Gypsy Cruising

22 September

Brampton Island to Double Island

Today was to be a reasonably long leg – 49 miles heading almost directly into the prevailing wind.  There aren’t many island anchorages along this stretch, and even fewer that can cope with both easterly and sou-easterly winds that we’re being subjected to now.  Double Island is listed in the cruising guides as being suitable, in spite of the fact that it looks on the charts to be just an exposed pair of rocks in the ocean.  It’s obviously such a little used anchorage that even the radio operator at Whitsunday Coast Guard appeared to have not heard of it.  I admit to feeling some trepidation in my decision to continue out there. 

It was an early start from Brampton Island, to take advantage of a couple of hours of relative calm before the 10-15 knots of headwind was forecast to come in.  We put the trolling lines out, and hooked an undersize, 50cm spotted mackerel, which went back into the water.  Shortly afterwards I managed to hook something completely different – a big, 110cm spanish mackerel.  It probably cost us half an hour as we slowed the boat down to get it on board, fillet it and clean everything up.  But we ended up with eight big steaks from it, each enough for a meal for two people.  We rearranged the freezer and somehow managed to stuff most of it in there.  I really doubt this is relevant, but I was wearing the same shirt as when I caught the tuna a few months ago on our first day out of Bundaberg.  Spooky, huh?

This could be the biggest fish I ever catch!

The rest of the trip was quiet.  We were both pretty tired at the end of the day, but the anchorage looks quite good and it is certainly attractive.  We’re at the northern end of the larger of the two islands that make up Double Island, with a pretty little beach surrounded by rock walls extending out into the water.  The second, much smaller island is separated from the first by a narrow channel that is barred by a coral reef, so providing protection from the worst of the swell that we can see just outside.

Starting to look like the Old Man of the Sea?

Double Island sunset

Of course, we had fish for dinner tonight, cooked in butter and soy sauce.  A great meal.