Wind  SE 10 – 15    Sunny  Low tide 4.28 pm                             15 nm

Left Woodwark about 11:00 and sailed towards Gloucester Passage south of Bowen with the main and jib goosewinged. We averaged 6 knts with a slight swell behind us .

 

 

 

 

 

The Abell Point yacht club were having a weekend outing to Montes ( a little bar on the beach just inside the passage) so we found ourselves amongst the flotilla. Jokes and stories and competions were happening over the radio so it became an interesting sail for us as we listened to their banter.

 

We arrived at the anchorage off Montes at about 2:00 and anchored fairly close to the shore just inside the second channel marker. We had about 1.8 under the keels and had about 2.5 hours to go to the bottom of the tide. As its a full moon there is about a 3 metre tidal range so we wont have much under the keel at dead low.

We enjoyed a late lunch overlooking the beach and other boats then dinghied ashore for drinks with Moor R & R at Montes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The tide was a long way out so we tied up to a cable anchored to a palm tree that could be pulled in as the tide rose. I played ball with Morgan and went for a walk while she looked for fish.

 

 

 

 

Enjoyed dinner at on a table on the beach with the sand between our toes with the crew from Moor R & R and Back Friday.

The meals were excellent and the setting was idyllic with the sun sinking behind Bowen in the distance.

 

In 2005 when we visited Montes with Megs it was a dingy little room with a small bar, these days it has an excellent restaurant, a fantastic deck overlooking the beach, another room, tables on the sand and a fireplace on the sand. Each year the Shaggers rendezvous is held here and these days they get 3000 people supporting the cause so Montes has been able to upgrade its facilities on a regular basis.