Nearly ran into a whale…
We were still motoring off Surfers Paradise, at the start of our passage to Sydney, with the Autohelm steering. I was down below navi-guessing when I heard excited shouts on deck. I poked my head out and nearly crapped in my pants! There was a tail out the water, wide as Sunny Spells is long, probably 30 metres dead ahead!
Two leaps to the helm, Authelm off, 90 degrees to port. Hey dudes, are you nuts!!!?
A big day… Solo round from Mooloolaba to Southport, going outside Moreton Island.
Got up early and left Mooloolaba around 5AM. I motor-sailed into the easterly until I got to Cape Moreton. Once I turned the corner, I could close-reach down the outside direct to Southport, making 7 to 8 knots.
Motored into the Gold Coast Seaway around 7PM. Ninety miles, thirteen hours: not bad for an old single-hander…
Found the Hogs Breath Cafe open and stuffed my face with a rack of ribs, washed down by a cold Corona!
I crossed the Wide Bay Bar this morning on a rising tide – it was painful. It took two hours against the current that was running up to 3 knots at times.
It was worth the early start though. I soon had the asymetric kite up and I was flying down the coast to Mooloolaba, racing all comers! Three sail changes later (ASO, poled out genoa, ASO, poled out genoa) I motored into Mooloolaba. Not a moment too early either. A low was moving up the coast and rain and south-easterlies up to 30 knots are forecast for tonight.
It is spring tide: full moon! I decided to ride the flood tide at least halfway down the Great Sandy Strait. There are loads of anchorages along the Strait, so if it got too hairy I could always just drop the pick and continue the next day.
I had managed to get some authentic, traditional South African “boerewors” from the butcher at Urangan and this went on the barbie with onions in the frying pan, ready for happy hour!
The passage down the strait was uneventful, but required a lot of concentration. There is a lot of shoal water and I was grateful that Sunny Spells only draws 1.8 meters. A lovely passage though in perfect weather, a full moon and almost 3 knots of tidal current behind us! The tides at mid-point in the strait (Boonlye Point) are almost a full hour behind the entries to the Strait, so that gives one an hour extra to get to the mid-point.
I got to Tin Can Bay/Pelican Bay at around 11PM – tired but happy. Nearly ran into an unlit tri-maran anchored bang in the middle of the entry to Pelican Bay! Note to self: always expect unlit boats!