Tuesday - 28/08/2012
(Sunrise in Gloucester Passge)
Our original plan was to sail yesterday but there was little
wind so we decided to stay and prepare some of the photos that we had taken, it
turned out to be a busy day. We contacted George about his wedding photos and
he invited us over for sundowners. Nancy still has work to do on the wedding
photos but I had the ones I had taken finished so at least it gave them some
photos to show family and friends.
Nancy had worked to get some photos of the clubs party days
as they were in big demand by Ken for newspaper articles this will keep her
busy for many days.
Sundowners last night with George, Maree and many others
lasted many hours and we poured ourselves home, George likes topping your wine
glass up and I have a weakness for red wine.
Never the less we were up this morning before first light
and got everything ready to sail, as first light appeared we weighed anchor as
did some others some going south some going north, we and 11 other yachts went
north some steady cruisers and some that like to race. They often say one yacht
is a cruiser two is a race, but considering it is race week at Magnetic Island
and some of these yachts are heading there for that I stay a cruiser I don't
even attempt to race them. They are already lightened for racing we are almost
maximum load at a total of 14,000kgs, we are 10,500kgs bare, yes that is heavy
for a catamaran but it is a good sea boat. Given the right winds we can sail at
10 - 14 knots not that I try I prefer to sail around 7 to 9 knots more
comfortable and less of putting the hand in the pocket for repairs.
The fast yachts left sometime after us we left with about
four others, the winds were not great and those with spinnakers had the
advantage. The first yacht to leave for north was a Voyager catamaran that are
a not really good yacht for speed and it floundered in the light winds. I met a
bloke with one of these yachts a few years ago and he said that the sails were
for the purpose of making it look like a sailing vessel, he had two 100hp
engines in his and said that is the only way he sails. We did pass the Voyager
early in the sail, I was taken by a monohull that appeared to be doing very
well and passed us about an hour out he left just after us but when talking to
him this morning on the radio he stated there was not enough wind to get him
going so he had the engine idling over. We saw our first whale for the day just after
leaving it surfaced just off our starboard bow.
The winds were good to start with but backed off near Abbots
Point for a while which was just before a wind change, we sailed wing on wing
in these lighter winds as the wind was almost directly behind us. At the change
the wind was stronger but now right on our stern and the waves picked up with
the tide change this caused the mainsail to slap shaking the wind from the
sails. We dropped the mainsail and went under genoa (headsail) only and I used
the additional sheets (ropes) on the sail through a pulley on the stern port
side to hold the sail out wide our speed
dropped to around 4.5 to 5 knots but it was a great day and we just enjoyed the
sail at cruising speed. The faster yachts put the spinnakers out again. We all anchored
within an hour of each other with a total of twelve yachts anchored at Cape
Upstart.
Cape Upstart anchorages -
There are a number of places to anchor at Cape Upstart shown
on this chart. Care should be taken if entering in the dark as some close in
areas have rocks there are navigational
marker lights at the danger areas. The holding is good in the sandy areas. The
water shallows to 4-5 metres a fair way from the beach and many people get as
close in as possible to reduce any bullets of wind.
There is another anchorage that you do not find in guide
books for the occasional south - south
westerly winds and that is a small beach the eastern side of the Cape.
(Cape Upstart anchorages, I find for SE - NE winds that the middle anchorage on the left of the chart is the better, you can get close to land which slows the wind. The anchorage on the right is one I would use for SW - S winds, care should be taken using all these anchorages as there are areas of rocks)
Wednesday - 29/08/2012
Early start weighing anchor at 0400 hours, wind was better
than expected and we sailed under genoa to start with as it was dark the moon
had gone and I did not want to go too fast due to the whales in the area. I
don't want to hit one but if it did happen I only want to be at slow speed. We
were the first to leave and a few others
followed a short time after they were under full sail and caught up just as sun
was rising. We furled the genoa and turned into the wind and hoisted the
mainsail set course and unfurled the genoa again. Seas were a little sloppy as
they came from the side but we sailed quite well. Soon after sunrise we saw a
whale and it's calf but again by the time we got the cameras they were well
south of us. We saw four lots of whales
around the Cape Bowling Green area I did manage to get a couple of shots
with these although not that great.
(Whale wave, this is a common activity of whales I think they are rolling and playing with the calf)
(A whale and its calf going south)
As we change course around Cape Bowling Green the wind died
down, I was able to sail by tacking for some miles but that soon failed with
winds under 10 knots so it was time to kick an iron sail into action, the
starboard engine was started and we motor sailed to Townsville. We could not get into our favourite marina the
Townsville Yacht Club because the Magnetic Island Yacht Race and the fishing
competition is on at present and they are fully booked so we got into the
Breakwater Marina. This marina could do with a little TLC on some of the older
docks. The staff are very friendly and helpful though. A few years ago they
knocked down the small shopping complex that was in the marina to make way for
more blocks of units once the land was cleared everything stopped obviously due
to the economic downturn. Getting in and out of the marina cannot be done at
low tide we entered 2 hrs 30 minutes after low tide and the shallowest point
was 2.7 metres we draw 1.4 metres draft.
(Cape Cleveland near Townsville)
(The lighthouse complex on Cape Cleveland, all lighthouses are automatic these days and some lighthouses now are used as tourism some have stay holidays)
We will stock up clean the boat do a large wash of the
cloths, sheets and towels over a couple of days and then we will head to
Magnetic Island.
Cheers.
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