Tues 20th June Pancake Creek to Cape Capricorn 44nm

Breaky of eggs bacon and mushrooms before we pulled the anchor at 7:30. The others didn’t seem to be leaving yet as they had crab traps to pull in.

The wind was forecast 10 – 15 knts but didn’t do anything until 1:00.

We hoisted the screecher but could only manage 6 knts with the starboard motor running. The lure was out all day with not a touch.

Negotiating the anchoring ground for the bulk carriers waiting off Gladstone harbour was interesting as we could see what ports they were registered to even though they wouldn’t be taking their cargo anywhere near there.

The main cargoes loaded are coal, bauxite and caustic soda.

A lot of merchant ships flying Panama’s flag belong to foreign owners who wish to avoid the stricter marine regulations imposed by their own countries. Those registered in Monrovia, Liberia started as tax dodge for U.S.-based ship owners could crew their vessels without being subject to U.S. taxation. Now is just anyone who wants to avoid responsibility and liability for their ships that aren’t well maintained. Liberia make a reasonable amount of money out of this business though.

We reached Cape Capricorn at 3;30 and anchored in 3.7 metres of water affair way off the rocky beach below the slide rail and lighthouse.

Cape Capricorn has a lighthouse on it only accessible by boat or helicopter.. It was named by Captain Cook when he passed on 25 May 1770, since he found it to be located on the Tropic of Capricorn, however since then it’s been surveyed and the actual tropic of Capricorn is slightly south of the cape.23°30.

After lowering the dinghy, the three of us went ashore to explore in the last daylight hour.

There was a concrete walkway that led to the beach below the slide rail but it had broken and fallen apart since we were here in 2009. It was quite difficult for Morgan to manage it with her sore back she seems to have from all the fish chasing yesterday.