Mooloolabaa-baa

Back to Mooloolaba, to cross the bar, where the dredge is working the river entrance, so it needs some caution to cruise into the river.  Hurtle Turtle and WOW are anchored here, waiting to head south.  Just before we decided to drop the main, Peter noticed our main outhaul line had broken, not much we could do under sail but reef the main, sailed to the bar and sorted it out up in the river.  The engineer devised a plan to undo all the sheaves and jammers, feed a new line through the mast, remove the makings of a nest (those pesky welcome swallows again!) and re-tie the clew to the outhaul.  Job done!

We Are Sailing ... again!

Back in Moreton Bay and our first chance to hoist the mainsail with the new rigging.  Wow!  We sailed at 8.5 knots in a 10.5 knot NE wind!  Rudder is performing well; the running rigging is so much easier and the winches are soooo smooooth. 
Thanks #EverythingMarineAustralia  :)

radar repaired

This is how you hold the radar cover when you are up the mast...

Birds, Boats and Planes

The rudder was in worse shape than we thought and the team at Everything Marine took the whole side off, cleaned out the balsa and rebuilt the rudder to look like new.  Once reinstalled and tuned, the anti-foul was applied and we were lifted onto the Sea Lift ready for the morning launch.

Not such good news as we launched back in the water and tested the engines:  starboard injectors were not working so we had to book in at the marina again on Monday, and to top it off the fridge died again! 

At least a weekend on South Straddie at Dux Anchorage would allow some chill out time.  Besides the sea planes, helicopters and “marine blowflies” (jet skis) it was peaceful, with walks through beautiful banksia forest abundant with honeyeaters, flycatchers, trillers and orioles.  A pod of dolphins seemed unconcerned with people as they drifted in and out of the anchored boats. 

The Science of Polishing

Meanwhile, the radar has gone for repairs, the keel fibre-glassing is progressing despite the weather and the starboard rudder has new s/s strengthening, just awaiting the prop shaft.  The mast arrived with it’s new rigging, a new aerial (the old one was chewed off by naughty galahs) and reinstalled by crane by the ever efficient Everything Marine Team.

Traveller car and rope replaced after a few dramas removing the end, but what a whizz that new dynema line is!

This weekend we studied the science of gel coat polishing, with the help of Jeremy from Harbour Force, who gave us a few very useful samples.  Jeremy and Pedro were detailing “Deep Blues” our hard stand neighbour and offered us plenty of advice as we were bungling through the huge array of polishing products to suit our new gadget - the variable speed sander-polisher.  After plenty of Skipper Pete’s elbow grease Heatwave is now so shiny you could put on your make up out there, if you were so inclined.

Look at that mirror!

... and the cleaning continues ... 

All the Work at The Boat Works

As soon as we arrived on Tuesday Greg, from Everything Marine Australia, organised a mooring on the jetty so that we were lined up for the first lift at 7 am Wednesday.  At 6:30 am Aaron and the team arrived to set us up on “Harry the Travelift” who took us up to the wash bay, pressure-washed the hulls, then to our hard stand.  Blocks and a ladder were all arranged and Heatwave landed safely on the resting place.

Straight away the team began checking the keels and rudders, removing the genoa and boom, removing all the sheets and the MBTL (main boom traveller line – you didn’t think it would have a simple name, did you?) dismantling the rigging, and checking our radar which had stopped working some time ago.  Next job was to change the traveller car, but the end piece did not want to budge! 

The Yanmar Service Team began on the engines and found that our starboard prop shaft had damaged the bearing, so more delay and expense, but we are confident that it will be repaired properly this time.

Rigging Work at The Boat Works

Inskip to Mooloolaba

A small flotilla left Inskip Point on the rising tide and we all made it safely over the Wide Bay Bar.  One cat took the "Fisherman's Cut" and probably saved 2 hours on the trip, but we decided to stay safe and follow the Coast Guard route.  

A pod of whales joined us for a short while near Double Island Head, then a lone dolphin, then Peter caught a good 90 cm cobia – it should feed us for some time.

Pancakes at Pancake Creek

Enjoying Judy's famous pancakes at Pancake Creek ... especially a big favourite with Mitch the staffy!

Island Head Creek to Great Keppel Island

Another long day’s sail and a bit lumpy into Island Head Creek where we caught up with “Bamboozle” for sundowners.  

Up again just before break of day to try to reach Great Keppel Island in one day.  Plenty of whales still around and pods of dolphins to keep us amused.  With a good downwind run we were able to sail at 7 knots until the wind picked up to 20 knots, then changed from screecher to genoa and the wind kept building.  Eventually we gave up on the main and still ran at 8 knots on the genoa.  When the wind hit 30 knots we even reefed the genoa and still arrived before scheduled.

Scawfell Island to The Percy Islands

An early start again for the long sail to The Percy Islands, accompanying Colin and Cheryl on “Decka”. 

It turned into mostly motor-sailing, despite much tweaking and trimming of the main and screecher.  As we rounded the last rocks and prepared to drop sails Peter hooked up a good sized mackerel.  Just made the anchorage in White’s Bay before dark and Cheryl invited us for roast chicken dinner, which was gratefully appreciated. 

Middle Percy is an island to rival any of the Whitsundays.  With white sandy beaches to rival Whitehaven and cliffs of coloured sands to rival Rainbow beach, the only downside is feral goats, which are playing havoc with the vegetation.  Yachties have been busy on the beaches collecting loads of plastics and piling them above the high tide mark.  We added a few more bits as we strolled along the sand.

Brampton to Scawfell Island

An early start from Brampton to Scawfell Island to take advantage of the SW wind, this was our first really dull, grey day, with grey clouds, little daylight and no sun at all.  The few drops of rain overnight had spread the dust over the deck and the solar panels.  After clearing the top of Carlisle Island the wind picked up and we did an easy 7 knots on main and screecher.  Then whizzzzzz… off went the lure with a nice spotted mackerel on the line, about 75 cm, yum!

On passing St Bees and Keswick Islands, dolphins were cruising all around.  As we watched they began doing circle work, rounding up fish.  We’d seen this behaviour on documentaries but never before a live show!  Amazing!   A few leaping whales in the distance added to the morning’s entertainment.  Then as we dropped the sails to come into Scawfell anchorage, hundreds and thousands of Tiger Blue butterflies swarmed around and across the water.  The first Scawfell anchorage is just beautiful and the water even clearer than Brampton Island.

Just when we thought we had seen everything marine, bait fish began dancing across the water and a school of tuna exploded out of the water chasing them.  It went on for half an hour or more all around the bay, but the tuna kept jumping, the bait fish by now were walking on the water and seemed doomed as they were driven towards the coral reefs, and then the sea-eagles joined the action to snatch a fish supper.  Anyway, whatever the tuna and sea-eagles are having for dinner, we had tandoori mackerel.  Yum!

You are not Welcome, Swallows!

It seems we have a family of cute welcome swallows hitching a ride with us.  Everywhere we anchor or berth, they appear.  Of course, we can’t be sure it’s the same pair, but it’s getting a bit spooky.  

Now anchored at Brampton Island, we thought it cute that they were landing on the tip of the fishing rod, only to realise they had a good view into the back of the boom... then we caught them carrying mud for nest building!  No something we really need: baby swallows fledging as we are sailing along.

Our solution:  some noisy beer cans; luckily, we had a few to spare!!

So Skipper Pete tied a couple of empty cans on a string below the end of the boom.  Boom!  

The noise eventually drove them to find another nest spot, although they were very insistent that this was their preferred residence.

welcome swallows on a mission...

beer cans blowing in the wind...

Well, it works and no-one was hurt in the process.

Catch of the Day - Striped Marlin

Hearing two taps on the trolling line, Peter started winding it in to check the lure, when a big fish followed the lure to the back of the boat.  We were sailing at 7 knots but this fish effortlessly leapt up and grabbed the lure.  Thinking it was our ever elusive Spanish Mackerel, as it was fighting hard, he wound it up to the back step, only to discover a Striped Marlin.  The fish looked at us and did another big leap and took off.

Broken Furler

Fridge and freezer groaning with more than a month’s food, we were ready to sail south when a loud bang on the jib furler made us rethink.  It was hard to determine the damage until Peter climbed the mast.  A section of the furler tubing had split, and it had to be right at the top; we may have inadvertently over-tightened the halyard.

Colin from Quadrant Marine and Greg Southern, rigger, were able to pull it all apart, add a new section and put it back together again.  It was a bit nerve-wracking when they loosened all the stays on the mast to release the jib halyard, but the mast stayed up.  At least we had a good berth for laying out the furler to work on it. 

Abell Point Marina were very understanding as we overstayed to get the job finished.  At last we are heading south and the jib furler works!  Despite the lack of forecasted northerly wind, we made Long Island before sunset.

loosening the main stays...

the broken furler section

making use of the long jetty

Good Morning Airlie Beach!  Lovely sunrise, but we are stuck here with a broken furler, hoping to find a rigger to repair or replace it.

Southbound

The reverse trip south is quite different; winds are lighter and fickle, so more motoring than sailing the first few days until we reach Airlie Beach.  We found Notorious the pirate ship at Cape Upstart and anchored alongside Cat Play and Catlypso.  The dodgy old trawler has sunk and now has a yellow danger marker, making it easier to see.  Leaving at first light, we had the almost-full moon to add more light.  Optimistically hoisted the main, then pulled out the screecher, but until we’d cleared the headland still had to use the “iron sail”.

Balding Bay

The walk to Balding Bay takes you over the saddle to a beautiful beach, ringed with huge granite boulders.  The first part is straight up 1000 steps, the saddle is a fairly flat meander, then a clamber over boulders down the other side to the sandy beach.  Interesting to see spinifex right near the beach.

Old and New Friends

Catching up with old friends from Cairns and meeting new friends from all over.

Allied Rock Wallabies at Geoffrey Bay

Finally found some rock wallabies at Geoffrey Bay.  Sadly they have been hand fed for many years and many of them look very mangy and unhealthy.  Despite the NP signs recommending not to feed them, the shops are still selling “wallaby pellets” to tourists.  Not good news for our native animals L

Walking Magnetic Island

The walks on Magnetic Island are brilliant, with so many great vistas.  Two-thirds of the island is National Park with 25 km of tracks.  On our walk to The Forts we couldn’t have been luckier – a koala was propped in a small tree just beside the track.  As we watched her sleeping, as koalas usually do, a tiny head poked out from her pouch, then a couple of tiny claws and the joey looked at us, looking at him/her.  From the Koala Foundation we estimated the joey could be about 7 months old.

“The young Koala only drinks its mother's milk for the first six to seven months and remains in the pouch for that time, slowly growing and developing eyes, ears and fur. At about 22 weeks, its eyes open and it begins to peep out of the pouch. From about 22 to 30 weeks, it begins to feed upon a substance called "pap", which the mother produces in addition to milk. Pap is a specialised form of faeces, or droppings, which forms an important part of the young Koala's diet, allowing it to make the transition from milk to eucalyptus leaves, rather like a human baby is fed "mushy" food when it starts to eat solids. Pap is soft and runny and thought to come from the caecum--a pouch connected to the junction of the small and large intestines. It allows the mother to pass on micro-organisms present in her own digestive system to her joey, which are essential to the digestion of eucalyptus leaves, and is a rich source of protein.”

Up the hill at the first fort, we could see a whale lolling in Florence Bay.  Couldn’t ask for better day, except maybe a rock wallaby hopping by, but they were elusive during the day.  The species here is the allied rock-wallaby (Petrogale assimilis).