Arrived in Mackay
Anastasia
Phil May and Andrea Twigg
Sun 29 Jul 2012 15:31
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21:06.67S 149:13.66E
We got to the pass through the barrier reef at
about 8:30 pm. The lights at the entrance were clear and bright, which was
helpful because it was dark and we could not see the reef, so going through on
GPS alone would have been daunting. As it was, we rounded the marker
buoy into the pass and discovered that the 25 knot wind in our
face and the 6 knot tide from behind (ie classic wind over tide conditions)
made for some very unpleasant waves which persisted for the first 20 miles of
the pass. We have been through a lot stronger winds before, but never
having to crash through such short waves, continually blinded by the spray
coming over the bows.
My initial plan had been to sail
down the pass, but the current was pushing us strongly to one side and we
did not have a good enough wind angle to maintain a course under sail, so after
a few minutes we turned on the engines, only to find that one of them had a
problem and had to be shut down. There followed a nerve racking half hour
working our way along the reef at the entrance, with a single engine having to
push us at 45% to the direction we wanted to travel in order to overcome the
current and waves that were pushing us back onto the reef.
After a couple of hours we were through the reef
and everything quietened down. We saw a couple of whale spouts on the
way but no big whale displays, unlike like the later boats who got pictures
of humpback whales leaping out of the water. Apparently we will get to see
whales later, because as we work up the coast they become more frequent to the
point where it is more a question of trying to avoid hitting
them.
Anyway, we have been moored in Mackay marina for a
couple of days now, resting after the passage. Our new addition to the
crew, niece Emily, arrived on schedule after a gruelling bus tour of the US and
flight to Brisbane/Mackay from LA. It only took her a day to get over the
jet lag and she is already establishing her place in the ranks of "ARC
yoof". (Shows more stamina for partying than Bertie and Estella and quite
as capable as Daniel of lying in bed beyond midday).
Today was the prize giving barbecue. Not
expecting any prizes, we were surprised to win the competition for guessing
your own arrival time. I had forgotten what time we put down, but
apparently we crossed the finish line 8 minutes after we predicted we
would. It was obviously a good job that we were becalmed for six hours on
day 2 or we would have missed out on that prize. The most appreciated
aspect of the prize giving was the open bar which was enjoyed by all (and
over-enjoyed by a few).
Tomorrow we go on a tour of the area surrounding
Mackay. One nature reserve we will visit is reckoned to be the best place
in Australia to see platypus in their natural surroundings, so fingers crossed
we see some and get some pictures.
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