Thursday 15th July Goldsmith Island
We awoke to another beautiful day. The water had cleared and you could see the ripples in the sand below the boat. When Andrew was telling Sue this, Lydia jumped out of bed (we thought she was sleeping!), ran up the steps, her eyes glistening and ran and jumped into the sea. After a nice swim and quick look at the nearby reef, she was back!
First things first. After breakfast Andrew got stuck in to fixing the dinghy wheels. He found some tubing that he could make a bush with. Then drilled a hole through a stainless steel bolt to fit a split pin. Hey presto, the wheels were working again. They just needed a quick pump up and we are away.
The Mackay water police came around to check all the boats. It was funny, most of the boats said they were trying to keep out of Covid’s reach (all of them had departed from their ports well before the latest outbreaks and lockdowns), whereas Andrew said we were trying to get out of the Brisbane winter! The border patrols are hot on people not trying to cross borders during these restrictions.
Next job see why the anchor winch chain keeps jamming. A quick look revealed the chain release bar was bent. Nothing a 4 pound hammer and a large rock on the beach wouldn’t straighten.
With the jobs of the day out of the away it was time for a skinny dip. Well a skinny dip for Lydia more of a chunky dunk for Sue and I.
After lunch Steve and Waty came over to pick up Lydia to take her diving. We were so lucky to see quite a few turtles today, including a couple of big ones who poked their heads out of the water and had a gander at us before continuing on their journey. We also saw a couple of whales in the distance.
Evening and time to relax with a wine before dinner.
