Saturday 27th July, Butterfly Cove, Hook Island, Whitsunday Group, Qld Australia!)   20:04.61S  148:55.5E  

Today's Blog by David (Time zone BST +9.00; UTC +10.00)

Eventually,  we left Mackay and Simone and I had a leisurely sail northward.  The first islands we stopped at were Brampton and then Goldsmith and frankly they were a disappointment. Idyllic, yes – in a ‘I never left Europe’ sort of way  - but we have been spoilt across the Pacific – been there done that – and they were nothing special. This called for a more careful examination of the pilot book.

We decided to ‘hot foot’ it north (or perhaps more accurately ‘hot keel’ it) and made for Whitehaven Beach one of the signature destinations in the Whitsundays – and it did produce the goods, if you call miles and miles of white sand with relatively few people (but rather too many sea planes bringing wealthy tourists for day trips), “the goods” :

but at least this was somewhere different!

I should at this point mention that I haven’t seen a whale in the last circa 10,000 miles – indeed not since we encountered a Sperm Whale Tenerife!  So it was with some pleasure that we glimpsed a couple as we approached Goldsmith Island - we stood off watching for a while.  I mention it because, moving north from Whitehaven beach the following morning,  I joked with Simone that whatever it was in the water ahead was either the Loch Ness Monster or a Large Log.  Large Log had my vote and we careered north  towards Border Island under full sail.  

As we approached, a  large plume of spray emanated vertically from the log thus casting  some doubt on my earlier log diagnosis.  It turned out to be a mother Hump Back Whale with a calf. We were fortunate that I revised my identification quickly and before we sailed between mother and calf – to do so shortens your life expectancy it is said!   

Border Island is a recommended snorkelling stop. This was my first swim in Australia. The books warn of jellyfish, stingers, sharks, crocodiles on the surface and all manner of things you don’t want to touch or tread on on the bottom so the decision to swim was not taken lightly. And when it was taken, and then actioned ………….. IT WAS COLD!  Not so cold that I couldn’t stay in the water for 45 mins or so but one had to keep moving to keep warm.  Coral was good, fish were better than I have seen for a while – big shoals of 20-30cm fish -  but the visibility was only 2-4 metres.

On into Airlie Beach to send off the Chart Plotter for repair (decided to do it in Australia) and met up with relatives of our neighbours (Dick and Norma) from Hawkley  with whom we spent a couple of entertaining evenings – learned what a Dark and Stormy should really taste like – while waiting for the onslaught as  the Verkroost family.  (Sailing two up, just Simone and I is rather different than a boat of six people with two teenagers – nuff said!).  

Meanwhile, we encountered a “squeeze“. This is s meteorological term  describing a situation in which a low pressure and a high pressure system (a depression and an anticyclone) are squeezed closer together than normal producing stronger  winds in the area of the “squeeze”. We were situated in or under the “squeeze” and encountered stronger winds that we had seen for some time.  Another way of putting it is that on the day we were supposed to sail south east it was “blowing old boots” from the South East. Discretion being the better part of valour we decided that the ‘Mountain was going to have to travel to Mohammed’ and Die Familie Verkroost would have to get a ferry to Airlie Beach – which they did.

This was a view from the boat the night before they arrived – and, Yes it is blowing 25-30knots in this photo.

Peter, Alison, Kara and Jenna  have now arrived, Peter thanklfully  being laden with bits for the boat all of which are now fitted.  HOWEVER, for those of you following the Niggles – as if you would expect otherwise -  the regulator did not fix my charging problem. Tant pis.

A days shopping and we set off  to the Islands  for some sunshine and snorkelling today – shame it is raining!

David Caukill

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