Hello everyone,
Well here we go again for the last time.
On the 16/8 we left Deluge Inlet (Hinchinbrook Channel) in company with ‘Salacia’ & motored sailed down the Channel heading for Orpheus Is. – absolutely the most majestic scenery with these massive mountains coming right down to meet the sea. WOW!. Kev managed to hook a huge barramundi but sadly just as he almost got it up the back steps the line broke. Talk about the one that got away. He was broken hearted. From the end of the channel all the way across to Orpheus it was ‘dodge the whales’. Seems to be another favourite playing & resting area for them. It’s just sooo awesome to actually see the mother suckling the baby in the middle of the ocean. Beautiful animals.
Anchored at Orpheus & later that day Kev & Owen went on a very successful oyster hunt (AGAIN!). Will NEVER be able to pay $25/dozen in a restaurant ever again!
Left Orpheus on 21/8 to head for Magnetic Is. but the wind really increased & we blew the block on the main halyard so decided to pull into Fantome Is. for lunch & let the wind abate a bit. It’s an old leper colony so you can imagine all the horrible remarks the boys made. After all the oysters Kev’s been eating I was kinda hoping he might have caught a small dose (if you know what I mean!). After lunch we headed on down to lovely Havannah Is.. Kev caught another lovely big fish so we gave half to Di & Owen.
Next day saw us back in pretty Horseshoe Bay (Magnetic Is.) — hard to believe we’ve been so far north & back again in just 11 weeks. Decided to stay for a few days but whilst servicing the port motor Kev accidently broke the return fuel receiver so had to add that to our Volvo shopping list. Monday 25/8 I managed to organize a huge sausage sizzle in the park for any interested yachties & had a roll call of 30 people. Really great.
Made the decision to go on over to Townsville & wait in the harbour until our parts arrived –bloody awful!. It was like anchoring in the middle of a construction site. Within a day the boat was filthy. Townsville CBD is just atrocious but the Anzac Memorial Park & The Strand along the waterfront are just magnificent. Went to the Maritime Museum (fabulous) & Imax theatre to see ‘Elephant Kingdom’. Janeece, you would have been in heaven. It was amazing.
2/9 saw Kev head down, bum up in the engine room & fixed our port motor & replaced the thermostat in the HWS so now we’re back in tip top condition & ready to continue south.
Met up with Barb & Lyn from ‘Ke-La-We’ so had sundowners & decided to keep heading south on the 4/9. So up early & ‘pills popped’ & out of Townsville harbour on a forecast of 10-15NE. NOT TRUE! Just crossing Cleveland Bay & copped a 20 knot SE. Bugger. Seas picked up very quickly so turned left & went back into Horseshoe Bay for a couple of days. Managed to catch up with Di & Owen for lunch at the pub. They’ve left their boat in Nelly Bay marina to go home for 6 weeks so I guess we won’t see them for a while. We’ve had a fabulous time with them, just lovely people.
Finally departed for Cape Bowling Green on the 12/9 but still getting 10-15SE. Left next day for Cape Upstart & bashed & crashed in 18 knotSE all the way. Bloody awful However had a lovely anchorage there & stayed an extra day with ‘Ke-La-We’. Lo & behold would you believe Kev collected 32 of the best oysters we’ve had. We really have lived very well from the sea.
Left Upstart & motor sailed all the way to Gloucester Passage achoring at Monti’s Resort. Of course Kev caught another big fish on the way down so gave half to Barb & Lyn.
Departed Monti’s & once again motor sailed all the way to Airlie Beach. We decided to spend the next few weeks here in the Whitsundays as we had Rebecca fly up for a few days & then awaiting the arrival of Lorraine & Baz on the 7/10 to have a week with us. Then Simba & I will drive home with them & my part of our sailing epic is over.
Kev has Scott & his mate coming up for 10 days & hopefully other friends will join him on the way back to Yamba.
Can’t believe the adventure is almost over. It’s now been 6 months since we left home. They say catamarans can’t sail upwind but we have just completed 550 nautical miles up wind all the way(Kev is hoping to be going downwind real soon.) Mind you being a fabulous Lightwave may have something to do with it!
So in summary (as I will be getting off the boat on the 13/10 & Kev won’t have time for more newsletters) we have travelled 2,000 nautical miles or 4,000 kms (for you land lubbers). It’s been absolutely fantastic & we’ve made some friends to keep forever. Our lovely yacht has served us well. It’s just amazing how many Lightwaves we’ve come across in our travels.
Now I’m soooo looking forward to seeing everyone (especially kids & grandkids) and getting ‘Rivers Bend’ ready for family Christmas at Ashby.
For those of you who are interested I shall list below all our anchorages on our journey so far;-
Left on the 13/4 from Iluka harbour then
Gold Coast, Moreton Bay, Mooloolaba, Fraser Is, Bunderberg,Pancake Creek, Hummocky Is, Great Keppel Is, Pearl Bay, Hexham Is, Hunter Is, Curlew Is, Mackay, Newry Is, Thomas Is, Whitsundays, Woodwark Bay, Gloucester Passage, Bowen, Cape Upstart, Cape Bowling Green, Magnetic Is, Orpheus Is, Dunk Is, Mourilyn Harbour, Fitzroy Is, Cairns, Port Douglas, Hope Is, Cooktown, Lizard Is.
Departed Lizard Is. on 27/7 to to
Hope Is, Low Isles, Port Douglas,Fitzroy Is, High Is, North Barnard Is, Goold Is, Cardwell, Hinchinbrook Channel, Orpheus Is, Fantome Is, Havannah Is, Magnetic Is, Townsville, Cape Bowling Green, Cape Upstart, Gloucester Passage, Airlie Beach then cruised the Whitsundays for a month.
My favourite stops were Great Keppel, Magnetic, Hope Is & Whitsundays.
Kev’s favourite were Great Keppel, Havannah, High, Low Isles & Lizard.
I hope you’ve enjoyed sharing our journey and as Kev says ‘always keep the water on the outside!’
Lotsa love & see you all real soon
Paddy, Kev & Simba
