Monday, April 27, 2009
REES'S ACCIDENT
Below is a photo of the dreaded "pushie" that has caused so much grief.
Saturday, April 25, 2009
MUM & DAD'S DEPARTURE DAY
When Mum & Dad first boarded in Tingalpa Creek, we all weighed in on my rusty set of scales, determined that none of us would gain weight during their time with us. With "happy hour" every afternoon at 4.00pm, it's always very tempting to have the usual nibblies that accompany the beer & wine, so an effort was made to avoid those extras most of the time, although I must admit that temptation got the better of us on a few occasions. Anyway, with weekly weigh -ins it kept us conscience of what was happening so we were all quite happy with our results when we weighed in for the last time before Mum & Dad'd departure. We'd all remained the same weight, with the exception of Dad who had actually lost a couple of kilos.
We have had amazing weather since being here at Airlie Beach & ordinarily we would've been at the reef with glass out conditions. However, after visiting the local doctor the other day to have our second Hep B shot & pointing out a worrying looking mole on the side of Rees's head, the doctor suggested cutting the mole out & having it tested. Therefore, Rees now has stitches & can't go into the water for the next week, which is killing him considering the weather conditions at the moment. Of course he'd prefer to be diving over anything else, but we've taken the opportunity to get some cleaning jobs done around the boat.
Over the past few days we've met up with friends who have just purchased a 40ft CHINCOGAN catamaran, the same as ours, so we've spent time with them & will continue to do so as we sail north together. They live in Albany, WA, & plan on taking the boat back there, spending a season in the Kimberly as they as they go, so we'll probably see quite a bit of Brian & Maxine over the following weeks. It'll be great sailing along side another yacht of the same make to compare sailing abilities, especially when their yacht has mini keels & we have dagger boards!
At this stage it looks as though we'll be leaving Airlie Beach next Wednesday after Rees has been back to the doctor, so next stop will be Townsville, where we will again have internet & mobile range.
Friday, April 24, 2009
MUM & DAD AT THE RESORT
Mum & Dad really enjoyed a day off our boat for a change & were happy socialising with our new found friends. They'd met David & Jane at Seven Mile Creek last year while they'd been onboard "Windy Spirit" for her maiden voyage & really looked forward to catching up with them again this year. Mum, being the keen knitter that she is, presented them with colourful bedsocks as she'd done last year, so now the Solis family will all have nice warm feet during the coming winter months!REES & DAVID
Rees & David were supposed to be cooking the b-b-q but I think they spent more time talking about yachts & drinking boutique beer than watching the snags. We all enjoyed a great day together.
THE RESORT OVERLOOKING AIRLIE BCH
Such beautiful views only added to the amazing day that was spent with David, Jane, Selina & Jordon. The Whitsundays were picture-perfect all week with brilliant sunshine, temperatures of around 30 degrees C each day, with cool & comfortable nights. Thankfully the forecast is for another week of this gorgeous weather so we'll lap it up while we can.
JORDON WITH HIS BIRTHDAY CAKE
It was Jordan's 12th birthday the day after we'd taken the Solis family sailing & we were all invited to their resort the following day for a b-b-q lunch to help him celebrate his special day. The resort was situated on a hill which overlooked the waters of Airlie Beach & because it was such a beautiful day, we had the b-b-y around the pool area which offered amazing views of Muddy Bay & Able Point Marina. We all had a great day together & wished them a safe return to Gladstone the following day, when we said our good-byes that afternoon. Happy birthday Jordon!
THE SOLIS FAMILY
David, Jane & their two children joined us for a day sail to Stonehaven, on Hook Island. We met this lovely family last year while we fished at Seven Mile Creek, just south of Gladstone & through constant email contact, were happy to hear that they were going to be holidaying in the Whitsundays around the same time that we were expecting to arrive. They'd driven up from Gladstone & were staying at a resort in Airlie Beach, so they'd been kept busy with scenic tours & a trip to the reef before catching up with us. This was their first time onboard a sailing catamaran, but after their day out with us, I don't think it'll be their last as they were all smitten with their small taste of the sailing lifestyle. David is a keen fisherman & has a power boat, but after his day at Stonehaven, he was found at the marina, checking out yachts for sale!
Sounds like a familiar story!
Sounds like a familiar story!Friday, April 17, 2009
FRESH SEAFOOD FOR LUNCH
Dad, Mum & I enjoying a seafood lunch. You couldn't get much fresher than this as it was speared by Rees only an hour before it was served.
REES WITH HIS CATCH OF THE DAY
Rees was very happy with his catch of 6 coral trout & 1 lovely crayfish speared at Scawfell Island.MUM & THE MYSTERY MASK
This mask was found when Rees I walked the long sandy beaches of Island Head. It was painted onto an old palm frond.
MUM WITH HUGE BLACK-LIPPED OYSTERS
These were just a couple of the massive oysters that were found at Island Head. Very meaty & succulent for the seafood lovers of this world.Wednesday, April 15, 2009
ISLAND HEAD TO THE WHITSUNDAYS
After having left Great Kepple Island, we headed to Island Head, a good day's sail further north but with us being early cruisers this year, there weren't too many other yachts to be seen so we were thrilled when we rounded the corner of Island Head to find 3 monohulls sitting at anchor. We were sure we'd spend time getting to know them over the following days as the weather had taken a turn for the worse & we knew we wouldn't be going anywhere for at least 5 days. Meanwhile, through having been to Island Head numerous times in the past & knowing where to look for the black-lipped oysters, we looked forward to continuing the seafood extravaganza for Mum & Dad.
Wet & very windy conditions kept us boat bound for our first day at Island Head but there was no stopping us the following day at low tide. Rees & I slipped & sloshed our way around the rocks until we had a good feed of huge oysters, taking some back in their shells to show Mum & Dad just how big they were. Next on the agenda, was whiting fishing & although there seemed to be plenty of them, initially the tides were all wrong for us. We needed a low tide & that wasn't happening until later in the afternoon so it meant that we were still fishing when we should've been indulging in our regular afternoon "Happy Hour"! Oh such problems us yachties have to contend with!
Because we'd tucked ourselves away into a little protected corner of the creek, we didn't actually see much of our fellow yachties at Island Head because it was just too miserable to be off our yachts most of the time. Therefore, when we weren't fishing late in the afternoons, we were usually laying around reading to pass the time of day. By day 3, I really needed to spend some time off the boat so Rees & I braved the elements & went ashore to walk the long sandy beaches. There was a lot of debris strewn around the eroding sand dunes so looking at the scattered flotsam & jetsam took our minds off the howling southerlies. There were the usual thongs, fishing lines, ropes & plastic buckets but suddenly something quite colourful took our eye so we scurried over to see what it was & found a native mask half buried in the sand! Where had it come from? Of course we let our imaginations run wild & pictured it having floated across the Pacific Ocean from PNG or some such exotic location, but it could've been created by some bored yachtie who had nothing better to do than paint an old palm frond.
Crabs were non-existent at Island Head but it wasn't for lack of trying so thankfully with the fish biting & the plentiful black-lipped oysters, there was still plenty of seafood on offer. Further north Rees promised coral trout & crayfish, something that Mum & Dad had never eaten whilst onboard, although they'd heard plenty about these little delicacies & looked forward to them if Rees could provide.
Meanwhile, after having been held up at Island Head for 5 days with the wind howling & the rain squalling, we were all ready for a change of scenery & hit the track as soon as the weather forecast looked promising. Quite unexpectedly, on Easter Sunday, we had a call for 15-20 knot S.E. winds so took off in a rush as soon as we'd heard the weather report. We weren't sure how rough the seas would be after such a long spate of strong winds but we were pleasantly surprised when we hit the open seas to find rather good sailing conditions.
Hexham Island was our destination, a 42 mile day, but with speeds averaging 7 knots over that time, we were at the island by early afternoon, thinking that we could've quite easily gone further to Percy Island & made it before dark. In hindsight, that woud've been a great idea as we'd forgotten just what an uncomfortable anchorage Hexham Island could be. With strong bullets of wind gusting over the mountain top & into the bay below, poor "Windy Spirit" rocked & rolled all night. She was like a wild animal trying to free herself from her restraints but thankfully the trusty new anchor held fast & we didn't budge, although none of us slept with the continual howling of the wind. We were all very glad to leave at first light the following morning where we made our way to Curlew Island, before then heading to Scawfell Island where Rees was keen to go diving.
After a few constant days of very early mornings & long days of sailing, we all looked forward to spending 2 consecutive days at anchor, even though we didn't have the best of weather. The winds had abated & left us with calm seas which was nice, but the sky was heavy & grey with sleeting rain that kept us locked away inside the boat most of the time. However, Rees didn't care about rain & was soon in the water looking for those elusive crays & coral trout. He dived for about 2 hours by himself, skirting the rocky headlands looking for his prey & returned to the boat with a big cheesy grin from ear to ear! I knew that I had to get the cameras out to capture the moment when he presented a lovely crayfish & 6 coral trout to Mum & Dad. Wow---were they impressed!!!!
Next stop, the Whitsundays.
Wet & very windy conditions kept us boat bound for our first day at Island Head but there was no stopping us the following day at low tide. Rees & I slipped & sloshed our way around the rocks until we had a good feed of huge oysters, taking some back in their shells to show Mum & Dad just how big they were. Next on the agenda, was whiting fishing & although there seemed to be plenty of them, initially the tides were all wrong for us. We needed a low tide & that wasn't happening until later in the afternoon so it meant that we were still fishing when we should've been indulging in our regular afternoon "Happy Hour"! Oh such problems us yachties have to contend with!
Because we'd tucked ourselves away into a little protected corner of the creek, we didn't actually see much of our fellow yachties at Island Head because it was just too miserable to be off our yachts most of the time. Therefore, when we weren't fishing late in the afternoons, we were usually laying around reading to pass the time of day. By day 3, I really needed to spend some time off the boat so Rees & I braved the elements & went ashore to walk the long sandy beaches. There was a lot of debris strewn around the eroding sand dunes so looking at the scattered flotsam & jetsam took our minds off the howling southerlies. There were the usual thongs, fishing lines, ropes & plastic buckets but suddenly something quite colourful took our eye so we scurried over to see what it was & found a native mask half buried in the sand! Where had it come from? Of course we let our imaginations run wild & pictured it having floated across the Pacific Ocean from PNG or some such exotic location, but it could've been created by some bored yachtie who had nothing better to do than paint an old palm frond.
Crabs were non-existent at Island Head but it wasn't for lack of trying so thankfully with the fish biting & the plentiful black-lipped oysters, there was still plenty of seafood on offer. Further north Rees promised coral trout & crayfish, something that Mum & Dad had never eaten whilst onboard, although they'd heard plenty about these little delicacies & looked forward to them if Rees could provide.
Meanwhile, after having been held up at Island Head for 5 days with the wind howling & the rain squalling, we were all ready for a change of scenery & hit the track as soon as the weather forecast looked promising. Quite unexpectedly, on Easter Sunday, we had a call for 15-20 knot S.E. winds so took off in a rush as soon as we'd heard the weather report. We weren't sure how rough the seas would be after such a long spate of strong winds but we were pleasantly surprised when we hit the open seas to find rather good sailing conditions.
Hexham Island was our destination, a 42 mile day, but with speeds averaging 7 knots over that time, we were at the island by early afternoon, thinking that we could've quite easily gone further to Percy Island & made it before dark. In hindsight, that woud've been a great idea as we'd forgotten just what an uncomfortable anchorage Hexham Island could be. With strong bullets of wind gusting over the mountain top & into the bay below, poor "Windy Spirit" rocked & rolled all night. She was like a wild animal trying to free herself from her restraints but thankfully the trusty new anchor held fast & we didn't budge, although none of us slept with the continual howling of the wind. We were all very glad to leave at first light the following morning where we made our way to Curlew Island, before then heading to Scawfell Island where Rees was keen to go diving.
After a few constant days of very early mornings & long days of sailing, we all looked forward to spending 2 consecutive days at anchor, even though we didn't have the best of weather. The winds had abated & left us with calm seas which was nice, but the sky was heavy & grey with sleeting rain that kept us locked away inside the boat most of the time. However, Rees didn't care about rain & was soon in the water looking for those elusive crays & coral trout. He dived for about 2 hours by himself, skirting the rocky headlands looking for his prey & returned to the boat with a big cheesy grin from ear to ear! I knew that I had to get the cameras out to capture the moment when he presented a lovely crayfish & 6 coral trout to Mum & Dad. Wow---were they impressed!!!!
Next stop, the Whitsundays.
Monday, April 6, 2009
MUM & I SWIMMING
Swimming was a great way to fill in a very hot & sticky afternoon at Great Kepple Island.KEPPLE BAY MARINA
We'd all thoroughly enjoyed our time at Yellow Patch but on the other hand we were at the stage where we needed a change of scenery. With the light SE-NE winds that we'd been experiencing, the humidity & the mozzies had gotten us so the thought of swimming at Great Kepple Island before heading into the marina was very tempting.
Fortunately high tide was at 6.00am the morning we left Yellow Patch, giving us an early start & leaving us with the whole afternoon at Great Kepple Island. The winds were light but the seas were a little lumpy, so after nearly 6 hours of sailing, then motor-sailing, we were all glad to drop anchor in the calm waters of the bay, just off the old resort.
We'd towed a lure once into open waters, hoping to catch a mackeral, but within half an hour we'd caught more than we'd bargained for! Instead of a mackeral we had a 1 metre, bronze whaler shark trailing behind us with a shiny red & white lure hanging from his mouth. He wasn't huge but Rees wasn't putting his hand anywhere near his razor sharp teeth, so we had to drag him all the way to Great Kepple Island where he was well & truly dead on arrival. He certainly wasn't wasted though because he was promptly filleted, ready for dinner that evening.
Being a Sunday & a beautiful day to be on the water, there were plenty of other yachts & boats already at anchor with people swimming around the cool, calm waters of the bay. It was hot at 30 degrees C so with a little encouragement, Mum joined Rees & I for a swim around our boat but unfortunately, Dad couldn't be talked into it. It was so cool & refreshing that Mum raved about just how good it was for hours later.
Today was spent at the Kepple Bay Marina where we were kept very busy getting everything up to date in preparation for the next leg of our trip to Island Head. With another bout of strong southerly winds forecast for the next few days, an early get away tomorrow morning should see us safely at Island Head before they hit. Besides, we'll have quite a long day ahead of us so an early start is essential. Then once there, we'll settle into our days with the usual fishing, crabbing , oystering & hopefully, socialising.
Fortunately high tide was at 6.00am the morning we left Yellow Patch, giving us an early start & leaving us with the whole afternoon at Great Kepple Island. The winds were light but the seas were a little lumpy, so after nearly 6 hours of sailing, then motor-sailing, we were all glad to drop anchor in the calm waters of the bay, just off the old resort.
We'd towed a lure once into open waters, hoping to catch a mackeral, but within half an hour we'd caught more than we'd bargained for! Instead of a mackeral we had a 1 metre, bronze whaler shark trailing behind us with a shiny red & white lure hanging from his mouth. He wasn't huge but Rees wasn't putting his hand anywhere near his razor sharp teeth, so we had to drag him all the way to Great Kepple Island where he was well & truly dead on arrival. He certainly wasn't wasted though because he was promptly filleted, ready for dinner that evening.
Being a Sunday & a beautiful day to be on the water, there were plenty of other yachts & boats already at anchor with people swimming around the cool, calm waters of the bay. It was hot at 30 degrees C so with a little encouragement, Mum joined Rees & I for a swim around our boat but unfortunately, Dad couldn't be talked into it. It was so cool & refreshing that Mum raved about just how good it was for hours later.
Today was spent at the Kepple Bay Marina where we were kept very busy getting everything up to date in preparation for the next leg of our trip to Island Head. With another bout of strong southerly winds forecast for the next few days, an early get away tomorrow morning should see us safely at Island Head before they hit. Besides, we'll have quite a long day ahead of us so an early start is essential. Then once there, we'll settle into our days with the usual fishing, crabbing , oystering & hopefully, socialising.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
DAD WITH HIS LUNCH
This was the amount of crab eaten each day by 3 people. Crab lovers----eat your hearts out!
LINDA THE CRABBER
We had 3 crab pots which consistently caught 2-3 crabs daily. Crab was always on the menu for lunch.
MUM, REES & DAD
Mum, Rees & Dad at the base of the sand dunes. Another day of fishing at Yellow Patch.
YELLOW PATCH
The beautiful golden dunes of Yellow Patch greeted us after a day's trip through the Narrows from Gladstone.
YELLOW PATCH
We couldn't wait to get to Yellow Patch as we were all looking forward to the next bout of crabbing & fishing so when we sighted the familiar scenery of the huge golden sand dunes, we all had a smile from ear to ear. Normally we arrive in this area around late April to early May when all the cruising yachts are slowly heading north, but this year, because we're so much earlier, there was hardly another boat to be seen & it seemed so strange to be able to anchor wherever we chose.
We'd beaten strong southerly winds to the area & although there were only two other yachts at anchor & we thought we'd picked the best anchorage in the protected corner of the creek, we soon changed our minds & location. As soon as we dropped anchor, the mozzies arrived in the hundreds so we soon realised that we actually needed more breeze if we were going to stay any length of time in comfort, so within an hour, we'd re-anchored below the beautiful sand dunes. However, once the strong southerlies hit the following day, we found that although we no longer had a mozzie problem, the boat was covered in fine orange sand.
With only two other boats at anchor it didn't take us long to get to know one & other & soon the invitations for "Happy Hour" were being passed around. Mum & Dad have come to love this side of our yachting lifestyle & really look forward to either having the extra company onboard our own yacht, or having a look at someone else's boat. It certainly makes life more interesting when you hear of other people's stories.
Surprisingly, although we didn't have mobile range at Yellow Patch, we did have television reception so we were shocked one evening whilst watching the news, to hear that our home town of Coffs Harbour & surrounding areas had been experiencing major flooding. We hadn't had a drop of rain in weeks & felt very lucky to have been out of the path of destruction. We'd experienced a few days of strong winds, which had made the fishing uncomfortable, but we weren't really complaining as the fish were still biting & the crabs were still being caught.
Our daily routine consisted of pumping yabbies for bait, fishing, setting the crab pots, eating, showering before 4.00pm in preparation for "Happy Hour", playing card games, having dinner, watching a bit of telly & retiring by about 8.00pm. They were long, tiring days, especially when we had two sessions of fishing, so after 7 days we all felt that we needed a rest & used the fact that it had rained one morning, not to go fishing! Instead, we lounged around reading & sleeping as the rain drummed steadily upon the cabin top. It was heaven!
We'd thoroughly enjoyed our time at Yellow Patch as the fishing had been great & over the 8 days that we'd remained there, we'd caught 18 crabs. Needless to say, crab was on the menu for lunch every day & although that didn't impress me much, as I'm not really a seafood eater, Rees, Mum & Dad sucked & picked their way through every last one of them.
Our plan is for Mum & Dad to travel through to the Whitsundays with us this year so after Yellow Patch, we'll go through to the Kepple Bay Marina where we'll restock the larder, get the laundry up to date once again in preparation for the next major stop of Island Head, another isolated spot where we know we'll have good fishing, crabbing & the extra bonus of the big, black-lipped oysters. A seafood haven!!
We'd beaten strong southerly winds to the area & although there were only two other yachts at anchor & we thought we'd picked the best anchorage in the protected corner of the creek, we soon changed our minds & location. As soon as we dropped anchor, the mozzies arrived in the hundreds so we soon realised that we actually needed more breeze if we were going to stay any length of time in comfort, so within an hour, we'd re-anchored below the beautiful sand dunes. However, once the strong southerlies hit the following day, we found that although we no longer had a mozzie problem, the boat was covered in fine orange sand.
With only two other boats at anchor it didn't take us long to get to know one & other & soon the invitations for "Happy Hour" were being passed around. Mum & Dad have come to love this side of our yachting lifestyle & really look forward to either having the extra company onboard our own yacht, or having a look at someone else's boat. It certainly makes life more interesting when you hear of other people's stories.
Surprisingly, although we didn't have mobile range at Yellow Patch, we did have television reception so we were shocked one evening whilst watching the news, to hear that our home town of Coffs Harbour & surrounding areas had been experiencing major flooding. We hadn't had a drop of rain in weeks & felt very lucky to have been out of the path of destruction. We'd experienced a few days of strong winds, which had made the fishing uncomfortable, but we weren't really complaining as the fish were still biting & the crabs were still being caught.
Our daily routine consisted of pumping yabbies for bait, fishing, setting the crab pots, eating, showering before 4.00pm in preparation for "Happy Hour", playing card games, having dinner, watching a bit of telly & retiring by about 8.00pm. They were long, tiring days, especially when we had two sessions of fishing, so after 7 days we all felt that we needed a rest & used the fact that it had rained one morning, not to go fishing! Instead, we lounged around reading & sleeping as the rain drummed steadily upon the cabin top. It was heaven!
We'd thoroughly enjoyed our time at Yellow Patch as the fishing had been great & over the 8 days that we'd remained there, we'd caught 18 crabs. Needless to say, crab was on the menu for lunch every day & although that didn't impress me much, as I'm not really a seafood eater, Rees, Mum & Dad sucked & picked their way through every last one of them.
Our plan is for Mum & Dad to travel through to the Whitsundays with us this year so after Yellow Patch, we'll go through to the Kepple Bay Marina where we'll restock the larder, get the laundry up to date once again in preparation for the next major stop of Island Head, another isolated spot where we know we'll have good fishing, crabbing & the extra bonus of the big, black-lipped oysters. A seafood haven!!
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