I am back in Mackay to continue the journey.
Peter and Donna flew in yesterday 9th July to join the crew.
We spent the day provisioning and loading Billabong. With 12 days of food and accompanying alcohol for the mandatory sundowners we are ready to sail.
Leaving Mackay Harbour
We will depart around 9am after refuelling and expect to get to Scawfell Island about 2pm. It is unlikely there will be Internet or mobile phone so we will be off the air for the 3 days or so we expect to be there.
Peter and Donna
Weather forecast is good so looks like a nice time expected over there.
Anchorage at Scawfell
We arrived at Scawfell Island at 2pm and anchored with our friends on Windsong, Mixed Nutz, Splash and Wimmaway, all part of the RPAYC Coral Coast Cruise. It was a wonderful sunny day and the trip over was fast sailing at 8-9 knots on a 15-20 knot south easter. Great sailing conditions reaching across the wind.
Had a swim and went ashore for sundowners on the beach with the other yachties.
Sundowners on the beach
After sunset and back on Billabong we prepared the BBQ for the evening meal of steak and salad. No fish on the lure on the way over. We have not caught a fish on the lure since our trip back from Lady Musgrave to Pancake Creek. The water temperature is still unaturally cold for this time of year and I am sure the pelagic fish are out towards the Great Barrier reef where the water is warmer. We will try fishing for reef fish tomorrow with the squid bait we bought.
11th July
Another brilliant sunny day without a cloud in the sky. Scawfell is a beautiful anchorage.
I met up with Peter Wilson from Splash who wanted to go fishing. We decided to fish off the reef nearest to the west side of the anchorage. We hardly had the anchor down when we started catching fish that look like a big eye bream. Could not quite identify them in the fish book but we caught 16 of them so we had plenty for lunch and dinner.
We had 3 on the BBQ for lunch and then I filleted the rest for a green curry that night. We invited Peter and Chris from Splash for the curry which was delightful.
We were told that there were blue swimmer crabs caught here a few weeks ago so we decided to use the fish frames to see what we could catch. I went with Jim from Mixed Nutz to set the traps.
12th July
The weather was still fantastic and I was up early to see if there were any crabs. Big disappointment no crabs. Jim had a pleasant surprise with a black tipped reef shark in his pot. He decided to take the fillets off it to cook that afternoon for the fleet.
The shark in the pot that became beer battered fish!!
After breakfast I went fishing with Peter again. We caught another 13 fish and we split the catch and I filleted our share and put them in the fridge for dinner.
It was a great day for snorkeling and we decided to go after lunch when the tide is at its lowest. This gives us the best look at the reef as the tide rises and falls through a 4 meter tidal range. There were lots of fish and coral. It was very pleasant.
At 4pm we were invited to Mixed Nutz for beer battered shark. It was good and there was so much of the shark, we ate plenty. To the point that when we returned to Billabong we did not want dinner. A small toasted ham and cheese sandwich was as much as we could handle and a cup of tea and off to bed. Its only 8.30pm!!
13th July
We get the 6.15 weather forecast broadcast on VHF channel 80 every morning. The weather in the next 2-3 days will turn for the worst. There is a big high in the Great Australian Bight which increases the wind in QLD as it moves east. We decide to weigh anchor and go to Brampton Island with the rest of the fleet. It is only a short sail of 20nm and we will be there by 12.30pm.
We arrived on schedule and had lunch. At 2pm we went ashore and found the resort closed and deserted. We walked to the lookout on top of island which is a 3.3km trek. The view was worth the walk and it was a good bit of exercise for the legs, which don't get a lot of use on the yacht sailing.
View from the lookout on Brampton Island
On the way back to the yacht I retrieved two young coconuts found laying on the ground at the resort and took them back to the dinghy. Years ago I bought a coco tap which enables you to get the coconut milk out with very little effort. We will try tonight. While walking back to the dinghy through the rocks I spotted some large oysters on the rocks I used a rock to chip off a large oyster and ate it. It was just delightful. I was going back to Billabong to get a hammer and screwdriver to get some more oysters for dinner. Oysters kilpatrick sounded good but by the time I got back to the yacht the shore was getting covered fast by the rising 4 meter tide. Best I did not go back so had a nice relax and a beer.
It says it is the perfect sports drink. Also it says it is natures remedy and healthy tonic. It is supposed to sooth babies, boost libido, increase plasma, dissolves stones, kills worms, plus it contains KINETIN which promotes hair growth and cell generation. Besides all that it tastes great and is another additive to our rum drinks!!
For dinner we had the fish we caught the previous day at Scawfell Island. It is good to be able to catch fish and supplement the meat in the freezer but when are we going to eat it?
By 8.30pm we were exhausted and went to bed. Seems we are in bed early every night but this was early. Must be the walking or the salt air.
14th July
Leaving Brampton Island
The forecast for today was winds increasing to 25 knots by the afternoon so we decided to motor to Goldsmith Island early and have breakfast on arrival. It was a relatively short distance of 10nm so we motored as the wind was only 10 knots and towed the dinghy rather than lift it onto the deck.
We had breakfast of bacon and eggs on arrival and then set about some maintenance chores. The dodger and bimini is now six years old and not as waterproof as it used to be in a heavy down pour. So I applied a waterproofing coat and it dried quickly in the sun. We are expecting some heavy rain in the next couple of days.
With the chores done it was time to go fishing. There are bait fish jumping all around the bay so something big is chasing them. I decided to use a deep diving lure and went trolling. I had only put the lure in the water and started moving and within 30 seconds a decent Spanish Mackerel was hooked and in the boat. Just unbelievable. I continued on and had a few more hook ups but lost them. I motored around to Minne Hall bay still trawling and hooked and landed a Wolf Herring which are the slimiest ugliest looking fish but I have been told they are great bait for Spanish Mackerel so we will use it for bait. Right up in the shallows the bait fish were jumping so I went up with the lure and hooked and landed a very nice Queen Fish. With 3 fish in the bucket I returned to Billabong.
I gave the Queenie to Peter from Splash for dinner as he had no luck and lost a lure.
We had the Spaniard in a beautiful tomato based chilli seashell pasta. What a delight.
The Queenie, The Spaniard, The Wolf Herring and a Lizard fish that took the lure pictured. Can you believe this little fella punching above his weight!!
15th July
We woke to not such a great day but it was at least warm enough to wear t-shirt and shorts.
Overcast and a few scattered showers with 25-30 knot winds was the forecast and that is what we got.
It was a book reading day.
At 11am we went ashore so Peter could go for a run on the beach and I went and spoke to the two canoeists that came in the day before. These guys are on an adventure alright. They left Mackay and sailed to Brampton Island and then onto Goldsmith. They were having a day of rest before going onto their next destination. They are going all the way to Bowen. They have no support vessel and have to carry all their own supplies. Each canoe carries 25 litres of water. They were very interesting to talk to and I promised them a beer at the end of the day. They have done the East coast of Tasmania as well.
After a BBQ lunch of sausages I tried some fishing off the back of Billabong. It was not long before we hooked a nice fish. Unfortunately another monster decided that he wanted it for dinner too!!
The Shark ate my dinner!!
So I had to take to the dinghy and went for a troll around the reef. It was not long before I landed a trevally. It would not be as nice as the fish we nearly got to eat.
Second best for dinner
The trevally became the ingredients for a green curry and after dinner I manged to speak with Tamara on the phone in Russia. All is good and she is enjoying being with her Mother and family.
We spent the evening contemplating our next passage to which Island and when.
16th July
We decided to stay put and wait another day for the weather to clear. There was misty rain all day. It was more a nuisance rain. The tidal current was swinging Billabong against the wind so we would not sit with the bow to the wind. This resulted in the misty rain getting under the bimini and link sheet wetting the entire cockpit. It was not comfortable to stay on the back of the yacht to do fishing or sit in the cockpit. So it was time for cards and games. We pulled out the game of Ned Kelly which is a two man game. I bought it many years ago and had never played it. It is a great game. I played Donna first who played the role of the police and I was Ned Kelly and the gang. After seemingly getting beaten Ned managed to sneak the blockade and get to safety to his hideout. The second game Peter played the role of Ned and the gang and I played the police. I had Ned cornered on 3 occasions and to my amazement Ned slipped out and got to the safety of his hideout. Well done Peter!!
The afternoon came and the rain cleared enough to go fishing. The action was on again. Bait fish jumping every where. Out with the lure and I trolled around the anchorage for 2 mackerel and and a 6-7kg Mackerel Tuna. Fantastic. We have shashimi for entree!! I gave a spotted Mackerel to Whimmaway as they had not had success in fishing.
That night we were having an Italian pot luck dinner on Windsong. All yachts were required to bring an Italian dish. We took spaghetti bolognese cooked by Donna. Whimmaway brought a nice ravioli. Splash brought spaghetti carbonara and Windsong a Risotto and a meat pie!! The pie was hardly Italian but it was very tasty. The Japanese entree of Tuna shashimi went down well. Copious red wine was consumed and everyone had a great night.
17th July
The wind has abated but still misty rain falls. We decide that we will weigh anchor at 11am on the high tide and sail North to Thomas Island. It is only a short sail of 10nm. While we were leaving the canoeists who had been sheltering on Goldsmith decided it was time for them to go to their next destination. We came along side of them and wished them the best on their travels to Bowen and said we would look out for them on the way. They look so small in the ocean. The wind was blowing up to 15 knots and with their sails up they were moving at about 4 to 5 knots so they did not need to paddle much.
The Canoeists
From Mackay to Bowen they will travel. Staying at islands overnight
We arrived at Thomas Island and cooked up the remaining tuna fillets. I cooked the fillets and let them cool down and then mashed them up into a wasabi mayonnaise that I made earlier. We had some mountain bread and made up tuna salad wraps for lunch.
"Windsong" at Thomas Island
In the afternoon we took the dinghy to the shore to go for a swim as the sun had decided to show itself and it was beginning to get warm. I said to Peter let’s not waste an opportunity to catch a fish so I handed him the fishing line with lure on. On the way to the beach Peter bagged a nice spotted mackerel. How easy is this!! Peter said its 99% lure and 1% human. If I can catch a fish anyone can!!
Peter with his Mackerel
After the beach we went back to Billabong and I went trawling around the bay. I caught another 3 good mackerel. I kept the biggest spotted mackerel and filleted it. The others I gave away to a couple of power boats that were in the bay that were previously anchored at Goldsmith with us. It is easy to make friends when you give them fresh fish.
That night we had the left over spaghetti Bolognese from the night before for dinner with a few added tomatoes and chilli. Just delightful
18th July
Thomas Island was a beautiful anchorage and I wanted to stay a few more days. Especially for the fishing. However it was time to move on and we had to get some fresh supplies from Hamilton Island. We departed at 8.30am and arrived at Hamilton Island at 12 noon. We needed to top up the water and get a few fresh food items like bread and milk.
Donna did the washing while Peter and I bought the supplies. After the washing was dry we went to Hamilton Island Yacht Club for a beer and lunch. It’s a great yacht club.
Hamilton Island Yacht Club
They were great beers!!
Had 2 beers each and some lunch and it was time to depart for Cid Harbour.
Cid Harbour is a well protected anchorage from south easterlies and there is a great walk to the top of Whitsunday Island.
We invited Donna and Rob from Windsong for a green curry of spotted mackerel and a desert of chocolate ice cream. Bought especially for Rob.
19th July
After a breakfast of bacon and eggs we took the dinghy ashore for the climb up to the peak.
It is a four hour round trip so we had to take lunch and water. It is a well worn path to the top and you climb through a forest of trees. It is a beautiful experience – especially when you reach the top. The views are fantastic - 360 degree views looking over all the Whitsunday Islands.
What a view!!
On return we had a swim and it was time to move on to Nara Inlet for the night.
On arrival we were invited to Splash for drinks and had a great couple of hours telling many jokes and lots of laughter.
The evening dinner consisted of fillet steak with mushroom sauce and salad and it was a rather early night. About 9pm
20th July
We had decided to go to Blue Pearl bay for the day which is on the north west side of Hayman Island and raised anchor at 9.30am. We exited Nara Inlet and headed north towing the dinghy. The seas were rough with wind over tide and towing the dinghy was not a good idea. Before long the painter on the dinghy snapped and the dinghy floated away. We turned around and after several attempts to rescue the dinghy we got it under control with a rope that won’t break. As the seas were rough we abandoned our plans to go to Blue Pearl Bay and headed back through Hook Passage and went to Border Island which was more sheltered from the south westerly wind was blowing a bit harder than we wanted.
On arrival we had lunch which consisted of BBQ beef sausages and salad. We did not wait for the obligatory hour before snorkeling the coral reefs of Cateran Bay. This is a marine park sanctuary and no fishing is allowed. Unfortunately the visibility was not good but the fish and the coral were good so we rated it as an OK snorkel.
After the snorkel we headed back to Cid Harbour where we caught up with Windsong and Splash for sundowners. I had to return to an area with telephone reception as I promised Tamara I would ring her on Wed night. There was no communication at Border Island.
We had Chilli Prawn pasta for dinner and I called Tamara for a chat. All is good in Russia with her mother, sister and brother. Tamara has daily contact with her daughter Marina and grandson Ollie in Sydney via skype.
21st July
The forecast was for continued windy conditions in the morning and easing in the afternoon. We decided to wait and Donna cooked blueberry muffins for morning tea. A call on the VHF to "Windsong" and "Splash" to join us for morning tea and before long we were having coffee and muffins. At about 1pm the wind started to ease so we headed off around Whitsunday Island to Tongue Bay. Here we walked up the hill to look over Hill Inlet. We took a beer each and wanted to have them sitting up the top of of the observation deck while enjoying the view. The sand flies had other ideas. We were getting eaten alive so we took the photos and headed back to the yacht drinking the beer on the run. That was disappointing because the view was fantastic. It would have been a great treat to have a beer and take in the view. The white spit is where they filmed the famous Qantas advert.
Hill Inlet
We sat on the boat and had our sundowners watching the turtles and the dugongs around us.
This was to be our last dinner together on the boat before we head to Airlie tomorrow to drop Peter and Donna off for their flight home to Sydney. We had to save the best for last. Chilli prawns were cooked for entree followed by fillet steak with a potato bake and vegetables. Dark chocolate and mint tim tams and coffee was consumed for desert and we went to bed on a very full stomach.
Another very good day.
We sleep very well with a gentle rock of the yacht.
22nd July
We woke to another windy morning. The wind was from the south west and while it was a good anchorage the wind was blowing straight down the Tongue Bay. We ate the last of the bacon and eggs for breakfast and it was time to get out. We motored around to Whitehaven Beach where the bright white silica sands are world renown.
After a sun bake and swim it was time to raise the dinghy to the foredeck and go to Airlie Beach.
We arrived at Able Point Marina at 5.30pm and found our berth. Then the rush was on to have a shower and get ready for a night in Airlie. Windsong and Splash had arrived in Airlie and were anchored off the yacht club. They had come in to pick up some fresh supplies from the Saturday morning markets and invited us to the Whitsunday Yacht Club to have drinks and dinner.
After a quick shower we walked the 3kms to the yacht club and had another great night with travelling yachties.
23rd July
It was time for Peter and Donna to depart and return to Sydney.
Rob and Donna from Windsong were going back to Hamilton Island and offered Peter and Donna a ride back on Windsong to meet their flight from Hamilton Island which was departing at 2.50pm. Donna completed her market shopping and I said my goodbyes to Peter and Donna as they got into Rob's dinghy and headed out to Windsong.
It was sad to see Peter and Donna leave Billabong. They were excellent crew and the most enjoyable and easy going company to be with and help me sail Billabong from Mackay to Airlie via the Islands.
We had some great experiences and great wining and dining experiences. I think they may be going home a few kilo's heavier but well relaxed.
Thank you Peter and Donna.
The crew of Billabong Peter Donna and Neil
Billabong will remain in Able point Marina for 8 days when my friend from Perth Graham Lithgo will join me on 27th July. We will cruise the Whitsunday Islands until Tamara returns from Russia and flies into Hamilton Island on the 8th Aug to rejoin the crew of Billabong.
We will also be joined for a brief visit by my Sydney based friends Graham Jennings and Wayne Jarman from the 2nd Aug to 8th Aug. I am having a 5 day detox before they arrive!!!
It will be 4 boys and the Coral Sea to play in!! Just hope the fish are biting!!
This blog will not recommence until we leave the Marina on 30th July.
