the iconic A frame hut on Middle Percy Island. Lots and lots of boat names and a BBQ area at the rear.

Well, I think we had the best anchorage spot last night because when we woke most of the other boats had left. The anchorage was a little rolly for us but when I went to check on the dinghy around 3.00am I could see the other boats bucking and rolling far worse than us.

After breakfast we weighed the anchor around 9.00am and, as we watched a turtle swimming quite close to the boat, made our way out of the caldera like anchorage. Our destination was Middle Percy and unfortunately it was directly on the nose so we motored the four hours, arriving at 1.00pm. There were already a few boats anchored in the little bay so we ended up further out from the beach than I wished.

Just before lunch I filled the fuel tank using the three jerry cans of spare diesel we have been carrying. I was very pleased to do some calculations and they confirmed my understanding that Breezly uses 2.3 litres of diesel per hour when we are motoring. That equates to about $4 an hour. Quite economical when you consider motor cruisers are probably spending around $50 an hour. Admittedly they travel much faster so are not running their engines as long but nevertheless, Breezly is quite economical.

After lunch spent in the cockpit watching scores of long, thin, blueish fish, much like garfish, we dropped the dinghy and went ashore. Middle Percy is renowned in the cruising world as a "must see" destination. In the 1960s the guy who owned the lease for the island set up a welcoming base for passing yachties. Fresh vegetables, honey and the like were available for purchase and a tin shed, telephone and BBQ were set up. As cruising grew in popularity so too did this anchorage and a large A frame building was built and passing boats were encouraged to leave a memento of their visit, usually a board or piece of yachting equipment with the boat's name, crew and date. There are literally hundreds, possibly a couple of thousand names now in the A frame, some dating back to the 1960s. I was told by Ivor, the previous owner of Breezly, that he left the boat's name here when he came through a couple of years ago but we could not find it.

We chatted with Mike and Helen, from "Grand Cru". We had followed each other down from Thomas Island, staying at the same anchorages. They're from Fremantle and are taking their time heading down the coast and flying back home for Christmas.

We went for a walk up the track, leading to the homestead, but it was some distance and we were worried about the dinghy on the beach on a rising tide. So after a while, without reaching the homestead, we returned to the beach. Just as well as the dinghy was floating in the water and had pulled the anchor out of the sand! I'm sure others on the beach would heave rescued it if it started to float away. Louise had a swim before we motored back to Breezly and after hot showers enjoyed a roast lamb dinner.

Unfortunately a north east swell has developed and it's going to be a rolly night again. I was in bed by 9.00pm and Louise slept on the table bed again. When I left her she was watching a DVD in bed!

Tomorrow we are aiming for Hexham Island and then the day after we will be coasting the mainland with the promise of some calmer anchorages.