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Thursday 11th November
Once again the weather has cut short our stay at Lady Musgrave. In the next few days the waves are building to over 2m. Which means they will come over the reef along with the 30knot winds, making it very uncomfortable here in the atoll.
We have spent the past four days enjoying snorkeling around the bommies within the atoll. With a lot of small jellyfish around we reluctantly have to wear our stinger suits. Very stylish. We look good in black.
The tide and wind meant we left Tuesday lunch time and headed south. Tuesday afternoon, Tuesday night, Wednesday, Wednesday night and Thursday morning, non stop sailing and little sleep.. Thursday lunch time and we dropped anchor back in the Brisbane river where we set off from six months ago.
Its been a good trip ending with being escorted by dolphins along the Sunshine Coast. Lydia gained a lot of sailing and liveaboard experience. Andrew and Sue got to visit places they missed last year and we all got to make new friends.

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Saturday 6th November
On Thursday we decided we had had enough, so we made a run for Lady Musgrave Island. We knew it was going to be a hard slog into the easterly wind and it would be at least a 24 hour run.
We had a side on swell making it a bit uncomfortable run but we started making good time. We were well over the halfway point when we had to decide whether continue tacking and get to Lady Musgrave for the 2pm low tide or motor the rest of the way and make it in time for the 8am high tide. We can only get in or out at the turn of the tide because the current at mid tide is too strong to control Imagine safely through the narrow entrance.
We were all exhausted so we turned on the motor and headed directly into the waves and wind. Through the dark of night we were playing dodgems with fishing trawlers. The trawlers had no AIS, so we couldn’t see them on the chartplotter. We couldn’t see their navigation lights for their bright deck lights, so it was difficult to see which way they were travelling or when they changed direction.
We made it to Lady Musgrave and through the gap by 8am Friday, dropped anchor and straight to bed. In the afternoon Lydia managed a quick swim around the boat and returned two hours later. That was enough energy exerted for all of us and we just chilled the rest of the day.
This morning Lydia was up at sparrows fart (not to be confused with her own morning farts) and she was in the water. Oh how she missed jumping off the boat (six days without swimming). Noticing there were jellyfish in the water, it was time to wear stinger suits when swimming.
After breakfast we hauled anchor and moved Imagine closer to the edge of the reef so we didn’t have to swim so far when snorkeling the coral. As usual as soon as the anchor was down Lydia was in the water checking out the bommies around us, just to make sure they were deep enough that Imagine wouldn’t catch them if we swung around or dragged a little.
We all spent a couple of hours snorkeling a part of the reef. There were hundreds of fish of all types cruising the reef. We had just about had enough for a while when it was confirmed it was time to head back when Lydia spotted a white tip reef shark checking out what we were doing.

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Wednesday 3th November
For the past week we have taken shelter in Seven Mile Creek that runs off Rodd Harbour, just south of Gladstone. The river is a brown silty river with zero visibility. Sue tried fishing for dinner. After the fourth shark breaking (chewing through) the line, Sue had had enough. We heard there was large reptiles with sharp teeth frequenting the rivers around here.
With the crocs and the sharks, swimming was off the agenda. So what do you do while sheltering from a gale force wind for 6 days? Well, there is card games, Pass the Pigs, watching movies, or if you are Lydia you sand down the cockpit cabin ready to be painted when the wind dies.

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Friday 29th October
We quietly left the bay in the middle of the night last night. There was no moon, but the sky shimmered with the glistening stars. In the midst of a light breeze Imagine glided through the darkness with a gentle rocking from the waves. The weather was finally in our favour. It wasn’t long before the moon rose, casting its yellow reflection across the water. It didn’t seem long before the night gave way to the morning. The red ball of fire emerging over the horizon colouring a few wispy clouds and lighting the way through the anchored vessels as we approached our desitination.
Doesn’t the life at sea sound so romantic?
What really happened! We had to get up in the middle of the night to catch the wind and tide. There was no moon so we couldnt see a thing. At least we had a breeze to sail by. The waves again were coming from the side making Imagine continuously rock. The moon finally came up just before dawn and when the sun came over the horizon we couldn’t see a thing as we navigated between cargo boats anchored outside Gladstone.
Anyway we are here just south of Gladstone in Rodds Harbour. Hopefully there is going to be enough protection when the southerlies come through next week.

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Wednesday 27 Oct
To go or not to go, that is the question. Whether it be nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous expectations (if we can’t get shelter). Or to stand fast and weather the storm (where we are). Not quite William Shakespeare, more like John Shakespear (the guy that lived at the end of our street)
We are wanting to head south to Lady Musgrave but there is a southerly coming. Do we set off ahead of the southerly and take shelter on the mainland, in a river that looks to give shelter, or do we sit tight and weather the winds at Great Keppel, then head off to Musgrave.
Most of the 45 boats in the bay have made a run for it. Possibly getting as far south before the southerly kicks in.
Fish for dinner again tonight. Caught by Lydia, filleted by Andrew, cooked by Sue and eaten by all.

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Monday 25th October
We are staying here waiting for a weather window. We need a day and night of constant wind to make it to Lady Musgrave. We then need a few days of light wind so we can spend time enjoying the atoll. We only spent one day there on the way north due to the weather.
The past few days its been like glass in the morning then by 3pm and into the evening the wind has got up over 20knots, and it looks like continuing like this for the rest of the week.
So Lydia has passed the time cleaning the hull with intermmitent breaks of walking upside down on the keel. We have been snorkeling and Sue and Andrew have been fishing, but only catching fish too small to make a meal. Lydia will have to get back to spearing again.
We can still make fresh bread, but we are getting low on fresh fruit and veggies. We still have enough frozen meat and veggies to last us a few more weeks then it may be canned baked beans as we head into Brisbane.

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Wednesday 20th October
This is getting boring. Five storm cells in three days. Three while we have been sailing to Great Keppel and two since we have been here. Sue is not a fan of lightning storms as she spent them clinging hard to Andrew. I can’t say Andrew is a fan either. Lydia on the other hand dances for joy as they approach. The ramifications don’t effect her as much.
As this storm approached we watched as some boats reanchored. A couple left the bay to make a run for it (not sure if they would have outrun the storm). Another boat interestingly hauled anchor moved out of the bay and continuously circled outside of the bay. Maybe they thought it better to be at sea than at anchor in a storm. We thought it better to have 40m of chain out in 4m of water. Every skipper approaches this differently.
Since we have been at Keppel we have been confined to the southern bay and indoors due to the weather conditions. Hopefully this afternoon was the last of the storms for a while. The wind is predicted to drop and we should have some nice days.
After this afternoon’s storm Lydia had had enough of cabin fever (two days out of water). She dragged out the huka dive gear and went overboard to start cleaning the hull. Barnacles and seaweed were growing again. At this time we had 1.9m below the keel, she could almost stand on the bottom! Tiny fish swarmed around her as she was tackling the hull.

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Monday 18th October
Well, we set off yesterday. 7knot winds, gennaker up sailing nicely. Two hours later, no wind, the ocean was like glass.
Do we turn back and try again tomorrow? The weatherman said 10knots during the day increasing to 20 in the evening. So we turned on the motor and kept going. Two hours later here was the 10knot winds. Beautiful, half a meter swell, 10knot winds (in the right direction).
By evening we had reached Port Clinton (almost half way) a large bay and inlet. The ocean coming from deep water to shallow and wind against tide made it very choppy. The one and a half meter swell was now coming on the side of us and the wind dropped to 5knots.
There wasn’t enough wind to keep the sails open, so should we try to find shelter in Port Clinton which is very shallow, or motor on. After eight hours of motoring the wind finally came back.
Problem, we were an hour from anchoring at Keppel Island and there was lightning coming across from the coast with a lot of wet stuff. There wasn’t much we could do. Keep on going.
The morning light suddenly turned dark. The rain started followed by the light show. Sue was anxious to say the least, as the lightning was striking very close. Lightning and thunder almost simultaneous. The wind was sustained at 70km with a few peeks of 78. After half an hour (which Lydia slept through most of it) the show was over, the sky cleared and we could see Keppel. Thunderstorms on land are nerve wracking, as are ones when you’re on a boat at anchor, but it’s a whole new level when you’re in the middle of one at sea and the only tall mast (or as Sue calls it, lightning conductor) in sight!
By the time we had anchored it was blue sky and a slight breeze. We all had a late breakfast and went to bed. Waking at lunchtime to still a blue sky we could hear thunder in the distance. Batten down the hatches, it’s another thunder and lightning storm heading our way.
This storm came and went. Not as intense as this mornings but it had its moments. Once again Lydia slept through it all. We are hoping tonight is a little more sedate.
NB. Boats that get hit by lightning usually lose all their electric items, navigation instruments, auto pilot, lights, phones, tablets, engine alternators, starters and batteries, rendering the boat inoperable . Then the lightning finds its way out of the boat blowing a hole or two through the hull fittings.

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Sunday 17th October
Symphony left us on Friday morning, heading for the coast and supplies. We did more snorkeling and swimming.
That afternoon we decided we should start heading south again. Too late. We should have left on the Friday because the weather Saturday was not good.
Early Saturday morning the 20knot wind and waves swung around to the south. The main sea swell was still coming from north east. We couldn’t sail south into the wind and we couldn’t see anything around that was sheltered from both north east and south, so we stayed put and rocked around.
By lunchtime the wind had eased and swung easterly giving us shelter again. The wind was going to drop off completely during the night and we have waited till today to set off to Keppel Island. Being approximately 200km away, it will be a day and night sail.
Unfortunately Lydia decided to go for a dive before we left. It is a tragedy. After all that diving and this was to be her last ever dive. In the water only minutes. When we got her back to the boat, we didn’t think she was going to make it. We tried resuscitation in a cup full of rice, but she was gone. Glenda the Gopro is dead. RIP. Only send gif’s or jpg’s in memory.

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Thursday 14th October
On our way north we didnt get to stop at West Bay here on Middle Percy because of the weather. Early this morning we hauled anchor and headed around to West Bay whilst the wind and swell were supposed to moved more easterly. No they didn’t. The wind and swell were coming straight in the bay.
We anchored and made our way to the beach. The reason everyone stops at West bay is to visit the A frame hut and leave a plaque. We were here to upgrade the one we left last year and Lydia had a new one to leave. It’s fascinating looking at all the plaques and names of the boats.
We chatted with the caretakers of the island, had lunch, a swim and left our mark. It was too rolly to stay in the bay so we returned to Rescue Bay. Graham from Symphony came over to see if Lydia wanted to go spearfishing. She didn’t need asking twice. She picked up her gun, mask, fins and weights and was in the dinghy in seconds. About an hour later they returned. Graham had caught a fish. Lydia didn’t see any of the ones she was looking for so she returned empty handed this time, Graham shared half his fish with us.