Cid Harbor

These are from yesterday, and our crossing here to Nara Inlet. There is also one that I took of Dent island. The sailboat you see here is the one posted a couple of days ago with the tall mountainous Island behind them. This will be the last time we will see Bill on this journey as he is making his way North. The birds were visitors when at Cid Harbor. Today is Sue's Birthday, and I made a cake for her. We had dinner on their boat tonight.

Nara Inlet

We came into Nara Inlet yesterday. We are staying a few days here. Haven't had much luck with the fishing, but enjoy the tutle around anyway. Saw dolphins again today, but this time they were serious into the feed. We watch a pod herd a school of fish and then feed. they were coming out of the water after the fish. Bruce & I saw this one bait fish skip across the water, but this one skipped a good 500 metres at the least. It was walking on water to get away from the dolphin! each place is different from the one before. It was hot today. Spent most of the day in my swimsuit! 

travel buddies

We have mentioned Sue & Mike on Wanderer, and have had their photo while sitting in their dingy 'Happy', well here is a picture of their boat.We were anchored @ Shaw Island. There is another picture here of a sailboat, this is our friend Bill on 'Liason'. He came into Shaw Island anchorage, and the three of us traveled to Cid Harbor.  Bill is on his way to do the Indonesian rally. 

Cid Harbor anchorage

What a magic day. We went for a ride in our dingy. We drifted around listening to the birds, watching the butterflies, looking at land that has probably never been walked on the vegetation is so thick. We had turtles all around us. They would swim by pop their head up look at us have a breath, and then look again.  I tried to get a picture of one, but every time I got the camera out they would disappear. We stayed out for hours. Trying to catch dinner as well, but only little fish so we sent them back home. Small cod so that was promising. We will be here for another night or two!

Shaw Island

Well we had a bit of a wild night on Sunday night/ Monday morning. Around midnight we woke to find that we had dragged anchor! The wind was howling, and the rain was coming. We were both calm about the situation. Lucky that where we are anchored at the moment doesn't have many hazards. We were drifting towards the Whitsunday passage. Bruce went on the bow to get the anchor in, while I took the helm. Once the anchor was in and we could figure out where we were, we could start to make our way back to the anchorage. It would happen to be a new moon this night, and the skies were so dark. You couldn't see much of anything. Using the gps                  ( navigation equipment), and the anchor lights from the few other boats in the anchorage we got back in. There was one boat that had no lights on at all, and we knew he was somewhere in front of us when we were anchored before. Couldn't find him so that made a bit of a concern. Once anchored needless to say neither one of us could sleep. The wind was blowing at least 30 knots, and the islands here form what they call bullets off the land which take the wind and brust it off the land. Making the wind blow even harder. Last night we had some more of the same, but the wind wasn't as strong. We will just say our sleep was broken. We both had times where we were up checking out our situation. Winds are expecting to ease tomorrow, so we will most likely be moving on.

Now anchored behind Shaw Island

We moved here yesterday as this anchorage will give us a good place to ride out this next bit of weather. We are under strong wind warnings for the next few days as this low moves of the coast and a high pressure ridge moves in behind it. We have been lucky with the weather so far, and glad to be here in a safe anchorage. We are listening to the vhf radio and at the moment there is a boat in distress on one of the reefs.  Marine Volunteer Services are on their way to rescue them. With the new moon tonight the skys are very very dark, and the water is moving very fast as well. We didn't do much today. caught up on our emails, and tried to catch some fish from the back of the boat. We have a very unusual fish with us. He has been circling around the back of the boat. Keeps looking up at me. Wants nothing to do with my bait, but loves the bits of apple I tossed to him. I think he is a vegetarian fish! I got him to come up to the surface behind the boat to have a good look at him. Using our fish book (thanks Sam) we were able to identify him. It is a long fin bat fish about the size of 2 dinner plates. Talking on the radio to our friends about it, and one of the other boats mentioned " Don't eat the bat fish you will get sick!" Well that put's us up to date. We are now only a day's sail from Airlie, and are waiting the arrival of Kendra & Jerrica to arrive in 2 weeks from Florida. They are spending their summer vacation with us. I am so EXCITED!

Thomas Island here we come

We left Scawfell after a 2 day rest. We had a good time there.  It will be a place we look forward to going back to. There was a great area to dive on, but it is still a bit cold. We are now in the southern end of the Whitsundays. Had another nice trip to our next destination Thomas Island. Listening to the vhf as this is our only means for knowing what is happening with the weather. Looks like we will have some weather moving in. We will stay a night or 2 behind Thomas then look for a more secure anchorage. There is a low pressure that has developed south of here, and it looks like Mooloolaba is getting their share of high winds and rain again! Also hitting Brisbane and the Northern NSW coast line. We are coming into a new moon so tides are starting to become higher highs and lower lows, which means there is a lot more water moving.  The last picture is Scawfell behind us. The first & second pictures is a water spout I spotted as we were entering into the anchorage. We ended up with a pretty heavy thundershower over us later that night. With lot's of lightning, strong winds and really heavy rain. The rain was a good thing as we needed to wash the boat down she was so salty! ;o)

Scawfell Island

We left before sunrise to make our next landfall before dark. This happens to be the 15th of May. That was my fathers birthday. In honor of dad's birthday we trolled a couple of fishing lines. Fishing was one of his favorite things to do. We did get a big strike as I was speaking to him on the other side. We ended up losing the fish, which was probably a good thing because it was big whatever it was! I took a sunrise picture. We are planning on staying in Scawfell for a couple of nights at least because we are feeling a bit tired from all the early mornings, and the traveling. We are still traveling with our friends from Wanderer. They have been a big help in showing us ways in which they have traveled.  

Middle Percy Island

Onward we go. We left Hexham in the morning for a short run to Middle Percy Island. The weather is till good. This is a place that Bruce has been longing to go for sometime now. He has even prepared a plaque to nail on the wall of the famous A frame shed. It has been a tradition that passing yachts would leave a part of something from their boat. We spent one night there, but was ready to move on as the anchorage was a bit of a rollie one. More sunset pictures they seem to be getting better.

Hexham Island.

Hexham was a small but lovely anchorage.

It had the clearest water by far so far!

We also saw the most beautiful sunset there. 

The weather is still good!

We will move on in the morning.

We did do a bit of fishing here at Hexham, 

but nothing to eat. I did although have

a squid chase up one of the little fish

I caught, and Bruce watch in amazement a

tuna breaking the water behind 

the boat having a grand time tearing u the water.

I think I would have a hard time choosing which

off these sunset pictures is the best. 

What's your opinion?

Island Head Creek

We crossed the Tropic of Capricorn on our way to Island Head Creek. After leaving Great Keppel we had a 10 hr sail to Island Head Creek anchorage. It is a beautiful anchorage with lot's of fish activity, which we saw as we were leaving the next morning. We decided that we needed to move while we still have the weather window. It will be an anchorage we will go back to! Next stop Hexham Island.

Great Keppel Island

Well we had a break in the weather. We left Deception Creek this morning, and had a  GREAT sail! Finally I think that is the first good sailing weather we had since leaving Mooloolaba. Seas are a bit confused at the moment, so some of it was a bit like a washing machine. Anyway we are anchored now behind Great Keppel Island. This is where Samantha (one of our daughters) came for her schoolies! We have heard the resort has closed down. We will not have time  now to explore as while we have the good weather window we will continue on. Which means a very early start tomorrow. We will be raising anchor at 4:30 to make our next anchorage before it gets to late. I am posting a few pictures with this.  Leaving Deception Creek, with the sky's looking a bit green. (We had storm clouds around this morning.) There is one of us arriving here at Great Keppel. Notice the color of the water, it's starting to turn a clearer. Tropical Soul anchored and of course a sunset picture. Hope you don't get tired of the sunset pictures!

I would like to say hello and WELCOME to Jeff Eastman a new follower on our blog. Jeff & his wife Deborah were the original owners of our boat. They  had the boat for many years in San Francisco.

Deception Creek

Hello all. We are still anchored in Deception Creek. The winds have been strong, and late yesterday we got some rain. Listening to weather forecasts and picking a good time to continue up North. Looks like we will go tomorrow, or perhaps Thursday. I took this photo yesterday of 'Wanderer' in the anchorage with a rainbow on her bow. We have been making our way North in shared company with the couple pictured above, Mike & Sue from the Wanderer, on board their tender 'Happy'.  

The Narrows

We left Graham Creek this morning around 7 am to make our way through The Narrows. We had a rising tide this morning until 10:15 am. I posted one picture named the cattle crossing, which during low tide is high and dry. The sunset picture is here where we are anchored for the night in Deception Bay. I see why it may be called Deception Bay as we were coming in it was hard to read the bottom. It looked like shallow water, but in fact we were in 24 feet. The shallow water look is due to the dirt in the water running with the current in diffferent areas. Will stay here tomorrow as well. Checking weather reports as there may be a low forming near us. Tomorrow weather permitting we will go off in the dingy to explore the creeks upstream, and maybe catch a fish. ;o)

Bye Bye Gladstone

We left Gladstone this morning. Untied and slipped out of the berth at 7:45 a.m. We are making our way through what is called 'The Narrows'. To make your way through the Narrows you have to use the high or rising tide. There are areas that actually dry out on the low tide! We have stopped for the night in Graham Creek to wait for the rising tide in the morning. It is a pretty anchorage, and such a contrast to Gladstone with it's big industry. Once in Graham Creek all you see are the surrounding country sides of rolling hills , and Mount Larcom. To the left find a picture of Mt. Larcom from the anchorage. 

Gladstone

We have moved on! Left Pancake Creek this morning. In Gladstone for just a day or two to clean the boat, to catch up on laundry, and buy more groceries. I have some pictures to post. we had a full day when in Pancake to walk up to the lighthouse at Bustard Heads. If you look at the previous pictures you will see the lighthouse as we were coming towards the point. The couple in the picture were the caretakers we met up at the lighthouse. The others are people we met cruising.

Anchorage

Hello All,
We are still anchored in Pancake Creek. Winds are howling at the moment, so we are staying put for a few days. The signal here isn't very strong, so I will have to post pictures once in Gladstone.

We had a lovely walk yesterday all the way to the lighthouse, and then down to Jenny Lind Creek. What started out as a brief walk turned into an all dayer. Starting at 9 in the morning and walking until 4:30 in the afternoon. We went with Mike & Sue form the vessel Wanderer, and Paul a fellow we have just met through Mike & Sue, from a SV (sailing vessel) Sasha B. Was a GREAT day! That's all for now. Going to toss a line in the water and try to catch some dinner.

xo

Left Bundaberg and headed for Bustard heads or Pancake Creek. Got into the anchorage just past 4 pm. Looks like a spot we will like. Another pretty sunset. Bruce keeps saying it doesn't get any better then this then he eats his words as it does! ;o) We will be here for a few more days as there is much to explore. Clear waters and lot's of creeks.  The anchorage was invaded by 18 Riviera's  yesterday as they came flying in one after another. It really felt like an invasion! Today only a few remain and the anchorage is much quieter now!