SV SEAKA: CRUISING AUSTRALIA IN 2019.

The Tidal Range at MacKay Marina

On Saturday [31st August] I serviced the inboard motor and looked at the weather which meant we are here for another 24 hours. I went for a walk along the marina break wall, something I haven't done before. As we have paid for Sunday we "planned" to leave that night and we did at 0500 [2nd Sept.] into a flat sea with a 5 knot SW wind, perfect! We attain speeds around 6 knots plus which meant we were anchored at Curlew Island at 1400 hours.

Tuesday [3rd Sept.] night was a bit rough with the NE wind and we will now face this problem all the way south as our anchorages from going north are now all exposed to the northerly winds. We had also anchored in a bit close, assuming we would lay to the north but in fact we lay to the south, and ended up with only 30cm below the keel at low water. The other overnight problem was that the mast had started to creak in the mast girder again with the rough conditions. This resulted in several visits to the mast with lubricating grease and spray before I was able to get to sleep again.

We got away at first light to find little wind and a very flat sea. So we were motoring again. We were slowed as we approached Hunter Island as the tide had changed against us before anchoring in our usual bay.

On Wednesday [4th Sept.] we motor sailed south with the tide towards Island Head Creek. Once again the seas were flat with about a knots worth from the sails. At first the tide was of great assistance but by the time we reached Cape Townsend we were battling the flooding tide and Seaka was down to 1.9 knots. So I said to myself "why not" and I got out the spinnaker.

Now for those who don't know, I've never flown a spinnaker before, so this was going to a bit of a learning curve. It took me over an hour to sort it out and rig it correctly but then came the moment when I hoisted the spinnaker. Wow, it worked and on the starboard tack our speed increased up to 5 knots which was great. For the next couple of hours we steadily approached Island Head Creek where in my wisdom I decided that I should jibe the spinnaker around onto the port tack. Well after a bit of the heart in the mouth stuff we got onto the port tack and heading into the anchorage with the port gunnels under water and doing well over 6 knots, gulp!

Inside Island Head Creek I found that things had change a bit since we came through a couple of months ago, the most dramatic being the changes in the harbour depths, which were shallower. So now I had to get that bloody spinnaker down! After trying several ideas I eventually just pulled in the tack as far as I could and let the head go until it hit the water were I was able to haul it all over the port safety wires. Later I would dry it off so I could put it in its bag. It would not be until Gladstone where I was able to fold it up and bag it correctly.

After surviving a night of an enormous number of midges, we motored down to Pear Bay [5th Sept.] where we anchored in clear water. I immediately got in the water to give Seaka's bottom a scrape to remove more of the growth we've had since we left the Camden Haven Inlet. The increased speed we got was worth the effort so I will have to do that more often. While there with the clear water I was able to check that the sounder was reading the correct depth under the keel. After 1330 Greg and I motored down to Port Clinton, doing our phone calls as we crossed the entrance and up to the southern anchorage. Once there I found the NW'er put us on a lee shore so we turned around and went back north to Perforated Head where we found a calm anchorage from the now very strong NW wind.

On Friday [6th Sept.] I was away at 0430, an hour before Greg, with the tide in my favour doing 5 knots plus under motor and sail. Just before Manifold Head and Island we caught our first fish after some 1300 nautical miles. Unfortunately it was 80cm long [too big] and a Mac Tuna which is only suitable for bait. So one lucky fish got to swim again. Still motor sailing on over a flat sea we finally approach North Keppel Island where the NE wind started to pick up to give us a rollicking sail into Long Beach on Great Keppel Island. There we joined a host of boats that would number over forty as they continued to arrive overnight. By first light the next morning [7th Sept.] they started to depart so that by 0700 when we departed, less than half were still in the bay. I don't know where they went.

Seaka was able to sail directly for The Narrows giving us a pleasant change from motor sailing. Arriving at The Narrows we had to motor again to get to the start of the crossing where we had a two hour wait for the tide to be an hour from official high tide. We found it very hot there with the thermometer reaching 31 degrees C. We were later to hear that the day before it had reached 33 degrees there.

Three yachts crossed The Narrows with one doing it for the first time and panicking when they radioed that their chart plotter showed them crossing land. They had to be told sternly to ignore their chart plotter and just follow the buoyage! Later they received a photo of The Narrows at low tide to prove they had "sailed upon the land". Once through The Narrows we motored down to Targinie Creek where we completed our anchoring just on dark.

The next morning [8th Sept.] we had a 2 hour sail and motor with the tide down to the Gladstone Marina. The staff at the marina are the friendliest I know of and we always enjoy a bit of banter with them. During the day I discovered that the protective coating to my glasses is breaking down, I just hope it doesn't get to the point where I can't use them for reading.

Monday [9th Sept.] was a shopping day for fuel and food. Had a last shower, there will be no more showers before I get home as this is the last marina of our voyage.

Well Tuesday [10th Sept.] didn't start off very well as we now have a strong wind warning for our area today and the narrow window we had to get to Pancake Creek is two hours shorter. So the decision was made to abort today's sailing, this is at 0600 with a strong wind blowing, until Friday where we plan to sail to Pancake Creek, Saturday to Burnett Heads and then Monday to the Great Sandy Strait with a possible crossing of the Wide Bay Bar sometime next week.

Oh, and that last shower is delayed until Friday morning!

There are new photos in the 2019 Gallery.