The Sea Change happened!

The sea change really happened! The past 2 months have been filled with new experiences every day. It has been a big learning curve and we certainly know much more about sailing than we did. Most experiences were great, a few of the more challenging moments we would like to avoid in the future (eg gale force winds and sand bars!!) The abundant water life (turtles, dolphins, schools of fish and the whales) was magnificent, the scenery beautiful and meeting and making friends with other yachties very special. We look forward to the next chapter.

Final Leg of our trip

We have arrived back in Newport and will return to Perth within the next few days. The trip down the coast included highlights like some great sailing which Peter loved (4 hours with speed to 9 knots ), a lovely night anchored in the picturesque Garry's Anchorage and a F1 11 passing right before our eyes as we sat having a cuppa. It would have been 300 mtrs away and 75 ft off the ground!! We crossed the treacherous Wide Bay Bar at day break along with 8 other boats who had, like us, been waiting for the right conditions. The trip to Mooloolaba went well but because of winds from the wrong direction we were then anchored there for 6 days. At least it is a good place to be stuck although it was rather wet and we must admit to being rather impatient to get back to Newport and pack up and head home.

Our first live-on-board visitor

It was great for us to have Janine, Christine's daughter come across from WA for a 5 day visit. She flew to Brisbane and then caught the Tilt train to Maryborough. This meant a 40 minute bus trip to Hervey Bay to meet us at the Marina. The weather was not kind for the first three days and conditions on and off the boat (even though we were in the Marina,) were far from good. Janine coped well with the conditions. Fortunately because the weather was great on her last two days we were able to get across to Kingfisher Bay (which included a nice sail) and enjoy the warm weather, the resort (which Janine took to very well) and a little fishing. To ensure a calm night we went across and anchored at the mouth of the Susan River for one night. She seemed to enjoy life aboard Family Affair which can be described as a cross between caravanning, a house boat and a sailing yacht. We also managed to have some retail therapy (mainly due to the weather) and Peter took us out to dinner one night. We thoroughly enjoyed her stay and hope to have others join us in the future.

Photos by Janine

Peter and his boat, fishing our style, Sunset at Susan River and a dodgey photo of the three of us looking very natural and relaxed (ha ha)

Photos of Family Affair

Photos of the boat, in the Marina, at anchor and us aboard

Bundaberg - a highlight of our trip

The Marina is new and the owners seen to go out of there way to make yachties feel welcome. As it is a 15 minute drive to Bundaberg, which is the centre of the Sugar Cane industry(population of 70,000), a courtesy bus was provided. The countryside is lush and green with very rich soil (Peter was looking a little green) The cafe also offered special meals and entertainment for the yachties and there was a market with live music on the Saturday we were there. The town itself impressed us, wide streets, good shopping ( I think I visited River's at least 4 times!) with plenty of activity ín what appears to be an active, healthy community. The markets on Sunday were superb with plenty of locally grown prime fruit and vegies. It was great to meet lots of yachties, some from overseas with wonderful stories to tell, and others travelling either north or south. All seemed to be eager to share either a wonderful anchorage, tips on what to avoid or other information that really is invaluable. Of course once meeting people you are always looking out for them or their boat on your travels. Boats of all shapes and sizes and people, some single others with a crew, from all walks of life.

Ocean Farer's

We were very fortunate to berth next to ''Greshon ll " which had just arrived before us from a 8 day passage from Solomon Islands. It was a great to get to know the owner's Steve and Cheryl who originate from Hawaii and their crew member Ross, a New Zealander, who is a long term resident of the Solomon Islands. The boat is a 50ft Steel hull which Steve affectionalty calls his ''4 wheel drive of the ocean''. Steve has been sailing all over the Pacific for 20 years (between being a lawyer in Hawaii) and has many adventures to relate. It was wonderful to meet a couple who has so much experience and we thoroughly enjoyed spending time with them and sharing some of their adventures.

Whales

Platypus Bay seems to be the whales playground.  As we passed through on our way to Bundaberg we sighted 10 to 12 of them, some as long as the boat,  mostly busy moving through the water.  We were the only boat in the middle of what is called Wide Bay with no land in sight when we noticed a spectacular show way off on the horizon.  We could see their tails, which looked surreal as they were big shinny and silver in the sunlight  and huge sprays of water from their breaching.    We changed course to try and get closer until finally we spotted one about 100 metres ahead.  We were under sail at the time with no engines running, so it was very quiet.  We dashed to the front of the boat to try and catch it  on camera  and waited and waited for the whale to surface.  All of a sudden we heard this very loud rush of wind at the rear of the boat which startled us somewhat!  A whale had surfaced about 3 metres from the stern and wouldn't you know it we were in the wrong place!  Christine dashed up the back and was able to sight a second whale passing close by  just under the water and  saw its eye and body clearly.  After that another 5 or 6 whales passed under us (none came close to us though) and then continued on there playful way.  It was very exciting, we just wish we could have managed that  photo.

Tides - same scene, same day, the difference low & high tides

Family Affair is the boat (the dot) you can see in both photos

From Hervey Bay tourism frenzy to peaceful Wathumba Lagoon

We stayed 3 nights at the Urangan Marina at Hervey Bay. Loved the hot showers, abundant eating places and to see the flourishing tourism industry in full swing. Large catamarans loaded with people were in and out all the time. Some were off to Kingfisher Bay (car carriers also) but most seemed to be heading off to view the whales. We noticed how excited and happy people were when they arrived back at the marina, obviously the whale watching was a very positive experience for them. Hervey Bay is about to go into a boom time but at this stage is rather like Busselton but with poor shopping and services. We walked for hours to the one and only decent food shopping centre - we did catch a taxi home! They are few and far between to.

Along the way we continue to meet interesting people and hear lots of good stories, a chance meeting with the right person can give invaluable information. A fellow we berthed next to had a Simpson catamaran similar to FA and told us about a wonderful little lagoon on Platypus Bay right in the middle of whale territory. Under normal circumstances we would have thought it to shallow to try this anchorage but by anchoring outside of the Lagoon and going in the dinghy with a hand held GPS we were able to mark a course so we could come in at high tide. We are here for a few days now. Peter is delighted as he has been able to beach the boat and work on the propellers and I am loving this little paradise. It has a community of 20 or more trailer/sailor type boats and people camping on the Fraser Island side of the Lagoon have come by 4 wheel drives. It is a completely different place at high and low tide - both spectacular. The water is crystal clear with beautiful aqua water and white sand. I don't think our photos will do it justice. We will certainly be back to visit this spot.

The fabulous Kingfisher Bay

We enjoyed several days at Kingfisher Bay. It was an idealic setting as we had a delightful mooring which was about a 5 minute dinghy trip from the resort. We give them full marks for the facilities, as they have hot showers, pool, sporting facilities and bar and restaurant especially provided for day visitors. The resort itself is very tastefully done blending into the environment beautifully. They have a great walking trail about 3.5 kms which gives wonderful views.

A highlight was last Saturday morning at 6am when anchored in the Bay. The water was like glass when we suddenly heard this big crash - I thought, oh no a boat has run into the jetty. Were we delighted to find it was a whale. It was jumping out of the water, then cracking down on the water (similar to a gun shot). It was very large and just breathtaking to watch. It was a reasonable distance away(250 mtrs) people from the resort were watching from shore. Everyone was very excited. We hope to see more whales in the next few days as we are right in their territory and apparently this is the best time to see them(before breeding season). Hopefully Janine will get to see some when she visits too.

Ready for a big catch!

No wind No Sail

Gale force winds- new experiences, new friends

After a lovely stay at Tin Can Bay we headed up the coast on Thursday for Garry's anchorage, leaving at 10am and arriving around 2-30pm. We had to motor as there was very little wind, however it was a good trip as the tide assisted our trip. With the boat set on auto-pilot we enjoyed sitting up top of the cabin in our deck chairs drinks in hand enjoying the scenery which included houseboats, campers and other boating activity along the Fraser Island coast. We sighted schools of Tuna in a feeding frenzy, dolphins and numerous turtles. Suddenly you see a little black head pop above the smooth surface, eyes blink at you in surprise and then they duck dive out of sight. All was just as one would imagine it would be!

Garry's Anchorage, which is named after a prominent Aboriginal who lived in the area with his family, is a quite little haven with lovely little sandy coves and with an attractive green backdrop. There were about 7 boats of different shapes and sizes anchored with us. That afternoon we thoroughly enjoyed a visit to Family Affair by Arnie and Ida, a couple we had met at Tin Can Bay. We organised to pay them a visit on the following afternoon little knowing what events lay ahead. We knew that bad weather was expected and that our anchorage would be a safe place,however the gale force winds were rather more than predicted. The news was full of the damage the winds caused in SE Qld. Peter recorded wind gusts up to 59 knots and even although he had put 2 anchores out he was continually checking things throughout the night to made sure everything was OK. Not much sleep for him that night. I was busy trying not being motion sick (which meant I needed to be asleep!!) After we had finished watching the football that evening we had noticed our friends boat getting further and further away. Sure enough they had dragged their anchor in the strong winds and ended up stranded on a sand bar up near the mangroves for the night. Obviously they would have not be going anywhere until high tide at 8-30 next morning if they could get off otherwise it would be another 12 hours!. It was touch and go whether they would get off, Peter motored over to them in the dinghy in difficult conditions to give assistance but eventually it was the coast guard who helped them off. This is not how one imagined it would be!!

Later in the day we moved, as had Arnie and Ida, around the corner to a more protected anchorage. We then paid our return visit to them and learn't that that type of experience was pretty run of the mill for them ( they seem to always be having some sort of adventure or the other) but Arnie, who is a journalist, now has new material for a story!!.

Well prepared for a Night Sail

The trip up to Tin Can Bay (the southern end of Fraser Island) involved leaving at 3am to make sure that we were able to cross Wide Bay Bar at High Tide which was 2pm. A big trip but now we can relax and enjoy calmer waters.

A top-spot anchorage at Mooloolaba

On Wednesday we set sail for Mooloolaba. We left at 10-45am, a bit later than anticipated, and consequently motored a bit more than we would have otherwise to make sure we got here in daylight. The trip took 6 hours with some good sailing conditions along the way. We saw some dolphins, one pod of 6 came close to the boat, they are very beautiful. There is quite a boating culture amongst the 'boaties'and by staying in one spot for a time you become part of it. Consequently we had a few boats looking out for us on our maiden trip and one guy asked us to call him when we were anchored just to make sure we had arrived safe and sound. The photo below is taken coming into the Mooloolaba at around 5-30 in the evening. There was a lot of activity on the water with lots of kayaks, racing row boats etc. The homes on the canals are magnificent, with their own private jetties and huge boats/catamarans moored out front. From conversations we have heard Lisa Currie/Kenny is the owner of one of them. It is a beautiful anchorage, very calm with great views from the boat. We will stay here until the weather conditions are right for us to move further up the coast, our destination being sheltered behind Fraser Island. It looks like that will be several days, but with everything virtually at our doorstep (linked by a short trip on our dinghy to a sandy beach) we aren't complaining.

Mooloolaba/Maroochydore are great places to visit

Once we step off our little dinghy it is a short walk to the cappuccino strip at Mooloolaba, the Wharf Marina with a variety of restaurants, great walks to the beach, internet cafe and supermarket and a good bus service to Sunshine Plaza at Maroochydore which is rather spectacular being set either side of the river. (see photo) We had a good time today when we met Charien my niece and her two little ones for the lunch. She generously lent us her car while they visited Underwater World which is right here. Peter took the opportunity to visit yet another Dick Smith store, the boat is improving all the time!

Moreton Bay has many faces

This picture shows a very serene Moreton Bay, it was great to experience it like this. However I can vouch for the fact that it is not always so! Several nights ago we decided to anchor out in the Bay for the night. Everything was perfect, lovely and calm a pretty sunset, we had even managed to catch our first fish (3 little sand whiting - you have to start somewhere) when things changed dramatically. A strong swell started to rock the boat from side to side. I soon felt terrible and I'm sure turned green. Fortunately once asleep I was OK but was very pleased to return to the Marina as early as possible the next morning. I guess you have to take the good with the bad.

Bribie re-visited

We had a top day when we re-visited Bridie Island - no sand bars this time! We took several hours to get there and after mooring at the jetty went ashore and bought a hamburger for lunch. You meet all sorts of characters along the way and one was waiting for us when we stepped off the boat. He was a well dressed senior who shared with us his great concern that the Bribie Island council had built the jetty 50 metres too short. Now the sand is starting reclaim the jetty. We don't think we will be back in this area for a while as we intend heading up the East Coast early next week - weather permitting.

Peter is doing just fine!

As you can see Peter is getting plenty of attention -seems to be enjoying it too.

And it really was a Family Affair!!

On Saturday 20th August we had a lovely day out
with my family who are based in Queensland. This

included my brother and wife with nieces and family.

As my mother had travelled over with me to spent time

with Ross and family she also joined us for the day.

Ages ranged from 89yrs to my nieces youngest of 18mths.

11 of us set sail for Bribie Island in glorious conditions.

Everything was perfect, great company, good food, glorious

weather and then it happened!! We found a sand bank at

low tide and so spent a few extra hours together waiting

for the tide to turn - good for family bonding! The unexpected

night sail home was rather nice as conditions were beautiful

and we had a red moon. All a good learning curve.

Must say we were delighted with the space and ease

of entertaining that number, although a pack of cards promptly

went on the shopping list in anticipation for the future unexpected...

Newport Marina our home for a time

Newport Marina is well set up with good facilities and very suitable for our needs. We may be here for another week or so - as we have no time agenda and Peter wants to get a few tings sorted on the boat. The boat really is very big and well designed - comfortable and pleasant. It must be as I still have lots of empty cupboard space. The weather has been picture perfect everyday, most days we go out for a sail to get more familiar with the boat and the conditions. The tides are such a big thing here that is important that we time our return to the Marina at the right time. We are berthed at the very end of one of the Jetties as we would take up 2 normal spaces. That makes it easier to berth and very pleasant to live on. Rather like a houseboat. We had a hire car for a week and have been madly flying around setting up (it is like setting up another home) and Peter has been buying up and replacing equipment and licensing the boat etc. New legislation here means that he must get a boat license so he will spend next Sunday at the Marina next door to obtain that. It was great to relax and start taking things easier today - my biggest challenge was remembering what to take me when I did the washing. Firstly I forgot money and then I forgot the pegs!! The exercise was good..

Dreams do come true

It has always been a mystery to me that men on the land often have an attraction for life at sea. Maybe it is an open space issue. Peter, a wheat farmer from the central wheatbelt in Western Australia has dreamed of sailing away on his own cataraman from a young age. At last that dream is coming true. I feel very priviledged to be his first 'mate' and be with him as his dream unfolds

Family Affair

Here she is!