RATBAG and the passage to Lizard

CARANGO AMEL 54 #035
PETER and VICKY FORBES
Mon 15 Aug 2016 09:51
14:39.52S 145:27.01E

Our last activity before leaving Cairns was to fuel up. We slipped our mooring and arrived at the fuel quay in good time - to be turned away to wait half an hour while another boat took our booked slot. As we pottered about the fuel dock - we spotted a team of four Jetskis we presumed return from a CROC spotting tour - Serena hailed the leader and asked how they got on - with the wonderful Australian accent the reply came back”

“Hello yer cute little ‘ratbag' wouldn’t you like to know;  wanna ride on my machine?” - “Well" replied Serena, temporarily and unusually lost for words, then those that came out were lost on the wind.

We fuelled - then headed out into the somewhat driech afternoon - we exited the long dredged channel, sailed on until the wind died around 2.30am and then motor sailed generally North towards Lizard Island. 
 Final view of Cairns in gathering storm clouds

 en route we had to dodge many reefs some lit some not. we passed one section on which the chart image looked like some Picasso face mask. The black is reef - our direct track is shown in red passing through reefs so we adjust. There are two cargo vessels of about 200 metres length shown here coming up behind us to overtake. We hail some of these by radio to check clearances and directional intentions. Some pass scarily close by overtaking and head on.

At 03.15, with Vicky on watch, the wind got up to 15 knots, motor cut sailing now ………………… the wind maintained. we had to do a gybe, and the wind grew up to 37 knots at one point and we had an excellent and very fast sail achieving 9.6 knots at one point. To arrive early at Lizard in a driving rain storm.


 The ‘crew’, William and Serena, out on deck in the rain storm picking up a mooring, with the last remaining boathook. Well  we didn’t want to get wet! William had chucked the first boathook overboard at the first abortive attempt on another mooring buoy!