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.