Sv Sahula: Trip Report - Townsville to Brisbane December 2007

Part 1.

It began as a dream, became the impossible adventure, then began on a Wednesday in December, 2007.

The possible became reality when family promised independence and a house and a job provided financial support. I needed a boat and the independence means to find distance horizons without being unduly unfettered by an income or lack of it. So the house was sold, a boat bought and the invested superannuation the means. It was not everyone's concept of the ideal. For most cutting the strings of house, car and friends is too much to forgo for the vagaries of the aging adventurous wanderer.

No amount of money can supplant the importance of the boat. It is the sailor's world, a warm haven inside and a safe, well honed sailing machine. "Sahula" was all this and more. When I first saw her she was a dowdy green boat amongst the white plastic super yachts of Southport's yacht club marina. It was love at first sight. A loved, dutch designed but neglected 12 metre steel yacht.

The excitement of ownership being that first critical step, soon was replaced by the hard work of rebuilding and honing onboard systems. Four years later the boat was ready, not complete, but ready.

A lovely farewell with a party with university colleagues (including two fruits cakes - skipper's favourite) and good friends goodbyes, set the scene to go. The adventure had began.

Ken, the crew (a friend from Cardwell) came aboard, fuel was taken on and Sahula danced to a light northerly heading south. It augered well, almost ideal conditions allowed a direct course to Cape Cleveland and the run to the Whitsunday Islands.

The big bluey, an MPS soon proved its worth. It strained to the Northerly from the Cape and overnight to the Whitsundays. The MPS, a "multi- purpose sail",is a cross between a spinnaker and genoa and when hoisted and retrieved in a "sock" is easily used in light conditions. I use it often to gain an extra knot and enjoy the spectacle of having a big blue and white sail driving forward the yacht.

The reverie stopped at Hamilton Island when the wind died and the "iron maiden" a 70 hp four cyclinder diesel noisily pushed Sahula to Brampton Island. A night at anchor after an all night sail was welcome.

The next sector was the most challenging of the trip, rounding Cape Townsend on the way to Yeppon and Keppel Island. The northerly turned easterly so a long sail towards the Broadsounds past Mackay saw Sahula dwarfed amongst some 30 huge "colliers" awaiting cargo at Abbot Point Coal Loading facility. We tacked and with fresh winds sailed the night, illuminated by the anchor lights of the fleet till we neared the Percy Islands. It was an eerie experience, passing the walls of steel, sails lit up on a moonless night.

After a good nights sailing the morning wind died and once again the "iron maiden" pushed Sahula across oily seas to Percy Island. We anchored off South Percy Islands "yachties" shed and swam ashore in clear blue water. This shed contains the memorabilia of hundreds of passing yachts. We left our memory on paper pushed into a bottle.

We planned on staying the night but the afternoon northerly picked up so the MPS again took us south to Cape Townsend and down the Capricornian coast to Yeppoon and Keppel Island, or at least it was supposed to do so. Instead the morning doldrums found Sahula ghosting along at the beginning of a long day after a long night, to Keppel Island. We were tempted to stop at the beautiful anchorages of Pearl Bay and Port Clinton which very slowly came abeam.

The consistent wind pattern however saw a freshening wind eventually fill the trusty MPS to Keppel in the late afternoon.

Few islands are more beautiful than Keppel. Its bays are sandy beaches with azure clear blue water. We stayed two nights. We swam, fished and relaxed, the first real break on a trip of overnight sailing apart from a stopover at Brampton.

Overnight sailing is tiring. Our body clocks were not used to sleeping in a moving yacht at intermittent periods. We found three hour watches best suited as two hours seemed the maximum sleep we'd get in one period with preparation each side. Each day after we felt worn out.

The next movement was an enjoyable MPS sail from Keppel to the beginning of the Narrows channel through to Gladstone.

The Narrows is between Curtis Island and the coast. It's only accessible at near high tide as it completely dries out.

At this point we'd enjoyed only minor issues in Sahula's electrical and motor systems. However, this was about to change. As we motored with headsail pulling down towards the night anchorage, when a dull "woo-mp" noise followed by steam and a filling bilge heralded our first major engine challenge. Fortunately we had the headsail up so we continued on while at the same time closing down the engine and all sea water cocks. The water stopped rising and was quickly hand and electrically pumped out.

A quick check revealed the water pump outlet pipe had come off and the hose out of the salt water manifold exhaust heat exchanger had melted at the point of connection to the engine exhaust water cooling box.

Reality connected to myth with the oft repeated, "cruising is about doing maintenance in beautiful places."

Now began the essential repair job that is usually unmentioned but challenges all yachts crew. We needed to know why it had happened to ensure an adequate repair. It seemed to be caused by both pressure and heat. It soon became clear the hose used to take water from the heat exchanger to the cooling box was inadequate for the job. It had deteriorated over time, eventually blocking the exhaust waters and blowing the hose. A disaster waiting to happen.

A quick ramble through the spares box thankfully revealed sufficient parts to concoct a makeshift hose. Its installation involved much blood, sweat and frustration. It was done and was sufficient in the morning to allow, with much relief, motoring through the Narrows to Gladstone.

We checked in with Gladstone Harbour Control and were in the Marina by midday. Gladstone Marina is a friendly, noisy but well run place. Gladstone town is a friendly and assessable. So with a good meal at the Yacht Club, it's an enjoyable stayover. We soon had the necessary repair done. A good sleep and the next day we moved across to anchor in the islands off Gladstone harbour. Why pay marina fees when there are beautiful anchorages?

A night there and we moved to Facing Island further out through a well marked channel. The weather report claimed ENE'lies so after anchoring till the afternoon we began the sail south to Harvey Bay and the Sandy Straits.

As is often the case the weather report proved doubtful. The vaunted NE'lies became more Easterlies so we made a long leg to sea to get sea room and tacked to run along the coast. We were off Bustard Head at midnight unable to clear the outlying reefs and rocks. So again another long tack to sea and we turned to clear for Harvey Bay and another long night at sea.

A magnificent dawn light found progress very slow but by afternoon, Sahula was romping along to a magnificent sunset, arriving at midnight at the fairway buoy into Sandy Straits at midnight. The crew were exhausted, so finding the lights and navigating to the anchorage required adrenalin to draw on the last of the reserves. We anchored of the Kingfisher Fraser Island Resort at 0400 hours. We could afford only a brief sleep to ensure enough rising tide to navigate the channel and arrive off Inskip Point by late afternoon in preparation for crossing the Wide Bay Bar on the next rising tide. Sailing however is forever subject to the master of wind.

At five o'clock the marine rescue office in Bundeberg forecast a south easterly change. It was now Sunday so we must move speedily through the Wide Bay bar (Queensland's worst) on Monday or early Tuesday if we not to await another northerly.

We contacted Marine Rescue Inskip Point to assess the latest conditions on the bar. They reported it was safe to cross, however weather reports urged caution. The forecast SE change was reported to be at Mooloolaba and ominous rain clouds soon heralded its arrival. There would be no crossing tonight so a welcome good nights sleep would allow reassessment in the morning.

We awoke to strong SE'lies and scudding rain squalls. Trawlers reported the bar was fine but the weather report was increasingly strong SE'lies and rain squalls so we opted to reassess tomorrow morning. The prospect of a beating into a strong SE'ly blasted by rain squalls, over a night and a day to Brisbane was distinctly unappealing, I was retired for heavens sake. What was the rush, the pressure, the shortage of time?

So we mooted the option of staying in the Sandy Straits over Xmas. A marina berth was available at Tin Can Bay Marina and so was a bus to Brisbane for Xmas.
I was looking forward to Xmas with daughter Emily and aunt and uncle Dot and Neil MacDonald and visiting friends in Brisbane. One could hardly complain that the best laid plans had vacated and been replaced by a week in the Sandy Straits. It would however be somewhat hard to swallow that the next northerly change came and went while in Brisbane over Xmas. Such is life.

But its all about wind and whim and after two nights at Inskip Point watching the pelicans and other bird life the weather forecast was for northerlies. So no more must we watch the 4wd tourist frenzy of popping out of the bushes to bolt to the waiting ferry and fifteen minutes later pop off the ferry and rush off along the beach to Fraser Islands embrace or horror.

We left for a Tin Can Bay marina berth to top up supplies, fix an electrical problem and most importantly, have a shower and do the washing. Tomorrow we leave on the final leg to Brisbane. The forecast is northerlies strengthening to fifteen to twenty knots, ideal weather to speedily head south to Xmas with family.

Tonight we're having a meal at the local yacht club with Fritz, a yachtie friend from Townsville. Marvellous to see him.

It's been a marvellous trip so far. There has been good sailing on a boat that revels in doing so. Ken has been good company, an excellent crew, affable, humoured and skilled in sailing. He's also a great cook, a superb bonus. Sahula (apart from the engine and electrical challenges) has been marvellous to be aboard.