SV SEAKA: CRUISING AUSTRALIA IN 2019.

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

Eighth Edition:

So over the next two days [11th & 12th Sept.] we relaxed by reading and doing a little cleaning inside to stop the mould getting away. Come Friday [13th Sept.] we had that last shower again and motored out of the marina just before high tide. In Gladstone Harbour you have to work the tides and with this falling tide we were swept out in one and a half hours. Against the tide that would have taken some four hours!

We had a good sail down to Pancake Creek, at times doing 6.5 to 7 knots. At the entrance to Pancake Creek we were hassled by a stink boat as I was on the leads ahead of him and he wanted to get past but didn't have the guts to go around me. Once inside with more room he sped off. I was to greet him the next morning as he had no anchor light on and I almost ran him down. I moved into the inner anchorage where there are now National Parks moorings. Not really wanting to use a mooring I circled around until I realized that there is less room there now due to the northern sand bank having moved southwards. So I picked up a mooring and found that the thick heavy ropes had been changed to lighter ones which made the whole process so much easier. They have actually put on two ropes so it's now possible for catamarans to moor as well.

With the weather in our favour we pressed on the next day [14th Sept.] to Burnett Heads. I was away before first light, had to avoid that stink boat I mentioned above, and with everybody moving I had to turn my AIS receiver off as all the data being shown on my plotter over-rode the navigation data! Greg and another yacht were only half a mile ahead of me as we exited Pancake creek. In total some fourteen boats were heading south and by the time we passed 1770 I was tail end Charlie. Most of the day was spent motoring into headwinds with only a couple of hours sailing. We finally anchored at 1700 hours and in doing so passed the 1500 nautical mile marker for this voyage.

The next day had to be a rest day [Sunday 15th Sept.] as the winds have turned against us again for Rooney Point. We are finding the BOM forecast are only good for about six hours and have seen completely different forecasts issued two hours after the official forecast! So we went ashore for coffee and a few things from the very expensive IGA store in Burnett Heads.

That evening an ENE wind of 10 knots plus got up and it became very rocky where we were anchored. Around 0430 hours I gave up and by 0500 was sailing south to the Great Sandy Strait. Greg left an hour later and it would take him 27 nautical miles to catch me. Mind you most of the day was spent motoring again in dead flat seas. When we reached the Fairway Marker for the channel into the Great Sandy Strait the tide was still ebbing so we had to stem the tide for some 12 nautical miles until we could get to the southern anchorage of Big Woody Island.

We have been finding it hard to find safe anchorages with the northern winds and Big Woody Island proved to be marginal that night as the winds turned to the NW blowing along the island. But the next morning [Tuesday 17th Sept.] we had the tide with us and without much effort we were doing 5 to 6 knots on our way to Garry's Anchorage. It was rough until we passed White Cliffs and then it was mirror flat from then on until we arrived at Garry's Anchorage with a NE wind of 15 to 20 knots blowing. I anchored twice before I was satisfied. The big stink boat behind me wasn't and he shifted only to find when he lifted his anchor that it was fouled on his chain. A lucky break for both of us I think as it blew all night with Seaka doing some 10 nautical miles sailing around her anchor. Just another rough night.

On Wednesday [18th Sept.] we found the wind had died completely and the Strait was mirror flat. After talking to a couple of yachts Greg and I decided to go down to Elbow Point with the intention of going over the Wide Bay Bar the next day. So at day break on Thursday [19th Sept.] we proceeded out over the Wide Bay Bar. Conditions were very good considering it was at the start of the flood tide. With the winds doing what BOM predicted we clear the bar to find half an hour later the wind had shifted to a 15 knot plus SE'er, in other words, straight on the nose! After an hour of that I rang Greg and said, "That's it. I'm for Double Island Point". It took us two and a half hours to make it to the anchorage behind Double Island Point.

On Friday [20th Sept.] we sailed at 0300 for Mooloolaba. We had good winds until we were off Noosa when once again it turned on the nose. The decision was made to shelter at Laguna Bay, north of Noosa Heads for a couple of hours. At 1230 hours we were away again, arriving at the Duck Pond just on dark. During the day I had made arrangements by phone to go onto the hard at Lawrie's Boatyard next Thursday to have the drive shaft bearings replaced and realigned with the engine.

I spent the next three days [21st to 23rd Sept.] cleaning all the lockers. I went fishing on Monday morning but only caught a small cod that had to go back. On the Monday night we had a bit of a blow that ended up with two yachts smashed together and one aground in shallow water. Thankfully no visiting yachts were involved as those in trouble were all unattended long term stayers. On the Tuesday [24th Sept.] I went by bus up to the big shopping centre at Maroochydore. When I came back I found a catamaran had anchored three metres from me and was over my anchor. Nobody was onboard so just before dark I managed to retrieve my anchor and after two attempts I re-anchored. I had intended to give him serve in the morning [Wednesday 25th Sept.] but he was gone before sunrise. Angry I went below for a coffee during which I heard a strange noise and I heard it again as I went out to investigate and as I came out of the cabin I glanced to my left only to see my wind vane heading for King Neptune! A Cockatoo had ripped it off! So that meant a trip to Whitworths and three trips up the mast to replace it. So as things come in threes, later on Wednesday, I discovered that we had a leak in one of the tubes in the inflatable dinghy, undoubtable from that small fish I caught.

So on Thursday [26th Sept.] we motored around to Lawrie's Boatyard for a 0930 lift out onto the hard. The shipwright I had contracted to do the work was on hand as soon as we were set up in the bay. Now this was supposed to be a one day job but within a little time that had gone with the discovery that the shaft was worn at the cutlass bearing! With the shaft ruined it was cut in half to allow a quick removal. The consensus was that the cutlass bearing put in during my voyage to Lake Macquarie in 2017 was too big thus allowing the shaft too much movement. So it took until Friday morning to find a machinist who would reconstruct a new shaft and bearing and they wouldn't be done till next Thursday.

With that delay ahead of us I purchased some anti-foul and started rubbing the bottom down. I found that as I hadn't had the bottom cleaned with high pressure water there was quite a bit of growth in areas that had now gone hard. So [on 27th & 28th Sept.] I had to use a wire brush and hose to clean her down. Derek of Silver Lady (Camden Haven Inlet) gave me some PropSpeed that he couldn't use for the propeller, which would work out well as we will go back in the day after the alignment is done, not enough time to use anti-fouling. On Sunday [29th Sept.] I got two coats of anti-fouling on. Now that Seaka has been sitting out of the water for a few days we have discovered one little osmosis on the port side again which will have to be repaired next time I haul out at Laurieton.

Over the next three days [30th Sept., 1st & 2nd Oct.] we didn't do much, well we cleaned Seaka's topsides, re-watered, did the washing and helped Silver Lady go back in the water and install a new furler. A Top Hat Owner, Brian, came by and we had lunch on the Monday. I also did a bit of shopping. I also repaired that small leak in the dinghy.

On Thursday [3rd Oct.] we finally got our hands on the new shaft and bearing. The mechanic spent five hours putting it all together and once he had finished I started painting the prop with PropSpeed. We are clear to go in tomorrow morning, hurrah!

I was up bright and early on Friday [4th Oct.] getting Seaka ready for sea. The yard manager came along and said are you ready I said yes, so he put me in earlier than planned which was excellent. I went alongside the working dock for a bit as I still hadn't paid my bills, but once that was done we were off at 0830 for the bottom of Bribie Island.

Well we thought we were!

A hundred metres from the dock I realized all was not well so turn around and return to the working dock. A quick call to the shipwright had him down and inspecting the engine and he diagnosed that the front engine mounts were shot! They had been inspected but not under running conditions. I was forbidden to move and arrangements were made for Seaka to stay on the working dock free of charge. I must say that all the crew here do all they can to help.

So on this Friday new mounts have been ordered, due here, hopefully on Tuesday [Monday is a public holiday] and I reckon if I'm lucky I'll get out of here on Thursday [10th Oct.] but in the meantime I'm going down to Brisbane for a couple of days.

Photos have been added.