Rapturous!

Vessel Name: Rapture
Vessel Make/Model: Caliber 40 LRC
Hailing Port: Berkeley, CA
Crew: Greg Newman, Susan Wells
Social:
07 March 2024 | Tasmania
27 January 2024 | Manley Beach
03 December 2023 | The Gold Coast, Jumpinpin
22 November 2023 | The Boatworks, QLD
15 November 2023 | Morton Bay
27 October 2023 | Bundaberg marina
15 October 2023 | Townsville Marina
04 October 2023 | Townsville, Queensland, Australia
28 July 2023
08 July 2023 | Keppel Bay Marina
30 June 2023 | Gladstone Marina
20 May 2023 | Bundaberg, Australia
23 March 2023 | Antarctic peninsula
10 March 2023 | Calafate and El Chaitén
21 February 2023 | Puerto Varas, Chiloe and Cochrane
05 February 2023 | Santiago, Chile
21 January 2023 | Santiago
12 January 2023 | USA
Recent Blog Posts
07 March 2024 | Tasmania

Tasmania

A misty, high alpine scene

27 January 2024 | Manley Beach

Sydney

Sydney Harbour Bridge

08 January 2024

Southport to Coff’s Harbour

Coffs Harbor from Muttonbird Island

03 December 2023 | The Gold Coast, Jumpinpin

The Gold Coast and Southport

Walking the beach at Southport

22 November 2023 | The Boatworks, QLD

Boatwork

The reason for stopping in the Brisbane area was to get a few boat projects done. Greg had been talking to contractors for weeks and more recently he has been calling suppliers to make sure that parts would be available. Our first stop was Scarborough Marina where Greg and I started with giving Rapture [...]

15 November 2023 | Morton Bay

Bundaberg to Morton Bay

The next part of our journey down to Brisbane lay to the inside of Frazier Island. This area, called the Great Sandy Strait is a vast network of channels and shoals that have to be navigated carefully. The navigation channel is clearly marked but there are areas where it can only be navigated at [...]

Tasmania

07 March 2024 | Tasmania
Susan Wells
A misty, high alpine scene
We had hoped to be able to sail down to Tasmania but we ran out of time. We had to consider the time it would take to get to Hobart given the probable weather delays, and even more, we had to consider how long it would take to sail back up to Sydney with the winter weather changes chasing us all the way. How much simpler and cheaper in the long term to fly three hours back and forth. It really requires half a sailing season to warrant sailing down to Tasmania and to enjoy this interesting island.

In Hobart, we stayed in an airBnb over a mile from the downtown and Harbour area. We walked the distance sometimes twice a day so we got our training for the upcoming Overland Track. The BnB, called the Tranquil Garden, was really cute. It is a converted shed with bare plank floors and clapboard walls. The bed is comfortable and the shower is hot. There is a well stocked kitchenette. It's bigger than the boat so we were happy. Also, the garden was lovely although very dry. They haven't had much rain this summer.


The gates of Victoria Park in Hobart
I like Hobart. It's big enough to support cultural events but small enough to be walkable. The locals are outgoing and helpful. At this time of year, late summer, the temperature is perfect.

The Saturday market on Salamanca square is an experience, more street food and crafts fair than grower's market. Sitting under the trees eating a sourdough jam donut and listening to the wailing bagpiper competing with the old man playing and singing old time tunes was a treat.

No visit to Hobart is complete without going to MOMA. It is up the river from the city so there is a dedicated ferry that speeds under the freeway bridge that collapsed when it was hit by a freighter during a storm and glides past the mansions that are threatened by sea level rise. MOMA is an impressive building worth visiting for its own sake. The displays are controversial, some salacious, others bewildering. Altogether, not to be missed.


MOMA making one think


We visited the Maritime Museum which is heavy on shipwrecks and light on shipbuilding. I came away glad that we didn't sail down here. We ate in pubs that all serve fish and chips but I did discover a delicious Irish Stew with good bitter Pale Ale. We took the bus up to the top of Mt. Wellington and then walked down. The temperature gradient was dramatic but, once we got below the tree line, the views disappeared.


Atop Mt. Wellington, Hobart

Halfway down, warming up
And it was the bus again when we went to Launceston to start the hike and to meet up with our adventure friends, Martin and Barbara. The 75km long Overland track including side trips is a 6 day guided hike across the Central plateau of Tasmania around Cradle mountain. With Tasmania's notoriously changeable weather, we had to pack clothes for three seasons. Since we were hiking from hut to hut, we didn't have to worry about camping gear or cooking. The huts provided private cabins with bunk beds, mattresses and sleeping bags. There were twelve of us with 2 guides who also did all the cooking. This is the way to do it.


Kitchen hut at the base of Cradle Mountain

Cradle mountain wrapped in fog

Brown Butte, the boardwalk to Will's Lake

Brown Butte

Sunrise from the Lodge

Martin and Barbara on the trail

Bogs and Buttes

Sunset on a dolerite massif

Bunchgrass meadow with ancient Pencil Pines

Treebeard's nose
Except for one rainy day, the weather was fair. We walked about 14 miles a day. The track is well marked and maintained and since it crossed the high alpine plateau, there wasn't much elevation gain except for those, including Greg, who climbed Mt. Ossa, 1614 meters, Tasmania's tallest mountain. I chose to stop a little way up at the Japanese garden which is a natural landscape of cushion moss, rock, rivulets and stunted alpine shrubs that looked as if someone had been curating this garden for decades.


Japanese Garden

The victorious group who ascended Mt. Ossa

This plateau used to be a bulging igneous cap between sedimentary layers. The top layer eroded away

The dolerite columns formed below the surface during the Jurassic period

A tarn near the summit of Mt. Ossa

The track winds slowly down the Glaciated valleys passing through rainforests, across open bunchgrass meadows and zig zagging up dolerite slopes. About 15% of the track is boardwalk. The views are austere with spectacular cloud scapes and silhouettes. We saw several venomous King tiger snakes and a Whip snake but they avoided us, unlike the Australian brown snake that will actively chase you. Also, we encountered a few marsupials we'd never heard of like the Paddymelon, a delicate 2 feet tall wallaby. Greg was lucky enough to watch a wombat close up. Although we saw a lot of scat we did not see Quolls or Tasmanian devils that are mostly nocturnal. I had another encounter with a leech attached to my wrist. I must have picked him up from my hiking pole that I had leant against a bush during a rest. It still freaks me out to see blood dripping unabated no knowing that I had even been bitten. The bird life was scarce and elusive except for the screeching parrots, huge white sulfur crested cockatoos and the Yellow Wattle bird with its melodious whistle.


Black King snake

Paddymelon

It's unafaid

Wombat
The track was a success. Greg and I had no trouble keeping up with the rest of the group and my shoulder didn't suffer too much carrying the pack. We were by no means the oldest in the group. Nabuko, a Japanese solo traveler, claimed that distinction at aged 69. She climbed Mt. Ossa inspiring us for our next long distance hike.

After the Overland hike, we joined Martin and Barbara on a further exploration of Tasmania. We shared a car rental and Martin took on the task of driving us to Freycinet, the Bay of Fires and Lauceston staying in an Airbnb for three days in each location. Almost every day we hiked, usually along the coast.There are long beaches of almost orange sand interrupted by hard granite promontories. We swam several times in the clear, bracing sea. In between hikes, of course, we had to sample the wine. Our research has led us to conclude that Tasmania's best cultivar is the Pinot Noir. The Pinot Noir Sparkling wine is particularly good, chilled, with a platter of charcuterie and excellent Tasmanian cheese. On that note, we had the pleasure of digging for truffles at a farm near Deloraine:

https://www.thetrufflefarmtasmania.com.au/

With the help of Marley, the Rottweiler Lab mix dog, we each found a truffle after which we enjoyed a glass of wine and cheese pizza covered with grated truffle from one of the many our group had just excavated.


Beach scenes from the Bay of Fires





Beer Sampling






The loot gathered by 8 of us plus Marley in 45 minutes
Near Lauceston we visited the Platypus and Echidna Rescue Center. It was lovely to see these animals closeup without the risk of leeches. Nearby we walked through the Tamar wetlands Center where we were finally able to get our fill of the bird life of Tasmania.


Platypus

Echidna

Martin's photo of swallows in the wetlands

Closeup


Greg's fantastic shot of a black cockatoo

After our three weeks in Tasmania, we jetted back to Sydney. Rapture had fared well while we were gone although we did get a scare when we arrived. The electric cable to shore power was unplugged when we arrived. I had not switched off and cleared the fridge/freezer and I had visions of a tank of defrost and rotten food. However, Greg had left the solar and wind generator active which had kept the battery topped up. The fridge was fine.

We are now Northbound. Our first stop will be Stephens Bay, followed by Coff's Harbour and South Port. Check out the photo gallery for a lot more photographs we have taken in Tasmania.

Sydney

27 January 2024 | Manley Beach
Susan Wells
Sydney Harbour Bridge

After an easy overnight run down from Coff's Harbour we arrived in Broken Bay (Pittwater), just north of Sydney. We anchored and rested for two days in a lovely, but crowded anchorage in a cove surrounded by National Forest. There were a lot of public mooring mostly taken by motor launches, sometimes rafted up with each other, whose blasting music drowned out the birdsong and cicadas. Stinkboats they are called by sailors here both because of the diesel and because of their behavior. They tend to have little consideration for smaller, slower boats. Being anchored, we were not forced into such close proximity.

Early, before the launch crews had woken up, we pulled hook and motored three hours to pass between the great cliffs of the Heads into Sydney Harbour. It was exciting to arrive at Sydney, one of the great cities of the Southern Hemisphere. Although we could see the skyscrapers, the city was hidden from us by the forested ridges of this convoluted bay. Dodging the ferries that have precedence over every other craft we headed directly for the nearest place where we could reprovision which was famous Manly Beach.


First View of Sydney - North Head

All of five mooring balls were taken so we anchored just beyond them, close enough to row to shore. We went straight into town needing to provision after our voyage down the coast. Our new NZ made dinghy wheels work great. We can easily push and pull the dinghy through the soft beach sand. The people on the beach derived great amusement from watching me lift the stern as Greg pulls. I'm clothed in long sleeves, hat and pants for sun protection and they, especially the young girls, wear just a g--string and the skimpiest of bra top, butt fully exposed. How is it that boys swimwear hasn't changed from long boardshorts for thirty years and girls feel pressured to wear practically nothing? We were somewhat in shock at the number of people on the beach and in the streets and supermarket. Grabbing just a few essential supplies we skedaddled back to Rapture and spent the rest of the afternoon recovering.


Looking out toward the South Head -Sydney


Greg enjoying his coffee in Manly

At 7:00pm, sun still high since New South Wales keeps daylight saving time, Greg announced that we had to up anchor and move in preparation for the wind and rain that was predicted to arrive in the middle of the night. We motored about 20 minutes to hide behind a headland in Cobbler's Bay, one of the nudist bays in Sydney. After Manly, we hardly noticed.

It was a good decision to move. There were gusts in the night and we could see showers passing but they didn't touch us in the bay. The next morning was mild. Once again we skipped mounting the outboard and rowed to shore. We went for a walk through the national park. The path was mostly boardwalk, perfectly maintained with great views of the Sydney Heads and the city just over the ridge. After our hike we delighted in unselfconsciously jumping naked into the water.


Rapture at Anchor - Cobblers Bay

The predicted weather still had not arrived but it hit with a vengeance in the early hours of the morning with really heavy rains and strong gusts. I woke knowing that we were heading into the marina in the morning. Would the rain stop at daybreak? NO. It wasn't until 8:00am that a break came. We grabbed the opportunity and pulled hook to do the 15 minute run to the Spit Bridge. The bridge only opened to boat traffic at 10:15am so we had 2 hours to circle around and burn diesel during which time the gusts continued but the rain held off.

Finally, the drawbridge went up and we passed through to the marina where we were met by the "concierge " in his inflatable. His directions were impossible to hear over the noise of two engines and it was even harder to understand his accent. We more or less understood his pointing hand but we didn't get the slip number or which side of the boat to attach the dock lines. As we drifted down the fairway, we spotted the concierge, Jack, waving, ready to catch the lines that I just managed to attach on time and we made a perfect docking.

Now we could forget about boating and explore Sydney. Well, not yet. First we had to find someone to repair the foot-long gash in the bottom of our dinghy, but that's another story. Duncan and Christine came to our rescue. We had met them on Keppel Island on their boat, Good as Gold. They live in Sydney and they know who, and where to find that kind of help. Most generously, they were willing to drive us and the deflated dinghy across town. Now our dinghy is as good as new. They also took us up into the Blue Mountains a few hours inland of Sydney. The views really are blue reflecting the color of the Eucalyptus. It was lovely to walk in the high country again and great to spend time with good friends.



Duncan and Christine




Blue Mountain Vistas

Sydney is easy to get around with ferries and buses connecting different points of the bay. The harbor is deeply indented with coves and bays providing shelter but they are mostly filled up with privately owned moorings. The public moorings are only for 24 hours so you have to move every day. There are 3 or 4 spots to anchor and at this time of year they are crowded. The ridges between bays are mostly national parks with walking paths winding from beach to ridge through forest and residential areas. One trail goes almost all the way around from Manly Beach in the north to Bondi beach in the south. That's a long way; we didn't walk it all.

Approaching from the sea the iconic Opera House is dwarfed by the skyscrapers of the CBD. It is only walking around it catching different perspectives that reveals its magnificence. We were able to get tickets for a show in the concert hall of the Opera House. Called Malevo, it was an Argentinian drumming/dance concert bursting with energy and incredible choreography.


Rapture - The Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge


Sydney Harbour - West of the Bridge


The Sydney Opera House





One of the joys of traveling is meeting friends from long ago. After more than 40 years, we met a school friend of my brother, Geoff. Their whole family had emigrated from South Africa but Arnold and Geoff stayed in contact and shared many adventures around the world. Now we were here and Arnold and his wife Maggie welcomed us with open arms. We stayed, feeling like family, for two days in their lovely home (hot showers, laundry and beds that don't move) and then we took them sailing on the bay. It was a special pleasure to spend time with them.


Arnold and Maggie


Rapture hosting Arnold and Maggie


January 26 is Australia Day, a mix of 4th of July and Labor Day. It's the last hurrah for the summer. The kids go back to school the following week. So it is a celebration of summer on the water and everyone who has a boat is out. The city puts on organized free events including ferry races, Air Force aerial displays, yacht races and Harbour mayhem.

We were anchored in Manly Bay in the North of the Bay. The forecast was that light winds would come from the North and then shift during the day to the South East with squalls and 40 knot gusts. We left our protected Northern anchorage at about 8:30am and using just the jib, bobbed down to Rose Bay, the protected South anchorage, passing the yacht races on the way. Already it was starting to get gusty and we anchored in close quarters with about 20 knots of wind. It was hot. The wind from the West felt like desert wind, hot and dry. Every now and then the wind shifted a few degrees South and blew over water and we'd get a breath of cool air.


Australia Day Racing

We sweated sitting on the deck in the shade of the mast and boom watching the races and the anchoring efforts of those who only do this once a year.
Almost on the dot of 2:00pm the cleansing South East wind hit the bay beating back the hot, dry wind like air conditioning. As predicted the gusts were 30 to 40 knots and we watched 2 boats drag anchor, one on each side of us. One of them, a 40 ft sloop like Rapture pulled up anchor to reveal that he had only a light Danforth anchor totally inadequate for his size boat. He tried 4 or 5 times but the anchor could not hold him in these winds. Finally he managed to find a mooring ball. My relief was almost equal to his and once again I appreciated our Rockna anchor and new chain.

The winds moderated at sunset and we slept restfully knowing that we held firm. The next day we returned to Manly to get a last load of laundry done because we were leaving Sydney to sail 80 nautical miles South to Jervis Bay, the furthest South we would sail before turning around to North.

Southport to Coff’s Harbour

08 January 2024
Susan Wells
Coffs Harbor from Muttonbird Island

After two weeks off the boat, we returned to Rapture the day after a 'cyclone' had hit the Brisbane area. From the airport Uber we saw downed trees and stranded boats. We heard tales of 90 knot winds, flooding and storm surge, but we found Rapture undamaged. East Coast Marina, tucked deep within breakwater walls and out of the current of the river is a wonderful place to leave the boat. Refreshed from our 'vacation' we provisioned as soon as we could and left the marina to make our way back down the inland Broadwater Channel to Southport where we would stage our passage to Sydney.
The weather was very unsettled over the next three days with frequent rain squalls and thunderstorms. On New Years Eve we were treated to a spectacular display as a thunderstorm coincided with the fireworks. The sky lit up with heat lightening and the rockets from three different locations rose to the thunder. It wasn't quite the Sydney New Year but good enough for us.

Two days later, the weather had settled enough to let us over the Bar but those thunderstorms and squalls had roiled the ocean so waves were coming from all directions and the wind, of course, was on our nose at 20 to 30 knots. For the first time in years, I felt queasy. The prediction forecast that we would take our lumps in the beginning, the wind would begin to ease by midday and the rest of the passage would be calm. Well, the lumps were bigger than expected and the wind persevered all day and halfway through the night. We were being pooped from the bow, with breaking waves and spume flying right over the boat and into the dinghy hanging in the davits. Because we were bashing into the waves, the anchor tether that secures the anchor to a cleat, broke. The anchor was hanging by its chain over the edge of the bow roller and the waves breaking over the bow were making the anchor a mini wrecking ball. Greg had to go up to the bow, not once but twice to secure it, getting soaked by waves as they dashed over the bow. Needless to say, he was double harnessed and the water was warm. My hero got the job done with nothing worse than piles of sodden, salty clothes.

The sea state started to improve at about 10:00pm and we found the Southerly current at about midnight. With the motor roaring at 2700RPM and the current assist we were making 8 knots. Greg and I took 2 hour shifts, much easier than the six hour shifts we had been holding for the last few years. Of course, we were motoring, so easy duty. The motor performed faultlessly and as always we were really grateful for our autopilot with its new linear drive.

We arrived at Coff's Harbour at about midday. It was a relief to get behind the breakwater but with the wind coming from the Southeast, the swells were curling around the breakwater and into the anchorage at right angles to our boat. For two nights we endured the rocking but when the weather dictated that we stay for 5 days we called the marina for a slip. Oh, the joy of an uninterrupted night's sleep, hot showers and dinner out. And I got my haircut, after a year. It's so nice not to have it clammy on my neck. Also, the water in this marina is really clean.

We now had time for a hike up the headland, called Muttonbird Island. This is the nesting island of the shearwaters, also called Muttonbirds. They're out fishing during the day but in the marina you can hear them at dawn along with the gulls and Shags. There are beautiful beaches with long rolling breakers perfect for body surfing or beginner surfers. And, this town has a large Indian population attracted originally by the banana plantations. There are really good Indian restaurants in Coff's Harbour.

Tomorrow we head South with the wind behind us!

The Gold Coast and Southport

03 December 2023 | The Gold Coast, Jumpinpin
Susan Wells
Walking the beach at Southport


The Broadwater inland waterway. The Blue points show where we anchored and the marina

After escaping The Boatworks and all the noise, dirt and smell, we motored down the Broadwater channels towards Southport. This is the famous Gold Coast where city after city of high rise buildings line the endless beaches of golden sand. It's Miami Beach light and our timing coincided with the end of the school year when all the "schoolies", graduating seniors and their relieved families, descend from across Australia to celebrate. We left on a weekday so the passage was not too crazy. We know better than to tackle the waterways on the weekend.

Finally, we reached our destination, the Stadium anchorage just across the bay from the city. Despite its name, the anchorage was quiet and not too crowded even on the weekend We spent 5 days there, using the dinghy to cross the bay to the city, walking across the sandbar to swim in the great Pacific Ocean that is untamed by offshore reefs and walking miles and miles on that perfect beach. We did not eat out. Mostly, we've been disappointed with restaurant meals in Australia. The food is expensive, predominantly fried and scant on vegetables. Being early summer, the veges available at the markets are beautiful, lots of greens, tomatoes, peppers and cruciferous vegetables. Near the coast, fresh fish is plentiful so we splurged on yellow fin tuna with broccoli rabe and rice, and fish tacos made with reef cod, pretty good corn tortillas and homemade pico de gallo. Delicious!

We had several squalls pass over us while we were there. Like on the ocean they came with sharply increasing wind, lightening and heavy rain. Since they are associated with a low pressure cell, the wind gradually backs around swinging all the boats in a circle; in the northern hemisphere the wind direction would be reversed. Of course, hull shape and wind resistance determines the angle so there is always a concern that the neighbor boat will swing into you. Our neighbor was worried about us so he left a little note on our transom with a sketch of the angle of collision asking us to leave. It's no good arguing with someone like that so we upped anchor and moved. It was a much better position anyway.

After 5 days we left the city precincts and moved North a few miles up the Broadwater to a wonderful anchorage called Jumpinpin. This is far from civilization just behind the sand dunes from the ocean. At the weekend, many boats come to anchor and fish for the day, but the week is ours to enjoy. We tend to live by the sun, not the clock. First light is at about 4:30 and we usually wake up at 5:00am. On a good day and not every day is good, Greg makes coffee and we often make phone calls to the USA (thanks to Starlink) at about 6:00 which is 4:00pm their time. Breakfast and cleanup is usually done by 8:00 so it's time to go exploring before it gets too hot. We get back at about lunch time. Regardless of time, we're always hungry. After eating we promptly take a nap or I work on something like this blog. Then it's teatime, with cookies. Now we can buckle down to work, often boat related, sometimes Spanish. Qittin' time is captain's half hour, When the sun looks like it's getting sleepy we think about dinner. Prep takes about an hour and eating maybe another hour with clean-up. When we look at our watches we're amazed to see that it's about 7:00pm. Now what? Occasionally we stream a movie if Starlink is cooperating. Otherwise, we listen to audiobooks or doomscroll through the news until fatigue catches up with us. Sleep is often disturbed but we get to enjoy the night sky while we're up.

In Jumpinpin we were anchored close to the shore so we rowed ashore and inaugurated our new dinghy wheels. This is the third set of wheels we've tried and finally we've found ones that really work. They don't get clogged with sand; they can be deflated a bit so they don't sink into soft sand as much; best of all the raising and lowering mechanism is easy and smooth, suitable for my small hands. We wanted to go to the beach beyond the dunes so we struck out through the Eucalyptus thickets towards the roar of the ocean. There was no path, it looked easy and close. Newcomers are warned not to bushwhack in Australia where dangerous critters abound. But we persevered through spiderwebs, snarled fallen branches, soggy mangrove patches and up another dune. At the top we could now see the ocean but there were a few more dunes to go, each one dryer and looser than the last. Finally, we made it.


Greg celebrating having reached the ocean beyond the dunes
The sea was perfect, clear turquoise with straight lines of waves showing no current. In either direction, the beach stretched for miles and there was not a single person. Perfect skinny dip time. Oh, the joy of clean salty water on our bodies. We could have stayed in longer but the sun was fierce. We had to get covered.

Now to get back. The thought of trudging back through the spiders was not appealing so we started walking along the beach towards the pass, where the dunes broke to let the sea into the inland waterways. We couldn't see it but we knew it had to be about a mile up the beach. An hour later we were still walking but we could see fishing boats and jet skis disappearing into the dunes so we knew we wouldn't have to retrace our steps. The sun was high now and we hadn't brought water. Finally, there was the pass.

The tide was low and as we rounded the point we passed a few boats stuck in the mud. We too, had to post hole through the mud to shorten the long way around. In ankle deep water we came across a sting ray almost buried in the mud. So that was why no one else was trying this. Eventually our path led us to the end of a sand spit with water between us and our boat. We could either backtrack or swim. Fortunately the ebbing current was not too swift and it wasn't far, but our swimming towels and beach bag got drenched. Now we had to walk another mile or so to reach our dinghy dripping wet, carrying the bag full of soggy cloth. As we passed daytrippers relaxing under their sun tents we saw many a raised eyebrow. One couple told us to be careful, they had seen many box jellies in the water. Hopefully our luck will hold.

Now we return to EastCoastMarina where we will leave the boat until after New Year. We will be flying to Perth for a week to visit friends from our college days and then we will fly to New Zealand for a week to visit family and friends for Christmas.



Boatwork

22 November 2023 | The Boatworks, QLD
Susan Wells
The reason for stopping in the Brisbane area was to get a few boat projects done. Greg had been talking to contractors for weeks and more recently he has been calling suppliers to make sure that parts would be available. Our first stop was Scarborough Marina where Greg and I started with giving Rapture the spa treatment. He started sanding and prepping the bright work (wood) on the boat and I started cleaning the stainless.

There is a lot of stainless on Rapture and it hasn't been thoroughly cleaned since Mexico where Juanito went at it with a toothbrush. There is not much wood on Rapture and in the past we've paid people to do the bright work but it's a painstaking, fiddly job and no one really cares as much as the owners. Inevitably, we are disappointed when someone else does it.

For four days, starting early in the morning while it was still cool, we worked on the boat getting it looking shipshape before moving to East Coast Marina further up the river towards Brisbane. Scarborough is not really convenient for provisioning or sight seeing although it does have a fabulous fish market.
East Coast Marina is conveniently located near the rapid transit train so we spent a day exploring the city of Brisbane and the botanical garden and then went out for a birthday dinner at "Greca" a luxury restaurant on the riverbank. By the time we left East Coast Marina to go to the Boatworks, Rapture was looking spiffy and we were aching in every joint.

We left on Sunday not knowing that the inland waterways are jam-packed over the weekend with recreational boaters many of whom have no idea about the rules on the water. By late afternoon, many of them have also had too much to drink.So, slow little Rapture spent half the day chugging through the zoo hoping that the jet skies would not play chicken with us and that the enormous motor cruisers would even see us over their prows. Although we were motoring on flat water we had to prepare the cabin as if for a passage because the wake waves rocked us so severely . Just before we reached the Boatworks, motoring up the narrow river, a speedboat towing a floating playpen filled with teenagers cut across our bow and overturned the playpen right in front of us. Greg had to divert hard to Starboard, hoping the motor cruiser behind him wouldn't collide with him and hoping he wouldn't run aground in the shoals. Needless to say he had some sharp words for the father driving the speedboat. Finding our slip was also a challenge. Being a Sunday, there were no marina boys to take the lines. There was no wind and the tides aren't strong so we managed fine on our own.

There were four major boat projects planned: High pressure water spray the hull, get our new mainsail, replace the linear drive of the autopilot and replace the membrane of the water maker. Greg was determined that we'd get all that done in a week so we could leave the marina and go out sailing. Amazingly, he succeeded. Every contractor arrived on time and stayed within budget and after a week of noise, dust and smell we were ready to go.

We have now tested all the new systems except the mainsail. The water maker is producing as expected and the autopilot no longer knocks and groans. We've been very happy with the work that has been done.

Bundaberg to Morton Bay

15 November 2023 | Morton Bay
Susan Wells
The next part of our journey down to Brisbane lay to the inside of Frazier Island. This area, called the Great Sandy Strait is a vast network of channels and shoals that have to be navigated carefully. The navigation channel is clearly marked but there are areas where it can only be navigated at high tide. So we took our time, stopping at night and waiting for the tide.


We left Bundaberg on Saturday early enough to catch the rising tide. With wind blowing up the estuary, we didn't want to be battling choppy waves kicked up by wind against tide.

It was a lovely 40 nm sail across to Platypus anchorage on Frazier island. Of course, by late afternoon the wind was up and the fetch looked to be coming straight into the anchorage. A boat that had sailed with us, turned around and went looking for a calmer anchorage but we trusted the forecast and dropped anchor. An hour later, the wind moderated and backed to the East behind the island so we had a calm night. It's nice having enough experience now to make these judgement calls.

On Sunday we motored and sailed over to Kingfisher Bay arriving at about 2:00pm. After tea we lowered the dinghy from her shiny new davits and mounted the motor, So easy! And Quick!

There's a fancy resort at Kingfisher so the next morning we dinghied in to see if we could book a tour to Lake McKenzie, a large freshwater lake . In contrast to all the laid back, unpretentious resorts we've seen so far, this one was all glass and marble fighting a desperate battle against the sand and dust brought in by barefoot beach walkers. We found that the tour would cost a breathtaking AU$269 each. The hike would be 8 to 10 hours, about 15 miles. Guess what we chose.

The next morning we started at 8:30 at low tide so we had to drag the dinghy up the beach to the high tide line and tie it to a tree. We have wheels, but they are useless in the soft sand, especially if we're also hauling the motor. So Greg took the stern, bending over the motor in the worst ergonomic posture,and grabbing the handles to lift the stern, I hauled forward on the painter (bowline) lifting up and forward. Now we were late. It was already hot and potentially we had 10 hours to walk. Greg set off at a fast pace on a clearly marked, sandy path through the sparse Eucalyptus trees. Although the track was not steep, trudging through loose sand at speed soon had us panting. We arrived at the next fork at least an hour earlier than predicted. We made it to the lake in three hours, hot, sweaty and ready for lunch. There were about 150 people disgorged from those expensive buses, sunbathing and swimming, but not eating. There was a sign warning against bringing food to the beach because of aggressive dingoes but we surreptitiously unwrapped our sandwiches and munched down. Then came the swim. Turquoise, fresh water and a sandy beach, what could be better.

The hike back was not interesting. There is very little variation in the forest cover. A few towering Kauri trees in the moist hollows and some isolated wild mango trees but otherwise Eucalyptus and Casuarina thickets. The bird song was nice but we couldn't see the birds except for the screeching white cockatoo. Knowing that the path would be mostly sand we had not worn our boots, instead Greg had old trainers that no longer fitted him and I wore my sailing shoes. Now we were suffering. Our toes were being crunched. Most likely we were going to lose another toenail or two.

The seashore was a welcome relief. We shed the shoes and dabbled through the gentle surge. Our best photos came from this section. In all, the hike took six and a half hours. The tide was high and we only had to float the dinghy to get back to the boat.

The next day we had to leave Kingfisher at about noon to make it over the Sheridan Flats at high tide. The channel in this area meanders around shoals and mangrove islets. At low tide the depth could be no more than a couple of feet so every boat going either direction has to travel this section at the same time. The channel is well marked on the chart which is good because the channel markers are far apart. Looking out from the cockpit it is sometimes difficult to know where to go, except to follow the boat in front of you. In our case, that would have been a mistake because he ran aground not 50 meters in front of us. We followed the chart and passed him by.

Pelican Bay is the staging area just before the Wide Bay Bar. We anchored there overnight so that we could leave before the crack of dawn to cross the bar at high tide. At 4:00am we awoke and raised anchor to make it to the bar by 5:00. Dawn was just coloring the sky giving enough light to see the hulls of the many boats anchored with us. The conditions were perfect for the crossing, 8 knots of wind and 1.2 meter seas. There were about 13 boats who crossed with us. It was interesting to experience the brightening day, the breakers on the reef alongside the channel and the waves coming closer together and higher causing us to hobby horse moderately. Then suddenly the waves flattened and lengthened. We were over. We turned South and found ourselves at a 35-40 degree angle to the light flukey wind.

For the next two hours, we sailed at about 3 knots enjoying the peace and rhythm. We were not in a hurry. We had decided to sail overnight to Brisbane. We had 24 hours to make 90 nautical miles, planning to arrive at first light the next day.

Finally, the wind crapped out and we fired up the iron Jenny and took turns taking a nap. When Greg woke up, the wind was up again around 15 knots and we were sailing at 60 degrees, Rapture's favorite point of sail. For the rest of the voyage we were close reaching at 5 -7 knots. At this rate we would make our anchorage well before dawn.

We entered the Brisbane Shipping Channel just after dark. Now we had to beware of traffic. It started with a huge freighter sneaking up behind us. There is no rear mirror on a boat and commercial traffic moves at 15 knots. Turning around to talk to Greg at the helm, I saw that the little white smudge on the horizon had become a hulking great behemoth. We moved smartly out of the way. And so it went the rest of the 40 miles of the shipping channel. Most of the ships were outbound from Brisbane which meant that we needed to pass port to port although mostly we kept just off the channel. It's unnerving to see a brightly lit building bearing down on you knowing that it had to stay in the channel and turn at the next light marking the channel, but anxious that it wouldn't or couldn't.

It was 2:00am by the time we arrived at our anchorage. Now we had to anchor in the dark. There was no moon but plenty of ambient light from the city, unfortunately behind us as we approached the island we were sheltering behind. Most boats had anchor lights high on their masts but the worry was about those little fishing boats without masts. Creeping forward and using the high powered flashlight whose beam dissipated in the humidity laden air we finally reached the contour line depth desired and dropped hook. Anchor watch was set and we were safe. We had made it to Brisbane.

Rapture's Photos - The Andes
Photos 1 to 57 of 57 | Main
1
A small eagle scrounging for handouts.
The trail continues to la Leonera another full day hike.  Zoom to see the hikers.
Victory! Ramon, our fearless guide, looks on with pride.
El Plomo 17,800 feet high
Weather starting to form over the peaks
Lunch. 13,713 feet at the top of El Pintor
The sun is fierce at this altitude
View from the top of el Pintor.
The spine of the Andes
Hanging glacier spilling into a muddy tarn.
Maipo - heading to those glaciers up ahead
Maipo - no trees, but still some vegetation at this elevation
Maipo
Maipo
Maipo
Maipo - white calcite rocks
Maipo - stark and barren
Maipo- straight up from here
Maipo -the tarn at the foot of the glacier
Maipo - lunch at 11,000 feet
Maipo - the glacier covered with broken rock
Maipo - heading down
Maipo - U-shaped valley
Maipo - about 5:00pm
Aconcagua in the clouds
Aconcagua
Aconcauga
Aconcauga
Aconcagua
Aconcagua
Aconcagua
Aconcauga
Aconcagua
Aconcagua
Aconcagua
Aconcagua
Aconcagua
Aconcagua
Aconcagua
Aconcagua
Aconcagua
Aconcagua
Aconcauga
Aconcagua
Aconcagua
Maipo
Aconcagua
Aconcauga
Maipo
Maipo
Maipo
Maipo
Aconcauga
 
1

About & Links

Photo Albums
16 March 2024
166 Photos
26 January 2024
75 Photos