28th 29th Oct Coffs Harbour to Pittwater RPAYC 234nm

I hate the early morning starts and when the 5am alarm went off I felt I had not slept enough. Never the less you have to get going or it will be a longer journey than necessary.

A hurried cup of tea and breakfast and we were ready to go at 5.30am. The wind had dropped and 4 yachts had already left the marina.

There was a mass exodus of about 11 yachts and a power boat leaving for various destinations down the coast. Everyone had been waiting for the southerly to pass before continuing the journey south.

Out of the harbour the seas were still quite large but little wind. We had the main up to steady the yacht from the rolling swell.

Two yachts got lobster pots wrapped around their propeller within 2 hours of leaving the marina. They were not keeping a good eye out. We maintained a watch all day as we did not want to get one around the propeller.

We saw a lot of whales - mainly mothers and their calves.

At first, we had current against us but by the afternoon we had a knot with us. That helped a lot.

The wind never got more than 15 knots which made it a gentler sail but we had to motor sail the entire way which was a bit frustrating considering the forecast was for a lot more.

Dolphins played with us during the day and at night. Seeing Dolphins coming at the yacht at night with the effervescence in the water makes them look like torpedoes coming at you. It is really a fantastic sight but it is impossible to capture on a normal camera. That memory will be etched in the mind forever.

Sailing into the sunset

It was a peaceful night motor sail as the swell eased down and there were no violent motions so I managed to get some sleep. That made the day easier for me and we motor sailed into Pittwater, passed Barrenjoey Light House at 2pm, and into the basin where we grabbed a mooring and cooked a chicken burger and tidied up the sails.

Once settled we motored into our pen at RPAYC to conclude our Coral Coast 2017 Rendezvous Cruise.

It has been an amazing trip with the weather so kind. We only had 10 days of rain since leaving on 12^th May.

We travelled a total of 3126 nm and used the engine for a total of 422 hours burning 1177 litres of diesel.

We had no real boat problems or issues for the 5 months and it was a relief to be back in the pen safely.

It was sad for the journey to come to an end and I thanked Bruce for helping me with the delivery south.

That’s it for another cruise. Who knows when we will be off again.

Perhaps 2019.

26th 27th Oct Coffs Harbour

We woke up very tired from the previous day. Long distance sailing is tiresome.
After a lazy breakfast we went for a walk into town and had lunch. We needed the walk although it was very hot. We found a food hall in the central shopping centre and had lunch and purchased a few supplies from the supermarket and we walked back to the yacht and had a lay down to catch a few winks.

The yacht next door invited us for drinks which was interrupted by a rather large hail storm. We were inside the yacht having drinks and it sounded like someone was throwing stones at the yacht continuously. It lasted for about 10 mins and it went away and the sky cleared up. It appears that hail storms were right through NSW as Sydney got some and Port Stephens got some too.

After drinks Bruce and I went to the Yacht Club for dinner where we ordered a whole snapper deep fried with a rather nice salt and pepper coating. Delicious and washed down with a bottle of red.

Whole deep fried salt and pepper snapper!!

Done

That is two great meals we have had at Coffs Harbour Yacht Club.

 

Back to the yacht and some more catch up sleep.

The big southerly that was expected to come did not eventuate. It was a very mild southerly wind and a mild sunny day and I spent my time catching up on boat chores in preparation for tomorrows departure. Bruce visited friends in Coffs Harbour and returned for an afternoon nap.

I scrubbed the bottom of the yacht so that I could get max speed going home. I really don’t want to be out there any longer than we have to. Any growth will slow us down and did not want that to happen.

Tomorrow we have 220 NM to travel home. If we leave at 6am Saturday morning, we should be home by 6pm Sunday night. If the weather and the sea is kind.

Billabong hosted drinks for our neighbours and we all went to the local Vietnamese restaurant for a great meal. The walk back to the yacht marina was cool which gave us an indication that tomorrows 6am start will be a cool one.

Back on the yacht we readied the yacht for a 6 am departure and set the alarm for 5am.

24th 25th Oct Southport to Coffs Harbour 141nm

We crossed the bar at 2pm and headed out to sea to avoid the rocks at Point Danger. We were able to sail immediately and turned off the engine.

Leaving the Goldcoast behind

We had good current with us and while the breeze was up and down we made great progress rounding Point Danger at around 5pm.

We prepared the yacht for the night time but kept the poled-out head sail as we were making good progress and the wind was not too strong.

We had dinner of a pre-prepared lamb stew at 9pm as we were not hungry after a big burger and chips. We had to eat. Soon after I had eaten I put my head down for some shut eye which is always difficult. I managed some sleep and Bruce was happy to keep watch until 2am. I stayed on watch until 5.30am when Bruce woke.

The seas were comfortable and the wind was still pushing us along although we lost some of the current during the night.

The wind went light but we were still managing 6 knots SOG which is all we need to get to Coffs by 2pm.

Around 11.30am the wind increased and so did our speed. We saw a few whales and a few dolphins came to play.

Peaceful Sailing

Playful Dolphins

Not sure why the dolphins further up the coast don’t seem to want to play but the NSW Dolphins do.

South Solitary island

We arrived right on our target time of 2pm and came straight into the pen. We collected the key from the marina office and had one of best hot water showers on the coast. Great water pressure at Coffs Harbour.

A few beers back on the yacht and we headed to the Coffs Harbour Yacht Club where Bruce and I had a fantastic Wagyu Beef rump steak. Very nice and well deserved after an all-night sail. Sailing all night is never pleasant. It is long tedious and tiresome.

We crashed as soon as we got back to the yacht.

24th Oct Blaksley Anchorage to Southport 35nm

At 5am it was dead low tide but I needed to get to Jacobs Well which is the shallowest part of the Gold Coast Broadwater by the 11am high tide.

We departed at 6.30am after breakfast and motored down the channel.

There are overhead power lines crossing the main channel at Rocky Point and they say there is only 20.9 meters clearance. However, that is at the lowest hanging part of the wires and away from the large pylons where the main channel is. We looked up as we crossed under and I estimate there was 6 meters clearance from the top of my mast. My mast height above the water is 19.5 meters with antenna’s.

Must remember that if I get a bigger yacht!!!

We had no trouble navigating the Broadwater and we motored into Southport Yacht Club to fill up with fuel. Bruce met his brother and his dad and then ran off for a burger and chips. Bruce returned with some food for both of us and we hurriedly scoffed the burger and said our goodbyes and headed back up the Broadwater for and exit across the Gold Coast Seaway bar.

23rd Oct Mooloolaba to Blaksley Anchorage 69nm

The tide was quite low in the morning and I was a little nervous going out but I need not be. We followed the same track we came in on and there were no dramas. The swell had subsided and the wind was blowing Southerly at 14 knots.

We motor sailed all the way to Blaksley Anchorage and arrived there at 5pm.

There was a major weather alert with big storms.

It was cool and we had a hot shower and a cold beer. We were the only ones at the anchorage.

Another long day and did not catch a fish despite trolling from Mooloolaba.

It was a great sunset after a long day

21st 22nd Oct Mooloolaba Marina

The weather in Mooloolaba was not great. We had some very heavy rain on Sat 21^st so we were stuck in the yacht for a while. Alan and Sue Pick rang and invited us to their place on the canal for a nice dinner of prawns and red emperor. Maureen came and collected us and took us home so we were kept dry.

Sunday Maureen collected us and took us shopping and Sandy and Eric drove up from Brisbane to see us. I cooked a nice lunch of Spanish mackerel that Eric caught leaving Lady Musgrave and we had a very enjoyable afternoon.

That evening Bruce and I prepared the yacht for an early morning departure and then headed off for one of the best Pizzas I have had in Mooloolaba. I was not very hungry after our big lunch but needed to eat a little. We had a few beers with it. We did not have a late night and we were in bed by 10pm with a very full stomach from our late lunch and our late dinner.

20th Oct Pelican Bay to Mooloolaba 68nm

I was awake at 5 am and quickly studied the weather maps and the forecasts. I checked the wind observations at Double Island Point.

The wind had subsided right on que as the weather bureau predicted and it looked right for a crossing.

Flat water was at 8.15am at the bar which is some 6nm from where we were anchored.

We would need to leave at 7am at the latest to have the most favourable conditions.

Car ferry at Inskip Point at sunrise going to work

There was a 100 ft power boat anchored with us and they weighed anchor at 6am and headed out. I called them on the VHF radio and asked if they would provide us with conditions of the bar report, which they agreed to do. They motored out at 9 knots and we could track them on the AIS. After they crossed the bar the skipper radioed us and said conditions were not good. 3 meter waves with tops breaking.

That was not good news and it saddened me because if we could not get out today we would be stuck there for another 5 days.

I pondered and pondered and kept thinking that this big yacht is huge at a 100 foot and it said it was not pleasant then our 44 yacht would not enjoy it at all.

The only saving grace would be that they went 2 hours ahead of the high tide. The other factors to consider was that the swell was from the east and not the south east and the wind was from the east. These are all factors in our favour. The 3m swell with breaking tops was not a factor in our favour.

I saw other boats making preparation and we heard several log onto Coast Guard at Tin Can Bay for a crossing.

I had a big dilemma. Things can go very wrong when trying to stick to a schedule.

I made the decision we were going to go and informed Isabella that we were going to go to reference point 2 and if it looked really bad we would abort and return.

We weighed anchor at 6.45am and headed out. The mad mile (the long trench on the way out) was like a washing machine. I have seen it worse. We were pushing 2 knots of current so progress out was 4 knots SOG.

We were following several other boats so it was a bit of procession. If any pulled out and returned then I would too.

We received a radio report from a catamaran in front of us Skedaddle. The skipper said while it was hairy he managed to avoid all breaking top waves.

Decision made to progress.

Kokomo V traveling with us

We made it across the bar unscathed and never took any white water on top. A big relief. 3 meter breaking top waves are a bit scary and you have to be on the ball.

Hard to see how big the waves are on a camera. watch the yacht behind us and you will get a feel for it

Big wave breaking behind us

From there on it was a motor sail all the way to Mooloolaba.

Dolphins and whales were spotted along the way and the large rolling south east swell made it somewhat uncomfortable. However, it was great to get out of the bar and be on our way.

Arrived at the entrance to Mooloolah River which has another bar crossing. This one is also treacherous as the sand bar shifts regularly and this time was no exception. The huge strong easterly swells had pushed the sand bar out into the middle of the channel. Notice to Mariners and regular VHF updates by Coast Guard Mooloolaba gave us lots of warnings. However some did not read the NTM or listen to the broadcasts on VHF and paid the consequences. One yacht that came with us over the Wide Bay Bar and was travelling about an hour ahead of us attempted to cross the bar from the east instead of from the western side and ran aground for 30 minutes while getting pushed across the bar with each big swell.

That must have been frightening.

We docked at 4.30pm and tidied up the yacht and had a beer and a big sigh of relief. The nerves were frayed and on edge and it will take a few days to calm down.

Bruce and I went to the Surf Club for a steak and a long-awaited walk. We had not been off the yacht since we left Bundaberg. 7 Days!!!!

19th Oct South White Cliffs To Pelican Bay (Tin Can Bay) 18nm

It was so good to wake up to sunshine and less wind. It felt calm. At 8am we weighed anchor along with Isabella and headed off for Tin Can Bay. We have to cross the shallow area of Boonlye point but after that it is all easy. On the rising tide we crossed comfortably and had an uneventful motor down towards Pelican Point. On arrival at Elbow Point the swell from the Ocean was coming into the straits and the wind was a lot stronger than where we left the calm anchorage hours before.

Thinking that Pelican Bay would not be a good anchorage we tried to anchor at Elbow Point but the wind against tide was just horrific and there would be a real danger of the chain getting wrapped around the keel.

We pulled the anchor up in search of a better anchorage. I motored down to Inskip point and found it was reasonable there so we dropped anchor along with several other yachts that were hoping a Friday exit over the Wide Bay Bar would be possible.

We settled down and ate lunch and tried to catch some whiting but there were only toad fish and nuisance fish that we caught. After half an hour we lost interest and gave up.

The worry about tomorrows bar crossing continued all day with a detailed study of the weather maps and wind readings and the tidal info kept us guessing if it would be possible or not.

We prepared the yacht for a crossing in case it was possible and the decision was made to go and if conditions were bad we would abort.

There were no 5 o’clock drinks in preparation and after an early dinner we had an early night.

15th 16th 17th 18th Oct South White Cliffs

When I woke in the morning I was listening to the ABC and heard we had 120ml of rain. Some nearby areas had over 200ml.

Dinghy full of water after night rain

Rained all day

It continued to rain all day which kept us inside. All we could do is read books and do the internet things like read emails and look at the weather which we did every 4 hours hoping for a change.

This lasted for 5 days.

Finally, on day 5 the rain eased but the wind gusts were still there.

Tomorrows forecast is better so we will most likely move down to Inskip Point and wait for a possible Wide Bay Bar crossing on Friday. (today being Wed)

The anchorage is probably the best when sheltering from strong wind warnings for 4 days. It is good holding in sand and mud. Water flat so no swells and no rolling. Just swing back and forth at the mercy of the tide and the wind.

This is what anchor watch looks like after 5 days.

14th Oct Port Bundaberg to South White Cliffs 61nm

We woke and completed the usual ablutions and had breakfast.

At 8.30 we cast off the mooring lines and headed out to the channel and exited the Burnett River.

It was grey and overcast and not too much wind so it was motor sailing all day.

Along the way we hooked two big Mac Tuna ‘s but let them both go. We have sufficient fish in our freezer to get us through to Sydney.

We arrived at the fairway buoy at 3pm and we had a good incoming tide pushing us along.

The plan was to anchor at Deep Creek but when we got there and with the high tide it was very deep. Approx 20 meters in parts. We decided to go to South White Cliffs as that is shallower but does not offer as much protection as Deep Creek.

The forecast is a strong wind warning for the Fraser Coast. Where we anchored is some 8nm from the eastern side of Fraser Island but we will still get the strong gusts of wind.

While at anchor we tuned into the radio and heard an ABC weather warning alert. Possible thunderstorms with gusts to 48 knots.

We had drinks on Isabella and dinner back on Billabong.

The rain started and did not stop all night along with some very strong gusts.

12th Oct 13th Oct Port Bundaberg

We all had a good sleep as you generally do when tied to the safety of the dock. At least the skipper does! We had a casual breakfast and a coffee at the café while doing laundry duties.

I hired a car for two days so we can collect change over crew member Bruce from the airport today and drop Maureen and Eric off at the train station tomorrow.

We headed off into town at 10am and first stop was the Bundaberg brewery to purchase some chocolate coffee rum liqueur that you can only purchase at the Brewery Outlet shop.

That job completed, we went to Sugarland and had lunch at the food hall and bought some supplies at the supermarket.

2pm Bruce arrived at the airport and we picked him up and returned to the marina.

Maureen booked the restaurant for 7pm and Eric purchased a kilo and a bit of prawns so we had an entrée of prawns before dinner.

The dinner was wonderful with the crew buying in appreciation of our wonderful trip.

Back on Billabong we had several night caps before retiring.

The next morning, we had a hurried breakfast before departing to take Maureen and Eric to the train station. Once they checked their bags in we had a nice coffee near the station before we said our farewells.

Bruce and I headed off to the supermarket to collect more supplies in readiness for our departure tomorrow. We came back to the marina where we ordered a seafood platter for two from the Ocean Food supplies next door to the marina office. They do a deal whereby you get a $55 platter for $40.

It has to be the best value seafood I have had in years apart from what I catch myself.

Bruce shouted for my belated birthday which was very nice of him.

After lunch we took Judy and Martin into town for shopping and handed back the car at 4.30pm before the office closed.

Friday evening at the Bundaberg Port Marina they have what is known as the Cruisers BBQ where the marina puts on the BBQ and the cruisers bring the accompaniments. It’s a great evening to catch up with others and exchange stories and learn from others experience.

It rained but it was still comfortable in Cruisers Corner. A very nice add on where cruisers can meet and cook a meal any time.

It is a great friendly marina with everything a cruiser needs.

Back to the boat for a night cap and into bed.

11th Oct Lady Musgrave Island to Port Bundaberg 57nm

The forecast meant another day of motor sailing. That is all we have done but you cannot have it both ways. Idyllic locations such as Lady Musgrave are best enjoyed with this light weather.

We departed at 7.30am and followed our track that we came in on the way out. It was a bright sunny morning so looking into the east as we motored slowly to the entrance made it difficult to see. Maureen and Eric were up the front with polarising sun glasses and they were looking for any coral heads.

We exited without drama and we were on our way.

Exiting Lady Musgrave Reef. Fairfax Island in the back ground

10 minutes after we exited the green zone we put the lines in and before we had left Lady Musgrave in the distance we hooked another lovely Spanish Mackerel. Eric wound this one in so it was his fish.

Eric's Spaniard.

It was a bright sunny day until the clouds closed in but not enough wind to fully sail so it was motor sailing all the way.

We caught another Mac Tuna but let it go.

We arrived at Port Bundaberg at 4pm and filled up with diesel before docking into our pen.

Drinks and dinner were on Isabella with the usual crumbed mackerel which was absolutely delightful.

We returned to Billabong and had a night cap and we were in bed again by 9.30pm.

10th Oct Lady Musgrave

Because we went to bed early we were up early to see the sunrise. It was shaping up to be another beautiful day in paradise. Cannot believe how we have been blessed with such great weather on this entire voyage so far.

After breakfast we took the dinghy to the inside of the outer reef for a snorkel. Eric and Maureen were with me in the dinghy and we found a spot to put the anchor down in a sandy spot. We were getting ready for a snorkel when Maureen decided to do as they do in a dive boat exit with a backward summersault without warning. Eric and I were sitting on one side of the dinghy and of course with our weight the whole lot tipped over. We had the motor upside down. We were trying to right the dinghy but it was too difficult. I grabbed the SUP and knelt on that and got the dinghy back up the right way. Of course, the motor was full of sea water. Lucky Martin and Judy were with us and came to the rescue and towed us back to Billabong. We lost Eric’s mask and snorkel as that went to the bottom. Luckily, I retrieved my hat and sunglasses and my underwater camera was around my neck.

Back at Billabong we quickly took the motor up to the back of the yacht and rinsed all the salt water out around the engine. We drained the fuel tank and that had a heap of salt water in the fuel. We undid the fuel line and filter and got as much water out as we could. Took off the air filter on the carburettor and cleaned that out. Sprayed Inox over all the electrics and waited for it to dry out a bit. Eric suggested to put some small amount of methylated spirit into the fuel tank as that assists in drying up the water.

We sat back for half an hour and had a cup of tea. Maureen was very upset about what she had done to us and we consoled her that everything would be ok.

After many pulls of the cord it finally sputtered into life. Hopefully the engine will be saved.

We put the motor back on the dinghy and took it to shore for our lunch time BBQ of chicken sausages. I was hoping that leaving it in the sun on the beach will dry it out fully and I will spray more Inox into it.

We had a lovely walk through and around the Island. It is much smaller than North West Island.

Under the shade of a tree we had our BBQ sausages. It was warm in the sun and the breeze was gentle and cooling under the tree. We could observe the Turtles and Rays going about their business.

Lady Musgrave Island

At 2 pm we went back to the yachts to prepare for an afternoon snorkel. This time better prepared.

We went to an inside reef in the lagoon and it was pretty. Full of fish and coral. A rather large reef shark circled me so I was able to get a good photo.

It was like swimming in an aquarium

Great visibility

Black Tipped reef shark

Brain Coral

Back onboard Billabong and after showers we had another lovely evening with gentle breeze.

Would have loved to have had more time to enjoy Lady Musgrave but we have to move on.

9th Oct North West Island to Lady Musgrave Island 65nm

We had a 4am start to get to Lady Musgrave at a suitable time for the entry into the lagoon.

Our biggest issue was the current. We were pushing the tide for the first 6 hours which added 6nm to our journey as it was slowing us a knot on average. I made matters worse as I had never seen Mast Head Island and wanted to go past that. That added another 5nm.

It was a long day motor sailing all day and would have been boring apart from all the fish we were catching. We caught 6 Tuna. Kept 2 smallish Big Eye Tuna for sashimi and dinner and a Mac Tuna for bait.

We arrived at Lady Musgrave at 2pm and it was a very easy entry through the narrow entry to the lagoon. The sun was bright and it was easy to see the coral heads.

So nice to be here again. It is a jewel in the paradise of the Great Barrier Reef.

We launched the dinghy and blew up the inflatable SUP for some exercise and coral viewing.

I gave the bottom of Billabong a clean to get the hull in good shape for the trip south. There was quite a bit of growth and it was obviously slowing us down a little on our long legs.

Drinks and a lovely sunset behind the Island made it a very pleasant evening.

Sunset at Lady Musgrave

We played a bit of music after dinner and listed to some funny songs but we were too tired after an early morning start and we were in bed by 9pm

8th Oct North West Island

3am we were all awake with constant roll of the yacht. The wind was keeping us broadside to the swell and it was not comfortable at all. The tide changed and kept the stern into the swell but the constant crashing of waves into the stern was not allowing us to return to sleep.

We were all up at sunrise and boiled the kettle for our early morning cuppa.

Breakfast along with big rolls in the swell made it a little uncomfortable so the decision was made to relocate to the NW preferred anchorage as per the Curtis Coast cruising guide. That was the right decision. Isabella followed us and in the afternoon the other yacht Skylark joined us.

We launched the dinghy and headed to shore for a walk on the Island.

The water was crystal clear and just a delightful turquoise colour. The beach sand was white as white.

Crystal Clear Waters of North West Island

The Island had a Turtle cannery operating in the 1920’s which closed in 1928 due to Turtle soup becoming unpopular. That was a good thing as there are so many turtles around this island in the clear waters. The sea life is prolific as well as the Black Noddy Terns nesting.

Black Noddy Tern

Talk about sex on the island.

Turtles were at it. Rays were at it, Birds were at it, Sharks were at it, Fish were at it, and even sea snails were at it!!

Turtles mating

Shark School

Rays Mating

Fish courting

Noddy Terns mating

Sea Snails

It was amazing to see so many activities of the marine life.

We had a fantastic walk around the Island which was approx. 3.6 km.

2 large turtles courting?

A big Turtle leaving the beach

3 Turtles behind the tree which shows the erosion that occurs with cyclones.

Turtle Tracks

Team photo

White sand and turquoise waters

Billabong at anchor outside the fringing reef.

We returned to the yacht for lunch and a swim. Eric and I took the dinghy for a fish but not to any success. They say the island has been hammered by fishos that come out for a week.

It was a lovely sunset and we witnessed “The Green Flash” as the sunset. This is a rare phenomenon seen by few. It has to be the right conditions with a clear sky over water not polluted by smog or industrial pollution.

The green flash that was not captured in this photo

We really enjoyed this Island and I will be determined to revisit again one day. It made for great conversation over evening drinks and dinner.

7th Oct Roslyn Bay to North West Island 54nm

6am the alarm went off for an early morning start. We had to get to North West Island by 2pm so that we can see any reef when we arrived. I have never been there so it was prudent to be able to see where anchoring.

Breakfast consumed on the way and lots of coffee and relatively smooth seas made it a pleasant journey although a bit boring until the lines screamed off with a fish.

We caught a good size Spotted Mackerel and a medium size Big Eye Tuna. That was lunch and dinner sorted.

Eric and Sandy with their prized catch

We arrived at North West Island at around 3pm and deliberated where to anchor. We chose the SW part of the Island as it appeared to be the least wind and mainly that another yacht anchored there. It was all in sand at about 9meters deep so no need to fear getting caught on a coral bommie. My preference was the NW area in front of the main beach which shows nicely on the charts. The wind was light from the NE so would not be a problem. My big concern is the SE swell that bends around the island.

We could not go ashore as it was low tide and the Island is not accessible until the high tide.

We settled down with a swim off the back of the yacht which was more like a dunking as the tide was fierce and had evening drinks with sashimi entrée and cooked tuna steaks for dinner and had an early night.

6th Oct Great Keppel to Roslyn Bay 9nm

I was up early to have a cup of tea so that I could go for an early morning snorkel on the fringing reef near where we anchored.

It was good exercise and the coral was reasonable with the clear water but all seemed colourless and there were no vibrant colours.

Lots of fish but not a place I would recommend snorkelling although it is a marine park.

I returned to the yacht for a 9am departure to Roslyn Bay to reprovision a few items.

We arrived at 10.30 which gave us time to fill the yacht with water and wash it down before taking the courtesy car into town.

Eric and Maureen came with me and we had a nice coffee and pie in town for lunch after gathering the supplies.

Back to the marina to pack things away and commence the laundry.

Maureen and I walked to the fish co-op and purchased some fresh cooked tiger prawns so that we could have an entree on Billabong with sunset drinks before going to the Waterline restaurant for a birthday dinner.

Only one candle for the 62 year old.

Another very pleasant day.

5th Oct Pearl Bay to Great Kepple 56nm

Today is my birthday. I have made it to 62.

I was up early at around 6am before Maureen and Eric were up and sat on deck with a cup of tea thinking how lucky am I to be living this dream of cruising along the coast and experiencing the magnificent surrounds of Pearl Bay. There were turtles, fish, birds all going about their business. They spend their entire day hunting and gathering. Man used to until the modern era of super markets evolved. I still love the challenge of hunting and gathering my own food from the sea.

It certainly is rewarding and far healthier than buying meat.

After a quick breakfast we readied the yacht for another day of motor sailing.

Once we left the safety of Pearl Bay we were accompanied by a reasonable swell for the entire way to Great Keppel Island.

Not a lot happened until we saw a mother whale teaching her calf to breach. That was a bit exciting.

Lunch we had BBQ lamb sausages on the way.

No fish were caught although we had two hook ups and lost both.

We anchored in Monkey Bay on the west side of the island to avoid the swell and the constant 10 knots of wind.

We launched the dinghy and had a walk on the beach with Isabella crew and Tilley the dog.

A selfie on the beach at sunset

Crab balls on Monkey Beach

We had another amazing sunset

I had to wash my birthday suit before I could go for drinks

Drinks were on Isabella where we consumed some very nice spring rolls which we decided after that they were going to be our dinner.

We returned to Billabong and consumed a bottle of red and some cheese and biscuits. We certainly were not hungry after the lamb sausages for lunch.

It was a lovely day and a great way to spend a birthday on the Coral Coast.

9pm came and the lights were out.