Mourilyan Harbor (Harbour)
17 May 2012
May 17, 2012 We actually got to sleep in to 7am as our next leg is a short one. It rained last night and we were greeted with grey, overcast skies and whitecaps outside the lee of the island. We had the anchor up by 8:20 am and set our course for Mourilyan Harbor-- a commercial sugar loading harbor. As we leave Dunk we are hit with 20-28 knot winds and waves 6-9 feet--with short periods. Serenity and her crew handle it fine--although 'auto' does do one 'crazy Ivan' in protest. Soon we don our foul weather jackets as the rain gets serious. We pass the Sisters Islands, Stephens Island, and the North Barnard Islands before we turn towards the mainland and the entrance to Mourilyan Harbor (you know, we still are not sure how to pronounce that word). The harbor at Mourilyan is a busy commercial port--yet the entrance is only 190 meters wide. We get into the harbor and after checking a couple of spots we anchor at 11:30am in 13 feet of water, just outside the big yellow bouy marking the turn basin for the big ships. There is a big cargo vessel at the wharf as we enter--but he left after our friends on Scholarship and Keris came in and anchored near us. It felt so nice to come in from the rain and get dry clothes on--and no rolling--sweet! Sherry made us hot tomato soup and grilled cheese snadwiches--ahhh, comfort food! The photo shows the grey skies and rough seas off Kent Island, part of the Barnrd Islands. Notice the white water to the right? That is waves breaking on the treacherous rocks off Kent Island.