Wind 10 -1 5 knts                               High tide 7:15   Low tide 1:30

Just another lovely calm morning although there was a ripple on the water making coral viewing more difficult as Morgan and I paddled the kilometre to shore. We did see a turtle though and three black stingrays dash across the bottom. ( I wonder if they were Stingys mates, Abe?)

Back on Ovive John caught a medium sized Collared bream which would have been thrown back had he not been greedy and swallowed both of Johns hooks, one was in his belly and one in his mouth.

By the time I got back breaky was ready. Today it was red emperor with a garlic, sweet chili fish jus. Very delicious.

Pulling the anchor was slow but manageable then we motored down to Esk Island opposite Whitehaven beach for lunch. Our stripper arm is not due in Airlie till next Friday as it has to come from New Zealand, we will probably have to get it sent further north.

Morgan and I paddled ashore to explore while John read Shane Warne.

Esk Island is roughly a tiny  20 acres of Hoop Pines, ferns and rocks with a lovely little beach stacked with dead coral. It would have been a great spot to pull up and watch the filming of the Pirates movie last week. By the way the coconut palms have miraculously disappeared off Whitehaven.

We left Esk Island and motored through the turbulent Solway Passage between Whitsunday and Hazelwood Island. The passage was swirling eddies and opposing currents and we dropped down from 7 to 4 knots.

Heading down the side of Hamilton we reached Gulnare inlet at 5:30 and anchored in 2 metres of water. Gulnare is an excellent anchorage in strong winds which is what we are expecting from midnight onwards. The forecast is for 15 – 25 knots tomorrow going up to 30 on Wednesday so we are booked into the marina at Abell Point for two days before we head for Townsville.

Fish pie for dinner and with the left over pastry blackberry parcels for dessert.