It would be true to say that from time-to-time I procrastinate writing my blog…but as ‘they’ say, “never put off to tomorrow what can be done today”!
If you want to go to a specific heading, click the link below:
Time to travel
Trifecta of travel experiences
Travelling through the night to Tangalooma
Tense times at Tangalooma
Tucked up in Scarborough
Time to travel (30 June)
The two months we spent in Hervey Bay went by quickly and once again it was time to travel. We left the marina on Thursday 30 June with the view to anchoring at South White Cliffs, just north of the Sheridan Flats.
We ended up taking a break there for three nights because it was a tranquil anchorage and we weren’t time-pressured. It was a bit drizzly while we were there, but we managed to meet some fellow cruisers (Trevor and Fiona) who’ve bravely, in my mind, sailed to the Kimberley region of Western Australia.
We also weren’t sure what was happening with the weather and we thought we may end up stopping at Tin Can Bay waiting for a weather event to pass. It turned out that while a good backup plan, it wasn’t to be as the weather can change quickly and typically does.
Trifecta of travel experiences (3 July)
Experience one
On Sunday 3 July we left our anchorage about an hour before high tide and travelled the Sheridan Flats.
I tallied several boats travelling north as we travelled south, and our auto pilot tracked the route terrifically.
It took about two hours for us to reach Inskip, where we thought we’d anchor overnight. But this was not to be…
Experience two
With good weather, I tempted Robert to take a look at Wide Bay Bar. I had the route across the bar tracked using the waypoints from the Tin Can Bay Coast Guard. So we took a look and it was a tacit agreement to traverse the bar.
There’s talk that Wide Bay Bar is the most dangerous bar on the east coast. The entrance has a lot of shifting sands and is completely open to the ocean. It’s a long bar crossing – taking about twenty to thirty minutes – and has a section of about one nautical mile long where the seas break right and left. Also, the bar shallows quickly when travelling in from the ocean. Can you imagine crossing with big swell on a low tide – the possibility of touching the bottom is high.
We exited through the bar about an hour after the high tide, so conditions were very good for us, and we were triumphant in safely traversing the temperamental bar.
Experience three
Then we travelled to Double Island Point (DIP) lagoon.
We hadn’t anchored in the lagoon previously because the depths aren’t charted. But we were prepared and with tactical advice of where to go, we timidly tucked in and anchored.
I’m so glad we stayed here as we enjoyed two calm days and nights, although it was raining and a tad cold.
Travelling through the night to Tangalooma (6 July)
I estimated an 11-hour transit from Double Island Point to Tangalooma. Initially we thought we’d leave the lagoon at first light. However, it also coincided with the tide being at its low point. Given our trepidation to leave on a low tide (with shallow depths), we decided to exit the afternoon before and anchor at Rainbow Beach, where the tide wouldn’t affect our leaving. We then decided we’d leave around 4am and there was a throwaway line about leaving at midnight!
Eventually we agreed that if we woke earlier, we’d leave then. Well at about 1am, I still hadn’t fallen asleep and I sensed Robert was awake too. So we had a coffee, caught up on the news and left at 2am! Initially we both kept an eye on the instruments but after a while we agreed to take turns on watch.
We had prepared for sea-sickness by taking tablets and also trying the method of taping your big toe to the next one. Of course, now we don’t know what stopped the sea-sickness (drugs or tape) but who cares – it worked. I did also wonder whether to tape toes on my right or left foot, or both feet – I mean, what would be better?
It was pitch black and I felt mild terror at being wholly reliant on the instruments, but eventually I relaxed and trusted them. And the swell was not quite as bad as I expected it to be.
Interestingly, I was monitoring the radar and saw the rainstorm on the screen that we were experiencing.
Our trip south continued, but it felt like a long day! As we were travelling, we decided to head to Tangalooma Wrecks instead of Bulwer, where I initially planned to anchor.
The Tangalooma wrecks are interesting and website images show them from the air, looking quite spectacular. Here is some interesting information and photos of the wrecks and resort.
I trusted that the wrecks would offer us a bit more protection. But the swell turned from the east to the west and it became very rolly.
Tense times at Tangalooma (7 July)
We awoke to rolly conditions at Tangalooma. Any swell from the west can be unpleasant and you can see from the slideshow and video how the water changed from very calm to choppy. So we decided we’d travel to the marina at Scarborough where we had a berth organised for a week, and this is when the tension started. While it was disappointing not to kayak around the wrecks, we decided we’d come back another time.
The day before two or three times, we noticed the rudders had moved after I centred them. (I centre them when motoring very slowly so I can control the boat direction using the twin engines.) Before leaving Tangalooma, Robert inspected the rudder hardware in the lazarette and tracked down the problem.
Luckily he did because it turned out that the mounting for the rudder ram drive had rusted through and the rudders were not being held in position. Robert’s a bit of a “MacGyver” and within a couple of hours, he rigged up a temporary fix for us to transit to port.
Tucked up in Scarborough (7 July)
It was about two and a half hours across the bay to Scarborough marina. There was a bit of tension watching the controls and making sure the temporary fix held. But of course it did (there really was no doubt) and we’ll get it permanently fixed when we reach the Gold Coast.
Where to next?
We’ll stay here for a week, then continue to head south to the Gold Coast.
9 Responses
Hi Looks like you continue to enjoy your adventure! You have seen so much as well as fixing your boat. Your photos & blog are great. Keep them coming . Stay safe and maybe we can catch up when you are in Port Stephens. Cheers
Tremendous tales of travel! The Tangalooma Wrecks website is very interesting. Hopefully you’ll have another opportunity to visit them in the near future.
Well done both of you 👏
Wow, you guys are so brave. Glad you are safe now. Only a short distance from ours.
The weather is forecast to be much kinder, but you would already know that.
Love the photos
Peter and Dagmar
I’m absolutely sure that it was the taping of the toes that helped, probably just as good as putting corks in bed for night cramps!!!!
As you say who cares as long as it works.
May
Congratulations Robert on a great fixit job on the rudders. We ad a similar problem on the cat we took to Dampier in 2020. We took the 4mm thick aluminium welded bracket from the TV and cut piece that lasted the trip. We would have loved radar on that trip!
Sounds like plenty of good seamanship along the way! 👍
It’s been unseasonally cold up here. 🌧️🥶
Pam & Robert, what a wonderful read. You both have developed such a high level of expertise in all things navigation. What a life of adventure you are living.
The cats don’t realise how lucky they are.
Enjoy your travels and stay safe.
Rob & Chicka
Well done, Pan and Rob. A good read.
Mike
Great read onçe again. Will be in Coffs end of august, I am looking forward to that xx