Well is name is no misnomer. Sand banks everywhere. Thank goodness for the chart plotter and depth sounder.
We slide into a sand bank at one stage. I always remember what one of Ian's teachers on the Coxswain's Course told him. Never worry about running aground, just worry about getting off :) Had to wait two hours for the tide to change. So we fished - got a tiny flounder, but nothing else.
So nice to relax, then we motored up to Big Woody Island near the mouth ready for our trip to Bundaberg the next day.
Will add photos if my battery lasts :)
Thursday, May 17, 2012
14 May - Monday - Wide Bay Bar into Great Sandy Straits
We got up slow this morning. Enjoyed the amazing view. Looked out at the mighty sand cliffs and noticed the matchbox 4WD scurrying along like little ants. Hard to believe we couldn't reach out and touch them.
The Voluntary Marine Rescue advised us to wait until high tide before we crossed the bar into the Great Sandy Straits (Fraser Island). The Chart Plotter is so good, as it shows you exactly what waypoints to be on and you can just follow these on a safe path.
I wonder if this bar is the longest in Australia? Anyone want to check this out? Certainly took quite a while.
We motored up the straits for a couple of hours and then anchored and were sound asleep by 7.30 pm. Well, Ian was. I stayed up and knitted for quite a while.
Note to my KNITTING CLUB friends: knitted has been fantastic. Settles my mind onto something LOL. When on watch I knit a row and then get up and check the horizon for lights and ships etc. Oh yes, one of those PRINCESS cruise ships was floating around with us from about 10 pm to 2 am this morning, totally lit up like a Christmas tree.
The Voluntary Marine Rescue advised us to wait until high tide before we crossed the bar into the Great Sandy Straits (Fraser Island). The Chart Plotter is so good, as it shows you exactly what waypoints to be on and you can just follow these on a safe path.
I wonder if this bar is the longest in Australia? Anyone want to check this out? Certainly took quite a while.
We motored up the straits for a couple of hours and then anchored and were sound asleep by 7.30 pm. Well, Ian was. I stayed up and knitted for quite a while.
Note to my KNITTING CLUB friends: knitted has been fantastic. Settles my mind onto something LOL. When on watch I knit a row and then get up and check the horizon for lights and ships etc. Oh yes, one of those PRINCESS cruise ships was floating around with us from about 10 pm to 2 am this morning, totally lit up like a Christmas tree.
12, 13 and 14 May - Southport to Frazer Island
Well our ETA for Fraser Island was estimated at 0800 the next Morning (Sunday). We set out sailing beautifully but not as fast as we could wish. Then we hit a southerly set, with a 2 knot current against us and as we were only doing 4 knots, we got no where. The distinctive cone shape of Mt Warning - south of Gold Coast, finally disappeared off the horizon at about 1 pm.
We have added another cape to our HATE list - Cape Morton - we tacked and tacked and tried and it would NOT go away. All night we worked to get past in very rough conditions.
Ian and I never mastered the rock and roll on the dance floor, but the windChalmer has sure worked on getting good at it. Morning always looks a lot better. We kept a look out for ships all night. At one point a fishing boat all lit up was on our bearing but avoided us and then we saw some very odd lights - a red and white. Couldn't work out what it was, so tucked in behind the fishing boat, figured that he knew where he was going. Suddenly we figured that it was a huge container ship. Red and white lights on the bow and then nothing for metres and meters and then a while light on the stern!! Phew, the rest of him was totally dark.
So back to working on getting past Cape Morton. Sunday morning, winds still Northerly and at 40 k. Calmer waters by daybreak.
3 pm Pilot Whales off Lookout Point North Stradbroke Island, they were fishing around us. Can still see Cape Morton. Drat!!
SUNDAY 13 May - finally got rid of that rotten Cape Morton. It disappeared over the southern horizon before we were abeam with Mooloolabar.
When you are disgusted with the world, then the dolphins appear and play around your bow for ages and do great big back flips in the water seemingly just to entertain you - about 4 pm. Sunday. Very calm conditions, slowly working up the cape.
10 pm hit by a southerly. Then back to rock and rolling all night. Ian had about 2 hours sleep altogether, I had about 4 because i felt bad if he was up and I was asleep. He slept on the floor of the cockpit. Only trouble was he would be sound asleep and then I would see ship lights and would follow them for ages - but if they got too close I wanted him to make a decision about them.
Lucky I made a mound of sandwiches before we left, so we had something to eat. If I didn't eat rice cakes or something I started to feel a little queasy for the first time on the trip.
Only trouble with sailing, once you are on the boat, there is no going back.
Luckily, I was told by a very wise man (yes, thank you Alan Wise) that you were just a cork bobbing on the ocean. So kept saying, am just a cork bobbing on the ocean.
CHART PLOTTER - this is just the most beautiful thing. Can see exactly where you are and how long you should take to get there. Was so good as we got closer to Double Island Bay in Wide Bay Bar just off Frazer Island. Finally got into the bay where Alan Lucas (thanks so much Wilson Family for giving us Alan's book - just wonderful reading up what to do and where to go) said should be a good place to park.
As we got more into the Bay, we both kept saying, is it less rough? Yes, it was, yes it was. Just like when you have been driving on Cape York forever on a rutted road and suddenly get onto the bitumen. Quiet, no sound amazing.
QUIET, QUIET, QUIET, no rock n rolling. Cannot believe it. When the anchor had been dropped it was 4.30 am on the Monday morning. I looked out and there was this whopping big sand cliffs, looked like we were practically sitting on them.
We went off straight to sleep - after sailing from 6 am Sat to 4.30 am Monday!!
Nearly a day longer than we had estimated.
We have added another cape to our HATE list - Cape Morton - we tacked and tacked and tried and it would NOT go away. All night we worked to get past in very rough conditions.
Ian and I never mastered the rock and roll on the dance floor, but the windChalmer has sure worked on getting good at it. Morning always looks a lot better. We kept a look out for ships all night. At one point a fishing boat all lit up was on our bearing but avoided us and then we saw some very odd lights - a red and white. Couldn't work out what it was, so tucked in behind the fishing boat, figured that he knew where he was going. Suddenly we figured that it was a huge container ship. Red and white lights on the bow and then nothing for metres and meters and then a while light on the stern!! Phew, the rest of him was totally dark.
So back to working on getting past Cape Morton. Sunday morning, winds still Northerly and at 40 k. Calmer waters by daybreak.
3 pm Pilot Whales off Lookout Point North Stradbroke Island, they were fishing around us. Can still see Cape Morton. Drat!!
SUNDAY 13 May - finally got rid of that rotten Cape Morton. It disappeared over the southern horizon before we were abeam with Mooloolabar.
When you are disgusted with the world, then the dolphins appear and play around your bow for ages and do great big back flips in the water seemingly just to entertain you - about 4 pm. Sunday. Very calm conditions, slowly working up the cape.
10 pm hit by a southerly. Then back to rock and rolling all night. Ian had about 2 hours sleep altogether, I had about 4 because i felt bad if he was up and I was asleep. He slept on the floor of the cockpit. Only trouble was he would be sound asleep and then I would see ship lights and would follow them for ages - but if they got too close I wanted him to make a decision about them.
Lucky I made a mound of sandwiches before we left, so we had something to eat. If I didn't eat rice cakes or something I started to feel a little queasy for the first time on the trip.
Only trouble with sailing, once you are on the boat, there is no going back.
Luckily, I was told by a very wise man (yes, thank you Alan Wise) that you were just a cork bobbing on the ocean. So kept saying, am just a cork bobbing on the ocean.
CHART PLOTTER - this is just the most beautiful thing. Can see exactly where you are and how long you should take to get there. Was so good as we got closer to Double Island Bay in Wide Bay Bar just off Frazer Island. Finally got into the bay where Alan Lucas (thanks so much Wilson Family for giving us Alan's book - just wonderful reading up what to do and where to go) said should be a good place to park.
As we got more into the Bay, we both kept saying, is it less rough? Yes, it was, yes it was. Just like when you have been driving on Cape York forever on a rutted road and suddenly get onto the bitumen. Quiet, no sound amazing.
QUIET, QUIET, QUIET, no rock n rolling. Cannot believe it. When the anchor had been dropped it was 4.30 am on the Monday morning. I looked out and there was this whopping big sand cliffs, looked like we were practically sitting on them.
We went off straight to sleep - after sailing from 6 am Sat to 4.30 am Monday!!
Nearly a day longer than we had estimated.
Thursday, May 10, 2012
10 May - Photos
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| Sailing along |
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| Hastings at Port Macquarie |
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| Ian working on some steaming light problem. Fixed |
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| Warren helming, he and I found this very challenging in the heavy weather |
Sailed all night, Iluka to Southport, arrived about 7.30 am. Great moonlit night, but winds fluky. When are we going to charm some good steady 7 knot winds??
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
9 May 2012 - Iluka to Gold Coast Seaway
Hey
Am writing this aboard the windChalmer about 6 nautical miles south of Ballina. Getting good internet connections at sea. One day I connected to an unsecured wireless connnection and think it could have been a ship :) Good speed.
Again, we have had very light winds - so averaged about 4 k for the first two hours while sailing, then when we dropped to 1 or 2 k we kicked the engine over. So motor sailing yet again. I know our lovely friend Gary who lives in QLD and sailed everywhere said he motor sailed on the NSW coast more than anywhere else.
A very large dophin - about 10-12 feet followed us for quite a while, must have been old as he was pretty scared. Saw a few other, and a very large school of fish. A few fishing boats out today in the calm waters (like Lake Macquarie). While Ian had a sleep - a saw something odd in the water - junk? whale? right on our bearing, so altered course and a very large tree trunk went by. Must be one from the floods in Ballina maybe? The stories it could tell eh?
Oh yes, we got buzzed by an airforce F1 18 this morning. Larikin who needed something to do LOL. No was lovely. Reminded me of my brother and what he got up to in the airforce.
We are going to sail through the night tonight. Past Byron Bay - should go past that in the early evening. Full Moon by about 9 pm and then work our way up the Gold Coast.
So the next blog should be from the Gold Coast hopefully. :)
Our first overnight sail was lovely. Beautiful moonlit night and reasonable winds. As we came towards Southport the sunrise on port side was vying with a huge moon on the starboard side. Despite the concrete jungle, Southport did look good with the rise reflecting on the high rise glass.
Meet up with my cousins, Shirley, Trevor and Faye and also friend from school days Brian Dodds and his wife Jan. They own a cat - Another Angel - and work in Vanuatu Islands delivering medical staff and supplies to very isolated and disadvanted people. Great work Brian and Jan.
Also met another inspiring couple - Derek and Anthea who were in their yacht - they left England saying they were going sailing for 2 years - and that was 12 years ago. Very inspirational couple. Been everywhere.
Am writing this aboard the windChalmer about 6 nautical miles south of Ballina. Getting good internet connections at sea. One day I connected to an unsecured wireless connnection and think it could have been a ship :) Good speed.
Again, we have had very light winds - so averaged about 4 k for the first two hours while sailing, then when we dropped to 1 or 2 k we kicked the engine over. So motor sailing yet again. I know our lovely friend Gary who lives in QLD and sailed everywhere said he motor sailed on the NSW coast more than anywhere else.
A very large dophin - about 10-12 feet followed us for quite a while, must have been old as he was pretty scared. Saw a few other, and a very large school of fish. A few fishing boats out today in the calm waters (like Lake Macquarie). While Ian had a sleep - a saw something odd in the water - junk? whale? right on our bearing, so altered course and a very large tree trunk went by. Must be one from the floods in Ballina maybe? The stories it could tell eh?
Oh yes, we got buzzed by an airforce F1 18 this morning. Larikin who needed something to do LOL. No was lovely. Reminded me of my brother and what he got up to in the airforce.
We are going to sail through the night tonight. Past Byron Bay - should go past that in the early evening. Full Moon by about 9 pm and then work our way up the Gold Coast.
So the next blog should be from the Gold Coast hopefully. :)
Our first overnight sail was lovely. Beautiful moonlit night and reasonable winds. As we came towards Southport the sunrise on port side was vying with a huge moon on the starboard side. Despite the concrete jungle, Southport did look good with the rise reflecting on the high rise glass.
Meet up with my cousins, Shirley, Trevor and Faye and also friend from school days Brian Dodds and his wife Jan. They own a cat - Another Angel - and work in Vanuatu Islands delivering medical staff and supplies to very isolated and disadvanted people. Great work Brian and Jan.
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| Rob on watch, Ian sleeping |
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| Another Angel - Medical Teams for Vanuatu |
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| Robyn sporting her new air dried hairstyle with her cousins in Southport |
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| Collecting the cousins |
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| Robyn, Shirley and Faye |
8 May 2012 - layover in Iluka Tuesday I think :)
Yesterday: Well, we had to ditch the top quality alternator and buy another one. Bevan transported us around Iluka, we had lovely fresh fish and chips at the pub yesterday and then Bevan came out for dinner aboard the windChalmer. We told him that we hoped he could cope with the riotous party life with us LOL.
Slept in today, then Ian attached the new alternator and did all sorts of things like solder up wires to a globe for the charging of the batteries. I held the solder iron - nothing like learning new skills at my age lol. I cleaned and knitted etc and enjoyed the sun. We popped into the fisherman's coop for a few things and they have the best fresh fish (the other one is the Newcastle Fish Coop), so we shared a fisherman's basket for lunch. So fresh and tasty.
Ian has always wanted to learn how to collect beach worms, so Bevan picked us up at 3 pm and took us to the beach - most amazing lovely afternoon. Camera was on the boat! Yamba headland and lighthouse at one end of the boat and Iluka bluff at the other. Was so lovely and relaxing. Bevan cooked dinner for us and we boarded windChalmer early to do some packing up for the journey on Wed.
Bevan has given me FIVE custard apples - yum. Haven't had a decent one for years. Great.
Midnight - Ian chatted animatedly to me for about an hour until I gave him a couple of panadols and said, go to sleep. Funny how you get wound up at times and the mind won't shut down.
Slept in today, then Ian attached the new alternator and did all sorts of things like solder up wires to a globe for the charging of the batteries. I held the solder iron - nothing like learning new skills at my age lol. I cleaned and knitted etc and enjoyed the sun. We popped into the fisherman's coop for a few things and they have the best fresh fish (the other one is the Newcastle Fish Coop), so we shared a fisherman's basket for lunch. So fresh and tasty.
Ian has always wanted to learn how to collect beach worms, so Bevan picked us up at 3 pm and took us to the beach - most amazing lovely afternoon. Camera was on the boat! Yamba headland and lighthouse at one end of the boat and Iluka bluff at the other. Was so lovely and relaxing. Bevan cooked dinner for us and we boarded windChalmer early to do some packing up for the journey on Wed.
Bevan has given me FIVE custard apples - yum. Haven't had a decent one for years. Great.
Midnight - Ian chatted animatedly to me for about an hour until I gave him a couple of panadols and said, go to sleep. Funny how you get wound up at times and the mind won't shut down.
7 May 2012 - Iluka - wonderful anchorage here
7 May 2012
Am at my cousin Bevan’s home in Iluka at the moment, plugged into his
electricity while I charge my laptop batteries.
Our boat washing is going through his machine while he and Ian are out
with an Auto Electrician, as the alternator on our boat which charges our
power, lights etc is playing up. So
great to catch up with Bevan. Haven’t
seen him in years. We had the best fish and chips here years ago
when we had a holiday at Yamba and came over on a ferry to Iluka. Ian did say we would park the pick in this
harbor someday and here it is, our dreams are coming true.
Yesterday, was the most beautiful
day at sea, but no wind. So we motor
sailed practically from Coffs following another yacht doing the same thing all
day. Apart from the whale and small
hammerhead shark, a pod of dolphins escorted us into Iluka. The entrance to Iluka, that is the Clarence
River is supposed to be quite easy, however we got a large following wave or
two and it was a little hairy. We found
the two red leads, but one petered out – just love our Garmin chart plotter,
best electronic device on the boat. We
can see exactly where we are going and it gives us a line to follow into
entrances. We can work out how far we
have come and what distance to go. Also
shows us how much water is under us. Gives
us our position, speed and heading in an instant.
On sunset, there was the most
beautiful display of oranges, reds and pinks on our port side and an enormous
full moon in a cobalt, metallic blue sky on starboard.
Iluka is a yachtie’s heaven. Quiet, calm and a nice little town to walk
around. Probably, not the best town if
you live here, as you have to travel to Yamba or McClean for lots of
services. Bevan found a good auto
electrician for Ian to check out the alternator. Hope it isn’t too much of a problem. But I don’t mind if we stay here for three
nights. If we get some decent weather,
Ian and I might sail through the night to Southport once we leave here.
I cannot believe it, but I helmed
for about two hours yesterday by myself up in the cockpit for one hour while
Ian had a sleep. It was like helming on
Lake Macquarie, other than the bigger swells.
Am glad I did the messing around in water on Lake Macquarie as it has
helped me get used to being on a boat, being the land blubber I am. Getting used to helming in rough water with
larger swells while Ian takes the sails in now.
I went to school with a guy who
is involved with taking Doctors and medical teams and supplies around the
islands in Vanuatu. Brian is current
anchored in Southport up Bums Creek. Hope
we can say we anchored in Bums Creek – hehe.
Seeing we are bums now. (or have
we always been that?)
Our Silverwater neighbours get
back from Japan tomorrow. I do want to
travel Japan one day and would love to do it with Junko and Dave.
I think that Bevan will come out
and have dinner with us on the windChalmer tonight.
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