Wind   E  NE 10 – 15   Sunny    55 nm

Headed off about 6:30 with no wind and plenty of current against us. The current seemed to have an east west flow for most of the morning as we made little headway only averaging 4 knots. Once we cleared Thirsty Sound it changed for the better and we were able to pick up speed slightly with the main and screecher up.

Morgan and I sat up the front on the dolphin seats and watched for marine life as we glided over the glassy sea. Plenty of small crabs passed us and flared their nippers every time we came close to them. Not sure how they thought they would attack us.

not my photo

A beautiful yellow and black Leopard shark was basking on the surface then lazily filcked its long caudal fin to move out of our way passing down the side of the boat. He was spectacular to look at with his bright yellow colouring but sadly they are on the vulnerable list as apparently they make good shark meat. Morgan was very excited to see him along with  the schools of blue iridescent flying fish that skipped across the water as we disturbed them.

We reached Port Clinton at 3:30 with no fish on the line much to John’s disappointment, the lures had been trolled all day with not even a touch. We anchored up the inlet at anchorage A not far from the beach but hopefully just out of reach of the sandflies.

Morgan and I took the dingy ashore for some well earned exercise. She was so excited to be on terra firma she raced up and down the shallows looking for the usual, fish, then dug holes in the soft sand. She was full of energy as she doesn’t usually dig holes. I wandered the beach and because a breeze was blowing wasn’t bothered by the sandflies.

No one had been on the beach for a while as no footprints were visible even above the high tide mark. I found a bright red small scallop shell amongst the debris on the tidal mark and spotted a colourful variegated Tun except it still housed its owner so I threw it back in the water.

Friz and John enjoyed an early beer on the boat listening to the cricket highlights of the day on the portable radio. A few sandflies made the journey across to the boat but some Bushman’s kept them at bay. We watched the sun sink slowly over the hills as we sat and had a beer and a Kaluah

Mince and cabbage stir fry for dinner then early to bed as we were all tired..

Well here we are again, ready to take the boat as far south as we can in the week then its back to work again. Hopefully we can get as far as Hervey Bay, winds allowing. At the moment we have favorable winds but not sure if they are going to last. We spent the last month getting the business up and running and catching up with everything.

 

Wind   E  10 – 15   Sunny    75nm

Up early to complete the last minute chores in anticipation of heading south. It didn’t feel very early as our bodies were operating on NSW  daylight savings time. The forecast was for easterlies 10 – 15 knts and a below 1 metre swell. It was hard to tell what the sea state was inside the marina as we were well protected by the high rock wall around it .

We have been joined by Friz our mate from Inverell who have been retired now since June and is eager to get some sailing miles under his belt.

We motored out  to the entrance channel and pulled up both the main and jib then headed on a course of 130°. The swell was sloppy as it was partly on the beam and we didn’t have our sea legs either.

Not far from shore two schools of fish were slashing and churning up the water. The inevitable happened and we had two  fish on the rods at the same time. We furled the jib, turned into the wind only to be disappointed as both of them were large Tuna Macs. It was their lucky day as we didn’t need any bait so they were returned to their fishy quarters.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The day was very long with little to look at. John pulled in what he thought was a Spanish mackerel but it freed itself just as it reached the boat resulting in Friz and my ears ringing with colourful swear word courtesy of the captain.

We alternated shifts on the helm with reading, Mulligan Geotechnical work and sleeping as everyone adjusted to sea life again as the constant movement of the boat, waves, sun, ocean noises and humidity  wore us out.

We arrived at the Duke islands at 6:30 and sailed down Lola – Mantes passage between Marble and Hunter. All the Duke islands have been grazed at some time and we could see a herd of red deer on a spur on Marble. They were extremely flighty and looking for a place to hide even though we were a kilometre from them and on the water. The homestead and surrounding buildings were obviously occupied as a runabout  was pulled up onto the beach.

 

Coming out the bottom of the passage we dropped the sails and motored round to the western side of Hunter. The anchorage was lovely and calm and would make a good anchorage in south easterlies.

The pick was dropped in 5 metres of water and we just had time to enjoy happy hour before the sun subsided over the horizon.

Garlic chicken with chat potatoes  and steamed greens pulled us up for the day, so with no TV reception we headed for bed.

This morning was our last morning together with Dave and Laura and John and my last day of being meanderers.

Once we get to Mackay we will hire a car and head home , out of retirement and back to the real world of work. It was fantastic while it lasted and obviously too good to be true. We hopefully will work on getting back into retirement at some stage in the not to distant future.

Morgs and I went for a walk past the airport to the only off leash area on Hamilton island, a dry sandy sports oval. We played ball until Morgan was puffing and panting which didn’t take long in the heat with her coat getting too long. We called for the boys to pick us up in the cart then went to the local cafe for breakfast.

After a quick trip to the lookout in the cart we headed back to Ovive for packing for Laura and Dave, and office work for us.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dave and Laura pushed us off about 10:45 which conveniently coincided with them having to be at the airport at 11;00. then we turned south.

Apparently we had a lovely sail past Shaw Is and the Goldsmiths, according to John. I only saw my computer and the inside of the boat. John made quite a few phone calls from the helm seat so the day was not as relaxing as we were used to.

We arrived at Mackay about 5:30 which wasn’t bad going and tied up on X45, exactly where we tied up back in June.

John secured the boat with extra mooring lines as we probably wont get back for three or more weeks while I lowered the screecher and stowed it in a locker. We took a stroll up to the bar and had a well earned beer and Kahlua and walk for Morgan.

Dinner was made up from scraps as we need to empty the fridges out tomorrow before departing Friday.

We have hired a car to be pick up at Mackay airport and drop off at Grafton airport as our cars are in Maclean. When we come back to Ovive it will be a quick trip down as we wont have much time and she needs to be back in Yamba by Christmas to avoid the cyclone season.

So I am signing off this blog until the next time we travel. Thank you to all who have read and enjoyed our travels and to friends we have met along the way who we  will keep in touch with.

 

Sunny  Wind under 10 knts from the east

We woke up to another calm, flat morning after a good nights sleep. Our visitors are getting used to sleeping on a boat with all its strange noises.

After scrambled eggs for breakfast we unhooked the mooring buoy and headed down the western side of Hook Island towards Hamilton Island. The going was slow as the tide was against us and there was little wind. We arrived outside busy Hamilton Marina at about one o’clock and were escorted to our birth on F arm by a concierge in a little flat boat.

The overnight cost for our boat was $130 which I suppose is not too bad considering Abell Point is $150 per night without a discount.

Morgan was not allowed on Hamilton without a permit. I had applied for a permit the night before and did not receive it until late on the day we arrived. I had to fill in a form with all her particulars, colour, breed , sex  etc and it said she must be under 10 kgs. Well she fasted very quickly before arriving.

We went ashore for a late lunch at the fish and chip shop where we were inundated by the local cockatoos and currawongs. The cockatoos were looking pretty unhealthy, I guess from eating a diet of junk food that they shouldn’t. They were missing crests, had deformed beaks, filthy feathers and generally looked unwell.

After lunch Dave and Laura explored Hammo by golf cart ($80 for 24 hours was better than $48 for one hour) and sussed out the best places to visit. John and I stayed on O’vive and completed  paperwork, something that neither of us really wanted to do. Oh how great it is to be out of retirement. Not!

At happy hour time John and Dave drove up to One Tree Hill cafe overlooking Fitzalian Passage between Whitsunday Island and Hamilton Island. Morgan and I joined them a little while later. Now that her permit had arrived and she was granted shore leave we could walk, as long as she didn’t go into the resort area. The walk up the hill was hot, tiring and very steep. We took a detour to the little picturesque chapel overlooking the water which would obviously hold many weddings .

 

 

 

 

 

We finally made it to the cafe and found a plethora of golf carts lined up with happy drinkers inside and at the lookout waiting for the sunset.

 

 

 

 

 

 

After sunset we descended the hill and back to O’vive to feed Morgan. We then took the cart along to the tavern for a last meal together. We have had such a great time for the last six days.

 

Wind 10 – 15 knts NE – E Sunny

Had a good quiet night last night anchored among ten other boats. The turtles this morning were as plentiful as they were when we came in yesterday. Popping their leathery heads up to take a breath and have a look around they seemed to be right at home with all the visitors in their bay.

By the time we had finished breakfast a few more boats had arrived to swell the numbers. Most were charter boats but a few more bareboats arrived as well. They were all heading ashore for the walk up to the lookout over Hill Inlet.

It was our turn to go ashore so leaving Morgan to mind Ovive we hopped in the dinghy and motored ashore to arrive amidst lots of firm young bodies off the charter boats.

 

We found them very helpful in dragging our dinghy up the beach.

 

 

 

 

The walk up to the lookout took about 20 mins and wound upwards through rocky outcrops and very dry vegetation. Laura was worried the English tourists would think all of Australia was dry like this.

We passed small groups of backpackers from the charter boats up and down the track. Part of their time ashore was spent lounging around and swimming on the sandy beach at the entrance to Hill Inlet.

The views from the lookout were breathtaking, they say the view is better at low tide as you can see the fusion of colours of the water. I thought at high tide it looked pretty good as well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Back to Ovive minded especially carefully by Morgan we could count 20 boats in the anchorage, all with groups heading for the lookout. Time to leave.

We sailed north on an easterly wind to Luncheon Bay round the top side of Hook Island.

Luckily for us the second mooring buoy on the eastern end was free so we picked it up.  We all donned our snorkelling gear and took the dinghy with Morgan in it to a little beach halfway along the bay. Morgan spent some time chasing a stick before I took her back to O’vive. Hook Island is a National Park so she wasnt really allowed on shore, especially as their were a few charter boats arriving. It is also a marine park.

The snorkeling was superb, the water was clear and the coral close to the surface. Fish of all varieties darted around and chewed at the coral. We swam amongst  beautiful coloured parrot fish, wrasse and trigger fish while brilliant blue fusiliers swam right up to our masks in the hope of getting fed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Apparently some of the charter boats throw fish pellets out while their snorkeling groups are in the water.

Dave and I saw a large coral trout that elusively hid below a shelf of coral so we only managed to get half of him in photos. There was so much variety and colours in the  coral ,fish and even clam shells.

The bay became rather busy with groups of snorkelers from different vessels seemingly all over the place so it was time for us to vacate our mooring buoy and let someone else have it. There is a two hour time limit on the buoys which allows for many boats to have the chance to snorkel in these great spots.

 

We sailed round the top of Hook to Stonehaven on the western side and picked up the last mooring buoy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A visitor arrived not long after we arrived, it seemed to think we might be a source of food, We tried feeding it a selection of vegetarian foodstuffs but it wasn’t interested. John got out the fresh bait we were saving for fishing with later and tossed it to the turtle. That was what it was waiting for, fish scraps. We fed it, stroked it, Morgan tried to kiss it even though she almost got nipped on the nose with its beak.and took heaps of photos and videos. It was a remarkable site, something we had never seen before. It wasnt at all frightened of people.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Morgan and I went for a paddle board while the others napped  , or should I say I paddled to shore while she watched for fish. The wind threatened to blow us round the corner as it was blowing straight across the anchorage making it a tough paddle. Morgan had a great time charging through the shallows after fish,. I saw a stingray buried in the sand and hoped she didn’t tread on any others.

For dinner we  used the last of the fish in pot pies accompanied by a large salad whipped up by Dave and Laura. No TV reception so The Bourne Identity was chosen for the nights entertainment.

Morgan and I went for a paddle board while the others napped  , or should I say I paddled to shore while she watched for fish. The wind threatened to blow us round the corner as it was blowing straight across the anchorage making it a tough paddle. Morgan had a great time charging through the shallows after fish,. I saw a stingray buried in the sand and hoped she didn’t tread on any others.

Wind 10 – 15 Nor East turning easterly in morning    Sunny Almost full moon

The night was a little rolly as occasional waves rolled in from Whitsunday Passage .

 

 

 

 

 

 

After breakfast of my favorite, fish in white sauce, David went for another snorkel. He said it wasn’t as good as yesterday as the tide was a lot higher and the sun had yet to rise to overhead for better visibility.

We headed round the bottom of Hook Is , hauled up the main and jib and sailed up through Hook passage with the lures out. We had a lovely sail down past Whitsunday island with Dave and Laura lounging around on the trampolines and pullpits and the boat averaging 6 knts. No fish though.

Whitehaven looked deserted, not the usual crowds and boats, just a couple of helicopters on the beach. We dropped Dave and Laura on shore for a Whitehaven  beach experience.

The pristine white beach stretches for 7 kms and is only accessible by boat or helicopter. Whitehaven Beach is known all over the world for its white sands. The sand consists of 98% pure silica which gives it a bright white color. Local rocks do not contain silica so it has been suggested that the sands were brought to the beach via prevailing sea currents over millions of years.

Unlike regular sand, the sand on Whitehaven Beach does not retain heat making it comfortable to walk barefoot on a hot day.

I took Morgan ashore for ten minutes to run in the shallows , she thoroughly enjoyed her land time, then back to Ovive where John and gave the hulls a touch up.

 

After lunch we sailed round to Tongue Bay just north of Whitehaven beach and anchored in 3 metres of water. There was a spare blue mooring buoy but we couldn’t pick it up as it was out of commission.

John put a line overboard but we seemed to get small nibbles or bitten off by large somethings. Several times we had to tie new tackle on and start again. John thought perhaps a shark. He caught a couple of small stripeys which we cut up for bait.

Dinner was a simple fare of corned silverside and steamed vegies followed by the movie Waterworld with Kevin Costner as Dave thought that would be appropriate.

 

 

Wind 10 – 15 knts from the Nor east Sunny

Before breaky we completed a few last minute chores . While attaching  the screecher back on its prodder arm we found the block on the end of the prodder was coming apart .John rode up to the wards to  buy a new block and $150 later we were able to raise the screecher  without any problems.

Dave and Laura walked, while John and I rode, and Morgan ran. along the boardwalk to the Fat Frog for breakfast. As usual breakfast was very tasty and enjoyed by all of us except Morgan who was expecting bacon and only got poached egg as a tidbit.

I  detoured via the plaza to pick up sea sick tablets for Laura and a newspaper for John then rode back to the marina in readiness for departure.

John maneuvered Ovive  out of her pen and we headed out towards Hook Island. At first the wind was on the nose so we motored north in the hope of changing to enough angle to sail. We gained enough angle to turn  more towards the south and were able to sail . It was a lovely serene sail, we glided along at 6 knots ,put the lures out and relaxed.

Dave pulled in a small spotted mackerel that when John netted it unhooked itself and we nearly lost it. No such luck for the spotty, it was destined for the pan.

The tiny bay of False Nara looked flat and apparently  good snorkeling. We picked up a mooring buoy , and sat back and ate chicken rolls while watching a group of snorkelers off Waltzing Matilda flounder around in the water.

After lunch we headed into the water for a snorkel. The water quality was slightly murky making viewing of the coral in the deeper areas difficult. In shallow , viewing was good with quite a few fish species darting around.

Later back on Ovive we fished but only managed fish a little too small to keep. John pulled in a beautiful Red Emperor but he was lucky and got to live another day.

 

A decent size sweetlip finally made it to the filleting board, should be tasty for breakfast.

John cooked us mackerel with a sweet and sour sauce for dinner accompanied by salad and chat potatoes.

Sunny 10  – 15 knots North easterly

Another beautiful day in Airlie, still can’t get over the beautiful azure colour of the water.

We had booked the free  marina car for the 8:30 to 10 time slot with the intention of grocery shopping. Instead we took a drive to Shute Harbour to show Dave and Laura a little of the area. The scrub along the roadside was dry and brittle looking, obviously in desperate need of rain.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The rest of the day was spent on Mulligan Geotechnical work  ( new company name), and a couple of boat chores. John and Dave hauled me up the mast to check the connections on the wind instrument. I should have taken my camera up there as the views were excellent. None of the wiring was exposed  and I got a good look at everything so I know whats up there now.

Laura spent the day checking out the main street and its shops and getting her vitamin D levels up at Shingley Beach.

After work John and I rode into town for an ice cream then stopped at Sorrento’s for a few beers. It was Sorrento’s 5th birthday so we were offered free nibbles.

We ate dinner upstairs and Laura who has been a vegetarian for a year and a half ordered seafood marina and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Tomorrow we head out for a few days.

Sunny 10 – 15 knt Northerly

How about that, northerlies at last and we aren’t going south. Oh well all our sailing friends will be happy. More office work today and some boat chores which were a pleasant change from paper work.

We changed the oil in the sail drive. It was a tricky job  squashed in the engine bay syringing the oil out of the reservoir and into an empty water bottle but the task was completed. The old oil was very burnt and had lost some of its viscosity.  The boat needed a tidy as we had neglected it over the last few days so it got a spruce up and wash as well. The boat repairs have been finished and now we have a lovely light bridal, a new vang strap and bolts in the gooseneck instead of rivets. Tomorrow we shall try and calibrate the wind instrument before we leave on Saturday.

Dave and Laura arrived at 4:00 and after  familiarisation with the boat we walked into Airlie.

We enjoyed a pleasant stroll along the boardwalk and beachfront to the yacht club.

Laura is coming back to Airlie in March for a wedding at the Whitsunday sailing club Pavilion, a lovely Balinese style pagoda out on the point and she wanted to see the site.

 

A yacht had been blown onto the breakwall surrounding the yacht club and is slowly breaking apart. It was a shame to see the lovely old girl come to such a sad end. She still had a lot of her equipment on her, even the radar was still attached and the furler looked to be in good shape. It was scary looking at it thinking how easy this can happen. Apparently earlier that day a catamaran Cool Runnings had crashed into the rocks on Boathaven Beach near the lagoon .The boat was wrecked but salvaged the next day.

 

 

 

 

 

On the way home we stopped at Barcelonas, our favourite restaurant on the deck overlooking the marina. We ordered 8 tapas and it was nearly too much to eat but somehow we finished it all.

It was a very pleasant evening with a guitarist singing an excellent selection of songs in the corner.

Well the good times don’t last long, retirement was short lived but thoroughly enjoyable. Its back to the grindstone to coin a phrase. The fellow we sold our company to struggled to make a go of it so the bank has taken it back. Either we lose all the money he owes us or we buy it back and try to build it up again and resell it.

The latter was a better option for our retirement plans back we go.

The last days have gone past in a blur of phone calls and emails as we try to restart a company without infrastructure and personnel, especially the admin staff. From dawn to midnight we’ve been busy organising work, personnel and everything else required to get a company back on its feet. Lucky we’ve seen Airlie before as we’ve been closeted in the boat  with poor Morgan  getting fatter laying around  sleeping.

Our plans have changed. After Dave and Laura have spent the week with us we will sail the boat down to Mackay and leave her in the marina for two to three weeks and fly or drive home to sort things out. Once the initial sorting out is done we will come back up and sail her down to Yamba on a reasonably fast trip, that is as long as we have northerlies not those nasty south easterlies.

On a more enjoyable note on the first night we arrived here we caught up with Chris , Mick and Todd Bleach from Yamba on Curlew. We savoured a lovely meal at Sorrentos in wonderful company . They a have a few days to spend in the Whitsundays then are migrating south with all the other sensible yachties.

We managed a trip to the chandlery  at Jubilee Pocket yesterday to buy the parts for the repairs and in between phone calls we are  madly trying to get them done before our guests arrive.

The blog will continue as long as we are on the boat.