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Thursday 8th July

Overnight the wind changed to put us side on to the sea, all that was now coming around the point. With next to no sleep because of Imagine rocking so violently we hauled anchor at daybreak and headed to the next island (Middle Percy). Luckily it was only 2 hours away. The only island within two days sail that can give protection from the northerly winds that are coming the next three days.
Again as we dropped anchor Lydia was in the water to check we were secure. Seranade had followed us into the bay as they declared that was their worst night on their boat ever.
After a while Casana joined us in the bay. Andrew and Lydia went exploring the bay to find the best places to dive later. Ross came to Imagine with a Parrot fish he had caught as a thank you for the bread Andrew had baked for them yesterday, so Lydia filleted her first fish. We all had a rest and in the afternoon Ross and Lydia went diving. Ross speared a trout and Lydia has yet to come back with anything but stories.
Parrot fish for dinner …. yummy!

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Surprise! Lydia didn’t go for a swim this morning. Instead Andrew and Lydia decided to go for a hike up the hill to see if they could get any internet to check the weather. Shortly before they were due to go we heard a call over the radio from Serenade to see if Casana were heading ashore as Waty (Steve’s wife) was keen to go for a walk. Andrew radioed Serenade to say he and Lydia were going ashore if they wanted to join us walking over the island. Waty and Stephanie (one of their daughters) were keen to go so Andrew and Lydia picked them up on the way to the beach.
Off we went up the side of the hill across the ridge and down the other side stopping part way down. Waty and Andrew stopped half way down. Lydia had seen there was a hill jutting out from the coast. It didn’t have a pile of rocks on top of it like all the hills on the island. Looking at the steep rocky sides to the hill you could understand why no one had put a pyramid of rocks on it. And Lydia was off. We watched as she went down the hill through the scrub, clambered across the rocks and scaled the cliff face. Making it to the top she gathered up rocks and made a pyramid, declaring it to be Mount Lydia.
As we came down the hill we could see Steve and Georgia (their other daughter) were on the beach along with Ross and Georgia from Casana. On the way back we discovered that Waty had never skinnydipped but had wanted to. So we convinced her there is no time like the present. Reaching the beach Lydia dropped her backpack and peeled off her clothes as she ran down the beach and dived into the water naked. Andrew was right behind her. With everyone else on the beach Waty got cold feet and and went swiming in bra and pants.
Most of the others headed off for a walk up the end of the beach. It was lunchtime so Andrew and Lydia got in the dinghy to head back to Imagine. As they did they saw Steve had convinced Waty to go for it. And she did. She stripped off and was in the water right behind us. Good on her.

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A new morning and we headed ashore to do some exploring. At the other end of the beach there was a track leading inland, taking us to a valley of colourful rocks and sand.
As we walked back along the beach we were greeted by other boaties that had come ashore. It was while talking to Steve the skipper of Serenade (another Roberts designed ketch) that Lydia exclaimed she was jumping ship. They have dive tanks, a compressor and a speargun on Serenade.
Ross, the skipper of Casana said he would go diving the reef with Lydia and show her how to spearfish. Lydia organised to borrow Steve’s speargun and went off with Ross promising to return with a fish for dinner. We had spring rolls for dinner. We got the story that there were lots of fish and she did shoot one but it got away before breaking the tip of the speargun. Now we’ll have to wait for Airlie to get a speargun of her own.
Late afternoon we headed over to Casana (an large catamaran owned by Ross and Georgie) for sundowners. The crew from Serenade were also there. Lydia listened to all the tales of mishaps and adventures we were all telling and enjoyed raving away to Georgie’s music.

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Monday 5th July

We set off at 6am for a full day’s sail and all night arriving at South Percy about 7am. As soon as we dropped the anchor Lydia was in the water, using the excuse of checking the anchor. Then it was scouting around checking the bommies just in case they were too close. One of them was a little close if we swing that way during the night so we lifted anchor and re-anchored a few metres further along.
We all had breakfast, then went to sleep for a couple of hours. The afternoon was just chilling out and of course Lydia back in the water.
By evening we were still getting over the sailing so we didn’t go ashore to meet the other boaties that had congregated on the beach around a fire.

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Another two days of high winds although the rain has stopped. As the wind got quite high yesterday, we saw several boats drag anchor and then move to a different part of the bay. A relief to us.
This morning Andrew and Lydia went ashore to go Geo-caching since she likes finding treasure so much. They returned to Imagine for a swim then lunch. We all had an afternoon siesta, before Lydia started coding the website to improve the map locations.
This evening we will be dining on Spaghetti Bolognese with garlic croutons.
Tomorrow the wind will turn easterly and come into this bay so we hope to move to Monkey bay. There is only a small place in the bay deep enough for us, so we have to beat everyone around there in the morning.

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The past two days have been rainy and windy, so we have just hunkered down and reverted to indoor activities. Lydia with her painting. Sue with her crosswords and Andrew fixing things and making olive and rosemary bread for lunch. Today was showering on the back deck in the rain, then TV time watching the first series of Killing Eve. Then programming the website so you can see a map of where we have been and where we are.
Two more days of wind and rain are predicted, so more of Killing Eve.

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Today was rest day. That meant no sailing or snorkeling till after lunch. Then Andrew and Lydia went off in the dinghy to explore the next bay. Landing the dinghy on the beach Lydia headed off into the water while Andrew explored the rocks.
Lydia keeping true to form came out of the water with more treasure. A cricket wicket in one hand and a deflated pool toy in the other. After a couple of hours snorkeling they headed back to Imagine where Sue had made a lemon coconut slice.
Lydia wanted to watch a shipwreck movie so we watched The Life of Pi
Tomorrow the winds change and we will have to move to a more sheltered bay.

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Lydia was in the water just after daybreak to check out the reef at the other end of the bay. When she got back Sue had made brunch. Pancakes, bacon, blueberries and maple syrup.
To burn off such a breakfast Andrew and Lydia went on a 3 hour hike. As they reached the western bays the could see the bay was packed with boats. A vast contrast to the bay Imagine is in.
Late this afternoon we all headed to the beach to try out our new inflatable kayak. Sorry the video of the three of us getting in and trying to paddle, although hilarious, has been censored NFP (Not for Public Viewing).

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After a day of recovery at Great Keppel, we saw the wind was changing north which would blow into the bay we were in. So time to move to the southern side of the island.
Now anchored it was time to take the watermaker apart. We now know how it works. We checked the seals and they look good. We couldnt see anything wrong with the pump, so we got it back together (with no parts left over). After reconnecting all the piping we tried it again. Still no fresh water. Tomorrow we will try something else.
Swim time. Lydia found more treasure. A golf ball.
Now it’s nibbles time before making dinner.

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Sunday 20th
There was a slight breeze overnight (33kts) and a couple of bumps (2.5m dueling swells). As the wind was taking us too far off course, we turned on the motor and pounded through the waves. Dead of the night with no moon, we trusted Imagine to get us through. By daybreak the wind had died down, so we could head to Lady Muskgrave. The timing worked well to get though the 30m wide channel at low tide with Andrew up the mast, Sue on the helm and Lydia cheering them on.
Lady Muskgrave was a much needed reprieve. Fixed poor FRED the autopilot, we won’t be taking him for granted again. Lydia had a dive checking out the bommies in the amazingly clear 20°C water with 20m vis. Andrew had a quick dip but Sue decided to wait for the warmer water up north.