Queensland has a motto!
"Beautiful one day perfect the next"
Well someone forgot to tell the Tourism department this week.
Itz blown a steady 20 knots everyday and evening since I bid farewell to Mum and Dad and welcomed Andrew, Chris and Jenny.
We spent the final few days running around organising the usual changeover stuff, only with 3 times the intensity.
Andrew's rods had been damaged in transit(Big Ash knowz what thatz like), I needed to replace a heap of fishing lures and Jenny had a shopping list of specialty foodz not normally available on Groote' Island but essential none the less.After the intense day it was thyme to head out to dinner B4 Mum and Dad set off for Perth.
A huge feed at the steakhouse Outback Jacks then a tour through the Nite markets in Cairns.
I managed to score a really cool hammock for the Yot.
Plus we found a Nemo wind spiral for the rear deck.
Chris stayed on the Yot while Andrew and Jenny waited for the Post Office to open on Monday in a room at the Holiday Inn.
We came across a BIG Salty sunning himself on the bank.
All the rain had flushed the creeks of crabs and replaced them with sandflies and more sandflies. Even with our home-made industrial strength repellent. We never stood a chance.
So we bid a retreat to the Yot safely tied to the marina.
No joy, next day with the crabs or barra even with Andrew throwing his abu 7000 reel and rod combo into the creek as a peace offering.
We retrieved the rod with a neat throw of the old trusty cast net.Nemo makes a welcome addition to the rear kitchen as a silent wind chime. Also he lets me know when the wind reaches 20 knots by bending himself all out of shape on the pvc stay protector.
While the ultra lite hammock will be put through it paces during the next few weeks, I'm sure.
The Yot is coming through the trip with only minor issues, the viewin' hatch in the floor is "still" leaking and I now fear "always will".But itz still a cool feature to have!
We've destroyed the blades on the second wind generator and had water in the fuel on the starboard side tank, but all these are fixable non life threatening issues...
Still, as I mentioned the weather gods have been less than helpful with the constant rain squalls and windy conditions making us seek shelter wherever we can.
I'm finding day-thyme anchorages and nite thyme ones can vary considerably depending on the needz of the crew.
While during Mum and Dad'z trip needed calm peaceful water, we are now seeking lumpier but fishyer spotz to park 4 the nite.
Afta leaving Cairns into a stiff SE wind we got as far as Missionary Bay for the first Day / Nite.A few "not so HUGE" sharks, squidz and Grunter volunteered? to join us.
Early the following morning I had just one location (wkoa) in mind!
After breaky we set off around the headland into paradise.
Turtle Bay revisited!
Pulling onto the beach just one hour after high tide.Not a terrible place to ground the Yot when the ocean is very nasty.
I soon had a line in the water, but not B4 Andrew and Chris had the worldz biggest Tiagra overhead set up for Armageddon.
My line had a few bream and whiting aboard before the ideal livebait showed up and was carefully dragged around 400m out into the bay by Chris on the kayak.
Then it was thyme to investigate the beach area as the yot was now safely aground.
We even managed to head out of the bay in the dinghy in search of Tuna, B4 saner thortz prevailed (no fish is worth that). 'twas just a little bit Ruff!
A shark decided to take off with our livebait and panda-monium was the result with Chris running down the beach trying to clear the coral behind the Yot.
While I'm happy with just a few fish each day to keep my fillet supply up Andrew and Chris are from an area of Australia that isFishin' Nirvana, 200 kg of fish is just an average day on Groote.
All of which is released anyhoo so same net result only Ur sorer at the end of it.
Andrew took a tumble in the dinghy during the ruff weather and hurt his back so his movement is a little subdued (I know how he feelz).
We found some interesting nature type stuff while we've been shore locked. Including this weird crab(but he's still cool.)
We are making the best of the weather and are currently parked inside Arglinton reef just North of Green Island on the Gr8 Reef.
You mite need 2 google-it!
Itz blown 22 knots with 25 knot gusts but we are still in "calm" waters. So much so that we've set about making a slow cooked bolognaise and fresh basil gnocchi.
After a "serious blow" the wind haz dropped to just 9 knots, which is almost perfect.
The water is flat, the fish R biting, the bourbon is flowing and everyone is having a good thyme.
Letz hope this calm lasts long enuf 4 us to enjoy dinner then fish/ squid into the eve B4 setting sail for cairns.
The calm didn't last very long!
Then the squid arrived!
In numbers, around 11 or 12 was the last count.
With the wind picking up again we've abandoned plans to head into Cairns later 2nite, in favour of a good nitez sleep then a leisurely day sail back in town 2 morrow apparently itz Good Friday and all our shopping planz just went out the window.
That was probably one of the best decisions of the trip, we all got a good nites sleep and Chris caught a bucket full of squid as a bonus.
Breakfast was toasted ham and cheese croissants while both Andrew and Chris had a last ditch effort with the "balloon" lines for a big fish.
Heaps of strikes resulted in zero fish landed as the reefy terrain took every fish back.
Still it kept everyone busy except Jenny who was asleep "again"!
We arrived safely back at the marina around 3 pm for the guy's to fly out around 7 that evening.
So once we had disposed of the rubbish and generally packed the boat up, we took a walk through town before returning and saying our goodbye's.
The flight home took way longer than they'd expected with the flight diverted to Darwin due to bad weather. But they still arrived safely back on Groote Island and probably loaded the fishing gear onto Andrew's boat to finally catch a Big fish which was sadly lacking around Cairns (not through lack of trying).
We trolled a spread of 4 quality lures for an entire day along the outside of the Arlington Reef for zero result, I would of lost a very expensive bet had I actually laid it.
The lousy weather had a hand in making the trip not as spectacular as it could of been but a good thyme was still had by all.
Andrew even managed to trim the damaged blades of the wind generator and it sort of works again. Enuff to get us some charge anyway.I've placed the add on Gumtree in an effort to find a few people to share my journey back to Townsville but I won't be disappointed if I have to go it alone, as that's one of the main purposes of the Yot.
It was surprising how little fuel we used during our trip with just 95 litres needed in the main tanks plus 20 for the ever thirsty dinghy motor.
Itz definately thyme to upgrade the motor on the dinghy as safety is now a concern every thyme I leave the Yot.
( will I be able to get back? )
Still that's a task that will have to wait until funds become available that aren't earmarked for other jobs aboard.
There is more of this journey to go and I apologise for the length of the last few entries but there's been SO much to tell.Another week of sailing and adventure awaits with good weather just over the horizon.
That's about all for this entry but stay tuned as I'm sure the story doesn't end here....
Captain Felix
(the very tired one)
