Malua
An Adams cruising yacht
Having restocked food
and fuel in Bundaberg - using the local
electric scooters to get around I was ready for the next leg north to
Mackay.
First I had to visit the atoll of Australia - Lady
Musgrave Island. It has an entrance in the northern side which is not
to difficult to get through then one motors to find a spot that is
clear knowing all the time there are coral bommies scattered over the
bottom. I found a suitable spot and dropped my anchor within a
reasonable distance of a large catamaran. After two days of walks on
the actual island it was time to leave but before I pulled the anchor
I watched as the cat started the engines and moved forward to lift
the anchor. That done as always it was off at top speed for next
destination. It had not gone 20m when there was a loud bang and the
starboard hull rose out of the water as the keel hit a bommie and got
firmly stuck. Pandemonium broke out on board. First hard astern,
then astern on port engine then ahead on port as the cat spun on the
keel. What to do next? Everyone on the port stern and hard astern
on both engines. The vessel lurched for a moment the splash and it
was off. Without out a single care in the world or stop and look for
damage they careered off to the entrance and out into the deep blue
sea for their next schedule stop.
I pulled up anchor and eased my way to entrance and on to Fitzroy Reef and a very narrow and quite difficult entrance. All done and drop the anchor with only one other yacht and a few small outboard fishing boats. Great place. The next leg was to Hummocky Island for the night. Not a great place as the tide runs fast from east to west while the wind is coming round the mountain at right angles to the tide.
Great Keppel was only a half days sail so I dropped anchor on the southern side. Beach gathering that evening but I must be on my way to Port Clinton. Now this is supposed to be a protected anchorage but one has to cross a river bar with very shallow entrance and waves breaking in places. I managed to do that with less than a meter and steamed up the river for what I thought was a good place out of the wind but the change in tide and the volume of water running in and out makes this a challenge to keep one’s anchor in the sand. Next day on the high tide a beat a retreat out into the open sea for another questionable anchorage at Pearl Bay. I did not enter from the south but came between the island as the waves broke on the rocks into a shallow area. I did not make it up the bay but stopped with 3 m under the keel. That night the Boarder Patrol boat entered and anchored behind me. I knew I was safe!
Off to Percy Island and the famous yacht club. Great beach drinks. The following day I walked to Homestead but there seems to be some disputes with the owners and the caretaker which did not taste well with the cruisers but people seem to arrive either going north or south. Very crowded on west side and quite rolly. I left the next day for Rescue Bay to sit out a northerly wind and away from the crowd. This is a lovely place with whales swimming past. A great sand dune close by.
Left to head for Curlew Island as a stop before Mackay. Not a great spot inside the reef which you have to navigate through to get going north. Off next day with no wind and a flat sea with dead algae floating on the surface. Thankfully not that deep to get into the water intake.
Arrived at Mackay at a prearranged berth in a large marina. The on-ramp to the floating pontoons is like climbing a very steep hill. Quite upmarket facilities.
Get leg with Denny who joined at Mackay here...
