Macleay Island

Where Next?
Bob Williams
Sun 27 Oct 2019 07:40

Position: 27 35.23 S  153 21.12 E
At anchor off Maclean Island, Moreton Bay
Wind: NE  F3 gentle breeze
Sea: calm  Swell: nil
Weather: warm, sunny
Day’s run:  56 nm

The wind picked up as forecast and last night we ended up scooting our way up the Western Channel into Moreton Bay running square with the mainsail double reefed and the jib poled out to port. We managed to get inside the sand bars at the entrance to Moreton Bay before sunset but once again did not make it to anchor until well after dark. It proved to be a bit lumpy off the southern end of Bribie Island so I tried going into Pumerstone Channel on the western side of the Island but if anything the conditions were worse there. We motored back to our original intended anchorage position and anchored in 20 feet a few hundred meters out from the shore.

As I set the anchor, I shone a torch over the side and was amazed to see that we were anchored in a sea of jelly fish. I had never seen such a concentration before. Kate quipped that there must have been fifty percent jelly fish and fifty percent ocean and I don’t think she was too far off the mark. Despite the anchorage being a little lumpier than ideal, Sylph was reasonably settled and later in the night the wind eased so we ended up getting quite a good night’s rest.

This morning conditions were a lot more settled and we sailed from anchor at 0830 working our way out of the channel and into deeper water. We had to motor for a short while but the calm did not last long and we have managed to get a good day’s sail in, having just now come to anchor off Maclean Island at 1700. It’s nice to be able to settle for the evening before the sun.

All is well.