Keen to get further North and into consistent warmer weather, and with the ease of cruising on "El Gato", our daily plans are getting more ambitious. Where, a couple of years ago, we split the run from Pancake Creek to Rosslyn Bay into three smaller bites, we are now confident to tackle 70 mile runs. So we could avoid the industrial mayhem of Gladstone and the rolly anchorage of Cape Capricorn by getting underway at dawn from Pancake Creek.
So it was a pleasant day out on the water as we bypassed those two spots, pulling into Rosslyn Bay (just South of Yeppoon) late in the afternoon but still in daylight. A cracking sail, too, from memory.
We fronted up to the very nice restaurant for dinner, pretty weary indeed, and then wandered back to bed and ready for a day off.
So it was a pleasant day out on the water as we bypassed those two spots, pulling into Rosslyn Bay (just South of Yeppoon) late in the afternoon but still in daylight. A cracking sail, too, from memory.
We fronted up to the very nice restaurant for dinner, pretty weary indeed, and then wandered back to bed and ready for a day off.
To Pearl Bay and beyond. A day's rest and it was off to Pearl Bay. This beautiful little spot is to the north of Port Clinton in the Shoalwater area. This is often used for military exercises, and two years previously, we had been forced to give it a wide berth as a massive joint exercise, with Australian, US and Spanish warships, was in full swing. Operation Talisman Sabre I believe.
So with nice weather and the region being open to the public, it was a great opportunity. No phone signal, no townships, no facilities and maybe just an unexploded bomb or two.
So we cruised into the anchorage, cruised around in the dinghy for a bit, and invited the crew of the only other yacht in the anchorage over for sundowners. And slept well!
So with nice weather and the region being open to the public, it was a great opportunity. No phone signal, no townships, no facilities and maybe just an unexploded bomb or two.
So we cruised into the anchorage, cruised around in the dinghy for a bit, and invited the crew of the only other yacht in the anchorage over for sundowners. And slept well!
The impact point looking like a Nurofen ad. We were up early again in the morning, keen to now get away from the coast and begin our island-hopping journey. But just a few minutes after pulling the anchor, CRUNCH, and we were perched atop a rock that was uncharted, and lurking about a metre or so under the water. And our draft is about a metre and a half. So we were stuck. Fortunately, we were able to manoeuvre our way off using the motor, but we'd put a crack in the hull. Also fortunately, we had some underwater epoxy putty on board, which I mixed up and applied from inside the hull, stopping any leakage, if only temporarily.
The screen shot at right, from our up-until-now perfect Navionics plotting software, shows our anchor marks, planned course, and the red spot's our impact point.
Yes, we should've kept a better watch at the bow. And yes, we should've picked our way out of the bay at a slower speed.
And no, we shouldn't have trusted the chart so faithfully.
And there endeth the lesson.
The screen shot at right, from our up-until-now perfect Navionics plotting software, shows our anchor marks, planned course, and the red spot's our impact point.
Yes, we should've kept a better watch at the bow. And yes, we should've picked our way out of the bay at a slower speed.
And no, we shouldn't have trusted the chart so faithfully.
And there endeth the lesson.
The idyllic and seemingly innocent anchorage at Pearl Bay on the afternoon of our arrival.
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