Yes we are back in the Brisbane river. Oh how we missed the sounds of the sirens, loud motorbikes and ferries constantly passing us. Even the planes are back overhead.
We managed to anchor in the same spot we were in before going to the Whitsundays. We’ve been back almost two weeks and in those two weeks we have had dinner with our friends/neighbours who we have anchored outside their apartment. We caught up with the crew who sailed with us from Brisbane to Mackay. They introduced us to other friends of theirs who live in Brisbane. We will catch up with them again soon.
The rest of the time we have been doing laundry, cleaning and some boat maintenance. The dinghy outboard started playing up so we had to take it for a service. That was a mission in itself.
We had to row up river a bit then put the motor on a hand cart and drag it 2 or 3km to leave it to be serviced then go pick it up the next day. Then three days later take it back because it was still playing up.
There is still lots of maintenance to do on the boat and we have to catch up with Ben, Amie and Lachlan and others, so we will have plenty to do over the next few months.
We arrived and anchored at the river this morning successfully, but that is not the part of the story I want to tell you.
As the breeze pushed us on, passing behind Fraser Island, we heard on the radio that there was a “strong wind alert” for the zones that we were still to go through. Reading our own weather reports, we concluded – for the moment – that we could still have all our sails up, so we did.
By the early afternoon, the wind started to increase its speed, gusting violently. Sue turned the vessel into the mighty waves, while Andrew and Guido put down the main sail. We kept on course, motoring, as the flashes of distant thunder continued to get closer, quiet, but certain.
Now surrounded by clouds, we witnessed the sun hiding behind them, like a sea of white and orange cotton, and the night fell upon us.
The view, a breathtaking set of flashes and purple lightning, still in calm seas, nature’s way to advise us what lied ahead, magnificent and menacing all together.
The calm before the storm. I heard this before and thought of it as an expression, but I was proven wrong. It is as real as what happened next.
I truly couldn’t say how or when did it start, but the wind raised severely and with furious anger, struck the beam of the boat with a speed of about 50 knots. Minutes seemed like hours. Flashes everywhere. Wind howling and water squeezing through every possible opening.
Andrew and Sue tried to put the boat in the best possible position, while Nivi and I just wondered when would it all end.
The boat kept heeling over more and more.
And of course, as everything happens at the same time, we could smell smoke. The wind generator, which by the way was being hit and damaged by a halyard, was overcharging the batteries. One problem solved.
Then, we realized the anchor winch was enabled. Another cause for the smoke smell, also solved after we turned it off and Andrew went out to check where the anchor was.
When the front had passed and Andrew managed to put the boat into position, we were wet and honestly, quite frightened.
A true demonstration of power.
Being in the middle of a storm cell is an experience that makes you respect the wind and the sea like no other.
We woke up early in the morning at Blue Pearl Bay and after a morning swim and a nice breakfast we moved to Luncheon Bay.
After some challenging sailing for Nivi and Guido, we arrived to Luncheon Bay just in time for some home made (maybe boat made) bread sandwiches. Beautiful snorkel with plenty and funny batfish. We missed the Mauri Wrasses tho, who made friends with someone else.
We got some more protection from the swell at Maureen’s Cove later in the afternoon, where Nivi and Guido had an endless nap.
Nivi is cooking tonight… it is said that she knows what she is doing, we shall see and report again tomorrow. Andrew and Guido played Pass the Pigs.
Side note: this is Guido. I hate pass the pigs!!!!
Whilst Nivi was in the galley cooking up a storm we had a game of boat dodgems trying to get to the calmer mooring we had been waiting for. The marine parks boat had been on it. Another yacht came into the bay and was also waiting. The parks boat finally left and it was on.
Everyone jumped up, Guido had us unhooked from the mooring in seconds.
Sue at the helm and it was all ahead full steam. The other boat had deployed a dinghy and was heading for the new mooring. That didn’t slow Sue down. Neither did the screams and shouts from the kids in the dinghy.
Although they were shouting something from the other boat, both Andrew and Guido said they couldn’t hear what they were saying. Well, they didn’t start moving their boat fast enough (they didnt stand a chance) and to be fair we had been waiting all afternoon for the mooring. We had also come across this same boat that had hogged the moorings at 2 other bays we had just been to, it must be karma!
Straight after breakfast we headed back to Blue Pearl Bay. It seems all the rent a boats had the same idea. By the time we got there, there were 12 other boats in the bay. Thirteen boat onto 6 moorings doesn’t go. Our only option was to anchor in 19m of water.
It wasnt long before we were in the water. Guido and Nivi snorkelled the reef while Andrew and Sue swam around the boat, then sunbathed on the back deck.
Ten of the boats in the bay must have known each other as after lunch they left in a group leaving only two boat plus us.
We quickly hauled anchor and moved onto a vacant mooring. That took a lot of energy, so it was back into the water for another cool off and swim. When back on deck Guido and Andrew repaired the bowroller that had lost its retaining pin.
This afternoon it was time to teach the new crew how to play Pass the Pigs.
After Andrew blitzing everyone in the two games it was time to be serenaded by Guido on the guitar. Onto drinks and nibbles, enjoying this beautiful bay, the peace and quiet and “our fish” that always come to swim with us here.
This morning we met our new crew Guido and Nivi. After a quick tour of Airlie beach and a trip to the booze shop we headed back to the boat.
We only had time for a quick tour of the boat before preparing to set sail.
Our plan was to head to Blue Pearl Bay, but unfortunately the rent a boats had taken up all the moorings. So as with boating we changed plans and went to Stonehaven Bay. Minutes after anchoring Guido was in the water cooling off. Nivi has already got a little pink on her first day in the sun. The start of their 30 day adventure on Imagine.
This evening we were asked to try Nivi’s home made Danish cake. Now there is none left! Yum!
We had spent a few days at Shaw Island, wrestling with sharks, walking along the beach and seeing Stingrays in the shallows, so it was time to move on. We sailed north to Chance Bay (north East of Hamilton Island) on Whitsunday Island. With the winds turning North East chances were that it would be a nice sheltered bay. All the rent-a-yachts thought so too. Its quite a busy bay.
Today went for a walk across to Whitehaven Beach. The distance is a bit confusing. The sign when we started said 2.5km. On the way back the first sign said 2.3km after 600m there was another sign that said 3km. Anyway it was about a 2 hour walk each way.
We didn’t realise it was school holidays. There was a bit of a transformation from when we had seen the beach last month.
