Wind   10 – 15 knots SE  Sunny

The new skipper couldn’t sleep much due to nerves so up at 5:30 in preparation although there wasn’t much to do as I had done it all the previous night. Paul from Moor R & R came across in his dinghy at 7:00 to help unravel the bridal from the anchor chain as it had become very tangled from the strong winds and tides in the inlet. We completed that task and pulled up the anchor then Paul left for his boat as they were heading for Cape Capricorn.

I motored out of the inlet with Bojangles ahead of me, the SE swell coming round Bustard head as we entered the ocean was slightly uncomfortable.  Headed towards Gladstone Harbour on a course of 280 degrees. It felt very strange to be solo on board and just the first mate Morgan, not that she did much.

There was enough wind to pull the jib so we motor sailed for an hour then turned the motors off and sailed on the jib at 5knts. The screecher would have been better but I wasn’t putting it up on my own.

In the meantime John had rung saying the hospital had done all sorts of tests and couldn’t find anything wrong so kicked him out of the hospital at 3:00 am. He went down the road to a Red Cross house for the rest of the night.

The first mate and I negotiated the shipping channel in the busy Gladstone Harbour. These days you have to call up the Port of Gladstone on channel 13 to let them know you are entering the area due to the number of ships traversing it. The port area is approximately 15 nm long (27.7 Km) and the infrastructure surrounding the harbour has grown substantially since we were here in 2005.

We kept well to the side of the channel and sometimes outside it to give the massive ships plenty of room.

We arrived at the marina at about 1:30 where John who was waiting hopped into the marina work dinghy and came out to O’vive  to berth her as I wasn’t looking forward to that part.

John seems to still have some pain occasionally but more of a dull ache, we are still no wiser to its cause.

The marina rates are very reasonable only $59 per night compared to $84 at Mooloolaba.

Ordered Chinese takeaway for dinner with a delivery fee to the marina of $3 , pretty good.