Start Loc: Meridian Marina, Port Douglas (16o 29.15'S, 145o 27.62'E)
Narrative: We spent yesterday in Port Douglas and knocked over the shopping and some minor maintenance. We were in no great hurry this morning, and left the marina 10:58am. After motoring out of the channel we hoisted sail and set a course for the Low Isles.
The winds were ESE at around 15kts. Our NW course had us on a close reach giving a few knots extra on the apparent wind strength, so we set sail with one reef in the main and the head sail reduced to 105%. We sailed along nicely averaging 6-6.5kts through the water and an extra knot over ground. The seas were 1.5-2m and almost beam on to us, which made it a bit lumpy but otherwise it was a great sail.
We lowered sail as we came up the west side of Low Island, then motored in and took up a mooring buoy in the lagoon type feature formed by Low Island and Woody Island (the Low Isles) and the coral in between. It gives good protection from SE weather, so it should not be too bad a night.
Low Island is a picturesque coral cay with a lighthouse and houses for the keepers, which are now occupied by a caretaker and researchers. We walked around the island and then went snorkeling. It was not the prettiest coral we have seen, but we did swim up close with a turtle. We also had a few black tip reef sharks off the back of the boat.
The plan for tomorrow remains to head up the Daintree River and to find a crocodile or two.
End Loc: Low Isles (16o 22.90'S, 145o 33.82'E)
Distance run: 10nm (cumulative: 1692nm)
Engine hours: 0 hr, 34 min (cumulative: 9 hr, 52 min)