We left Mooloolaba early and had a horrible rolly sail to Wide Bay Bar. It was a disgusting sail, Thorfinn was being tossed from side to side as the three metre swell hit us broadside. However, we had no problems crossing the bar and were soon sailing in the flat protected waters of Fraser Island, aahh bliss. After stopping the first night at an anchorage called Garry’s we went on to Kingfisher Bay. We took the dinghy ashore and went for a walk. After having a good look around we found ourselves back at the jetty just in time to see a couple of humpback whales put on a show for the arriving on the barge.
After an overnight sail from the Clarence River we arrived at the Seaway Spit. This is another bar crossing and Dwayne told me to take the helm on this crossing. I’d like to tell you that the swell was huge and the waves were crashing all around us, and that I held my nerve and navigated through the wild seas with courage and skill….. however, it was fairly flat, little to no waves breaking, and although I crossed the bar unaided I don’t think there was anytime I needed an extraordinary amount of skill or courage. I just followed my GPS! BUT Dwayne says a bar crossing is a bar crossing and I can now say I have helmed over one.
On our sail from Coffs Harbour to Yamba on the Clarence River. I saw my first water spout! The sailing was down wind the entire way and Dwayne spent most of the day at the wheel. Crossing the bar into the Clarence River was not the most fun I’ve ever had. We crossed at low tide with a 2.5+ metre swell and blowing 25 knots. We found out later that day that the fishing boats had not gone out that day… and if the fishing boat don’t cross the bar, you shouldn’t. Oops!….
We anchored between the jetty and the breakwater in Coffs Harbour about 1630. As soon as we set the anchor we had to clean the Marlin we’d caught. A big messy job! Our bait board, on which we usually clean our fish, was just a little too small (2 metres too small) so we cut the marlin up on the cabin top…. Wait! Did you say Marlin? Yep… read on for more about our tasty catch!
At 0930 I got a hit. The rod started screaming as the fish started running my line out. I grabbed the rod and realised I had a pretty big fish on it. I screamed out for Kelly to wake up. Kelly came staggering out of the cabin all groggy from sleep and I started yelling instructions to her…”get me the gimble belt for the rod”, “motor the boat forward”, “get a photo”, “go to the port”, “go to the starboard!”, “are you getting photos?”, “reverse!”, “go to the starboard”, “get my gloves”, “forward.. to the port”, “take a photo”, “get the gaff”, “starboard! starboard!”, “tie a rope on to the gaff”, “reverse”, “here it comes, get a photo”, “I need a drink, get me water”, “reverse, to the starboard” …
We enjoyed Port Stephen in beautiful mild winter weather. We had some luck fishing and also caught an octopus. We saw a penguin and had a close up experience with a couple of humpback whales. Port Stephens is a wonderful sailing and cruising destination.
Broken Bay is a short trip north of Sydney. It is the mouth of the Hawkesbury River; picturesque and made up of so many nooks and crannies! So much to explore we spent three weeks there. Unfortunately we both got sick and the exploring the Ku-ring-Gai National Park was restricted to a minimum. We spent the first night at the Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club in Pittwater. They were very welcoming and it was a good opportunity to get all the washing done and fill up with water. Our next stop was Refuge Bay where we met some fellow live-aboard cruisers via the Ham radio…
As we were sailing through the Bass Strait Oil Fields there were oil rigs all around us. They appeared as huge monoliths that would have looked more at home in a Steven Spielberg movie! Into our second night sail we had eight oil rigs around us and, as the sun fell, they lit up like small cities in the night sky. The setting sun was a glorious ball of red and orange.
This is the beginning. We have finally begun our journey! Kangaroo Island to Cape Jaffa, South Australia. – sailing, travelling, cruising, aboard a yacht! Penneshaw, American River, old fish cannery.