Trip Report 2

Sahula's Passage Report No: 2

It takes time to understand the cruising mind. We arrived at Tin Can Bay (derived from the Aboriginal name "Tinchin," - surely more appropriate than its European adaption!)) slid into the marina for the day and stayed a night. Not purist cruiser behaviour but.....

Very nice (too nice) marina and a reasonable fare. We fought off marina "rot" but not before embracing the hot showers one more time.

When the tide rose at midday we slipped the lines and left for the beauty of an anchorage in the Sandy Straits. It was not far to go, just off the village channel the main channel provided the "spot." The sunset ritual of drinks with olives and a dip farewelled the sun, set behind red gold laced clouds.

Next day dawned just as beautiful.

It was maintenance day. The crew of a steel boat is never far from the "rust" paint tin and failed lights needed repair. It was pleasant productive day interspersed with cups of tea and a chat. The ABC provided its unique intellectual inputs. It is hard to take, this cruising life. Evening found Ken in the galley again preforming his "Jamie Oliver" magic. Spoiled attains a new meaning in boat food lore.

Tomorrow is more of the same. It's a struggle!!!??

We listened to the weather forecast of a SE'ly change. Rain heralded its arrival of squalls. Fortunately, not before the paint patches were dealt with under sunshine. Ken also made the "baggy wrinkles" for the ends of the mast cross-trees. They'd go on later. I also polished the guard rails stainless pipe. Sahula was ready for southern guests. Appearances are everything!!!????

However, it was not be, at least not so soon.

Again the decision to go south was delayed and finally dispensed with, travel south would be by bus. On Xmas Eve day the "course" was bitumen to Brisbane and a welcome by daughter Emily.

Xmas Eve and Xmas Day was a lovely time with Emily and my aunt and uncle, Dot and Neil. Emily was her radiant self and her "new" shared house was lovely.

Life is often a comparative thing. On Boxing Day, Emily was working (selling bikinis in a shop called "Sunburn"!!) so I ventured into the city crowds tantalised by the 50% off. Apparently, I needed a reminder to be back aboard sailing the worlds oceans. I stayed all of thirty minutes before fleeing to the Queensland Art Gallery.

I found utopia.

The Gallery featured a marvellous retrospective of the Australian (and Queenslander) watercolourist and farmer, Kenneth Macqueen (1897-1960). I've long being inspired by his work. I slowly moved from painting to painting revelling in the colour and form of works on his Darling Downs farm and during holidays by the sea.

I hadn't painted on this trip so far, it takes time to absorb the new, organise the processes, settle and start. I was now inspired, it was a marvellous to leave the Gallery feeling again the excitement of creative anticipation.

I could now return replete to the boat and sail south to Brisbane.

It was not to be.

I arrived aboard to the news that heading this way was a low, predicted to become cyclonic, just north of Fraser Island. The irony; didn't I just escape such threats? Is that not why I'm here, deep in southern Queensland, in lovely Tin Can Bay?

The phone rang; a yacht was in trouble off Double Island Point, just south of here. "We just thought.....Had I heard about the cyclone?" I would do the same. It's nice to feel good friendship and relate that all is well.

The Marina manager has just anointed it Category 2, "double the lines, please." As if we need an incentive. The barometer is stationary above 1000 (the pressure level below which officialdom name the "cyclone" and give it a category).

Well, change tack; enjoy the challenge of global warming. Not difficult when in a marina. The only "challenge" is when to leave it. Not for budget sailors, these marinas.

These times give space. There is plenty to fill the slot. I still needed to study the intricate workings of numerous electronic gadgets and computer software.

However, for now the challenge was to become proficient in being ham or amateur radio operator "VK4HBV (Victor, Kilo 4 Hotel, Bravo, Victor)" The words "amateur" or "ham" never had more meaning.

I'd worked to gain this status so I could contact other operators and receive emails anywhere in the world. It was both for safety and a pleasant hobby. I'd enjoyed the study in a completely new field of interest.

However, now was "D" (or "H") day, I had the licence; congratulatory emails signalled that they looked forward to hearing from me.

And it was a rainy, time free day.

There are three of us aboard. Kelly, Ken's wife is aboard after flying in from Cardwell. They'll be aboard till Brisbane. I've still no crew to Sydney as yet.

I'm keen to be in Sydney for the 26th January, Australia Day on the harbour. Oops, Cruisers Code says never set timelines.

Who needs departure times? Tonight the "cyclonic" sunset sky peppered with cumulus, seemed to go against the lowering barometer.

So we had other yachties aboard, engaged in that ritual of friendship unique to cruising, where friends are just doing the same and talk is levelled in a myriad of topics about "messing in boats." Blissfully ignorant of the madder world.

Tomorrow, who knows, the boat is tied down; we'll have a good meal, sleep and be ready for anything.

Trip Report 1

Sv Sahula: Trip Report - Townsville to Brisbane December 2007

Part 1.

It began as a dream, became the impossible adventure, then began on a Wednesday in December, 2007.

The possible became reality when family promised independence and a house and a job provided financial support. I needed a boat and the independence means to find distance horizons without being unduly unfettered by an income or lack of it. So the house was sold, a boat bought and the invested superannuation the means. It was not everyone's concept of the ideal. For most cutting the strings of house, car and friends is too much to forgo for the vagaries of the aging adventurous wanderer.

No amount of money can supplant the importance of the boat. It is the sailor's world, a warm haven inside and a safe, well honed sailing machine. "Sahula" was all this and more. When I first saw her she was a dowdy green boat amongst the white plastic super yachts of Southport's yacht club marina. It was love at first sight. A loved, dutch designed but neglected 12 metre steel yacht.

The excitement of ownership being that first critical step, soon was replaced by the hard work of rebuilding and honing onboard systems. Four years later the boat was ready, not complete, but ready.

A lovely farewell with a party with university colleagues (including two fruits cakes - skipper's favourite) and good friends goodbyes, set the scene to go. The adventure had began.

Ken, the crew (a friend from Cardwell) came aboard, fuel was taken on and Sahula danced to a light northerly heading south. It augered well, almost ideal conditions allowed a direct course to Cape Cleveland and the run to the Whitsunday Islands.

The big bluey, an MPS soon proved its worth. It strained to the Northerly from the Cape and overnight to the Whitsundays. The MPS, a "multi- purpose sail",is a cross between a spinnaker and genoa and when hoisted and retrieved in a "sock" is easily used in light conditions. I use it often to gain an extra knot and enjoy the spectacle of having a big blue and white sail driving forward the yacht.

The reverie stopped at Hamilton Island when the wind died and the "iron maiden" a 70 hp four cyclinder diesel noisily pushed Sahula to Brampton Island. A night at anchor after an all night sail was welcome.

The next sector was the most challenging of the trip, rounding Cape Townsend on the way to Yeppon and Keppel Island. The northerly turned easterly so a long sail towards the Broadsounds past Mackay saw Sahula dwarfed amongst some 30 huge "colliers" awaiting cargo at Abbot Point Coal Loading facility. We tacked and with fresh winds sailed the night, illuminated by the anchor lights of the fleet till we neared the Percy Islands. It was an eerie experience, passing the walls of steel, sails lit up on a moonless night.

After a good nights sailing the morning wind died and once again the "iron maiden" pushed Sahula across oily seas to Percy Island. We anchored off South Percy Islands "yachties" shed and swam ashore in clear blue water. This shed contains the memorabilia of hundreds of passing yachts. We left our memory on paper pushed into a bottle.

We planned on staying the night but the afternoon northerly picked up so the MPS again took us south to Cape Townsend and down the Capricornian coast to Yeppoon and Keppel Island, or at least it was supposed to do so. Instead the morning doldrums found Sahula ghosting along at the beginning of a long day after a long night, to Keppel Island. We were tempted to stop at the beautiful anchorages of Pearl Bay and Port Clinton which very slowly came abeam.

The consistent wind pattern however saw a freshening wind eventually fill the trusty MPS to Keppel in the late afternoon.

Few islands are more beautiful than Keppel. Its bays are sandy beaches with azure clear blue water. We stayed two nights. We swam, fished and relaxed, the first real break on a trip of overnight sailing apart from a stopover at Brampton.

Overnight sailing is tiring. Our body clocks were not used to sleeping in a moving yacht at intermittent periods. We found three hour watches best suited as two hours seemed the maximum sleep we'd get in one period with preparation each side. Each day after we felt worn out.

The next movement was an enjoyable MPS sail from Keppel to the beginning of the Narrows channel through to Gladstone.

The Narrows is between Curtis Island and the coast. It's only accessible at near high tide as it completely dries out.

At this point we'd enjoyed only minor issues in Sahula's electrical and motor systems. However, this was about to change. As we motored with headsail pulling down towards the night anchorage, when a dull "woo-mp" noise followed by steam and a filling bilge heralded our first major engine challenge. Fortunately we had the headsail up so we continued on while at the same time closing down the engine and all sea water cocks. The water stopped rising and was quickly hand and electrically pumped out.

A quick check revealed the water pump outlet pipe had come off and the hose out of the salt water manifold exhaust heat exchanger had melted at the point of connection to the engine exhaust water cooling box.

Reality connected to myth with the oft repeated, "cruising is about doing maintenance in beautiful places."

Now began the essential repair job that is usually unmentioned but challenges all yachts crew. We needed to know why it had happened to ensure an adequate repair. It seemed to be caused by both pressure and heat. It soon became clear the hose used to take water from the heat exchanger to the cooling box was inadequate for the job. It had deteriorated over time, eventually blocking the exhaust waters and blowing the hose. A disaster waiting to happen.

A quick ramble through the spares box thankfully revealed sufficient parts to concoct a makeshift hose. Its installation involved much blood, sweat and frustration. It was done and was sufficient in the morning to allow, with much relief, motoring through the Narrows to Gladstone.

We checked in with Gladstone Harbour Control and were in the Marina by midday. Gladstone Marina is a friendly, noisy but well run place. Gladstone town is a friendly and assessable. So with a good meal at the Yacht Club, it's an enjoyable stayover. We soon had the necessary repair done. A good sleep and the next day we moved across to anchor in the islands off Gladstone harbour. Why pay marina fees when there are beautiful anchorages?

A night there and we moved to Facing Island further out through a well marked channel. The weather report claimed ENE'lies so after anchoring till the afternoon we began the sail south to Harvey Bay and the Sandy Straits.

As is often the case the weather report proved doubtful. The vaunted NE'lies became more Easterlies so we made a long leg to sea to get sea room and tacked to run along the coast. We were off Bustard Head at midnight unable to clear the outlying reefs and rocks. So again another long tack to sea and we turned to clear for Harvey Bay and another long night at sea.

A magnificent dawn light found progress very slow but by afternoon, Sahula was romping along to a magnificent sunset, arriving at midnight at the fairway buoy into Sandy Straits at midnight. The crew were exhausted, so finding the lights and navigating to the anchorage required adrenalin to draw on the last of the reserves. We anchored of the Kingfisher Fraser Island Resort at 0400 hours. We could afford only a brief sleep to ensure enough rising tide to navigate the channel and arrive off Inskip Point by late afternoon in preparation for crossing the Wide Bay Bar on the next rising tide. Sailing however is forever subject to the master of wind.

At five o'clock the marine rescue office in Bundeberg forecast a south easterly change. It was now Sunday so we must move speedily through the Wide Bay bar (Queensland's worst) on Monday or early Tuesday if we not to await another northerly.

We contacted Marine Rescue Inskip Point to assess the latest conditions on the bar. They reported it was safe to cross, however weather reports urged caution. The forecast SE change was reported to be at Mooloolaba and ominous rain clouds soon heralded its arrival. There would be no crossing tonight so a welcome good nights sleep would allow reassessment in the morning.

We awoke to strong SE'lies and scudding rain squalls. Trawlers reported the bar was fine but the weather report was increasingly strong SE'lies and rain squalls so we opted to reassess tomorrow morning. The prospect of a beating into a strong SE'ly blasted by rain squalls, over a night and a day to Brisbane was distinctly unappealing, I was retired for heavens sake. What was the rush, the pressure, the shortage of time?

So we mooted the option of staying in the Sandy Straits over Xmas. A marina berth was available at Tin Can Bay Marina and so was a bus to Brisbane for Xmas.

I was looking forward to Xmas with daughter Emily and aunt and uncle Dot and Neil MacDonald and visiting friends in Brisbane. One could hardly complain that the best laid plans had vacated and been replaced by a week in the Sandy Straits. It would however be somewhat hard to swallow that the next northerly change came and went while in Brisbane over Xmas. Such is life.

But its all about wind and whim and after two nights at Inskip Point watching the pelicans and other bird life the weather forecast was for northerlies. So no more must we watch the 4wd tourist frenzy of popping out of the bushes to bolt to the waiting ferry and fifteen minutes later pop off the ferry and rush off along the beach to Fraser Islands embrace or horror.

We left for a Tin Can Bay marina berth to top up supplies, fix an electrical problem and most importantly, have a shower and do the washing. Tomorrow we leave on the final leg to Brisbane. The forecast is northerlies strengthening to fifteen to twenty knots, ideal weather to speedily head south to Xmas with family.

Tonight we're having a meal at the local yacht club with Fritz, a yachtie friend from Townsville. Marvellous to see him.

It's been a marvellous trip so far. There has been good sailing on a boat that revels in doing so. Ken has been good company, an excellent crew, affable, humoured and skilled in sailing. He's also a great cook, a superb bonus. Sahula (apart from the engine and electrical challenges) has been marvellous to be aboard.