Thursday, 10 October 2019


5 October

Bundaberg to Elbow Point, Great Sandy Strait

I intend to sail solo to Southport, although I’ll have the other boats as company as far south as Mooloolaba.  My plan comprises a series of day hops: firstly from Bundaberg to the protection of the Great Sandy Strait, a day spent travelling the Straits, then a day at sea to Mooloolaba, then to Moreton Bay, then a couple of days through the inland waterway to Southport.  All up I expect to take six days to make the trip. 

All six Club boats had agreed to leave Bundaberg this morning at 6am – sunrise – and sail the 55 miles to Fraser Island in company.  I’d like to record the kindness expressed by all the other crews in offering me any assistance they could give, including with my mooring lines and by sticking close by down the coast.  After all these months together it feels like we’re family, and I couldn’t be more appreciative.

Since the Gypsy is slightly slower than Nirvana’s Kitchen and the three cats, I left the marina soon after 5.30 with the intention of not letting those other boats get too far ahead throughout the day, or of causing them to slow down to keep pace with me.  In the event, the trip was deep downwind, which suits us more than any of the others, and no-one caught us. 

The waters of the Great Barrier Reef have been my home for the past four months.  I’ve sailed, swum, rowed and gazed on them and they’ve never been anything less than stunningly beautiful (well, maybe there were a couple of days when they weren’t so kind, but I’ll allow them that).  It was with real sadness that I left them today. 

With wind and current pushing us along we averaged 7.5 knots all day.  Before midday Leon contacted all the boats to discuss pushing on further than planned, initially to Garry’s Anchorage and then, later, all the way to the bottom of the Straits.  Gypsy Princess, Nirvana’s Kitchen and Mix’d Nutz were the lead boats with the others a few miles back.  I was happy to do extra miles since it gave me the possibility of getting to Southport a day earlier.  So, I drove the boat harder, motor sailing under the headsail and riding the incoming tide.  We went through the shallow waters at Sheridan Flats right on high tide, and had the benefit of riding the falling tide on the other side, so keeping the speed well up.

I made Elbow Point at the southern end of Fraser Island just before 4.30pm, pretty tired but happy and satisfied after doing 80 miles.  It was a good day’s motor sailing in perfect conditions.  Nirvana’s Kitchen and Mix’d Nutz are here with me but the other three boats are a couple of hours back up the Straits in Garry’s Anchorage.

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