Noon Position: 16 2.4 S 145 40.0 E
Course: SSW Speed: 4 knots
Wind: SE, F4 - moderate breeze
Sea: slight Swell: negligible
Weather: sunny, warm
Day's run: 16 nm sailed, 10 nm made good

I have enjoyed a pleasant three day stopover in Port Douglas which has allowed us to re-provision, do some boat chores, in particular service the engine's cooling system, as well as just relaxing. However, staying at marinas is expensive and Port Douglas is one of the more expensive marinas up this way, so, with no change in sight to the forecast for moderate to fresh SE winds, this morning I decided we needed to bite the bullet and continue punching our way south.

To this end we had an early start, getting under way at 0730, so as to get clear of the harbour entrance while there was sufficient of the ebbing tide to allow us over the shallows, and before the wind picked up later in the day. At 0750 we were clear of the marked channel. We motored up into the wind, set the main with one reef and secured the anchor for sea, then bore away to the ESE and set the jib, close hauled on the starboard tack. Fortunately the wind has not proven as fresh as was forecast so at 0855 I was able to shake the reef out of the main. At 1106, with the Batt Reef looming ahead of us, we tacked on to port, now making good a course of SSW.

The plan is to make for Cape Grafton some 25 miles distant, where, if we make good an average of three knots, we should arrive around 2100. There we can anchor to get some rest and assess conditions for continuing south tomorrow morning.

All is well.