Cooktown

Following Ryan’s suggestion you can now log on to Skipr net at…

http://skipr.net

…and find where I currently am and the track I’ve been following.  You will need to search for the vessel Charisma.  Looking at the track, If you take out the lumpy bits I’m about half way to Darwin!  But, the lumpy bits are the most fun aren’t they?

Only had cabin fever for a couple of days while we were stuck in Cairns.  We got out most days. 

The Mustang tried to hitch a ride with Octopus.  This is not a cruise liner. It is the private “yacht” of Paul Allen.  He was Bill Gates partner in Microsoft.  It has a crew of 60 with two helicopters and a submarine!  It couldn’t get into the town berth so it blocked the main jetty.  Passengers for the reef cruisers were bussed out the 20 kilometres to Yorkies where we are to board their tour boat.  I doesn’t look like he’s going to be as philanthropic as Bill…

We even went out as a couple for dinner. 

The reality… we both took our kindles out to dinner 

 

Cairns was a really good place to be holed up. The locals are a relaxed mob with a few eccentric characters thrown in.  The guy who owns the local chandlery walked past and pointed out that while the split pins where still in the locks for the stays they need to be opened up a bit more.  After a bit of a look around with a screwdriver it should be all good.  This one had just about worked its’ way all the way out…

I’ll find it hard to recommend the guy who did the rig survey.  When the Navigator joins the boat and we are anchored somewhere calm I’ll go up the mast and check there.

We took Merv out for a run and while the crabs were crawling into the pot we went around to Trinity beach.  This is basically a tourist beach north of Cairns where you can swim between the flags with just the usual worries.

 

  …Yes that is a swim flag you can see on the right of the sign.  It’s about 500m from the creek where we took this picture....

This croc was about 12’ long. The Mustang almost ran it over with Merv and scared it off the bank so we didn’t get a better picture.

It’s no wonder that it’s always the tourists that end up having interactions with the native fauna. There is even a resort there specifically for Inuit tourists...

 Queensland igloos???

Oh, more importantly, we actually had a small barra take a lure while trolling in the creek.  We must be getting nearer to the warmer water…

The Mustang has flown back and the last supplies put onto the boat including the all important mainland rock...

 The rock from Cairns. More on this later…

15^th  June 2013

Low Isles  16^o 22.747S 145^o 33.568E

I topped up the tank this morning and had a late start getting away after saying “see ya round like a pineapple donut” to all the characters at Yorkies.  Good sail up here and the wind looks like it has settled down to the 15 to 20 knot trade winds.

This is a very pretty pair of islands just off Port Douglas. 

Beach - check

Coconut trees - check

Reef for snorkeling - check

A stereotype...

 

There are a lot of day trip boats that come out here so I wont even bother going ashore as the couple of hundred tourists who were here when I pulled up have just left.  The anchorage is crowded and all the public moorings are taken but,  the sun is out and I even caught a fish.  Just a mackerel but it was with one of my new lures.

16^th  June 2013

Cooktown  15^o 27.457S 145^o 14.911E

 

Had good day with 15 to 20 knots of wind all the way.  It was overcast when I got to the cay I was going to stay at and I could see the sun shining near Cooktown over the horizon so why not? 

The light into Cooktown - Play choral chord now...

Caught a couple of fish.  This mackerel needs about another foot added to it... 

You have to get them in the boat before the sharks get to them.

This one is for Ryan.  Please note that I still have the 30cm long novelty lighter...

  Actually I filleted this one for another yacht “Largo” who stood by while I had a bit of drama today. 

The boom traveller came away when I got a gust of 25 knots.  The boat rounded up and there was the boom and block swinging wildly away.  Luckily I was down in the cabin when it broke.  It could have given me a nasty whack if I was sitting in the normal watch position.

Largo was behind me and saw it go to pieces.  They headed over and stood by while I got it back under control and called me to make sure I was ok before heading on. So I owe them a fish.

Well that was week 13.  Off to Lizard Island.  I’ve got my rock and I’ll pick up a newspaper tomorrow when I’ve had a look at Cooktown.

I am not likely to have much coverage as I head around the cape.  I’ll post positions on the skipr.net thingy with the not so smart phone when I get signal.