Gypsy Cruising

12 September

Macona Inlet to Butterfly Bay

I think the boat is getting to know her own way around this place.  We plan some new destinations later in the week, but for now it’s very much repeating the same track I’ve followed before.  No complaints from me – I’m learning more than I’ve ever known about the character of each place I visit.

Mike had the helm for much of the enjoyable downwind sail up the west coast of Hook Island to Butterfly Bay.   The wind was generally around 20 knots from the southeast, and we kept up a good pace under just the headsail. 

The character of this end of the Whitsundays is noticeably different from inside the Passage.  In this case “different” does not denote “better”.  Being on the outside of the island chain, the coastline here could be described as being more rugged, and the rock formations more weather-beaten.  Small beaches seem to fill every small bay and are of a much whiter sand than is seen on the inside of the islands.  There is an eye catching contrast between the sandy beaches, deep blue water, the white of the waves crashing on the rocks and the dark green of the bush leading right down to the water’s edge.

Rounding the north west corner of Hook Island, near Hayman Island

We were lucky again to find an empty mooring towards the inner end of the bay.  This is pretty important for a smooth night, because there is almost always some residual swell coming around the corner if you’re moored closer to the bay’s mouth.  Stuart and Dee are here also, on the favoured innermost mooring. 

We snorkelled along the stretch of reef I’d previously found to be good, near the inner moorings, but I think the recent heavy winds and partial cloud cover made visibility less than ideal.  Stuart and Dee came over for drinks around 4pm for really a lovely way to end the day.

A remedy for the super strong onions we get here.  The third in a string of  photos going back to 1986 and 1988 showing David and me doing exactly the same thing.