Pit Stop
Rhiann Marie - Round the World
Stewart Graham
Fri 15 Oct 2010 08:09
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Friday October 15th 1623 Local 0623
UTC
20:08.37S 148:54.66E
Since our exhilerating arrival at Mackay last
Saturday night there have been strong wionds with Strong Wind warnings in
place for most of the week. This kep us back in Mackay a day longer than we
had wanted and to some extent this was wasted as none of the planned work
we were to get done to Rhiann Marie was done.
However we took the chance to rent a car and go and
explore the Mackay highlands and took a 400km road trip through tropical rain
forrest, vast areas of sugar cane plantations and on to some coastal resort
towns.
In the highlands we went to a river where the duck
billed platypus live but because we were there during the middle of the day none
came out to play. The bird life though was amazing, Cockatoos, Kookaburras,
Kingfishers, Wild Turkeys to name a few. About 100 miles from the sea we
had a great stop at a village "watering hole" for a couple of home made pies and
a beer and we had some craic with the locals - one of who was a trawler
woman. It was 1o'clock and she was on
her 5th Bourbon - enough said. Obviously it was a good season at the
shrimp!
While at Mackay we finally crossed paths again with
our old friends the Dransfield's from Nika and we shared a couple of meals and a
few sundowners. We parted company when the weather settled on Thursday morning
when we both left Mackay to go home. Us to Scotland and them to
Sidney!
Our plan was to spend about four or five days in
the Whitsundays and for Trish to head home from Sidney via Mackay. We were
delayed though and as no work got done on the boat we decided to make Cairns of
it before both heading home on Tuesday from there. That and the weather delay
left our time short in the Whitsundays but we have to keep moving North before
the cyclone season starts.
On leaving Mackay to head north I unfurled the
sails and there was another tear in the leech of the main. I thought I would try
it for a little while but within 15 minutes it was about four foot long. This
meant I could not sail to Cairns unless I could get a repair done. I did not
have enough fuel to motor there. Plan B was put together finding that we could
refuel at Hamilton Island resort and with a bit of gentle persuasion we got the
resort marina guys to arrange a berth for us in the "completely full marina"
after arranging fuelling as we could not now make our destination
anchorage.
We are wise to that old line by now and when we
hear that "no, no berths are available" we know that's code for well
there are one or two but we can't be bothered. Too long in the tooth to buy that
one....
So we pitched up and fuelled up and took one of the
berths..... But not before we asked if there was a sail maker locally. There was
and to cut a long story short we had two sailmakers on the boat 10 minutes later
and I dropped and removed the main to the sail loft within thirty minutes. That
was 1630. It was awell choreographed exercise and unbelievably we had the sail
back with every one of the many seams whoose stitching had given way repaired.
After spinning the boat around in the berth into the now (typically ) freshening
wind, the sail was back inside the mast by 1000. Since we were on a roll we
dropped the genoa and repaired the two serious tears in it!
These guys, Tony and Ross were from Bruce
Finlay Sails on Hamilton Island and they were red hot at helping us out and
turning us around so quickly. Honestly if you are in Oz, anywhere in Oz and need
a sail repair take my word for it sail to Hamilton Island and get Bruce Finlay
Sails on the job.
The whole exercise went so smoothly I'm sure
Ferrari will be on the phone any minute now asking for advice on how to
choreograph their pit stops.....
The next day we went to the famous Whitehaven
beach, Hill inlet and Turtle bay. Stunning and it really is a shame we can't
spend longer here. We will come back some day, I hope. Next time I sail round
the world perhaps!
Toningt we are anchored up in Nara Inlet on Hook
Island being attacked endlessly by whopping big Marsh Flies. Not to worry we are
only here until 0200 when i get up and sail us to Cairns 320 miles North. ETA
Sunday evening. We'll see.....
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