SV SEAKA: CRUISING AUSTRALIA IN 2019.

Vessel Name: SEAKA
Vessel Make/Model: 1969 Top Hat Mark 1
Hailing Port: Camden Haven Inlet NSW Australia
Crew: Phillip Bowman
About: Sailing the Australian East Coast towards Lizard Island, 2019
Extra: The Top Hat Mark 1's were built by Baker in Sydney from 1965 to 1971. Seaka was built in 1969 and launched in 1970 from the boat ramp under the new Tom Ugly’s Bridge in Sydney.
09 December 2019 | Dunbogan in the Camden Haven Inlet NSW
04 October 2019 | Lawrie's Boatyard.
11 September 2019
30 August 2019 | MacKay Marina.
19 August 2019 | Airlie Beach
06 August 2019 | Airlie Beach
06 August 2019 | Approaching Pacific Creek and SunHill 9th July.
01 July 2019 | The Narrows.
23 May 2019 | Dunbogan in the Camden Haven Inlet NSW
01 February 2017 | Approaching Port Stephen Heads
23 October 2015 | Camden Haven in sight at last.
14 October 2015
09 October 2015 | Moreton Bay
26 September 2015 | Off Pancake Creek
19 September 2015 | Sunrise beyond Round Island at the entrance to Port Clinton.
13 September 2015 | Island Head Creek
05 September 2015 | Outer Newry Island anchorage
01 September 2015 | Crayfish bay
30 August 2015 | Cape Gloucester
Recent Blog Posts
09 December 2019 | Dunbogan in the Camden Haven Inlet NSW

Mooloolaba to the Camden Haven Inlet and home.

On the work dock at the boat yard in Mooloolaba.

04 October 2019 | Lawrie's Boatyard.

Gladstone to Mooloolaba.

Moored on the working dock at Lawrie's Boat Yard.

11 September 2019

Sitting in Gladstone Marina.

The Tidal Range at MacKay Marina

30 August 2019 | MacKay Marina.

Waiting at MacKay Marine for better weather

On the 8th August we set off from Airlie Beach to find the sea like glass as we made our way to Hook Passage and down the eastern side of Whitsunday Island to the Whitehaven Beach area. We finally anchored in Windy Bay on Haslewood Island, going ashore for a refreshing swim before dark.

19 August 2019 | Airlie Beach

Photos Added.

New photos have been added in the photo folder called:

06 August 2019 | Airlie Beach

Airlie Beach to 7th August. Pearl Bay Beach

On Monday [22nd July] we were away at 0645 for the sail across to Curlew Island. This was one of our better sails with gentle winds, the tide with the wind and a low general swell. I arrived at noon in company of Lewie and Third Man. A lunch of pasta on Third man was enjoyed by all. We also found Sylphide [...]

Hook Island to Airlie Beach.

23 August 2015 | Refuge Bay, in Nara Inlet, Hook Island.
fine & warm
August 23rd.

Last Monday under main and Genoa we sailed over to Stonehaven Anchorage. The sail over was excellent with Seaka doing around 6 knots the whole way. As we arrived at Hook Island I saw our first whales in the Whitsunday Islands. [Our first for the trip had been seen out at Bait Reef]. Our arrival was early enough that I was able to take up the inside mooring within the reef at the southern end of the anchorage. It looked good, but found we were buffeted by constant wind bullets off the ridge we were anchored in front of. I got the outboard back on the dinghy but it was too windy to even think about going for a snorkel.

The next morning was calm with no wind so by 0800 we were underway with the iron sail to Langford Island some 2 nautical miles away. Once there I was able to take up a mooring and I settled in waiting for the tide to ease off a bit. Around mid-morning I went in for a two hour snorkel dive. While the water looked really clear from the surface once in the water was quite milky. The coral showed some damage, from dive fins, the closer I got to where the commercial tours take their snorkelers. The only thing of note was a 30 cm size male green turtle which allowed me to observe him for some time before I broke off. I had a rest on the sand island to the east of Langford Island and while there searched for cone shells, but was unable to find any of the rumoured many. I decided to return to the Stonehaven Anchorage for the night, Langford being a bit exposed, and on the way back 2 whales surfaced just in front of Seaka. Dropping the iron sail back to idle, they surfaced a couple of times before heading off to the north.

Back at Stonehaven Anchorage we headed for Anchor Point and took the inner mooring to the south of the point. Once established I went ashore for a walk on the small beach to view the sculptured sandstone. The next morning I went in for a dive on the bommies and straight away saw a large fish. Mmmm, so I went back to Seaka and checked the zoning which was general use. I got out the hand spear and back I went, but of course that fish was long gone. Oh well, so I started to snorkel around the area when I noticed some Bream like fish at least 30 cm long which would make them legal takers. After a few dives I had them sorted out and popped off the largest off them. So it was fresh fish for tea.

With the winds predicted to be 15-20 knots on Thursday I took the dinghy onboard in preparation of moving to Nara Inlet tomorrow. The next morning the seas were flat but as I moved out of the shelter of Hook Island the strength of the wind became evident. So the plan of going 17 nautical miles clockwise around Hook Island was abandoned in favour of the shorter anti-clockwise 6 nautical mile trip down the west coast of Hook Island to Nara Inlet. Once I cleared Stonehaven Anchorage beyond Baird Point it became very evident that I had made the right decision. Now we were under the iron sail as we were heading directly into the wind and to make things worse we had the tide with us. That meant that tide was against wind and the resultant waves were 1.5 to 2 metres high with the frequency between of about 3 metres. Generally we managed to maintain about 3.5, to just under 4 knots, but at times we were stopped dead by the waves. We then had to round False Nara Inlet which put us broadside onto the waves and while it never looked like Seaka was going to take any waves onboard we did get to do a bit of rolling around. It took us an hour to get to Nara Inlet and again we saw whales, just before entering the inlet. Once in the inlet we proceeded up to Refuge Bay and anchored in 8 metres of water. The reason for going into Refuge Bay was to get out of the swell that Nara Inlet is subject to with any southerly wind.

Since being in Refuge Bay I have sorted out the cockpit lockers and prepared a shopping list for our return to Airlie Beach. We were due to return to Airlie Beach on Saturday morning but we awoke to rain, first for some time, and the wind was still from the SE. A check of the weather now has us going over on Sunday. Well Sunday dawned and we had a SW wind of 10 knots, just perfect but what happened to the Met Office 5-9 Easterly? Our 13 nautical mile sail, with just the Genoa, over to Airlie Beach was done at around 5 knots. A very pleasant sail indeed.

Since our arrival in Airlie Beach I have done the washing, got rid of the rubbish and did a small shop for food. Will sort the other out tomorrow with the plan to go north on Tuesday to the SICYC meet at Gloucester Passage.

New photos in Gallery.


Comments
SEAKA's Photos - Main
Photos of SEAKA's 2019 voyage
53 Photos
Created 8 June 2019
Towards Lizard Island 2019
1 Photo
Created 23 May 2019
Solo Voyage to the Whitsunday Islands 2015
65 Photos
Created 23 March 2015
The refit of Seaka in preparation to sail around Australia.
16 Photos
Created 28 December 2014
Seaka's Voyage Towards Tasmania.
36 Photos
Created 6 December 2012
4 Photos
Created 18 September 2011
2 Photos
Created 31 August 2011
4 Photos
Created 15 August 2011
6 Photos
Created 14 August 2011
18 Photos
Created 14 August 2011
5 Photos
Created 18 July 2011
5 Photos
Created 13 July 2011
8 Photos
Created 10 July 2011
7 Photos
Created 10 July 2011
14 Photos
Created 10 July 2011
2 Photos
Created 10 July 2011
77 Photos
Created 20 June 2011
18 Photos
Created 24 May 2011
17 Photos
Created 24 May 2011
6 Photos
Created 21 May 2011
18 Photos
Created 15 May 2011
6 Photos
Created 13 May 2011
5 Photos
Created 12 May 2011
10 Photos
Created 9 May 2011
13 Photos
Created 8 May 2011
8 Photos
Created 6 May 2011
3 Photos
Created 5 May 2011
8 Photos | 1 Sub-Album
Created 22 April 2011
6 Photos
Created 21 April 2011
7 Photos
Created 20 April 2011
5 Photos
Created 18 April 2011
3 Photos
Created 12 April 2011
The voyage from Camden Haven to Trail Bay.
10 Photos
Created 7 April 2011
Showing the Camden Haven River, arrival of Seaka in Laurieton in 2002. Seaka's interior layout and Seaka at anchor.
10 Photos
Created 30 March 2011

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