Leg 72 - Burnett River to Pancake Creek

Another long sail commencing at stupid o'clock. We departed before dawn and somehow managed to avoid some idiotic racing sailors on a delivery to Hamilton Island who, although departing just ahead of us, decided to turn into wind to hoist their sails inside the navigation channel without their navigation lights on! In the darkest hour, just before dawn, we were lucky to spot them stationary and lying across the defined channel right in front of us, only because they shone torches onto their sails to assess them. Dopes!

Once underway we were soon galloping along in following seas and a brisk SW breeze which was colder again than the Southerly the day before. Spectacular windchill had us searching out our balaclavas to augment our second successive day of thermal layering. Really, this has to stop!

The Bloke looking like a Somali pirate

Sadly, although we passed it along the way, a stopover at the historic town of 1770 was inadvisable for a keeled vessel. Even catamaran owners are inclined to think twice. Aye.. there be dangerous shoals!

Progress was good with an average speed for the day at 7knots, even if we struggled to stave off the cold. We were at anchor in Anchorage B in the stunning Pancake Creek well before dark. Arriving on a full tide meant we didn't need to make a temporary stop at Anchorage A, which from the comfort of the deeper anchorage, gives the appearance of yachts anchoring out to sea!

A lovely spot to spend a few days. Plenty of company too.

Knot Quite Right

The Bloke is a 'neat freak' and after reinstating all the jib sheets etc after our time on the hard stand, he was at great pains not to have messy looking bowlines with big loops or long dangly 'bitter ends'. They all looked marvelous right up to the moment that they didn't.

Spot the problem?

On the first day it didn't matter so much when the windward jib sheet just fell off (came undone) and dropped onto the fore deck. After all, the leeward sheet was the one doing all the work and the steady wind meant we'd reach our destination for the day in good time and without any need to tack.

 

A couple of days later, another good breeze but a bit 'up the bum' (a technical sailing term for down wind) and we goose winged for a while until the bloomin' bowline came undone....AGAIN!! Then we weren't goose winged after all.

 The Bloke sorting out a potential wineglass in 20knots

 That's better. Everything's attached again.

He thinks he's earned a rum ration when we get anchored.

It only happened twice!

Leg 71 - Urangan, Hervey Bay to Burnett River (near Bundaberg)

A couple of extra days were spent at Urangan. More than had been expected. Once again the weather turned filthy and we'd sooner sit out 30knots in a marina if we are already in one. Stiff and cold southerlies persisted, ensuring that a long hop could be achieved in good time and in daylight - the winter days still being short.

The Bloke trying to keep warm

We didn't imagine though, being this far north, that we'd require full thermal under-layering plus foul weather kit and sea boots. It wasn't for rain (we very seldom travel in rain) it was to stay warm! Once again the advice from sailing mentor Martin, echoed in our ears. "Buy the best wet weather gear you can afford". We were glad we listened to his recommendation because we've had the best value from our Musto kit. It's been worn so often, it's probably down to well under 20cents an outing!

We didn't actually get right up to Bundaberg itself. We anchored for the night in the Burnett River just outside the shipping channel and between the marinas close to the river mouth. Luckily, there isn't a bar crossing or anything complicated or hazardous with the entry into the Burnett River - well at this time of the year anyway. We intended continuing onwards in the morning while suitable conditions persisted and besides, surely the further north we got, the warmer it would be? A visit to the historic Bundaberg Rum distillery could wait until our return trip south, even if a nip of rum would be most welcome RIGHT NOW!

Leg 70 - Riverhead, Sarah River to Urangan, Hervey Bay

Exiting the Great Sandy Straits and into Hervey Bay for a weekend stopover presented several land based opportunities. We could meet up with some other Shag Islet Cruising Yacht Club members (known as Shaggers) at the Hervey Bay Boat Club. The Club is more of a marina associated with a Leagues Club. Logic follows that they would have 'club/pub' type food. Club style food would surly include Fish and Chips? Fish and Chips is The Bloke's food of choice on a Friday night. What was not to love?

 

Lingering at Riverhead was not an option if a day-sail up to Urangan would be rewarded with such a feast. In addition, our Pittwater hosts, Peter and Debbie would visit us as a part of their northward reconnaissance road trip. The for'd cabin (or Coffin Bay Suite) was made ready for visitors.

The Urangan Pier

 

St Peter, patron saint of fishermen, stands watch over the Urangan Harbour.

As with all trips into a marina, I made a bee-line for the laundry facilities. If we were to have visitors, reducing the dirty linen pile would make one less item that would need to be dragged into our cabin. The visitors v-berth is also our for'd lazerette/store room!

A Lighthouse folly atop The Hervey Bay Boat Club

While our original plan had been to be there for only 3 nights, another 'weather situation' called for a postponed departure and we didn't leave until the worst of the Southerly blow had passed a few days later. The Bloke had a favourable impression of Hervey Bay and its bayside cafes and despite it bring God's Waiting Room when considering the volume of oldies resident there, it won him over. Oldies need looking after so there will always be a population of youngsters there to deal with them. Yup, there are hipsters here!

Debbie says "Hi there" and probably wishing it was warmer than Pittwater

Coral rubble. evidence that warmer conditions are a possibility here.

 Goodbyes to Kate and Commander Chris from Bilbungara just before they took off north looking for sunshine.

Jetty neighbours have a triathlete son with a state of the art carbon fibre bike too precious to just chain to a fence.

Hipster proof of life.

Bundaberg, a city synonymous with sugar production, rum and export, is just down the road and here there are cafe's serving sugar from Latin America. If it catches on, God bless OUR farmers!

A very popular fishing spot on the restored Urangan Pier.

 

Rewards for the early risers

Euthanasia Urangan Pier style!

A Boat Renaming

Re-naming a boat is serious business indeed. Sailors are an exceedingly superstitious lot and have massive reluctance to do it. There must be speeches. Offerings to mollify Neptune too. When we were at The Boatworks a beautiful 50' South African built catamaran was lifted called Lady Frances. There are a number of South African catamaran builders and they seem to have created many good looking vessels. This one was no exception. On our transit through the Sheridan Flats, Matt and Debbie came past and urged us along. They were going to rendezvous with Promise 2 a little further north. What were our plans? A call through to Brenton on Promise 2, who we'd not seen since our boat lift, indicated that there was a boat renaming on the cards. Oh, who can resist a serious event like that! Communications with Starship and Bilbungara meant that a whole fleet would be in attendance as they couldn't resist coming too. Extra attendees would surely add some gravitas to the occasion.

 

Debbie and Matt passing us with their NEW signage.

Debbie with the champers ready

 Formalities and acknowledgements to Neptune

All in attendance toasting the good ship La Jorja

A stunning sunset followed

 

A delighted couple with a coronet  from above.

Clearly a great omen!

Happily my video effort worked out and was the only video record of the event due to technical difficulties with other equipment. Much of the evening was then spent exchanging images and ongoing toasting of the new identity.

Hat Ransom

The Bloke has exchanged a lot of banter with the skipper of Bilbungara since first meeting him at The Boatworks. He calls him The Commander and his yacht is also a production boat a little like ours bit it's a Hanse. When The Commander left his branded cap on board after sunset drinks, it was only fair that a ransom would need to be extracted for its return.

Lost property subject to a ransom!

The Bloke in a cut throat move - ransom or the visor is coming off!

Keen to be reunited with his cap ASAP, The Commander instructed Kate to provide the ransom as quickly as she could. Would a dish of home made sausage rolls suffice? Is the Bloke just that transparent!

 Kate charming the cap back with what it takes!

If only the professionals could provide such gems.

Happy Days!

Leg 69 - Crossing The Sheridan Flats

Tide, Tide, tide. You don't always want to love it but you do need it and you can even use it. There is no escaping Garry's Anchorage for a keel boat unless you wait for high tide. Meantime you're locked in.  Interestingly, the flooding and ebbing tide in The Great Sandy Straits meet at the Sherridan Flats and if one manages the timing, you can catch the ride up to the crossover and get sucked out the other end. That was the Blokes grand plan and we were not alone in dreaming of it.

Some holiday homes on the top end of this island.

Vessels of all kinds were on the move.

 

The 28' Horse'n Round. 

An example of a single-hander with big dream and little boat.

   

 Here comes trouble! A powerboat headed for our convoy of yachts.

Starship showing the way. 

Very relaxed customers with lots of experience.

The crew of Bilbungara hadn't planned to come through the Great Sandy Straits, preferring instead to take their deeper 2.4m keel around the outside of Fraser Island. Seeing as they'd changed their minds and depth of water was an issue, they followed behind us (and our 1.6m) with Channel 77 open so we could report on depths as we went along.  A naval background and easy familiarity with radar enabled the skipper to lay a plot of dots every time we reported a depth. Bulbungara then just used those points as waypoints or stepping stones to follow us, especially after another couple of boats filled the gap between us! Everyone was anxious to maximise the use of that tide and never mind the manners!

Starship on autopilot. COOL CATS...! 

After crossing the shifting shoals at the Sherridan Flats we sensed that there was a miniscule weather change and for the better. Perhaps we were leaving the cold and bad weather behind us!

Leg 68 - Trifecta for the Wide Bay Bar Crossing

It's easy to have a bad night's sleep ahead of a tricky passage but a night of rolling gunwale to gunwale ensured we'd be up and raring to go to face the infamous Wide Bay Bar - the southern entry to the Great Sandy Straits, inside Fraser Island.

We were treated to another glorious sunrise as well as the silhouettes of other yachts that were arriving to take their place in the Wide Bay Bar morning processional. These were the smart ones that had either sailed overnight from Moreton Bay or left Mooloolaba very early, as we should have done.

Here comes the sun

  

We were in the queue with a couple of others behind us.

The Bloke had researched and conferred extensively on the best way to get the job done. Tin Can Bay VMR (07 5486 4290) provide the latest coordinates of the bar channel as it often moves and re-positioning of the navigational markers seldom keeps pace with the state of the sand. In fact the GPS coordinates supplied were given with an additional instruction to pass 100m to the north of one point and south of another. They were giving these same coordinates 6 weeks earlier. Given all the big storms that we'd recently experienced there could be big changes. Something to ponder when faced with what is also known as the 'Mad Mile'.  We were more than happy to log in with Tin Can Bay VMR ahead of the crossing as well as once successfully 'through'.

 Another yacht getting into position

  

The target. The gap between the mainland and Fraser Island.

 Chart with the waypoints and AIS traffic ahead of us.

It took about 20 minutes to traverse once lined up.

 

View to Fraser Island along the Mad Mile. 

It's a popular camping destination - mind the dingo's!

The coordinates were locked into the 'navacomputer' long before the day came and planning for an unexciting crossing included combining an in-going tide - TICK, with low swell (under 1.5m and actually only 0.5m on the day) - TICK and light winds (under 10kn) - TICK. The overnight northerly that had made our night so uncomfortable and way more chirpy than predicted, had done its job in flattening any vestige of the recent big seas and then lightened off. We claimed the Trifecta Jackpot of an easy entry and the ugly night of anxiety was instantly forgotten.

 Sun shining on calm, protected waters.