28th March 2013
Tangalooma 27o 11.431S 153o 21.829E - 5 Hours on the engine.
Mark driving Merv into tangalooma for a rubbish run.
Motored through the channels and got into Moreton bay which
was glassed out until the last two hours.
Finally got both sails up and enjoyed the ride.
The wrecks at Tandalooma. The wrecks are in the background.
The hydraulic pump is noisy and gets hot
after working all day. I can get a new one from the US delivered for $400.
Might get a spare one “just in case”
Sunset at Tandalooma
29th March
Mooloolabah 27o 11.431S 153o 21.829E - 5 Hours on the motor
Tried to sail the first two hours but only managed 1 to 2
knots. We switched on the motor for a
couple of hours until the wind kicked in.
Finally tried our first tack as we were coming in to
Mooloolabah – what a disaster. Never
mind - that’s what I bought a yacht with a new motor for.
Passing Container ships eating mud crabs
Still eating crabs
Tun Beer's new Australian mascot
We had the same piece of bait trailing along behind all
day. Set up like the live baits we used
to use in the Kimberley. Except this one
was dead. He hung on until the end of
the day until we started the motor. We
had become very attached to him. Or
perhaps it was the hook through his mouth and the 200lb line? We reckoned it
was because he didn’t like the smell of the diesel when he finally let go as we
started the motor to come through the entrance to Mooloolabar.
Capt Goodie takes us into Mooloobah
We had about 12 degrees of leeway heading up here so I’ll
need to compensate for that. We almost pulled into Calloundra which is about 10NM short of
Mooloolabar by mistake. It really does
help having a second person to talk to. It sorts out your thinking. I will need to take the time to really plan
when I take off by myself next week.
Well, tomorrow we are going into town to get diesel and
water and maybe some more beer. Mark does drink a lot. The Tun is holding up after a couple of days
– Scott will understand this reference.
It’s Easter Saturday tomorrow so we will shop, do some
planning and then if the weather holds true to the B.O.M. prediction we will
head out for our first overnight sail to get to Wide Bay crossing at a good
time.
Fuel at Mooloolabar36 Litres( for 13 hours motoring)
30th March 2013
Double Island Point 25o
55.352S 153o 8.891E - 3 hours on the motor.
Left Mooloolabah at 11am after refueling. I don’t think the pump guy would have been so
keen if he knew that we didn’t know how to reverse. Almost took out the bow sprit and anchors on
the pier. Oh well. No one died.
We also got in a mess coming out through the heads. The seas were very confused and we managed to
lose an oar and the deck brush. Morale
of the story… we don’t like washing the decks and we now have a spare oar to
use as a club for the crocodiles.
We finally got out to some cleaner water and sailed through till
about 11:30pm when the wind finally gave out. Started the donk and got into Double
Island point at just after 1 am. An hour
ahead of schedule !!! Are we ever good or what?
Sunset at sea.
31st March
2013
Fig Tree Creek Fraser
Island 27o 39.370S 152o
57.479E - 5 hours on the motor.
As we were leaving Double Island point a prawn trawler
pulled in and wanted to trade some cigarettes for prawns. Two packs for a box. Pretty fair trade our
way and there has to be some compensation for dying a death of lung cancer. Mark was game on the bow sprit doing the
exchange at sea. I know where reverse is now so no embarrassment in our first trade.
5 kilo of prawns at Double Island Point. Trawler in the background.
This place is definitely worth another visit for fishing if I'm back this way.
The Wide Bay bar crossing was fairly straight forward. We’d timed it just on the slack tide and two
others and us lined up to go in. Bounced
around a bit but the only casualty was Merv trying to jump ship half way across. Both clips holding him on the front broke but
he was secured with a couple of extra ropes.
When we got to anchor here we took him ashore and replaced the
complicated setup with new spectra. He
is now restrained. Tried to upload a video I took going accross but it will have to wait until we get better internet conection. It doesn't matter because we were there and you wern't...
Merv having new restraints fitted
By the way I’m sick of mud crabs so the prawns arrived at the right time. Guess what we had for breakfast and lunch today?
We’ve been asked where we come from… We’ve replied Perth. The next question was which yacht club we
belong to so we have a challenge for you.
We want an acronym for something like “The Unpretentious Bogun Sailing
Club of WA” TUBSWA or, something better
than that. Someone better come up with something clever or we really will sound
like the duffers that we are.
