and I listened to their chatter with Coast Guard Tin Can Bay on the VHF, so I knew the bar was not to too bad. We logged on with the Coast Guard for our crossing, but once they have you on their books they like to keep it that way, so we ended up logging our trip to Mooloolaba.
It was 7:45am before we got to the first waypoint in the bar crossing, and almost 9:00am before we were clear of the bar. It is a 4nm crossing and we could only do around 3.5kts over ground, into wind, waves and tide. Once across the bar we set sail. The wind was E at 10-15kts, so we motor sailed close hauled with one reef in the main and 110% head sail. With the motor assisting, we were able to maintain 6kts over ground as we made our way outside Wolf Rock and around Double Island Point.
After clearing Double Island Point, we increased to full sail and altered course to starboard onto our heading to Mooloolaba. The winds remained E for the trip and our point of sail remained arouns a close reach. There were times the wind sat in the 5-10kts bracket for a while and our speed would drop to around 4kts, but it was generally 10-15kts and we once reached 8kts over ground. We covered almost 41nm in six and a half hours, averaging 6.3kts over ground. The sky was clear, the sun was shining, the waves were not too big, and it was very pleasant sailing.
Just north of Mooloolaba the wind dropped to around 6kts and swung NE, so we put all the sail away and motored the last couple of miles. We crossed the Mooloolah River Bar (the QLD Government declared the entrance to the Mooloolah River a bar crossing from 1st January 2012) at 5:35pm and were berthed at the marina at 5:48pm. For the entire trip we averaged 5.8kts over ground, which I was pretty happy with. It was a good day.
We will spend tomorrow at Mooloolaba including a trip to the surf beach, then head off reasonably early on Sunday morning for the final 40nm leg back to Redcliffe.
End Loc: Mooloolaba (26o 41.20'S, 153o 07.67'E)
Distance run: 62nm (cumulative: 3089nm)
Engine hours: 4 hr, 19 min (cumulative: 138 hr, 41 min)
Narrative: We got an early start this morning, raising the anchor at 7:03am and motoring around Inskip Point. A large motor vessel had gone over the bar about half an hour before us and I listened to their chatter with Coast Guard Tin Can Bay on the VHF, so I knew the bar was not to too bad. We logged on with the Coast Guard for our crossing, but once they have you on their books they like to keep it that way, so we ended up logging our trip to Mooloolaba.
It was 7:45am before we got to the first waypoint in the bar crossing, and almost 9:00am before we were clear of the bar. It is a 4nm crossing and we could only do around 3.5kts over ground, into wind, waves and tide. Once across the bar we set sail. The wind was E at 10-15kts, so we motor sailed close hauled with one reef in the main and 110% head sail. With the motor assisting, we were able to maintain 6kts over ground as we made our way outside Wolf Rock and around Double Island Point.
After clearing Double Island Point, we increased to full sail and altered course to starboard onto our heading to Mooloolaba. The winds remained E for the trip and our point of sail remained arouns a close reach. There were times the wind sat in the 5-10kts bracket for a while and our speed would drop to around 4kts, but it was generally 10-15kts and we once reached 8kts over ground. We covered almost 41nm in six and a half hours, averaging 6.3kts over ground. The sky was clear, the sun was shining, the waves were not too big, and it was very pleasant sailing.
Just north of Mooloolaba the wind dropped to around 6kts and swung NE, so we put all the sail away and motored the last couple of miles. We crossed the Mooloolah River Bar (the QLD Government declared the entrance to the Mooloolah River a bar crossing from 1st January 2012) at 5:35pm and were berthed at the marina at 5:48pm. For the entire trip we averaged 5.8kts over ground, which I was pretty happy with. It was a good day.
We will spend tomorrow at Mooloolaba including a trip to the surf beach, then head off reasonably early on Sunday morning for the final 40nm leg back to Redcliffe.
End Loc: Mooloolaba (26o 41.20'S, 153o 07.67'E)
Distance run: 62nm (cumulative: 3089nm)
Engine hours: 4 hr, 19 min (cumulative: 138 hr, 41 min)
Friday 13 January 2012
12th January, 2012
Start Loc: Inskip Point (25o 48.89'S, 153o 02.74'E)
Narrative: The southerly change came through a little earlier than expected. I listened to a 29ft yacht talking to VMR as it came in across the bar, and then I spoke to him as well. The bar itself was not too bad, but he said outside was pretty uncomfortable. We decided we would not have any fun beating our way into wind and waves to the shelter of Double Island Point, so we would delay our bar crossing for 24 hours.
Our position on the southern side of Inskip Point was now a bit exposed so at 9:00am we moved around the north side to see if we could find a calm spot where the kids could play on the beach. Unfortunately the wind just held us beam on to the swell coming across the bar. We moved back down to the end of the point and anchored there at 9:35am, but the swell started to come around the corner so we decided to move again.
At little after 10:30am we motored down the channel to Bullock Point and dropped the anchor at 11:10am. The shallowest sounding we had was at the special marking the start of the channel, which was 2.3m and we had about 2m of tide at the time. We were well sheltered, but decided that after dinner we would use the night high tide to get out of the creek so that we could make an early start the next day. I figured that if we started at 8:00pm with 1m of tide, we would have 1.1m of tide when we approached the special, and that if I went a bit further north of the special than I did on the way in I would be able to find the 30cm of water we needed to get out. I was wrong. We bumped the bottom, Heather swore at me, and we anchored 8:40pm to wait for 1.5m of tide at 9:30pm.
At 9:30pm, we raised the anchor and motored past the special mark with a least depth sounding of 1.7m. We anchored on the south side of Inskip Point at 9:45pm; virtually in the same spot we were thirteen hours prior.
I would like to get an early start tomorrow and leave around 7:00am so we are in a position to cross the bar from 7:30am (high tide is 10:39am) as we now have to sail 60nm or so to Mooloolaba.
End Loc: Inskip Point (25o 48.88'S, 153o 02.68'E)
Distance run: 5nm (cumulative: 3027nm)
Engine hours: 2 hr, 00 min (cumulative: 134 hr, 22 min)
Narrative: The southerly change came through a little earlier than expected. I listened to a 29ft yacht talking to VMR as it came in across the bar, and then I spoke to him as well. The bar itself was not too bad, but he said outside was pretty uncomfortable. We decided we would not have any fun beating our way into wind and waves to the shelter of Double Island Point, so we would delay our bar crossing for 24 hours.
Our position on the southern side of Inskip Point was now a bit exposed so at 9:00am we moved around the north side to see if we could find a calm spot where the kids could play on the beach. Unfortunately the wind just held us beam on to the swell coming across the bar. We moved back down to the end of the point and anchored there at 9:35am, but the swell started to come around the corner so we decided to move again.
At little after 10:30am we motored down the channel to Bullock Point and dropped the anchor at 11:10am. The shallowest sounding we had was at the special marking the start of the channel, which was 2.3m and we had about 2m of tide at the time. We were well sheltered, but decided that after dinner we would use the night high tide to get out of the creek so that we could make an early start the next day. I figured that if we started at 8:00pm with 1m of tide, we would have 1.1m of tide when we approached the special, and that if I went a bit further north of the special than I did on the way in I would be able to find the 30cm of water we needed to get out. I was wrong. We bumped the bottom, Heather swore at me, and we anchored 8:40pm to wait for 1.5m of tide at 9:30pm.
At 9:30pm, we raised the anchor and motored past the special mark with a least depth sounding of 1.7m. We anchored on the south side of Inskip Point at 9:45pm; virtually in the same spot we were thirteen hours prior.
I would like to get an early start tomorrow and leave around 7:00am so we are in a position to cross the bar from 7:30am (high tide is 10:39am) as we now have to sail 60nm or so to Mooloolaba.
End Loc: Inskip Point (25o 48.88'S, 153o 02.68'E)
Distance run: 5nm (cumulative: 3027nm)
Engine hours: 2 hr, 00 min (cumulative: 134 hr, 22 min)
Thursday 12 January 2012
11th January, 2012
Start Loc: Urangan (25o 17.63'S, 152o 54.71'E)
Narrative: After sailing into Urangan last Sunday, we spent Monday doing the groceries and sorting some of the administration for our return (we have school to prepare for, a removal to do, utilities to sort out, etc). We decided we would do a day trip to Fraser Island while we were here, so on Tuesday morning we departed from Hervey Bay. After reaching the island at Wanggoolba Creek we went to Central Station and had a quick walk through the rainforest along Wanggoolba Creek. From there we went for a swim at Lake Mackenzie before lunch at the resort at Eurong. After lunch it was on to Seventy-Five Mile Beach. We stopped at the Maheno wreck and the coloured sands at The Pinnacles before stopping for a swim in Eli Creek. It was then back on to the 4WD coach for the trip back to the barge. The kids were happy to see a dingo cooling off in the sea and walking along the beach as we drove back down the beach. (It has been decided that after all the wildlife we have seen, the crocodiles have let themselves down!) We managed to get bogged on the way back to the barge and had to be pulled out by another 4WD coach. It was rushed, but not a bad day.
We had a bit of a sleep in today after a big day yesterday. After getting ready to go we cast off at 10:25am and moved around to the fuel wharf for our last fill up before Brisbane.
Refuelled: 49.38L @ 155.9c/L = $76.98
Economy since 29 Dec: 49.38L for 23 hr 58 min = 2.06L/hr
Economy overall: 652.42L for 321 hr 59 min = 2.03L/hr
We left the fuel wharf at 10:55am and motored out of the marina. We motored through the shallows around the top of the Great Sandy Strait before setting sail down the strait. The wind was NNE at 10-25kts, so it was good for sailing south. On the flip side, high tide was around 10:00am so we were heading into the current. Boat speed was generally 5-6kts, but speed over ground was 3-4kts. When SOG got too low we motor sailed to keep some speed up. We passed the yacht Carl (from Lady Musgrave) near the top of the strait and had an uneventful trip south. We anchored on the south side of Bookar Island (just west of South White Cliffs; 25o 30.90'S, 152o 57.53'E) at 4:05pm, having averaged 4.5kts over ground. We were just short of the shallowest part of the strait and almost on low tide, so waited for some tide to come back in.
I worked out that if we left at 7:45pm we would have about 1m of water under the keel to play with. We ate dinner as the sun set, then cleaned up and got ready to go again. Carl had left just after 7:00pm; I figured she would draw about the same as us and she appeared have got through no dramas. We raised the anchor at 7:45pm, switched from mooring light to navigation and steaming lights, and motored over the shallows without a problem. Heather was helping me navigate in the cockpit, while the kids stayed below and watched a movie. We passed Carl again just north of Garry's Anchorage. I was thinking of anchoring near Fig Tree Creek (just south of Garry's) but with the northerly winds it was a bit exposed. We sailed for a bit and motor sailed for a bit, and finally dropped anchor tucked in behind Inskip Point at 11:35pm. Carl was sailing in as I went to bed.
We are now in a position to cross the Wide Bay Bar just before tomorrow's high tide at 9:50am. There is a strong wind warning for outside as the southerly change comes through, but we should be fine tucked in behind Double Island Point. We will then make an early start on Friday for the 50nm trip to Mooloolaba. We will spend two nights there before the final leg home on Sunday 15th January.
End Loc: Inskip Point (25o 48.89'S, 153o 02.74'E)
Distance run: 45nm (cumulative: 3022nm)
Engine hours: 5 hr, 50 min (cumulative: 132 hr, 22 min)
Narrative: After sailing into Urangan last Sunday, we spent Monday doing the groceries and sorting some of the administration for our return (we have school to prepare for, a removal to do, utilities to sort out, etc). We decided we would do a day trip to Fraser Island while we were here, so on Tuesday morning we departed from Hervey Bay. After reaching the island at Wanggoolba Creek we went to Central Station and had a quick walk through the rainforest along Wanggoolba Creek. From there we went for a swim at Lake Mackenzie before lunch at the resort at Eurong. After lunch it was on to Seventy-Five Mile Beach. We stopped at the Maheno wreck and the coloured sands at The Pinnacles before stopping for a swim in Eli Creek. It was then back on to the 4WD coach for the trip back to the barge. The kids were happy to see a dingo cooling off in the sea and walking along the beach as we drove back down the beach. (It has been decided that after all the wildlife we have seen, the crocodiles have let themselves down!) We managed to get bogged on the way back to the barge and had to be pulled out by another 4WD coach. It was rushed, but not a bad day.
We had a bit of a sleep in today after a big day yesterday. After getting ready to go we cast off at 10:25am and moved around to the fuel wharf for our last fill up before Brisbane.
Refuelled: 49.38L @ 155.9c/L = $76.98
Economy since 29 Dec: 49.38L for 23 hr 58 min = 2.06L/hr
Economy overall: 652.42L for 321 hr 59 min = 2.03L/hr
We left the fuel wharf at 10:55am and motored out of the marina. We motored through the shallows around the top of the Great Sandy Strait before setting sail down the strait. The wind was NNE at 10-25kts, so it was good for sailing south. On the flip side, high tide was around 10:00am so we were heading into the current. Boat speed was generally 5-6kts, but speed over ground was 3-4kts. When SOG got too low we motor sailed to keep some speed up. We passed the yacht Carl (from Lady Musgrave) near the top of the strait and had an uneventful trip south. We anchored on the south side of Bookar Island (just west of South White Cliffs; 25o 30.90'S, 152o 57.53'E) at 4:05pm, having averaged 4.5kts over ground. We were just short of the shallowest part of the strait and almost on low tide, so waited for some tide to come back in.
I worked out that if we left at 7:45pm we would have about 1m of water under the keel to play with. We ate dinner as the sun set, then cleaned up and got ready to go again. Carl had left just after 7:00pm; I figured she would draw about the same as us and she appeared have got through no dramas. We raised the anchor at 7:45pm, switched from mooring light to navigation and steaming lights, and motored over the shallows without a problem. Heather was helping me navigate in the cockpit, while the kids stayed below and watched a movie. We passed Carl again just north of Garry's Anchorage. I was thinking of anchoring near Fig Tree Creek (just south of Garry's) but with the northerly winds it was a bit exposed. We sailed for a bit and motor sailed for a bit, and finally dropped anchor tucked in behind Inskip Point at 11:35pm. Carl was sailing in as I went to bed.
We are now in a position to cross the Wide Bay Bar just before tomorrow's high tide at 9:50am. There is a strong wind warning for outside as the southerly change comes through, but we should be fine tucked in behind Double Island Point. We will then make an early start on Friday for the 50nm trip to Mooloolaba. We will spend two nights there before the final leg home on Sunday 15th January.
End Loc: Inskip Point (25o 48.89'S, 153o 02.74'E)
Distance run: 45nm (cumulative: 3022nm)
Engine hours: 5 hr, 50 min (cumulative: 132 hr, 22 min)
Sunday 8 January 2012
7th/8th January, 2012
Start Loc: Lady Elliot Island (24o 06.62'S, 152o 42.56'E)
Narrative: The water and coral surrounding Lady Elliot Island was beautiful. The water was spectacularly clear and the visibility was amazing. The snorkelling and scuba diving is clearly a big plus to Lady Elliot. As far as the anchorage goes, we have had much better. The island's fringing reef is not large and hence a swell rolls around the island. We were regularly beam on to the swell which made things a little uncomfortable at times. We also had to anchor in 15-18m of water, which means a lot of chain. The QLD government has established the standard reef protection buoys and you can't anchor inside them; no problems with that. What made it difficult was the 'private' mooring buoys the resort has established outside the reef protection buoys. They are absolutely not for public use, but nor were they used by the resort while we were there. These moorings are spread through the best spot to anchor, so we ended up dropping anchor where it suited us and and our swing room meant they couldn't have used two of their four moorings even if they wanted to. We were the only boat there and the resort personnel were surly towards us. To be fair, I am talking specifically of the dive and snorkelling boat operators. Throughout Friday and Saturday they were gradually passing closer and closer to us as they drove past, until they were unnecessarily passing within 10m of us and causing further rocking. The signs on the island also tell boaties they have landed on a private resort island, not to touch a thing and to report to reception. We were clearly unwelcome and it appeared the boat operators had been instructed to ensure we felt that way. It was very disappointing.
Anyway, we spent Saturday snorkelling, we went for a walk around the island and rested in the afternoon. We had decided we would leave by 10:00pm and sail through the night to Urangan. I had a snooze before dinner while the kids prepared the jack stays, harnesses and straps. We read after dinner and then got under way.
We raised the anchor at 9:40pm on Saturday night and motored down the west side of the island. The winds were initially E at 10-15kts. We set sail with two reefs in the main and 110% head sail. I wanted a course made good of 162 degrees magnetic. We were early in a flood tide so to maintain the course over ground we initially steered 155 degrees on the compass, but it gradually became 145 degrees as the tide got stronger. The wind strengthened to 20kts and our close reach had us making 6.5-7.5kts over ground.
The kids went to bed and Heather got some rest as well. Before midnight the wind had swung to NE and was steady on 20kts, so we were sailing on a beam reach making 6.5kts. After a couple of hours the wind dropped off to around 8kts, still NE-ish, and we were sailing on a close to beam reach. Our speed over ground was as low as 3.5kts for a period, but was generally 5-6kts.
I woke Heather up at 3:00am and she took over. During her watch the winds dropped a little more and speed dropped off. At about 5:30am we started motor sailing to assist the meagre winds.
The sun rose a little after 5:00am and I took over again at around 6:00am. Both the kids piked on doing a watch this time. The wind changed to NNE and sat in the 5-10kts range. Apparent wind was even less and I continued to motor sail with full canvas. When the wind reached N I put the head sail away and motor sailed with just the main. The wind remained low and the motor remained our main means of propulsion. We eventually dropped the main and motored into marina at 10:20am, and we were berthed by 10:27am.
It was a good night sail, and we averaged just under 6kts over ground. After washing all the salt off the boat, we had breakfast at a local cafe and rested.
End Loc: Urangan (25o 17.63'S, 152o 54.71'E)
Distance run: 75nm (cumulative: 2977nm)
Engine hours: 6 hr, 00 min (cumulative: 126 hr, 32 min)
Narrative: The water and coral surrounding Lady Elliot Island was beautiful. The water was spectacularly clear and the visibility was amazing. The snorkelling and scuba diving is clearly a big plus to Lady Elliot. As far as the anchorage goes, we have had much better. The island's fringing reef is not large and hence a swell rolls around the island. We were regularly beam on to the swell which made things a little uncomfortable at times. We also had to anchor in 15-18m of water, which means a lot of chain. The QLD government has established the standard reef protection buoys and you can't anchor inside them; no problems with that. What made it difficult was the 'private' mooring buoys the resort has established outside the reef protection buoys. They are absolutely not for public use, but nor were they used by the resort while we were there. These moorings are spread through the best spot to anchor, so we ended up dropping anchor where it suited us and and our swing room meant they couldn't have used two of their four moorings even if they wanted to. We were the only boat there and the resort personnel were surly towards us. To be fair, I am talking specifically of the dive and snorkelling boat operators. Throughout Friday and Saturday they were gradually passing closer and closer to us as they drove past, until they were unnecessarily passing within 10m of us and causing further rocking. The signs on the island also tell boaties they have landed on a private resort island, not to touch a thing and to report to reception. We were clearly unwelcome and it appeared the boat operators had been instructed to ensure we felt that way. It was very disappointing.
Anyway, we spent Saturday snorkelling, we went for a walk around the island and rested in the afternoon. We had decided we would leave by 10:00pm and sail through the night to Urangan. I had a snooze before dinner while the kids prepared the jack stays, harnesses and straps. We read after dinner and then got under way.
We raised the anchor at 9:40pm on Saturday night and motored down the west side of the island. The winds were initially E at 10-15kts. We set sail with two reefs in the main and 110% head sail. I wanted a course made good of 162 degrees magnetic. We were early in a flood tide so to maintain the course over ground we initially steered 155 degrees on the compass, but it gradually became 145 degrees as the tide got stronger. The wind strengthened to 20kts and our close reach had us making 6.5-7.5kts over ground.
The kids went to bed and Heather got some rest as well. Before midnight the wind had swung to NE and was steady on 20kts, so we were sailing on a beam reach making 6.5kts. After a couple of hours the wind dropped off to around 8kts, still NE-ish, and we were sailing on a close to beam reach. Our speed over ground was as low as 3.5kts for a period, but was generally 5-6kts.
I woke Heather up at 3:00am and she took over. During her watch the winds dropped a little more and speed dropped off. At about 5:30am we started motor sailing to assist the meagre winds.
The sun rose a little after 5:00am and I took over again at around 6:00am. Both the kids piked on doing a watch this time. The wind changed to NNE and sat in the 5-10kts range. Apparent wind was even less and I continued to motor sail with full canvas. When the wind reached N I put the head sail away and motor sailed with just the main. The wind remained low and the motor remained our main means of propulsion. We eventually dropped the main and motored into marina at 10:20am, and we were berthed by 10:27am.
It was a good night sail, and we averaged just under 6kts over ground. After washing all the salt off the boat, we had breakfast at a local cafe and rested.
End Loc: Urangan (25o 17.63'S, 152o 54.71'E)
Distance run: 75nm (cumulative: 2977nm)
Engine hours: 6 hr, 00 min (cumulative: 126 hr, 32 min)
6th January, 2012
Start Loc: Lady Musgrave Island (23o 54.22'S, 152o 24.04'E)
Narrative: We had a great few days at Lady Musgrave Island. The weather was fantastic with plenty of sunshine. The water was warm and clear. We were the only boat anchored in the Lagoon when we arrived on Tuesday, but the wind dropped off a bit on Wednesday as forecast and that night we had 11 boats in the Lagoon. It was a nice calm anchorage.
We went ashore just after 4:00am on Wednesday morning. As well as the turtles (mainly Green, but a few Loggerheads as well), there are currently thousands of Noddies (birds) nesting on the island at the moment. As we entered the trees to walk on the path to the other side of the island (where the turtles nest) we were swooped by several Noddies; they flew into us but didn't hurt. I worked out they were attracted by the white light of my head lamp, so I switched to red light and they left us alone. We got to the other side of the island and saw numerous turtle tracks and several turtles at various stages of nesting. We met up with Jim who took us to one Green Turtle who was digging her hole to lay eggs. They are easily disturbed and scared off when they are coming up the beach and digging their holes, but very nonchalant once they are laying and covering the nest. We crept up behind her to stay out of sight and sat a metre or so away as she was digging. Jim said that he would be very surprised if she laid her eggs as it was now getting light. The sand was also very dry, so she may not have been able to get the right shape for the egg chamber. As Haydee put it, "Well, Jim sure did get a surprise." We were fortunate enough to see her lay her eggs in daylight. Jim was very informative. The kids got to handle one of the turtle's eggs, they patted her while she laid, and we left her as she finished covering up the nest. It was a great experience. We spent the rest of the day relaxing; we read, the kids watched a movie, Cam and I went snorkelling, Heather and I snoozed ... It was terrible. We went ashore again just after 7:00pm (high tide is currently around last light and first light, so the turtles are switching to the evening high tide to come ashore) and saw a few more turtles, including one that invested a bit of time digging a nest but then wasn't happy with it so moved to another location. We didn't get to see any hatchlings though, which is what we were hoping for. We ran the engine for 34 minutes.
Thursday was another relaxing day. I was talking with Harold off the yacht Carl and we arranged to go snorkelling and spear fishing. Haydee, Cam and I went along, as well as Harold and his two boys Mario and Rossco. I have never spear fished before and it took me two shots to learn the aim off. We came back after a couple of hours with three sweetlips and a good lobster. Cam and I went ashore again on Thursday night. We saw a dozen or so turtles throughout the evening, including this time watching a Loggerhead lay her eggs. She was also tagged. We gave Jim the details (tag number, location, date) of the tagged turtle we saw swimming around Low Islands. He will pass the details on and we can then email him to get her history. It was a bit overcast Wednesday and Thursday, so we ran the engine for 55 minutes on Thursday.
We checked the weather forecast and decided that today we would head to Lady Elliot Island, and hopefully from there we would be able to sail to Urangan at Hervey Bay. The lagoon at Lady Musgrave was calm and we could clearly see the bottom in 8.5m of water. We were a bit disappointed to be leaving, but we must move on. We raised the anchor at 9:28am, motored out of the lagoon and around the east side of the coral. The forecast wind strength (5-10kts) was correct but wind direction (E/NE) wasn't; we had SE winds. Once on our course for Lady Elliot the wind was almost right on our nose and sitting around 10kts. We motored the whole way to Lady Elliot Island.
As we motored we saw several pods of dolphins on the hunt for food. Several times they peeled off to check us out and play at the bow of the boat, but never for long as there was plenty of food about for them.
By 11:00am Lady Musgrave Island had disappeared over the horizon. It was a nice clear day and there was nothing but water in sight. We arrived at Lady Elliot Island at 1:00pm and were anchored by 1:09pm.
The water was spectacularly clear. I went for a swim to check the anchor and could clearly see it 15m below me on the bottom. We saw plenty of marine life including fish, shovel nose sharks, dolphins, rays and turtles. We spent the afternoon reading and swimming, and I scrubbed all the slime off the hull around the waterline.
At this stage the plan is to stay here tomorrow morning, to go ashore, snorkel and rest. We will then head off at some stage in the evening and sail through the night the 70nm or so to Urangan.
End Loc: Lady Elliot Island (24o 06.62'S, 152o 42.56'E)
Distance run: 24nm (cumulative: 2902nm)
Engine hours: 4 hr, 19 min (cumulative: 120 hr, 32 min)
Narrative: We had a great few days at Lady Musgrave Island. The weather was fantastic with plenty of sunshine. The water was warm and clear. We were the only boat anchored in the Lagoon when we arrived on Tuesday, but the wind dropped off a bit on Wednesday as forecast and that night we had 11 boats in the Lagoon. It was a nice calm anchorage.
We went ashore just after 4:00am on Wednesday morning. As well as the turtles (mainly Green, but a few Loggerheads as well), there are currently thousands of Noddies (birds) nesting on the island at the moment. As we entered the trees to walk on the path to the other side of the island (where the turtles nest) we were swooped by several Noddies; they flew into us but didn't hurt. I worked out they were attracted by the white light of my head lamp, so I switched to red light and they left us alone. We got to the other side of the island and saw numerous turtle tracks and several turtles at various stages of nesting. We met up with Jim who took us to one Green Turtle who was digging her hole to lay eggs. They are easily disturbed and scared off when they are coming up the beach and digging their holes, but very nonchalant once they are laying and covering the nest. We crept up behind her to stay out of sight and sat a metre or so away as she was digging. Jim said that he would be very surprised if she laid her eggs as it was now getting light. The sand was also very dry, so she may not have been able to get the right shape for the egg chamber. As Haydee put it, "Well, Jim sure did get a surprise." We were fortunate enough to see her lay her eggs in daylight. Jim was very informative. The kids got to handle one of the turtle's eggs, they patted her while she laid, and we left her as she finished covering up the nest. It was a great experience. We spent the rest of the day relaxing; we read, the kids watched a movie, Cam and I went snorkelling, Heather and I snoozed ... It was terrible. We went ashore again just after 7:00pm (high tide is currently around last light and first light, so the turtles are switching to the evening high tide to come ashore) and saw a few more turtles, including one that invested a bit of time digging a nest but then wasn't happy with it so moved to another location. We didn't get to see any hatchlings though, which is what we were hoping for. We ran the engine for 34 minutes.
Thursday was another relaxing day. I was talking with Harold off the yacht Carl and we arranged to go snorkelling and spear fishing. Haydee, Cam and I went along, as well as Harold and his two boys Mario and Rossco. I have never spear fished before and it took me two shots to learn the aim off. We came back after a couple of hours with three sweetlips and a good lobster. Cam and I went ashore again on Thursday night. We saw a dozen or so turtles throughout the evening, including this time watching a Loggerhead lay her eggs. She was also tagged. We gave Jim the details (tag number, location, date) of the tagged turtle we saw swimming around Low Islands. He will pass the details on and we can then email him to get her history. It was a bit overcast Wednesday and Thursday, so we ran the engine for 55 minutes on Thursday.
We checked the weather forecast and decided that today we would head to Lady Elliot Island, and hopefully from there we would be able to sail to Urangan at Hervey Bay. The lagoon at Lady Musgrave was calm and we could clearly see the bottom in 8.5m of water. We were a bit disappointed to be leaving, but we must move on. We raised the anchor at 9:28am, motored out of the lagoon and around the east side of the coral. The forecast wind strength (5-10kts) was correct but wind direction (E/NE) wasn't; we had SE winds. Once on our course for Lady Elliot the wind was almost right on our nose and sitting around 10kts. We motored the whole way to Lady Elliot Island.
As we motored we saw several pods of dolphins on the hunt for food. Several times they peeled off to check us out and play at the bow of the boat, but never for long as there was plenty of food about for them.
By 11:00am Lady Musgrave Island had disappeared over the horizon. It was a nice clear day and there was nothing but water in sight. We arrived at Lady Elliot Island at 1:00pm and were anchored by 1:09pm.
The water was spectacularly clear. I went for a swim to check the anchor and could clearly see it 15m below me on the bottom. We saw plenty of marine life including fish, shovel nose sharks, dolphins, rays and turtles. We spent the afternoon reading and swimming, and I scrubbed all the slime off the hull around the waterline.
At this stage the plan is to stay here tomorrow morning, to go ashore, snorkel and rest. We will then head off at some stage in the evening and sail through the night the 70nm or so to Urangan.
End Loc: Lady Elliot Island (24o 06.62'S, 152o 42.56'E)
Distance run: 24nm (cumulative: 2902nm)
Engine hours: 4 hr, 19 min (cumulative: 120 hr, 32 min)
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