Steady Progress
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Noon position: 21 10.9 S 149 40.3
E As forecast, the winds freshened slightly and at 1235, just after posting yesterday's log entry, I was able to shut down the BRM and continue under sail. It was my intention to sail outside of the Whitsunday Group as this route would have been navigationally simpler and allowed a little more rest; however, the breeze remained in the east so it was easier to go via the inside route rather than tack and end up sailing quite a bit further. For the most part the wind held and we were able to sail all the way through the Whitsunday Passage, excepting the last few miles past Dent and Hamilton Islands. Here, at 2240, we lost the wind and had to motor for an hour before regaining some clean air. Since then we have continued with the big red code zero and mainsail making good a steady four to five knots to the light NE breeze. This forenoon we passed the Hay Point Coal terminal. I was amazed to see the number of large ships waiting for cargo, about twenty of them according to my AIS, most of them at anchor all lined up in neat rows. I am tempted to make a comment on global warming but of late have become something of a fatalist. It just seems we humans are unable to cooperate on the scale required. I reckon we will get there in the end, but at what cost I wonder. Meanwhile, we have just been overtaken by a large ketch-rigged Warram catamaran. I recognise it from when we were up this way in 2000, a long time ago now. It is unusual in that apart from being a Warram design, it has a large fabric structure mounted on its bridge deck, stretched over hoops, in the way of a deck house. It is good to see it still sailing. Our plan remains to continue sailing while the favourable breeze holds. All is well. |